Bending system and robot carrier

Abstract

To provide a bending system and a robot conveyance body which can perform easy positioning.SOLUTION: This bending system comprises: a press brake; a robot conveyance body on which a workpiece feeding robot for feeding a workpiece to the press brake can be placed; and a positioning mechanism for positioning the robot conveyance body with respect to the press brake. The positioning mechanism includes a first positioning member provided in the robot conveyance body and a second positioning member provided on the press brake side and engageable with the first positioning member. At least one of the first and second positioning members has a long part that protrudes from one of the press brake and the robot conveyance body toward the other during positioning.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is a work supply / carry-out device in which a robot equipped with a work hand that supplies workpieces to a bending machine and carries the bent workpieces out of the bending machine, and a workpiece pick-up device that picks up one workpiece from the pile, are arranged in front of the bending machine (Patent Document 1, etc.). The robot and workpiece pick-up device described in Patent Document 1 are mounted as a unit on a rectangular base, and rotatable wheels are supported on the front, back, left and right sides of the lower part of this base.

[0003] In addition, a plurality of positioning engagement blocks are provided below the center of the base. A support bracket is attached to the center of the base, and a fluid cylinder is provided on this support bracket. A positioning engagement block is integrated with the tip of a piston rod attached to this fluid cylinder. A positioning block, which engages and disengages the positioning engagement blocks, is provided on the floor in front of the press brake.

[0004] The work supply and transport device described in Patent Document 1 is positioned in front of the press brake, and by operating a fluid cylinder to lower a piston rod, the positioning engagement block engages with a positioning block provided on the floor, thereby positioning the work. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-16657 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, as described above, conventional work supply and transport devices require positioning by engaging a positioning block provided on the floor in front of the press brake with a positioning engagement block provided under the base. Therefore, positioning is performed with the positioning block hidden by the base in a plan view, which requires repeatedly adjusting the position of the base by feel, or by looking under the base each time to adjust the position, or the work must be shared between a user who checks and a user who moves the base, resulting in a problem of time and effort required for positioning.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a bending system and a robot carrier that can be easily positioned. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A bending processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a press brake, a robot transport body on which a work supply robot that supplies work to the press brake can be placed, and a positioning mechanism that positions the robot transport body relative to the press brake, wherein the positioning mechanism includes a first positioning member provided on the robot transport body and a second positioning member provided on the press brake side and engageable with the first positioning member, and at least one of the first positioning member and the second positioning member has a long portion that protrudes from one of the press brake and the robot transport body toward the other during positioning.

[0009] A robot transport body according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a carriage section on which a work supply robot that supplies work to a press brake can be placed, and a positioning mechanism that positions the carriage section relative to the press brake, wherein the positioning mechanism includes a first positioning member provided on the carriage section and a second positioning member that can engage with the first positioning member, and at least one of the first positioning member and the second positioning member has a long portion that protrudes from one of the press brake and the carriage section toward the other during positioning. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to one embodiment of the bending processing system and robot transport body of the present invention, at least one of the first positioning member and the second positioning member has a long portion that protrudes from one side of the press brake and the robot transport body toward the other side during positioning, thereby providing high visibility when engaging the first positioning member and the second positioning member and making positioning easy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bending system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a bending system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the front of the robot transport body of this embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the rear side of the robot transport body of this embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the front lower part of the robot transport body and the first positioning member of this embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a plan view showing a state in which the long portion of the first positioning member of this embodiment is housed. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a plan view showing the elongated portion of the first positioning member of this embodiment in a deployed state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the protrusion of the first positioning member of this embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the second positioning member of this embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the robot transport body of this embodiment is positioned. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the robot transport body, the loading cart, and the unloading box of this embodiment. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a state in which a loading carriage and an unloading box are attached to the robot transport body of this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0013] [Overall configuration of the bending system according to this embodiment] 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing a bending system according to an embodiment of the present invention. First, a bending system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be outlined with reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bending system 1 according to this embodiment generally includes a press brake 10, a robot carrier 200 on which a work supply robot 100 that supplies a work W to the press brake 10 can be mounted, and a positioning mechanism 300 that positions the robot carrier 200 relative to the press brake 10.

[0014] The bending system 1 also includes a workpiece supply robot 100. The bending system 1 further includes a loading cart 400 on which the workpiece W to be processed is loaded, and an unloading box 500 into which the workpiece W after bending by the press brake 10 is placed. The bending system 1 may also include a double-picking prevention device (not shown) such as a magnet floater or an air separator, or a suction device (not shown) capable of re-gripping the workpiece W. The double-picking prevention device and the suction device may be independent devices, or may be provided on the robot transport body 200, the loading cart 400, or the like, for example.

