JP7607922B2 - Manufacturing line cleaning device and manufacturing line cleaning method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a manufacturing line cleaning device and a manufacturing line cleaning method.

The production line has a transport section such as a conveyor along which the goods being manufactured are transported. When it is time to clean the production line, such as when the manufacture of the goods is completed, the production line is cleaned by workers to remove dirt caused by raw materials or parts of the goods adhering to the conveyor as the goods being manufactured are transported.

For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose cleaning devices in which a robot having a nozzle (spraying portion) at the tip of an arm that sprays a cleaning liquid cleans an object to be cleaned.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an unmanned cleaning device in which a robot having a nozzle at the tip of an arm for spraying a cleaning solution or a disinfectant solution is mounted on a vehicle body that runs on battery power. This unmanned cleaning device is remotely controlled to clean or disinfect livestock sheds.

For example, the robot described in Patent Document 2 is equipped with a cleaning nozzle and an air blowing nozzle at the tip of the arm, and is configured to be able to spray either cleaning liquid or air by switching between them.

Patent No. 5303670 Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-107758

However, when the cleaning device described in Patent Document 2 is applied to cleaning a manufacturing line, the operator must manually rinse the cleaning liquid and dry the cleaning liquid by draining it off. In addition, when the cleaning device described in Patent Document 2 is applied to cleaning a manufacturing line, the cleaning device performs the cleaning by spraying the cleaning liquid and the drying by blowing air, so if the cleaning liquid is water, the manual work burden on the operator can be significantly reduced. However, the cleaning effect of cleaning the manufacturing line with only water is not sufficient to remove oil stains. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the line with a cleaning liquid containing detergent, and in this case, the rinsing work of the cleaning liquid must be performed manually by the operator. Thus, when the conventional cleaning device is applied to cleaning a manufacturing line, there is a problem in that it is difficult to achieve both a high cleaning effect that can sufficiently remove oil stains and the like and a sufficient reduction in the manual work burden on the operator even when cleaning by spraying a cleaning liquid containing detergent.

The means for solving the above problems and their effects will be described below.
A cleaning device for a production line that solves the above-mentioned problems is a cleaning device for a production line comprising a plurality of jetting units each spraying different types of fluid, a robot arm having the plurality of jetting units, a cart on which the robot arm is mounted, a control unit that controls the plurality of jetting units and the robot arm, and a teaching unit that teaches control content when the control unit controls the plurality of jetting units and the robot arm to perform cleaning, the plurality of jetting units including a first jetting unit that sprays a cleaning liquid and a second jetting unit that sprays a rinsing liquid, and the teaching unit has a selection function that selects two or more jetting units including the first jetting unit and the second jetting unit from the plurality of jetting units, and a teaching function that teaches, for each selected jetting unit, a movement path along which the selected jetting unit is moved by moving the robot arm, a jetting section of the movement path along which the jetting unit sprays, and the jetting direction when spraying in the jetting section.

According to this configuration, when cleaning a production line, the teaching unit can select two or more jetting units including the first jetting unit and the second jetting unit, and teach the movement path, jetting section, and jetting direction of the selected jetting unit for each selected jetting unit. Therefore, cleaning can be performed by spraying cleaning liquid along a jetting path appropriate for each production line, and the cleaning liquid can be rinsed after cleaning. This reduces the manual burden when cleaning the production line, and provides a high cleaning effect that is superior to, for example, washing with water. Therefore, when cleaning a production line, the labor of the worker can be reduced and a high cleaning effect can be obtained.

In the cleaning device of the above-mentioned production line, the multiple spraying units include a third spraying unit that sprays gas to dry the rinsing liquid after the rinsing operation is performed by spraying the rinsing liquid by the second spraying unit, and when three or more spraying units including the first spraying unit, the second spraying unit, and the third spraying unit are selected, the teaching unit may teach the movement path, the spraying section, and the spraying direction for each of the three or more spraying units.

This configuration allows cleaning with cleaning fluid, rinsing with the cleaning fluid after cleaning, and drying of the rinsing fluid after rinsing to be performed. Since the cleaning path, rinsing path, and drying path can be individually taught, the cleaning effect of the production line can be further improved.

In the cleaning device of the above-mentioned production line, at least the first of the multiple injection parts may be configured to be able to change the injection shape, and the teaching unit may teach the selected injection shape to at least the injection section of the first injection part.

With this configuration, the spray shape when at least the first spray unit sprays cleaning liquid in the spray section can be selected and taught, further improving the cleaning effect of the production line.

In the cleaning device for the above-mentioned manufacturing line, the cleaning device may be a collaborative robot in which the cart is moved manually by a person, and may be equipped with a positioning mechanism that can position the collaborative robot at the same cleaning position relative to the manufacturing line during teaching using the teaching unit and during cleaning execution in which cleaning is performed according to the taught control content.

With this configuration, the worker can place the collaborative robot in the same cleaning position when teaching and when cleaning is performed. For example, if the collaborative robot's position is shifted between teaching and when cleaning is performed, the cleaning effect of the production line will decrease because the spray position of the cleaning liquid and rinsing liquid will be shifted from the position at the time of teaching. In contrast, the positioning mechanism allows the collaborative robot to be placed in the same cleaning position with the required positional accuracy when teaching and when cleaning is performed, improving the cleaning effect of the production line.

In the cleaning device of the above-mentioned manufacturing line, the cleaning device may be a collaborative robot in which a person manually moves the cart, and the teaching unit may have a setting function for setting the moving speed of the selected spray unit when it moves through the spray section.

With this configuration, the movement speed of the spray unit when moving through the spray section while spraying can be set, so the required cleaning effect can be obtained by setting the movement speed of the spray unit to a value suitable for cleaning. Also, even if the robot arm of the collaborative robot is moved manually during teaching, the spray unit can be moved at an appropriate movement speed through the spray section when cleaning is performed.

The manufacturing line cleaning method that solves the above problem includes a teaching step of selecting two or more of the multiple jetting units, including the first jetting unit and the second jetting unit, from among the multiple jetting units, a carriage carrying a robot arm having a plurality of jetting units, including a first jetting unit that jets a cleaning liquid and a second jetting unit that jets a rinsing liquid, from the plurality of jetting units in a state in which the carriage is moved to a cleaning position relative to the manufacturing line, and teaching, for each of the selected jetting units, a moving path along which the jetting units are moved by moving the robot arm, a jetting section of the moving path in which the jetting units perform jetting, and a jetting direction when performing jetting in the jetting section, and a cleaning step of cleaning the manufacturing line by controlling the two or more jetting units and the robot arm with the control content taught in the teaching step. This method can achieve the same effect as the above manufacturing line cleaning device.

The present invention reduces the labor required by workers when cleaning a production line and achieves a high level of cleaning effectiveness.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a manufacturing line and a cleaning robot in one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the cleaning robot with the cleaning head partially broken away. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the cleaning robot with the cleaning head partially broken away. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a piping structure for supplying individual fluids to a plurality of ejection parts, respectively. FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a positioning mechanism for positioning the cleaning robot. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the cleaning robot. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a setting screen of the operation tablet. 4 is a flowchart showing a teaching process routine. 13 is a flowchart showing a cleaning control processing routine.

An embodiment of a manufacturing line cleaning device will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, the two directions that define the floor surface FP on which the manufacturing line 10, which is the object to be cleaned by the cleaning device 20, is installed are the X direction and the Y direction, respectively, and the direction that intersects the X direction and the Y direction and is parallel to the direction of gravity is the vertical direction Z. In this example, the conveying direction in which the items W in the manufacturing process are conveyed on the manufacturing line 10 is parallel to the X direction. Therefore, the direction in which the items W are conveyed is also referred to as the conveying direction X. In addition, the direction that intersects (e.g., perpendicular to) the conveying direction X in the horizontal plane is referred to as the width direction Y.

