Material supply robot and material supply system using the same

Abstract

To provide a material supply robot capable of taking out carton bundles stored flat in cardboard boxes and setting them in a packaging machine.CONSTITUTION: A material supply robot according to the invention has a robot arm 21 and a hand tool 22 attached to the robot arm, wherein the hand tool includes: a first hand part 23 which enters into a corrugated cardboard box 1 and receives a carton bundle 3; and a second hand part 24 that clamps and holds the received carton bundle that have been transferred from the first hand part to a temporary placement table 30. Since the second hand part holds the carton bundle with a predetermined force, the carton bundle can be held even if the tip side is inclined downward, and the carton bundle can be supplied to the hopper of the cartoner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a material supply robot and a material supply system using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a device that removes multiple cartons stored in a cardboard box and supplies them to a cartoner hopper is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This device pushes a stack of multiple cartons stored in an upright cardboard box from both sides in the stacking direction to create a gap between the inside surface of the cardboard box and the carton stack, then inserts a carton gripper into the gap and clamps and holds the carton stack. In this state, the carton gripper is moved in a predetermined direction to remove the gripped carton stack from the cardboard box and set it in the hopper. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4526160 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When multiple cartons are prepared in a cardboard box stacked flat, it is not possible to form a predetermined space between the cartons and the inside surface of the cardboard box by pressing on the sides from the outside, and the device disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot remove a stack of cartons from the cardboard box. This requires a worker to manually remove the cartons from the cardboard box and feed them into the cartoner's hopper, which creates a significant workload.

[0005] Furthermore, even if it were possible to remove a stack of cartons from a cardboard box, if there was not enough space between the cardboard box and the cartons, it would be impossible to insert a gripping device equipped with an opening and closing mechanism that firmly clamps and holds the cartons, and there is a risk that the cartons will fall while being moved to the hopper position or during the hopper's supply operation.

[0006] Furthermore, due to the relationship between the front and back orientation of the cartons stored inside the cardboard box and the front and back orientation when the cartons are set in the hopper, and the relationship between the posture of the stack of cartons stored inside the cardboard box and the posture when they are set in the hopper, even if the cartons can be removed from the cardboard box using a carton gripping device that has the function of clamping and holding the stack of cartons, it may not be possible to set them in the hopper in the same state as when they were removed.

[0007] The above-mentioned problems are described as being independent of each other, and the present invention does not necessarily have to solve all of the problems described, but it is sufficient if it can solve at least one of the problems. Furthermore, we intend to obtain rights to the configurations for solving these problems separately through divisional applications, amendments, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a material supply robot of the present invention is a material supply robot that removes a carton bundle, in which a plurality of cartons are stored flat in a box, from the box and supplies the removed carton bundle to a packaging machine, and includes a robot arm and a hand tool attached to the robot arm, and the hand tool includes a first hand unit that enters the box and receives the carton bundle, and a second hand unit that clamps and holds the received carton bundle after transferring it from the first hand unit to a temporary storage location. It is assumed that .

[0009] The robot arm adjusts the position and posture of the hand tool, allowing the first hand unit to enter the box and transfer the received carton bundle to a temporary storage location. For example, by moving the first hand unit without facing its tip downward and transferring the carton bundle to the temporary storage location, the first hand unit does not need to have the function of clamping and holding the carton bundle. As a result, the part that enters the box can be a fixed member, and insertion is possible even for flat-stacked cartons with little gap between them and the inner surface of the box. The second hand unit has a clamping and holding function, and can firmly hold the temporarily placed carton bundle, allowing it to stably move to the supply position of the packaging machine and supply it to the supply location. Furthermore, since the carton bundle is clamped and held, if it can be configured to prevent the carton bundle from falling even when the tip of the second hand unit is facing diagonally downward, it can be set in the packaging machine in a more arbitrary posture.

[0010] (1) In addition to the above premise configuration, The first hand unit may include a plurality of frame members that can enter the box, and may be configured such that a longitudinally extending groove is formed on the outer surface of at least some of the frame members, and the leading end of a flap of the box is hooked into the groove to open the flap. In this way, even if the opening of the box is blocked by a flap, the flap can be opened by adjusting the position and attitude of the hand tool with the robot arm, and the carton bundle can be exposed and removed from the opening.

[0011] (2) In addition to the above premise configuration, The first hand unit may include a plurality of frame members that can enter the box, and at least some of the frame members may have protrusions at their tips so that the tips of the flaps of the box can be hooked onto the protrusions to open the flaps. In this way, even if the opening of the box is blocked by the flaps, the flaps can be opened by adjusting the position and attitude of the hand tool with the robot arm, and the carton bundle can be exposed and removed from the opening.

