Conveyor

Abstract

To provide a technique which suitably suppresses attitude change of an object during conveyance of the object, and can grip and convey the object with high productivity, while having a compact structure.SOLUTION: A conveyance device 1 includes: a body part 10 having a decompression path 11 vacuumed by a decompression device 12; a decompression chamber 21 which is connected to the decompression path 11, and has a space that can be decompressed; a suction pad 20 which is provided on the decompression chamber 21 and vacuum-sucks the object; and a conveyance part 30 which conveys the object vacuum-sucked by the suction pad 20. The suction pad 20 has a cylindrical shape having a bellows shape and is configured to be expandable and contractible in its axial direction. The decompression chamber 21 is defined by the suction pad 20. The body part 10 further has a lock part 13 for restraining the attitude of the suction pad 20 when being moved by the conveyance part 30. The lock part 13 is constituted of a rod-like member 131 for connecting the end of the suction pad 20 and the body part 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device used to grip and convey a predetermined object. [Background technology]

[0002] Conveying devices for grasping and transporting objects have been known for some time. For example, in recent years, technological developments in transport robots have progressed, and transporting devices equipped with multi-joint robot arms are now used in industrial manufacturing sites.

[0003] On the other hand, there is known a suction holding device that transports a workpiece using a suction pad that vacuum-sucks the object.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure for an adsorption and holding device that uses an adsorption pad that utilizes negative pressure suction force generated by vacuuming, in which the position of the adsorption pad changes depending on the shape of the workpiece to be adsorbed when transporting and holding a plate-shaped workpiece or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-307356 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In a conveying device that uses a suction pad to vacuum-suck an object and grip and transport the object, if the object becomes misaligned during transport, the object may fall off the suction pad, potentially damaging the object. This significantly reduces productivity when gripping and transporting the object. Therefore, it is important to maintain the object's orientation without changing during transport.

[0007] According to the technology described in Patent Document 1, the swinging of the suction pad is constrained by a locking means or a restraining means, so that the posture of the object can be maintained in a predetermined state during transport. However, in this technology, the locking means is provided in a complex pneumatic circuit, and the restraining means is configured by a complex mechanism. Therefore, the structure for maintaining the posture of the object during transport is relatively complex. As such, there is still room for improvement in technology that can suitably suppress posture changes of the object during transport with a compact structure without complicating the structure.

[0008] The object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that has a compact structure yet can effectively suppress changes in the posture of an object while it is being transported, and can grasp and transport the object with high productivity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The transport device disclosed herein is a transport device used to grasp and transport a predetermined object. The transport device includes a main body portion connectable to a predetermined pressure-reducing device and having a pressure reduction path that serves as a flow path for air to be evacuated by the pressure reduction device, a pressure reduction chamber connected to the pressure reduction path and configured to reduce the pressure in its space, a suction pad provided in the pressure reduction chamber and vacuum-adsorbing the object, and a transport unit configured to move the main body portion to transport the object vacuum-adsorbed by the suction pad. The suction pad is a bellows-shaped cylinder that is expandable and contractible in its axial direction and vacuum-adsorbs the object by its end being in close contact with the object present in the axial direction. The pressure reduction chamber is defined by the suction pad, one end of which is connected to the main body portion and the other end of which is an open end that is sealed by the object. The main body portion further includes a locking portion that restricts the orientation of the suction pad when moved by the transport unit, and the locking portion is a rod-shaped member connecting the end of the suction pad to the main body portion.

[0010] In the above-described conveying device, the pressure reducing device draws a vacuum in the pressure reducing path connected to the pressure reducing chamber defined by the suction pad. The end of the suction pad comes into close contact with the object, sealing the open end of the pressure reducing chamber, thereby vacuum-adsorbing the object with the suction pad. The bellows shape absorbs the impact when the suction pad comes into contact with the object. Even if the suction pad presses against the object to bring the end of the suction pad into close contact with the object, the bellows shape prevents excessive pressure. This minimizes damage to the object when gripping it. Furthermore, the space within the bellows shape (suction pad) serves as the pressure reducing chamber, resulting in a compact structure. Furthermore, a suction pad having such a bellows shape is prone to swaying radially during transport if it is left as is, and if the posture of the object during transport becomes poor, the adhesion between the object and the suction pad will be poor and the object may fall off the suction pad, but by restraining the posture of the suction pad with the locking portion, it is possible to suitably suppress changes in the posture of the object during transport. Furthermore, since the locking portion that achieves the above is composed of a rod-shaped member that connects the end of the suction pad and the main body, it is possible to suitably suppress changes in the posture of the object during transport with a compact structure without complicating the structure.

