Disassembly information generation method

Abstract

The present invention involves using three-dimensional shape data for a product formed from a plurality of units that are each formed from components, hierarchical structure information included in the three-dimensional shape data, information about contact between components, and information about fitted components to select a single component from the three-dimensional shape data, performing an insertion relationship determination step for determining whether the selected component is a male portion of fitted components, an inter-unit contact determination step for determining whether there is contact between units, and an intra-unit contact determination step for determining whether there is contact within units on the basis of the hierarchical structure information, the information about contact between components, and the information about fitted components associated with the selected component, creating a first new unit independent from the unit hierarchy in the hierarchical structure information when it is determined that the selected component is involved in fixation between units, and generating information that allows for disassembly by unit by changing the hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data such that the selected component is the first new unit.

Description

Decomposition information generation method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technology for identifying fitting parts that secure units together for disassembly into individual units from assembly 3D shape data of a product consisting of multiple units such as a housing, an electric circuit, a compressor, a motor, etc., and to a disassembly information generation method for generating information that allows the product to be disassembled into individual units.

[0002] Economic activities based on mass consumption and mass waste have led to global environmental problems such as global warming and resource depletion.

[0003] In response to this trend, the Home Appliance Recycling Law in Japan requires the recycling of used home appliances (e.g., air conditioners, televisions, refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, and clothes dryers) in an effort to build a resource-circulating society. Horizontal recycling, in which collected used home appliances are used as materials for new appliances, is crucial for achieving a sustainable resource-circulating society. To achieve this, home appliance recycling plants must meticulously dismantle used home appliances by function or material. Generally, home appliances are composed of assemblies of units (e.g., housings, electrical circuits, compressors, and motors) that combine several components, grouped by function or material. Manual dismantling involves the disassembly of individual units, followed by cleaning, repair, or part replacement, which restores precision or functionality to like-new performance, allowing the units to be remanufactured. Other units are then crushed into small pieces by a crusher, which then sorts and collects the materials using magnetic, wind, or vibration techniques. The materials are then recycled as recyclable materials. In addition to the above background, home appliance recycling plants have recently been considering automated dismantling technology to automate part of the dismantling process for used home appliances due to a chronic labor shortage and the dangers of dismantling work.

[0004] In order to disassemble a product unit by unit, it is necessary to identify the units that make up a single unit and the parts that fasten the units together. However, understanding the boundaries between units or the parts that fasten them together relies on the intuition or experience of the worker, and it is extremely difficult to identify and dismantle units individually when using automated dismantling with a robot. If dismantling by unit is not possible, all parts or fasteners contained in the product must be identified and dismantled, which can involve hundreds to tens of thousands of parts, making efficient automated dismantling impossible.

[0005] In light of this situation, a method for managing part or unit information in a hierarchical structure using three-dimensional shape data of a product, such as that described in Patent Document 1, is currently widely used. Patent Document 1 makes it possible to identify units to be disassembled using three-dimensional shape data, and disassembly is achieved by removing the interlocking parts that secure the units together. FIG. 27 shows an example of three-dimensional shape data 100 and each unit 101. In FIG. 27, the three-dimensional shape data 100 is composed of parts p101 to p106, with unit x being composed of parts p101 and p102, unit y being composed of parts p103 and p104, and unit z being composed of parts p105 and p106. When managing information on this three-dimensional shape data 100 and each unit 101 according to Patent Document 1, the three-dimensional shape data 100 is managed using a hierarchical structure and part shape information.

[0006] FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a method of storing information about parts and units constituting three-dimensional shape data in a hierarchical structure in Patent Document 1. In FIG. 28, the hierarchical structure 102 of the three-dimensional shape data manages information in a hierarchical structure of units x to z with product data 104 at the upper level. Furthermore, unit x manages information in a hierarchical structure with parts p101 and p102 at the lower level, unit y manages information in a hierarchical structure with parts p103 and p104 at the lower level, and unit z manages information in a hierarchical structure with parts p105 and p106 at the lower level. Furthermore, each part manages shape information or geometric information as part shape information 103 of the three-dimensional shape data. By managing units using this hierarchical structure and part shape information, it is possible to easily identify units.

[0007] Patent No. 4656957

[0008] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, unless parts p101 and p105 in Fig. 27 that connect (in other words, fasten) the units are identified, it is not possible to disassemble the actual product into units. Furthermore, unless parts that do not fasten the units, such as part p103 in Fig. 27, are identified, the internal parts of the units will be disassembled, and parts that do not need to be disassembled when disassembling the units will be disassembled.

[0009] The present disclosure is intended to solve the conventional problems, and aims to provide a disassembly information generation method that can identify fitting parts that secure units together and generate information that allows each unit to be disassembled.

[0010] A disassembly information generation method according to one aspect of the present disclosure uses three-dimensional shape data of a product composed of multiple units, each of which is composed of parts, hierarchical structure information included in the three-dimensional shape data, contact information between parts, and information on fitting parts to select one part from the three-dimensional shape data, and performs an insertion relationship determination process to determine whether the selected part is a male part of a fitting part based on the hierarchical structure information linked to the selected part, the contact information between parts, and the information on the fitting parts, an inter-unit contact determination process to determine whether there is contact between the units, and an internal unit contact determination process to determine whether there is contact within the unit, and if the selected part is a part that fixes units based on the results of these determinations, creates a first new unit independent of the unit hierarchy in the hierarchical structure information, and generates information that can be disassembled for each unit by changing the hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data with the selected part as the first new unit.