[0012] (3)The material supply system according to the present invention comprises: (1) or (2) a raising device that holds the box containing the carton bundle and raises the box so that the opening of the box faces downward, and a temporary placement unit that temporarily places the carton bundle received by the first hand unit in an upright state. In this way, the carton bundle that is stacked flat can be removed from the box and supplied to a packaging machine.

[0013] (4) The temporary storage unit may have a function of changing the inclination angle of the upright posture of the temporarily stored carton bundle, and the second hand unit may have a backrest portion located at the rear side that receives the carton bundle configured at an angle that corresponds to the inclination angle changed by the temporary storage unit. In this way, it is possible to supply carton bundles that are in a different posture at the receiving portion of the packaging machine from when they are stored in a box, for example, in a shape that is inclined like a parallelogram in side view.

[0014] Also, from (1) above, (4) The configurations shown in can be configured by combining them as appropriate, and based on such combined configurations, the components described in the embodiments and drawings can be combined. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, a bundle of cartons stored in a flat stack in a box can be removed and set in a packaging machine. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a material supply robot and a material supply system using the same according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5]1 shows a carton stack and a cardboard box. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram (part 1) showing an example of a raising table device. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 2) showing an example of a raising table device. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the raising table device. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view (part 1) showing a hand tool. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view (part 2) showing the hand tool. [Figure 11] FIG. 3 is a perspective view (part 3) showing the hand tool. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a hand tool. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the hand tool. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the opening function of the outer flap. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the opening function of the inner flap. [Figure 17] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the carton bundle removal function when the raising table device is in the installed position. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a perspective view (part 1) showing a temporary placement table. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a perspective view (part 2) showing the temporary placement table. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a perspective view (part 3) showing the temporary placement table. [Figure 21] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the temporary placement of a carton stack on the temporary placement table. [Figure 22] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the temporary placement of a carton stack on the temporary placement table. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a hand tool according to another embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various changes, modifications, and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0018] 1 to 4 show the overall configuration of a material supply system 10 according to this embodiment. The material supply system 10 is configured to remove a carton bundle 3, which is made up of a large number of cartons 2 stored in a cardboard box 1 transported by an upstream transport conveyor 11, and to supply the removed carton bundle 3 to a hopper 15 of a cartoner 14, which is an example of a downstream packaging machine. The removal and supply of the carton bundle 3 is performed by a material supply robot 20. The material supply robot 20 is a six-axis articulated robot equipped with a robot arm 21 and a hand tool 22 attached to the distal end of the robot arm 21. The hand tool 22 holds the carton bundle 3, and the movement of the robot arm 21 controls the hand tool 22 to be in a predetermined position and in a predetermined orientation and posture. After the carton bundle 3 has been removed, the empty cardboard box 1 is transported and discharged by an output conveyor 19.

[0019] In this way, the material supply system 10 of this embodiment is a full-line automated system that, when a cardboard box 1 containing a carton bundle 3 is set on a conveying line, transports the cardboard box 1 on a transport conveyor 11, automatically removes the carton bundle 3 from the cardboard box 1 using a material supply robot 20 and supplies it to a hopper 15 of a cartoner 14, and further automatically performs the process of removing the carton bundle 3 and discharging the empty cardboard box 1.

[0020] 1 to 4, the material supply robot 20 is depicted in a plurality of work processes on the same drawing, and one of the robot arm 21 and the hand tool 22 is omitted from the illustration for each work process. For example, the robot arm 21 is positioned to remove the carton bundle 3 from the cardboard box 1, and the hand tool 22 attached to the tip of the robot arm 21 is omitted from the illustration. Also, the hand tools 22 at the position to supply the carton bundle 3 to the hopper 15 of the cartoner 14 and at intermediate positions on the way thereto are shown supporting the carton bundle 3, but the robot arm 21 is omitted from the illustration.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5(a), a carton 2 includes a rectangular bottom 2a, side walls 2b arranged adjacent to the four sides of the bottom 2a, a lid 2c arranged adjacent to the top edge of one of the four side walls 2b, and a glue tab 2d for bonding adjacent side walls together, all of which are formed into a single sheet in an unfolded state. Cartons 2 of this shape are stacked flat to form a carton bundle 3. This carton bundle 3 is stored in a cardboard box 1 with an opening at the top, as shown in FIG. 5(b), without being bound with a band or the like, as shown in FIG. 5(c). When the carton bundle 3 is stored in the cardboard box 1, gaps are formed between the four corners of the carton bundle 3 and the four corners of the interior of the cardboard box 1 in a plan view.

[0022] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cardboard box 1 is stored so that the upper opening side faces the printed surface of the carton 2, i.e., becomes the outer surface when the carton 2 is assembled. In addition, in Fig. 5, a pair of outer flaps 4 connected to the long sides of the cardboard box 1 and a pair of inner flaps 5 connected to the short sides are each open outward, giving the cardboard box 1 an open position, but when the cardboard box is supplied to and transported on the transport conveyor 11, the outer flaps 4 and inner flaps 5 are in a closed position as shown in Fig. 1 etc.