[0011] In such a conveying device, the rod-shaped member may be configured such that its outer surface is slidable along the inner surface of a bushing disposed in the main body, such that the end of the suction pad can be displaced between an extended state in which the bellows-shaped suction pad is extended in the axial direction when gripping the object and a contracted state in which the bellows-shaped suction pad is contracted in the axial direction when conveying the object. The rod-shaped member may be configured such that a predetermined rigid member is formed between the lower end and an intermediate portion at a predetermined height from the lower end connected to the end of the suction pad, and a predetermined elastic member is formed between the upper end and the intermediate portion on the opposite side of the lower end. In this case, the height is determined so that the intermediate portion is located within the bushing in the contracted state. Here, the rigid member may be formed of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy, and the elastic member may be formed of a synthetic rubber material such as urethane rubber or silicone rubber. In this configuration, when the suction pad is extended, the portion of the elastic member between the upper end and the intermediate portion of the rod-shaped member is inserted into the bushing disposed in the main body. In this case, when the suction pad swings radially, the elastic member of the rod-shaped member also deforms to follow the swing of the suction pad, with the lower end of the bushing as a fulcrum. This allows the suction pad to be flexibly displaced in the axial and radial directions when the transport device grasps an object, making it easier to bring the end of the suction pad into close contact with the object. Meanwhile, when the suction pad is in a contracted state, the rigid member portion between the lower end and the middle portion of the rod-shaped member is inserted into the bushing disposed in the main body. In this case, even if the suction pad swings radially, the rigid member portion of the rod-shaped member contacts the lower end of the bushing, and this rigid member portion is less likely to deform, thereby suppressing displacement of the rod-shaped member. This restricts the posture of the suction pad during transport of the object.

[0012] Furthermore, in the above-described conveying device, the contracted state may be achieved by suctioning the vicinity of the upper end of the rod-shaped member with the decompression device. This eliminates the need for an additional device to hold the rod-shaped member, thereby making the structure more compact. Furthermore, by holding the rod-shaped member in this manner, the bellows-shaped suction pad is restrained in the axial direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present disclosure, even with a compact structure, it is possible to suitably suppress changes in the posture of an object while the object is being transported, and to grip and transport the object with high productivity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a transport device in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the extended state of the suction pads formed when a fruit is gripped and transported using the transport device according to the first embodiment, together with the structure of the locking part. [Figure 3] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the contracted state of the suction pads formed when the conveying device according to the first embodiment grips and conveys fruit, together with the structure of the locking portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0016] First Embodiment An overview of the conveying device in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the conveying device in this embodiment. The conveying device 1 according to this embodiment is a device used to grip and convey a predetermined object. In this embodiment, the following description will be given using an example in which the object is fruit.

[0017] The conveying device 1 of this embodiment comprises a main body 10 that is connectable to a predetermined pressure reducing device 12, a suction pad 20 that vacuum-sucks fruit, a vacuum chamber 21 defined by the suction pad 20, and a conveying unit 30 that conveys fruit vacuum-sucked by the suction pad 20.

[0018] Here, each of the above-mentioned components constituting the conveying device 1 will be described in detail below.

[0019] The main body 10 is a structural component that is connected to the pressure reducing device 12 and supports the suction pad 20. The upper end 10a of the main body 10 is connected to the pressure reducing device 12, and the suction pad 20 is connected to the lower end 10b of the main body 10. The pressure reducing device 12 is, for example, a well-known vacuum pump, and functions to reduce the pressure in the pressure reducing chamber 21 to a substantial vacuum. The main body 10 is formed with a pressure reducing path 11, which is a flow path for air evacuated by the pressure reducing device 12. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the pressure reducing path 11 is formed so as to penetrate from the upper end 10a to the lower end 10b of the main body 10 (note that the pressure reducing device 12 and the conveying unit 30 are not shown in FIG. 1(b)). Therefore, in the pressure reducing path 11, air is drawn from the lower end 10b toward the upper end 10a, which is connected to the pressure reducing device 12.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1(b), the suction pad 20 is a bellows-shaped cylinder that can expand and contract in its axial direction. The end of the suction pad comes into close contact with fruit present in the axial direction, thereby vacuum-adsorbing the fruit. More specifically, the internal space of the suction pad 20 is configured as a decompression chamber 21, and with the end of the suction pad 20 in close contact with the fruit, the decompression chamber 21, which is the internal space of the suction pad 20, is decompressed, thereby vacuum-adsorbing the fruit.

[0021] The decompression chamber 21 is connected to the decompression path 11, and air is drawn from the lower end 10b of the main body 10 toward the upper end 10a of the main body 10 in the decompression path 11, thereby reducing the pressure in the decompression chamber 21. More specifically, the decompression chamber 21 is defined by the suction pad 20, and one end is connected to the lower end 10b of the main body 10, and the other end is an open end that can be sealed with an object (fruit).

