Conveyance system, conveyance device, conveyance object, control method, program, gripped part, grip part, and component mounting system

Abstract

The problem of the present disclosure is to position a conveyance object using a simple configuration. A conveyance system (100) comprises a device body and a pair of holding parts that are attached to the device body and that hold each of a pair of held parts of a conveyance object (2). The pair of holding parts pulls the conveyance object (2) to the device body side via the pair of gripped parts, whereby the conveyance object is positioned.

Description

Conveying system, conveying device, conveying object, control method, program, gripped part, gripping part, and component mounting system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a conveying system, a conveying device, a conveying object, a control method, a program, a grasped part, a gripping part, and a component mounting system, and more particularly to a conveying system having a gripping mechanism, a conveying device, a conveying object, a control method, a program, a grasped part, a gripping part, and a component mounting system.

[0002] The gripping structure described in Patent Document 1 comprises a plurality of gripped parts provided on the transport object running on the moving surface, and a plurality of gripping parts provided on the main body of the transport device running on the moving surface, each corresponding to a plurality of gripped parts.

[0003] There has been a demand for a system for positioning an object to be conveyed using a simple configuration, such as that described in Patent Document 1.

[0004] International Publication No. 2021 / 235049

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned reasons, and aims to provide a conveying system, a conveying device, a conveying object, a control method, a program, a grasped part, a gripping part, and a component mounting system that are capable of positioning a conveying object with a simple configuration.

[0006] A conveying system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an apparatus main body and a pair of gripping parts attached to the apparatus main body, the pair of gripping parts gripping a pair of gripped parts of an object to be conveyed, the pair of gripping parts pulling the object to the apparatus main body via the pair of gripped parts, thereby positioning the object to be conveyed.

[0007] A conveying device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is used in the conveying system and includes the device main body and the pair of gripping portions.

[0008] A transport target according to one aspect of the present disclosure is used in the transport system and includes the pair of gripped portions.

[0009] A control method for a transport device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for a transport device including an apparatus main body, the control method including: a gripping step in which a pair of grippers of the transport device grip a pair of gripped parts of an object to be transported, respectively; and a positioning step in which the pair of grippers pull the object to be transported toward the apparatus main body via the pair of gripped parts, thereby positioning the object to be transported.

[0010] A control method for a conveyance device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for a conveyance device including an apparatus main body, the control method including: a gripping step in which a pair of grippers of the conveyance device grip a pair of gripped parts of an object to be conveyed, respectively; and a connecting step in which a first connector that supplies power to the object to be conveyed is connected to a second connector of the object to be conveyed by drawing the object to the apparatus main body via the pair of gripped parts.

[0011] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the control method.

[0012] A grasped part according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a gripping part used in the transport system.

[0013] A gripping portion according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a gripped portion used in the transport system.

[0014] A component mounting system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a component mounter that mounts components on a substrate, and a component supply device that supplies the components to the component mounter. The component supply device is the transport target that is positioned by the pair of grippers provided in the transport system pulling the pair of gripped parts toward the device main body.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing a component mounting system in which the conveying system is used. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of a conveying target according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for describing the operation of the conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for describing the operation of the conveying system according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for describing the operation of the conveying system according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for describing the operation of the conveying system according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for describing the operation of the conveying system according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for describing the operation of the conveying system according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a main part of a conveying device according to a modified example. FIG. 12 is a plan view of a main part of a conveying device according to a modified example.

[0016] A transport system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the figures referred to in the following description are schematic diagrams, and the ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the components in the figures do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios. Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications described below are merely examples of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and modifications. Various modifications other than these embodiments and modifications may be made depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present disclosure.

[0017] (1) Overview First, an overview of the transport system 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

[0018] The transport system 100 includes an apparatus main body 10 (see FIG. 2) and a pair of grippers 12 attached to the apparatus main body 10.

[0019] The pair of gripping parts 12 respectively grip a pair of gripped parts 21 of the transport object 2 .

[0020] The object 2 to be transported is positioned by the pair of gripping parts 12 pulling the object 2 to the device main body 10 via the pair of gripped parts 21. In other words, the object 2 to be transported is connected to the device main body 10 while being positioned relative to the device main body 10.

[0021] According to the above configuration, the pair of gripping parts 12 pulls the transport target 2 toward the device body 10 via the pair of gripped parts 21, so there is no need to provide a member (stopper) to prevent the transport target 2 from moving in a direction away from the device body 10. This makes it possible to position the transport target 2 relative to the device body 10 with a simple configuration.

[0022] (2) Configuration The transport system 100 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0023] In the following description, the X-axis direction shown in Figure 2 is defined as the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction is defined as the front-rear direction, and the positive direction of the X-axis direction is defined as the right side, and the positive direction of the Y-axis direction is defined as the front side. Note that these directions are defined when the transport device 1 is traveling while towing the object 2 to be transported, and are not intended to limit the directions when the transport device 1 is in use to these directions. Also, the arrows indicating each direction in the drawings are merely shown for explanatory purposes and do not have any substance.

[0024] (2.1) Overall Configuration of the Transport System As shown in Fig. 1 , the transport system 100 includes a transport device 1 that transports an object 2 to be transported, and a host system 3 that controls the transport operation of the object 2 by the transport device 1. Note that the transport system 100 may include the object 2 to be transported.

[0025] The conveying device 1 is used for transportation work in facilities such as factories, logistics centers (including distribution centers), offices, stores, schools, and hospitals. The conveying device 1 moves by running on a moving surface G1 using one or more wheels. The moving surface G1 is the surface on which the conveying device 1 moves. When the conveying device 1 moves within a facility, the moving surface G1 is the floor of the facility, and when the conveying device 1 moves outdoors, the moving surface G1 is the ground. Note that the conveying device 1 is not limited to a vehicle-type robot that moves (runs) on wheels on the moving surface G1 (see FIG. 2 ). The conveying device 1 may also be an airborne drone that flies in the air, a surface drone that navigates on water, or an underwater drone that navigates underwater. However, the following embodiment describes a case in which the conveying device 1 is a vehicle-type robot that runs on the moving surface G1.

[0026] The conveying device 1 and the host system 3 are configured to be able to communicate with each other. In this disclosure, "communicable" means that information can be exchanged directly or indirectly via the network NT1 or a relay device 5, using an appropriate communication method such as wired or wireless communication. In this embodiment, the host system 3 and the conveying device 1 are capable of bidirectional communication, allowing both transmission of information from the host system 3 to the conveying device 1 and transmission of information from the conveying device 1 to the host system 3. While FIG. 1 shows one conveying device 1, the number of conveying devices 1 may be two or more. In other words, the host system 3 may control the conveying operation of each of multiple conveying devices 1. Furthermore, the conveying device 1 is capable of conveying multiple types of conveyed objects 2. In other words, the host system 3 may control the conveying operation of multiple types of conveyed objects 2 by multiple conveying devices 1.

