JP7619752B2 - Material Handling Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a material handling device.

Robots are used in automobile manufacturing lines to transport and assemble parts. Patent Document 1 discloses a door removal device for removing doors attached to a vehicle body. This door removal device is attached to the tip of the arm of a robot. The door removal device includes a material handling device that grips the door. The door removal device grips the door attached to the vehicle body, and moves the door removed from the vehicle body to a specified location by the operation of the robot.

JP 2020-131355 A

In the automobile assembly process, a robot may transport a workpiece held by a material handling device between processes. In order to manufacture vehicles with large body sizes, as the workpieces become longer, the distance between processes must be made wider. If the distance between processes becomes too long, the robot's arm may not be able to reach it, and the workpiece may not be able to be moved to the designated position.

A material handling device equipped with a slide mechanism has been developed to move the workpiece to a predetermined position. A material handling device equipped with a slide mechanism can move the workpiece to a predetermined position by moving the workpiece horizontally with the slide mechanism. However, the weight of the material handling device increases due to the slide mechanism. In particular, if the sliding distance of the slide mechanism exceeds 1000 mm, the weight of the slide mechanism increases. Therefore, when a material handling device equipped with a slide mechanism is used, there is a risk that the weight capacity of the robot will be exceeded.

In addition, when the workpiece is moved horizontally by the slide mechanism, the center of gravity of the material handling device also moves. The farther this center of gravity is from the mounting position of the arm section in the material handling device, the greater the moment acting on the arm section. If an excessive moment is applied to the arm section, it becomes difficult for the arm section to support the material handling device.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a material handling device that can move a workpiece horizontally without using a slide mechanism.

A material handling apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises:
A frame,
A handle that is held by an arm of the robot;
A holder for holding a workpiece;
A motor,
The frame is
A rotating body that rotatably supports the holding portion;
a transmission mechanism that transmits a rotational force of the motor to the rotor,
The rotating body is provided at a first end of the frame,
the motor is mounted to a second end of the frame;
The handle is disposed between the first end and the second end.

The above-mentioned material handling device, which will be described in detail later, can rotate the frame using the robot's arm and rotate the holding part using a motor. The frame and holding part can be rotated 180 degrees each, allowing the holding part to move horizontally. This action allows the workpiece held by the holding part to move horizontally. By using the above-mentioned material handling device, it is possible to transport workpieces between processes even if the distance between processes is long.

The above-mentioned material handling device is lighter than a material handling device equipped with a sliding mechanism. It is easy to design the material handling device so that the total weight of the material handling device, including the workpiece, is equal to or less than the robot's payload capacity. Since existing robots can be used, there is no need to replace the robots or significantly modify the manufacturing equipment.

In the above-mentioned material handling device, the rotating body supporting the holding part is located at the first end of the frame, and the motor is located at the second end of the frame. Because the holding part is located at the first end and the motor, which is a heavy object, is located at the second end, when a workpiece is held by the holding part, the weight is easily balanced around the handle. The center of gravity of the material handling device is located between the first end and the second end. Because the center of gravity of the material handling device is close to the handle position, the moment acting on the arm part is small. It is easy to design the material handling device so that the moment acting on the arm part is below the allowable moment.

FIG. 1 is a front view that shows a schematic diagram of a material handling device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a bottom view that illustrates the material handling device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a transport operation by a robot using the material handling device according to the embodiment, and is a schematic diagram showing a state before the material handling device starts to rotate. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a transport operation by a robot using the material handling device according to the embodiment, and is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the material handling device is mid-rotation. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a transport operation by a robot using the material handling device according to the embodiment, and is a schematic diagram showing another state in the middle of rotation of the material handling device. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a transport operation by a robot using the material handling device according to the embodiment, and is a schematic diagram showing a state after the material handling device has rotated. FIG. 7 is a front view showing a schematic view of the material handling device according to the embodiment after rotation.

A specific example of a material handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the material handling device may be simply referred to as a "material handling device." In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals. In the drawings, "LH" indicates the left direction, "RH" indicates the right direction, "UP" indicates the upward direction, "LWR" indicates the downward direction, "FR" indicates the forward direction, and "RR" indicates the rearward direction.

<Material handling equipment>
A material handling device 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. As shown in Figure 3, the material handling device 1 is a jig that is attached to the tip of an arm portion 2a of a robot 2 and holds a workpiece w. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the material handling device 1 includes a frame 10, a handle 20, a holding portion 30, and a motor 40. In the material handling device 1, the surface on which the handle 20 is provided is referred to as the front, and the side opposite the front is referred to as the back.

One of the features of the material handling device 1 of the embodiment is that the holding unit 30 is rotatably supported with respect to the frame 10, and is configured to rotate the holding unit 30 by the motor 40. As will be described later with reference to Figures 3 to 6, the material handling device 1 of the embodiment can move the workpiece w in the horizontal direction by rotating the frame 10 by the arm unit 2a of the robot 2 and rotating the holding unit 30 by the motor 40. The material handling device 1 of the embodiment is lightweight because it does not include a slide mechanism.
The configuration of the material handling device 1 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

(Frame)
The frame 10 is a member that supports the handle 20, the holding portion 30, and the motor 40. In this embodiment, the frame 10 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The frame 10 has a rotating body 13 and a transmission mechanism 14. The length L of the frame 10 is, for example, not less than 1100 mm and not more than 2100 mm.