The manufacturing line 10 is a line for manufacturing finished or semi-finished products such as food and medicine. The item W is at least one of raw materials, semi-finished products between raw materials and finished products, semi-processed products, intermediate products, and final manufactured products.

The manufacturing line 10 includes a main frame 11 and a conveying mechanism 12 supported on the upper part of the main frame 11. The conveying mechanism 12 includes a conveyor 13. The conveyor 13 is, for example, a belt conveyor, a mesh conveyor, or a roller conveyor. In addition to the conveyor 13, the conveying mechanism 12 includes a plurality of rollers 14 around which the conveyor 13 is wound, and a driving source 15 such as a motor for driving the rollers 14. The manufacturing line 10 includes an item supply section 16 at the upstream end of the conveyor 13 in the conveying direction X, which supplies items W to the conveyor 13. The items W supplied from the item supply section 16 to the conveyor 13 are manufactured while being conveyed on the conveyor 13 in the conveying direction X.

The manufacturing line 10 shown in FIG. 1 is an example in which the conveyor 13 is a straight conveyor whose transport path extends straight, but the conveyor 13 may be a curved conveyor whose transport path is curved.

The production line 10 is cleaned by the cleaning device 20 on a regular or irregular basis, such as during the production of one product number or when the production of one product number is completed. The cleaning times are, for example, at the end of one or more production lots, at the end of each production volume, at the end of each production time, at the end of a worker's working hours, when a worker is replaced, etc.

The cleaning device 20 in this embodiment is a cleaning robot 21 that assists a worker P. The cleaning robot 21 in this example is a collaborative robot that performs cleaning work together with the worker P. The worker P cleans the production line 10 in cooperation with the cleaning robot 21.

The cleaning robot 21 mainly cleans the conveyor 13 and the parts of the main frame 11 that are located around the conveyor 13. In other words, the cleaning robot 21 cleans the upper surface of the production line 10 that is located at approximately the same height as the transport surface 13A of the conveyor 13. Note that the cleaning target of the cleaning robot 21 is not limited to the upper surface of the production line 10, but may also be the upper surface and part of the side.

The cleaning robot 21 is a mobile robot. The cleaning robot 21 includes a cart 22 and a robot arm 23 mounted on the cart 22. The cart 22 is a manually-driven robot that is manually driven by a worker P. The cleaning robot 21 of this embodiment is a collaborative robot, so it can be used by a worker P without a safety fence and assists the worker P in cleaning work.

The robot arm 23 is equipped with a cleaning head 24 having multiple types of spray units 30 (see FIG. 2) at its tip. The cleaning robot 21 controls the robot arm 23 to move the spray units 30 along a predetermined cleaning path facing the object to be cleaned at a predetermined distance. The cleaning robot 21 then performs cleaning work on the production line 10 by spraying a fluid containing the liquid required for cleaning from the spray units 30 while moving along the cleaning path.

The cleaning robot 21 has a teaching function that allows the worker P to teach it the control content (cleaning work content). The working range of the robot arm 23 is, for example, a radius of 1 to 3 meters. The area to be cleaned in the production line 10 is wider than the working range of the robot arm 23. For this reason, the worker P manually moves the cart 22 of the cleaning robot 21, and moves the cleaning robot 21 sequentially to multiple cleaning start positions SP that face the production line 10.

The cleaning robot 21 shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 is at the first cleaning start position SP, and the cleaning robot 21 shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 is at the second cleaning start position SP. The worker P moves the cleaning robot 21 through the first to Nth cleaning start positions SP in order, and has the cleaning robot 21 perform cleaning work at each cleaning start position SP. Note that FIG. 1 omits the cleaning robot 21 when it is at the third or subsequent cleaning start positions SP.

The worker P either teaches the cleaning robot 21 individually for each of the first through Nth cleaning start positions SP, or teaches the cleaning robot 21 commonly at one cleaning start position SP. The former is when the cleaning content differs for each cleaning start position SP, and the latter is when the cleaning content is common between multiple cleaning start positions SP. Normally, there are multiple cleaning start positions SP with common cleaning content, so the worker teaches the cleaning robot 21 at one cleaning start position SP or a number of cleaning start positions SP that is less than N.

A positioning unit 18 is provided on the floor surface FP to position the cleaning robot 21 at the cleaning start position SP. This is because, when the cleaning robot 21 is to perform the cleaning work of the teaching contents, the worker needs to position the cleaning robot 21 at the same cleaning start position SP as during teaching with a certain degree of positional accuracy or higher. If the cleaning work of the teaching contents is started with the cleaning robot 21 positioned at a position shifted from the cleaning start position SP during teaching, the cleaning path of the spray unit 30 may shift from the cleaning path during teaching, resulting in a decrease in cleaning effectiveness. For this reason, the worker P positions the cleaning robot 21 relative to the positioning unit 18, so that the cleaning robot 21 is positioned at the same cleaning start position SP during cleaning and teaching.

The difficulty of cleaning varies depending on the type of conveyor 13 and the type of goods W. Light cleaning is sufficient for light dirt, but high cleaning power is required when dirt, oil, parts of raw materials, and parts of semi-processed products are stuck to the conveyor 13. In order to obtain high cleaning power, it is desirable to set cleaning factors such as the cleaning path, cleaning pressure, cleaning time, and cleaning direction in detail. In addition, it is preferable to use a cleaning liquid rather than water to improve the cleaning effect. When using a cleaning liquid, it is necessary to rinse the cleaning liquid. In addition, when cleaning using a cleaning liquid or a rinsing liquid (rinsing liquid), production after cleaning is resumed after the rinsing liquid has dried. Therefore, when cleaning between production, forced drying rather than natural drying is required to shorten the cleaning time. Based on this, the cleaning robot 21 enhances the cleaning effect by spraying two types of liquid including a cleaning liquid and a rinsing liquid from the cleaning head 24 at the tip of the robot arm 23, and shortens the drying time of the rinsing liquid by spraying air.

<Configuration of cleaning robot>
As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cleaning robot 21 includes a plurality of spraying units 30 each for spraying a different type of fluid, a robot arm 23 having the plurality of spraying units 30, and a cart 22 on which the robot arm 23 is mounted.

The robot arm 23 includes a rotating part 26 that can rotate around a vertical axis relative to a base part 25 installed on the top surface of the cart 22, a multi-jointed arm 27 supported by the rotating part 26, and a cleaning head 24 attached to the tip of the arm 27.

The robot arm 23 has a rotating part 26 that rotates about an axis due to the power of a driving source 28 disposed on the side of the base 25. The arm 27 has multiple arm parts 27A to 27C that are connected so that the angle can be changed. The driving source 28 is, for example, an electric motor or an electric cylinder. The multiple arm parts 27A to 27C are angle-adjusted via a link mechanism (not shown) by driving the driving source 28. The cleaning head 24 is connected to the tip of the arm 27 in a state in which the posture can be changed via a free joint (not shown) such as a universal joint. In other words, the cleaning head 24 is supported at the tip of the robot arm 23 in a state in which the axis can be rotated and the posture angle can be changed. The cleaning head 24 has the multiple types of spray parts 30 described above.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cart 22 of the cleaning robot 21 has wheels 40 (casters) and level bolts 41A, 41B on its bottom. Four wheels 40 are provided, for example, on the front, back, left and right. Of the level bolts 41A, 41B, for example, the two level bolts 41A on the front side have a positioning function (see FIG. 6).

As shown in FIG. 2, the level bolts 41A and 41B have a lever 42 that is operated by an operator. The level bolt 41B operates between a grounding position where the wheels 40 are grounded on the floor surface FP by operating the lever 42, and a fixed position where the wheels 40 are separated from the floor surface FP and the fixed part 43 is grounded on the floor surface FP. The level bolt 41A with positioning function has a positioning rod 44 instead of the fixed part 43. The level bolt 41A constitutes a positioning mechanism 45 that positions the cleaning robot 21 at the cleaning start position SP by engaging the positioning rod 44 with the positioning part 18 fixed to the floor surface FP. The positioning mechanism 45 will be described in detail later.