[0027] The transfer system 100 of this embodiment is used in a component mounting system 200 as shown in FIG. 2, for example.

[0028] The component mounting system 200 includes a component mounter 6 that mounts components on a board, and a component supply device 7 that supplies components to the component mounter 6. The component supply device 7 includes, for example, at least one of a tape supply unit that supplies reels wound with tape that contains components, a tray supply unit that supplies trays on which components are placed, a batch exchange cart that supplies multiple types of components, a tape scrap collection box, a mask magazine cart, a solder pod exchange cart, and a cart that carries materials before and after work.

[0029] Here, the component supply device 7 is a transport target 2 used in the transport system 100 , and is transported to the component mounter 6 by the transport device 1 used in the transport system 100 .

[0030] In this embodiment, the transport device 1 receives an instruction from, for example, the host system 3 and moves the transport target 2 to a position where it is connected to the component mounter 6 .

[0031] (2.2) Conveying Apparatus The conveying apparatus 1 is used in the conveying system 100 .

[0032] 2 and 3, the conveying device 1 includes a device main body 10, at least one drive wheel 11 (for example, a pair in this embodiment), a pair of gripping portions 12, and a first connector 13. In addition, the conveying device 1 further includes a pair of guide portions 14 connected to the pair of gripping portions 12, respectively, as shown in FIG.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1 , the conveying device 1 also includes a drive wheel unit 15 , a gripping drive unit 16 , a control unit 17 , a power source PS1 , a communication unit 18 , and a detection unit 19 .

[0034] The device body 10 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the operation of the conveying device 1 will be described with the longitudinal direction of the device body 10 as the X-axis direction (left-right direction) and the lateral direction of the device body 10 as the Y-axis direction (front-rear direction).

[0035] 2, the pair of drive wheels 11 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction on the underside of the device body 10. In the following description, of the pair of drive wheels 11, the drive wheel 11 located on the left side of the device body 10 may be referred to as the left drive wheel 11L, and the drive wheel 11 located on the right side of the device body 10 may be referred to as the right drive wheel 11R.

[0036] In this embodiment, the left driving wheel 11L and the right driving wheel 11R each serve as a steering wheel. A drive mechanism for driving the left driving wheel 11L and a steering mechanism for changing the direction of the left driving wheel 11L are integrated into a left driving wheel unit 15L (see FIG. 1). A drive mechanism for driving the right driving wheel 11R and a steering mechanism for changing the direction of the right driving wheel 11R are integrated into a right driving wheel unit 15R (see FIG. 1). In other words, the driving wheel unit 15 includes the left driving wheel unit 15L and the right driving wheel unit 15R.

[0037] The left driving wheel unit 15L controls the rotation and steering angle of the left driving wheel 11L. As shown in Figure 1, the left driving wheel unit 15L includes a first motor M1L, which is a drive motor that rotates the left driving wheel 11L in the circumferential direction, and a second motor M2L, which is a steering motor that changes the orientation (rolling direction) of the left driving wheel 11L.

[0038] In the left drive wheel unit 15L, upon receiving a control command from the control unit 17, the second motor M2L changes the direction of the left drive wheel 11L in accordance with the control command, and the first motor M1L rotates the left drive wheel 11L at the rotational torque or rotation speed instructed by the control command. Furthermore, when the rotational torque of the first motor M1L reaches a set value, the left drive wheel unit 15L stops the rotation of the first motor M1L.

[0039] The right drive wheel unit 15R controls the rotation and steering angle of the right drive wheel 11R. As shown in Figure 1, the right drive wheel unit 15R includes a first motor M1R, which is a drive motor that rotates the right drive wheel 11R in the circumferential direction, and a second motor M2R, which is a steering motor that changes the orientation (rolling direction) of the right drive wheel 11R.

[0040] In the right drive wheel unit 15R, upon receiving a control command from the control unit 17, the second motor M2R changes the direction of the right drive wheel 11R instructed by the control command, and the first motor M1R rotates the right drive wheel 11R at the rotational torque or rotation speed instructed by the control command. In addition, when the rotational torque of the first motor M1R reaches a set value, the right drive wheel unit 15R stops the rotation of the first motor M1R.

[0041] 2 and 3, the pair of gripping portions 12 are provided on the rear surface of the device main body 10 so as to be aligned in the left-right direction. Each of the pair of gripping portions 12 is provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction. The pair of gripping portions 12 grip a pair of gripped portions 21 of the transport target 2. In the following description, the left gripping portion 12 of the pair of gripping portions 12 may be referred to as the left gripping portion 12L, and the right gripping portion 12 may be referred to as the right gripping portion 12R.

[0042] The gripping portion 12 is, for example, a plate-like member that protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the device body 10. The gripping portion 12 has a recess 120 (see FIGS. 5 to 10) on its outer surface into which a cylindrical gripped member 210 (see FIG. 4) of a gripped portion 21 (described later) fits. Note that the "outer surface" here refers to the left side surface of the left gripping portion 12L when the gripping portion 12 is the left gripping portion 12L, and refers to the right side surface of the right gripping portion 12R when the gripping portion 12 is the right gripping portion 12R.

[0043] The grip driving unit 16 moves each of the pair of gripping units 12 in the left-right direction. The grip driving unit 16 includes, for example, a feed screw arranged in the left-right direction, a servo motor that rotates the feed screw, and a reducer that transmits the rotation of the servo motor to the feed screw. The grip driving unit 16 is provided, for example, inside the device main body 10.

[0044] The guide portion 14 is connected to the rear end of the grip portion 12. In this embodiment, the guide portion 14 and the grip portion 12 are formed separately, and the guide portion 14 and the grip portion 12 are connected by a fixing member such as a bolt.

[0045] That is, the conveying device 1 has a pair of guide portions 14 aligned in the left-right direction. In the following description, the left guide portion 14 of the pair of guide portions 14 may be referred to as the left guide portion 14L, and the right guide portion 14 may be referred to as the right guide portion 14R.

[0046] The guide portions 14L and 14R are, for example, plate-shaped metal members.

[0047] 6 to 10, the guide portion 14L has a left side surface S1 and a right side surface S2. The guide portion 14R has a left side surface S3 and a right side surface S4. The left side surface S1 and the right side surface S4 are contact surfaces that come into contact with the graspable member 210 during the connection operation between the first connector 13 and the second connector 23, which will be described later. In other words, the pair of guide portions 14 has a pair of contact surfaces.

[0048] At least one of the pair of contact surfaces (the left side surface S1 and the right side surface S4) includes a flat surface. In this embodiment, the left side surface S1 and the right side surface S4 each include a flat surface.

