Item Grasping System

Abstract

To provide an article gripping system capable of reducing operation time.SOLUTION: An article gripping system 1 grips partial articles B from an article group BS housed in a container 30 and discharges them, and includes a gripping unit 20 including a gripping part 21 for gripping the articles B, a container drive part 31 for moving the container 30, and a control part 61 for shifting from a first state in which the articles B gripped by the gripping part 21 and the article group BS housed in the container 30 are continuous to a second state in which the articles B gripped by the gripping part 21 and the article group BS housed in the container 30 are separated by controlling the container drive part 31. The control part 61 controls distance between the container 30 in the second state and the gripping part 21 on the basis of the articles B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article handling system. [Background technology]

[0002] A known article gripping system is a system that grips and discharges some articles from a group of articles stored in a container. As an example of this type of technology, Patent Document 1 describes a device that grips some articles from a group of articles with gripping means (gripping unit), measures the weight of the gripped articles with weighing means, and throws the articles into a predetermined location. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-3182 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-described article gripping system, the gripper typically moves relative to the container along a fixed path. Therefore, when separating an article gripped by the gripper from a group of articles, depending on the article, the gripper and the container may move farther apart than necessary. In this case, the amount of movement of the gripper may be excessive, which may result in an excessively long operation time (time required for the operation).

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an article gripping system that can shorten operation time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The item gripping system of the present invention is an item gripping system that grips and discharges some items from a group of items stored in a container, and comprises a gripping unit including a gripping part that grips the items, a drive part that moves at least one of the gripping unit and the container, and a control part that controls the drive part to transition from a first state in which the items gripped by the gripping part and the group of items stored in the container are continuous to a second state in which the items gripped by the gripping part and the group of items stored in the container are separated, and the control part controls the distance between the container and the gripping part in the second state based on the items.

[0007] In this article gripping system, when an article gripped by the gripping unit is to be separated from the group of articles, the distance between the container and the gripping unit in the second state is controlled depending on the article. For example, if the article is a long noodle, the article is difficult to separate from the group of articles, so the control unit controls the distance between the container and the gripping unit in the second state to be larger. On the other hand, if the article is a short penne, the article is easy to separate from the group of articles, so the control unit controls the distance between the container and the gripping unit in the second state to be smaller. In this way, by controlling the distance between the gripping unit and the container to be the distance necessary and sufficient to separate the article from the group of articles, excessive movement of at least one of the gripping unit and the container can be prevented. Therefore, operation time can be shortened.

[0008] In the article gripping system according to the present invention, the drive unit may move at least one of the gripping unit and the container at least in the vertical direction, and the control unit may control the vertical distance between the container and the gripper in the second state based on the type of article. This makes it possible to prevent the container and the gripper from moving apart in the vertical direction more than necessary based on the type of article.

[0009] In the article gripping system according to the present invention, the control unit may perform control based on the type of article so as to reduce the vertical distance between the container and the gripper in the second state, thereby preventing the container and the gripper from moving apart in the vertical direction more than necessary based on the article.

[0010] The article gripping system according to the present invention may further include a memory unit that stores distance information regarding the vertical distance between the container and the gripper in the second state for each type of article. In this case, the distance information stored in the memory unit can be used to control the distance between the container and the gripper in the second state to a distance appropriate for the article.

[0011] The article gripping system according to the present invention may further include a detection unit that detects the vertical length of the article in the second state, and the control unit may control the distance between the container and the gripper in the second state based on the detection result of the detection unit. In this case, the detection result of the detection unit can be used to control the distance between the container and the gripper in the second state to a distance appropriate for the article.

[0012] In the article gripping system according to the present invention, the drive unit moves at least one of the gripper and the container in the horizontal and vertical directions, and the control unit can selectively change the movement path along which the drive unit moves at least one of the gripper and the container between at least a first path and a second path, where the first path may include a straight path and the second path may include a curved path. In this case, it is possible to switch the movement path of at least one of the gripper and the container between the first path and the second path depending on, for example, the type of article.

[0013] In the article gripping system according to the present invention, the gripping unit may include a plurality of grippers and an acquisition unit that acquires the weight values ​​of the articles gripped by each of the plurality of grippers, and the control unit may perform a combination calculation based on the weight values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit, select a combination of grippers that will result in a predetermined target weight value, and release the grip of the selected grippers to discharge the articles. In this case, combination weighing is performed, making it possible to discharge the articles with the target weight value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an article gripping system that can reduce operation time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing an article gripping system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the conveying device of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the item gripping system of FIG. [Figure 4] 4(a) and 4(b) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the operation of the article gripping system of FIG. [Figure 5] 5(a) and 5(b) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the operation of the article gripping system of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the operation of the article gripping system of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the operation of the article gripping system of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a separation net of an article gripping system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] 9(a) and 9(b) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the path of the container. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted.

[0017] [First embodiment] First, the configuration of an article gripping system 1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The article gripping system 1 shown in Figure 1 grips and discharges some of the articles from a group of articles stored in a container 30. The article gripping system 1 removes some of the articles from the container 30 so that the weight of the some of the articles falls within a target weight range, and discharges the articles to the outside. In other words, the article gripping system 1 is a weighing system that moves articles of a predetermined target weight from a group of articles.

[0018] The items discharged by the item gripping system 1 are, for example, packaged in a bag in a process subsequent to the item gripping system 1, or placed in another container and shipped as a product. The items are, for example, noodles such as spaghetti, or foods that contain a lot of sugar such as penne. The items may also be foods with high viscosity. The items may also be foods that are heated and placed in a container, generating steam, or the like. Alternatively, the items may be lightweight, small, and easily suspended foods.