[0015] The bending system 1 may also include a hand storage unit capable of storing and replacing a replacement robot hand 120, which will be described later, and a die storage unit capable of storing dies used in the press brake 10. The hand storage unit and die storage unit may be provided independently, or may be provided in, for example, the robot transport body 200 or the loading cart 400.

[0016] [Press brake configuration] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the press brake 10 comprises an upper table 11 and a lower table 12 arranged in the center of the front and aligned in the height direction so that one of the depth directions, for example, the outer plate surface, faces the front, and a support part (not shown) that supports the upper table 11 and the lower table 12.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the press brake 10 also includes, for example, a drive mechanism 16 configured to reciprocate the upper table 11 in the vertical direction relative to the lower table 12, a position detection sensor (not shown) that detects the movement position of the upper table 11 when moved by the drive mechanism 16, a foot switch (not shown), and a press control panel 18 that performs various controls of the press brake 10.

[0018] Furthermore, the press brake 10 may be equipped with a back gauge (not shown) that positions the workpiece W in the depth direction when it is inserted between the upper mold U and the lower mold L, and an angle detection sensor 30 that can detect the bending angle of the workpiece W when the workpiece W is being bent.

[0019] In the following description, the basic configuration of the press brake 10 can be any of a variety of known configurations, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0020] The upper table 11 is made of a plate-like member such as metal, and has a plurality of upper die holders (punch holders) 14 at its lower part that hold upper dies U such as punches. The lower table 12 is made of a plate-like member such as metal like the upper table 11, and has a lower die holder (die holder) 15 at its upper part that holds lower dies L such as dies. When the upper die U is a die and the lower die L is a punch, the upper die holder 14 serves as a die holder and the lower die holder 15 serves as a punch holder.

[0021] The drive mechanism 16 is, for example, a hydraulic cylinder that serves as a drive source for the upper table 11, and is attached to the top of each support part. Each drive mechanism 16 is configured to reciprocate (move up and down) the upper table 11 relative to the lower table 12 in the height direction. With this configuration, an upper mold U attached to an upper mold holder 14 of the upper table 11 and a lower mold L attached to a lower mold holder 15 of the lower table 12 can move relative to each other.

[0022] It should be noted that each drive mechanism 16 may use other drive means such as a servo motor instead of a hydraulic cylinder. Also, the drive mechanism 16 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may drive the lower table 12 instead of the upper table 11.

[0023] The foot switch (foot switch / foot pedal) is located in front of the press brake 10. The foot switch is configured to be freely movable by the user, and when the user manually performs bending (when performing manual bending in this embodiment), the foot switch is located at the user's feet while working, and when performing automatic operation using the workpiece supply robot 100 (when performing robot bending in this embodiment), the foot switch, which is not required for automatic operation, can be moved from the front of the press brake 10.

[0024] The press control panel 18 has an input section that can operate the press brake 10, a display section that can display various information about the press brake 10, and a robot interface for communicating with the work supply robot 100.

[0025] The position detection sensor detects the relative movement position of the upper mold U with respect to the lower mold L when the upper table 11 is moved by the drive mechanism 16. This position detection sensor is made up of, for example, an encoder or a linear scale, and is well known, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0026] In this embodiment, the press brake 10 is equipped with a manual bending backgauge used during manual bending and a robotic bending backgauge used during robotic bending. However, this is not limited to this, and one backgauge may be used for both manual bending and automatic bending.

[0027] In the following description, in common explanations of the manual bending backgauge and the robot bending backgauge, they will be simply referred to as backgauges.

[0028] The back gauge is provided so as to be movable rearward in the depth direction from the upper mold U and the lower mold L, and is configured so that its position can be adjusted left and right in accordance with the bending position of the workpiece W in the longitudinal direction of the upper mold U and the lower mold L and the left and right width dimension of the workpiece W. Note that the back gauge can employ various known configurations, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0029] The angle detection sensor 30 is attached to, for example, the lower table 12, and is configured to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the upper mold U and the lower mold L. The angle detection sensor 30 includes, for example, a first sensor located close to the bending position by the upper mold U and the lower mold L, and a second sensor located a predetermined distance forward in the depth direction from the first sensor.