The cleaning robot 21 is equipped with a controller 50 that controls multiple spray units 30 and the robot arm 23. The cart 22 has a box-shaped housing 22A. A control box 51 is housed within the housing 22A. The controller 50 is housed within the control box 51 together with, for example, a power supply circuit, etc.

The multiple spray units 30 include a first spray unit 31 that sprays a cleaning liquid and a second spray unit 32 that sprays a rinsing liquid (rinsing liquid). In this embodiment, the multiple spray units 30 include a third spray unit 33 that sprays a gas that promotes drying of the rinsing liquid sprayed by the second spray unit 32.

Here, the first injection unit 31 is connected to the first pipeline 34. The second injection unit 32 is connected to the second pipeline 35. The third injection unit 33 is connected to the third pipeline 36. The first pipeline 34, the second pipeline 35, and the third pipeline 36 are routed within the housing 22A of the cart 22 by being piped along the arm 27. Within the housing 22A, a first solenoid valve 61 located midway through the first pipeline 34, a second solenoid valve 62 located midway through the second pipeline 35, and a third solenoid valve 63 located midway through the third pipeline 36 are arranged.

As shown in FIG. 3, a tank 60 is supported on a support portion 22B extending from a side surface of a housing 22A of a cart 22. A cleaning liquid is stored in the tank 60. The tip of a pipe 64 extending from the tank 60 is a connected portion 65. A connection portion 77A of an air hose 77 is connected to the connected portion 65. By connecting the connection portion 77A and the connected portion 65, air pressure from the air hose 77 is supplied to the tank 60. A pressure valve 66 provided in the middle of the pipe 64 closes when the air pressure in the tank 60 reaches a predetermined pressure. Therefore, the tank 60 is maintained at a predetermined pressure. A pipe 68 branches out and extends from a branch portion 67 on the tank 60 side of the pressure valve 66 in the pipe 64. In addition, a pipe 69 for supplying cleaning liquid extends from the tank 60.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cart 22 has a plurality of pipe connections 71-76 on the side of the housing 22A. The plurality of pipe connections 71-76 include three inlet pipe connections 71-73 and three outlet pipe connections 74-76. A pipe 69 for supplying cleaning liquid is connected to the inlet pipe connection 71. A connection 78A of a water supply hose 78 is connected to the inlet pipe connection 72. Furthermore, one end of a pipe 68 for supplying air is connected to the inlet pipe connection 73.

The pipe 34 connected to the first injection part 31 is connected to the outlet pipe connection part 74. This outlet pipe connection part 74 is connected to the inlet pipe connection part 71 so that the cleaning liquid can flow.

The pipe 35 connected to the second injection unit 32 is connected to the outlet pipe connection 75. This outlet pipe connection 75 is connected to the inlet pipe connection 72 so that the rinsing liquid can flow.

The pipe 36 connected to the third injection unit 33 is connected to the outlet pipe connection 76. This outlet pipe connection 76 is connected to the inlet pipe connection 73 so that air can flow.

The control box 51 housed in the cart 22 has a controller 50. On the top surface of the housing 22A of the cart 22, a teaching operation unit 52 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "operation unit 52") is provided, which is operated to input (select) a registration number to which the teaching content is linked when the worker P teaches the cleaning robot 21. The operation unit 52 can input multiple registration numbers. The operation unit 52 can select registration numbers from "0" to "99", for example. In addition, on the rear surface of the housing 22A of the cart 22, multiple grip parts 22C are provided that the worker P can hold when moving the cart 22. The number of registration numbers that can be selected by the operation unit 52 can be changed as appropriate.

The cleaning liquid sprayed by the first spray unit 31 contains water and detergent. The detergent may be a mixture of water and detergent liquid, or detergent powder dissolved in water. In this way, the first spray unit 31 sprays a cleaning liquid containing detergent components, thereby improving the cleaning effect compared to spraying water alone.

When the production line 10 is a food production line, the conveyor 13 and the frame around its conveying surface 13A are subject to adhesion of oils such as meat and fish fats and oils, vegetable oils, colorings from fruit juice and vegetables, powders such as raw material powders and flavor powders, and sticky substances made by mixing these powders with liquids such as seasoning liquids that contain water. Since these oils, fats, and colorings are difficult to remove with water alone, the oils, colorings, etc. are washed away by spraying a cleaning liquid, which breaks them down with the cleaning components. Additionally, sticky substances stuck to the conveyor 13 and frame are washed away by the spray pressure of the first spray unit 31.

When the manufacturing line 10 is a manufacturing line for medical supplies such as pharmaceuticals, liquid medicines, pharmaceutical pigments, oils, etc. may adhere to the conveyor 13 and frame. These liquid medicines, pigments, oils, etc. are difficult to remove with water alone, so they are washed off by spraying a cleaning solution from the first spray unit 31 and breaking them down with the cleaning components.

The rinsing liquid sprayed by the second spray unit 32 contains water. The water contained in the rinsing liquid is not limited to water at a temperature below room temperature, but may be hot water. The rinsing liquid in this example is water or hot water. After cleaning is performed by spraying cleaning liquid with the first spray unit 31, the rinsing liquid is sprayed to remove the cleaning liquid remaining at the cleaning area. Therefore, the rinsing liquid may be any liquid that can remove the detergent components in the cleaning liquid. It may be a mixture of water and a liquid that evaporates as easily as water or more easily than water. The rinsing liquid may be, for example, a mixture of water and ethyl alcohol. For example, if the rinsing liquid is a mixture of water and a liquid that evaporates more easily than water, the drying of the rinsing liquid after the rinsing operation is likely to be promoted.

The third injection unit 33 has a function of injecting gas to dry the rinsing liquid after the rinsing operation performed by the second injection unit 32 by injecting the rinsing liquid. The gas is, for example, air. In this example, the third injection unit 33 dries the rinsing liquid by injecting air. That is, the third injection unit 33 injects air into the area where the rinsing operation of rinsing the cleaning liquid with the rinsing liquid has been performed, and the air flow (air jet) removes and dries the rinsing liquid remaining in the cleaning area. The gas may be other than air, and may be, for example, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc. The gas may be a single gas or a mixed gas.

The cleaning robot 21 also includes a teaching unit 82 that teaches the control content when the control unit 81 controls the multiple spray units 30 and the robot arm 23 to perform cleaning.
<Multiple Ejectors and Fluid Supply Circuit>
Next, a fluid supply circuit that supplies a fluid containing liquid to a plurality of spray units 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, a cleaning liquid WL is stored in a tank 60. The cleaning liquid WL in the tank 60 is pressurized by air pressure AP supplied into the tank 60 from a pipe 64. The inside of the tank 60 is pressurized to a predetermined set pressure by a pressure valve 66. A pipe 69 inserted into the cleaning liquid WL in the tank 60 is connected to an inlet pipe connection 71. This inlet pipe connection 71 is connected to an output pipe connection 74 through a pipe 37. A first solenoid valve 61 is provided in the middle of the pipe 37. The output pipe connection 74 is connected to a first spray unit 31, which is a cleaning liquid nozzle, through a pipe 34.

The connection 78A of the water supply hose 78 is connected to the inlet pipe connection 72. This inlet pipe connection 72 is connected to the output pipe connection 75 through the pipe 38. A second solenoid valve 62 is provided in the middle of the pipe 38. The output pipe connection 75 is connected to the second spray unit 32, which is a rinsing liquid nozzle, through the pipe 35. A manual opening/closing valve 79 is provided in the middle of the pipes 35 and 38 between the second solenoid valve 62 and the second spray unit 32.