[0049] 6 to 10, the right side surface S2 of the guide portion 14L and the left side surface S3 of the guide portion 14R face each other in the left-right direction (the longitudinal direction of the device body 10). In addition, the right side surface S2 and the left side surface S3 extend along the front-rear direction (the short side direction of the device body 10) when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

[0050] Because the left side surface S1 is inclined to the right in the front-to-rear direction, the width of the guide portion 14L in the left-to-right direction (the distance between the left side surface S1 and the right side surface S2) becomes narrower as it approaches the device body 10. Also, because the right side surface S4 is inclined to the left in the front-to-rear direction, the width of the guide portion 14R in the left-to-right direction (the distance between the right side surface S4 and the left side surface S3) becomes narrower as it approaches the device body 10. In other words, the distance between the left side surface S1 and the right side surface S4 in the left-to-right direction becomes narrower as it approaches the device body 10.

[0051] The control unit 17 (see FIG. 1) mainly comprises a computer system having one or more processors and a memory. The functions of the control unit 17 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

[0052] 1, the control unit 17 has functions such as a movement control unit 171 and a grip control unit 172. Note that these merely indicate the functions realized by the control unit 17 and do not necessarily indicate actual configurations.

[0053] The movement control unit 171 controls the operation of the left drive wheel unit 15L and the right drive wheel unit 15R based on control commands received by the communication unit 18 (described later) from the higher-level system 3, thereby moving the device main body 10 on the movement plane G1. More specifically, the movement control unit 171 controls the current flowing through the second motor M2L to change the orientation of the left drive wheel 11L, and controls the current flowing through the second motor M2R to change the orientation of the right drive wheel 11R. The movement control unit 171 also controls the current flowing through the first motor M1L to rotate the left drive wheel 11L, and controls the current flowing through the first motor M1R to rotate the right drive wheel 11R.

[0054] The grip control unit 172 controls the grip drive unit 16 based on a control command received by the communication unit 18 from the higher-level system 3, and moves each of the pair of grip units 12 in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the grip control unit 172 moves each of the pair of grip units 12 by the same distance in opposite directions.

[0055] The detection unit 19 detects the behavior of the device main body 10 and the surrounding conditions of the device main body 10. In the present disclosure, "behavior" means movement, posture, etc. In other words, the behavior of the device main body 10 includes the operating state of the device main body 10, which indicates whether the device main body 10 is moving or stopped, the distance traveled and the traveling time of the device main body 10, the speed (and speed change) of the device main body 10, the acceleration acting on the device main body 10, the posture of the device main body 10, etc.

[0056] The detection unit 19 includes, for example, a sensor such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) for detecting objects present around the device main body 10. The detection unit 19 detects the presence or absence of objects around the device main body 10 and, if an object is present, its position, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 17. The control unit 17 can avoid collision with the object based on information about the object detected by the detection unit 19. Note that the detection unit 19 for detecting objects present around the device main body 10 is not limited to LiDAR. This type of sensor may also be a sensor that detects objects using at least one of sound waves, light, and radio waves.

[0057] The communication unit 18 is configured to be able to communicate with the higher-level system 3. In this embodiment, the communication unit 18 communicates with any of a plurality of relay devices 5 installed within a predetermined area in which the transport device 1 moves, by wireless communication using radio waves as a medium. Therefore, the communication unit 18 and the higher-level system 3 communicate indirectly via at least the network NT1 and the relay device 5.

[0058] Each relay device 5 is a device (access point) that relays communication between the communication unit 18 and the upper system 3. The relay device 5 communicates with the upper system 3 via the network NT1. In this embodiment, as an example, wireless communication conforming to standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or unlicensed low-power radio (specified low-power radio) is employed for communication between the relay device 5 and the communication unit 18. Furthermore, the network NT1 is not limited to the Internet, and may be, for example, a local communication network within a predetermined area in which the transport device 1 travels or within the operating company of this predetermined area.

[0059] The power supply PS1 is, for example, a secondary battery. The power supply PS1 directly or indirectly supplies power to the left drive wheel unit 15L, the right drive wheel unit 15R, the control unit 17, the communication unit 18, the detection unit 19, etc. The power supply PS1 may be located outside the conveyance device 1. In other words, the conveyance device 1 may be supplied with power from the external power supply PS1.

[0060] The first connector 13 is a connector for supplying power to the transport object 2. In this embodiment, the functional unit 24 (see FIG. 1 ) of the transport object 2 operates using power supplied from the power source PS1 of the transport device 1 through the first connector 13.

[0061] The first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23 of the transport object 2 as the transport object 2 and the device main body 10 approach each other. In this embodiment, when the device main body 10 cannot move, the transport device 1 pulls in the transport object 2, so that the transport object 2 and the device main body 10 approach each other, and the first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23. The connection between the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 will be described in detail in "(3) Operation example of the transport system."

[0062] The first connector 13 is attached to the rear surface of the device body 10. More specifically, the first connector 13 is located on the rear surface of the device body 10 in an area including the midpoint of the pair of grip portions 12. Here, the midpoint of the pair of grip portions 12 refers to the midpoint of a line segment that virtually connects the left grip portion 12L and the right grip portion 12R in the left-right direction.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 3 , the first connector 13 has a first connection portion 131 and a pair of insertion holes 132 provided on the left and right sides of the first connection portion 131 .

[0064] The first conductive part 8 (see FIG. 1), which is electrically connected to the power supply PS1, is housed inside the first connection part 131. The first connection part 131 also has a plurality of pin holes 133 that communicate with the first conductive part 8 (see FIG. 3).

[0065] A guide pin 234 (see FIG. 4) of the second connector 23 is inserted into the insertion hole 132. The entrance of the insertion hole 132 is tapered so that the guide pin 234 can be easily inserted.

[0066] (2.3) Transfer Target The transfer target 2 is used in the transfer system 100 .

[0067] As shown in Figure 2, the object to be transported 2 has a main body 20, multiple (e.g., four in this embodiment) casters 22, multiple (e.g., a pair in this embodiment) graspable portions 21, and a second connector 23.

[0068] The main body 20 is equipped with a functional unit 24 (see FIG. 1), such as a sensor that detects surrounding obstacles.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 20 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0070] The four casters 22 are provided on the underside of the main body 20. As a result, the object 2 to be transported can be moved on the moving surface G1 by being pulled by the transport device 1.

[0071] 6, the pair of gripped portions 21 are provided on the front surface of the main body 20 so as to be aligned along the longitudinal direction of the main body 20 with a predetermined distance D2 between them. In the following description, of the pair of gripped portions 21, the gripped portion 21 on the left side in FIG. 1 may be referred to as the left gripped portion 21L, and the gripped portion 21 on the right side in FIG. 1 may be referred to as the right gripped portion 21R.

[0072] 4, the graspable portion 21 has a graspable member 210 and a fixed member 211. Here, the left graspable member 210 may be referred to as graspable member 210L, and the right graspable member 210 may be referred to as graspable member 210R.

[0073] The graspable member 210 is a cylindrical member extending in the vertical direction. The graspable member 210 fits into the recess 120 of the gripping portion 12, whereby the graspable member 210 is gripped by the gripping portion 12.