[0019] The article gripping system 1 includes a weighing device 120 for weighing articles, and a transport device (not shown) that is arranged adjacent to the weighing device 120 and transports the weighed articles. The weighing device 120 includes gripping units 20 each including a plurality of grippers 21, a separation net 22, a separation net drive unit 23 (see FIG. 2) that drives the separation net 22, containers 30 on which groups of articles are placed, and a container drive unit 31 that moves the containers 30 in the vertical and horizontal directions. The article gripping system 1 also includes a control unit 61 (see FIG. 3) that controls each part of the gripping unit 20 and the container drive unit 31. The gripping units 20, the separation net 22, the separation net drive unit 23, the containers 30, and the container drive unit 31 are attached to a main body frame 80 of the weighing device 120, which is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0020] In the article gripping system 1, for example, two gripping units 20 having the same configuration are arranged side by side on the left and right. In this embodiment, the gripping units 20 are fixedly provided to the main body frame 80. In the following description, the gripping unit 20 arranged on the left side as viewed from the front in FIG. 1 may be referred to as the first gripping unit 20A, and the gripping unit 20 arranged on the right side as viewed from the front may be referred to as the second gripping unit 20B. However, when describing common configurations and functions, the name gripping unit 20 is simply used.

[0021] In the gripping unit 20, for example, four gripping sections 21 aligned in the left-right direction are arranged in four rows in the front-rear direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1). In this way, if the number of gripping sections 21 aligned in the left-right direction is M and the number of gripping sections 21 aligned in the front-rear direction is N (both M and N are natural numbers), the gripping unit 20 has a configuration in which (M × N) gripping sections 21 are arranged at lattice point positions. In this embodiment, the gripping unit 20 has 16 gripping sections 21. The arrangement of the gripping sections 21 in the gripping unit 20 may be changed as appropriate depending on the shape of the container 30, the type of article, etc. Both or either one of M and N may be a natural number other than 4.

[0022] In the entire unit including the first gripping unit 20A and the second gripping unit 20B, eight gripping parts 21 are arranged in the left-right direction and four rows in the front-rear direction. That is, the weighing device 120 has 4 × 2 units (pairs) × 4 rows = a total of 32 gripping parts 21 (generalized as (M × 2 × N)).

[0023] 1 may be referred to as the horizontal direction D2, and the front-rear direction D3. Also, the direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction D2 and the front-rear direction D3 (the up-down direction in FIG. 1) may be referred to as the vertical direction D1.

[0024] Each gripping unit 21 has, for example, a plurality of gripping claws 24, and grips an article by closing the plurality of gripping claws 24. Each gripping unit 21 includes a gripping unit drive unit 25 that drives the plurality of gripping claws 24. The gripping unit drive unit 25 drives the gripping claws 24 using, for example, a motor or fluid pressure as a drive source.

[0025] The gripping unit 20 has a plurality of scales (not shown) that measure the weight value of the article gripped by each gripping portion 21, and an acquisition portion 27 (see FIG. 3) that acquires the weight value from the scales. Sixteen ((M×N)) scales are provided for the sixteen ((M×N)) gripping portions 21. The gripping unit 20 has, for example, a single plate-shaped connecting member (not shown). Each gripping portion 21 and each scale are assembled integrally. The top surface of each scale is fixed to the connecting member via, for example, a mounting bracket (not shown). Each gripping portion 21 is fixed to the bottom surface of each scale.

[0026] Each weighing device uses a load cell or the like to measure the weight value of an item being gripped by the gripping unit 21 in a stationary state. Each weighing device is a mass calculation unit that calculates the mass of an item gripped by the gripping claws 24 of each gripping unit 21. The weighing device outputs information related to the measured weight value of the item to the acquisition unit 27. The acquisition unit 27 acquires the weight value of the item gripped by the gripping unit 21. The weight value is used in the combination calculation described below.

[0027] The separation net 22 separates the articles held by each of the multiple gripping portions 21 from one another. As shown in FIG. 2, the separation net 22 has a rectangular grid shape. The separation net 22 has a rectangular outer frame 22a and separation portions 22b that connect opposing sides of the outer frame 22a. The separation portions 22b are composed of three rod-shaped members that connect opposing sides of the outer frame 22a in the front-rear direction D3, and a rod-shaped member that connects opposing sides of the outer frame 22a in the horizontal direction D2. As a result, the separation portions 22b divide the interior of the outer frame 22a into 16 lattice-like sections.

[0028] The separation net driving unit 23 moves the separation net 22 in the vertical direction D1. The separation net driving unit 23 includes a beam 41 connected to the separation net 22 and extending in the front-to-rear direction D3, a link mechanism 42 that moves the beam 41 in the vertical direction D1, and a driving unit (not shown) that drives the link mechanism 42. Note that FIG. 2 only shows the separation net 22 and separation net driving unit 23 on the first gripping unit 20A side (left side in FIG. 1), and does not show the separation net 22 and separation net driving unit 23 on the second gripping unit 20B side (right side in FIG. 1). The beam 41 is connected to the separation net 22 along a side of the outer frame 22a extending in the front-to-rear direction D3. The beam 41 moves in the vertical direction D1 via the link mechanism 42 when driven by the driving unit. As a result, the separation net 22 connected to the beam 41 moves in the vertical direction D1.