[0022] The conveying unit 30 conveys the fruit vacuum-sucked by the suction pads 20 by moving the main body 10. The conveying unit 30 has rails 31 and rollers 32, and the rollers 32 slide on the rails 31 to move the main body 10. More specifically, the rollers 32 are installed on the pressure reducing device 12 connected to the upper end 10a of the main body 10, and the rollers 32 slide on the rails 31 to move the pressure reducing device 12 and the main body 10 connected thereto.

[0023] In a conveying device that uses a suction pad to vacuum-suck and grip and transport an object, if the object becomes misaligned during transport, the object may fall off the suction pad, potentially damaging the object, which significantly reduces productivity when gripping and transporting the object.

[0024] Therefore, the transport device 1 according to this embodiment further includes a locking portion 13 that restricts the posture of the suction pad 20 when the main body portion 10 is moved by the transporting portion 30.

[0025] More specifically, the locking portion 13 is made up of a rod-shaped member 131, a connecting ring 132, and a bushing 133, as shown in FIG.

[0026] Here, the rod-shaped member 131 is a member that connects the end of the suction pad 20 to the main body 10, and one end 131a thereof is joined to a connecting ring 132 fixed to the end of the suction pad 20, and the other end 131b thereof is held by a pressure reducing device 12 connected to the upper end 10a of the main body 10.

[0027] The rod-shaped member 131 is inserted into a bush 133 disposed at the lower end 10b of the main body 10. As will be described later, the rod-shaped member 131 is configured to be movable in its axial direction, and at this time, the rod-shaped member 131 slides along the bush 133.

[0028] The conveying device 1 described above can suitably suppress changes in the posture of the object (fruit) while it is being conveyed, with a compact structure that does not complicate the structure. This will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the extended state of the suction pad 20 formed when the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment is used to grip and convey fruit, together with the structure of the locking portion 13. As shown in FIG.

[0030] Here, the "extended state of the suction pad 20" refers to a state in which the bellows shape of the suction pad 20 is extended in the axial direction, which is the state formed when gripping fruit. At this time, the pressure reducing device 12 draws a vacuum in the pressure reducing path 11 connected to the pressure reducing chamber 21 defined by the suction pad 20. In addition, the end of the suction pad 20 comes into close contact with the object (fruit), thereby sealing the open end 22 of the pressure reducing chamber 21. As a result, the object (fruit) is vacuum-sucked by the suction pad 20.

[0031] According to the conveying device 1 of this embodiment, the suction pad 20 has a bellows shape and is configured to be expandable and contractible in its axial direction. This bellows shape absorbs the impact when the suction pad 20 comes into contact with the object (fruit). Even if the suction pad 20 presses against the object (fruit) to bring the end of the suction pad 20 into close contact with the object, the bellows shape prevents excessive pressure. This minimizes damage to the fruit when the fruit is gripped using the conveying device 1. Furthermore, the space inside the bellows shape (suction pad 20) serves as a decompression chamber 21, making the structure of the conveying device 1 compact.

[0032] Such suppression of impact and excessive pressure on the object (fruit) can also be achieved by the structure of the locking portion 13 and the rod-shaped member 131. That is, in the locking portion 13, the outer peripheral surface of the rod-shaped member 131 is configured to be slidable along the inner peripheral surface of the bushing 133 arranged in the main body portion 10, and therefore, the rod-shaped member 131 connecting the end of the suction pad 20 to the main body portion 10 is prevented as much as possible from interfering with the expansion and contraction of the bellows shape of the suction pad 20.

[0033] Furthermore, the rod-shaped member 131 is formed of a predetermined rigid material between the lower end 131a, which connects to the end of the suction pad 20, and the intermediate portion 131c, which is at a predetermined height h, and a predetermined elastic material between the upper end 131b on the opposite side of the lower end 131a and the intermediate portion 131c. Here, the rigid material is formed of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy, and the elastic material is formed of a synthetic rubber material such as urethane rubber or silicone rubber.

[0034] In this case, the height h is determined so that the middle portion 131c of the rod-shaped member 131 is located inside the bush 133 when the suction pad 20 is in a contracted state. The contracted state of the suction pad 20 refers to a state in which the bellows shape of the suction pad 20 is contracted in the axial direction, which is the state that is formed when conveying fruit.

[0035] 2, when the suction pad 20 is in an extended state, the portion of the elastic member between the upper end 131b and the middle portion 131c of the rod-shaped member 131 is inserted into the bush 133 arranged in the main body 10. In this case, when the suction pad 20 swings in its radial direction, the portion of the elastic member of the rod-shaped member 131 also deforms so as to follow the swing of the suction pad 20, with the lower end of the bush 133 as a fulcrum. This allows the suction pad 20 to be flexibly displaced in the axial and radial directions when the conveying device 1 grips an object (fruit), making it easier to bring the end of the suction pad 20 into close contact with the object (fruit).

