Vibration generator and pickup system

Abstract

To provide a vibration generator having excellent mechanical strength, and to provide a pickup system.SOLUTION: A vibration generator includes: a trough on which a workpiece is placed; leg parts supporting the trough; and vibration motors which provide vibration to the trough. The leg part includes: a spring part which elastically deforms; and a first fixing part which is located between the spring part and the trough and fixes the spring part to the trough. The spring part and the first fixing part are integrated. Further, the leg part is a cut body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vibration generator and a pickup system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vibration transfer device having a base, a frame supported by the base via a plurality of spring legs, and a transfer trough disposed on the frame, and transferring powder and granular materials by vibrating the transfer trough with a vibration motor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the vibration transfer device of Patent Document 1, the configuration of the spring legs is not clear. For example, if the spring body, the upper fixing portion that fixes the upper end portion of the spring body to the frame, and the lower fixing portion that fixes the lower end portion of the spring body to the base are configured separately, stress is applied to the joint portion between the spring body and the upper fixing portion and the joint portion between the spring body and the lower fixing portion due to the vibration of the spring legs caused by the driving of the vibration motor, and there is a risk of breakage of the portion.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The vibration generator of the present invention has a trough on which a workpiece is placed, legs that support the trough, and a vibration motor that applies vibration to the trough. The legs have a spring portion that elastically deforms, and a first fixing portion that is located between the spring portion and the trough and fixes the spring portion to the trough. The spring portion and the first fixing portion are integral.

[0006] The pickup system of the present invention includes a vibration generating device on which a workpiece is placed and which vibrates the workpiece to change its position, A vision system that images the workpiece placed on the vibration generating device and detects the position of the workpiece based on the imaging results, The system includes a robot that picks up the workpiece placed on the vibration generator based on the detection results of the vision, The vibration generating device includes a trough on which the workpiece is placed, The legs supporting the trough, The trough has a vibration motor that applies vibration to it, The leg portion has an elastically deformable spring portion and a first fixing portion located between the spring portion and the trough, which fixes the spring portion to the trough. The spring portion and the first fixing portion are integrated into one unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a front view showing the overall configuration of the pickup system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the robot. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing the vibration generating device. [Figure 4] This is a top view showing a vibration generating device. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing the legs of a vibration generating device. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the drive method of the pickup system. [Figure 7] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the leg section. [Figure 8] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the leg section. [Figure 9] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the leg section. [Figure 10] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the leg section. [Figure 11] It is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a leg portion shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 12] It is a cross-sectional view showing a leg portion included in the vibration generator according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a leg portion shown in FIG. 12.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a vibration generator and a pickup system will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

[0009] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a front view showing the overall configuration of a pickup system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a robot. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a vibration generator. FIG. 4 is a top view showing a vibration generator. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a leg portion included in the vibration generator. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a driving method of the pickup system. FIGS. 7 to 11 are cross-sectional views showing modified examples of the leg portion shown in FIG. 5, respectively. Hereinafter, the upper side of each figure except FIGS. 4 and 6 is referred to as "upper", and the lower side is referred to as "lower".

[0010] The pickup system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a vibration generator 200 on which a workpiece W to be conveyed is placed, a conveyor 300 as a conveying device for conveying the workpiece W, a vision 400 for imaging the workpiece W placed on the vibration generator 200, a robot 500 that picks up the workpiece W placed on the vibration generator 200 based on the detection result of the vision 400 and releases it onto the conveyor 300, and a control device 600 that controls the driving of these respective parts.

[0011] [Robot 500] The robot 500 is a scalar robot (horizontal articulated robot). As shown in FIG. 2, the robot 500 includes a base 510 fixed to the floor surface and a robot arm 520 connected to the base 510. The robot arm 520 has a first arm 521 whose base end is connected to the base 510 and rotates about a first rotation axis J1 along the vertical direction with respect to the base 510, and a second arm 522 whose base end is connected to the tip end of the first arm 521 and rotates about a second rotation axis J2 along the vertical direction with respect to the first arm 521.

