JP7683788B2 - equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a jig stocker in which jigs that are detachably attached to a robot arm and support various workpieces are arranged.

An example of such a jig stocker is disclosed in the following Patent Document 1. In the following explanations of the "Background Art" and "Problems to be Solved by the Invention", the reference symbols in Patent Document 1 are quoted in parentheses.

The jig stocker (60) in Patent Document 1 has multiple jig attachment sections (63A-63F) to which jigs (50A-50F) can be attached.

JP 2002-331484 A

In the above-mentioned jig stocker (60), a jig (50A-50F) of a type corresponding to the configuration is attached to each of the multiple jig attachment sections (63A-63F). Therefore, for example, when introducing a new type of jig, it is necessary to change the configuration of the jig attachment section to accommodate the jig, but to do so, major changes to the jig stocker (60) are required. In this way, the jig stocker (60) of Patent Document 1 is disadvantageous in that it lacks versatility.

Therefore, it is desirable to develop a versatile jig stocker.

In view of the above, the characteristics and configuration of the facility are as follows:
A robot arm;
A jig that is detachably attached to the robot arm and supports various workpieces;
A jig stocker in which the jig is placed ,
the jig stocker includes a plurality of mounting members and a plurality of jig mounting portions to which the jigs are attached via the mounting members ,
The jig includes a holding mechanism for holding the workpiece,
Each of the plurality of mounting members includes a held portion held by the holding mechanism and a fixing portion removably fixed to each of the plurality of jig mounting portions,
There are a plurality of types of the jig, each of which has a different configuration of the holding mechanism depending on the type of the workpiece,
The mounting member includes a plurality of types in which the configuration of the held portion differs depending on the type of the jig and the configuration of the fixing portion is the same,
With the jig attached to the jig attachment portion, a direction in which the jig attachment portion and the jig are aligned is defined as a front-rear direction,
the held portion has an abutment surface facing the jig attachment portion in the front-rear direction when the fixing portion is fixed to the jig attachment portion,
The holding mechanism comprises an abutment portion that abuts against the abutment surface, and a switching portion that is configured to be switchable between a fixed state in which the abutment portion abuts against the abutment surface to fix the jig to the jig mounting portion, and a released state in which the abutment portion is moved away from the abutment surface to allow the jig to move relative to the jig mounting portion.

According to this characteristic configuration, a jig is attached to each of the multiple jig attachment parts via an attachment member having a held portion held by the holding mechanism of the jig and a fixing portion detachably fixed to the jig attachment part. Then, multiple types of attachment members exist according to the type of jig, and in the multiple types of attachment members, the held portions have different configurations according to the type of jig, while the fixing portions have a common configuration. This allows jigs of various configurations to be attached to the jig attachment parts by simply replacing the attachment member according to the type of jig, without changing the configuration of the jig attachment part. Therefore, a jig stocker with excellent versatility can be realized.
Furthermore, according to this characteristic configuration, by switching the switching portion between the fixed state and the released state, the jig can be easily attached to and detached from the jig attachment portion.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a facility in which a jig stocker according to a first embodiment is installed; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a jig stocker according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a relationship between a first jig attachment portion, a first attachment member, and a first jig in the jig stocker according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a relationship between a second jig attachment portion, a second attachment member, and a second jig in the jig stocker according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a front view of a jig stocker according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a plan view of a jig stocker according to a second embodiment;

1. First embodiment Hereinafter, a jig stocker 100 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the jig stocker 100 is configured to accommodate a jig J. The jig J is detachably attached to a robot arm R in order to support various workpieces W. The jig J includes a holding mechanism H (see Fig. 2) for holding the workpieces W.

There are multiple types of jigs J, each with a different configuration of the holding mechanism H depending on the type of workpiece W. Multiple types of jigs J are arranged in the jig stocker 100. Among these jigs J, a type of jig J corresponding to the workpiece W is selected and attached to the robot arm R. In this embodiment, the workpiece W is a door unit of a vehicle body V that is transported in the transport direction D by the transport device T. In the illustrated example, the jig stocker 100 and the robot arm R are arranged on either side of the transport path of the vehicle body V.

