Robot system and robot arm

Abstract

A robot system capable of efficiently executing processing on an object is provided. [Solution] The robot system 10 comprises a holding member 210 capable of holding an object 50 and releasing the held object 50, a robot arm 300 that supports the holding member 210 and moves the holding member 210, and a temporary placement member 401 that moves together with the holding member 210 and is capable of temporarily placing the object 50.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot system and a robot arm. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an article transfer system. In this article transfer system, a tray containing a group of articles is moved by a drive mechanism to a position directly below a holder, and the holder operates to hold a fixed number of articles from the group of articles. The tray is then moved by the drive mechanism from directly below the holder to the outside, and the holder discharges the fixed number of articles into a container located directly below the holder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7109054 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to the article transfer system described in Patent Document 1, in order to perform the transfer work in which the holder holds a fixed amount of articles and discharges them into a container, it is necessary to first move the tray containing the group of articles to a position directly below the holder, and then move it outward from that position. Because the tray containing the group of articles is relatively large in size and / or weight, it may be difficult to efficiently perform the transfer work of transferring the articles into the container.

[0005] The present invention was made by the inventors of the present application by focusing on the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a robot system and a robot arm that can efficiently process objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A robot system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a holding member capable of holding an object and releasing the held object, a robot arm that supports the holding member and moves the holding member, and a temporary placement member that moves together with the holding member and is capable of temporarily placing the object.

[0007] A robot arm according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a mounting member on which an object can be placed, and a holding member capable of holding the object placed on the mounting member and releasing the held object, and moves the mounting member together with the holding member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the robot system and the like of the present invention, processing of an object can be efficiently executed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a robot system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a movement mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are first diagrams illustrating a supply operation of the moving mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a second diagram illustrating the supply operation of the moving mechanism unit according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a third diagram illustrating the supply operation of the moving mechanism unit according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a fourth diagram illustrating the supply operation of the moving mechanism unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a fifth diagram illustrating the supply operation of the moving mechanism unit according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are first diagrams illustrating a temporary placement operation of the moving mechanism unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a second diagram illustrating the temporary placement operation of the moving mechanism unit according to the embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] (1) A robot system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a holding member capable of holding an object and releasing the held object, a robot arm that supports the holding member and moves the holding member, and a temporary placement member that moves together with the holding member and is capable of temporarily placing the object.

[0011] With this configuration, because the temporary placement member moves together with the holding member, the holding member can, for example, hold an object from a temporary placement member located near the holding member and release it at a predetermined position. This reduces the need to move the storage member to the vicinity of the predetermined position or the holding member to the vicinity of the storage member. In this way, the robot system according to this aspect can efficiently process the object.

[0012] (2) In the robot system described in (1) above, the temporary placement member may be attached to the robot arm and move together with the holding member.

[0013] According to this configuration, the temporary placement member can be moved together with the holding member by using the robot arm that moves the holding member, thereby realizing a relatively simple structure for maintaining the temporary placement member in a position close to the holding member.

[0014] (3) In the robot system described in (1) or (2) above, the temporary placement member may be capable of temporarily placing multiple units of the object, and the holding member may hold a predetermined unit of the object from the multiple units of the object temporarily placed on the temporary placement member, and release the held predetermined unit of the object.

[0015] According to this configuration, multiple units of objects are temporarily placed on the temporary placement member, so that the holding member can efficiently perform a process of, for example, holding objects in predetermined units from a temporary placement member located near the holding member and releasing them at a predetermined position.

[0016] (4) In the robot system described in any one of (1) to (3) above, the holding member may hold the object stored in the storage member, release the held object to the temporary placement member, thereby temporarily placing the object on the temporary placement member, hold the object temporarily placed on the temporary placement member, and release the held object at a predetermined position.

[0017] With this configuration, the holding member can also temporarily place objects on the temporary placement members. That is, the holding member can perform a series of processes, such as replenishing objects from a storage member that stores a large number of objects to the temporary placement members, and removing the objects from the temporary placement members and releasing them at a predetermined position. Therefore, there is no need to use other devices or manually perform the work of an operator to replenishing objects on the temporary placement members.

[0018] (5) In the robot system described in any one of (1) to (4) above, the temporary placement member may temporarily place the object stored in the storage member by performing a process to acquire the object, and the holding member may hold the object temporarily placed on the temporary placement member and release the held object at a predetermined position.

[0019] According to this configuration, the temporary placement member can temporarily place objects on the temporary placement member. That is, the temporary placement member can replenish objects from a storage member that stores a large number of objects to the temporary placement member. Therefore, there is no need to use other devices or manually perform the work of an operator to replenish objects on the temporary placement member.

[0020] (6) In the robot system described in any one of (1) to (5) above, the robot arm may include a movement mechanism that changes at least one of the position and orientation of the holding member relative to the robot arm.

[0021] According to this configuration, the robot arm includes a movement mechanism that changes the position (relative position) and / or posture (relative posture) of the holding member relative to the robot arm. Therefore, the holding member can efficiently perform processes such as obtaining the target object in predetermined units from the temporary placement member by changing the position and / or posture by the movement mechanism that moves together with the holding member.