[0011] As described above, according to the disassembly information generation method according to the above aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to identify the fitting parts that secure the units together by determining the insertion relationship, the contact between units, and the contact inside the units using the product's three-dimensional shape data, hierarchical structure information, contact information between parts, and information on fitting parts. As a result, in a recycling plant that processes used products, it is possible to identify in advance information on fitting parts that secure the units together, which is difficult to identify, and to select and disassemble only the parts necessary for disassembling each unit.

[0012] 1 is a diagram showing an example of three-dimensional shape data and hierarchical structure information according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 2 is a diagram showing an example of attribute information derived from three-dimensional shape data according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a disassembly information generation device according to the first to third embodiments of the present disclosure; 4 is a flowchart of a basic method for generating disassembly information according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 5 is a diagram showing the acquisition of assembly data information according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 6 is a diagram showing the selection of drawing part p1 and the determination of the male / female of the fitting part; 7 is a diagram showing the selection of drawing part p2 and the determination of the male / female of the fitting part; 8 is a diagram showing the selection of drawing part p3 and the determination of the male / female of the fitting part; 9 is a diagram showing the selection of drawing part p5 and the determination of the male / female of the fitting part; 10 is a diagram showing a group of parts inside a drawing unit, showing the independence of drawing part p5 from the unit hierarchy; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an output result. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of three-dimensional shape data and hierarchical structure information according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of attribute information derived from three-dimensional shape data according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a method for generating disassembly information according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the selection of drawing part p9, showing the determination of male and female of fitting parts, showing contact determination of drawing part p9, showing the acquisition of assembly data information according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the output result of disassembly information generation according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] First Embodiment (Example of Three-Dimensional Shape Data, Its Hierarchical Structure Information, and Attribute Information) FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of three-dimensional shape data of a product and hierarchical structure information included in the three-dimensional shape data, for explaining a first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown as an example in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the three-dimensional shape data 1 is composed of parts p1 to p6. Furthermore, hierarchical structure information 2 of the three-dimensional shape data indicates that there is a unit hierarchy of unit a, unit b, and unit c, and that unit a is composed of parts p1 and p2, unit b is composed of parts p3 and p4, and unit c is composed of parts p5 and p6, and the product is composed of units a, b, and c. The three-dimensional shape data 1 and hierarchical structure information 2 of the three-dimensional shape data 1 are assumed to be provided in advance and stored in a storage unit, which will be described later.

[0015] In addition, when contact information stores information on non-contact where parts are not in contact with each other, simple contact where parts are in contact other than by mechanical connection (for example, by screwing, press-fitting, or welding), and connected contact where parts are in contact by mechanical connection, and information on the connected parts (or connection information or insertion information) is information on the connected parts that indicates that the male side of the screw or press-fit part is the male side of the connected part, attribute information is provided that stores contact information and information on the connected parts in the relationship between parts p1 to p6, and the attribute information is also provided in advance and stored in memory unit 30, which will be described later, etc.

[0016] Here, as an example, part p1 of unit a and part p5 of unit b are fastened to part p6 of a different unit, unit c, thereby fixing unit a and unit c, and unit b and unit c, respectively. Therefore, an example is taken in which the male and female parts fixing the units are different. That is, between unit a and unit c, part p1 is the male part and part p6 is the female part, and between unit b and unit c, part p5 is the male part and part p6 is the female part.

[0017] 2 is a diagram showing an example of attribute information derived from the three-dimensional shape data according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In the attribute information 3, the contact information between the components p1 to p6 is expressed as "0" for non-contact, "1" for simple contact, and "2" for bonded contact. The insertion information, i.e., the information on mating components, is expressed as "3" for male components and "4" for other components. However, the management method of the attribute information 3 is not limited to the notations "0" to "4" described above.

[0018] (Disassembly Information Generating Device) A disassembly information generating device for implementing a basic method for generating disassembly information that facilitates extraction of each unit will be described using the block diagram of the configuration of the disassembly information generating device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure in Fig. 3A. Note that, for simplification, Fig. 3A also illustrates the specific configuration of the disassembly information generating device according to the second and third embodiments.

[0019] The disassembly information generating device includes a memory unit 30 that stores three-dimensional shape data and its hierarchical structure information and attribute information, an assembly data information generating unit 31, an input unit 32, an insertion relationship determining unit 33, an inter-unit contact determining unit 34, an intra-unit contact determining unit 35, a contact method determining unit 36, a new unit creating unit 37, a selection ending unit 38, and a hierarchical structure modifying unit 39, and each unit performs processing based on the information stored in the memory unit 30 to generate disassembly information.

[0020] The assembly data information generating unit 31 generates the assembly data information 4 shown in FIG. 4 from the three-dimensional shape data 1 and the hierarchical structure information 2 and attribute information 3 of the three-dimensional shape data 1 that are provided in advance in the storage unit 30 .

[0021] The input unit 32 is an input means such as a mouse or keyboard, and allows the worker to select one of the parts that make up the product.

[0022] The insertion relationship determination unit 33 determines from the insertion information of the attribute information 3 whether the part selected by the input unit 32 is a male part.

[0023] The inter-unit contact determination unit 34 determines whether there is only one simple contact or one bond contact between the units.

[0024] The unit internal contact determination unit 35 determines whether there is only one simple contact or one combined contact within the unit.

[0025] The contact method determination unit 36 ​​determines whether the contact method differs between the inside and between units.

[0026] When the selected part is determined to be a part that fixes units based on the determination results of the three determination parts 34, 35, and 36, a new unit creation part 37 creates a new unit independent of the unit hierarchy of the hierarchical structure information 2, and changes the hierarchical structure information 2 of the three-dimensional shape data 1 to use the selected part as the new unit.