As shown in FIG. 2, the jig stocker 100 has multiple jig attachment parts 1 to which the jig J is attached. In this embodiment, the multiple jig attachment parts 1 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. In this example, three jig attachment parts 1 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction.

In the following description, the direction in which the jig J is lined up when it is attached to the jig attachment section 1 is referred to as the "front-to-back direction Y." In this state, the side in the front-to-back direction Y where the jig J is located relative to the jig attachment section 1 is referred to as the "front side Y1," and the opposite side is referred to as the "rear side Y2." In addition, the direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction Y in a plan view is referred to as the "left-to-right direction X." Furthermore, the direction along the vertical direction is referred to as the "up-down direction Z."

3 and 4, in this embodiment, each of the multiple jig mounting parts 1 has a pair of upper fastening parts 11U and a pair of lower fastening parts 11L arranged below the upper fastening parts 11U. In this embodiment, the jig stocker 100 has a pair of support frames 3 arranged at an interval in the left-right direction X. The pair of upper fastening parts 11U are fixed to the pair of support frames 3 so as to protrude from the pair of support frames 3 to both outside in the left-right direction X. The pair of upper fastening parts 11U are arranged at the same position in the up-down direction Z. The pair of lower fastening parts 11L are fixed to the pair of support frames 3 so as to protrude from the pair of support frames 3 to both outside in the left-right direction X. The pair of lower fastening parts 11L are arranged at the same position in the up-down direction Z. The pair of upper fastening parts 11U and the pair of lower fastening parts 11L are arranged at the same position in the left-right direction X. In this example, each of the upper fastening portion 11U and the lower fastening portion 11L is formed in a plate shape having a plate surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction Y.

A jig J is attached to each of the multiple jig attachment portions 1 via an attachment member 2. In this embodiment, the attachment member 2 includes an upper attachment member 2U and a lower attachment member 2L.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, of the three jig mounting parts 1 arranged in the vertical direction Z, the upper jig mounting part 1 and the middle jig mounting part 1 are each attached with a mounting member 2. The lower jig mounting part 1 does not have a mounting member 2 fixed thereto, and no jig J is attached thereto. In the following description, the upper jig mounting part 1 is referred to as the "first jig mounting part 1A". The upper mounting member 2U and the lower mounting member 2L corresponding to the first jig mounting part 1A are referred to as the "first upper mounting member 2UA" and the "first lower mounting member 2LA", respectively. Furthermore, the jig J attached to the first jig mounting part 1A via the first upper mounting member 2UA and the first lower mounting member 2LA is referred to as the "first jig JA". The middle jig mounting part 1 is referred to as the "second jig mounting part 1B". The upper mounting member 2U and the lower mounting member 2L corresponding to the second jig mounting portion 1B are respectively referred to as the "second upper mounting member 2UB" and the "second lower mounting member 2LB." Furthermore, the jig J attached to the second jig mounting portion 1B via the second upper mounting member 2UB and the second lower mounting member 2LB is referred to as the "second jig JB." In addition, the lower jig mounting portion 1 is referred to as the "third jig mounting portion 1C."

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, each of the first upper mounting member 2UA and the second upper mounting member 2UB has an upper held portion 21U that is held by the holding mechanism H of the jig J, and an upper fixed portion 22U that is detachably fixed to each of the multiple jig mounting portions 1.

In this embodiment, the upper held portion 21U has an upper abutment surface 21Ua that faces the side of the jig mounting portion 1 in the front-rear direction Y (rear side Y2) when the upper fixed portion 22U is fixed to the jig mounting portion 1. In this example, two upper held portions 21U are provided on each of the second upper mounting member 2UB and the second upper mounting member 2UB. The two upper held portions 21U protrude to the front side Y1 and further protrude along the left-right direction X so as to approach each other. An upper abutment surface 21Ua is formed on each of the surfaces of the rear side Y2 of the portions of the two upper held portions 21U that protrude along the left-right direction X.