[0012] In addition, a work head 530 is provided at the tip end of the second arm 522. The work head 530 includes a spline nut 531 and a ball screw nut 532 coaxially arranged at the tip end of the second arm 522, and a spline shaft 533 inserted through the spline nut 531 and the ball screw nut 532. The spline shaft 533 is rotatable about a third rotation axis J3 along the vertical direction with respect to the second arm 522 and is movable up and down along the third rotation axis J3.

[0013] In addition, an end effector 540 is attached to the lower end of the spline shaft 533. The end effector 540 is detachable, and an appropriate one suitable for the target work is selected as appropriate. The end effector 540 in this embodiment is a hand that holds and holds the workpiece W.

[0014] In addition, the robot 500 includes a first drive device 571 that rotates the first arm 521 about the first rotation axis J1 with respect to the base 510, a second drive device 572 that rotates the second arm 522 about the second rotation axis J2 with respect to the first arm 521, a third drive device 573 that rotates the spline nut 531 to rotate the spline shaft 533 about the third rotation axis J3, and a fourth drive device 574 that rotates the ball screw nut 532 to move the spline shaft 533 up and down in the direction along the third rotation axis J3.

[0015] Furthermore, the first, second, third, and fourth drive units 571, 572, 573, and 574 are each equipped with a motor as a drive source and an encoder for detecting the amount of rotation of the motor. During the operation of the pickup system 100, the control device 600 performs feedback control to match the position of the robot arm 520 indicated by the output of each encoder with the target position, which is the control target.

[0016] The above describes robot 500, but robot 500 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a 6-axis robot equipped with a robot arm having six rotation axes.

[0017] [Conveyor 300] As shown in Figure 1, the conveyor 300 includes a belt 310 on which the workpiece W is placed, a transport roller 320 that moves the belt 310, a motor (not shown) that drives the transport roller 320, and a transport amount sensor 330 that outputs a signal to the control device 600 corresponding to the amount of rotation of the transport roller 320. During the operation of the pickup system 100, the control device 600 performs feedback control to match the transport speed of the workpiece W indicated by the output of the transport amount sensor 330 with the target transport speed, which is the control target. This makes it possible to transport the workpiece W stably at the desired speed.

[0018] [Vision 400] As shown in Figure 1, the vision 400 is a device that captures images of the workpiece W on the vibration generator 200 from above the vibration generator 200 and detects the position and overlap state of the workpiece W based on the captured images. Such a vision 400 includes a camera 410 and a detection unit 420 that detects the position of at least one workpiece W on the vibration generator 200 based on image data captured by the camera 410. In this embodiment, the detection unit 420 is incorporated into the control device 600.

[0019] Furthermore, camera 410 is a 3D camera (stereo camera) capable of capturing distance images in which each pixel has depth information. Each pixel of camera 410 is associated with world coordinates by the detection unit 420, and if a workpiece W is within the field of view of camera 410, the coordinates of the workpiece W can be identified based on the position of the workpiece W in the image data. However, the configuration of vision 400 is not particularly limited, and for example, it may be a configuration that combines a 2D camera and a depth sensor, or a configuration that uses a measuring device that measures three-dimensional shape by the phase shift method.

[0020] [Vibration Generator 200] As shown in Figure 3, the vibration generating device 200 includes a plate-shaped base 210, four legs 220 erected on the base 210, a trough 290 connected to the base 210 via these legs 220, and a first vibration motor 260A and a second vibration motor 260B that apply vibration to the trough 290. The trough 290 also includes a plate-shaped transmission section 230 connected to the base 210 via the legs 220, with the first and second vibration motors 260A and 260B positioned on its lower surface, a plate-shaped trough support section 240 superimposed on the upper surface of the transmission section 230, and a trough body 250 positioned on the upper surface of the trough support section 240 on which the workpiece W is placed. The configuration of the trough 290 is not particularly limited, and for example, the transmission section 230 and the trough support section 240 may be omitted.

[0021] With a vibration generator 200 configured in this way, the control device 600 controls the drive of the first and second vibration motors 260A and 260B, thereby applying vibration to the trough 290 and changing the position and overlapping state of the workpiece W placed on the trough body 250. Furthermore, by changing the phase (angle difference in the eccentric direction) and rotation direction of the first and second vibration motors 260A and 260B, the direction of the vibration applied to the trough 290 can be changed.