[0074] The fixing member 211 is formed in a substantially U-shape and holds the graspable member 210 by sandwiching both ends of the graspable member 210. The fixing member 211 is detachably attached to the main body 20 while holding the graspable member 210. The fixing member 211 is detachably attached to the main body 20 by a fixing member such as a bolt. In other words, the pair of graspable parts 21 are detachably attached to the main body 20. Note that the fixing member 211 may also be detachably attached to the main body 20 by a snap lock or the like. This allows the pair of graspable parts 21 to be attached to a main body other than the main body 20 (the main body of another transport target 2) at a distance different from the distance D2, thereby improving versatility.

[0075] The second connector 23 is a connector to which the first connector 13 is connected. In this embodiment, the functional unit 24 of the transport object 2 operates using power supplied from the transport device 1 through the first connector 13 and the second connector 23.

[0076] 4, the second connector 23 is attached to the front surface of the main body 20. More specifically, the second connector 23 is attached to the front surface of the main body 20 by an attachment portion 25 in a state in which the second connector 23 can be tilted with respect to a plane intersecting the direction in which the first connector 13 is connected.

[0077] The second connector 23 has a first board 231 , a second board 232 , a second connection portion 233 , and a pair of guide pins 234 provided on the left and right sides of the second connection portion 233 .

[0078] The first substrate 231 is, for example, a plate-shaped member. The first substrate 231 is attached to the front surface of the main body 20 via an attachment portion 25. Here, the attachment portion 25 includes, for example, a spring. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 , the first substrate 231 is attached to an attachment member J1 provided on the front surface of the main body 20 via the attachment portion 25. Here, when no force is applied to the first substrate 231, the first substrate 231 intersects approximately perpendicularly with the direction in which the first connector 13 is connected. When a force is applied to the first substrate 231, the first substrate 231 tilts with respect to a plane that intersects approximately perpendicularly with the direction in which the first connector 13 is connected.

[0079] The second substrate 232 is attached to the front surface of the first substrate 231. The second substrate 232 is, for example, an L-shaped plate member. A second connection portion 233 and a pair of guide pins 234 are fixed to the second substrate 232.

[0080] The second connection portion 233 is fixed to the second substrate 232 with screws or the like. The second connection portion 233 houses a second conductive portion 9 (see FIG. 1 ) electrically connected to the functional portion 24. In addition, a plurality of connection pins 238 electrically connected to the second conductive portion 9 are provided on the surface of the second connection portion 233. The plurality of connection pins 238 are inserted into a plurality of pin holes 133 provided in the first connection portion 131, thereby electrically connecting to the first conductive portion 8.

[0081] The pair of guide pins 234 extend further forward than the multiple connection pins 238 .

[0082] When the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 are connected, the pair of guide pins 234 are each inserted into a pair of insertion holes 132 provided in the first connector 13, thereby determining the position of the second connector 23 relative to the first connector 13.

[0083] (2.4) Host System The host system 3 (see FIG. 1) is a system for controlling the transport device 1, and is realized by, for example, a server device. The host system 3 indirectly controls the transport device 1 by issuing instructions to the transport device 1. Specifically, when the host system 3 issues an instruction to the transport device 1 to transport the object 2 to be transported, the transport device 1 receives the instruction and autonomously performs the transport operation of moving the object 2 to the target position. The host system 3 may be located inside or outside the facility where the transport device 1 performs the transport operation.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 1, the upper system 3 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, and a storage unit 33.

[0085] The communication unit 32 communicates with the transport device 1 via the network NT1 and the relay device 5. As a communication method between the communication unit 32 and the relay device 5, an appropriate communication method such as wireless communication or wired communication is adopted.

[0086] The control unit 31 mainly comprises a computer system including, for example, a memory and a processor. That is, the functions of the control unit 31 are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

[0087] The control unit 31 issues a control instruction (transport instruction) to the transport device 1 via the communication unit 32 to transport the transport target 2. The control unit 31 issues a transport instruction to the transport device 1 to transport the transport target 2, which is located at a certain location within the moving plane G1, to a target position, for example, thereby causing the transport device 1 to transport the transport target 2 to the target position. For example, the control unit 31 transmits a transport instruction to the transport device 1 that includes information on the type of the transport target 2, information on the location where the transport target 2 is located, information on the target position, etc., thereby causing the transport device 1 to perform a gripping operation of gripping the transport target 2 and a transport operation of transporting the gripped transport target 2 to the target position.

[0088] The storage unit 33 includes, for example, a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM, etc. The storage unit 33 stores, for example, the contents of a transport instruction created in advance by a user of the upper system 3 or the like.

[0089] (3) Operation Example of the Conveying System An operation example of the conveying system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 10. Note that in Fig. 5 to Fig. 10, some components of the conveying device 1 and the conveying target 2 are omitted for simplification of the drawings.

[0090] In this operation example, the conveying device 1 moves to grasp the object to be conveyed 2 placed on the moving surface G1, and at this time, the operation of electrically connecting the first connector 13 of the conveying device 1 and the second connector 23 of the object to be conveyed 2 is described.

[0091] In this operation example, in an initial state, the pair of gripped portions 21 (21L, 21R) of the transport target 2 are not gripped by the pair of gripping portions 12 (12L, 12R) of the transport device 1. Also, the transport target 2 is placed on the moving surface G1 in a state where its backward movement is not restricted. That is, in this operation example, the first connector 13 connects with the second connector 23 in a state where the backward movement of the transport target 2 is not restricted.

[0092] In this operation example, as shown in FIG. 5 , in the initial state, the gripping portion 12L and the guide portion 14L connected to the gripping portion 12L are folded so that the tip of the guide portion 14L overlaps the device body 10 in a plan view from above. In the initial state, the gripping portion 12R and the guide portion 14R connected to the gripping portion 12R are folded so that the tip of the guide portion 14R overlaps the device body 10 in a plan view from above. At this time, the pair of guide portions 14 are folded so that they protrude minimally from the device body 10 in a plan view from above. This reduces the probability that a worker or the like will come into contact with the pair of guide portions 14. At this time, the pair of gripping portions 12 and the pair of guide portions 14 are in a different state from the state described in "(2.3) Transported Object."

[0093] First, the control unit 31 of the host system 3 issues a control instruction (transport instruction) to the transport device 1 via the communication unit 32 to transport the object 2 to be transported.

[0094] When the communication unit 18 receives a transport instruction from the upper system 3, the movement control unit 171 moves the device main body 10 to a position (initial position) where the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 are facing each other in the front-to-back direction with a predetermined distance between them, as shown in Figure 5.

[0095] The movement of the device main body 10 to the initial position is controlled based on, for example, the information on the position of the transport target 2 included in the transport instruction, as well as the detection result of the detection unit 19. In other words, the movement control unit 171 stops the device main body 10 when the detection unit 19 detects that the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 are facing each other with a predetermined distance between them.