[0030] The first and second sensors detect the outer angles of the front and rear surfaces of the workpiece W relative to the bending line, and may be, for example, a non-contact sensor using a laser beam and a camera, or a contact sensor using a potentiometer or the like. The first and second sensors are provided at the same height. The angle detection sensor 30 is configured so that, when bending the workpiece W, the first and second sensors capture an image by tilting the camera relative to the laser beam, for example, and can calculate the bending angle of the workpiece W based on the line segment of the lower die L and the line segment of the workpiece W.

[0031] [Work supply robot configuration] The work supply robot 100 is attached to the upper front of the housing 212 (described later) of the robot transport body 200, and is configured as a work holding means to supply the work W between the upper mold U and the lower mold L of the press brake 10.

[0032] The workpiece supply robot 100 is configured to hold, for example, the uppermost workpiece W among a plurality of workpieces W loaded on a loading cart 400, and supply (insert) the workpiece W to the press brake 10. The workpiece supply robot 100 is also configured to transport (carry out) the workpiece W after bending to a predetermined location (for example, an unloading box 500).

[0033] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the work supply robot 100 includes a robotic hand 120 capable of holding the work W as a work holding unit, and an arm unit 140 that moves the robotic hand 120 toward or away from the work W.

[0034] The robot hand 120 is detachably attached to the tip of the arm unit 140. The robot hand 120 may have a hand main body that grips the workpiece W, or may have a hand main body that is detachably attached to the tip of the arm unit 140 and a plurality of suction units that are attached to the hand main body and configured to be able to hold the workpiece W.

[0035] Note that detailed description will be omitted because various known configurations can be adopted for the robot hand 120. Furthermore, the robot hand 120 is not limited to the above-described configuration, and various known configurations can be arbitrarily adopted.

[0036] The arm portion 140 has one end connected to the upper part of the housing 212 of the robot transport body 200 and the other end connected to the robot hand 120, and is configured to move the robot hand 120 closer to or away from the workpiece W based on a control signal from a robot controller of the robot transport body 200 described later.

[0037] In this embodiment, the arm section 140 is a multi-joint arm having six control axes, and is configured to be able to perform not only the transport of the work W from the loading cart 400, but also the supply (insertion) of the work W into the press brake 10, assist in the processing (bending) of the work W, and the transport (removal) of the product (bent product) from the press brake 10.

[0038] Note that various known configurations can be employed for the arm unit 140, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Also, the arm unit 140 is not limited to the configuration of an articulated arm having the six control axes described above, and various known configurations can be arbitrarily employed.

[0039] [Robot transport structure] As shown in FIG. 1, the robot transport body 200 includes a carriage unit 210 on which the work supply robot 100 can be placed, and a positioning mechanism 300 that positions the carriage unit 210 relative to the press brake 10.

[0040] Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing the front side of the robot transport body of this embodiment, and Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing the rear side of the robot transport body of this embodiment. 3 and 4, the cart unit 210 includes a box-shaped housing 212 configured in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and four wheels 214 attached to the bottom of the housing 212 and supporting the housing 212 so that it can move freely. Inside the housing 212, a robot controller (not shown) that controls the workpiece supply robot 100 and an air tank (not shown) are stored.

[0041] 3, an air connection unit 220 and a cart control panel 230 are provided on the left side of the housing 212. The air connection unit 220 is configured to be connectable to an air supply source in the factory, and has an FR unit (filter-equipped regulator) 222. The FR unit 222 is connected to an air tank, and the air tank is connected to an air pressure adjustment valve (not shown).

[0042] The carriage control panel 230 has a switch box 232. The carriage control panel 230 is electrically connected to the robot controller and is configured to be able to send and receive various signals. The carriage control panel 230 is also electrically connected to a communication connector 246 (described later) and is configured to be able to send and receive various signals to and from the press brake 10 via the communication connector 246. Furthermore, the carriage control panel 230 is configured to be able to be connected to a foot switch via a robot interface relay box (described later). The switch box 232 is capable of performing various operations required to control each part of the robot transport body 200.

[0043] At the front of the housing 212, there are provided a power connector 242 for supplying power to the workpiece supply robot 100, an air connector for supplying compressed air to the workpiece supply robot 100, and a communication connector 246 for communicating with the press brake 10. The power connector 242 is connected to the power supply of the factory via a power cable.

[0044] The communication connector 246 is connected to a robot interface relay box (not shown) via a signal line. The robot interface relay box is connected to the robot bending backgauge of the press brake 10 and the robot interface in the press control panel 18 of the press brake 10 via signal lines.

[0045] The arm section 140 of the workpiece supply robot 100 is attached to the upper front part of the housing 212. In addition, a teaching pendant 250 is attached to the upper rear part of the housing 212. The teaching pendant 250 is configured to enable creation of a control program for the workpiece supply robot 100, teaching of the operation of the workpiece supply robot 100, operation of the workpiece supply robot 100, etc.