[0022] (7) A robot arm according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a mounting member on which an object can be placed, and a holding member capable of holding the object placed on the mounting member and releasing the held object, and moves the mounting member together with the holding member.

[0023] With this configuration, the robot arm moves the placement member together with the holding member, so the holding member can, for example, hold an object from a placement member located near the holding member and release it at a predetermined location. Therefore, there is no need to move a container member that holds multiple or a large number of objects and tends to be large in size and / or weight near the holding member and then retract it. In this way, the robot arm according to this aspect can efficiently process objects.

[0024] The present invention can be realized not only as such a robot system and robot arm, but also as a control method for a robot system or a robot arm including characteristic processing steps performed by the robot system or robot arm. The present invention can also be realized as a program that causes a computer to execute the control method for a robot system or a robot arm, or as a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory) on which the program is recorded. Such a program can be distributed via a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a transmission medium such as the Internet. The present invention can also be realized as an integrated circuit including a processing unit that performs the control method for a robot system or a robot arm.

[0025] Hereinafter, a robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention (including its modified examples) will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, the arrangement and connection of the components, steps in the method, and the order of steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. In each drawing, dimensions, etc. are not strictly illustrated. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same or similar components.

[0026] In the following description and drawings, two intersecting directions in a horizontal plane are defined as the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the vertical direction (up and down direction) is defined as the Z-axis direction. These X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions intersect with each other (or are perpendicular in this embodiment). In the following description, the positive X-axis direction refers to the direction of the X-axis arrow, and the negative X-axis direction refers to the direction opposite to the positive X-axis direction. When simply referring to the X-axis direction, it refers to both or either of the positive X-axis direction and the negative X-axis direction. The same applies to the Y-axis and the Z-axis. Expressions indicating relative directions or attitudes, such as parallel and perpendicular, also include cases where the directions or attitudes are not strictly those of the same kind. Two directions being parallel (or perpendicular) not only mean that the two directions are completely parallel (or perpendicular), but also mean that the two directions are substantially parallel (or perpendicular), i.e., include a difference of, for example, several percent.

[0027] (Embodiment) 1. General Description of Robot System 10 First, a general description of a robot system 10 according to this embodiment will be given using Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the robot system 10 according to this embodiment. In Fig. 1, the members that support the housing member 700 are not shown, and only a portion of the arm main body 310 of the robot arm 300 is shown in a simplified form. In Fig. 1, a control device 500 that controls the operation of the robot arm 300 is schematically represented by a dotted line.

[0028] 1, the robot system 10 is a system that performs processing on an object 50. Specifically, the robot system 10 according to this embodiment includes a holding member 210 that can hold and release the held object 50, a robot arm 300 that supports and moves the holding member 210, and a placement member 400 on which the object 50 can be placed. The holding member 210 holds the object 50 placed on the placement member 400 and releases it at a predetermined position.

[0029] More specifically, a plurality of units of the objects 50 are placed on the placing member 400, and the holding member 210 holds a predetermined unit of the objects 50 from the plurality of units of the objects 50. For example, if the unit is "pieces," a plurality of the objects 50 are placed on the placing member 400, and the holding member 210 holds one or more of the objects 50 from the plurality of objects 50. The unit may be a unit indicating weight, or a unit indicating volume or capacity. There are no particular limitations on the type of the objects 50, and the objects 50 may be food, ingredients, machine parts, industrial products such as toys, or semi-finished industrial products. If one unit of the object 50 is approximately 5 grams (g) of green onion (sliced ​​green onion; the same applies below), for example, approximately 100 g of green onion is placed on the placing member 400 as 20 units of the objects 50. In this case, the holding member 210 holds, for example, about 5 g of green onion as one unit of object 50 from among 20 units of object 50. One unit of object 50 may include multiple objects, or one unit of object 50 may be made up of one object. For example, one unit of object 50 may be made up of 10 parts or the like, or may be made up of one part or the like.

[0030] The holding member 210 according to this embodiment includes a pair of gripping members 211, and holds the object 50 by sandwiching the object 50 between the pair of gripping members 211. The holding member 210 releases the held object 50 by opening the pair of gripping members 211 (increasing the distance between the pair of gripping members 211). There are no particular limitations on the method or manner in which the holding member 210 holds and releases the object 50. The holding member 210 may hold the object 50 by sucking the object 50, and release the object 50 by blowing out the sucked object 50. The holding member 210 may hold and release the object 50 by scooping up the object 50 and dropping the scooped object 50.

[0031] In this embodiment, the robot arm 300 is equipped with a movement mechanism 220 that moves the holding member 210. The holding member 210 can be moved relative to the mounting member 400 by the movement mechanism 220. More specifically, the mounting member 400 does not move relative to the robot arm 300, and the holding member 210 moves relative to the robot arm 300 by the movement mechanism 220. This allows the holding member 210 to hold and remove the object 50 placed on the mounting member 400. The object 50 held and removed by the holding member 210 is released at a position above the container 20. As a result, the object 50 is stored in the container 20. The position above the container 20 is an example of a predetermined position. The configuration of the movement mechanism 220 will be described later using FIG. 2. Details of the operation of the holding member 210 will be described later using FIGS. 3 to 7.