[0096] Next, the gripping control unit 172 generates a force that moves the left gripping unit 12L to the left. At this time, the left gripping unit 12L and the guide unit 14L rotate about the rotation axis P1 (see FIG. 3) so that the tip of the guide unit 14L does not overlap the device body 10 in a plan view from above, as shown in FIG. 6 . Also, the right gripping unit 12R and the guide unit 14R rotate about the rotation axis P1 so that the tip of the guide unit 14R does not overlap the device body 10 in a plan view from above, as shown in FIG. 6 . In this state, the right side surface S2 of the guide unit 14L and the left side surface S3 of the guide unit 14R face each other in the left-right direction (the longitudinal direction of the device body 10), and the pair of gripping units 12 and the pair of guide units 14 are in the state (turned state) described in "(2.3) Transport Target." The pair of gripping portions 12 and the pair of guide portions 14 are held by the pair of torsion springs B1 in a state in which the right side surface S2 of guide portion 14L and the left side surface S3 of guide portion 14R face each other in the left-right direction. At this time, the first connector 13 has not yet been connected to the second connector 23. In other words, before the first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23, the pair of guide portions 14 change from a state in which at least a portion of the pair of guide portions 14 overlaps with the device main body 10 in a plan view from above to a state in which at least a portion of the pair of guide portions 14 does not overlap with the device main body 10 in a plan view from above.

[0097] Here, the predetermined distance is set to a distance such that, when the right side surface S2 and the left side surface S3 are opposed to each other in the left-right direction, the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 do not come into contact with each other and the pair of guide portions 14 are inserted between the pair of graspable members 210. The predetermined distance is also set to a distance such that, when the right side surface S2 and the left side surface S3 are opposed to each other in the left-right direction, the pair of guide portions 14 do not come into contact with the pair of graspable members 210. In other words, when the device main body 10 moves to the initial position and the right side surface S2 and the left side surface S3 are opposed to each other in the left-right direction, the pair of guide portions 14 are inserted between the pair of graspable members 21 before the pair of gripping portions 12 grasp the pair of graspable members 21.

[0098] In this operation example, when the device main body 10 is in the initial position with the right side surface S2 and the left side surface S3 facing each other in the left-right direction, the right side of the device main body 10 is tilted slightly backward relative to the main body 20 of the object to be transported 2 when viewed from above. In other words, in this operation example, when the device main body 10 is in the initial position with the right side surface S2 and the left side surface S3 facing each other in the left-right direction, the longitudinal direction of the device main body 10 and the longitudinal direction of the main body 20 intersect. Therefore, the distance between the guide portion 14R and the main body 20 is closer than the distance between the guide portion 14L and the main body 20.

[0099] When the device main body 10 stops at the initial position, the movement control unit 171 controls the left drive wheel unit 15L and the right drive wheel unit 15R so that the device main body 10 remains stopped at the initial position until the pair of gripping units 12 grip the pair of gripped units 21. Specifically, when an external force acts on the device main body 10 while the device main body 10 is stopped at the initial position, the movement control unit 171 controls the left drive wheel unit 15L to cause the first motor M1L and the second motor M2L to generate torque that resists the external force. Similarly, when an external force acts on the device main body 10 while the device main body 10 is stopped at the initial position, the movement control unit 171 controls the right drive wheel unit 15R to cause the first motor M1R and the second motor M2R to generate torque that resists the external force. The first motor M1L, the second motor M2L, the first motor M1R, and the second motor M2R may each be equipped with a brake (e.g., an electromagnetic brake) that prevents the motor shaft from rotating. In this case, the movement control unit 171 controls the brakes provided on the first motor M1L, the second motor M2L, the first motor M1R, and the second motor M2R to keep the device main body 10 stopped until the pair of gripping portions 12 grip the pair of gripped portions 21.

[0100] With the right side surface S2 and the left side surface S3 facing each other in the left-right direction, the grip control unit 172 moves the left grip portion 12L to the left and moves the right grip portion 12R to the right. At this time, the grip control unit 172 moves the left grip portion 12L and the right grip portion 12R so that the distance the left grip portion 12L moves leftward and the distance the right grip portion 12R moves rightward are equal.

[0101] 7, when the left gripping portion 12L moves leftward, the guide portion 14L, which moves leftward in conjunction with the left gripping portion 12L, comes into contact with the grasped member 210L. More specifically, the rear end of the left side surface S1 of the guide portion 14L comes into contact with the grasped member 210L. In other words, the left side surface S1 comes into contact with the left grasped portion 21L with the pair of guide portions 14 inserted between the pair of grasped portions 21L.

[0102] Furthermore, when the left gripping portion 12L moves leftward and the right gripping portion 12R moves rightward at the same time, the guide portion 14R, which moves rightward in conjunction with the right gripping portion 12R, approaches the grasped member 210R.

[0103] When the left gripping unit 12L moves further leftward with the rear end of the left side surface S1 in contact with the gripped member 210L, the transport target 2 rotates counterclockwise around the gripped member 210L. At this time, the right gripping unit 12R also moves further rightward, causing the right side surface S4 of the guide unit 14R to come into contact with the gripped member 210R. In other words, the right side surface S4 comes into contact with the right gripped member 21R with the pair of guide units 14 inserted between the pair of gripped members 21.

[0104] As described above, the left side surface S1 is inclined to the right in the front-to-rear direction, and the right side surface S4 is inclined to the left in the front-to-rear direction. As a result, when the left gripping portion 12L moves further left and the right gripping portion 12R moves further right, the grasped member 210L moves toward the device body 10 along the left side surface S1, and the grasped member 210R moves toward the device body 10 along the right side surface S4, as shown in Figure 8. In other words, the pair of gripping portions 12 pull the transport target 2 toward the device body 10 via the pair of guide portions 14 and the pair of grasped portions 21.

[0105] Here, the movement control unit 171 controls the left drive wheel unit 15L and the right drive wheel unit 15R so that the device main body 10 remains stopped at the initial position, and therefore, when the transport object 2 is pulled toward the device main body 10, the possibility of the device main body 10 being pulled toward the transport object 2 can be reduced. Furthermore, because the transport object 2 is pulled toward the device main body 10, there is no need to provide a member (stopper) to prevent the transport object 2 from moving in a direction away from the device main body 10. In other words, the transport object 2 can be positioned and transported with a simple configuration.

[0106] When the pair of gripping units 12 further pull the transport target 2 toward the device body 10 via the pair of gripped portions 21, the recess 120 of the right gripping unit 12R and the gripped member 210R face each other in the left-right direction, as shown in FIG. 9 . When the state shown in FIG. 8 changes to the state shown in FIG. 9 , the pair of gripping units 12 pull the transport target 2 toward the device body 10 via the pair of gripped portions 21 so that the second connector 23 approaches the midpoint of the pair of gripping units 12. As described above, the first connector 13 is located on the rear surface of the device body 10 in an area including the midpoint of the pair of gripping units 12. That is, the pair of gripping units 12 pull the transport target 2 toward the device body 10 via the pair of gripped portions 21 so that the second connector 23 approaches the first connector 13. This allows for correction of misalignment between the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 in the left-right direction.