[0023] The transport conveyor 11 comprises two plate conveyors arranged in parallel, the plate conveyor at the back in Fig. 1 having a transport path that transports from right to left in the figure, and the plate conveyor at the front in Fig. 1 having a transport path that transports from left to right in the figure. Although not shown, the plate conveyor at the back has an additional upstream transport path, through which cardboard boxes 1 transported on that transport path are sequentially transferred. The plate conveyor at the front has a shorter transport path and is equipped with a raising table device 12 at its downstream discharge end.

[0024] As shown enlarged in Figures 6 and 7, the table raising device 12 includes a box holding member 17 connected to a base member 16 that can rotate forward and backward around one side of the base member 16, and a drive mechanism 18 that rotates the box holding member 17 forward and backward. As shown in Figure 7, the box holding member 17 includes a plurality of rollers 17b rotatably connected to a frame 17a that is generally U-shaped in plan view, and the rollers 17b are configured to support the bottom surface of the cardboard box 1. The rotation axes of the rollers 17b are arranged to extend in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the transport conveyor 11 and are supported by bearings that allow them to rotate freely in a free state. The frame 17a extends in the conveying direction of the transport conveyor 11 and includes a pair of left and right bearing members A and B that support the rollers 17b by bearings, and a connecting member C that connects the bearing members A and B. A sidewall guide plate 17c that stands upright is connected to one of a pair of left and right bearing members A and B that constitute the frame 17a and support the bearings (here, bearing member A on the right side in the conveying direction). Furthermore, a stopper member 17d that extends in the axial direction of the rollers 17b above the rollers 17b is provided at the connecting portion of the frame 17a. As shown in FIG. 6 and other figures, the sidewall guide plate 17c and stopper member 17d are configured to be able to come into contact with the side of a cardboard box 1 placed on the rollers 17b. Furthermore, the box holding member 17 is provided with suction cups 17e in the gaps between adjacent rollers 17b, and is configured to be able to suction-hold the bottom of a cardboard box 1 placed on the rollers 17b.

[0025] The drive mechanism 18 includes a pair of bearing plate members 18a provided at predetermined positions on the upper surface of the base member 16, a rotating shaft 18b rotatably supported by the pair of bearing plate members 18a, a first pulley 18c attached to one end of the rotating shaft 18b, a drive shaft 18f that rotates forward and backward in cooperation with a drive source such as a servo motor, a second pulley 18e attached to the drive shaft 18f, and an endless belt 18d stretched between the first pulley 18c and the second pulley 18e. The box holding member 17 is connected to the rotating shaft 18b and is configured to rotate integrally therewith.

[0026] As a result, when the drive source operates to rotate drive shaft 18f forward or backward, the rotational force is transmitted to rotation shaft 18b, causing rotation forward or backward, and thus box holding member 17 rotates forward or backward around rotation shaft 18b. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 and other figures, this forward or reverse rotation causes box holding member 17 to move between a first position in which roller 17b is horizontal, i.e., in which roller 17b is positioned in a horizontal plane and sidewall guide plate 17c is raised in a vertical plane, and a second position in which box holding member 17 is rotated a predetermined angle from the first position to an upright position. The predetermined angle is 90 degrees or greater, more preferably greater than 90 degrees, such as 105 degrees. When the angle is 90 degrees, roller 17b is raised in a vertical plane and sidewall guide plate 17c is positioned in a horizontal plane. When the angle is greater than 90 degrees, roller 17b is tilted forward. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the box holding member is controlled to stop in a third position at a predetermined angle intermediate between the first and second positions. The predetermined angle for this third attitude is preferably a relatively large angle less than 90 degrees, for example, an appropriate angle between 60 and 80 degrees.

[0027] Then, as shown in Figure 6, when a cardboard box 1 is supplied to the box holding member 17 in the first position, the bottom surface of the cardboard box 1 is supported by rollers 17b and held by suction cups 17e, and the side surface of the cardboard box 1 contacts the side wall guide plate 17c and stopper member 17d and remains in a predetermined position.