[0032] The plurality of units of objects 50 placed on the placement member 400 are separated from a group of objects 50a, which is a collection of objects 50 contained in, for example, a storage member 700. The storage member 700 is a tray or a container, and contains, for example, tens to hundreds of servings of food ingredients (ingredients) as the group of objects 50a. That is, the plurality of units of objects 50 separated from the group of objects 50a in the storage member 700 are placed on the placement member 400, and a predetermined unit of objects 50 held by a holding member 210 is supplied to the container 20 from among them. The work of removing the objects 50 from the storage member 700 and placing them on the placement member 400 may be performed manually by an operator or by the holding member 210 being moved by the movement mechanism 220. The placement position of the storage member 700 is not particularly limited. For example, the storage member 700 may be placed in an area outside the range shown in FIG. 1 . The operation of the holding member 210 to place the object 50 on the placement member 400 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

[0033] In this manner, in this embodiment, the target object 50 temporarily placed on the placement member 400 is supplied to the container 20 by the holding member 210. In other words, the target object 50 is temporarily placed on the placement member 400. Therefore, in this embodiment, the placement member 400 is also referred to as a "temporary placement member 401." One or more units of the target object 50 placed on the placement member 400 are also referred to as "temporarily placed target object 50b."

[0034] In this embodiment, the robot arm 300 is a vertical articulated robot arm, and includes a plurality of links and a joint that connects two adjacent links rotatably around a predetermined axis. The tip of the robot arm 300 is provided with a holding member 210 and a temporary placement member 401.

[0035] The robot arm 300 may also be described as including the holding member 210 and the placement member 400 (temporary placement member 401). In this case, the arm portion of the robot arm 300 that moves the holding member 210 and the placement member 400 is referred to as the arm main body 310. In other words, the robot arm 300 can also be described as including the holding member 210, the placement member 400 (temporary placement member 401), and the arm main body 310 that moves the placement member 400 (temporary placement member 401) together with the holding member 210.

[0036] The robot arm 300 can fold and extend multiple links, and can rotate around the Z-axis around the base end (not shown) of the robot arm 300. This allows the robot arm 300 to move the holding member 210 and the placement member 400 (temporary placement member 401) in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions within a predetermined range in three-dimensional space. The robot arm 300 does not necessarily have to be a vertical articulated robot arm. The robot arm 300 may also be a SCARA robot, a Cartesian robot, or the like. When the robot system 10 has a structure for moving the holding member 210 and the temporary placement member 401 (placement member 400) in the Z-axis direction, the robot arm 300 may also be a horizontal articulated robot.

[0037] The robot system 10 according to this embodiment further includes a transport unit 800 that transports the container 20. The transport unit 800 transports the container 20 in a predetermined direction (the positive direction of the X-axis in this embodiment) by moving an arrangement surface 801 on which the container 20 is arranged. In this embodiment, the transport unit 800 is a belt conveyor that transports the container 20 and extends in the X-axis direction.

[0038] For example, an empty container 20 is transported by the transport unit 800, and moves in the positive direction of the X-axis. The holding member 210 provided on the robot arm 300 executes a process (supply process) to release the target object 50 on the container 20 moving in the positive direction of the X-axis within a predetermined range. The holding member 210 may execute the supply process on a container 20 that already contains an object. Specifically, the robot arm 300 moves the holding member 210 to position the holding member 210 holding the target object 50 above the container 20 being transported by the transport unit 800. Furthermore, when the container 20 is moving, the robot arm 300 moves the holding member 210 in accordance with the movement of the container 20, and causes the holding member 210 to release the target object 50. In this way, the target object 50 is supplied to the container 20.

[0039] More specifically, the robot system 10 includes a control device 500 that controls the operation of the robot arm 300 (including the holding member 210 and the movement mechanism 220) in accordance with the detection results of a detection unit (not shown). The detection unit is, for example, a camera that captures an image of a predetermined area including the multiple containers 20 transported by the transport unit 800, and transmits the resulting data to the control device 500 as the detection results. The control device 500 analyzes the detection results to obtain container information indicating the position of each of the multiple containers 20, etc. The control device 500 uses the container information to cause the robot arm 300 to execute a process of supplying the target objects 50 to the multiple containers 20. The detection unit may be included in the robot system 10 or may be an external device to the robot system 10.

[0040] The control device 500 that executes the above control is a computer that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), input units (keyboard, touch panel, mouse, microphone, etc.), output units (liquid crystal display, speaker, etc.), a communication unit that communicates via a network, and drives, and executes various processes according to programs. The control device 500 may be realized by a general-purpose computer system such as a personal computer executing a program, or may be realized by a dedicated computer system such as a programmable controller.

[0041] The control device 500 is connected to the robot arm 300 and the detection unit, etc., by wire or wirelessly, and performs functions such as exchanging signals with the robot arm 300 and obtaining detection results from the detection unit. There are no particular limitations on the location where the control device 500 is placed. For example, the control device 500 may be placed in an area outside the range shown in FIG. 1 .

[0042] The robot system 10 may include a support base that supports the base end of the robot arm 300. The support base may be movable (portable). In other words, the robot arm 300 may be a portable object. Casters or the like may be provided on the bottom surface of the support base. The same applies to the transport unit 800, which may be a portable object. Casters or the like may be provided on the legs of the transport unit 800.

