JP3032131B2 - Robot cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to a cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to a robot cleaning apparatus for cleaning the inside of a raw material processing apparatus for heating and mixing or filling food raw materials with a robot.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, liquid foods such as curries, soups and sauces, pasty foods such as pastes, pastes such as pastes, pastes such as grated garlic, toothpastes, detergents, shampoos and the like are manufactured in factories. There are known a continuous production system in which the raw materials are continuously fed by connecting the core manufacturing devices with a transfer pipe, and a batch system in which the raw materials are fed by a fixed amount without using a pipe to produce the raw materials. The serial production method is suitable for mass production of the same product, but when one product is completed and then another different product is manufactured,
The raw material remaining in the pipe is wasted, and a pipe switching operation is required for cleaning the inside of the pipe. On the other hand, the batch method does not have the above-mentioned problems, and thus is suitable for efficiently producing a wide variety of foods. However, in the batch method, when one product is completed and then a different product is manufactured, the inside of the raw material processing apparatus must be cleaned each time the process is switched. Conventionally, such a cleaning operation has been performed manually. That is, the cleaning liquid is ejected toward the cleaning portion by a hose or the like, and the cleaning liquid is applied to the adhered substance to remove the cleaning liquid.

[0003]

However, such manual cleaning has the following problems. (1) In the case of multi-product small-quantity production, it is necessary to wash each time a product is switched. However, if all the operations are performed manually, it takes time and reduces the efficiency of the entire production. (2) If the area to be washed is above the head, it is difficult to wash it, and the washing liquid may be bathed by itself.
The working environment was very bad. In addition, the washing liquid scattered around and was unsanitary. (3) When the object to be cleaned has a complicated shape such as a screw-shaped stirring blade, uneven cleaning is likely to occur. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a robot cleaning apparatus capable of efficiently cleaning the inside of a raw material processing apparatus without leakage using a robot.

[0004]

According to the present invention, there is provided a robot cleaning apparatus for cleaning a raw material processing apparatus having a raw material processing container and a lid on an upper side thereof, and a stirrer for stirring the raw material hanging on an inner wall of the lid. In the apparatus, a cleaning unit provided with a cleaning robot and having a function of sealing the inside of the raw material processing apparatus, and a cleaning liquid, air, various control signals, and the like, which are disposed in the raw material processing apparatus, are supplied to the cleaning unit. A supply control unit for carrying out, a transport vehicle for transporting the cleaning unit between a standby position of the cleaning unit and the raw material processing device, and the supply control unit to the cleaning unit disposed in the raw material processing device. Connecting means for connecting, the raw material processing apparatus, the cleaning unit,
A robot cleaning device, further comprising a monitoring control unit that monitors and controls the transport vehicle. The embodiments of the present invention are as follows. The cleaning robot,
It is characterized by having a pedestal mount. The washing unit has a means for receiving power supply in a non-contact manner.

[0005]

According to the present invention, the cleaning section is transported by the transport vehicle to the lower part of the raw material processing apparatus to be cleaned, and is installed at a predetermined position. Then, the closed cover of the cleaning container is raised, and a closed space is created in the raw material processing apparatus by combination with the lid. Next, the supply control unit is connected to the cleaning unit arranged in the raw material processing apparatus by a connection unit, and the cleaning robot is operated according to a preset program to spray and wash the cleaning liquid. The status of transport and cleaning of these cleaning units is monitored by monitoring control means. According to the present invention, during the washing operation, the sealing cover can prevent the washing water and the like from splashing to the outside, and can collect the water, the washed raw materials and the like without flowing down to the floor. According to the present invention, it is also possible to freely operate a nozzle or the like attached to the tip of the cleaning robot to an arbitrary position, and to reliably and easily clean even a difficult-to-clean position while avoiding obstacles. be able to. ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to embodiment of this invention, electricity can be received from a raw material processing apparatus in a non-contact manner, and an excellent waterproofing effect can be achieved without causing a problem of electric leakage or electric shock.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a robot cleaning apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a robot cleaning apparatus A according to the present invention is installed in a raw material processing apparatus B. Here, the raw material processing apparatus B is a casing-shaped apparatus for mixing or filling a food raw material such as a powder or liquid. As shown in FIG. 1, the raw material processing apparatus B includes a lid 40 on the upper side, and a stirrer 41 for stirring the food raw material supplied from the raw material input port 40 a is hung downward on the inner wall of the lid 40. ing. The stirrer 41 is
Rotating shaft 41 rotatably attached to the inner wall of lid 40
a and a plurality of stirring blades 41b integrally attached to the rotating shaft 41a. The stirring blade 41b is rotated by a drive motor 41c provided on an upper portion of the lid 40.
When a food material is stirred by using the material processing apparatus B, as shown in FIG. 2A, an unmanned automatic transport vehicle C on which an empty ball-shaped raw material container 42 is placed is moved to a raw material processing apparatus. The raw material container 42 is transported to a lower position through the entrance 43 of the processing apparatus B, and is raised to a position surrounding the periphery of the stirrer 41 to seal the inside of the raw material processing apparatus B. Next, the powder and liquid as raw materials of the food to be manufactured are fed into the raw material container 42 installed in the raw material processing apparatus B through the raw material input port 40a of the lid 40, and are stirred by the stirrer 41. Mixed.