[0046] A handle 218 is attached to the upper rear part of the housing 212. A user can move the robot transport body 200 to any position by pushing or pulling the handle 218. In addition, a safety laser scanner 260 is attached to the lower rear part of the housing 212. The safety laser scanner 260 is configured to slow down the operation of the workpiece supply robot 100 if a user enters the warning area of ​​the safety laser scanner 260 (an area that is dangerous for the user to enter) during robot bending. In addition, the safety laser scanner 260 is configured to stop the workpiece supply robot 100 if a user enters the protection area of ​​the safety laser scanner 260 (an area narrower than the warning area) during robot bending.

[0047] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, a pedal lock 270 is attached to the rear lower part of the housing 212, and after positioning the robot transport body 200, the user can fix the position of the robot transport body 200 by locking the pedal lock 270.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the front lower part of the robot transport body and the first positioning member of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5 , a first positioning member 310 (described later) of the positioning mechanism 300 is attached to the front lower portion of the housing 212. A fixing mechanism 280 is provided at a position above the first positioning member 310 at the front lower portion, which is capable of fixing the robot transport body 200 and the long portion 320 (described later) of the first positioning member 310 when the long portion 320 is deployed. In this embodiment, the fixing mechanism 280 is a toggle clamp, but is not limited to this and various other mechanisms can be used. For example, the fixing mechanism 280 may be configured to fix the robot transport body 200 and the long portion 320 by inserting a fixing pin into the long portion 320 using an air cylinder or the like.

[0049] [Configuration of positioning mechanism] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the robot transport body of this embodiment is positioned. 9, the positioning mechanism 300 includes a first positioning member 310 and a second positioning member 350 that can engage with the first positioning member 310. As shown in FIG. 5, the first positioning member 310 is provided on the robot transport body 200, and has a long portion 320, a protrusion 330, and a protrusion base 340 that protrude from the carriage portion 210 of the robot transport body 200 toward the press brake 10 during positioning.

[0050] The long section 320 has a pair of long arms 322 and a pair of connecting members 324 that connect both ends of the pair of long arms 322. The pair of long arms 322 are connected at their middle parts by a reinforcing member 326. The long arms 322 are supported by a support (not shown) provided at the bottom of the housing 212 of the cart section 210. The long arms 322 also have long section wheels 327 that support the long arms 322.

[0051] A workpiece evacuation tray 325 is attached to the upper part of the reinforcing member 326. The workpiece supply robot 100 is configured so that, when two workpieces W loaded on the loading carriage 400 are picked up, the two picked up workpieces W are evacuated to the workpiece evacuation tray 325. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0052] Fig. 6A is a plan view showing a state in which the elongated portion of the first positioning member of this embodiment is stored, and Fig. 6B is a plan view showing a state in which the elongated portion of the first positioning member of this embodiment is deployed. As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the long section 320 is configured to be able to be inserted into and removed from the projected area of ​​the robot transport body 200 in a plan view. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, a connecting member 324 at the end of the long section 320 on the press brake 10 side has a handle 328 on the top surface. By pulling the handle 328, the user can pull the long section 320 out from the projected area of ​​the robot transport body 200 in a plan view, and by pushing the handle 328, the user can push the long section 320 into the projected area of ​​the robot transport body 200 in a plan view.

[0053] In addition, multiple rollers (not shown) are rotatably attached to the surface of the long section 320 facing the support section of the housing 212 of the cart section 210, and these rollers rotate when the long section 320 is inserted or removed, allowing the long section 320 to be inserted or removed smoothly.

[0054] The first positioning member 310 having such a configuration can be stored at the bottom of the robot transport body 200, for example, when moving the robot transport body 200 or when performing manual bending processing after positioning the robot transport body 200, and can be deployed when positioning the robot transport body 200.

[0055] FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the protrusion of the first positioning member of this embodiment. 7, the protrusion 330 is attached to the elongated portion 320 via a protrusion base 340, and has a base 332 and a protrusion 334 that protrudes from the base 332. The protrusion 334 has a protrusion-side inclined portion 336 that inclines toward the tip.

[0056] The protruding portion base 340 has shock absorbers 342 provided on both sides of the protruding portion 330. By providing such a configuration, when positioning the robot transport body 200 relative to the press brake 10, that is, when engaging the first positioning member 310 with the second positioning member 350, it is possible to prevent damage or distortion of the positioning mechanism 300 due to an impact, and to prevent a decrease in positioning accuracy due to a shift in the position of the first positioning member 310 or the second positioning member 350 due to an impact.