[0036] Then, when the object (fruit) is gripped by vacuum suction by the suction pad 20, the conveying device 1 uses the pressure reducing device 12 to suck the vicinity of the upper end 131b of the rod-shaped member 131, thereby causing the suction pad 20 to contract. In other words, a state is created when the object (fruit) is being conveyed.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the contracted state of the suction pad 20 formed when the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment is used to grip and convey fruit, together with the structure of the locking portion 13. As shown in FIG.

[0038] As described above, in this contracted state, the middle portion 131c of the rod-shaped member 131 is located inside the bush 133, as shown in Fig. 3. That is, in the contracted state of the suction pad 20, the portion of the rigid member between the lower end portion 131a and the middle portion 131c of the rod-shaped member 131 is inserted into the bush 133 arranged in the main body 10. In this case, even if the suction pad 20 attempts to swing in its radial direction, the rigid member portion of the rod-shaped member 131 comes into contact with the lower end of the bush 133, and this rigid member portion is difficult to deform, so that displacement of the rod-shaped member 131 is suppressed. As a result, the posture of the suction pad 20 is constrained by the rod-shaped member 131 that rigidly connects the connection ring 132 fixed to the end of the suction pad 20 and the bush 133 arranged in the main body 10, i.e., by the lock portion 13.

[0039] In other words, if the accordion-shaped suction pad 20 is left as it is, it is likely to oscillate radially during transport, and if the posture of the object (fruit) during transport becomes poor, the contact between the object (fruit) and the suction pad 20 will be poor, and the object (fruit) may fall off the suction pad 20. However, by restraining the posture of the suction pad 20 as described above, it is possible to suitably suppress changes in the posture of the object (fruit) during transport. Furthermore, the locking section 13 that achieves the above is composed only of the rod-shaped member 131, the connecting ring 132, and the bush 133, and therefore it is possible to suitably suppress changes in the posture of the object (fruit) during transport with a compact structure without complicating the structure.

[0040] Furthermore, by using a decompression device 12 that draws a vacuum to vacuum-suck the object (fruit) with suction pad 20 while the object (fruit) is being transported, the vicinity of upper end 131b of rod-shaped member 131 is sucked to hold rod-shaped member 131, thereby eliminating the need for an additional device to hold rod-shaped member 131 and making the structure more compact. Note that by holding rod-shaped member 131 in this manner, bellows-shaped suction pad 20 is constrained in the axial direction.

[0041] The conveying device 1 described above has a compact structure, but is capable of suitably suppressing changes in the posture of an object while the object is being conveyed, and is capable of gripping and conveying the object with high productivity. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1. Conveyance device 10 Main body 11. Pressure reduction path 12. Pressure reducing device 13 Locking section 131 Rod-shaped member 20. Suction pad 21. Decompression chamber 30. Transfer section

Claims

1. A conveying device used to grasp and convey a predetermined object, a main body portion configured to be connectable to a predetermined pressure reducing device and having a pressure reducing path which is a flow path for air to be evacuated by the pressure reducing device; a decompression chamber connected to the decompression path and configured so that the space can be decompressed; a suction pad provided in the decompression chamber for vacuum-suctioning the object; a conveying unit that conveys the object vacuum-sucked by the suction pad by moving the main body; Equipped with the suction pad is a bellows-shaped cylinder configured to be expandable and contractible in its axial direction, and its end is brought into close contact with the object present in the axial direction to vacuum-suck the object; The decompression chamber is defined by the suction pad, and has an open end, one end of which is connected to the main body and the other end of which is sealed by the object, the main body further includes a locking portion that restricts the orientation of the suction pad when the main body is moved by the transporting portion, the locking portion is configured by a rod-shaped member that connects an end of the suction pad and the main body portion, The rod-shaped member is The end of the suction pad is displaceable between an expanded state in which the bellows shape of the suction pad is expanded in the axial direction when gripping the object, and a contracted state in which the bellows shape of the suction pad is contracted in the axial direction when transporting the object, The outer circumferential surface of the bushing is configured to be slidable along the inner circumferential surface of the bushing disposed in the main body portion, and a predetermined rigid member is formed between an intermediate portion at a predetermined height from a lower end portion connected to an end portion of the suction pad and the lower end portion, and a predetermined elastic member is formed between an upper end portion on the opposite side of the lower end portion and the intermediate portion, The height is determined so that the intermediate portion is located within the bushing in the contracted state. Conveying device.

2. The vicinity of the upper end of the rod-shaped member is sucked by the decompression device, thereby forming the contracted state. The conveying device according to claim 1 .

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