[0027] The selection completion unit 38 determines whether all parts have been selected at least once.

[0028] The hierarchical structure modification unit 39 performs processing to combine the parts inside the unit of the 3D shape data into one unit in order to group the parts inside the unit into a single unit, and also modifies the hierarchical structure information 2 of the 3D shape data. With this configuration, it is possible to generate information that can be decomposed into units. The information that can be decomposed into units is information that indicates that the unit can be decomposed into units.

[0029] Specifically, part or all of the decomposition information generating device is a computer system composed of a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, hard disk unit, display unit, keyboard, mouse, etc. A computer program is stored in the RAM or hard disk unit. The microprocessor operates in accordance with the computer program, causing each part of the decomposition information generating device to achieve its function. Here, the computer program is composed of a combination of multiple instruction codes that indicate commands to a computer to achieve a predetermined function.

[0030] For example, each component can be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory. The software that realizes some or all of the components constituting the disassembly information generation device in the first to third embodiments is the following program. That is, this program causes a computer to function as an assembly data information generation unit 31, an insertion relationship determination unit 33, an inter-unit contact determination unit 34, an intra-unit contact determination unit 35, a contact method determination unit 36, a new unit creation unit 37, a selection termination unit 38, and a hierarchical structure modification unit 39.

[0031] In addition, this program may be executed by being downloaded from a server or the like, or by reading out a program recorded on a predetermined recording medium (for example, an optical disk such as a CD-ROM, a magnetic disk, or a semiconductor memory).

[0032] Furthermore, the computer that executes this program may be a single computer or multiple computers, and may perform centralized processing or distributed processing.

[0033] (Basic Method for Generating Decomposition Information) The decomposition information generating device configured as above can implement the following basic method for generating decomposition information.

[0034] A basic method for generating disassembly information that facilitates extraction of each unit will be described using the flowchart of the basic method for generating disassembly information according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure in Fig. 3B. In the generation method, each process is performed by the disassembly information generation device according to the flowchart.

[0035] First, in step s1, the assembly data information generator 31 generates the assembly data information 4 shown in FIG. 4 from the pre-given three-dimensional shape data 1, hierarchical structure information 2 of the three-dimensional shape data, and attribute information 3, and stores the generated assembly data information in the storage unit 30. Here, as an example, in order to represent the hierarchical structure information in the attribute information, the components constituting the unit are represented by being enclosed in a thick frame as the assembly data information 4. However, the method of representing the assembly data information 4 is not limited to being enclosed in a thick frame. The subsequent steps s2 to s8 are processed using the assembly data information 4. For example, in step s2, one component is selected from the assembly data information 4, and in step s3, it is determined whether the selected component is an inserted component based on the insertion information of the attribute information 3 in the assembly data information 4, i.e., the information on the fitting component. However, the assembly data information 4 integrates the attribute information 3 and the hierarchical structure information 2, and was created for ease of explanation; in reality, they do not need to be integrated (i.e., the assembly data information 4 does not exist), as long as each part such as part p1 is linked to the hierarchical structure information 2 and insertion information (i.e., the information on the fitting parts in the attribute information 3).

[0036] Next, in step s2, the input unit 32 such as a mouse is used to select one of the parts that constitute the product from the three-dimensional shape data 1. The selection criteria can be arbitrary.

[0037] Next, in step s3 (insertion relationship determination process), the insertion relationship determination unit 33 determines whether the selected part is an insertion part, for example a male part, from the information in the memory unit 30, i.e., the insertion information, i.e., information on mating parts, of the attribute information 3, which is information linked to the selected part.

[0038] If the insertion relationship determination unit 33 determines that the selected component is a male side component as a result of the determination, the processing of step S4 is carried out, and if the insertion relationship determination unit 33 determines that the selected component is not a male side component, the processing of step S8 is carried out without separating the selected component from the unit.

[0039] In step s4, the inter-unit contact determination unit 34 determines whether there is only one simple contact or bonding contact between the units based on the information in the storage unit 30, i.e., the contact information in the attribute information 3, which is information linked to the selected part. If the inter-unit contact determination unit 34 determines that there is only one simple contact or bonding contact in step s4, the processing of step s5 is carried out. If the inter-unit contact determination unit 34 determines that there is no simple contact or bonding contact, or that there are two or more contacts in step s4, the selected part is not separated from the unit, and the processing of step s8 is carried out.

[0040] In step s5, the intra-unit contact determination unit 35 determines whether there is only one simple contact or one bonding contact within the unit based on the information in the storage unit 30, i.e., the contact information in the attribute information 3, which is information linked to the selected part. If the intra-unit contact determination unit 35 determines that there is only one simple contact or one bonding contact as a result of the determination, the process of step s6 is carried out. If the intra-unit contact determination unit 35 determines in step s5 that there is no simple contact or bonding contact, or that there are two or more contacts, the selected part is not separated from the unit, and the process of step s8 is carried out. Note that steps s3, s4, and s5 are not limited to being processed in this order, and may be processed in any order.

[0041] In step s6, the contact method determination unit 36 ​​determines whether the contact methods within the unit and between the units are different based on the information in the storage unit 30, i.e., the contact information in the attribute information 3, which is information associated with the selected part. Specifically, if the contact method determination unit 36 ​​determines that there is simple contact within the unit and bonded contact between the units, or if the contact method determination unit 36 ​​determines that there is bonded contact within the unit and simple contact between the units, the process of step s7 is performed. On the other hand, if the contact method determination unit 36 ​​determines that the contact methods within the unit and between the units are the same, for example, if the contact method determination unit 36 ​​determines that there is bonded contact between the unit and between the units, or if the contact method determination unit 36 ​​determines that there is simple contact between the unit and between the units, the selected part is not separated from the unit, and the process of step s8 is performed.