In addition, in this embodiment, a pair of upper fixing parts 22U are fixed to a pair of upper fastening parts 11U in the jig attachment part 1. In this example, the pair of upper fixing parts 22U are formed in a plate shape having a plate surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction Y. The corresponding upper fixing parts 22U and upper fastening parts 11U are fastened by bolts while in contact with each other in the front-rear direction Y.

Each of the first lower mounting member 2LA and the second lower mounting member 2LB has a lower held portion 21L that is held by the holding mechanism H of the jig J, and a lower fixed portion 22L that is removably fixed to each of the multiple jig mounting portions 1.

In this embodiment, the lower held portion 21L has a lower abutment surface 21La facing the side of the jig mounting portion 1 in the front-rear direction Y (rear side Y2) when the lower fixed portion 22L is fixed to the jig mounting portion 1. As shown in FIG. 3, in this example, two lower held portions 21L are provided on the first lower mounting member 2LA. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, in this example, three lower held portions 21L are provided on the second lower mounting member 2LB. Each lower held portion 21L is formed in a plate shape having a plate surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction Y. A lower abutment surface 21La is formed on the rear side Y2 surface of each lower held portion 21L.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in this embodiment, a pair of lower fixing parts 22L are fixed to a pair of lower fastening parts 11L in the jig attachment part 1. In this example, the pair of lower fixing parts 22L are formed in a plate shape having a plate surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction Y. The corresponding lower fixing parts 22L and lower fastening parts 11L are fastened by bolts while in contact with each other in the front-rear direction Y.

In this example, the relative positions of the two upper retained portions 21U to the pair of upper fixing portions 22U in the first upper mounting member 2UA are different from the relative positions of the two upper retained portions 21U to the pair of upper fixing portions 22U in the second upper mounting member 2UB. Also, as described above, the number of lower retained portions 21L in the first lower mounting member 2LA is different from the number of lower retained portions 21L in the second lower mounting member 2LB. On the other hand, the pair of upper fixing portions 22U in the first upper mounting member 2UA is configured similarly to the pair of upper fixing portions 22U in the second upper mounting member 2UB. Furthermore, the pair of lower fixing portions 22L in the first lower mounting member 2LA is configured similarly to the pair of lower fixing portions 22L in the second lower mounting member 2LB. In this way, there are multiple types of mounting members 2 in which the configuration of the held parts 21U, 21L differs depending on the type of jig J, but the configuration of the fixing parts 22U, 22L is the same. Here, the "configuration" of each part includes the position, shape, number, etc. of each part.

In addition, in this embodiment, each of the first lower mounting member 2LA and the second lower mounting member 2LB has a pair of support parts 23 that support the jig J from below. The pair of support parts 23 are formed to protrude toward the front side Y1.

In addition, in this embodiment, each of the first upper mounting member 2UA and the second upper mounting member 2UB has a pair of upper receiving portions 24U that abut against the jig J from the rear side Y2. The pair of upper receiving portions 24U are arranged at a distance in the left-right direction X. In addition, in this embodiment, each of the first lower mounting member 2LA and the second lower mounting member 2LB has a pair of lower receiving portions 24L that abut against the jig J from the rear side Y2. The pair of lower receiving portions 24L are arranged at a distance in the left-right direction X.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in this embodiment, the holding mechanism H of the jig J includes an upper holding mechanism HU and a lower holding mechanism HL. The upper holding mechanism HU and the lower holding mechanism HL are attached to a jig frame F formed in a frame shape provided on the jig J. In this example, the first jig JA is provided with two upper holding mechanisms HU and two lower holding mechanisms HL (see Figure 3). The second jig JB is provided with two upper holding mechanisms HU and three lower holding mechanisms HL (see Figure 4).

The upper holding mechanism HU has an upper abutment portion H1U and an upper switching portion H2U.