In the raw material processing apparatus B, since extra raw materials are attached to the stirring blades 41b of the stirrer 41, etc., when one product is completed and then a different product is manufactured,
Each time the switching is performed, the inside of the raw material processing apparatus B must be cleaned. The robot cleaning apparatus A of the present invention automatically performs this cleaning work without requiring any human labor. The robot cleaning apparatus A according to the present invention includes a substantially rectangular base 1,
A cylindrical cleaning container 2 provided on a base 1 and formed with an open top, and an arm rotating base 3 mounted on the base 1 inside the cleaning container 2 so as to be rotatable in a horizontal direction. And a cleaning robot 4 fixedly mounted on the arm rotation table 3. An acrylic hermetic cover 5 formed in a cylindrical shape is fitted on the inner wall of the washing container 2 so as to be vertically movable. A cover elevating cylinder 6 is provided at the bottom of the washing container 2, and the tip of a rod 6 a of the cover elevating cylinder 6 is attached to a lower part of the sealing cover 5 so that the sealing cover 5 can be moved up and down by expansion and contraction of the rod 6 a. I have. The sealing cover 5 helps prevent washing water or the like from splashing outside during the washing operation. A first leg 7 for mounting on a positioning projection 44 (FIG. 2B) provided at a predetermined position on the floor of the raw material processing apparatus B on the bottom of the base 1;
And a second leg 8 to be mounted on an automatic carrier C described later.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning robot 4 comprises:
A frame 10 provided on the arm rotation table 3 so as to be able to move up and down;
An articulated arm mechanism including a plurality of rotating arms 11 and a joint 12 connecting the rotating arms 11 is provided. Each rotating arm 11 is pivotally connected to the joint 12 as a fulcrum. The lower part of each rotary arm 11 is configured to be rotatable in the horizontal direction about its axis. And
As shown in FIG. 5, a spray gun 13 for spraying the cleaning liquid to a predetermined location is held by the rotary arm 11 at the most distal end. The cleaning robot 4 is preferably small and lightweight (for example, an arm length of 950 mm and a weight of about 3
0 kg), the cleaning process is programmed in advance, and can be remotely controlled by a handy operating device (not shown) such as the line monitoring control panel 33 or a remote controller. There are a case where it is installed concentrically with the rotating shaft 41a of the washing robot 4 or the stirrer 41 (FIGS. 7, 8, and 9) and a case where it is installed eccentrically (FIGS. 10, 11, and 12). FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing the internal structure of the arm turntable 3 when the cleaning robot 4 is installed eccentrically with the rotation shaft 41a of the stirrer 41. Referring to FIG. 6, the arm rotation base 3 is attached to the base 1.
A rotating shaft 20 extending vertically in the center of the rotating shaft;
Micro drive motor 21 for driving the rotating shaft 2
0, a cylindrical rotating case 22 attached to the top of
The rotating case 2 provided below the plane portion of the rotating case 22
2 has a rotating plate 23 extending in the radial direction, and an arm carriage 24 provided at a lower portion of a peripheral portion of the rotating plate 23. A bevel gear 25 is attached to the rotating shaft 20, and the bevel gear 25 and a bevel gear 26 attached to the drive shaft 21 a of the drive motor 21 mesh with each other. To rotate the arm turntable 3. Wheels 27 for rotating and traveling on the base 1 are provided below the arm cart 24. Arm cart 24
A pneumatic cylinder 28 for raising and lowering the above-described cleaning robot 4 is provided at a central portion of the cleaning robot 4.