[0057] FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the second positioning member of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the second positioning member 350 has a recess 360 that corresponds to the protrusion 330. As shown in Fig. 9, the second positioning member 350 is provided on the press brake 10 side. In this embodiment, "provided on the press brake side" means that the second positioning member 350 is installed within the projected area of ​​the press brake 10 in a plan view. Specifically, in this embodiment, the second positioning member 350 is disposed in a space provided at the bottom of the press brake 10 and is fixed to the floor surface with anchor bolts.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 8, the recess 360 has an opening 362, a bottom 364, and a recess-side inclined portion 366 that widens from the bottom 364 toward the opening 362.

[0059] The positioning mechanism 300 having the above configuration can position the robot transport body 200, and therefore the work supply robot 100, at a position a predetermined distance d away from the reference position of the press brake 10 by engaging the first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350, as shown in Figure 9.

[0060] In this embodiment, the reference position of the press brake 10 is an extension line passing through the center positions of the upper table 11 and the lower table 12 in a side view, but is not limited to this. The reference position may be, for example, the front surface of the lower table 12 of the press brake 10.

[0061] It is preferable that the predetermined distance d is set to an optimum distance depending on the workpiece supply robot 100 placed on the robot transport body 200, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0062] Fig. 10 is a plan view showing the robot transport body, loading cart, and unloading box of this embodiment, and Fig. 11 is a plan view showing the state in which the loading cart and unloading box are attached to the robot transport body of this embodiment. The loading cart 400 is a hand-pushed cart configured to be capable of loading a plurality of workpieces W to be bent. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the loading cart 400 is configured to be detachable from the left side of the long portion 320 of the first positioning member 310 of the positioning mechanism 300. The loading cart 400 is also provided with a stopper at its tip (the end connected to the long portion 320) for aligning the end faces of the plurality of workpieces W to be loaded. Furthermore, the loading cart 400 may have a device to prevent double picking, such as an air separator or a magnet floater, as described above.

[0063] In this embodiment, the surface on which the workpiece W is placed of the loading cart 400 is inclined so that the height of the front end side is lower than the height of the rear end side (the end side of the handcart on the handle side) as shown in Fig. 1, but this is not limited to this, and the surface on which the workpiece W is placed may be configured flat. The inclined surface on which the workpiece W is placed has the advantage that it is easier for the workpiece supply robot 100 to hold the workpiece W.

[0064] The unloading box 500 is configured to be able to store the workpiece W after bending. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the unloading box 500 is configured to be detachable from the right side of the long portion 320 of the first positioning member 310.

[0065] In this embodiment, the unloading box 500 is a rectangular box with an open top, but is not limited to this and can have any of a variety of configurations as long as it can accommodate the workpiece W after bending and is detachable from the long portion 320. For example, the unloading box 500 may be a foldable container box or the like.

[0066] The loading cart 400 and unloading box 500 having the above configuration are attached to the long portion 320 after the robot carrier 200 has been positioned relative to the press brake 10.

[0067] The bending processing system 1 of this embodiment has such a configuration, so that the loading cart 400 and the unloading box 500 can be easily positioned relative to the press brake 10 and the robot transport body 200 simply by attaching the loading cart 400 and the unloading box 500 to the long portion 320 of the first positioning member 310 provided on the robot transport body 200 positioned relative to the press brake 10.

[0068] In addition, the bending processing system 1 according to this embodiment can ensure accuracy in the positioning of the work supply robot 100 and the press brake 10, the positioning of the work supply robot 100 and the loading cart 400, and the positioning of the work supply robot 100 and the unloading box 500.

[0069] Furthermore, the bending processing system 1 of this embodiment positions the loading cart 400 and the unloading box 500 relative to the press brake 10 and the robot transport body 200, thereby reducing the time required to teach the work supply robot 100 how to hold the loaded work W and place the work W after bending, and improving the accuracy of the operation of the work supply robot 100.

[0070] Furthermore, by attaching the loading cart 400 and unloading box 500 to the first positioning member 310 provided on the robot transport body 200, the bending processing system 1 of this embodiment can shorten the time required to teach the series of operations of the work supply robot 100, from holding the loaded work W to placing the work W after bending processing, when using a work supply robot 100 placed on the robot transport body 200 with multiple press brakes 10.

[0071] In addition, since the loading cart 400 and the unloading box 500 can be positioned by attaching them to the first positioning member 310 provided on the robot transport body 200, there is an advantage in that there is no need to install components necessary for positioning the loading cart 400 and the unloading box 500 on the floor in front of the press brake 10.