<Rotating Body>
The rotating body 13 is a component that rotatably supports the holding part 30 with respect to the frame 10. The rotating body 13 has a disk-like shape. The rotating body 13 has a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the front surface of the frame 10. The rotating body 13 is rotatable around the rotation axis with respect to the frame 10. The rotating body 13 is provided at a first end 10a of the frame 10. In FIG. 1 , the first end 10a is located on the right side of the frame 10.

<Transmission mechanism>
The transmission mechanism 14 is a device that transmits the rotational force of the motor 40 to the rotating body 13. The motor 40 is provided at the second end 10b of the frame 10. In FIG. 1, the second end 10b is located on the left side of the frame 10. When the motor 40 rotates, the rotational force of the motor 40 is transmitted to the rotating body 13 by the transmission mechanism 14, and the rotating body 13 rotates. The transmission mechanism 14 is disposed between the motor 40 and the rotating body 13. The transmission mechanism 14 is, for example, a sprocket and a chain, or a pulley and a belt. When the transmission mechanism 14 is configured with a sprocket and a chain, or a pulley and a belt, the number of parts is small and the weight is light.

(handle)
As shown in FIG. 3, the handle 20 is a part that is held by an arm unit 2a of the robot 2, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the handle 20 is held at the tip of the arm unit 2a. The handle 20 is provided between the first end 10a and the second end 10b of the frame 10. In other words, the handle 20 is disposed between the holding unit 30 and the motor 40. The handle 20 is fixed to the frame 10. When the handle 20 rotates, the frame 10 rotates around the axis of the handle 20. FIG. 1 shows a state before the handle 20 rotates, i.e., before the frame 10 rotates. A distance d from the center of the handle 20 to the center of the rotating body 13 is, for example, 500 mm or more and 1000 mm or less.

(Holding part)
As shown in Fig. 3, the holding unit 30 is a device that holds a workpiece w, which will be described later. The holding unit 30 is rotatably supported on the frame 10 by the rotating body 13. When the rotating body 13 rotates, the holding unit 30 rotates therewith. In Fig. 1, the holding unit 30 is located on the right side of the frame 10. In this embodiment, the rotating body 13 and the holding unit 30 are provided on the back surface of the frame 10.

The configuration of the holding unit 30 may be known. The holding unit 30 can be changed depending on the type of workpiece w. In this embodiment, the holding unit 30 has a pin 31. For example, the holding unit 30 holds the workpiece w by inserting the pin 31 into a hole formed in the workpiece w.

The configuration of the holding unit 30 in this embodiment will be described in detail. The holding unit 30 has a frame member configured in a roughly rectangular frame shape. This frame member is supported by the rotating body 13. In FIG. 1, the left and right vertical frames protrude upward and downward from the horizontal frames. As shown in FIG. 2, a rod protrudes from the frame member toward the back surface, and a pin 31 is provided at the tip of the rod. Depending on the rotation angle of the rotating body 13, the frame member can protrude to the right from the frame 10 as shown in FIG. 1, or can overlap the frame 10.

The workpiece w is, for example, a part that constitutes the body of an automobile. Specific examples of parts that constitute the body include side panels, doors, roofs, bonnets, and fenders. In this embodiment, the workpiece w is a side panel of an automobile.

(Motor)
The motor 40 is a power source for rotating the holding part 30. The rotation axis of the motor 40 is perpendicular to the front surface of the frame 10. In other words, the rotation axis of the motor 40 and the rotation axis of the rotating body 13 are parallel to each other. As described above, the rotational force of the motor 40 is transmitted to the rotating body 13 by the transmission mechanism 14. When the motor 40 rotates, the holding part 30 supported by the rotating body 13 rotates together with the rotating body 13. The rotation of the holding part 30 can be controlled by controlling the rotation of the motor 40. FIG. 1 shows a state before the motor 40 rotates, i.e., before the holding part 30 rotates. In this embodiment, the motor 40 is provided on the front surface of the frame 10.

The rotating body 13 that supports the holding part 30 is provided at the first end 10a, and the motor 40, which is a heavy object, is provided at the second end 10b. When the holding part 30 holds a workpiece w, the weight balance is likely to be balanced around the handle 20. By positioning the holding part 30 at the first end 10a and the motor 40 at the second end 10b, the center of gravity of the material handling device 1 can be set at a position close to the handle 20. By positioning the center of gravity of the material handling device 1 close to the handle 20, the moment acting on the arm part 2a of the robot 2 that grasps the handle 20 is reduced, as shown in FIG. 3.