Guide member 2 having guide rail 29a
Reference numeral 9 stands at an appropriate position on the periphery of the gantry 10 of the cleaning robot 4. A protrusion 10 provided on the side of the gantry 10 of the cleaning robot 4 to support the cleaning robot 4
a is slidably received in the guide rail 29a of the guide member. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 30 denotes a pipe connecting the cleaning robot and various devices. Since the robot cleaning apparatus A of the present invention is transported by the automatic transport vehicle C, it is difficult to move the robot cleaning apparatus A while being attached to a hose for cleaning liquid or an electric cord. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, a supply unit 34 having a connector 34 a for supplying a cleaning liquid, air, various control signals, and the like is provided at a lower portion on the entrance 43 side of the raw material processing apparatus B. A water tank 31a, a hot water tank 31b, a detergent tank 31c, an air supply compressor 32, and the like, which are provided outside, are connected to the supply section 34 by a hose 32a, and a power supply device (not shown) and a robot cleaning device A. The line monitoring control panel 33 for controlling the raw material processing apparatus B and the automatic transport vehicle C, and the supply unit 3
4 is electrically connected by a control signal cable 33a. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 31d denotes a cleaning liquid switching device for adjusting the amount of detergent and liquid. Further, an outlet (not shown) for washing water is provided at the bottom of the washing container 2, and when the washing container 2 is located at a predetermined position for washing, a drain pipe (not shown) is provided at the outlet. Are connected.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, an arm control box 35 is provided on the base 1, and the arm control box 35 is integrally provided with a connection portion 36 having a connector 36a. Then, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 13,
When the robot cleaning device A unloaded from the automatic carrier is installed at a predetermined position in the raw material processing device B, the connecting portion 36 between the supply portion 34 of the raw material processing device B and the arm control box 35
And the corresponding connectors 34a and 36a are connected to each other. A well-known waterproof structure is used for a connector for an electric signal and a power supply so as not to cause an electric leakage, an electric shock, or the like. In FIG. 13, reference numeral 34b denotes an alignment pin. Next, the operation of the robot control device A of the present invention will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2 (B), the automatic transport vehicle C on which the robot cleaning device A is mounted is transported to a lower portion in the raw material processing device B to be cleaned. And the automatic guided vehicle C
Then, the robot cleaning device A is lowered, and as shown in FIG. 2C, the first leg 7 of the base 1 is placed on the positioning projection 44 provided on the floor. At that time, the raw material processing device B
The supply section 34 and the connection section 36 of the arm control box 35 are in surface contact, and the various connectors 34a and 36a are connected to each other (FIG. 1). Then, the lifting / lowering cylinder 6 is operated,
The rod 6a of the cylinder 6 is extended to raise the sealing cover 5, and the upper edge of the sealing cover 5 is brought into contact with the inner surface of the lid 40, thereby creating a sealed space in the raw material processing apparatus B.

Next, the cleaning robot 4 is operated, and the rotating arm 11 is rotated and turned in accordance with a preset program to move the cleaning robot 4 to a predetermined washable location.
Position. Then, cleaning water is sprayed from the spray gun 13 to a desired cleaning location. As described above, the cleaning robot 4 can be moved up and down by the pneumatic cylinder 28, can be rotated 180 ° in the horizontal direction by the arm turntable 3, and has a plurality of rotating arms 1 by the articulated arm mechanism.
1 can rotate and turn. With such a configuration, the spray gun 13 (nozzle) attached to the tip of the cleaning robot 4 can be freely operated to any position, and the stirring blade 41b of the stirrer 41 is avoided while avoiding the stirring blade 41b having a complicated shape. Overlapping part, stirring blade 41b
A portion that is difficult to clean, such as a gap between the cover and the lid portion 40, can be reliably and easily cleaned without requiring any manual operation. 7 to 9 show a state in which the cleaning is performed by the cleaning robot 4 installed concentrically with the rotating shaft 41a of the stirrer 41. FIGS. 7 and 8 show the tip of the stirring blade 41b. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the lid 40 is being cleaned.
Shows a state in which the raw material inlet 40a is being cleaned. FIG.
12 show a state in which the cleaning is performed by the cleaning robot 4 eccentrically mounted on the rotating shaft 41a of the stirrer 41, and FIG.
0a is being cleaned, and FIG.
FIG. 12 shows a state in which the rotating shaft 41 is being cleaned.
It shows a state where the base portion of a is being washed.

After the washing is completed, the rod 6a of the elevating cylinder 6 is shortened, and the hermetic cover 5 is lowered to be housed in the washing container 2. Next, the robot cleaning device A is mounted again on the automatic transport vehicle C, and is transported by the automatic transport vehicle C to another raw material processing device to be next cleaned. According to the present invention, since the inside of the raw material processing apparatus B can be automatically cleaned without requiring any manpower, the cleaning operation can be performed efficiently. Further, even if the object to be cleaned has a complicated shape like the stirring blade 41b, the cleaning robot 4 operates according to a program stored in advance, so that cleaning without leakage can be performed. In addition, the sealing cover 5 and the lid 40
Since the washing operation is performed by creating a closed space in combination with the cleaning liquid, the washing liquid does not scatter to the surroundings and is sanitary. In addition, water, washed raw materials and the like can be collected without flowing down to the floor. While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, various changes may be made to the embodiment disclosed within the scope of the technical matters described in the claims without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Can be. For example, in order to further increase the waterproofness of the supply section 34 of the raw material processing apparatus B and the connection section 36 of the arm control box 35, the power may be supplied in a non-contact manner instead of a method of supplying power or the like by a connector. FIG. 14 shows an example in which a coil 37 connected to an external power supply unit 34 is provided in a supply unit 34 of the raw material processing apparatus B, while the arm control box 3
A coil 38 that receives supply of electricity from the supply unit 34 in a non-contact manner by electromagnetic induction is provided in the connection unit 36 of No. 5. Transmission and reception of electric signals can be performed using a wireless device, an infrared device, or the like.