Furthermore, the pipe 68 branching off from the pipe 64 is connected to the inlet pipe connection 73. This inlet pipe connection 73 is connected to the output pipe connection 76 through the pipe 39. The third solenoid valve 63 is provided in the middle of the pipe 39. The output pipe connection 76 is connected to the third injection part 33, which is an air blow nozzle, through the pipe 36. Note that a manual opening and closing valve (not shown) may be provided in the middle of the pipes 34 and 37 between the first solenoid valve 61 and the first injection part 31. A manual opening and closing valve (not shown) may be provided in the middle of the pipes 36 and 39 between the third solenoid valve 63 and the third injection part 33.

The three solenoid valves 61 to 63 shown in FIG. 4 are controlled by the controller 50 (see FIG. 3). When the first solenoid valve 61 opens, pressurized cleaning liquid WL from inside the tank 60 is sprayed from the first spray unit 31. When the second solenoid valve 62 opens, rinsing liquid is sprayed from the second spray unit 32. Furthermore, when the third solenoid valve 63 opens with the manual opening/closing valve 79 open, air for air blowing is sprayed from the third spray unit 33.

The spray units 31 to 33 may be configured to be replaceable so that one of a plurality of spray patterns can be selected. Examples of the spray patterns include vertically long, round, and direct injection spray patterns. The first spray unit 31 can be replaced with another first spray unit 31 made of a nozzle with a different spray pattern. One of the plurality of first spray units 31 with different spray patterns is attached to the cleaning head 24. The second spray unit 32 can be replaced with another second spray unit 32 made of a nozzle with a different spray pattern. One of the plurality of second spray units 32 with different spray patterns is attached to the cleaning head 24. The third spray unit 33 can be replaced with another third spray unit 33 made of a nozzle with a different spray pattern. One of the plurality of third spray units 33 with different spray patterns is attached to the cleaning head 24.

The three spray units 31 to 33 may be configured to be automatically replaced by an automatic replacement device consisting of a robot having a hand at the tip of an arm that performs the replacement work. Alternatively, the cleaning head 24 may be configured to have a plurality of first spray units 31 with different spray patterns and a switching mechanism (not shown) that selects one of the plurality of first spray units 31 to spray the cleaning liquid WL. In this case, the controller 50 controls the switching mechanism, so that the first spray unit 31 corresponding to the spray pattern specified by the operator P to the controller 50 by operating the operation tablet 29 is selected as the one to spray the cleaning liquid WL.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the cleaning head 24 is viewed from the front, the three spraying parts 31-33 are arranged at three positions spaced at predetermined angular intervals (e.g., equal intervals of 120 degrees) around the central axis of the cleaning head 24. Also, when viewed from the front as shown in FIG. 5, the cleaning head 24 has grips 24A attached at three positions spaced at predetermined angular intervals from the positions of the three spraying parts 31-33. During teaching, the worker P grasps the grips 24A and manually moves the cleaning head 24 to teach the cleaning robot 21 the spray start and end positions of the spraying parts 31-33 individually.

<Positioning mechanism>
Next, the positioning mechanism 45 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The cleaning robot 21 of this embodiment includes a positioning mechanism 45 that can position the cleaning robot 21 at the same cleaning start position SP with respect to the production line 10 during teaching and during cleaning execution in which cleaning is performed according to the teaching contents.

As shown in FIG. 6, the positioning mechanism 45, which is a level bolt 41A with a positioning function, has a lever 42, a toggle mechanism 46 that operates by operating the lever 42, and a positioning rod 44 that rises and falls in the vertical direction Z via the toggle mechanism 46. A positioning part 18 (see also FIG. 1) for positioning the cleaning robot 21 at the cleaning start position SP is fixed to the floor surface FP. The positioning part 18 has a recess 18A. When placing the cleaning robot 21 at the cleaning start position SP, the worker P positions the cleaning robot 21 at a position where the positioning rod 44 of the positioning mechanism 45 and the recess 18A face each other in the vertical direction Z. In this positioning state, the worker P operates the lever 42 from the travelable position to the fixed position. By operating this lever 42, the positioning rod 44 is lowered via the toggle mechanism 46 to a position where it is inserted into the recess 18A of the positioning part 18. The positioning rod 44 engages with the recess 18A, positioning the cleaning robot 21 at the cleaning start position SP.

Two positioning mechanisms 45 (only one is shown in FIG. 6) are provided in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 6. The positioning part 18 fixed to the floor surface FP is formed with a recess 18A consisting of a round hole into which the positioning rod 44 of one positioning mechanism 45 is inserted, and a recess 18A consisting of an elongated hole into which the positioning rod 44 of the other positioning mechanism 45 is inserted. As a result, even if the positions of the two positioning rods 44 vary in the direction in which the two positioning mechanisms 45 are aligned, the cleaning robot 21 can be reliably positioned at the cleaning start position SP by inserting both positioning rods 44 into the two recesses 18A.

If the position of the positioning rod 44 and the recess 18A are misaligned, the lever 42 cannot be operated any further while it is being moved from the travelable position to the fixed position. This allows the worker P to understand that the position of the cleaning robot 21 has shifted from the cleaning start position SP. Therefore, the worker P can shift the position of the cleaning robot 21 to reposition it to the correct cleaning start position SP.

<Electrical Configuration of Article Transfer Device>
Next, the electrical configuration of the cleaning robot 21 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 7, the cleaning robot 21 includes a controller 50 that performs overall control of the cleaning robot 21. The controller 50 includes a computer 80 (microprocessor). The computer 80 includes a control unit 81, a teaching unit 82, and a storage unit 83. The controller 50 is configured, for example, by a programmable logic controller (PLC). The programmable controller has the computer 80 configured by a microprocessor.

As shown in FIG. 7, the controller 50 is electrically connected to an operation tablet 29 operated by the worker P and a teaching operation unit 52 provided on the trolley 22 as an input system. The controller 50 is also electrically connected to the robot arm 23, the first solenoid valve 61, the second solenoid valve 62, the third solenoid valve 63, and the pressurizing valve 66 as an output system.

The operation tablet 29 includes a display unit 29 A and an input unit 29 B. The operation tablet 29 is capable of wireless communication with the controller 50.
At least one of the operation tablet 29 and the teaching operation unit 52 is used during teaching. The worker P teaches the cleaning robot 21 by operating the input unit 29B of the operation tablet 29. At this time, a registration number is selected on the teaching operation unit 52. The teaching unit 82 registers, for each registration number, the teaching content (control content) that the worker P performs by manually moving the robot arm 23 with the cleaning robot 21 positioned at the cleaning start position SP. The teaching unit 82 stores the teaching content in the memory unit 83 as teaching data TD linked to the registration number.

The memory unit 83 stores the program PR and the aforementioned teaching data TD. The program PR includes, for example, a program for a teaching processing routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9 and a program for a cleaning control processing routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10.

The control unit 81 causes the computer 80 to execute a cleaning control program in accordance with the teaching data TD, thereby causing the cleaning robot 21 to perform cleaning work for each registration number.
The teaching unit 82 has a selection function for selecting two or more ejection units 30 including the first ejection unit 31 and the second ejection unit 32 from among the multiple ejection units 30, and a teaching function. The teaching function is a function for teaching, by moving the robot arm 23 in the teaching mode, for each selected ejection unit 30, the movement path (ejection section) along which the selected ejection unit 30 was moved, the ejection unit 30 that will eject along that movement path, and the ejection direction when ejecting.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cleaning robot 21 may include a travel motor 55 as a drive source for electrically driving the cart 22. In this case, the user may drive the cart 22 by remote control or by operating the operation tablet 29. The cart 22 may have a steering mechanism, and the user may steer the cart 22 by controlling the steering mechanism remotely. Alternatively, a guide line may be laid on the floor surface FP, and the cart 22 may move along the guide line while detecting the guide line with a sensor. In this configuration, the positioning unit 18 and the positioning mechanism 45 may be eliminated if a positioning mark is placed at a predetermined position on the guide line (cleaning start position) and the cart 22 is stopped when the positioning mark is detected by the sensor.