[0029] In the example of Fig. 1, when the separation net 22 is moved to the highest position, it is located above the tips of the gripping claws 24 (the tips of the gripping claws 24 in the vertical direction D1). When viewed from the vertical direction D1, each area defined by the outer frame 22a and the separation portions 22b corresponds to each position of the arranged multiple gripping portions 21. As shown in Fig. 1, when the separation net 22 is located above the tips of the gripping claws 24, each gripping claw 24 is located within each area.

[0030] When the gripping units 21 grip articles, for example, the articles gripped by adjacent gripping units 21 may become tangled. In this case, the separation net driving unit 23 moves the separation net 22 in the vertical direction D1, causing the separation unit 22b to move between the tangled articles. This allows the separation net 22 to separate each of the articles gripped by the multiple gripping units 21.

[0031] The container 30 is a member on which a group of articles is placed. The container 30 is a rectangular parallelepiped container that opens upward. In a plan view, the container 30 is larger than the multiple gripping units 21 and has a shape and size that allows it to surround the multiple gripping units 21. The container 30 has a shape and size that exactly corresponds to one gripping unit 20. The container 30 is placed on the holder 15 of the container drive unit 31, which moves horizontally and vertically. The container 30 can be moved, for example, by the container drive unit 31, between a first position located below the first gripping unit 20A and a second position located below the second gripping unit 20B. The first position and the second position are separated in the left-right direction, and there is no overlap between the area occupied by the container 30 located at the first position and the area occupied by the container 30 located at the second position.

[0032] Furthermore, the container 30 can be moved, for example, by the container drive unit 31, between a first gripping position where the first gripping unit 20A can grip some of the items from the group of items in the container 30, and a second gripping position where the second gripping unit 20B can grip some of the items from the group of items in the container 30. As an example, the first gripping position is located above the first position and closer to the first gripping unit 20A than the first position. As another example, the second gripping position is located above the second position and closer to the second gripping unit 20B than the second position. The first gripping position and the second gripping position are spaced apart in the left-right direction, and there is no overlap between the area occupied by the container 30 located at the first gripping position and the area occupied by the container 30 located at the second gripping position.

[0033] When the container 30 is located at the first gripping position, the gripping portion 21 of the first gripping unit 20A can grip an item from the group of items in the container 30. At this time, the gripping portion 21 of the second gripping unit 20B cannot grip an item from the group of items in the container 30. Also, when the container 30 is located at the second gripping position, the gripping portion 21 of the second gripping unit 20B can grip an item from the group of items in the container 30. At this time, the gripping portion 21 of the first gripping unit 20A cannot grip an item from the group of items in the container 30.

[0034] When the amount of the group of articles stored inside the container 30 decreases, the container 30 with the reduced amount of the group of articles inside is replaced by a person or machine with a new container 30 (containing a larger amount of the group of articles). Note that instead of replacing the container 30, the article holding system 1 may be provided with an article supply mechanism for supplying articles to the container 30.

[0035] The container driving unit 31 uses a motor and fluid pressure as driving sources to move the container 30 in the vertical direction D1 and the horizontal direction D2, thereby moving the container 30 placed on the holder 15. In this embodiment, the container driving unit 31 moves the container 30 along a first path R10 including a first linear path (linear path) R11. More specifically, the container driving unit 31 moves the holder 15 in the vertical direction D1 to move the container 30 along a second linear path R12 between the first gripping position and the first position. The container driving unit 31 moves the holder 15 in the vertical direction D1 to move the container 30 along a third linear path R13 between the second gripping position and the second position. The container driving unit 31 moves the holder 15 in the horizontal direction D2 to move the container 30 along the first linear path R11 between the first position and the second position.

[0036] The container driving unit 31 includes a rectangular parallelepiped frame 44, a drive box 45 fixed to the frame 44, a first main arm 56A and a second main arm 56B that are pivotable about two parallel axes, a first axis L1 and a second axis L2, respectively, provided on the drive box 45, and a first sub-arm 57A and a second sub-arm 57B that are pivotally connected to the distal end of the first main arm 56A and the distal end of the second main arm 56B, respectively. The first axis L1 and the second axis L2 extend in the front-to-rear direction D3. The distal end of the first sub-arm 57A and the distal end of the second sub-arm 57B are pivotally connected to the rear end of the holder 15. The holder 15 is supported by these link mechanisms.

[0037] The first main arm 56A and the second main arm 56B are each swung in any direction by a separate motor housed in the drive box 45. The rotation axes of the first sub-arm 57A and the second sub-arm 57B relative to the first main arm 56A and the second main arm 56B are parallel to the first axis L1 and the second axis L2. For example, the rotation angle of the second sub-arm 57B relative to the second main arm 56B is adjustable via a rod 58 or the like. The rotation axes of the first sub-arm 57A and the second sub-arm 57B relative to the holder 15 are also parallel to the first axis L1 and the second axis L2. The first main arm 56A, the first sub-arm 57A, the second main arm 56B, the second sub-arm 57B, and the holder 15 form five sides of a hexagon, with the positions of the first axis L1 and the second axis L2 serving as fixed points. The container driving unit 31 has a two-axis parallel link mechanism with these configurations. The container driving unit 31 is controlled by the control unit 61 to rotate each arm unit, thereby moving the holding unit 15 in the vertical direction D1 and the horizontal direction D2.

[0038] Under the control of the control unit 61, the holder 15 can be moved freely between the first position, the first gripping position, the second position, and the second gripping position while maintaining a horizontal posture. This allows the relative position of the container 30 with respect to the first gripping unit 20A and the relative position of the container 30 with respect to the second gripping unit 20B to be adjusted freely. Note that the configuration is not limited to the above, and the container drive unit 31 may have a left-right movement mechanism that moves the holder 15 left-right and a vertical movement mechanism that moves the holder 15 vertically. Such a two-axis drive mechanism also allows the position of the container 30 to be adjusted freely.

