Robot Article Accumulation Layout for Precise Discharge Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional article accumulating apparatuses risk unnecessary discharge of articles when a parallel robot fails to pick them up, leading to inefficiencies and potential loss of articles.
Innovation Solution
An article accumulating apparatus with a conveyance unit, a robot for transferring articles to an accumulation unit, and a discharge unit disposed within the robot's movable range, equipped with an air-jet device to discharge articles only when the robot cannot handle them, and a control unit for precise judgment based on article position detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the discharge unit is disposed upstream of the robot movable range, then articles that cannot be picked up can be discharged in time, but articles that should be transferred may be needlessly discharged
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of disposing the discharge unit upstream of the robot movable range (conventional approach), the patent inverts the arrangement by placing the discharge unit within the robot movable range at the downstream end. This allows the system to wait longer to make discharge decisions, improving judgment accuracy while maintaining reliable article transfer.
2Measurement precision
If the discharge unit is disposed within the robot movable range, then judgment precision is improved, but the article conveyance distance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the discharge unit at the downstream end within the robot's movable range, utilizing the spatial dimension effectively. This arrangement extends the observation period for article transfer feasibility without significantly increasing the overall system footprint, as the discharge unit leverages the existing robot workspace volume.
3Measurement precision
If the robot movable range is extended to accommodate the discharge unit, then discharge judgment accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot's movable range is designed to serve dual purposes: both article transfer and discharge unit access. By positioning the discharge unit within the existing robot workspace, the system eliminates the need for separate mechanisms or extended ranges, maintaining device simplicity while achieving precise discharge judgment.
Data Source
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AI summary
An article accumulating apparatus that uses a robot (30) to transfer to a predetermined location and accumulate an article conveyed thereto is disclosed. The article accumulating apparatus includes a conveyance unit (10), an accumulation unit (20), and a discharge unit (40). The conveyance unit (10) is configured to convey the article. The accumulation unit (20) is disposed in series with the conveyance unit (10) and is configured to accumulate the article. The discharge unit (40) is configured to discharge the article in the conveyance unit (10) to an area outside the accumulation unit (20). The discharge unit (40) is disposed in a robot (30) movable range that is a range in which the robot (30) holds and transfers the article to the accumulation unit.