[0028] When box holding member 17 rises from that state and displaces to the second position, cardboard box 1 also rises, the bottom surface rises 90 degrees, then rotates further to become tilted forward, and the opening of cardboard box 1 assumes a position facing diagonally downward. In other words, cardboard box 1, which is suction-held by box holding member 17, displaces in a position that is equal to the position of box holding member 17 and, in turn, the angle of the holding surface formed by multiple rollers 17b. Specifically, when box holding member 17 is in the first position, cardboard box 1 is horizontal with the opening facing upward, as shown by the solid line in Figure 8; in the third position, cardboard box 1 rises from the first position with the opening facing diagonally upward, as shown by the two-dot chain line; and in the second position, cardboard box 1 assumes a position with the opening facing diagonally downward, as shown by the dashed line.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the base member 16 is linked to a lifting mechanism, allowing its vertical position to be changed. As the base member 16 rises and falls, the box holding member 17 and the drive mechanism 18 also rise and fall together. In Figures 6 and 7, the vertical position of the rollers 17b of the box holding member 17 is one step lower than the conveying surface of the conveyor 11. However, when a cardboard box 1 is conveyed from the conveyor 11 and moves onto the rollers 17b, the base member 16 and therefore the box holding member 17 are raised at an appropriate timing before that, so that the conveying surface (holding surface) of the rollers 17b matches the height of the conveying surface of the conveyor 11. This allows the cardboard box 1 conveyed from the conveyor 11 to smoothly and smoothly move onto the box holding member 17 of the lifting table device 12 without any steps. The front side of the cardboard box 1 in the conveying direction contacts the stopper member 17d, preventing further forward movement and positioning the box in the front-to-rear direction. The position in the left and right direction relative to the conveying direction may be determined by being guided by the side wall guide plates 17c.

[0030] As will be described later, the material supply robot 20 removes the carton bundle 3 from the cardboard box 1 in the second position. Then, when removal of the carton bundle 3 is completed, the drive mechanism 18 operates, and the box holding member 17 returns to the first position. Accordingly, the cardboard box 1, which has been emptied of the carton bundle 3, also returns to a position where the opening of the top surface is positioned upward. The base member 16 then rises, controlling the position of the conveying surface formed by the rollers 17b to coincide with the conveying surface of the discharge conveyor 19. This causes the empty cardboard box 1 to also rise, and a pusher mechanism (not shown) or the like laterally shifts and transfers the cardboard box 1 onto the discharge conveyor 19. The empty cardboard box 1 is then transported downstream by the discharge conveyor 19.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the box holding member 17 is raised, the entire member including the rollers 17b rotates forward and backward to raise it up, but for example, instead of the frame 17a and rollers 17b etc. remaining horizontal, the suction cups 17e and the parts supporting them and the side wall guide plates 17c may be configured to rotate forward and backward to raise it up, and it is preferable to configure the cardboard box 1 supplied to the raising table device 12 to rotate by a predetermined angle to raise it up.

[0032] As shown in Figures 9 to 14, the hand tool 22 provided to the material supply robot 20 has a first hand unit 23 that removes unbound carton bundles 3 from a cardboard box 1, and a second hand unit 24 that supplies the removed carton bundles 3 to the hopper 15 of the cartoner 14. The first hand unit 23 and the second hand unit 24 are attached to a rectangular box-shaped base body 25 that opens at the top and bottom so that they are arranged back to back and facing opposite directions, forming an integrated unit. This base body 25 is attached to the tip side of the robot arm 21, so that the hand tool 22 moves to an appropriate position in accordance with the operation of the robot arm 21. The base body 25 has a front wall 25a, left and right side walls 25b, and a rear wall 25c, forming a predetermined space inside.

[0033] The first hand unit 23 includes a pair of left and right first frames 26 provided on the lower side and a pair of left and right second frames 27 provided on the upper side. These four frames are arranged so as to be located at the four corners of an imaginary rectangle. The first frame 26 and second frame 27 provided on the left side and the first frame 26 and second frame 27 provided on the right side are connected together by connecting portions 28 extending vertically and are connected to the base main body 25. The first frame 26, second frame 27, and connecting portions 28 are integrally formed using a substantially flat plate.

[0034] In this embodiment, the integrated first frame 26, second frame 27, and connecting portion 28 are configured to be movable toward and away from the base body 25. This allows for adaptability to changes in carton size.

[0035] The front wall 25a of the base body 25 is configured to come into contact with the surface of the carton stack 3 picked up by the first hand unit 23 and to serve as a backrest. The angle between the surface forming the backrest and the longitudinal direction of the first frame 26 and the second frame 27 is 90 degrees.

[0036] The first frames 26 have a generally L-shaped vertical cross section, and the pair of first frames 26 have wide portions 26a below their inner surfaces (facing surfaces of the pair of first frames 26: inner surface sides of the first hand unit 23) that protrude toward the center of the first hand unit 23. In addition, the outer surface of the first frame 26 is provided with grooves 26b that extend from the back side toward the tip.