As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the upper abutment portion H1U of the first jig JA is configured to abut against the upper abutment surface 21Ua of the first upper mounting member 2UA. In this example, the two upper abutment portions H1U of the first jig JA are configured to abut against the two upper abutment surfaces 21Ua of the first upper mounting member 2UA, respectively. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the upper abutment portion H1U of the second jig JB is configured to abut against the upper abutment surface 21Ua of the second upper mounting member 2UB, respectively. In this example, the two upper abutment portions H1U of the second jig JB are configured to abut against the two upper abutment surfaces 21Ua of the second upper mounting member 2UB, respectively.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the upper switching unit H2U is configured to be switchable between a fixed state in which the upper abutment unit H1U abuts against the upper abutment surface 21Ua to fix the jig J to the jig mounting unit 1, and a released state in which the upper abutment unit H1U is separated from the upper abutment surface 21Ua to allow the jig J to move relative to the jig mounting unit 1.

In this embodiment, the upper switching unit H2U includes an upper locking unit H3U connected to the upper abutment unit H1U, an upper swing shaft H4U that swingably supports the upper locking unit H3U, and an upper drive unit H5U that swings the upper locking unit H3U.

In this embodiment, in the fixed state, the upper locking portion H3U extends in the left-right direction X so that the upper locking portion H3U and the upper abutment portion H1U overlap the upper abutment surface 21Ua on the rear side Y2 of the upper abutment surface 21Ua when viewed in the front-rear direction Y. In addition, in the released state, the upper locking portion H3U extends in the front-rear direction Y so that the upper locking portion H3U and the upper abutment portion H1U do not overlap the upper abutment surface 21Ua when viewed in the front-rear direction Y. Here, with regard to the arrangement of two elements, "overlapping when viewed in a specific direction" refers to the presence of at least a partial area where a virtual line parallel to the line of sight intersects with both of the two elements when the virtual line is moved in each direction perpendicular to the virtual line.

In this embodiment, the upper drive unit H5U is a cylinder (e.g., a pneumatic cylinder) whose rod moves in and out in the forward and backward direction Y. Examples of such cylinders include a brake-equipped cylinder that has the function of fixing the rod at any position in the forward and backward direction Y, and an end-lock-equipped cylinder that has the function of fixing the rod at both ends in the forward and backward direction Y. By using such a cylinder as the upper drive unit H5U, the fixed state of the upper switching unit H2U can be maintained even if the supply of power such as compressed air and electricity to the upper drive unit H5U is stopped, for example, when the jig J is removed from the robot arm R. Therefore, the jig J can be properly attached to the jig attachment unit 1 without continuing the supply of power to the upper drive unit H5U.

In addition, in this embodiment, the upper oscillating shaft H4U is formed to extend in the vertical direction Z. In this example, the multiple upper oscillating shafts H4U are configured as part of a link mechanism that connects them so that the upper engaging portion H3U oscillates in accordance with the extension and retraction movement of the rod of the upper driving portion H5U.

The lower holding mechanism HL has a lower abutment portion H1L and a lower switching portion H2L.

As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the lower abutment portion H1L of the first jig JA is configured to abut against the lower abutment surface 21La of the first lower mounting member 2LA. In this example, the two lower abutment portions H1L of the first jig JA are configured to abut against the two lower abutment surfaces 21La of the first lower mounting member 2LA. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the lower abutment portion H1L of the second jig JB is configured to abut against the lower abutment surface 21La of the second lower mounting member 2LB. In this example, the three lower abutment portions H1L of the second jig JB are configured to abut against the three lower abutment surfaces 21La of the second lower mounting member 2LB.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the lower switching unit H2L is configured to be switchable between a fixed state in which the lower abutment unit H1L abuts against the lower abutment surface 21La to fix the jig J to the jig mounting unit 1, and a released state in which the lower abutment unit H1L is separated from the lower abutment surface 21La to allow the jig J to move relative to the jig mounting unit 1.