<Teaching setting screen>
Next, a teaching setting screen 85 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "setting screen 85") displayed on the display unit 29A of the operation tablet 29 used by the worker P when teaching will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8, the setting screen 85 displays the registration number ("11" in the example of FIG. 8) that is the number selected by the operator P by operating the teaching operation unit 52. The setting screen 85 also has a setting button 86 that is operated when setting the injection start position, and a setting button 87 that is operated when setting the injection end position.

When worker P grips grip 24A and manually moves cleaning head 24 to the spray start position, a sensor (not shown) of robot arm 23 detects the position coordinates and attitude angle of cleaning head 24 at that time. When worker P operates setting button 86 on setting screen 85, the position coordinates and attitude angle information of cleaning head 24 at that time are set as the spray start position. Also, when worker P grips grip 24A and manually moves cleaning head 24 to the spray end position, a sensor of robot arm 23 detects the position coordinates and attitude angle of cleaning head 24 at that time. When worker P operates setting button 87 on setting screen 85, the position coordinates and attitude angle information of cleaning head 24 at that time are set as the spray end position.

The teaching unit 82 also has a setting function for setting the movement speed when the selected ejection unit 30 moves through the ejection section. The setting screen 85 has a selection button or an operable slider (both not shown) for setting the movement speed when the selected ejection unit 30 moves from the ejection start position to the ejection end position. The selection button makes it possible to select one of multiple movement speeds prepared in advance. The slider can be slid along the speed scale, and it is possible to set the movement speed indicated by the scale at the position where the slider is slid.

The setting screen 85 also has three buttons 91 that are operated when selecting the injection unit 30 to be taught. That is, the options for the "injection unit selection" item are button 91 that is operated when selecting the first injection unit 31, button 92 that is operated when selecting the second injection unit 32, and button 93 that is operated when selecting the third injection unit 33.

The setting screen 85 also has three buttons 94 to 96 in the "Injection pattern selection" item. In the "Injection pattern selection" item, selecting one of the three buttons 94 to 96 selects the injection pattern to be used when the injection unit 30 selected in the "Injection unit selection" item injects. That is, the options for the "Injection pattern selection" item are button 94, which is operated to select the first injection pattern, button 95, which is operated to select the second injection pattern, and button 96, which is operated to select the third injection pattern. Here, the injection pattern refers to the pattern of the spray shape when sprayed from the injection unit 30.

In this embodiment, the first to third injection sections 31 to 33 are each provided with a plurality of different injection patterns (e.g., three). The first to third injection patterns are, for example, a vertical injection pattern, a circular injection pattern, and a direct injection pattern.

In this embodiment, at least the first injection unit 31 of the multiple injection units 31 to 33 is configured to be able to change the injection pattern (injection shape). The teaching unit 82 teaches the selected injection pattern to at least the injection section of the first injection unit 31.

The first to third injection units 31 to 33 each have a different injection pattern, and one that can inject in the specified injection pattern is selected from among the multiple injection units provided. In a configuration with an automatic exchange device or switching mechanism, the controller 50 (or control unit 81) switches each of the first to third injection units 31 to 33 to one of the multiple injection units provided that corresponds to the selected injection pattern based on the teaching data TD.

The setting screen 85 shown in FIG. 8 also has an OK button 97 that is operated to confirm the settings, and a Cancel button 98 that is operated to cancel the settings. When the teaching unit 82 accepts the operation of the OK button 97, it creates teaching data TD based on the settings on the setting screen 85. The teaching data TD includes multiple pieces of information related to the selected injection part, selected injection pattern, injection start position, and injection end position on the setting screen 85.

<Operation of the embodiment>
Next, the operation of the cleaning robot 21 will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, the worker P teaches the cleaning robot 21 how to clean. The worker P grips the grip portion 22C and moves the cart 22 to place the cleaning robot 21 at the cleaning start position SP. The cart 22 is placed at a position where the positioning rod 44 of the positioning mechanism 45 faces the recessed portion 18A of the positioning portion 18, so that the cleaning robot 21 is placed at the work start position. When the wheels 40 are in contact with the floor surface FP, the lever 42 is raised obliquely. When the worker P places the cleaning robot 21 at the cleaning start position SP, he or she presses down the lever 42. When the lever 42 is pressed down, the wheels 40 are raised and the positioning rod 44 is lowered via the toggle mechanism 46. When the positioning rod 44 is inserted into the recessed portion 18A of the positioning portion 18, the cleaning robot 21 is positioned at the cleaning start position SP shown in FIG. 1. If the cleaning robot 21 is deviated from the cleaning start position SP, even if an attempt is made to push down the lever 42, the positioning rod 44 will hit a part other than the recess 18A of the positioning part 18, and the lever 42 cannot be pushed down any further. This allows the worker P to know that the cleaning robot 21 is deviated from the cleaning start position SP. In this case, the worker P shifts the cleaning robot 21 and repositions it to the cleaning start position SP.

The teaching process executed by the teaching unit 82 of the computer 80 will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
The worker P selects a number by operating the operation unit 52 provided on the upper part of the dolly 22. The selected number is set as the registration number of the teaching content to be taught.

In teaching the cleaning robot 21, the spray start position and spray end position are specified, and the spray part and spray pattern are selected. The worker P sets these settings on the setting screen 85 shown in FIG. 8, which is displayed on the display unit 29A of the operation tablet 29, and selects the spray start position, spray end position, spray part, and spray pattern. The worker P grasps the grip 24A of the cleaning head 24 and moves the cleaning head 24 to the desired position, manually moving the robot arm 23 to teach the movement path of the spray part.

The operator P operates the input unit 29B of the operation tablet 29 to input the setting information required for teaching. The teaching unit 82 of the computer 80, which receives the setting information input by the operator P, performs a teaching process to generate teaching data TD based on the position information of the cleaning head 24 moved by the operator P and the setting information.

In step S11, the computer 80 registers the number. That is, when the computer 80 receives the number selected by the worker P operating the teaching operation unit 52 of the cart 22, the computer 80 registers the received number as the registration number.

In the next step S12, the computer 80 selects the spray start position. First, the worker P grasps the grip 24A and moves the cleaning head 24 to the spray start position of the spray unit 30 (e.g., the first spray unit 31). In this state, the worker P operates the setting button 86 corresponding to the spray start position on the setting screen 85 of the operation tablet 29, thereby setting the current position coordinates and attitude angle of the cleaning head 24 as the spray start position.

In step S13, the computer 80 selects the ejection unit. The worker P selects the "First ejection unit" button 91 in the "Ejection unit selection" section on the setting screen 85 of the operation tablet 29.

In step S14, the computer 80 selects an injection pattern. The worker P selects the "First injection pattern" button 94 in the "Injection pattern selection" section on the setting screen 85 of the operation tablet 29.

In step S15, the computer 80 selects the spray end position. The worker P grasps the grip 24A and moves the cleaning head 24 to the spray end position of the spray unit 30 (e.g., the first spray unit 31). In this state, the worker P operates the setting button 87 corresponding to the spray end position on the setting screen 85 of the operation tablet 29 to set the current position coordinates and attitude angle of the cleaning head 24 as the spray end position.

In step S16, the computer 80 determines whether teaching is complete. When the operator P operates the OK button 97 on the setting screen 85 of the operation tablet 29 to set the setting to "OK", the computer 80 creates teaching data TD based on the settings on the setting screen 85. This teaching data TD includes the injection start position (position coordinates and attitude angle), the injection end position, information on the selected "first injection unit", and information on the selected "first injection pattern". This teaching data TD is linked to the registration number and stored in the memory unit 83. In this way, the operator P teaches the cleaning robot 21 the cleaning operation performed by the first injection unit 31 injecting the cleaning liquid WL. Teaching of the rinsing operation and drying operation still remains, so teaching is not complete. If the computer 80 determines that teaching is not complete, it returns to step S11.