[0043] 2. Description of the Configuration of the Movement Mechanism 220 Next, the configuration of the movement mechanism unit 220 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the movement mechanism unit 220 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 illustrates a state in which the object 50 (temporarily placed object 50b) is not temporarily placed on the temporary placement member 401. The operation of the movement mechanism unit 220 described below is executed under the control of the control device 500.

[0044] In this embodiment, the robot arm 300 includes a movement mechanism 220 that changes at least one of the position and posture of the holding member 210 relative to the robot arm 300. The movement mechanism 220 according to this embodiment includes a connecting member 221 connected to the holding member 210, a guide member 230 that guides the movement direction of the connecting member 221, a link 225 that has one end connected to the connecting member 221 and applies a driving force to the connecting member 221 for movement, a first rail 235 that guides movement of the other ends of the connecting member 221 and the link 225 in the Y-axis direction, and a second rail 240 that guides movement of the connecting member 221 in the Y-axis direction. The second rail 240 is fixed to the first rail 235. A support member 289 that supports a temporary placement member 401 is fixed to the end of the second rail 240 in the positive direction of the Y-axis. That is, in this embodiment, the temporary placement member 401 is supported by the movement mechanism 220. The connecting member 221 may be a part of the holding member 210. In other words, the holding member 210 may include a pair of gripping members 211 and the connecting member 221.

[0045] A first slide portion 229 that slides along a first rail 235 extending in the Y-axis direction is connected to the other end of the link 225 (the end in the negative Y-axis direction in FIG. 2). An actuator (not shown) moves the first slide portion 229 in the Y-axis direction under the control of the control device 500, and the connecting member 221 receives a force in the Y-axis direction via the link 225. The connecting member 221 has an engagement pin 222, and the engagement pin 222 is inserted into a guide slit 231 provided in the guide member 230. A second slide portion 223 that slides along the first rail 235 that extends in the Y-axis direction is connected to the connecting member 221. The connecting member 221 is attached so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction relative to the second slide portion 223.

[0046] The guide member 230 and the first rail 235 are attached to the bracket 250 via a connecting member 255. The bracket 250 is fixed to the tip of the robot arm 300 (the tip of the arm main body 310). This provides the movement mechanism 220 to the robot arm 300. In other words, the holding member 210 and the temporary placement member 401 (placing member 400) are provided to the robot arm 300.

[0047] In the movement mechanism 220 having the above structure, when the connecting member 221 is pushed in the Y-axis direction by the link 225, the connecting member 221 moves along the guide slit 231 because the engagement pin 222 is inserted into the guide slit 231. In other words, when viewed from the X-axis direction, the engagement pin 222 moves while being guided by the guide slit 231, which is formed in a shape that is convex upward (positive direction of the Z-axis; the same applies hereinafter), and the movement trajectory of the connecting member 221 becomes an upwardly convex shape that follows the guide slit 231.

[0048] The holding member 210 opens and closes the pair of gripping members 211 under the control of the control device 500 by an actuator (not shown). This allows the holding member 210 to hold the object 50 temporarily placed on the temporary placement member 401 and release the held object 50 into the container 20. The holding member 210 can also hold the object 50 stored in, for example, the storage member 700 and release the held object 50 to the temporary placement member 401.

[0049] The temporary placement member 401 is a box-shaped member including a bottom wall portion 405 and a side wall portion 406 erected on the periphery of the bottom wall portion 405, and can accommodate a plurality of units of the target object 50. As described above, the temporary placement member 401 is connected to the second rail 240 via the support member 289, and the second rail 240 is fixed to the robot arm 300 via the first rail 235 and the like. This fixes the relative position of the temporary placement member 401 (placing member 400) with respect to the robot arm 300.

[0050] 3. Description of the supply operation of the moving mechanism unit 220 Next, an example of a supply operation of the movement mechanism unit 220 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 7. The supply operation of the movement mechanism unit 220 refers to the operation of the movement mechanism unit 220 when the robot system 10 executes a supply process. More specifically, it refers to the operation of the movement mechanism unit 220 when the holding member 210 supplies the target object 50 to the container 20.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a first diagram illustrating a supply operation of the movement mechanism unit 220 according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a second diagram illustrating a supply operation of the movement mechanism unit 220 according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a third diagram illustrating a supply operation of the movement mechanism unit 220 according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a fourth diagram illustrating a supply operation of the movement mechanism unit 220 according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a fifth diagram illustrating a supply operation of the movement mechanism unit 220 according to the embodiment. In FIGS. 3 to 7, only the guide member 230 and the connecting member 221 of the components of the movement mechanism unit 220 are illustrated, and other components are not illustrated. In FIGS. 3 to 7, the temporary placement member 401, the container 20, and the transport unit 800 are shown in simplified cross-sectional views. In the following description, the operation of the robot arm 300 (including the holding member 210 and the movement mechanism unit 220) is executed under the control of the control device 500.