[0107] 9, when the left gripping portion 12L moves further leftward and the right gripping portion 12R moves further rightward, the right gripping portion 12R begins to grip the right gripped portion 210R. More specifically, the recess 120 of the right gripping portion 12R and the gripped member 210R begin to approach each other in the left-right direction.

[0108] Furthermore, at the same time that the right gripping portion 12R starts gripping the right gripped portion 21R, the insertion of the multiple connection pins 238 into the multiple pin holes 133 begins. That is, at the same time that the right gripping portion 12R starts gripping the right gripped portion 21R, the connection of the first connector 13 to the second connector 23 begins.

[0109] When the left gripping portion 12L moves further leftward and the right gripping portion 12R moves further rightward, the right gripping portion 12R completes gripping the right gripped portion 210R. More specifically, the recess 120 of the right gripping portion 12R fits into the gripped member 210R.

[0110] Then, as the left gripping portion 12L moves further left and the right gripping portion 12R moves further right, the transport object 2 rotates clockwise around the gripped member 210R, which is fitted into the recess 120 of the right gripping portion 12R, as a fulcrum. As a result, the gripped member 210L is further pulled toward the device main body 10 along the left side surface S1, and the recess 120 of the left gripping portion 12L and the gripped member 210L now face each other in the left-right direction.

[0111] As the left gripping portion 12L moves further leftward and the right gripping portion 12R moves further rightward, the left gripping portion 12L begins to grip the left gripped portion 21L. More specifically, the recess 120 of the left gripping portion 12L and the gripped member 210L begin to approach each other in the left-right direction.

[0112] As the left gripping portion 12L moves further leftward and the right gripping portion 12R moves further rightward, the left gripping portion 12L completes gripping the left gripped portion 21L, as shown in Figure 10. More specifically, the recess 120 of the left gripping portion 12L fits into the gripped member 210L. In this way, the transport object 2 is connected to the device body 10 while being positioned relative to the device body 10.

[0113] 10 , the insertion of the multiple connection pins 238 into the multiple pin holes 133 is completed at the same time that the left gripping portion 12L completes gripping the left gripped portion 21L. That is, the connection of the first connector 13 to the second connector 23 is completed at the same time that the left gripping portion 12L completes gripping the left gripped portion 21L. In other words, the first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23 at the same time that the pair of gripping portions 12 grip the pair of gripped portions 21. This allows for a shorter operation time than when the operation of connecting the first connector 13 to the second connector 23 and the operation of gripping the pair of gripped portions 21 by the pair of gripping portions 12 are performed separately.

[0114] 10 , when the pair of gripping portions 12 grip the pair of gripped portions 21, the longitudinal direction of the device body 10 and the longitudinal direction of the body 20 of the transport target 2 are approximately parallel. In this way, even if the device body 10 is tilted with respect to the body 20 of the transport target 2 when the device body 10 is in the initial position, the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 can be connected properly. Note that even if the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 are facing each other but misaligned in the left-right direction when the device body 10 is in the initial position, the pair of gripping portions 12 pull the transport target 2 toward the device body 10 via the pair of gripped portions 21. Furthermore, during the process of being pulled toward the device body 10, the transport target 2 rotates around the gripped members 210L and 210R as fulcrums. These operations correct any left-right misalignment between the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 before the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 are connected, and the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 can be connected normally with the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 facing each other in the front-to-back direction.

[0115] When the pair of gripping parts 12 grip the pair of gripped parts 21, the movement control part 171 moves the device main body 10 forward. As a result, the transport device 1 travels while pulling the transport object 2.

[0116] (4) Modifications The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Furthermore, functions similar to those of the conveying system 100 according to the above embodiment may be embodied in a control method for the conveying device 1, a (computer) program, a non-transitory recording medium on which a computer program is recorded, or the like.

[0117] A control method for a transport device 1 according to one aspect is a control method for a transport device 1 including an apparatus main body 10. The control method for the transport device 1 includes a gripping step in which a pair of grippers 12 of the transport device 1 grip a pair of gripped portions 21 of a transport target 2, respectively, and a positioning step in which the pair of grippers 12 pull the transport target 2 toward the apparatus main body 10 via the pair of gripped portions 21, thereby positioning the transport target 2.

[0118] A control method for a conveying device 1 according to one aspect is a control method for a conveying device 1 including an apparatus main body 10. The control method for the conveying device 1 includes a gripping step in which a pair of gripping parts 12 of the conveying device 1 grip a pair of gripped parts 21 of an object to be conveyed, respectively, and a connecting step in which a first connector 13 that supplies power to the object to be conveyed is connected to a second connector 23 of the object to be conveyed by pulling the object to be conveyed toward the apparatus main body 10 via the pair of gripped parts 21.

[0119] A program according to one aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the above control method.

[0120] Modifications of the embodiment are listed below. The basic example described above and the modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations. In the modifications described below, components common to the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0121] In the above embodiment, after the device body 10 moves to the initial position, the pair of guide portions 14 are rotated so that the right side surface S2 and the left side surface S3 face each other. However, if the distance between the pair of gripped portions 21 is narrow, the pair of guide portions 14 may come into contact with the gripped portions 21 when they attempt to rotate after the device body 10 moves to the initial position. In such a case, the pair of guide portions 14 may be rotated before the device body 10 moves to the initial position. In this case, the pair of guide portions 14 are inserted between the pair of gripped portions 21 in a rotated state as shown in FIG. 3 . This reduces the possibility of the pair of guide portions 14 coming into contact with the pair of gripped portions 21 when the pair of guide portions 14 are rotated.

[0122] At least one of the pair of contact surfaces (left side surface S1 and right side surface S4) may include a curved surface. This increases the contact area between the curved contact surface and the cylindrical graspable member 210, allowing the graspable member 210 to move smoothly along the curved surface of the contact surface. Figure 11 illustrates, as an example, the left gripping portion 12L and guide portion 14L (14La) whose left side surface S1 (S1a) includes a curved surface.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 12, the guide portion 14 and the grip portion 12 may be integrally formed, so that the guide portion 14 and the grip portion 12 are connected to each other.

[0124] In the above embodiment, the first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23 when the device main body 10 is immobile. However, the first connector 13 may be connected to the second connector 23 when the device main body 10 is movable. As an example of a case where the device main body 10 needs to be movable when the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 are connected, consider a case where the transport target 2, which is the component supply device 7, is inserted into the component mounter 6 and its movement in the left-right direction is restricted by the component mounter 6, as shown in FIG. 2 . In this case, depending on the relative positional relationship between the transport device 1 and the transport target 2, it may be necessary for the device main body 10 to also move when connecting the first connector 13 and the second connector 23. In other words, in such a case, the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 are connected when the movement of the device main body 10 is not restricted. The movable state of the device main body 10 is achieved, for example, by not operating the first motor M1L, the second motor M2L, the first motor M1R, and the second motor M2R (not applying torque). In addition, the movable state of the device main body 10 may be realized by torque-free control that controls the torque generated in the first motor M1L, the second motor M2L, the first motor M1R, and the second motor M2R to zero.