Next, the operator P teaches the rinsing operation that follows the cleaning operation. For teaching the rinsing operation, the operator P performs the same operations as for teaching the cleaning operation. The operator P operates the teaching operation unit 52 to register a different number. Furthermore, the operator P grasps the grip 24A to move the cleaning head 24 sequentially to the spray start position and spray end position of the second spray unit 32, and teaches the rinsing operation by setting operations using the operation tablet 29. At this time, the computer 80 similarly executes the teaching processing routine shown in FIG. 9.

This rinsing operation teaching involves the selection of the spray start position (step S12), the selection of the second spray unit 32 (step S13), the selection of the spray pattern (step S14), and the selection of the spray end position (step S15). The spray start position and the spray end position include the position coordinates and the attitude angle of the cleaning head 24.

When the operator P operates the OK button 97 on the setting screen 85 of the operation tablet 29, the computer 80 creates teaching data TD based on the settings on the setting screen 85. This teaching data TD is linked to the registration number and stored in the memory unit 83. In this way, the operator P teaches the cleaning robot 21 the rinsing operation performed by the second spray unit 32 spraying the rinsing liquid. Teaching of the drying operation still remains, so teaching is not complete (negative judgment in step S16).

Next, the operator P teaches the drying operation (draining operation) after the rinsing operation. For teaching the drying operation, the operator P performs the same operations as for teaching the cleaning operation. The operator P operates the teaching operation unit 52 to register a different number. Furthermore, the operator P grasps the grip 24A to move the cleaning head 24 sequentially to the spray start position and spray end position of the third spray unit 33, and teaches the drying operation by setting operations using the operation tablet 29. The computer 80 similarly executes the teaching processing routine shown in FIG. 9.

This drying operation teaching involves the selection of the spray start position (step S12), the selection of the third spray unit 33 (step S13), the selection of the spray pattern (step S14), and the selection of the spray end position (step S15). The spray start position and the spray end position include the position coordinates and the attitude angle of the cleaning head 24.

When the worker P operates the OK button 97 on the setting screen 85 of the operation tablet 29, the computer 80 creates teaching data TD based on the settings on the setting screen 85. This teaching data TD is linked to the registration number and stored in the memory unit 83. In this way, the worker P teaches the cleaning robot 21 the drying operation performed by the third spray unit 33 spraying air. When the computer 80 receives an operation from the operation tablet 29 by the worker P to end teaching, it determines that teaching is ended (positive determination in step S16) and ends the teaching processing routine.

In this embodiment, the teaching function of the teaching unit 82 teaches, for each selected spray unit, the movement path along which the selected spray unit 30 has been moved by the worker P moving the robot arm 23, the spray section of the movement path along which the spray unit 30 will spray, and the spray direction when spraying in the spray section. In this embodiment, the movement path is from the spray start position to the spray end position. Also, the spray section is from the spray start position to the spray end position. In other words, in this embodiment, the movement path and the spray section have the same start point and end point. Note that the spray section may be a part of the range of the movement path. In this case, the setting screen 85 may be configured to allow the movement start position and movement end position of the spray unit 30 to be set.

In addition, the spray direction during spraying in the spraying section is set as the desired spray direction of the spray unit 30 based on the information on the attitude angle of the cleaning head 24 when the worker P grasps the grip 24A and moves the cleaning head 24 to the spray start position or the spray end position. In more detail, the robot arm 23 is equipped with multiple sensors (not shown) that can detect the angles of the arm sections 27A to 27C and the attitude angle of the cleaning head 24. The position coordinates and attitude angle of the cleaning head 24 adjusted by the worker P during teaching are detected by the sensor of the robot arm 23. The computer 80 sets the position coordinates and attitude angle of the cleaning head 24 detected by the sensor as the information on the spray start position and the spray end position. Note that the position coordinates are coordinate values in a coordinate system that has the reference position of the robot arm 23 as the origin.

In this way, one teaching content (cleaning content) is registered for one registration number. When multiple cleaning tasks are registered for cleaning one production line 10, multiple pieces of teaching data TD are registered in association with the numbers. In this embodiment, three types of cleaning are typically performed: washing, rinsing, and drying. Therefore, the computer 80 repeatedly executes the processing of steps S11 to S16 a number of times equal to the number of types of cleaning. Note that in this embodiment, the processing of steps S11 to S16 in FIG. 9 corresponds to an example of a teaching step.

Then, the worker P uses the cleaning robot 21 to clean the production line 10. When performing cleaning work, the worker P designates the registration number registered during teaching. In this embodiment, the worker P designates the three registration numbers registered during teaching. When the worker P designates multiple registration numbers, the control unit 81 designates the order in which the cleaning operations are to be performed based on the teaching data TD linked to the registration numbers. The computer 80 executes the program PR while referring to the teaching data TD, thereby cleaning the production line 10 with the cleaning details that were taught.

The cleaning control process executed by the control unit 81 of the computer 80 will be described below.
In step S21, the computer 80 judges whether or not a registration number has been selected. If no registration number has been selected, this judgment is repeated at predetermined time intervals, and if it is judged that a registration number has been selected, the process proceeds to step S22.

In step S22, the computer 80 reads out the teaching data TD corresponding to the registration number from the memory unit 83. The computer 80 first reads out the teaching data TD linked to the registration number that is to be read out first in the specified order from the memory unit 83.

In step S23, the computer 80 moves the robot arm 23 to the injection start position based on the teaching data TD.
In step S24, the computer 80 determines the spraying unit based on the teaching data TD. For example, when the production line 10 is cleaned in the order of washing, rinsing, and drying (draining), the first spraying unit 31 is determined as the spraying unit from the initial teaching data TD.

In step S25, the computer 80 determines an injection pattern based on the teaching data TD. For example, the injection pattern of the first injection part 31 is determined.
In step S26, the computer 80 starts cleaning. That is, the computer 80 moves the first spraying unit 31 along a predetermined path from the spraying start position to the spraying end position, and sprays the cleaning liquid WL from the first spraying unit 31 in a specified spray pattern. For example, if the conveyor 13 is a mesh conveyor, the cleaning liquid WL is sprayed from the first spraying unit 31 in a direct spray pattern, and the cleaning liquid WL is sprayed in spots onto the mesh conveyor. Stubborn dirt such as grease adhering to the mesh of the conveyor 13 can be washed off. Also, if the conveyor 13 is a belt conveyor, the cleaning liquid WL is sprayed from the first spraying unit 31 in a spreading flat pattern or a round pattern in order to efficiently clean the conveyor 13.

This cleaning operation may be performed while the conveyor 13 is stopped. In other words, a method can be adopted in which the first spray unit 31 is moved along, for example, a zigzag path that combines movement of the first spray unit 31 in the width direction Y and movement in the transport direction X relative to the stopped conveyor 13, thereby cleaning the conveyor 13 of the production line 10 and the guide surfaces on both sides thereof with the cleaning liquid WL.

This cleaning operation may also be performed while the conveyor 13 is being driven. In other words, the first spray unit 31 may be moved back and forth in the width direction Y of the conveyor 13 relative to the conveyor 13 driven in the transport direction X, thereby cleaning the conveyor 13 of the production line 10 and the guide surfaces on both sides of the conveyor 13 with the cleaning liquid WL.

In step S27, the computer 80 determines whether or not the spray end position has been reached. For example, if the first spray unit 31 has not reached the spray end position, cleaning is continued by spraying the cleaning liquid WL from the first spray unit 31. Then, when the first spray unit 31 reaches the spray end position, the process proceeds to step S28.

In step S28, the computer 80 ends the cleaning. That is, the computer 80 closes the first solenoid valve 61 to stop the spraying of the cleaning liquid WL from the first spray unit 31.