[0039] The container driving unit 31 raises the holding unit 15 and the container 30, thereby bringing the container 30 and the group of articles closer to the gripping unit 20. It lowers the holding unit 15 and the container 30, thereby moving the container 30 and the group of articles away from the gripping unit 20. The container driving unit 31 inserts the gripping claws 24 into the group of articles contained (placed) in the container 30, and then moves the gripping claws 24, which have gripped the articles, away from the container 30. In other words, the first gripping unit 20A and the second gripping unit 20B insert the gripping claws 24 of each gripping unit 20 into the group of articles in the container 30 to grip some of the articles.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the article gripping system 1 includes one discharge chute 60. The discharge chute 60 is a funnel-shaped member. The discharge chute 60 is disposed below the gripping units 20. A first position of the container 30 is located between the first gripping unit 20A and the discharge chute 60, and a second position of the container 30 is located between the second gripping unit 20B and the discharge chute 60.

[0041] When the container 30 is located at the second position, the discharge chute 60 receives the item that the gripping section 21 of the first gripping unit 20A releases from its grip and drops, and discharges the item outside the article gripping system 1. When the container 30 is located at the first position, the discharge chute 60 receives the item that the gripping section 21 of the second gripping unit 20B releases from its grip and drops, and discharges the item outside the article gripping system 1.

[0042] Although one discharge chute 60 is used in this embodiment, this is not limited thereto, and two discharge chutes may be used. The two discharge chutes may have, for example, the same size and shape and be arranged side by side on the left and right. In this case, as an example, one discharge chute is arranged below the first gripping unit 20A, and the other discharge chute is arranged below the second gripping unit 20B. One discharge chute receives an item that is released from grip and dropped by the first gripping unit 20A, and discharges it outside the article gripping system 1. The other discharge chute receives an item that is released from grip and dropped by the second gripping unit 20B, and discharges it outside the article gripping system 1. Furthermore, the article gripping system 1 may not use the discharge chute 60, and may discharge the dropped items directly to the outside.

[0043] Next, the functional configuration of the item gripping system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0044] The control unit 61 has memories such as ROM and RAM in addition to a CPU (not shown). The control unit 61 controls each of the gripper drive unit 25, container drive unit 31, and separation net drive unit 23. The control unit 61 is communicatively connected to each of the gripper drive unit 25, container drive unit 31, and separation net drive unit 23. The control unit 61 controls the operation of various components of the article gripping system 1, such as the gripper drive unit 25, container drive unit 31, separation net drive unit 23, and memory unit 62, and performs combination calculations (described below), by the CPU executing programs stored in the memory. The various functions of the control unit 61 do not have to be realized by software, but may be realized by hardware, or by hardware and software working together.

[0045] The control unit 61 transitions from the first state to the second state by controlling the container driving unit 31 to move the container 30 in the vertical direction D1. The first state refers to a state in which the item held by the gripper 21 and the group of items stored in the container 30 are continuous. The second state refers to a state in which the item held by the gripper 21 and the group of items stored in the container 30 are separated.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3 , the article gripping system 1 includes a memory unit 62 and an operation unit 63 communicatively connected to a control unit 61. The memory unit 62 stores distance information for each type of article. The distance information refers to information regarding the distance in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state. In other words, the distance information is information associated with information regarding the type of article, and relates to the distance in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state. The distance information may be set in advance by a user via the operation unit 63. As an example, the distance in the vertical direction D1 is a distance necessary and sufficient to prevent the article gripped by the gripper 21 from interfering with the container 30 when the container driving unit 31 moves the container 30 in the horizontal direction D2. For example, if the article is a long spaghetti noodle, a large distance is required to separate the article gripped by the gripper 21 from the group of articles stored in the container 30. On the other hand, for example, when the article is a short piece of penne or the like, the distance required to separate the article held by the holding portion 21 from the group of articles stored in the container 30 is small.

[0047] The control unit 61 controls the distance in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripping unit 21 in the second state to be reduced based on the item. In this embodiment, the control unit 61 controls the distance in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripping unit 21 in the second state based on the type of item and distance information stored in the memory unit 62. The distance in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripping unit 21 in the second state corresponds to the amount of movement of the container 30 from the first gripping position to the first position (or the amount of movement of the container 30 from the second gripping position to the second position). The distance in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripping unit 21 may be, for example, the distance between the upper surface of the holder 15 on which the container 30 is placed and the tip of the gripping claws 24 of the gripping unit 21 in the vertical direction D1. The distance D1 between the container 30 and the gripping unit 21 in the vertical direction is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, the shortest distance between a predetermined position (e.g., the position of the tip of the gripping claws 24) that is set in advance on the gripping claws 24 and a predetermined position (e.g., the bottom surface of the container 30) on the container 30. Furthermore, the distance D1 between the container 30 and the gripping unit 21 in the second state may be a fixed value, or may be a variable value that can be changed by the user via the operation unit 63.

[0048] The control unit 61 also performs a combination calculation based on the weight values ​​of the items acquired by the acquisition unit 27. The combination calculation is a process of finding a combination of weight values ​​that adds up the weight values ​​of the items gripped by each of the multiple gripping units 21 and results in a total value that is the target weight value.