[0072] Furthermore, since there is no need to install the loading cart 400 and unloading box 500, which are only used during robot bending, or the components required for positioning these, on the floor in front of the press brake 10, there is an advantage that users who perform manual bending will no longer have to worry about tripping over the loading cart 400, unloading box 500, or the components required for positioning these when performing manual bending.

[0073] [Advantages of the bending system and robot transport body according to this embodiment] As described above, the bending processing system 1 of this embodiment comprises a press brake 10, a robot transport body 200 on which a work supply robot 100 that supplies a work W to the press brake 10 can be placed, and a positioning mechanism 300 that positions the robot transport body 200 relative to the press brake 10, and the positioning mechanism 300 includes a first positioning member 310 provided on the robot transport body 200 and a second positioning member 350 provided on the press brake 10 side and engageable with the first positioning member 310, and at least one of the first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350 has a long portion 320 that protrudes from one of the press brake 10 and the robot transport body 200 toward the other during positioning.

[0074] Furthermore, by having such a configuration, the bending processing system 1 of this embodiment has the advantage that at least one of the first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350 has a long portion 320 that protrudes from one side of the press brake 10 and the robot transport body 200 to the other side during positioning, thereby providing high visibility when engaging the first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350 and making positioning easy.

[0075] Furthermore, since the positioning mechanism 300 has the long portion 320, it has the further advantage of being able to position the work supply robot 100 at a predetermined distance d away from the press brake 10 that is optimal for the operation of the work supply robot 100.

[0076] Furthermore, in the bending system 1 according to this embodiment, the first positioning member 310 has a long portion 320. With this configuration, the long portion 320 is located on the side of the robot transport body 200 that is moved during positioning, which has the advantage that the engagement portion between the first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350 is highly visible even from behind the robot transport body 200, making positioning easy.

[0077] Furthermore, in the bending system 1 according to this embodiment, the long part 320 is configured to be able to be moved in and out of the projected area in a plan view of the robot transport body 200. With this configuration, the long part 320 can be roughly positioned while stored within the projected area in a plan view of the robot transport body 200, and then the long part 320 can be unfolded and finally positioned, which has the advantage of making the robot transport body 200 easier to handle and facilitating positioning.

[0078] In addition, since the long section 320 can be stored at the bottom of the robot transport body 200, it has the advantage that after positioning the robot transport body 200, the user can enter between the robot transport body 200 and the press brake 10 and perform manual bending processing, and it also has the advantage of preventing the user from tripping over the long section 320 and falling.

[0079] Furthermore, in the bending system 1 according to this embodiment, the robot transport body 200 includes a fixing mechanism 280 that can fix the robot transport body 200 and the long part 320 when the long part 320 is unfolded. With this configuration, the fixing mechanism 280 is not located at the engagement portion between the first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350, so there is no need for the user to move to the press brake 10 side to fix the position of the robot transport body 200 after positioning, which has the advantage of reducing the time required for positioning.

[0080] Furthermore, since the fixing mechanism 280 can fix the robot transport body 200 and the deployed long portion 320 before positioning, it is possible to prevent the long portion 320 from retracting into the projected area of ​​the robot transport body 200 in a planar view due to the impact when the first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350 come into contact during positioning, which has the advantage of eliminating the need to deploy it again.

[0081] In addition, in the bending system 1 according to this embodiment, either the first positioning member 310 or the second positioning member 350 has a convex portion 330, and the other has a concave portion 360 corresponding to the convex portion 330. With this configuration, the press brake 10 and the robot carrier 200 can be positioned simply by engaging the convex portion 330 with the concave portion 360, which has the advantage of facilitating positioning.

[0082] Furthermore, in the bending system 1 according to this embodiment, the recess 360 has an opening 362, a bottom 364, and a recess-side inclined portion 366 that widens from the bottom 364 toward the opening 362. With this configuration, even if the central positions of the protrusion 330 and the recess 360 are slightly misaligned when the protrusion 330 and the recess 360 are spaced apart, when the protrusion 330 is engaged with the recess 360, the recess-side inclined portion 366 moves the central position of the protrusion 330 closer to the central position of the recess 360, making it easier for the protrusion 330 and the recess 360 to engage with each other, which has the advantage of facilitating positioning.