In step S29, the computer 80 determines whether there is a next registration number. When cleaning with the cleaning liquid WL is finished, the rinsing and drying operations remain, so it is determined that there is a next registration number. If there is a next registration number (positive determination in step S29), the computer 80 returns to step S22. Then, the computer 80 reads out the teaching data TD corresponding to the next registration number, and performs the processes of steps S23 to S28 based on the teaching data TD that has been read out, thereby performing the next rinsing operation.

That is, the computer 80 controls the robot arm 23 to move the second spray unit 32, which is capable of spraying in a specified spray pattern, to the spray start position (steps S23 to S25). Next, the computer 80 controls the robot arm 23 to move the second spray unit 32 along a predetermined path from the spray start position to the spray end position, and during this movement, the second spray unit 32 sprays the rinsing liquid (rinse liquid) in the specified spray pattern.

As with the cleaning operation, this rinsing operation may involve moving the second spray unit 32, for example, along a zigzag path while the conveyor 13 is stopped, or the second spray unit 32 may be moved back and forth in the width direction Y of the conveyor 13 while the conveyor 13 is driven.

When the second spray unit 32 reaches the spray end position (positive determination in step S27), spraying of the rinsing liquid is stopped. Thus, the rinsing operation for cleaning is completed (step S28). When the rinsing operation is completed, the drying operation remains, so there is a next registration number. If there is a next registration number (positive determination in step S29), the computer 80 returns to step S22. Then, the teaching data TD corresponding to the next registration number is read, and the processing of steps S23 to S28 is executed based on the teaching data TD that has been read, thereby performing the next drying operation.

That is, the computer 80 controls the robot arm 23 to move the third spray unit 33, which is capable of spraying in a specified spray pattern, to the spray start position (steps S23 to S25). Next, the computer 80 controls the robot arm 23 to move the third spray unit 33 along a specified path from the spray start position to the spray end position, and sprays air from the third spray unit 33 in the specified spray pattern during this movement process. In other words, the third spray unit 33 dries the cleaning area of the production line 10 by blowing air to remove water.

In this drying operation, similar to the cleaning operation, the conveyor 13 may be stopped and the third spray unit 33 may be moved, for example, along a zigzag path, or the conveyor 13 may be driven while the third spray unit 33 is moved back and forth in the width direction Y of the conveyor 13.

When the third spray unit 33 reaches the spray end position (positive determination in step S27), the spray of air from the third spray unit 33 is stopped. This ends the drying operation as cleaning (step S28). Since there is no next registration number, the cleaning sequence ends. Note that in this embodiment, the processes in steps S22 to S28 in FIG. 10 correspond to an example of a cleaning step.

The worker P moves the cleaning robot 21 to the next cleaning start position SP (the position depicted by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) and has the cleaning robot 21 perform the same cleaning on the production line 10. In this way, the worker P cleans the entire production line 10 while moving the cleaning robot 21 to multiple cleaning start positions SP in sequence.

The cleaning robot 21 is a collaborative robot that assists the worker P to reduce the cleaning burden on the worker P. When cleaning using the cleaning robot 21, it is inevitable that some areas will be missed or stains will remain. For this reason, the worker P checks the cleaning results of the cleaning robot 21, and if there are any areas that have been missed or stains remain, the worker P cleans those areas manually. Only if there are any areas that have been missed or stains remain by the cleaning robot 21, does the worker P need to clean those areas manually, greatly reducing the workload on the worker P.

As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The cleaning device 20 of the manufacturing line 10 includes a plurality of spraying units 30 each spraying a different type of fluid, a robot arm 23 having the plurality of spraying units 30, and a cart 22 on which the robot arm 23 is mounted. The cleaning device 20 further includes a control unit 81 that controls the plurality of spraying units 30 and the robot arm 23, and a teaching unit 82 that teaches the control content when the control unit 81 controls the plurality of spraying units 30 and the robot arm 23 to perform cleaning. The plurality of spraying units 30 include a first spraying unit 31 that sprays a cleaning liquid WL and a second spraying unit 32 that sprays a rinsing liquid. The teaching unit 82 has a selection function and a teaching function. The selection function is a function that allows two or more spraying units including the first spraying unit 31 and the second spraying unit 32 to be selected from the plurality of spraying units 30. The teaching function is a function for teaching each selected jetting unit the movement path along which the selected jetting unit is moved by moving the robot arm 23, the jetting section of the movement path along which the jetting unit 30 performs jetting, and the jetting direction when performing jetting in the jetting section. According to this configuration, when cleaning the production line 10, the teaching unit 82 can select two or more jetting units including the first jetting unit 31 and the second jetting unit 32, and teach each selected jetting unit 30 the movement path, jetting section, and jetting direction of the selected jetting unit 30. Therefore, the cleaning liquid WL can be sprayed and cleaned in a jetting path suitable for each production line 10, and the cleaning liquid WL can be rinsed after cleaning. Therefore, the burden of manual labor when cleaning the production line 10 can be reduced, and a high cleaning effect superior to, for example, washing with water can be obtained. Therefore, when cleaning the production line 10, the labor of the worker P can be reduced and a high cleaning effect can be obtained.

(2) The multiple spraying units 30 include a third spraying unit 33 that sprays gas to dry the rinsing liquid after the rinsing operation is performed by the second spraying unit 32 spraying the rinsing liquid. When three or more spraying units including the first spraying unit 31, the second spraying unit 32, and the third spraying unit 33 are selected, the teaching unit 82 teaches the movement path, spray section, and spray direction for each of the three or more spraying units 31 to 33. With this configuration, cleaning with the cleaning liquid WL, rinsing with the cleaning liquid WL after cleaning, and drying of the rinsing liquid after rinsing can be performed. Since the cleaning path, rinsing path, and drying path can be taught individually, the cleaning effect of the production line 10 can be further improved.

(3) At least the first injection unit 31 of the multiple injection units 30 is configured to be able to change the injection shape. The teaching unit 82 teaches the selected injection shape for at least the injection section of the first injection unit 31. With this configuration, the injection shape when at least the first injection unit 31 injects the cleaning liquid WL in the injection section can be selected and taught, thereby further improving the cleaning effect of the production line 10.

(4) The cleaning device 20 is a collaborative robot in which the cart 22 is moved manually by a person. The positioning mechanism 45 is capable of positioning the collaborative robot at the same cleaning position relative to the production line 10 during teaching using the teaching unit 82 and during cleaning with the taught control content. With this configuration, the worker P can place the collaborative robot at the same cleaning position during teaching and cleaning. For example, if the position of the collaborative robot is shifted between teaching and cleaning, the cleaning effect of the production line 10 will be reduced because the spray position of the cleaning liquid WL and the rinsing liquid will be shifted from the position at the time of teaching. In response to this, the positioning mechanism 45 allows the collaborative robot to be positioned at the same cleaning position with the required positional accuracy during teaching and cleaning, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the production line 10.

(5) The cleaning device 20 is a collaborative robot in which the cart 22 is moved manually by a person. The teaching unit 82 has a setting function for setting the moving speed at which the selected spray unit 30 moves through the spraying section. With this configuration, the moving speed at which the spray unit 30 moves through the spraying section while spraying can be set, so that the required cleaning effect can be obtained by setting the moving speed of the spray unit 30 to a value suitable for cleaning. Furthermore, even if the robot arm 23 of the collaborative robot is moved manually during teaching, the spray unit can be moved at an appropriate moving speed through the spraying section when cleaning is performed.