[0049] First, the control unit 61 acquires the weight values ​​of the articles gripped by each gripper 21. Next, based on the result of the combination calculation, the control unit 61 selects a gripper 21 that corresponds to the combination of weight values ​​that results in a preset target weight value, and performs control to release the grip of the selected gripper 21. At this time, the control unit 61 releases the grip of the article by the gripper 21 above the discharge chute 60, thereby discharging the article with the target weight value from the discharge chute 60.

[0050] Note that the "combination of weight values ​​that results in a target weight value" does not necessarily mean a combination of weight values ​​that are exactly equal to the target weight value. The "combination of weight values ​​that results in a target weight value" means a combination of weight values ​​that are close to the target weight value, within the scope of the present invention. If a combination of weight values ​​that results in the target weight value is impossible and the control unit 61 finds a gripping claw 24 of a gripping unit 21 that corresponds to a combination of weight values ​​that is close to the target weight value, the control unit 61 selects the gripping unit 21 that corresponds to that combination and performs control to release the grip of the selected gripping unit 21. This control is performed, for example, using the weight values ​​of the items gripped by gripping units 21 other than the gripping unit 21 that corresponds to the combination of weight values ​​that results in the target weight value.

[0051] In this embodiment, the vicinity of the target weight value is a certain weight range including the target weight value, and is set in advance by the user, for example. For example, the lower limit of the vicinity of the target weight value is 90% or 95% of the target weight value, and the upper limit of the vicinity of the target weight value is 110% or 105% of the target weight value. The vicinity of the target weight value can be changed as appropriate.

[0052] If the weight value of the item gripped by the gripper 21 is extremely large (or small), it may be impossible to find a combination of weight values ​​that is close to the target weight value. In this case, the control unit 61 performs control to release the gripper 21 that is gripping the item, thereby dropping the item back into the container 30. This control is performed before the container 30 is retracted from below the gripper unit 20 that has the gripper 21 that is gripping the item.

[0053] The operation unit 63 is a part for accepting operations by the user. The user inputs distance information according to the type of item, information related to the target weight value, etc. via the operation unit 63. The operation unit 63 may be configured, for example, by an output unit such as a display that outputs information to the user, and an input unit such as a mouse and keyboard that accepts inputs by the user. The operation unit 63 may also be a touch panel, a smartphone, a tablet, etc.

[0054] Next, the operation of the article gripping system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. First, the operation of the article gripping system 1 when the article B gripped and discharged by the article gripping system 1 is article B1 will be described.

[0055] FIG. 4(a) illustrates a state in which the container 30 is located at the second position. Although not illustrated in FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 1, the separation net 22 is located above the tips of the gripping claws 24. First, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the control unit 61 drives the container drive unit 31 to move the container 30 from the second position to the second gripping position and bring it closer to the second gripping unit 20B. That is, the control unit 61 moves the container 30 upward from the second position to the second gripping position along the third linear path R13 (see FIG. 1) so as to approach the second gripping unit 20B.

[0056] Next, the control unit 61 controls the gripping unit drive unit 25 to cause the gripping claws 24 of the gripping unit 21 to grip some of the items B1 from the group of items BS stored in the container 30. At this time, the state of the item gripping system 1 is a first state in which the item B1 gripped by the gripping unit 21 and the group of items BS stored in the container 30 are continuous.

[0057] 5(a), the control unit 61 controls the container driving unit 31 to move the container 30 from the second gripping position to the second position and away from the second gripping unit 20B. That is, the control unit 61 moves the container 30 downward from the second gripping position to the second position along the third linear path R13 (see FIG. 1) so as to move away from the second gripping unit 20B. As a result, the control unit 61 transitions from the first state to the second state.

[0058] At this time, the control unit 61 controls the distance A2 in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripping unit 21 in the second state based on the type of the article B1 and the distance information stored in the memory unit 62. In the example of FIG. 5(a), the distance A2 is longer than the length A1 in the vertical direction D1 of the article B1 in the second state. The distance A2 may be shorter than the distance A2 as long as it is a distance that does not cause interference between the article B1 gripped by the gripping unit 21 and the container 30 when the container 30 is moved in the horizontal direction D2 in a later operation. The distance A2 is, for example, a distance that is necessary and sufficient to separate the lower end of the article B1 in the vertical direction D1 from the upper end of the container 30.

[0059] Furthermore, the control unit 61 controls the separation net driving unit 23 to move the separation net 22 downward along the vertical direction D1, and then move the separation net 22 upward along the vertical direction D1 again, returning the separation net 22 to a position above the tips of the gripping claws 24. This separates the articles B1 gripped by each of the multiple gripping units 21.

[0060] The timing at which the control unit 61 lowers the separation mesh 22 may be later than the timing at which the control unit 61 lowers the container 30, or may be simultaneous with the timing at which the control unit 61 lowers the container 30. Furthermore, as long as the lowering separation mesh 22 does not interfere with the container 30, the timing at which the control unit 61 lowers the separation mesh 22 may be earlier than the timing at which the control unit 61 lowers the container 30.

[0061] Next, the control unit 61 acquires each weight value of the item B1 gripped by the acquisition unit 27. The control unit 61 performs a combination calculation based on the weight values ​​of the item B1 acquired by the acquisition unit 27. If the result of the combination calculation shows that there is a gripping unit 21 gripping the item B1 for which a combination of weight values ​​close to the target weight value is not possible, the control unit 61 performs control to release the grip of the gripping unit 21 gripping the item B1. At this time, since the container 30 is located below the second gripping unit 20B, the item B1 is dropped into the container 30 again.