[0052] For example, as shown in Fig. 3, when the holding member 210 is located at a position away from the temporary placement member 401 by the movement mechanism unit 220, the movement mechanism unit 220 moves the holding member 210 so as to approach the temporary placement member 401, as shown in Fig. 4. Specifically, the engagement pin 222 of the connecting member 221 moves along the guide slit 231 of the guide member 230, and the holding member 210 moves along the trajectory indicated by the dotted arrow in Fig. 4.

[0053] In this embodiment, the holding member 210 reaches the position shown in FIG. 5 by first moving diagonally upward and then diagonally downward. At this time, the holding member 210 moves toward the inside of the temporary placement member 401 with the pair of gripping members 211 open, and then closes the pair of gripping members 211. As a result, the holding member 210 holds a predetermined unit of objects 50 from among the multiple units of objects 50 (temporarily placed objects 50b) temporarily placed on the temporary placement member 401. The number of units of objects 50 held by the holding member 210 (in other words, the number or amount of objects 50) is adjusted by changing the vertical position of the holding member 210 when closing the pair of gripping members 211, or by changing the distance between the pair of gripping members 211 when the pair of gripping members 211 is closed. This also applies to the case where the holding member 210 holds one or more units of objects 50 from the group of objects 50a in the storage member 700 (described below using FIGS. 8 and 9).

[0054] Next, as shown in Fig. 6, the movement mechanism 220 moves the holding member 210, which is holding a predetermined number of objects 50, to a position above the container 20. At this time, the holding member 210 moves along the trajectory indicated by the dotted arrow in Fig. 6. In this embodiment, the holding member 210 reaches the position shown in Fig. 6 by first moving diagonally upward and then moving diagonally downward.

[0055] 7, the holding member 210 opens the pair of gripping members 211. This releases the predetermined unit of object 50 held by the holding member 210, and as a result, the predetermined unit of object 50 is supplied to the container 20.

[0056] The robot arm 300 may move the holding member 210 to a position directly above the container 20 by the time the holding member 210 releases a predetermined unit of objects 50. Therefore, the robot arm 300 may move the holding member 210 and the temporary placement member 401 while the holding member 210 is performing the operation of holding the predetermined unit of objects 50 (see FIG. 5). The robot arm 300 may move the holding member 210 and the temporary placement member 401 while the movement mechanism unit 220 is performing the operation of moving the holding member 210 (see FIGS. 4 and 6). This further improves the processing efficiency of the robot system 10.

[0057] In the robot system 10 according to this embodiment, the movement mechanism 220 can continuously perform the supply operation, which is the series of operations described above, on a plurality of containers 20 (see FIG. 1). As a result, a predetermined unit of target object 50 is supplied to each of the plurality of containers 20.

[0058] As described above, in the robot system 10 according to the present embodiment, the temporary placement member 401 moves in accordance with the movement of the holding member 210, and the holding member 210 can acquire (hold) the target object 50 to be supplied to the container 20 from the temporary placement member 401. This allows the process of supplying the target object 50 to the container 20 to be executed efficiently.

[0059] 4. Temporary Placement Operation of the Movement Mechanism 220 Next, an example of the temporary placement operation of the movement mechanism unit 220 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a first diagram illustrating the temporary placement operation of the movement mechanism unit 220 according to this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a second diagram illustrating the temporary placement operation of the movement mechanism unit 220 according to this embodiment. In FIGS. 8 and 9, only the guide member 230 and the connecting member 221 of the components of the movement mechanism unit 220 are illustrated, and the other components are not illustrated. In FIGS. 8 and 9, the temporary placement member 401 and the storage member 700 are shown in simplified cross-sectional views. In the following description, the operation of the robot arm 300 (including the holding member 210 and the movement mechanism unit 220) is executed under the control of the control device 500.

[0060] The temporary placement operation of the moving mechanism unit 220 is the operation of the moving mechanism unit 220 when the holding member 210 temporarily places the object 50, which has been removed from the storage member 700, on the temporary placement member 401. The temporary placement operation can also be said to be the operation (placing operation) when the holding member 210 places the object 50, which has been removed from the storage member 700, on the placement member 400.

[0061] 8, with the holding member 210 moved by the moving mechanism 220 to a position away from the temporary placement member 401, the robot arm 300 moves the holding member 210 to a position where the tip of the holding member 210 is inserted into the group of objects 50a in the storage member 700. At this time, the holding member 210 is inserted into the group of objects 50a with the pair of gripping members 211 in an open state, and then the pair of gripping members 211 are closed. As a result, the holding member 210 holds one or more units of objects 50 from the group of objects 50a stored in the storage member 700. For example, the holding member 210 holds five units of objects 50, each weighing approximately 50 g, from the group of objects 50a weighing 20 kilograms (kg).

[0062] Next, as shown in Fig. 9, the movement mechanism 220 moves the holding member 210, which is holding one or more units of the target object 50, so that the holding member 210 is positioned above the temporary placement member 401. At this time, the holding member 210 moves along the trajectory indicated by the dotted arrow in Fig. 9. In this embodiment, the holding member 210 reaches the position shown in Fig. 9 by first moving diagonally upward and then moving diagonally downward.

[0063] Next, the holding member 210 opens the pair of gripping members 211. This releases one or more units of the target object 50 held by the holding member 210, and as a result, the one or more units of the target object 50 are temporarily placed on the temporary placement member 401. In other words, the one or more targets 50 are placed on the placement member 400.