[0037] The second frame 27 has a tapered surface 27a that widens outward toward the tip of its inner surface, and the distance between the pair of opposing left and right second frames 27 gradually increases toward the tip in the area where the tapered surface 27a is formed. The tip of the second frame 27 has protrusions 27b that protrude above and below it. The protrusions 27b are approximately triangular, and the tip surfaces of the upper and lower protrusions 27b are formed flush.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, the cardboard box 1 is conveyed by the conveyor 11 with the outer flaps 4 and inner flaps 5 in a closed position, and therefore the outer flaps 4 and inner flaps 5 of the cardboard box 1 remain closed when it is supplied to the raising table device 12. More specifically, the tape closing the outer flaps 4 is cut in a previous process, and the cardboard box is conveyed with the outer flaps 4 in a half-open state. However, because the outer flaps 4 and inner flaps 5 are half-open, the upper opening of the cardboard box 1 is covered, and the first hand unit 23 cannot be inserted into the cardboard box 1 in this half-open state. Therefore, in this embodiment, a function is provided to open the outer flaps 4 and inner flaps 5 using the first frame 26 and the second frame 27 to open the cardboard box 1.

[0039] As shown in Figure 15, the robot arm 21 is operated with respect to the cardboard box 1 held on the box holding member 17 in the first position and placed horizontally, and the groove 26b of the first frame 26 is hooked onto the tip of the half-open outer flap 4 (see Figure 15(a)). In this hooked state, the first frame 26 is moved in a predetermined direction and controlled to displace to an open position so that the outer flap 4 is positioned outside the upper opening of the cardboard box 1. By operating the left and right first frames 26 respectively, the two outer flaps 4 are opened respectively (see Figure 15(b)). This exposes the inner flap 5.

[0040] Next, as shown in Figure 16, by setting the box holding member 17 to the third position, the cardboard box 1 is tilted at an angle of 60 to 80 degrees, and the robot arm 21 is operated with the cardboard box 1 in this position, so that the protrusion 27b of the second frame 27 hooks onto the tip of the inner flap 5 (see Figure 16(a)), and while in this hooked state, the second frame 27 is moved diagonally upward or downward, and is controlled to displace into an open position so that the inner flap 5 is positioned outside the upper opening of the cardboard box 1 (see Figure 16(b)).

[0041] As a result, the outer flaps 4 and inner flaps 5 of the cardboard box 1 open, opening the cardboard box 1 and exposing the carton bundle 3 at the opening. Then, the robot arm 21 is operated to insert the first frame 26 and the second frame 27 of the first hand unit 23 into the cardboard box 1 (see FIG. 17(a)). The rotation of the box holding member 17 of the table-raising device 12 is synchronized with the movement of the first hand unit 23 by the operation of the robot arm 21, and while the box holding member 17 is shifting from the third position to the second position, the first frame 26 and the second frame 27 remain inserted into the cardboard box 1. As a result, when the second position is reached, the box holding member 17, and therefore the opening of the cardboard box 1, assumes a forward-leaning position, and the carton bundle 3 inside the cardboard box 1 is handed over to the first hand unit 23 (see FIG. 17(b)). Next, the robot arm 21 is operated to remove the first frame 26 and second frame 27 of the first hand unit 23 from the cardboard box 1, and the carton bundle 3 also moves together with the first hand unit 23 and can be removed from the cardboard box 1.

[0042] In this removed state, the first hand unit 23 is in a diagonally upward position, and each carton 2 constituting the carton bundle 3 is supported with its overlap portion 2d in contact with the upper surface of the wide portion 26a of the first frame 26, and with its predetermined side wall portion 2b in contact with the upper surface of the first frame 26. The left and right sides of the carton 2 are in contact with the inner surfaces of the first frame 26 and the second frame 27, respectively, to prevent lateral movement (see FIG. 18 , etc.). Furthermore, from its diagonally upward position, a force acts on the carton bundle 3, tending to move the entire carton bundle 3 toward the rear of the first hand unit 23, and the rear side of the carton bundle 3 comes into contact with the seatback. Therefore, the first hand unit 23 stably supports the carton bundle 3 without actively holding it by suction or clamping. The removed carton bundle 3 can then be moved to a predetermined position by moving the first hand unit 23 while maintaining the diagonally upward position.

[0043] Furthermore, as described above, the angle between the surface (front wall portion 25a) that forms the backrest of the first hand portion 23 and the longitudinal direction of the first frame 26 and the second frame 27 is 90 degrees, so that when the rear side of the carton stack 3 is in contact with the backrest, each carton 2 takes a position perpendicular to the first frame 26, and the carton stack 3 is supported by the first hand portion 23 in the same external shape as when it was stored in the cardboard box 1.

[0044] In this embodiment, a temporary placement table 30 is provided midway along the path of movement from the raising table device 12, which is a position where the carton bundle 3 is removed from the cardboard box 1, to the hopper 15 of the cartoner 14, which ultimately supplies the removed carton bundle 3. The carton bundle 3 removed by the first hand unit 23 is temporarily placed on the temporary placement table 30 in an upright state, and the second hand unit 24 grabs the temporarily placed carton bundle 3 and moves while still gripping it to supply the carton bundle 3 to the hopper 15. The second hand unit 24 has the function of gripping and holding the carton bundle 3, so that the carton bundle 3 will not fall even if, for example, the tip side of the second hand unit 24 is tilted downward, allowing for stable supply to the hopper 15.