[0042] In step s7, a new unit is created by the new unit creation section 37, separated from the unit hierarchy of the hierarchical structure information 2, and the hierarchical structure information 2 of the three-dimensional shape data is changed with the selected part as the new unit by the new unit creation section 37, thereby making it possible to generate information that can be disassembled into units. This means that when it is determined from the determination results of steps s3 to s5 that the selected part is a part that fixes units, a new unit is created separated from the unit hierarchy of the hierarchical structure information.

[0043] Next, in step s8, the selection termination unit 38 determines whether all parts have been selected at least once. If the selection termination unit 38 determines that all parts have been selected at least once, the processing of step s9 is carried out, and if the selection termination unit 38 determines that all parts have not been selected at least once, the processing of step s2 is carried out.

[0044] In step s9, in order to group the parts inside the unit into one unit, the hierarchical structure modification unit 39 performs a process of grouping the parts inside the unit in the 3D shape data into one unit, and the hierarchical structure information 2 of the 3D shape data is also modified by the hierarchical structure modification unit 39, thereby making it possible to generate information that can be disassembled into units. This process searches the information in the storage unit 30 for units composed of multiple parts, and when the search results in one unit being composed of multiple parts, the multiple parts inside that unit in the 3D shape data are grouped into one unit, and the hierarchical structure information of the 3D shape data is also modified. At this time, the means for grouping the parts into one unit is not important.

[0045] In this way, by changing the hierarchical structure information 2 of the three-dimensional shape data, it is possible to generate information that can be broken down into units.

[0046] (Specific processing method of basic generation method of decomposition information) The above is the basic generation method of decomposition information, and a specific processing method will be explained using an example of three-dimensional shape data 1, hierarchical structure information 2 of three-dimensional shape data, and attribute information 3 in Figures 1 and 2. Figures 4 to 15 show specific processing, and will be used appropriately as needed.

[0047] 4 is a diagram illustrating assembly data information acquisition according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 shows assembly data information 4 acquired in step s1. The assembly data information 4 in Fig. 4 includes, in addition to attribute information 3, information indicating that unit a is composed of parts p1 and p2, unit b is composed of parts p3 and p4, and unit c is composed of parts p5 and p6, based on hierarchical structure information 2 of the 3D shape data. The components of each of units a, b, and c are indicated by bold frames.

[0048] <Selection of component p1> Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the selection of component p1 in step s2 and the determination of the male and female of the mating components in step s3. Fig. 5 shows the process from selecting component p1 in the component selection in step s2 to determining whether component p1 is a male component or not based on the insertion information in step s3.

[0049] First, in the part selection step s2, one part, for example part p1, is selected from the three-dimensional shape data 1.

[0050] Next, in step s3, it is determined whether or not part p1 is a male part from the insertion information in the assembly data information 4. Since part p1 has insertion information "3", it is a male part, and step s4 is therefore carried out.

[0051] 6 shows the contact determination for part p1 in steps s4 to s6. The left, middle, and right tables in Fig. 6 show the processing up to the contact determination between units in step s4, the contact determination within a unit in step s5, and the contact determination within and between units in step s6, respectively.

[0052] First, to determine whether there is only one simple contact or bond contact between units in step s4 of Fig. 6, the table is searched to see whether the selected part p1 has any contact between units. As a result of the search, it is determined that part p1 has only one bond contact with part p6.

[0053] Next, in step s5, to determine whether there is only one simple contact or bond contact within the unit, the table is searched to see if the selected part p1 is in contact within the unit. As a result of the search, it is determined that part p1 has only one simple contact with part p2.

[0054] Next, in step S6, it is determined whether the contact methods are different between units and within the units. As a result of the determination, there is bond contact between the units and simple contact within the units, and the contact methods are different, so it is determined that the part is a part that connects the units.

[0055] 7 shows the separation of part p1 from the hierarchy of unit a in step s7. Fig. 7 shows the process of creating a first new unit d in step s7 and changing the hierarchical structure information 2 of the 3D shape data with the selected part p1 as the first new unit d.

[0056] First, a new unit d is created in the hierarchical structure information 2 of the product data, and then part p1 is moved from unit a to unit d, thereby changing the hierarchical structure information.

[0057] Next, in step s8, it is determined whether all parts have been selected. As a result of the determination, of parts p1 to p6, only part p1 has been selected once, and the others have never been selected, so the process of step s2 is carried out.

[0058] <Selection of part p2> Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the selection of part p2 in step s2 and the determination of the male and female of the mating parts in step s3. Fig. 8 shows the process from selecting part p2 in the part selection in step s2 to determining part p2 from the insertion information in step s3.

[0059] First, in the part selection step s2, part p2 is selected.

[0060] Next, in step s3, it is determined whether or not part p2 is a male part from the insertion information of the assembly data information 4. Since the insertion information for part p2 is not "3", it is not a male part, and step s8 is therefore carried out.

[0061] Next, in step s8, it is determined whether all parts have been selected. As a result of the determination, of parts p1 to p6, only parts p1 and p2 have been selected once, and the others have never been selected, so the process of step s2 is carried out.

[0062] <Selection of part p3> Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the selection of part p3 in step s2 and the determination of the male and female of the mating parts in step s3. Fig. 9 shows the process from selecting part p3 in the part selection in step s2 to determining part p3 from the insertion information in step s3.

[0063] First, in the part selection step s2, part p3 is selected.