[0064] In the robot system 10 according to this embodiment, the movement mechanism 220 repeatedly performs the temporary placement operation, which is the series of operations described above, to temporarily place a plurality of units of the object 50 on the temporary placement member 401. For example, assume that an object 50 weighing approximately 50 g is temporarily placed on the temporary placement member 401 as five units of the object 50 in one temporary placement operation. In this case, the movement mechanism 220 performs the temporary placement operation four times, to temporarily place an object 50 weighing approximately 200 g as 20 units of the object 50 on the temporary placement member 401. In other words, 20 units of the object 50 are temporarily placed on the temporary placement member 401 as temporary placement objects 50b.

[0065] Thereafter, the robot arm 300 moves the movement mechanism 220 and the temporary placement member 401 to the positions shown in Fig. 3, for example. Furthermore, the movement mechanism 220 executes the supply operation described with reference to Figs. 3 to 7. As a result, approximately 10 g of the object 50 is supplied to the container 20 as one unit of the object 50.

[0066] When performing at least one of the supply operation and the temporary placement operation, the movement mechanism 220 may change the attitude (relative attitude) of the holding member 210 with respect to the robot arm 300, instead of or in addition to changing the position (relative position) of the holding member 210 with respect to the robot arm 300. For example, the movement mechanism 220 may change the attitude of the holding member 210 by rotating the connecting member 221 around the X axis in Figures 3 to 7, thereby causing the holding member 210 to pick up a predetermined unit of objects 50 from the temporary placement objects 50b.

[0067] The robot arm 300 may change at least one of the position and posture of the temporary placement member 401 in order to temporarily place multiple units of objects 50 on the temporary placement member 401. In other words, the temporary placement member 401, rather than the holding member 210, may perform a process of acquiring multiple units of objects 50 from the object group 50a in the storage member 700. For example, the temporary placement member 401 may operate to scoop up multiple units of objects 50 from the object group 50a. In this case, the movement mechanism unit 220 may change at least one of the position and posture of the temporary placement member 401.

[0068] That is, if the temporary placement member 401 is defined as the "first holding member" and the holding member 210 as the "second holding member," the configuration of the temporary placement member 401 and the holding member 210 can be described, for example, as follows: The first holding member holds a plurality of units of objects 50 from the group of objects 50a in the storage member 700. The second holding member holds a predetermined unit of objects 50 from the plurality of units of objects 50 held by the first holding member, and releases it at a predetermined position.

[0069] [5. Summary of the embodiment] The robot system 10 according to this embodiment includes a holding member 210 capable of holding an object 50 and releasing the held object 50, a robot arm 300 that supports the holding member 210 and moves the holding member 210, and a temporary placement member 401 that moves together with the holding member 210 and is capable of temporarily placing the object 50.

[0070] According to this configuration, the holding member 210 and Since the temporary placement member 401 moves together with the holding member 210, the holding member 210 can, for example, hold the object 50 from the temporary placement member 401 located near the holding member 210 and release it at a predetermined position. This makes it possible to increase the speed of the processing of the object 50 (in this embodiment, supplying the object 50 to the container 20). Also, there is less need to move the storage member 700 to the vicinity of the predetermined position, or to move the holding member 210 to the vicinity of the storage member 700.

[0071] More specifically, the storage member 700 may store, for example, a group of objects 50a weighing several tens of kilograms, and the long side of the storage member 700 may be approximately one meter in plan view. If such a heavy and large storage member 700 were to be moved to and from a position near the holding member 210 each time the holding member 210 performs a single supply operation, problems such as increased power consumption and the movement of the large storage member 700 interfering with other work are likely to occur. In this regard, in the robot system 10 according to this embodiment, the holding member 210 can acquire (hold) the objects 50 from the temporary placement member 401 that moves together with the holding member 210, and therefore problems caused by moving the storage member 700 are unlikely to occur.

[0072] Furthermore, since the holding member 210 can hold the object 50 from the temporary placement member 401 that moves together with the holding member 210, for example, the period during which the holding member 210 holds the object 50 is relatively short. Also, the distance that the holding member 210 moves while holding the object 50 is relatively short. Therefore, for example, an event such as part or all of the object 50 held by the holding member 210 falling at a position other than the position where the object 50 should be released is unlikely to occur.

[0073] In this way, the robot system 10 according to the present embodiment can efficiently perform processing on the target object 50.

[0074] Furthermore, since the holding member 210 can hold the object 50 from the temporary placement member 401 located near the holding member 210, there is no need to carry out processing such as moving the object 50 over a long distance and / or for a long period of time while holding the object 50. This also contributes to efficient execution of processing on the object 50.

[0075] In this embodiment, the temporary placement member 401 is attached to the robot arm 300 and moves together with the holding member 210 .

[0076] In this way, the robot system 10 according to the present embodiment can use the robot arm 300 that moves the holding member 210 to move the temporary placement member 401 together with the holding member 210. This allows a relatively simple structure to be realized that keeps the temporary placement member 401 close to the holding member 210.