[0013]

According to the present invention, there are excellent effects as described below. (1) By installing a supply control unit for supplying the cleaning liquid, air, various control signals, etc. in the raw material processing apparatus, the structure is complicated, the manufacturing cost is high, and the operation management is difficult, and the cleaning unit is light and small. Therefore, the cleaning unit can be easily transported and the robot cleaning device can be effectively operated. (2) Since the inside of the raw material processing apparatus can be automatically cleaned without any protruding persons, the cleaning operation can be performed efficiently. (3) Even if the object to be cleaned has a complicated shape such as a stirring blade, the cleaning robot is used, so that cleaning without leakage can be performed. (4) Since the sealing work is performed by creating a sealed space by combining the sealing cover and the lid, the cleaning liquid does not scatter around and is sanitary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a robot cleaning device is installed below a raw material processing device.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a state in which a raw material container is installed in a raw material processing apparatus by an automatic transport vehicle. (B)
It is a perspective view showing the state where a robot cleaning device is conveyed by an automatic conveyance vehicle. (C) is a perspective view showing a state where the robot cleaning device is installed in the raw material processing device by the automatic transport vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view showing the internal structure of the robot cleaning device.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the internal structure of the robot cleaning device.

FIG. 5A is a plan view showing a spray gun attached to the tip of a rotating arm, and FIG. 5B is a side view showing the spray gun.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing the internal structure of the arm rotation table.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which the tip of the stirring blade is being washed by a washing robot installed concentrically with the rotation shaft of the stirrer.

FIG. 8 shows a state in which the tip of the stirring blade is being cleaned by a cleaning robot installed concentrically with the rotating shaft of the stirrer.

FIG. 9 shows a state in which the raw material inlet of the lid is being cleaned by a cleaning robot installed concentrically with the rotation shaft of the stirrer.

FIG. 10 shows a state in which the raw material inlet of the lid is being cleaned by a cleaning robot installed eccentrically with the rotation shaft of the stirrer.

FIG. 11 shows a state in which a stirring blade is being washed by a washing robot installed eccentrically to the rotation shaft of the stirrer.

FIG. 12 shows a state in which the base of the rotating shaft is being washed by a washing robot installed eccentrically with the rotating shaft of the stirrer.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a connection part of the arm control box and a supply part of the raw material processing apparatus.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a unit for receiving supply of electricity to a supply unit from an external power supply device in a non-contact manner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A: Robot cleaning device B: Raw material processing device C: Automatic carrier 1 ... Base 2 ... Cleaning container 3 ... Arm rotating table 4 ... Cleaning robot 5 ... Sealing cover 6 ... Cover elevating cylinder 40 ... Lid 40a ... Raw material inlet 41 ... Agitator 41a ... Rotating shaft 41b ... Agitating blade 43 ... Entrance

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Nagashima 1-1 1-1 Wadazakicho, Hyogo-ku, Hyogo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo Inside Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Kobe Shipyard (72) Inventor Isao Ito, Hyogo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo 7-14, Wadamiya-dori 7-14 Nishiryo Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroshi Mizobuchi 1-5-7, Mikiteisakaecho, Higashi-Osaka-shi, Osaka House Foods Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hitoshi Iwata Higashi-Osaka, Osaka 1-5-7, Mikitei Sakaecho, Ichigo-shi House Foods Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-8-188227 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B08B 3/00 -3/14

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A robot cleaning apparatus for cleaning a raw material processing apparatus comprising a raw material processing container and a lid on the upper side thereof, wherein a stirrer for stirring the raw material is hung on an inner wall of the lid. And a cleaning unit having a function of sealing the inside of the raw material processing apparatus, and a supply control unit disposed in the raw material processing apparatus, and for supplying a cleaning liquid, air, various control signals, and the like to the cleaning unit, A transport vehicle that transports the cleaning unit between a standby position of the cleaning unit and the raw material processing device; a connection unit that connects the supply control unit to the cleaning unit disposed in the raw material processing device; Monitors the processing device, the washing unit, and the transport vehicle
A robot cleaning device comprising a monitoring control means for performing control. 2. The robot cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning robot has a mount that can be moved up and down. 3. The robot cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit includes a unit that receives power supply in a non-contact manner.