[0022] The plate-shaped transmission section 230 is fixed to the base 210 in a nearly horizontal manner via four legs 220. As a result, the transmission section 230 is prone to swaying relative to the base 210, and the vibrations of the first and second vibration motors 260A and 260B are amplified and transmitted to the trough 290. The trough support section 240 is plate-shaped and is placed on top of the transmission section 230. The trough support section 240 is screwed to the transmission section 230 with multiple screws. The trough body 250 is box-shaped and is placed nearly horizontally on top of the trough support section 240. Multiple workpieces W are haphazardly housed inside the trough body 250.

[0023] A first vibration motor 260A and a second vibration motor 260B are arranged on the lower surface of the transmission unit 230. The rotation axis 261A of the first vibration motor 260A and the rotation axis 261B of the second vibration motor 260B are aligned horizontally and are parallel to each other. Furthermore, the rotation axes 261A and 261B are located on the same horizontal plane. The first and second vibration motors 260A and 260B are not particularly limited as long as they can generate vibration. For example, electromagnetic motors can be used in which eccentric weights (not shown) are placed on the rotation axes 261A and 261B, and centrifugal vibration is generated on the rotation axes 261A and 261B by the action of the eccentric weights.

[0024] As shown in Figure 4, the four legs 220 are evenly positioned at the four corners of the base 210. The four legs 220 will be described below, but since they have the same configuration, only one leg 220 will be described below, and the descriptions of the other legs 220 will be omitted.

[0025] As shown in Figure 5, the leg portion 220 has an elastically deformable spring portion 221, a first fixing portion 222 located between the spring portion 221 and the trough 290 and fixing the spring portion 221 to the trough 290, and a second fixing portion 223 located between the spring portion 221 and the base 210 and fixing the spring portion 221 to the base 210. The spring portion 221 is a coil spring. The spring portion 221, the first fixing portion 222, and the second fixing portion 223 are integrally formed. By integrally forming the entire leg portion 220 in this way, the mechanical strength of the leg portion 220 is increased compared to a configuration in which these are formed separately, and the failure of the leg portion 220 is effectively suppressed. Therefore, a highly reliable vibration generating device 200 is obtained.

[0026] Furthermore, if the spring portion 221, the first fixing portion 222, and the second fixing portion 223 are separate components, connecting the first and second fixing portions 222 and 223 to the spring portion 221 changes the characteristics of the spring portion 221 (such as the spring constant), making it difficult to match the characteristics of the spring portion 221 across the four legs 220. Specifically, when fixed with adhesive, the adhesive adheres to the spring portion 221, changing its characteristics, and when fixed by welding, the heat generated during welding changes the characteristics of the spring portion 221. As a result, it becomes difficult to stably vibrate the trough 290 in a predetermined direction. In contrast, as in this embodiment, if the spring portion 221, the first fixing portion 222, and the second fixing portion 223 are integrally formed, the aforementioned changes in the characteristics of the spring portion 221 do not occur, making it easy to match the characteristics of the spring portion 221 across the four legs 220. As a result, the trough 290 can be stably vibrated in a predetermined direction.

[0027] In particular, in this embodiment, for example, the spring portion 221, the first fixing portion 222, and the second fixing portion 223 are integrally formed by machining a cylindrical block body. In other words, the leg portion 220 is made of a machined body. This makes it inexpensive and easy to form the leg portion 220, and allows for the formation of the leg portion 220 with high machining accuracy. As a result, the trough 290 can be vibrated stably in a predetermined direction.

[0028] Furthermore, machining allows the width A and height B of the spring portion 221, as well as the pitch P, to be easily set and adjusted to any desired value. As a result, the vertical and horizontal amplitudes of the trough 290 can be independently adjusted to any desired range, resulting in a vibration generator 200 with excellent vibration characteristics.

[0029] However, the method for forming the leg portion 220 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, electrical discharge machining, injection molding, casting, forging, or molding by a 3D printer. The shape of the spring portion 221 can be designed relatively freely by such forming methods.