[0077] In this embodiment, a plurality of units of objects 50 can be temporarily placed on the temporary placement member 401. The holding member 210 holds a predetermined unit of objects 50 from the plurality of units of objects 50 temporarily placed on the temporary placement member 401, and releases the held predetermined unit of objects 50. More specifically, in this embodiment, the predetermined unit of objects 50 is released at a predetermined position above the container 20.

[0078] According to this configuration, multiple units of the target object 50 are temporarily placed on the temporary placement member 401, so that the holding member 210 can efficiently perform a process of, for example, holding the target object 50 in predetermined units from the temporary placement member 401 located near the holding member 210 and releasing it at a predetermined position.

[0079] In this embodiment, the holding member 210 holds the object 50 stored in the storage member 700, and releases the held object 50 to the temporary placement member 401, thereby temporarily placing the object 50 on the temporary placement member 401. The holding member 210 holds the object 50 temporarily placed on the temporary placement member 401, and releases the held object 50 at a predetermined position.

[0080] According to this configuration, the holding member 210 can also temporarily place the objects 50 on the temporary placement member 401. That is, the holding member 210 can execute a series of processes, for example, supplying the objects 50 from the storage member 700 that stores a large number of units of objects 50 (in other words, a large group of objects 50a) to the temporary placement member 401, and removing the objects 50 from the temporary placement member 401 and releasing them at a predetermined position. Therefore, there is no need to use another device or manually perform the work of an operator to supply the objects 50 to the temporary placement member 401.

[0081] In the robot system 10 according to this embodiment, the temporary placement member 401 may temporarily place the object 50 on the temporary placement member 401 by performing a process of acquiring the object 50 stored in the storage member 700. Even in this case, the holding member 210 can hold the object 50 temporarily placed on the temporary placement member 401 and release the held object 50 at a predetermined position.

[0082] According to this configuration, the temporary placement member 401 can temporarily place the objects 50 on the temporary placement member 401. In other words, the temporary placement member 401 can replenish the objects 50 from the storage member 700 that stores a large number of units of objects 50 to the temporary placement member 401. Therefore, there is no need to replenish the objects 50 to the temporary placement member 401 using another device or manually by an operator, for example.

[0083] In this embodiment, the robot arm 300 includes a movement mechanism 220 that changes at least one of the position and orientation of the holding member 210 relative to the robot arm 300 .

[0084] As described above, in this embodiment, the robot arm 300 includes the movement mechanism 220 that changes the position (relative position) and / or posture (relative posture) of the holding member 210 with respect to the robot arm 300. Therefore, the holding member 210 can efficiently perform processes such as obtaining the target objects 50 in predetermined units from the temporary placement member 401 by changing the position and / or posture by the movement mechanism 220 that moves together with the holding member 210.

[0085] The configuration of the robot arm 300 according to this embodiment is described, for example, as follows: The robot arm 300 according to this embodiment includes a mounting member 400 on which an object 50 can be placed, and a holding member 210 that can hold the object 50 placed on the mounting member 400 and release the held object 50, and moves the mounting member 400 together with the holding member 210.

[0086] As described above, the robot arm 300 according to this embodiment moves the placement member 400 together with the holding member 210, and therefore the holding member 210 can, for example, hold the object 50 from the temporary placement member 401 located near the holding member 210 and release it at a predetermined position. Therefore, there is no need to move the storage member 700, which stores multiple or a large number of objects 50 and tends to be large in size and / or weight, near the holding member 210 and then retract it. As described above, the robot arm 300 according to this embodiment can efficiently process the object 50.

[0087] That is, in this embodiment, a single robot arm 300 is provided with a holding member 210 and a placement member 400 (temporary placement member 401), and the holding member 210, which moves relative to the robot arm 300, holds the object 50 from the placement member 400 (temporary placement member 401), which does not move relative to the robot arm 300, and releases it at a predetermined position. In this manner, the holding member 210 and the placement member 400 (temporary placement member 401) can be moved by a single robot arm 300 (more specifically, the arm main body 310). Therefore, for example, compared to a case in which the holding member 210 and the placement member 400 (temporary placement member 401) are moved by two separate robot arms, the configuration of the robot system 10 is simplified. Furthermore, it is easy to move the holding member 210 and the placement member 400 (temporary placement member 401) synchronously.

[0088] [6. Modifications] Although the robot system 10 according to the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The embodiment disclosed herein is illustrative in all respects and is not limiting, and the scope of the present invention includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0089] The placement member 400 (temporary placement member 401) may be moved together with the holding member 210 by a device different from the robot arm 300 that moves the holding member 210. However, as described above, from the viewpoint of simplifying the configuration of the robot system 10, it is preferable to move both the holding member 210 and the placement member 400 (temporary placement member 401) with one robot arm 300 (arm main body 310).

[0090] There is no particular limit to the number of units of the object 50 temporarily placed on the temporary placement member 401. For example, if 10 g is one unit, 10 g of the object 50 may be temporarily placed on the temporary placement member 401, and the holding member 210 may hold the 10 g of the object 50 from the temporary placement member 401 and release it at a predetermined position. Even in this case, the time and / or moving distance required for the holding member 210 to hold and release one unit (10 g) of the object 50 is relatively short. Specifically, for most of the time until the object 50 moves from the storage member 700 to the container 20, the object 50 remains placed on the temporary placement member 401, and when the object 50 approaches the container 20, the holding member 210 moves the object 50 from the temporary placement member 401 to the container 20. This prevents an incident such as a part of the object 50 unintentionally falling off the holding member 210.