[0064] Next, in step s3, it is determined whether or not part p3 is a male part from the insertion information in the assembly data information 4. Since part p3 has insertion information "3", it is a male part, and step s4 is therefore carried out.

[0065] 10 shows the contact determination for the part p3 in step s4. FIG. 10 shows the process of contact determination between units in step s4.

[0066] First, to determine whether there is only one simple contact or bonded contact between units in step s4 of Fig. 10, the table is searched to see whether the selected part p3 is in contact with any other units. As a result of the search, it is determined that part p3 has no simple contact or bonded contact with any other parts.

[0067] Next, in step s8, it is determined whether all parts have been selected. As a result of the determination, of parts p1 to p6, only parts p1, p2, and p3 have been selected once, and the others have never been selected, so the process of step s2 is carried out.

[0068] <Selection of Part p4> When part p4 is selected in step s2, the process for part p4 is the same as that for part p2, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0069] In step S8, it is determined whether all parts have been selected, and as a result of the determination, of parts p1 to p6, only parts p1, p2, p3, and p4 have been selected once, and the others have never been selected, so the processing of step S2 is carried out.

[0070] <Selection of part p5> Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the selection of part p5 in step s2 and the determination of the male and female of the mating parts in step s3. Fig. 11 shows the process from selecting part p5 in the part selection in step s2 to determining part p5 from the insertion information in step s3.

[0071] First, in the part selection step s2, part p5 is selected.

[0072] Next, in step s3, it is determined whether or not part p5 is a male part from the insertion information of the assembly data information 4. Since part p5 has insertion information "3", it is a male part, and step s4 is therefore carried out.

[0073] Fig. 12 shows the contact determination for part p5 in steps s4 to s6. The left, middle, and right tables in Fig. 12 respectively show the processing up to the contact determination between units in step s4, the contact determination within a unit in step s5, and the contact determination within and between units in step s6.

[0074] First, to determine whether there is only one simple contact or bond contact between units in step s4 of Fig. 12, the table is searched to see whether the selected part p5 has contact between units. As a result of the search, it is determined that part p5 has only one simple contact with part p4.

[0075] Next, in step s5, contacts within the unit are determined, and to determine whether or not there is a bond, the table is searched to see if part p5 is in contact with any part within the unit. As a result of the search, it is determined that part p5 has only one bonded contact with part p6.

[0076] Next, in step S6, it is determined whether the contact methods are different within the units and between the units. As a result of the determination, there is simple contact between the units and bonding contact within the units, and the contact methods are different, so it is determined that the part is a part that connects the units (a part that fixes the units together).

[0077] Figure 13 shows the separation of part p5 from the hierarchy of unit c in step s7. Figure 13 illustrates the process of creating a second new unit e in step s7 and changing the hierarchical structure information of the 3D shape data, with the selected part p5 as the second new unit e. First, a new unit e is created in the hierarchical structure information of the product data, and then part p5 is moved from unit c to unit e, changing the hierarchical structure information. Then, in step s8, it is determined whether all parts have been selected. As a result of this determination, of parts p1 to p6, only parts p1, p2, p3, p4, and p5 have been selected once, and the others have never been selected, so the process of step s2 is carried out.

[0078] <Selection of Part p6> When part p6 is selected in step s2, the process for part p6 is the same as that for part p2, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0079] <Step s9 After All Components Are Selected> In step s8, it is determined whether all components have been selected. As a result of the determination, all components p1 to p6 have been selected once, so the process of step s9 is carried out.

[0080] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a group of parts inside a unit in step s9. Fig. 14 shows the processing of combining the parts inside a unit of 3D shape data into one, in order to combine the parts inside the unit into a group in step s9, and the result of changing the hierarchical structure information of the 3D shape data.

[0081] First, the table is searched for units that are made up of multiple parts. As a result of the search, it is found that unit b is made up of two parts, parts p3 and p4, so processing is carried out to combine parts p3 and p4 into one within the unit of the 3D shape data, and the hierarchical structure information of the 3D shape data is also changed.

[0082] <Output Results of Basic Generation of Disassembly Information> FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the output results of basic generation of disassembly information according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 15 shows the output results of 3D shape data 5 output from the disassembly information and hierarchical structure information 6 of the 3D shape data output from the disassembly information, generated using the basic method for generating disassembly information. As shown in FIG. 15, parts p1 and p5 that secure units together are identified, and part p3 that does not secure units together is also identified. This makes it possible to provide disassembly information that facilitates removal of each unit. In other words, because it is possible to identify fitting parts that secure units together, it is possible to provide disassembly information that facilitates removal of each unit.

[0083] Therefore, according to the disassembly information generation method of the first embodiment, it is possible to identify the interlocking parts that secure the units together by determining the insertion relationship, the contact between units, and the contact inside the units using the product's three-dimensional shape data 1, hierarchical structure information 2, contact information between parts, and information on interlocking parts. As a result, in a recycling factory that processes used products, it is possible to identify in advance information on interlocking parts that secure the units together, which is difficult to identify, and it becomes possible to select and disassemble only the parts necessary for disassembling each unit.

[0084] Second Embodiment (Examples of Three-Dimensional Shape Data, Its Hierarchical Structure Information, and Attribute Information) FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of three-dimensional shape data according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 16, three-dimensional shape data 7 is composed of parts p7 to p10. Furthermore, hierarchical structure information 8 of the three-dimensional shape data indicates that unit f is composed of parts p7, p8, and p9, and unit g is composed of part p10. It is assumed that the three-dimensional shape data 7 and the hierarchical structure information 8 of the three-dimensional shape data are given in advance. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating attribute information derived from the three-dimensional shape data according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, part p9 of unit f is fastened to part p8 of the same unit f, thereby fixing unit f and unit g. Therefore, the case where the male and female parts fixing the units are the same in unit f is taken as an example. A part such as part p9 is referred to as a clamping fixing part.