[0045] The second hand unit 24 includes three third frames 31 that hold the upper side of the carton bundle 3 and two fourth frames 32 that hold the lower end surface of the carton bundle 3. One of the three third frames 31 is configured to be able to contact the upper end surface of the carton bundle 3, and the remaining two are configured to be able to contact the left and right side surfaces of the carton bundle 3. The three third frames 31 are attached to the base body 25 so that they can rotate forward and backward within a predetermined angular range around their respective base ends. The three third frames 31 are linked to a link mechanism 35, such as a toggle clamp, provided within the base body 25. The link mechanism 35 operates based on the drive of a cylinder 36, opening and closing the three third frames 31 together. The left and right third frames 31 rotate laterally, and the upper third frame 31 rotates vertically.

[0046] In the open state, the three third frames 31 are open with their respective leading ends facing outward, and can smoothly guide the carton bundle 3 into the second hand unit 24. On the other hand, when the third frames 31 are closed with the carton bundle 3 positioned in the second hand unit 24 in this manner, the three third frames 31 sandwich the carton bundle 3 from above and from the left and right, and can be driven by the cylinders 36 to hold it firmly.

[0047] Furthermore, first claws 33 are fixedly installed on the tip side of each third frame 31. The first claws 33 have a tip that protrudes toward the inside of the second hand unit 24. In this way, when the three third frames 31 are in contact with and holding down the surface of the carton bundle 3, the tip of each first claw 33 has a part that protrudes toward the center beyond the third frame 31, and this protruding part prevents the carton bundle 3 from separating toward the tip side.

[0048] Alternatively, without providing such a protruding portion, or in addition to providing one, the first claws 33 may extend in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the third frame 31, with the direction of extension being inward toward the center of the second hand unit 24. That is, the first claws 33 attached to the third frame 31 that can contact the upper end surface are inclined downward with respect to the longitudinal direction of the third frame 31. The first claws 33 attached to the third frame 31 that can contact the left side surface are inclined right with respect to the longitudinal direction of the third frame 31. The first claws 33 attached to the third frame 31 that can contact the right side surface are inclined left with respect to the longitudinal direction of the third frame 31. In this way, when the three third frames 31 are in contact with and holding down the surfaces of the carton bundle 3, each of the first claws 33 is inclined toward the center, and the three first claws 33 prevent the carton bundle 3 from separating toward the leading end.

[0049] Meanwhile, two fourth frames 32 are fixed to the base body 25 at a predetermined interval. The fourth frames 32 are arranged parallel to the first frame 26 and the second frame 27. Second claws 38, each having an upwardly protruding portion, are fixedly installed at the tip of the fourth frame 32. The protruding portions of the second claws 38 catch on the front of the carton bundle 3, preventing it from slipping forward. The fourth frames 32 are fixed to the base body 25 and do not open or close. The robot arm 21 operates to move the second hand 24, with the third frames 31 in an open position, toward the carton bundle 3, and further position the fourth frames 32 so that they contact the underside of the carton bundle 3. The upper three third frames 31 are then closed by driving the cylinder 36, thereby sandwiching and holding the carton bundle 3 between the upper third frames 31 and the fourth frames 32.

[0050] As shown in Figures 18 to 20, the temporary placement table 30 has two support rails 41 spaced a predetermined distance apart in the center of the top surface of a flat, rectangular mounting base 40, with side guide members 42 attached to the outside of each support rail 41. Furthermore, one end of each support rail 41 is provided with a backrest member 43 extending upward. The angle between the support rails 41 and the backrest member 43 is 90 degrees, allowing temporary placement without disrupting the external shape of the carton bundle 3 transported and supplied by the first hand unit 23.

[0051] As shown in Figure 18, when a bundle of cartons 3 is temporarily placed on the temporary placement table 30, the support rail 41 supports the center of the underside of the bundle of cartons 3, and the side guide members 42 come into contact with the side wall portions 2b of the cartons 2 to prevent lateral movement. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 19, the entire support rail 41, together with the mounting base 40, is inclined downward toward the backrest member 43, and the temporarily placed bundle of cartons 3 is guided by this inclination, with its surface coming into contact with the backrest member 43 and maintaining an upright position.

[0052] In this embodiment, the side guide members 42 are connected to the top of sliders 44 that are mounted on the mounting base 40 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction, and when the operating handle 45 is rotated forward or backward, the pair of sliders 44 and, in turn, the pair of side guide members 42 connected thereto move toward or away from each other. This makes it possible to accommodate changes in the size of the carton 2.

[0053] Switching of the carton bundle 3 from the first hand unit 23 to the second hand unit 24 using the temporary placement table 30 is performed as follows: After removing the carton bundle 3 from the cardboard box 1, the first hand unit 23 supports the carton bundle 3 with its tip facing diagonally upward between the first frame 26, the second frame 27, and the front wall 25a of the base body 25, which serves as a backrest, and then positions the first hand unit 23 at a predetermined position above the temporary placement table 30 based on the operation of the robot arm 21 (see FIG. 21(a)).