[0062] 5(b), the control unit 61 controls the container driving unit 31 to move the container 30 in the horizontal direction D2. That is, the control unit 61 moves the container 30 in the horizontal direction D2 from the second position to the first position along the first linear path R11 (see FIG. 1). As a result, the control unit 61 moves the container 30 away from below the second gripping unit 20B and moves it below the first gripping unit 20A.

[0063] Next, based on the result of the combination calculation, the control unit 61 selects the gripping claws 24 of the gripping unit 21 that corresponds to the combination of weight values ​​that becomes the target weight value. Next, as shown in Figure 6, the control unit 61 controls the gripping unit drive unit 25 to release the grip of the item B1 by the gripping claws 24 of the selected gripping unit 21 and cause it to drop. The dropped item B1 is dropped into the discharge chute 60, and as a result, the item B1 is discharged outside the item gripping system 1.

[0064] At the same time, the control unit 61 drives the container driving unit 31 to move the container 30 from the first position to the first gripping position and bring it closer to the first gripping unit 20A. That is, the control unit 61 moves the container 30 upward from the first position to the first gripping position along the second linear path R12 (see FIG. 1) so as to approach the first gripping unit 20A.

[0065] The timing at which the control unit 61 raises the container 30 is not particularly limited, and may be earlier or later than the timing at which the gripping claws 24 of the gripping unit 21 release the grip on the item B1. Moreover, both timings may be simultaneous.

[0066] The above describes the operation of the article gripping system 1 for the second gripping unit 20B to grip and discharge the article B1. When the first gripping unit 20A grips and discharges the article B1, the article gripping system 1 simply performs a similar operation. By repeating the above operation, the article gripping system 1 can grip some of the articles B1 from the group of articles BS stored in the container 30 and discharge them outside the article gripping system 1.

[0067] Next, the operation of the article gripping system 1 when the article B gripped and discharged by the article gripping system 1 is an article B2 that is shorter than the article B1 will be described.

[0068] 7 illustrates a state after the control unit 61 has transitioned from the first state to the second state. The control unit 61 controls the container driving unit 31 to move the container 30 from the second gripping position to the second position and away from the second gripping unit 20B. That is, the control unit 61 moves the container 30 downward from the second gripping position to the second position along the third linear path R13 (see FIG. 1) so as to be away from the second gripping unit 20B. As a result, the control unit 61 transitions from the first state to the second state.

[0069] At this time, the control unit 61 controls the distance C2 in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state based on the type of item B2 and the distance information stored in the memory unit 62. At this time, the control unit 61 controls the distance C2 in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state based on the item so as to be smaller. In the example of FIG. 7, the distance C2 is longer than the length C1 in the vertical direction D1 of the item B2 in the second state. The distance C2 may be shorter than the distance C2 as long as it is a distance that does not cause interference between the item B2 gripped by the gripper 21 and the container 30 when the container 30 is moved in the horizontal direction D2 in a later operation. The distance C2 is, for example, a distance that is necessary and sufficient for the lower end of the item B2 in the vertical direction D1 to be separated from the upper end of the container 30.

[0070] 5(a) and 7, the length C1 of the article B2 in the vertical direction D1 is shorter than the length A1 of the article B1 in the vertical direction D1. Therefore, when the gripper 21 grips the article B2, the distance necessary and sufficient for the article B2 to not interfere with the container 30 when the control unit 61 moves the container 30 along the third linear path R13 is shorter than when the gripper 21 grips the article B1. As a result, the distance C2 between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state is shorter than the distance A2.

[0071] Next, the effects of the item gripping system 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0072] In the article gripping system 1 according to this embodiment, when an article B gripped by the gripping unit 20 is to be separated from the group of articles BS, the distance between the container 30 and the gripping section 21 in the second state is controlled according to the article B. For example, if the article B is an article B1 such as long noodles, the article B1 is difficult to separate from the group of articles BS, so the control section 61 controls the distance A2 between the container 30 and the gripping section 21 in the second state to be larger. On the other hand, if the article B is an article B2 such as short penne, the article B2 is easy to separate from the group of articles BS, so the control section 61 controls the distance C2 between the container 30 and the gripping section 21 in the second state to be smaller. In this way, by controlling the distance between the gripping section 21 and the container 30 to be a distance sufficient to separate the article B from the group of articles BS, excessive movement of the container 30 can be prevented. This reduces the operation time.

[0073] In the article gripping system 1 according to this embodiment, the container driving unit 31 moves the container 30 in the vertical direction D1. The control unit 61 controls the distance in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state based on the type of article B. Specifically, the control unit 61 controls the distance in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state to be smaller based on the type of article B. This makes it possible to prevent the container 30 and the gripper 21 from moving farther apart in the vertical direction D1 than necessary, based on the type of article B.

[0074] The article gripping system 1 according to this embodiment further includes a memory unit 62 that stores distance information regarding the distance in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state for each type of article B. In this case, the distance information stored in the memory unit 62 can be used to control the distance between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state to a distance appropriate for the article B.

[0075] In the article gripping system 1 according to this embodiment, the gripping unit 20 includes a plurality of grippers 21 and an acquisition unit 27 that acquires the weight values ​​of the articles B gripped by each of the plurality of grippers 21. The control unit 61 performs a combination calculation based on the weight values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 27, selects a combination of grippers 21 that results in a preset target weight value, and releases the grip of the selected grippers 21 to discharge the articles B. In this case, combination weighing is performed, and the articles with the target weight value can be discharged.