[0030] The first fixing portion 222, located vertically above the spring portion 221, is a closed-bottom cylindrical shape with a closed upper end, and a hole H1 is formed in its upper end, oriented vertically. In particular, in this embodiment, the hole H1 extends along the central axis J of the leg portion 220. The hole H1 is threaded, and a bolt B1, which passes through the trough support portion 240 and the transmission portion 230, is tightened through it. This allows the first fixing portion 222 and the trough 290 to be easily fixed together.

[0031] However, the method of fixing the first fixing part 222 to the trough 290 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, adhesive bonding or welding. In particular, when welding is used, it is preferable to extend the first fixing part 222 in the axial direction to prevent heat from being easily transmitted to the spring part 221 via the first fixing part 222.

[0032] In this configuration, when viewed from a vertical plane, which is the direction in which the spring portion 221 and the first fixing portion 222 are aligned, the hole H1 is located inside the spring portion 221. Therefore, the first fixing portion 222 can be made smaller. Furthermore, since the first fixing portion 222 and the trough 290 can be fixed with a single bolt B1, the number of components of the vibration generating device 200 can be reduced and assembly can be simplified.

[0033] On the other hand, the second fixing portion 223, located vertically below the spring portion 221, is cylindrical with an open lower end. The second fixing portion 223 also has an annular flange portion 224 that protrudes from the spring portion 221 outward when viewed in plan from the vertical direction, and a pair of holes H2 are formed in this flange portion 224 along the vertical direction. Bolts B2 inserted through each of these holes H2 are tightened into screw holes formed in the base 210. In this way, the spring portion 221 is fixed to the base 210 via the second fixing portion 223.

[0034] However, the method of fixing the second fixing part 223 to the base 210 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, adhesive bonding or welding. In particular, when welding is used, it is preferable to extend the second fixing part 223 in the axial direction so that the heat generated during welding is less likely to be transmitted to the spring part 221 via the second fixing part 223.

[0035] In this case, when viewed from the vertical, the hole H2 is located on the outside of the spring portion 221. Therefore, as mentioned above, when viewed from the vertical, the hole H1 is larger than that of the first fixing portion 222, which is located on the inside of the spring portion 221. However, this increases the strength of the second fixing portion 223 and the joint strength with the base 210.

[0036] If the second fixing part 223 is configured similarly to the first fixing part 222, the leg portion 220 can be further miniaturized, the number of components can be reduced, and assembly can be simplified. However, this would result in a hollow structure with closed upper and lower ends of the leg portion 220, making it practically impossible to form by machining. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first fixing part 222 on the upper end is made into a bottomed cylindrical shape, and the second fixing part 223 on the lower end is also made into a cylindrical shape. In other words, by optimizing the shapes of the first and second fixing parts 222 and 223, the leg portion 220 is made small and high-strength while still being formable by machining.

[0037] The constituent material of the leg portion 220 described above is not particularly limited, but may be various metal materials (including alloys) such as stainless steel or aluminum alloys, or various resin materials. In this embodiment, stainless steel is used, which results in a leg portion 220 with excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical strength.

[0038] [Control device 600] The control device 600 controls the drive of the vibration generator 200, the conveyor 300, the vision 400, and the robot 500, respectively. Such a control device 600 is, for example, composed of a computer and includes a processor (CPU) for processing information, a memory connected to the processor for communication, and an external interface for connecting to external devices. Various programs that can be executed by the processor are stored in the memory, and the processor can read and execute the various programs stored in the memory. Some or all of the components of the control device 600 may be located inside the housing of the robot 500. The control device 600 may also be composed of multiple processors.

[0039] The pickup system 100 has been described above. Next, the driving method of the pickup system 100 will be briefly explained based on Figure 6. First, in step S1, with the robot 500 in a position that does not obstruct imaging, the camera 410 is used to image the workpiece W inside the trough body 250 and acquire image data D. Next, in step S2, the position and overlap state of at least one workpiece W are detected based on the image data D. For example, template matching can be used to detect the position and overlap state of the workpiece W.

[0040] Next, in step S3, the presence or absence of a workpiece W that can be grasped by the robot 500 is detected from among the workpieces W whose positions have been detected. For example, the conditions for determining whether a workpiece can be grasped can be set as the position within the trough 250 or the state of overlap with other workpieces W. If there is a workpiece W that can be grasped by the robot 500, in step S4, the robot 500 grasps that workpiece W and releases it onto the belt 310 of the conveyor 300. As a result, the workpiece W is transported by the conveyor 300 to a predetermined location.