[0054] Next, the hand tool 22 moves downward, and the first hand portion 23 enters the space between the side guide members 42 of the temporary placement table 30, and the first frame 26 is positioned between the support rails 41 and the side guide members 42 of the temporary placement table 30, and the front wall portion 25a of the base main body 25 is controlled to be positioned between the pair of backrest members 43 of the temporary placement table 30. As a result, predetermined portions of the surface of the carton stack 3 come into contact with the support rails 41, the side guide members 42, and the backrest members 43 (see Figure 21(b)).

[0055] Next, the first hand unit 23 is moved toward the outside of the backrest member 43 (to the right in FIG. 24) and positioned outside the temporary placement table 30 (see FIG. 21(c)). As a result, the carton bundle 3 is supported by the support rails 41, the side guide members 42, and the backrest member 43, and is temporarily placed on the temporary placement table 30 in the position in which it was supported by the first hand unit 23.

[0056] Next, in accordance with the operation of the robot arm 21, the hand tool 22 is moved around and positioned on the front side of the temporary placement table 30 (opposite the side where the backrest member 43 is placed), and the second hand portion 24 is controlled to face the temporary placement table 30 (see Figure 22(a)).

[0057] Next, the hand tool 22 is moved forward toward the temporary placement table 30, and the second hand unit 24 enters the temporary placement table 30. The fourth frame 32 is positioned between the pair of support rails 41 of the temporary placement table 30, and the third frame 31 is controlled so as to be close to and facing the surface of the carton bundle 3. At an appropriate timing prior to this entry, the cylinder 36 is actuated to open the three third frames 31. Then, the second hand unit 24 advances to the back, and the cylinder 36 is actuated to close the third frames 31 at an appropriate timing when the first claws 33 and the second claws 38 are positioned outside the surface of the carton bundle 3 that contacts the backrest member 43. As a result, the carton bundle 3 is sandwiched and held between the third frame 31 and the fourth frame 32 (see FIG. 22(b)). The third frames 31 may be closed, for example, when the rear wall 25c of the base body 25 comes into contact with the carton bundle 3.

[0058] Next, the second hand unit 24 is moved toward the front side of the temporary placement table 30 (to the left in FIG. 24) and positioned outside the temporary placement table 30 (see FIG. 22(c)). As a result, the carton bundle 3 moves together with the second hand unit 24 while being held by it, and is removed from the temporary placement table 30. Furthermore, the second hand unit 24 holding the carton bundle 3 maintains its holding of the carton bundle 3 even when in a downwardly inclined position as shown in FIG. 22(c), because the third frame 31 closes to grip the carton bundle 3 with a predetermined biasing force, and the first claw unit 33 and the second claw unit 34 prevent the carton bundle 3 from coming off from the tip side.

[0059] Thereafter, by the operation of the robot arm 21, the hand tool 22, while still holding the carton bundle 3 with the second hand unit 24, reaches the front side of the hopper 15 of the downstream cartoner 14, where the second hand unit 24 enters the hopper 15, opens the third frame 31 to release the carton bundle 3 from its hold, and, while the third frame 31 is still in the open position, moves the second hand unit 24 away from the hopper 15, thereby transferring the carton bundle 3 to the hopper 15 and supplying it.

[0060] 23 and 24 show the main parts of another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is applied to a material supply system in which the shape of the carton bundle 3 when stored in the cardboard box 1, i.e., a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, is different from the shape of the carton bundle 3 when set in the hopper. In this embodiment, the hopper is designed so that each carton 2 constituting the carton bundle 3 is tilted at an angle, and the carton bundle 3 is stored in the shape of a parallelogram in side view.

[0061] The rear wall 25c' of the base body 25 of the hand tool 22 is disposed so as to be inclined forward, and an acute angle is formed between the rear wall 25c' and the longitudinal direction of the fourth frame 32. The other configurations may be the same as those of the previously described embodiment.

[0062] 24(b) and 24(c), the temporary placement table 30 is configured so that the backrest member 43 can rotate forward and backward around the vicinity of its lower end. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 24(b), the temporary placement table 30 reciprocates between a basic position in which the angle between the support rail 41 and the backrest member 43 is 90 degrees, and an inclined position in which the backrest member 43 is rotated a predetermined angle from the basic position and tilted, as shown in FIG. 24(b). The angle between the support rail 41 and the inclined position is set according to the angle when setting the carton bundle 3 in the hopper 15. The angle of the inclined position corresponds to the angle between the rear wall portion 25c' of the hand tool 22 and the fourth frame 32.