[0076] [Second embodiment] An article gripping system 1A according to a second embodiment will be described. In the description of this embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0077] 8, the article gripping system 1A according to the second embodiment includes a detection unit 70 that detects the length of the article B in the vertical direction D1 in the second state. The detection unit 70 is communicatively connected to the control unit 61 and is controlled by the control unit 61. In this embodiment, the detection unit 70 includes a light emission unit 71 that emits light L, and a light detection unit 72 that detects the light L from the light emission unit 71.

[0078] The light emitting unit 71 is provided on one of a pair of sides of the outer frame 22a of the separation net 22 extending along the horizontal direction D2. The light emitting unit 71 includes, for example, a laser diode. The light emitting unit 71 emits, for example, laser light toward the light detecting unit 72. The light detecting unit 72 is provided on the other of the pair of sides of the outer frame 22a of the separation net 22 extending along the horizontal direction D2. The light detecting unit 72 is provided at a position facing the light emitting unit 71 in the direction in which the light L is emitted by the light emitting unit 71. The light detecting unit 72 includes, for example, a photodiode. The light detecting unit 72 detects, for example, laser light emitted from the light emitting unit 71.

[0079] The light L emitted by the light emitting unit 71 passes through the area defined by the outer frame 22a and the separating unit 22b in the separation net 22, and then enters the light detecting unit 72. Therefore, based on the detection result of the light L by the light detecting unit 72, the control unit 61 can determine whether or not the article B gripped by the gripping unit 21 is located within that area.

[0080] Next, the operation of the article gripping system 1A according to this embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the operation of the article gripping system 1.

[0081] In the article gripping system 1A, similarly to the article gripping system 1, the control unit 61 controls the gripper drive unit 25 to cause the gripping claws 24 of the gripper 21 to grip some of the articles B from the group of articles BS stored in the container 30. Next, the control unit 61 controls the container drive unit 31 to move the container 30 from the second gripping position to the second position along the third linear path R13 (see FIG. 1). As a result, the control unit 61 transitions from the first state to the second state.

[0082] At this time, the control unit 61 controls the detection unit 70 to start detecting the length of the article B in the vertical direction D1 in the second state. More specifically, the control unit 61 controls the light emission unit 71 to start emitting light L to the light detection unit 72.

[0083] The control unit 61 also controls the separation net driving unit 23 to move the separation net 22 downward in the vertical direction D1. As a result, the light emitting unit 71 and the light detecting unit 72 move downward along with the separation net 22. Therefore, the control unit 61 can detect the length in the vertical direction D1 of the article B gripped by the gripping unit 21 based on the amount of movement of the separation net 22 in the vertical direction D1 and the detection result of the light detecting unit 72.

[0084] At this time, the control unit 61 controls the distance in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state based on the detection result of the detection unit 70. As an example, the distance in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state is longer than the length in the vertical direction D1 of the item B detected by the detection unit 70. By performing such an operation, the control unit 61 can set the distance in the vertical direction D1 between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state to a distance necessary and sufficient to prevent interference between the container 30 and the item B gripped by the gripper 21 when moving the container 30 in the horizontal direction D2 in a later operation.

[0085] Next, the effects of the article gripping system 1A according to this embodiment will be described. The article gripping system 1A according to this embodiment further includes a detection unit 70 that detects the length of the article B in the vertical direction D1 in the second state. The control unit 61 controls the distance between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state based on the detection result of the detection unit 70. In this case, the detection result of the detection unit 70 can be used to control the distance between the container 30 and the gripper 21 in the second state to a distance appropriate for the article B.

[0086] [Variations] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0087] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the control unit 61 moves the container 30 along a first path R10 including a first linear path R11. However, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the control unit 61 may move the container 30 along a second path R20 including a curved path R21. Furthermore, the control unit 61 may be capable of selectively changing the path along which the container driving unit 31 moves the container 30 between the first path R10 and the second path R20. The control unit 61 may move the container 30 along a path that is preset by the user via the operation unit 63, for example.

[0088] 9 illustrates only the movement path of the container 30, and other components are omitted. As shown in FIG. 9(a), the first path R10 is composed of a first straight path R11, a second straight path R12, and a third straight path R13. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the second path R20 has a curved path R21, a first straight path R22, and a second straight path R23. The first straight path R22 and the second straight path R23 are spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction D2 and extend in the vertical direction D1. The curved path R21 curves and connects the lower ends of the first straight path R22 and the second straight path R23.

[0089] In this modified example, after the second gripping unit 20B grips some of the items B from the group of items BS stored in the container 30, the control unit 61 moves the container 30 from the second gripping position to the second position along the second straight path R23. Next, the control unit 61 moves the container 30 from the second position to the first position along the curved path R21. At this time, the control unit 61 continuously moves the container 30, which has been moved to the second position along the second straight path R23, along the curved path R21.

[0090] Next, the control unit 61 moves the container 30 from the second position to the first position along the curved path R21. Next, the control unit 61 moves the container 30 from the first position to the first gripping position along the first straight path R22. At this time, the control unit 61 continuously moves the container 30, which has been moved to the first position along the curved path R21, along the first straight path R22.

[0091] As described above, in this modified example, the control unit 61 moves the container 30 to the second position along the first straight path R22, and then moves the container 30 to the first position along the curved path R21 without releasing the grip of the item B by the gripping portion 21 of the second gripping unit 20B and dropping the item B into the container 30 again.

[0092] In the article gripping system 1 according to this modification, the container driving unit 31 moves the container 30 in the horizontal direction D2 and the vertical direction D1. The control unit 61 can selectively change the movement path along which the container 30 is moved by the container driving unit 31 between a first path R10 and a second path R20. The first path R10 includes a first straight path R11, and the second path R20 includes a curved path R21. In this case, it is possible to switch the movement path of the container 30 between the first path R10 and the second path R20 depending on, for example, the type of article B.