[0125] The functions realized by the control unit 17 (the movement control unit 171 and the grip control unit 172) may be realized by a computer system (such as a server) provided outside the conveying device 1.

[0126] The transport system 100 of the present disclosure includes a computer system. The computer system is primarily composed of a processor and memory as hardware. The processor executes a program stored in the memory of the computer system to realize the functions of the transport system 100 of the present disclosure. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, provided via a telecommunications line, or provided in a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive that is readable by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits, such as ICs and LSIs, are referred to by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSIs, very large-scale integrations (VLSIs), or ultra-large-scale integrations (ULSIs). Furthermore, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which are programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or logic devices that allow the reconfiguration of internal connections or internal circuit partitions of the LSI, can also be used as processors. The electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip or distributed across multiple chips. The chips may be integrated into one device or distributed across multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0127] (5) Summary As described above, the transport system (100) of the first aspect includes the device body (10) and a pair of gripping parts (12) attached to the device body (10) and gripping a pair of gripped parts (21) of the transport object (2). The transport object (2) is positioned by the pair of gripping parts (12) pulling the transport object (2) toward the device body (10) via the pair of gripped parts (21).

[0128] According to this aspect, the pair of gripping parts (12) pull the transport object (2) toward the device main body (10) via the pair of gripped parts (21), so there is no need to provide a member to prevent the transport object (2) from moving in a direction away from the device main body (10). This makes it possible to position the transport object (2) with a simple configuration.

[0129] The transport system (100) of the second aspect is the first aspect, and further includes a first connector (13) that supplies power to the transport object (2). The first connector (13) is connected to a second connector (23) of the transport object (2) by the pair of gripping parts (12) pulling the transport object (2) toward the device main body (10) via the pair of gripped parts (21).

[0130] According to this aspect, the pair of gripping portions (12) pull the transport object (2) toward the device main body (10) via the pair of gripped portions (21), eliminating the need for a member to prevent the transport object (2) from moving away from the device main body (10). This makes it possible to connect the first connector (13) for supplying power to the transport object (2) with a simple configuration.

[0131] The transport system (100) of the third aspect is the same as that of the first or second aspect, and further includes a pair of guide portions (14) connected to the pair of gripping portions (12), respectively. The pair of guide portions (14) are inserted between the pair of gripped portions (21) before the pair of gripping portions (12) grip the pair of gripped portions (21). The pair of guide portions (14) have a pair of contact surfaces (S1, S4) that respectively come into contact with the pair of gripped portions (21) when the pair of guide portions (14) are inserted between the pair of gripped portions (21). The distance between the pair of contact surfaces (S1, S4) becomes narrower as they are closer to the device main body (10).

[0132] According to this aspect, when the pair of contact surfaces (S1, S4) are in contact with the pair of gripped portions (21), respectively, the spacing between the pair of gripping portions (12) widens, and the pair of gripping portions (12) can pull the transport object (2) toward the device main body (10) via the pair of guide portions (14) and the pair of gripped portions (21).

[0133] In the conveying system (100) of the fourth aspect, in the second aspect, the first connector (13) is connected to the second connector (23) at the same time that the pair of gripping portions (12) grip the pair of gripped portions (21).

[0134] According to this aspect, the work time can be shortened compared to when the connecting operation between the first connector (13) and the second connector (23) and the gripping operation of the pair of gripped portions (21) by the pair of gripping portions (12) are performed separately.

[0135] In the transport system (100) of the fifth aspect, in the third aspect, at least one of the pair of contact surfaces (S1, S4) includes a flat surface.

[0136] According to this aspect, at least one of the pair of contact surfaces (S1, S4) can be easily formed.

[0137] In the transport system (100) of the sixth aspect, in the third aspect, at least one of the pair of contact surfaces (S1, S4) includes a curved surface.

[0138] According to this aspect, the contact area between the curved contact surface of the pair of contact surfaces (S1, S4) and the cylindrically shaped graspable member (210) is increased, allowing the graspable member (210) to move smoothly along the curved surface of the contact surface.

[0139] In the transport system (100) of the seventh aspect, in the second or fourth aspect, the first connector (13) is connected to the second connector (23) in a state in which the device main body (10) cannot move.

[0140] According to this aspect, when the object to be conveyed (2) is drawn into the device body (10), the possibility that the device body (10) is drawn into the object to be conveyed (2) can be reduced.

[0141] In the transport system (100) of the eighth aspect, in the second or fourth aspect, the first connector (13) is connected to the second connector (23) while the device body (10) is in a movable state.

[0142] According to this aspect, when the movement of the object to be conveyed (2) in a specific direction is restricted, the first connector (13) and the second connector (23) can be connected.

[0143] In the transfer system (100) of the ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, at least one of the pair of gripped parts (21) has a cylindrical gripped member (210).

[0144] According to this aspect, the movement of the grasped member (210) along the guide portion (14) can be stabilized.

[0145] In the conveying system (100) of the tenth aspect, in the second or fourth aspect, the pair of gripping portions (12) pull the object to be conveyed (2) toward the device main body (10) via the pair of gripped portions (21) so that the second connector (23) approaches the midpoint of the pair of gripping portions (12).

[0146] According to this aspect, it is possible to correct misalignment of the second connector (23) with respect to the pair of gripping portions (12) in the left-right direction.

[0147] In the transport system (100) of the eleventh aspect, in the tenth aspect, the first connector (13) is located in a region including the midpoint of the pair of gripping portions (12).

[0148] According to this aspect, misalignment in the left-right direction between the first connector (13) and the second connector (23) can be corrected.

[0149] In the transport system (100) of the twelfth aspect, in any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the transport target (2) further includes a main body (20). The pair of gripped parts (21) are detachably attached to the main body (20).

[0150] According to this aspect, a pair of gripped portions (21) can be attached to a main body (main body of another transport object (2)) other than the main body (20) at a distance different from the distance (D2), thereby improving versatility.

[0151] The conveyance system (100) of the thirteenth aspect is the second or fourth aspect, further comprising a pair of guide portions (14) respectively connected to the pair of gripping portions (12). Before the first connector (13) is connected to the second connector (23), the pair of guide portions (14) change from a state in which at least a portion of the pair of guide portions (14) overlaps with the device main body (10) in a plan view from one direction to a state in which at least a portion of the pair of guide portions (14) does not overlap with the device main body (10) in a plan view from one direction.

[0152] According to this aspect, the probability that a worker or the like will come into contact with the pair of guide portions (14) can be reduced.

[0153] A conveying device (1) of a fourteenth aspect is used in the conveying system (100) of any one of the first to thirteenth aspects. The conveying device (1) includes a device body (10) and a pair of gripping parts (12).