[0063] In this embodiment, the carton bundle 3 transferred to and supported by the first hand unit 23 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment is temporarily placed on the temporary placement table 30 (see FIG. 24(a)), and the hand tool 22 is moved away from the temporary placement table 30 (see FIG. 24(b)). As a result, the carton bundle 3 is supported on the temporary placement table 30 while in contact with the support rails 41 and the backrest member 43, and maintains the approximately rectangular parallelepiped posture that it had when stored in the cardboard box 1.

[0064] After this, in this embodiment, the backrest member 43, which is in the basic position, falls to an inclined position (see FIG. 24(c)). Accordingly, each carton 2 constituting the carton bundle 3 supported by the backrest member 43 falls along the inclination of the backrest member 43, and the carton bundle 3' is deformed into a parallelogram shape in side view as shown. In this state, the second hand unit 24 of the hand tool 22 moves forward toward the temporary placement table 30. The second hand unit 24 then grasps the inclined carton bundle 3' on the temporary placement table 30. As a result, the carton bundle 3' can be held, as shown by the second hand unit 24 in FIG. 23. In this state, the hand tool 22 is moved to the hopper 15 of the cartoner 14 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, and the carton bundle 3' is supplied to the hopper 15.

[0065] The other configurations and operations can be the same as those of the above-described embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0066] Furthermore, in each embodiment, the hand tool 22 has the function of opening the outer flap 4 and inner flap 5 of the cardboard box 1, but for example, if the cardboard box is transported to the raising table device 12 with the flaps already opened, or if the cardboard box is open without any flaps to begin with, it is not necessary to provide a structure for opening the flaps, i.e., the groove portion 26b of the first frame 26 or the protrusion portion 27b of the second frame 27.

[0067] Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, the outer flap 4 is opened by the groove 26b provided on the first frame 26, and the inner flap 5 is opened by the protrusion 27b provided on the second frame 27, but various combinations are possible, such as changing the correspondence depending on the orientation of the cardboard box 1 supplied to the raising table device 12, or changing the orientation or posture of the hand tool 22 to open both flaps with one type of configuration.

[0068] While various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments, it should be noted that these embodiments and descriptions are provided to aid in understanding the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the structures and manufacturing methods explicitly described in the specification, but also encompasses combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. While the structures of the present invention that are sought to be patented are specified in the appended claims, it is hereby expressly stated that structures not currently specified in the claims may be claimed in the future as disclosed herein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1: Cardboard box 2: Carton 3: Carton bundle 4: Outer flap 5: Inner flap 10: Material supply system 11: Transport conveyor 12: Raising table device 14: Cartoner 15: Hopper 17: Box holding member 17e :Sucker 20: Material supply robot 21: Robot arm 22: Hand tools 23: First hand part 24: Second hand part 26: First frame 26b:Groove 27: Second frame 27b: Convex part 30: Temporary table 31: Third frame 32: 4th frame 33: 1st claw part 34:Second claw part 38:Second claw part 40: Mounting base 41: Support rail 42: Side guide member 43: Backrest member

Claims

1. A material supply robot that removes a carton bundle, in which a plurality of cartons are stored in a box in a flat stacked state, from the box and supplies the removed carton bundle to a packaging machine, A robotic arm, a hand tool attached to the robotic arm; the hand tool includes a first hand portion that enters the box and receives the carton stack; a second hand unit that sandwiches and holds the received carton bundle in a state where the carton bundle has been transferred from the first hand unit to a temporary storage location; the first hand unit includes a plurality of frame members that can enter the box; a groove portion extending in the longitudinal direction is provided on an outer surface side of at least some of the frame members among the plurality of frame members; The material supply robot is configured to hook the tip end of the flap of the box into the groove and open the flap.

2. A material supply robot that removes a carton bundle, in which a plurality of cartons are stored in a box in a flat stacked state, from the box and supplies the removed carton bundle to a packaging machine, A robotic arm, a hand tool attached to the robotic arm; the hand tool includes a first hand portion that enters the box and receives the carton stack; a second hand unit that sandwiches and holds the received carton bundle in a state where the carton bundle has been transferred from the first hand unit to a temporary storage location; the first hand unit includes a plurality of frame members that can enter the box; a protrusion is provided on a tip of at least some of the frame members among the plurality of frame members; The material supply robot is configured to hook the tip of the flap of the box onto the protrusion and open the flap.

3. The material supply robot according to claim 1 or 2; a lifting device that holds the box containing the carton bundle and lifts the box so that an opening portion of the box faces downward; a temporary storage unit that temporarily stores the carton bundle received by the first hand unit in an upright position.

4. the temporary placement unit has a function of changing the inclination angle of the upright posture of the temporarily placed carton bundle, The second hand unit has a backrest portion that receives the carton bundle located at the rear side and is configured at an angle that corresponds to the inclination angle changed in the temporary placement unit. The material supply system according to claim 3 .

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