[0041] On the other hand, if there are no workpieces W that the robot 500 can grasp in step S3, in step S5, the vibration generator 200 is driven to reset the position of the workpieces W in the trough body 250 or to eliminate any overlap between the workpieces W, and the process is restarted from step S1. With this driving method, the robot 500 can grasp the workpieces W more reliably.

[0042] The pickup system 100 has been described above. The vibration generator 200 included in such a pickup system 100 has, as previously stated, a trough 290 on which the workpiece W is placed, legs 220 supporting the trough 290, and first and second vibration motors 260A and 260B which act as vibration motors to apply vibration to the trough 290. The legs 220 have an elastically deformable spring portion 221 and a first fixing portion 222 located between the spring portion 221 and the trough 290, which fixes the spring portion 221 to the trough 290, and the spring portion 221 and the first fixing portion 222 are integrated. As a result, the mechanical strength of the legs 220 is increased compared to a configuration in which these are formed separately, and the failure of the legs 220 is effectively suppressed. Therefore, the vibration generator 200 is highly reliable.

[0043] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the leg portion 220 is a machined part. This makes it inexpensive and easy to form the leg portion 220, and allows for the formation of the leg portion 220 with high machining accuracy. As a result, the trough 290 can be vibrated stably in a predetermined direction. In addition, the spring portion 221 can be easily set and adjusted to any shape. As a result, the vertical and horizontal amplitudes of the trough 290 can be independently adjusted to any range, resulting in a vibration generator 200 with excellent vibration characteristics.

[0044] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the first fixing portion 222 has a hole H1 for fixing to the trough 290. This allows the first fixing portion 222 to be easily fixed to the trough 290.

[0045] Furthermore, as mentioned above, in a plan view from the direction in which the spring portion 221 and the first fixing portion 222 are aligned, i.e., from the vertical direction, the hole H1 is located inside the spring portion 221. This makes it possible to miniaturize the first fixing portion 222.

[0046] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the leg portion 220 is located on the opposite side of the first fixing portion 222 from the spring portion 221 and further has a second fixing portion 223 that fixes the spring portion 221, and the spring portion 221 and the second fixing portion 223 are integrated. This makes it easier to fix the spring portion 221 to the base 210 via the second fixing portion 223. Also, compared to a configuration in which these are formed separately, the mechanical strength of the leg portion 220 is increased and the failure of the leg portion 220 is effectively suppressed. Therefore, a highly reliable vibration generating device 200 is obtained.

[0047] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the pickup system 100 includes a vibration generator 200 on which a workpiece W is placed and which vibrates the workpiece W to change its position, a vision 400 that images the workpiece W placed on the vibration generator 200 and detects the position of the workpiece W based on the imaging results, and a robot 500 that picks up the workpiece W placed on the vibration generator 200 based on the detection results of the vision 400. The vibration generator 200 includes a trough 290 on which the workpiece W is placed, legs 220 that support the trough 290, and first and second vibration motors 260A and 260B which act as vibration motors to apply vibration to the trough 290. The legs 220 include an elastically deformable spring portion 221 and a first fixing portion 222 located between the spring portion 221 and the trough 290, which fixes the spring portion 221 to the trough 290, and the spring portion 221 and the first fixing portion 222 are integrated. As a result, the mechanical strength of the leg portion 220 is increased compared to a configuration in which these components are formed separately, and the failure of the leg portion 220 is effectively suppressed. Therefore, a highly reliable pickup system 100 is achieved.

[0048] The pickup system 100 according to the first embodiment has been described above, but the configuration of the pickup system 100, particularly the configuration of the leg portion 220, is not limited thereto. Several modifications of the first fixing portion 222 will be described below, but these can of course also be applied to the second fixing portion 223.