[0154] According to this aspect, the pair of gripping parts (12) pull the transport object (2) toward the device main body (10) via the pair of gripped parts (21), so there is no need to provide a member to prevent the transport object (2) from moving in a direction away from the device main body (10). This makes it possible to position the transport object (2) with a simple configuration.

[0155] The object to be conveyed (2) of the fifteenth aspect is used in the conveyance system (100) of any one of the first to thirteenth aspects. The object to be conveyed (2) has a pair of gripped parts (21).

[0156] According to this aspect, the pair of gripping parts (12) pull the transport object (2) toward the device main body (10) via the pair of gripped parts (21), so there is no need to provide a member to prevent the transport object (2) from moving in a direction away from the device main body (10). This makes it possible to position the transport object (2) with a simple configuration.

[0157] A sixteenth aspect of the control method for a conveying device is a control method for a conveying device (1) including an apparatus main body (10). The control method for the conveying device (1) includes a gripping step in which a pair of gripping parts (12) of the conveying device (1) grip a pair of gripped parts (21) of an object to be conveyed (2), respectively, and a positioning step in which the pair of gripping parts (12) pull the object to be conveyed (2) toward the apparatus main body (10) via the pair of gripped parts (21), thereby positioning the object to be conveyed (2).

[0158] According to this aspect, the pair of gripping parts (12) pull the transport object (2) toward the device main body (10) via the pair of gripped parts (21), so there is no need to provide a member to prevent the transport object (2) from moving in a direction away from the device main body (10). This makes it possible to position the transport object (2) with a simple configuration.

[0159] A seventeenth aspect of the control method for a conveying device is a control method for a conveying device (1) including an apparatus main body (10). The control method for the conveying device (1) includes a gripping step in which a pair of gripping parts (12) of the conveying device (1) respectively grip a pair of gripped parts (21) of an object to be conveyed (2), and a connecting step in which a first connector (13) that supplies power to the object to be conveyed (2) is connected to a second connector (23) of the object to be conveyed (2) by pulling the object to be conveyed (2) toward the apparatus main body (10) via the pair of gripped parts (21).

[0160] According to this aspect, the pair of gripping portions (12) pull the transport object (2) toward the device main body (10) via the pair of gripped portions (21), eliminating the need for a member to prevent the transport object (2) from moving away from the device main body (10). This makes it possible to connect the first connector (13) for supplying power to the transport object (2) with a simple configuration.

[0161] A program according to an eighteenth aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the method for controlling a transport device according to the sixteenth or seventeenth aspect.

[0162] The gripped part (21) of the nineteenth aspect is used in the transport system (100) of any one of the first to thirteenth aspects.

[0163] The gripping portion (12) of the twentieth aspect is used in the transport system (100) of any one of the first to thirteenth aspects.

[0164] A component mounting system (200) of a 21st aspect includes a component mounter (6) that mounts components on a board, and a component supply device (7) that supplies components to the component mounter (6). The component supply device (7) is a transport target (2) that is positioned by a pair of grippers (12) included in the transport system (100) of any of the first to thirteenth aspects pulling the component supply device (7) toward the device main body (10) via a pair of gripped parts (21).

[0165] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Conveying device 2 Conveyed object 6 Component mounter 7 Component supplying device 10 Device main body 12 Gripper 13 First connector 14 Guide S1 Contact surface S4 Contact surface 20 Main body 21 Gripped part 23 Second connector 100 Conveying system 210 Gripped member D2 Distance

Claims

1. A transport system comprising: an apparatus main body; and a pair of gripping parts attached to the apparatus main body and respectively gripping a pair of gripped parts of an object to be transported, wherein the object to be transported is positioned by the pair of gripping parts pulling the object to be transported towards the apparatus main body via the pair of gripped parts.

2. The transport system according to claim 1, further comprising a first connector that supplies power to the transport object, wherein the first connector is connected to a second connector of the transport object by the pair of gripping parts pulling the transport object towards the device main body via the pair of gripped parts.

3. A conveying system as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a pair of guide parts respectively connected to the pair of gripping parts, the pair of guide parts being inserted between the pair of gripped parts before the pair of gripping parts grip the pair of gripped parts, the pair of guide parts having a pair of contact surfaces which respectively come into contact with the pair of gripped parts when the pair of guide parts are inserted between the pair of gripped parts, and the distance between the pair of contact surfaces becoming narrower the closer they are to the device main body.

4. The transport system according to claim 2, wherein the first connector is connected to the second connector at the same time that the pair of gripping parts grip the pair of gripped parts.

5. The transport system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the pair of contact surfaces includes a flat surface.

6. The transport system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the pair of contact surfaces includes a curved surface.

7. The conveyance system according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the first connector is connected to the second connector in a state in which the device main body cannot move.

8. The conveyance system according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the first connector is connected to the second connector while the device main body is in a movable state.

9. A conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein at least one of the pair of gripped parts has a cylindrical gripped member.

10. A conveying system according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the pair of gripping parts pull the object to be conveyed towards the device main body via the pair of gripped parts so that the second connector approaches the midpoint of the pair of gripping parts.

11. The transport system according to claim 10, wherein the first connector is located in an area including the midpoint of the pair of gripping portions.

12. A conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the object to be conveyed further comprises a main body, and the pair of gripped parts are detachably attached to the main body.

13. A conveying system as described in claim 2 or 4, further comprising a pair of guide portions respectively connected to the pair of gripping portions, wherein the pair of guide portions change from a state in which at least a portion of the pair of guide portions overlaps with the device main body in a planar view from one direction to a state in which at least a portion of the pair of guide portions does not overlap with the device main body in a planar view from the one direction before the first connector is connected to the second connector.

14. A conveying device used in the conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising the device body and the pair of gripping parts.

15. A transport object used in the transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising the pair of gripped parts.

16. A control method for a conveying device equipped with an apparatus main body, comprising: a gripping step in which a pair of gripping parts of the conveying device respectively grip a pair of gripped parts of an object to be conveyed; and a positioning step in which the pair of gripping parts position the object to be conveyed by pulling the object to be conveyed toward the apparatus main body via the pair of gripped parts.

17. A control method for a conveying device equipped with a device main body, comprising: a gripping step in which a pair of gripping parts of the conveying device respectively grip a pair of gripped parts of an object to be conveyed; and a connection step in which a first connector that supplies power to the object to be conveyed is connected to a second connector of the object to be conveyed by pulling the object to the device main body side via the pair of gripped parts.

18. A program for causing one or more processors to execute the control method according to claim 16 or 17.

19. A grasped part used in the transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

20. A gripping unit used in the transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

21. A component mounting system comprising: a component mounter that mounts components on a board; and a component supply device that supplies the components to the component mounter, wherein the component supply device is the transport object that is positioned by being pulled toward the device main body via the pair of grippers provided in the transport system described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

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