[0085] 18 is a flowchart showing a method for generating disassembly information according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. This method differs from the first embodiment in whether or not a pinched fixed part is determined in step s10, which is a process subsequent to step s8. Since the rest of the method is the same as the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0086] In step S10, a component that meets all four of the following conditions is searched for, and the component that meets the conditions is determined to be a clamping and fixing component. Specific conditions include: first, the component must be a male component within a unit; second, there must be at least one simple contact or bonding contact between units; third, there must be at least one simple contact or bonding contact within the unit; and fourth, there must be both simple contact and bonding contact within and between units. The first condition is determined by the insertion relationship determination unit 33. The second condition is determined by the inter-unit contact determination unit 34. The third condition is determined by the intra-unit contact determination unit 35. The fourth condition is determined by the contact method determination unit 36.

[0087] If there is a clamping fixed part that satisfies all four conditions, a third new unit is created by the new unit creation unit 37, and the hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data is changed by the hierarchical structure change unit 39, with the clamping fixed part as the third new unit.

[0088] (Specific Processing Method of Decomposition Information Generation Method) The above is the method of generating decomposition information, and a specific processing method will be described using the three-dimensional shape data 7, hierarchical structure information 8 of the three-dimensional shape data, and attribute information 9 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure in Figures 16 and 17. Figures 19 to 23 show specific processing, which will be used appropriately as needed.

[0089] 19 is a diagram illustrating assembly data information acquisition according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 19 shows assembly data information 10 acquired in step s1. The assembly data information 10 in Fig. 19 adds information to the attribute information 9 in the second embodiment, indicating that unit f in hierarchical structure information 8 of the 3D shape data is composed of parts p7, p8, and p9, and unit g is composed of part p10, and the parts of each unit are represented by being surrounded by a thick frame.

[0090] <Selection of part p9> Fig. 20 is a diagram showing the selection of part p9 in step s2 and the determination of the male and female of the mating parts in step s3. Fig. 20 shows the process from selecting part p9 in the part selection in step s2 to determining part p9 from the insertion information in step s3.

[0091] First, in the part selection step s2, part p9 is selected.

[0092] Next, in step s3, it is determined whether part p9 is a male part from the insertion information in the assembly data information 10. Since part p9 has insertion information of "3", it is a male part, and step s4 is therefore carried out.

[0093] Figure 21 shows the contact determination for part p9 in steps s4 and s5. The tables on the left and right of Figure 21 show the processing up to the contact determination between units in step s4 and the contact determination within a unit in step s5, respectively.

[0094] First, to determine whether there is only one simple contact or bond contact between units in step s4 of Fig. 21, the table is searched to see whether the selected part p9 has any contact between units. As a result of the search, it is determined that part p9 has only one simple contact with part p10.

[0095] Next, in step s5, contact within the unit is determined, and to determine whether or not there is bonding, the table is searched to see if part p9 is in contact with any parts within the unit. As a result of the search, part p9 is in simple contact and bonding contact with parts p7 and p8, so there are two or more simple contacts or bonding contacts within the unit, and so the processing of step s8 is carried out.

[0096] In step s8, it is determined whether all parts have been selected. As a result of the determination, of parts p7 to p10, only part p9 has been selected once, and the others have never been selected, so the process of step s2 is carried out.

[0097] <Selection of parts p7, p8, and p10> Parts p7, p8, and p10 are processed in the same manner as part p2 in the first embodiment, so they will be omitted. Since all parts have been selected once, the processing of step s10 is carried out.

[0098] <Step s10 after All Parts Are Selected> Figure 22 shows the pinched fixed part determination for part p9 in step s10. Figure 22 shows the pinched fixed part determination process in step s10, which is configured as follows. This pinched fixed part determination process is performed by a pinched fixed part determination unit 41 newly provided in the disassembly information generation device (see Figure 3A).

[0099] First, it is determined whether there is a male side part in unit f, which is made up of a plurality of parts, and part p9 is the relevant part since its insertion information is "3".

[0100] Next, the table is searched to see if part p9 has one or more simple contacts or bond contacts between units, and it is determined that part p9 has simple contact with part p10.

[0101] Next, a part having one or more simple contacts or bonding contacts within the unit is searched for, and it is determined that there is one or more simple contacts with part p7 and bonding contacts with part p8.

[0102] Finally, part p9 is determined to be a sandwiched fixed part because it has both simple contact and bonded contact inside and between the units.

[0103] Since part p9 is determined to be a fixed sandwiched part, a third new unit h is created by the new unit creation unit 37, and part p9 is moved from unit f to the third new unit h by the hierarchical structure change unit 39, and the hierarchical structure information is changed.

[0104] Thereafter, the hierarchical structure change section 39 performs the same process as step s9 in the first embodiment, which groups the components inside the unit into a single unit.

[0105] <Output Results of Disassembly Information Generation> Fig. 23 is a diagram showing the output results of disassembly information generation in embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. Fig. 23 shows the output results of 3D shape data 11 output as disassembly information and hierarchical structure information 12 of the 3D shape data output as disassembly information. According to embodiment 2, in addition to the effects of embodiment 1, it is possible to identify part p9, which is a clamped fixed part, as shown in Fig. 23. This makes it possible to provide disassembly information that makes it easier to remove each unit.