[0083] Furthermore, in the bending system 1 according to this embodiment, the convex portion 330 has a base portion 332 and a protruding portion 334 protruding from the base portion 332, and the protruding portion 334 has a convex portion-side inclined portion 336 that is inclined toward the tip. This configuration has the advantage that the convex portion 330 and the recessed portion 360 can be more easily engaged with each other, facilitating positioning. It also has the advantage that wear on the protruding portion 334 can be reduced when the convex portion 330 and the recessed portion 360 are engaged with each other.

[0084] [Variation] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above-described embodiments. Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above-described embodiments.

[0085] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the first positioning member 310 has been described as having the elongated portion 320, but this is not limited thereto. The first positioning member 310 may not have the elongated portion 320, and the second positioning member 350 may have the elongated portion. When the second positioning member 350 has the elongated portion, the elongated portion protrudes from the press brake 10 toward the robot carrier 200 during positioning. Furthermore, both the first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350 may have the elongated portion.

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, the long section 320 has been described as being configured to be able to be inserted into and removed from the projected area of ​​the robot transport body 200 in a plan view, but this is not limited thereto. The long section 320 may always protrude from the robot transport body 200. Alternatively, one end of the long section 320 may be rotatably attached to the side surface of the robot transport body 200. Specifically, the long section 320 may be attached to the side surface of the robot transport body 200 in a state parallel to the side surface (vertical state) when the robot transport body 200 is transported, and when positioning, the long section 320 may be configured to be able to be deployed to a state parallel to the bottom surface of the robot transport body 200 by rotating the rotatably attached one end as the center of rotation.

[0087] In the above-described embodiment, the robot transport body 200 has been described as including the fixing mechanism 280 capable of fixing the robot transport body 200 and the elongated member 320 when the elongated member 320 is deployed, but this is not limited thereto, and the robot transport body 200 does not have to include the fixing mechanism 280. Furthermore, the positioning mechanism 300 may include a fixing mechanism capable of fixing the first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350.

[0088] In the above-described embodiment, one of the first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350 has a convex portion 330, and the other has a concave portion 360 corresponding to the convex portion 330. However, this is not limited to this, and the first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350 may not have the convex portion 330 and the concave portion 360. The first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350 may have any of various configurations as long as they are engageable. For example, the first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350 may be configured to be engageable by magnetic force, or may be an automatic coupler.

[0089] In the above-described embodiment, the recess 360 has been described as having the opening 362, the bottom 364, and the recess-side inclined portion 366 that widens from the bottom 364 toward the opening 362. However, this is not limited thereto, and the recess 360 does not have to have the recess-side inclined portion 366. Furthermore, the recess 360 may have a cam follower at the portion where it engages with the protrusion 330, instead of or in addition to the recess-side inclined portion 366. Such a configuration can reduce frictional resistance during positioning, allowing the recess 360 and the protrusion 330 to engage smoothly.

[0090] In the above-described embodiment, the convex portion 330 has a base 332 and a protruding portion 334 protruding from the base 332, and the protruding portion 334 has a convex-side inclined portion 336 that inclines toward the tip, but this is not limited to this and the convex portion 330 may not have the convex-side inclined portion 336.

[0091] In the above-described embodiment, the robot transport body 200 has been described as having the teaching pendant 250 attached thereto, but this is not limiting, and the robot transport body 200 does not necessarily have to have the teaching pendant 250 attached thereto. Also, the robot transport body 200 has been described as having the safety laser scanner 260 attached thereto, but this is not limiting, and the robot transport body 200 does not necessarily have to have the safety laser scanner 260 attached thereto.

[0092] In the above-described embodiment, the robot transport body 200 has been described as being equipped with the pedal lock 270, but this is not limiting, and the robot transport body 200 does not necessarily have to be equipped with the pedal lock 270. The robot transport body 200 can employ any of a variety of configurations as long as the configuration allows the position of the robot transport body 200 to be fixed. For example, the robot transport body 200 may have stoppers attached to the wheels 214.

[0093] In the above-described embodiment, the second positioning member 350 is described as being disposed in a space provided at the bottom of the press brake 10 and fixed to the floor surface with anchor bolts, but this is not limiting. The second positioning member 350 may also be attached to the bottom surface of the press brake 10.

[0094] In the above-described embodiment, the protrusion 330 and the recess 360 are described as a pair, but this is not limited to this, and the first positioning member 310 and the second positioning member 350 may have multiple protrusions 330 and multiple recesses 360.