[0093] For example, if the item B is spaghetti noodles or the like, there is likely to be variation in the amount of item B gripped by each gripping unit 21, and it is therefore likely that one of the gripping units 21 will grip an item B that does not allow for a combination of weight values ​​close to the target weight value. In this case, it is necessary to release the gripping unit 21 from gripping the item B and drop the item B back into the container 30. For this reason, the control unit 61 moves the container 30 along the third linear path R13 to the second position, waits until the item B has been dropped into the container 30, and then moves the container 30 along the first linear path R11 to the first position.

[0094] On the other hand, for example, if item B is a granular material such as sugar, there is little variation in the amount gripped by each gripping unit 21, and therefore it is unlikely that any gripping unit 21 will grip item B for which a combination of weight values ​​close to the target weight value is impossible. In this case, there is no need to release gripping unit 21 from gripping item B and drop item B again into container 30. For this reason, after moving container 30 along second linear path R23 to the second position, control unit 61 continuously moves container 30 along curved path R21 to the first position without waiting until item B has been dropped into container 30 (without stopping container 30).

[0095] In this way, by switching the movement path of the container 30 between the first path R10 and the second path R20 depending on, for example, the type of article B, it is possible to prevent the container 30 from waiting at the second position (or the first position) for an excessively long time, thereby shortening the operation time.

[0096] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the control unit 61 controls the container driving unit 31 to move the container 30. However, the gripping unit 20 may be configured to be movable in the vertical direction D1 and the horizontal direction D2, and the control unit 61 may move the gripping unit 20. In this case, the weighing device 120 may include a unit driving unit that drives the gripping unit 20, and the control unit 61 may control the unit driving unit to move the gripping unit 20 in the vertical direction D1 and the horizontal direction D2.

[0097] When the control unit 61 moves the gripping unit 20, the weighing device may include, for example, a sensor unit and an internal control unit. In this case, the sensor unit includes a force sensor and an acceleration sensor. For example, a strain gauge load cell is used as the force sensor. For example, a strain gauge load cell or a small MEMS acceleration sensor is used as the acceleration sensor. When the gripping unit 21 gripping the item B is moved by the drive of the unit drive unit, the weighing device measures the mass of the item B gripped by the gripping unit 21 based on the force and acceleration measured by the sensor unit. Specifically, the weighing device measures the mass of the item B gripped by the gripping unit 21 by dividing the force measured by the force sensor by the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor. However, the weighing device is not limited to a method of measuring the mass of the item B based on the force and acceleration measured when the gripping unit 21 moves.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the detection unit 70 is provided on the separation net 22 and moves with the vertical movement of the separation net 22. However, the detection unit 70 may be fixed to, for example, the main body frame 80. In the above embodiment, the detection unit 70 includes a light emitting unit 71 and a light detecting unit 72. However, the configuration of the detection unit 70 is not limited to the above and various modifications are possible. For example, the detection unit 70 may include multiple light emitting units 71 and multiple light detecting units 72. Furthermore, the detection unit 70 may be an imaging device such as a stereo camera. In this case, the detection unit 70 generates a distance image from two parallax images, which are frames captured at the same time (point in time), in which three-dimensional information including the distance (depth) to the subject is associated. The control unit 61 can detect the length of the item B in the vertical direction D1 in the second state based on the distance image generated by the detection unit 70. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1...Item gripping system, 20...Gripping unit, 21...Gripping section, 27...Acquisition section, 30...Container, 31...Container drive section (drive section), 61...Control section, 62...Memory section, 70...Detection section, A1, C1...Length, A2, C2...Distance, B, B1, B2...Item, BS...Group of items, D1...Vertical direction, D2...Horizontal direction, R10...First path, R11...First straight path (straight path), R20...Second path, R21...Curved path.

Claims

1. An article gripping system that grips and ejects some articles from a group of articles stored in a container, a gripping unit including a gripping portion that grips the article; a drive unit that moves at least one of the gripping unit and the container; a control unit that controls the drive unit to transition from a first state in which the item held by the gripper and the group of items stored in the container are continuous to a second state in which the item held by the gripper and the group of items stored in the container are separated, the control unit controls the distance between the container and the gripper in the second state based on the item. Item gripping system.

2. the drive unit moves at least one of the gripping unit and the container at least in a vertical direction; the control unit controls the vertical distance between the container and the gripper in the second state based on the type of the article. The article handling system according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit controls the vertical distance between the container and the gripper in the second state to be reduced based on the type of the article.

3. The article gripping system according to claim 2.

4. a storage unit configured to store distance information regarding a distance in the vertical direction between the container and the gripper in the second state for each type of the article; 4. An article gripping system according to claim 2 or 3.

5. a detection unit that detects the length of the article in the vertical direction in the second state; The control unit controls the distance between the container and the gripper in the second state based on the detection result of the detection unit. An article gripping system according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. the drive unit moves at least one of the gripper and the container in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction; the control unit is capable of selectively changing a movement path along which at least one of the gripper and the container is moved by the drive unit between at least a first path and a second path, the first path includes a straight path; the second path includes a curved path; An article gripping system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. the gripping unit includes a plurality of the gripping portions and an acquisition portion that acquires weight values ​​of the articles gripped by each of the plurality of gripping portions; An item gripping system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit performs a combination calculation based on the weight value acquired by the acquisition unit, selects a combination of the gripping units that results in a predetermined target weight value, and releases the grip of the selected gripping unit to eject the item.

Images