(6) The method for cleaning the manufacturing line 10 includes a teaching step and a cleaning step. In the teaching step, the cart 22 carrying the robot arm 23 having a plurality of spray units 30 including a first spray unit 31 for spraying the cleaning liquid WL and a second spray unit 32 for spraying the rinsing liquid is moved to a cleaning start position SP (cleaning position) for the manufacturing line 10, and two or more spray units 30 including the first spray unit 31 and the second spray unit 32 are selected from the plurality of spray units 30, and the moving path along which the spray unit 30 moves by moving the robot arm 23, the spray section of the moving path in which the spray unit 30 sprays, and the spray direction when spraying in the spray section are taught to each selected spray unit 30. In the cleaning step, the manufacturing line 10 is cleaned by controlling the two or more spray units 31, 32 and the robot arm 23 with the control contents taught in the teaching step. According to this cleaning method, the same effect as that of the cleaning device 20 of the manufacturing line 10 can be obtained.

(7) When a portion of the range of the movement path is set as the spray section, some of the multiple position coordinates input between the movement start position and the movement end position are set as the spray start position and the spray end position. With this configuration, even if part of the production line 10 exists as an obstacle on the linear path from the standby position to the spray start position of the robot arm 23, it is possible to set a path that avoids the obstacle. Therefore, the cleaning head 24 can be moved from the standby position to the spray start position while avoiding the obstacle.

The embodiment is not limited to the above and may be modified as follows.
The cleaning robot 21 may include a pump that generates pressure required to spray a fluid (liquid or gas) from the spraying unit 30. That is, the cleaning robot 21 may be configured to spray a liquid (cleaning liquid or rinsing liquid) or gas pressurized by a pump from the spraying unit.

- The cleaning robot 21 may be equipped with an imaging device including a camera capable of imaging the production line 10. The control unit 81 performs image analysis processing to analyze the image captured by the camera, thereby determining whether the cleaning robot 21 has been correctly positioned at the cleaning start position SP with respect to the production line 10. In this case, the camera may be provided on the cart 22 or on the robot arm 23. For example, the cleaning robot 21 may be equipped with a display unit that provides visual guidance or a speaker that provides audio guidance on the direction and distance to the correct cleaning start position SP.

The cleaning robot 21 may include a compressor that pressurizes the draining air sprayed from the third spray unit 33.
The cleaning device 20 is not limited to the cleaning robot 21. The cleaning device 20 may have a movement mechanism including an X-axis movement mechanism, a Y-axis movement mechanism, and a Z-axis movement mechanism, and may be configured to move a plurality of spray units individually in three directions, the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. For example, the cleaning device 20 may be configured to have an arm that is movable in each of the X, Y, and Z directions, instead of the robot arm 23, and to have a plurality of spray units 30 including a first spray unit 31 and a second spray unit 32 at the tip of the arm.

- The cleaning robot 21 may be provided with a 3D scanner, and the position of the cleaning robot 21 at the time of teaching may be stored based on the detection results of the 3D scanner, and when cleaning is performed, the cleaning robot 21 may be guided to the position at the time of teaching based on the detection results of the 3D scanner.

- The multiple spray units 30 may be of only two types, a first spray unit 31 and a second spray unit 32. In other words, the third spray unit 33 for blowing air may not be required. In addition, the multiple spray units 30 may include a spray unit that sprays liquids other than the cleaning liquid and the rinsing liquid, so long as the multiple spray units 30 are two or more spray units including the first spray unit 31 and the second spray unit 32.

The ejection unit 30 may be configured to be able to change the ejection pattern by switching the ejection port of the nozzle. In this case, the control unit 81 may switch the ejection port of the nozzle.
The cleaning robot 21 may be provided with a measurement function for measuring the moving speed when the operator P manually moves the cleaning head 24 during teaching, and the moving speed of the spraying unit 30 when moving through the spraying section may be set based on the measured value. With this configuration, the operator P can set the moving speed when the cleaning head 24 is moved at an appropriate moving speed while observing how dirt is removed when a predetermined liquid is sprayed from the spraying unit 30 during teaching.

The production line 10 to be cleaned by the cleaning device 20 does not have to be equipped with a conveyor 13 .
The production line 10 to be cleaned by the cleaning device 20 is not limited to a food production line, and may be a pharmaceutical production line that produces pharmaceuticals.

The production line 10 to be cleaned by the cleaning device 20 is not limited to a production line in which a worker P produces products such as food or medicine, but may also be an unmanned production line in which a manufacturing robot produces finished products or semi-finished products.

10...production line, 11...main body frame, 12...transport mechanism, 13...conveyor, 13A...transport surface, 14...roller, 15...driving source, 18...positioning section, 18A...recess, 20...cleaning device, 21...cleaning robot, 22...cart, 22A...housing, 22C...grip section, 23...robot arm, 24...cleaning head, 24A...grip, 25...base section, 26...rotating section, 27...arm, 27A-27C...arm section, 28...driving source, 29...operation tablet, 29A...display section, 29B...input section, 30...spray section, 31...first spray section, 32...second spray section, 33...third spray section, 34...first pipeline, 35...second pipeline, 36...third pipeline, 40...car Wheel, 41A, 41B...level bolt, 42...lever, 43...fixed part, 44...positioning rod, 45...positioning mechanism, 46...toggle mechanism, 50...controller, 51...control box, 60...tank, 61...first solenoid valve, 62...second solenoid valve, 63...third solenoid valve, 64...pipe, 65...connected part, 66...pressurizing valve, 67...branching part, 71-73...inlet pipe connection parts, 74-76...outlet pipe connection parts, 80...computer, 81...control part, 82...teaching part, 83...storage part, W...item, FP...floor surface, P...operator, WL...cleaning liquid, PR...program, TD...teaching data, X...transport direction, Y...width direction, Z...vertical direction.

Claims (6)

A cleaning device for a production line, comprising:
A plurality of ejection units each ejecting a different type of fluid;
A robot arm having the plurality of ejection units;
A cart on which the robot arm is mounted; and
A control unit that controls the plurality of ejection units and the robot arm;
a teaching unit that teaches control content when the control unit controls the plurality of spray units and the robot arm to perform cleaning,
The plurality of spray units include a first spray unit that sprays a cleaning liquid and a second spray unit that sprays a rinsing liquid,
The teaching unit includes:
a selection function for selecting two or more ejection units including the first ejection unit and the second ejection unit from the plurality of ejection units;
a teaching function for teaching, for each selected jetting unit, a movement path along which the selected jetting unit is moved by moving the robot arm, a jetting section along the movement path along which the jetting unit performs jetting, and a jetting direction when jetting in the jetting section. The plurality of spraying units include a third spraying unit that sprays gas to dry the rinsing liquid after the rinsing operation is performed by spraying the rinsing liquid by the second spraying unit,
2. The manufacturing line cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein when three or more jetting units including the first jetting unit, the second jetting unit, and the third jetting unit are selected, the teaching unit teaches the movement path, the jetting section, and the jetting direction for each of the three or more jetting units. At least the first ejection portion among the plurality of ejection portions is configured to be able to change an ejection shape,
3. The manufacturing line cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the teaching unit teaches a selected jet shape to at least the jetting section of the first jetting unit. The cleaning device is a collaborative robot in which a person manually moves the cart,
The manufacturing line cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is provided with a positioning mechanism that can position the collaborative robot at the same cleaning position relative to the manufacturing line during teaching using the teaching unit and during cleaning execution in which cleaning is performed using the taught control content. The cleaning device is a collaborative robot in which a person manually moves the cart,
5. The manufacturing line cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the teaching unit has a setting function for setting a moving speed when the selected spray unit moves through the spray section. A method for cleaning a production line, comprising the steps of:
a teaching step of selecting two or more jetting units including the first jetting unit and the second jetting unit from among the plurality of jetting units while moving a cart carrying a robot arm having the robot arm mounted thereon to a cleaning position relative to the production line, and teaching each of the selected jetting units a moving path along which the jetting units are moved by moving the robot arm, a jetting section along the moving path along which the jetting units perform jetting, and a jetting direction when performing jetting in the jetting section;
and a cleaning step of cleaning the production line by controlling the two or more spray units and the robot arm according to the control content taught in the teaching step.

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