[0091] The configuration of the movement mechanism 220 that moves the holding member 210 does not need to be the configuration shown in Fig. 2 etc. For example, the holding member 210 may be moved relative to the robot arm 300 by disposing another robot arm that can operate independently of the robot arm 300 between the tip of the robot arm 300 and the holding member 210.

[0092] The movement mechanism 220 may be provided in the holding member 210. For example, a structure including the pair of gripping members 211, the connecting member 221, and the movement mechanism 220 may be referred to as a "holding member."

[0093] It is not essential that the multiple containers 20 are transported in a predetermined direction by the transport unit 800. For example, the robot arm 300 may perform a predetermined process on multiple containers 20 placed on a table that does not transport the containers 20.

[0094] The shape and size of the placing member 400 (temporary placing member 401) are not limited to those shown in Fig. 2 etc. For example, the placing member 400 (temporary placing member 401) does not have to be box-shaped, and may be a flat member or a bowl-shaped member that does not have a side wall portion 406. The shape and size of the placing member 400 (temporary placing member 401) may be determined appropriately depending on the type and / or the maximum number (maximum amount) of objects 50 to be placed on the placing member 400 (temporary placing member 401), etc.

[0095] The robot system 10 does not necessarily have to include the control device 500. For example, a computer device external to the robot system 10 may control the operation of the robot system 10 (more specifically, the operation of the robot arm 300).

[0096] The present invention can be realized not only as the robot system 10 and the robot arm 300, but also as a control method for a robot system or a robot arm including characteristic processing steps performed by the robot system 10 or the robot arm 300. The present invention can also be realized as a program that causes a computer to execute the control method for a robot system or a robot arm. That is, the control function of the control device 500 over the robot arm 300 and the like may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory. Furthermore, the present invention can also be realized as any medium, such as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which the program is recorded, including a flexible disk, hard disk, CD-ROM, MO, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc), semiconductor memory, flash memory, magnetic storage device, optical disk, or paper tape. The program can then be distributed via the recording medium or a transmission medium such as the Internet.

[0097] Any combination of the components included in the above-described embodiments and their modifications is also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 10 Robot Systems 20 containers 50 Objects 50a Object Group 50b Temporary storage object 210 Retaining member 211 Gripping member 220 Moving mechanism section 221 Connecting member 222 Engagement pin 223 Second slide part 225 Links 229 First slide part 230 Guide member 231 Guide slit 235 First Rail 240 Second Rail 250 bracket 255 connecting members 289 Supporting Members 300 Robot Arm 310 Arm body 400 Mounting member 401 Temporary placement materials 405 Bottom wall 406 Side wall 500 control device 700 Storage member 800 conveyor 801 Placement plane

Claims

1. a holding member capable of holding an object and releasing the held object; a robot arm that supports the holding member and moves the holding member; a temporary placement member that moves together with the holding member and on which the object can be temporarily placed, the temporary placement member is attached to the robot arm and moves together with the holding member; the holding member and the temporary placement member are supported by a tip end of the robot arm, a plurality of units of the object can be temporarily placed on the temporary placement member; the holding member holds a predetermined unit of the objects from the plurality of units of the objects temporarily placed on the temporary placement member, and releases the held predetermined unit of the objects. Robot system.

2. The holding member is holding the object accommodated in a storage member and releasing the held object onto the temporary placement member, thereby temporarily placing the object on the temporary placement member; holding the object temporarily placed on the temporary placement member and releasing the held object at a predetermined position; The robot system of claim 1 .

3. The temporary placement member is performing a process of acquiring the object accommodated in the accommodation member, thereby temporarily placing the object on the temporary placement member; The holding member is holding the object temporarily placed on the temporary placement member and releasing the held object at a predetermined position; The robot system of claim 1 .

4. the robot arm includes a movement mechanism that changes at least one of the position and the orientation of the holding member relative to the robot arm. The robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. a mounting member on which an object can be placed; a holding member capable of holding the object placed on the placing member and releasing the held object; an arm main body portion supporting the mounting member and the holding member, the mounting member and the holding member are supported at the tip end of the arm body, the arm body moves the placement member together with the holding member, a plurality of units of the object can be placed on the placement member; the holding member holds a predetermined unit of the objects from the plurality of units of the objects placed on the placement member, and releases the held predetermined unit of the objects. Robotic arm.

6. a holding member capable of holding an object and releasing the held object; a robot arm that supports the holding member and moves the holding member; a temporary placement member that moves together with the holding member and on which the object can be temporarily placed, the robot arm includes a movement mechanism that changes at least one of the position and the orientation of the holding member relative to the robot arm, the movement mechanism is supported on a tip end of the robot arm, the temporary placement member is supported by the movement mechanism, a plurality of units of the object can be temporarily placed on the temporary placement member; the holding member holds a predetermined unit of the objects from the plurality of units of the objects temporarily placed on the temporary placement member, and releases the held predetermined unit of the objects. Robot system.

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