[0106] (Embodiment 3) (Example of three-dimensional shape data and its hierarchical structure information and attribute information) The three-dimensional shape data, hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data, and attribute information for explaining embodiment 3 of the present disclosure are assumed to be those shown in Figures 16 and 17 used in embodiment 2.

[0107] (Disassembly Information Generation Method) Figure 24 is a flowchart showing a disassembly information generation method according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. This method differs from the second embodiment in the presence or absence of determination of parts inside non-contacting units in step s11, which is a process subsequent to step s10, configured as follows; the rest is the same as the second embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted. This process of determining parts inside non-contacting units is performed by a non-contacting part determination unit 42 newly provided in the disassembly information generation device (see Figure 3A).

[0108] In step S11, it is determined whether parts within a unit consisting of multiple parts are in contact with each other. Contact can be direct contact, where the selected part is in direct contact with a part within the unit, or indirect contact, where the selected part is in indirect contact with a part within the unit via at least one or more parts within the unit. Here, a method for determining whether parts within a unit are in contact with each other may be a method for calculating connected components used in graph theory from assembly data information. Contacting parts within the unit are calculated as part groups, and the hierarchical structure information of the 3D shape data is changed for each component group as a fourth new unit.

[0109] (Specific Processing Method of Decomposition Information Generation Method) The decomposition information generation method has been described above, and a specific processing method will be described starting from the three-dimensional shape data 7, the hierarchical structure information 8 of the three-dimensional shape data, and the attribute information 9 in FIGS.

[0110] Steps s1 to s10 are the same as those in the second embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0111] FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating the determination of parts within non-contacting units in step s11. In FIG. 25, step s11 determines whether parts p7 and p8 are in contact within unit f', which is composed of multiple parts. As a result of the determination, parts p7 and p8 are not in contact, and two part groups exist. Therefore, two fourth and fifth new units are created, and the hierarchical structure information for each part group is changed. Specifically, a fourth new unit i and a fifth new unit j are created, and part p7, which is one of the part groups, is moved from unit f' to unit i, and part p8, which is the other part group, is moved from unit f' to unit j, and the hierarchical structure information is changed. In this case, unit f' is deleted because no parts are stored in it.

[0112] <Output Results of Disassembly Information Generation> Fig. 26 is a diagram showing the output results of disassembly information generation in embodiment 3 of the present disclosure. Fig. 26 shows the output results of 3D shape data 13 output from the disassembly information and hierarchical structure information 14 of the 3D shape data output from the disassembly information. According to embodiment 3, in addition to the effects of embodiment 1, as shown in Fig. 26, it is possible to identify parts p7 and p8 that are not in contact with each other inside a unit. This makes it possible to provide disassembly information that makes it easier to remove each unit.

[0113] It should be noted that any of the various embodiments or modifications described above can be combined appropriately to achieve the effects of each. In addition, combinations of embodiments, combinations of examples, or combinations of embodiments and examples are possible, and combinations of features of different embodiments or examples are also possible.

[0114] (Additional Notes) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

[0115] (Technology 1) A disassembly information generation method that uses three-dimensional shape data of a product made up of multiple units each made up of parts, hierarchical structure information included in the three-dimensional shape data, contact information between parts, and information on fitting parts to select one part from the three-dimensional shape data, and performs an insertion relationship determination process to determine whether the selected part is a male part of a fitting part based on the hierarchical structure information linked to the selected part, the contact information between parts, and the information on the fitting parts, an inter-unit contact determination process to determine whether there is contact between the units, and an internal unit contact determination process to determine whether there is contact inside the unit, and if the selected part is a part that fixes units based on the results of these determinations, creates a first new unit independent of the unit hierarchy in the hierarchical structure information, and generates information that can be disassembled into each unit by changing the hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data with the selected part as the first new unit.

[0116] (Technology 2) The type of contact of the parts includes simple contact, which is contact by means other than mechanical bonding, and bonded contact, which is contact by mechanical bonding. When the determination results of the three steps show that the selected part is a male part of a fitting part and the type of contact in the contact determination step between units is different from the type of contact in the contact determination step within the unit, the selected part is determined to be a part that fixes units together, the first new unit is created by making the selected part independent from the unit hierarchy of the hierarchical structure information, and the hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data is changed with the selected part as the first new unit, thereby generating information that can be disassembled into units.

[0117] (Technology 3) The inter-unit contact determination step determines contact based on whether the selected parts have only simple contact or bonding contact, and the intra-unit contact determination step determines contact based on whether the selected parts have only simple contact or bonding contact, and if the selected parts have only one simple contact between the units and one bonding contact within the unit, or one bonding contact between the units and one simple contact within the unit, based on the determination results in the inter-unit contact determination step and the intra-unit contact determination step, the selected parts are determined to be parts that fix the units together, and a second new unit is created independent of the unit hierarchy of the hierarchical structure information, and the hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data is changed to include the selected parts as the second new unit, thereby generating information that can be disassembled into units.

[0118] (Technology 4) A disassembly information generation method according to any one of Technologies 1 to 3, which includes a pinch fixed part determination step after creating the first new unit independent of the unit hierarchy, wherein the pinch fixed part determination step searches for a part that meets all four of the following conditions: that the part is a male part inside a unit, that there is one or more simple contacts or bonding contacts between units, that there is one or more simple contacts or bonding contacts inside the unit, and that there is both simple contact and bonding contact inside and between the units, and when the part that meets the conditions is determined to be a pinch fixed part, a third new unit is created independent of the unit hierarchy, and the part that meets the conditions is set as the third new unit, thereby changing the hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data, thereby generating information that can be disassembled for each unit.