[0095] In the above-described embodiment, the bending system 1 has been described as including the loading cart 400 and the unloading box 500, but is not limited thereto, and the bending system 1 does not necessarily have to include the loading cart 400 and the unloading box 500. The bending system 1 may be provided with a workpiece placement table instead of the loading cart 400, and the workpiece W may be loaded on the workpiece placement table. The bending system 1 may also be provided with a pallet (loading platform) or a belt conveyor instead of the unloading box 500, and the workpiece W after bending may be placed on the pallet or the like. The bending system 1 may also be provided with an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) or an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) instead of the unloading box 500, and configured to automatically transport (carry out) the workpiece W after bending has been placed thereon.

[0096] In the above-described embodiment, the carriage unit 210 of the robot transport body 200 has been described as including a housing 212 and four wheels 214 attached to the bottom of the housing 212 and supporting the housing 212 for movement, but this is not limited to this. Any number of wheels 214 may be used as long as the robot transport body 200 can move stably. The carriage unit 210 may also include ball casters instead of the wheels 214. Furthermore, the carriage unit 210 may not be provided with a movement mechanism such as the wheels 214, and the carriage 212 may be placed on an AGV, AMR, or the like, and may be configured to be movable by the AGV, or the like.

[0097] In the above-described embodiment, the bending system 1 has been described assuming that it includes a robot interface relay box, but this is not limited to this. The bending system 1 does not necessarily have to include a robot interface relay box, and the communication connector 246 does not necessarily have to be connected to the robot interface relay box. If the bending system 1 does not include a robot interface relay box, the communication connector 246 is connected to the press control panel 18 of the press brake 10 via a signal line. The press control panel 18 is also connected to the robot bending backgauge of the press brake 10 and the robot interface in the press control panel 18 via a signal line. The communication connector 246 may also be directly connected to the robot bending backgauge of the press brake 10 and the robot interface in the press control panel 18 via a signal line. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1 Bending system 10 Press brake 11 Upper table 12 Lower table 14 Upper die holder 15 Lower die holder 16 Drive mechanism 18 Press control panel 30 Angle detection sensor 100 Work supply robot 120 Robot Hand 140 Arm 200 Robot carrier 210 Bogie section 212 Case 214 Wheels 218 Handle 220 Air connection 222 FR unit 230 Bogie Control Panel 232 Switch Box 242 power connector 246 Communication Connector 250 Teaching Pendant 260 Safety Laser Scanner 270 Pedal Lock 280 Fixing mechanism 300 Positioning mechanism 310 First positioning member 320 Long section 322 Long Arm 324 Connecting members 325 Work evacuation tray 326 Reinforcement members 327 Wheels for long parts 328 Handle 330 Convex 332 base 334 Protrusion 336 Convex side inclined part 340 Convex base 342 Shock absorber 350 second positioning member 360 recess 362 Opening 364 Bottom 366 Recessed side inclined part 400 Loading Cart 500 Unloading Box L lower mold U upper mold double work

Claims

1. Press brakes and a robot carrier on which a work supply robot that supplies a work to the press brake can be mounted; a positioning mechanism that positions the robot transport body relative to the press brake; Equipped with The positioning mechanism includes: a first positioning member provided on the robot transport body; a second positioning member that is provided within a projected area of ​​the press brake in a plan view and that is engageable with the first positioning member; Including, the first positioning member has a long portion that protrudes from the robot transport body toward the press brake during positioning, the elongated portion is configured to be movable between a position stored within a projected area of ​​the robot transport body in a plan view and a position deployed outside the projected area, The second positioning member is provided on the floor surface within a space provided at the bottom of the press brake. Bending system.

2. The robot transport body includes a fixing mechanism that can fix the elongated portion to the robot transport body when the elongated portion is deployed. The bending system according to claim 1 .

3. One of the first positioning member and the second positioning member has a convex portion, and the other has a concave portion corresponding to the convex portion. The bending system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The recess has an opening, a bottom, and a recess-side inclined portion that widens from the bottom toward the opening. The bending system according to claim 3 .

5. The convex portion has a base portion and a protruding portion protruding from the base portion, The protrusion has a convex side inclined portion that is inclined toward the tip. The bending system according to claim 4 .

6. a carriage unit on which a work supply robot that supplies a work to the press brake can be placed; a positioning mechanism that positions the carriage unit relative to the press brake; Equipped with The positioning mechanism includes: a first positioning member provided on the carriage portion; a second positioning member that is provided within a projected area of ​​the press brake in a plan view and that is engageable with the first positioning member; Including, the first positioning member has a long portion that protrudes from one side of the carriage portion toward the press brake during positioning, the elongated portion is configured to be movable between a position stored within a projected area of ​​the robot transport body in a plan view and a position deployed outside the projected area, The second positioning member is provided on the floor surface within a space provided at the bottom of the press brake. Robot transporter.

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