<ROBOT>
The configuration of the robot 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The robot 2 transports a workpiece w held by the material handling device 1. Although shown in a simplified manner in Fig. 3, the robot 2 is a six-axis robot. The robot 2 has an arm portion 2a and a base portion 2b that supports the arm portion 2a. The tip of the arm portion 2a is rotatable. When the tip of the arm portion 2a rotates, the frame 10 rotates together with the handle 20. The operation of the robot 2 is controlled by a controller (not shown).

<Material handling equipment operation>
The operation of moving the workpiece w in the horizontal direction by the material handling device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 6. The horizontal movement of the workpiece w by the material handling device 1 is performed by rotating the material handling device 1 holding the workpiece w by the robot 2. Figures 3 to 6 show the operation of the material handling device 1 from the start to the end of the movement of the workpiece w.

In the state shown in FIG. 3, the tip of the arm portion 2a and the motor 40 are both in a state before they rotate. That is, this is a state before the frame 10 rotates and before the holding portion 30 rotates. The state shown in FIG. 3 before the material handling device 1 rotates is called the "initial state." The state of the material handling device 1 shown in FIG. 3 is the same as the state shown in FIG. 1.

From the initial state shown in FIG. 3, the motor 40 rotates while the tip of the arm portion 2a rotates. The rotation of the tip of the arm portion 2a rotates the frame 10 together with the handle 20. The rotation of the motor 40 rotates the rotating body 13 via the transmission mechanism 14, and the holding portion 30 rotates.

The rotation of the arm section 2a and the rotation of the motor 40 are each controlled by a controller. The rotation direction of the frame 10 and the rotation direction of the holding section 30 are opposite to each other. In this embodiment, the rotation direction of the arm section 2a, i.e., the rotation direction of the frame 10, is clockwise when viewed from the front of the material handling device 1. The rotation direction of the motor 40, i.e., the rotation direction of the holding section 30, is counterclockwise when viewed from the front of the material handling device 1. In other words, the frame 10 rotates clockwise and the holding section 30 rotates counterclockwise relative to the frame 10. In addition, the rotation speed of the frame 10 and the rotation speed of the holding section 30 are controlled to be synchronized. In other words, the rotation speed of the frame 10 and the rotation speed of the holding section 30 are the same.

4 and 5 each show a state in which the material handling device 1 is rotating. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the frame 10 has rotated 60° clockwise and the holding part 30 has rotated 60° counterclockwise from the initial state shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the frame 10 and the holding part 30 have each further rotated 60° from the state shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 shows a state after the material handling device 1 has rotated. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the frame 10 and the holding part 30 have each further rotated 60° from the state shown in FIG. 5. The state after the material handling device 1 has rotated shown in FIG. 6 is a state in which the frame 10 and the holding part 30 have each rotated 180° from the initial state shown in FIG. Since the rotation speed of the frame 10 and the rotation speed of the holding part 30 are controlled to be synchronized, the up-down orientation of the holding part 30 does not change even if the material handling device 1 rotates. In other words, while the material handling device 1 is rotating, the workpiece w does not rotate and the up-down orientation of the workpiece w is maintained.

When the frame 10 and the holding portion 30 are each rotated 180° from the rotated state shown in FIG. 6, they return to the initial state shown in FIG. 3.

When the material handling device 1 rotates from the initial state shown in FIG. 3 to the state after rotation shown in FIG. 6, as shown in FIG. 7, the frame 10 is inverted around the handle 20, and the rotating body 13 moves to a position point-symmetrical around the handle 20. In FIG. 7, the state after rotation of the material handling device 1 is shown by a solid line, and the initial state of the material handling device 1 is shown by a two-dot chain line. As shown in FIG. 7, in the state after rotation, the first end 10a is located on the left side of the frame 10, and the holding part 30 supported by the rotating body 13 moves to the left from the initial state. Comparing the initial state shown in FIG. 3 with the state after rotation shown in FIG. 6, the workpiece w appears to move in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the workpiece w can be moved from right to left. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 6, in the course of a series of operations to move the workpiece w, the workpiece w moves from the start position to the end position by drawing a downwardly convex arc-shaped trajectory.

The amount of horizontal movement of the workpiece w is equal to the distance that the holding unit 30 moves horizontally between the initial state and the state after rotation. The distance that the holding unit 30 moves horizontally is twice the distance d, as shown in FIG. 7. For example, if the distance d is 700 mm, the amount of horizontal movement of the workpiece w is 1400 mm.

The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

1. Material handling equipment
2 robot 2a arm portion, 2b base portion 10 frame 10a first end portion, 10b second end portion 13 rotating body 14 transmission mechanism 20 handle 30 holding portion, 31 pin 40 motor w workpiece L length, d distance

Claims (1)

A frame,
A handle that is held by an arm of the robot;
A holder for holding a workpiece;
A motor,
The frame is
A rotating body that rotatably supports the holding portion;
a transmission mechanism that transmits a rotational force of the motor to the rotor,
The rotating body is provided at a first end of the frame,
the motor is mounted to a second end of the frame;
The handle is disposed between the first end and the second end.
Material handling equipment.

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