[0119] (Technology 5) After the inter-unit contact determination step, the internal contact determination step, and the sandwiched fixed part determination step, it is determined whether the selected part is in contact with other parts inside the unit from the hierarchical structure information linked to the selected part and the contact information between the parts, and when the selected part is in contact with other parts inside the unit to which the selected part belongs, a fourth new unit is created by separating it from the unit hierarchy, and a part group including the selected part and the other parts is set as the fourth new unit, thereby changing the hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data, thereby generating information that can be disassembled for each unit.

[0120] According to each of these configurations, it is possible to identify the fitting parts that secure the units together by determining the insertion relationship, the contact between units, and the contact inside the units using the product's three-dimensional shape data, hierarchical structure information, contact information between parts, and information on fitting parts. As a result, at a recycling plant that processes used products, it is possible to identify in advance the information on the fitting parts that secure the units together, which is difficult to identify, and it becomes possible to select and disassemble only the parts necessary for disassembling each unit.

[0121] By using the disassembly information generation method according to the above aspect of the present disclosure, at a recycling plant that processes used products, it is possible to identify in advance from three-dimensional shape data information on fitting parts that secure units together, which are difficult to identify, and to select only the parts necessary for disassembling each unit, thereby enabling efficient disassembly. This reduces the disassembly processing time when disassembling manually, and in automatic disassembly by robots, the processing of used products can be more precise because they can be disassembled into units, making it possible to further promote the utilization of resources from used home appliances.

[0122] 1 Three-dimensional shape data 2 Hierarchical structure information of three-dimensional shape data 3 Attribute information 4 Assembly data information 5 Three-dimensional shape data output from disassembly information 6 Hierarchical structure information of three-dimensional shape data output from disassembly information 7 Three-dimensional shape data 8 Hierarchical structure information of three-dimensional shape data 9 Attribute information 10 Assembly data information 11 Three-dimensional shape data output from disassembly information 12 Hierarchical structure information of three-dimensional shape data output from disassembly information 13 Three-dimensional shape data output from disassembly information 14 Hierarchical structure information of three-dimensional shape data output from disassembly information 30 Storage unit 31 Assembly data information generation unit 32 Input unit 33 Insertion relationship determination unit 34 Inter-unit contact determination unit 35 Intra-unit contact determination unit 36 ​​Contact method determination unit 37 New unit creation unit 38 Selection termination unit 39 Hierarchical structure change unit 41 Insertion fixed part determination unit 42 Non-contact part determination unit 100 Three-dimensional shape data 101 Each unit 102 Hierarchical structure of three-dimensional shape data 103 Part shape information of three-dimensional shape data

Claims

1. A disassembly information generation method that uses three-dimensional shape data of a product composed of multiple units each composed of parts, hierarchical structure information included in the three-dimensional shape data, contact information between parts, and information on mating parts to select one part from the three-dimensional shape data, and performs an insertion relationship determination process to determine whether the selected part is a male part of a mating part based on the hierarchical structure information linked to the selected part, the contact information between parts, and the information on the mating parts, an inter-unit contact determination process to determine whether there is contact between the units, and an internal unit contact determination process to determine whether there is contact within the unit, and if, based on the results of these determinations, the selected part is a part that fixes units together, creates a first new unit independent of the unit hierarchy in the hierarchical structure information, and generates information that can be disassembled into units by changing the hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data with the selected part as the first new unit.

2. The type of contact between the parts includes simple contact, which is contact other than by mechanical bonding, and bonded contact, which is contact by mechanical bonding; and when the judgment results of the three processes show that the selected part is a male part of a mating part and the type of contact in the contact judgment process between the units is different from the type of contact in the contact judgment process inside the unit, the selected part is judged to be a part that fixes the units together, the first new unit is created independent of the unit hierarchy of the hierarchical structure information, and the hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data is changed with the selected part as the first new unit, thereby generating information that can be disassembled into units.

3. The disassembly information generation method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inter-unit contact determination step determines contact based on whether the selected parts have only simple contact or bonding contact, and the intra-unit contact determination step determines contact based on whether the selected parts have only simple contact or bonding contact, and if the selected parts have one simple contact between the units and one bonding contact within the unit, or one bonding contact between the units and one simple contact within the unit, based on the determination results of the inter-unit contact determination step and the intra-unit contact determination step, the selected parts are determined to be parts that fix the units together, and a second new unit is created independent of the unit hierarchy of the hierarchical structure information, and the hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data is changed to use the selected parts as the second new unit, thereby generating information that can be disassembled into units.

4. A disassembly information generation method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a pinch fixed part determination step after creating the first new unit independent of the unit hierarchy, wherein the pinch fixed part determination step searches for a part that meets all four of the following conditions: that it is a male part inside a unit, that there is one or more simple contacts or bonding contacts between units, that there is one or more simple contacts or bonding contacts inside the unit, and that there is both simple contact and bonding contact inside and between units; and when a part that meets the conditions is determined to be a pinch fixed part, a third new unit is created independent of the unit hierarchy, and the part that meets the conditions is treated as the third new unit, thereby changing the hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data, thereby generating information that can be disassembled for each unit.

5. After the inter-unit contact determination process, the internal unit contact determination process, and the sandwiched fixed part determination process, a determination is made based on the hierarchical structure information linked to the selected part and the contact information between the parts as to whether the selected part is in contact with other parts within the unit to which the selected part belongs, and if the selected part is in contact with the other parts, a fourth new unit is created by separating it from the unit hierarchy, and a part group including the selected part and the other parts is treated as the fourth new unit, thereby changing the hierarchical structure information of the three-dimensional shape data, thereby generating information that can be disassembled for each unit.

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