[0049] For example, in the modified example shown in Figure 7, the first fixing part 222 has the same configuration as the second fixing part 223 in this embodiment. That is, the first fixing part 222 is cylindrical with an open upper end and has an annular flange portion 225 protruding outward. A pair of holes H1 are formed in this flange portion 225, aligned vertically. The pair of holes H1 are located outside the spring portion 221 when viewed from a vertical plane. Bolts B1 inserted through each of these holes H1 are tightened into threaded holes formed in the transmission portion 230. As a result, the spring portion 221 is fixed to the transmission portion 230 via the first fixing part 222.

[0050] Thus, in a plan view from the direction in which the spring portion 221 and the first fixing portion 222 are aligned, i.e., from the vertical direction, the hole H1 may be located on the outside of the spring portion 221. This makes it possible to increase the strength of the first fixing portion 222 and the joint strength with the trough 290.

[0051] Furthermore, in the modified example shown in Figure 8, the first fixing part 222 is cylindrical with an open upper end and has a pair of holes H1 located between the inner and outer circumferences of the spring part 221 in a plan view from the vertical direction. These holes H1 are threaded, and bolts B1 inserted through the trough support part 240 and the transmission part 230 are tightened through them. In this way, the spring part 221 is fixed to the transmission part 230 via the first fixing part 222. With this configuration, the first fixing part 222 can be made smaller.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the transmission portion 230 has a projection 231 that protrudes downward. On the other hand, the first fixing portion 222 is cylindrical with an open upper end to allow the projection 231 to pass through, and further has a hole H3 that penetrates the outer and inner surfaces and extends horizontally. The hole H3 is also threaded. The leg portion 220 is positioned so that the projection 231 is inserted into the first fixing portion 222, a bolt B3 is screwed into the hole H3, and the bolt B3 is tightened to press against the side surface of the projection 231, thereby fixing the first fixing portion 222 and the transmission portion 230. With this configuration, the hole H3 can be accessed horizontally from the space between the base 210 and the trough 290, making it easier to tighten the bolt B3. In particular, in this embodiment, a grub screw is used as the bolt B3. As a result, the protrusion of the first fixing portion 222 of bolt B3 onto the outer circumference is suppressed, and therefore the size of the first fixing portion 222 can be reduced accordingly.

[0053] Thus, the hole H3 may extend in a direction that intersects the vertical direction, i.e., the direction in which the spring portion 221 and the first fixing portion 222 are aligned. This makes it easier to access the hole H3 and simplifies the tightening of the bolt B3.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the transmission portion 230 has a projection 231 that protrudes downward, a through hole 232 that opens on the lower surface of the projection 231 and through which the first fixing portion 222 is inserted, and a hole H4 that penetrates the outer and inner surfaces of the projection 231 and extends horizontally. The hole H4 is also threaded. The first fixing portion 222 and the transmission portion 230 may be fixed by inserting the first fixing portion 222 through the through hole 232, screwing a bolt B4 into the hole H4, and tightening the bolt B4 to press it against the side surface of the first fixing portion 222.

[0055] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, the transmission section 230 has an insertion hole 233 that opens on its lower surface and through which the first fixing section 222 is inserted, and a hole H5 that penetrates the side surface of the transmission section 230 and the inner surface of the insertion hole 233 and extends horizontally. The hole H5 is also threaded. The first fixing section 222 and the transmission section 230 may be fixed by inserting the first fixing section 222 through the insertion hole 233, screwing a bolt B5 into the hole H5, and tightening the bolt B5 to press it against the side surface of the first fixing section 222.

[0056] <Second Embodiment> Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the legs of a vibration generating device according to the second embodiment. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the legs shown in Figure 12.

[0057] The vibration generator 200 of this embodiment is the same as the vibration generator 200 of the first embodiment described above, except that the configuration of the legs 220 is different. Therefore, in the following description, this embodiment will be described mainly for the differences from the first embodiment described above, and similar matters will be omitted from the description. Also, in the figures of this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as those in the previously described embodiment. Since the four legs 220 have similar configurations, for the sake of convenience in the description below, one leg 220 will be described, and the descriptions of the other legs 220 will be omitted.

[0058] As shown in Figure 12, in the leg portion 220 of this embodiment, the spring portion 221 is made of a leaf spring. The first and second fixing portions 222 and 223 are integrally connected to both ends of this spring portion 221. With this configuration, the leg portion 220 can be formed simply by bending a plate material at multiple points along its length, making the formation of the leg portion 220 extremely easy.

[0059] The first fixing part 222 has a hole H6 formed therein, and the first fixing part 222 is fixed to the transmission part 230 by tightening a bolt B6 inserted through this hole H6 into a screw hole in the transmission part 230. The second fixing part 223 has a hole H7 formed therein, and the second fixing part 223 is fixed to the base 210 by tightening a bolt B7 inserted through this hole H7 into a screw hole in the base 210. However, the method of fixing the first and second fixing parts 222 and 223 is not particularly limited.

[0060] As described above, in the vibration generating device 200 of this embodiment, the spring portion 221 is a leaf spring. This results in a simple leg portion 220, which is also easy to manufacture.

[0061] This second embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment described above. The shape of the spring portion 221 is not particularly limited, and for example, as shown in Figure 13, it may have a bent or curved shape in the middle.

[0062] The vibration generating device and pickup system of the present invention have been described above based on the illustrated embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the configuration of each part can be replaced with any configuration having a similar function. Furthermore, other arbitrary components may be added to the present invention. Also, each embodiment may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 100...Pickup system, 200...Vibration generator, 210...Base, 220...Legs, 221...Spring section, 222...First fixing section, 223...Second fixing section, 224...Flange section, 225...Flange section, 230...Transmission section, 231...Protrusion, 232...Through hole, 233...Through hole, 240...Trough support section, 250...Trough body, 260A...First vibration motor, 260B...Second vibration motor, 261A...Rotating shaft, 261B...Rotating shaft, 290...Trough, 300...Conveyor, 310...Belt, 320...Transport roller, 330...Transport amount sensor, 400...Vision, 410...Camera, 420...Detection section, 500...Robot, 510...Base, 520...Robot arm, 521...First arm, 522...Second arm 530…Work head, 531…Spline nut, 532…Ball screw nut, 533…Spline shaft, 540…End effector, 571…First drive unit, 572…Second drive unit, 573…Third drive unit, 574…Fourth drive unit, 600…Control device, A…Width, B…Height, B1…Bolt, B2…Bolt, B3…Bolt, B4…Bolt, B5…Bolt, B6…Bolt, B7…Bolt, D…Image data, H1…Hole, H2…Hole, H3…Hole, H4…Hole, H5…Hole, H6…Hole, H7…Hole, J…Center axis, J1…First rotation axis, J2…Second rotation axis, J3…Third rotation axis, P…Pitch, S1…Step, S2…Step, S3…Step, S4…Step, S5…Step, W…Workpiece

Claims

1. A base and, A trough on which the workpiece is placed, The legs supporting the trough, The trough has a vibration motor that applies vibration to it, The leg portion has an elastically deformable spring portion and a first fixing portion located between the spring portion and the trough, which fixes the spring portion to the trough. The spring portion and the first fixing portion are integrated, The first fixing portion has a first hole for fixing to the trough, The leg portion is located on the opposite side of the first fixing portion from the spring portion and further has a second fixing portion that fixes the spring portion. The spring portion and the second fixing portion are integrated, The second fixing portion has a second hole for fixing to the base, In a plan view from the direction in which the spring portion and the first fixing portion are aligned, The first hole is located on the inside of the spring portion, The vibration generating device is characterized in that the second hole is located on the outside of the spring portion.

2. The vibration generating device according to claim 1, wherein the leg portion is a machined body.

3. The first fixing part has an upper end that is a closed, bottomed cylindrical shape, The vibration generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first hole is formed at the upper end in the direction in which the spring portion and the first fixing portion are aligned.

4. The vibration generating device according to claim 3, wherein the first hole extends along the central axis of the leg portion.

5. The vibration generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first fixing part is cylindrical with an open upper end.

6. The vibration generating device according to claim 5, wherein the first hole extends in a direction intersecting the direction in which the spring portion and the first fixing portion are aligned.

7. The vibration generating device according to claim 5, wherein the first hole is located between the inner circumference and the outer circumference of the spring portion in a plan view from the direction in which the spring portion and the first fixing portion are aligned.

Images