In this embodiment, the lower switching part H2L includes a lower locking part H3L connected to the lower abutment part H1L, a lower swing shaft H4L that swingably supports the lower locking part H3L, and a lower drive part H5L that swings the lower locking part H3L.

In this embodiment, in the fixed state, the lower locking portion H3L extends in the up-down direction Z such that the lower locking portion H3L and the lower abutment portion H1L overlap the lower abutment surface 21La on the rear side Y2 of the lower abutment surface 21La when viewed in the front-rear direction Y. In addition, in the released state, the lower locking portion H3L extends in the front-rear direction Y such that the lower locking portion H3L and the lower abutment portion H1L do not overlap the lower abutment surface 21La when viewed in the front-rear direction Y.

In this embodiment, the lower drive unit H5L is a cylinder (e.g., a pneumatic cylinder) whose rod moves in and out in the forward and backward direction Y. As such a cylinder, a cylinder with a brake that has the function of fixing the rod at any position in the forward and backward direction Y, a cylinder with an end lock that has the function of fixing the rod at both ends in the forward and backward direction Y, etc. can be used. By using such a cylinder as the lower drive unit H5L, the fixed state of the lower switching unit H2L can be maintained even if the supply of power such as compressed air and electricity to the lower drive unit H5L is stopped, for example, when the jig J is removed from the robot arm R. Therefore, the jig J can be properly attached to the jig attachment unit 1 without continuing the supply of power to the lower drive unit H5L.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lower oscillating shaft H4L is formed to extend in the left-right direction X. In this example, the multiple lower oscillating shafts H4L are configured as part of a link mechanism that connects them so that the lower engaging portion H3L oscillates in accordance with the extension and retraction movement of the rod of the lower driving portion H5L.

In this embodiment, the multiple types of jigs J differ from each other in at least one of the position, shape, and number of the abutment parts H1U, H1L. As described above, in this example, the relative positions of the two upper held parts 21U to the pair of upper fixing parts 22U in the first upper mounting member 2UA are different from the relative positions of the two upper held parts 21U to the pair of upper fixing parts 22U in the second upper mounting member 2UB. Specifically, the positions of the two upper held parts 21U in the left-right direction X are different between the first upper mounting member 2UA and the second upper mounting member 2UB. Therefore, in this example, the positions of the two upper holding mechanisms HU corresponding to the two upper held parts 21U in the left-right direction X are different between the first jig JA and the second jig JB. Also, as described above, the number of lower holding mechanisms HL in the first jig JA is different from the number of lower holding mechanisms HL in the second jig JB. Thus, in this example, the multiple types of jigs J have different positions of the upper contact parts H1U and different numbers of lower contact parts H1L.

In this embodiment, the upper switching unit H2U and the lower switching unit H2L are released, and the jig J is moved to the rear side Y2 by the robot arm R (see FIG. 1) relative to the mounting member 2 fixed to the jig mounting unit 1. Then, the jig frame F of the jig J is abutted against the pair of upper receiving parts 24U and the pair of lower receiving parts 24L from the front side Y1, and the jig J is further moved by the robot arm R so that it is placed on the pair of supports 23. After that, the upper switching unit H2U and the lower switching unit H2L are fixed, and the jig J is attached to the jig mounting unit 1 via the mounting member 2. In this way, the jig J is attached to the jig mounting unit 1 using the holding mechanism H that holds the workpiece W. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a separate mechanism for attaching the jig J to the jig mounting unit 1. When removing the jig J from the jig mounting unit 1, the operations are performed in the reverse order to those described above.

2. Second embodiment A jig stocker 100 according to a second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 5 and 6. In this embodiment, the arrangement of the jig attachment portion 1 is different from that of the first embodiment. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. Note that points that are not specifically described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, a plurality of jig mounting units 10 are provided, each of which is made up of a plurality of jig mounting parts 1 arranged side by side in the vertical direction Z. The first jig mounting part 1A, the second jig mounting part 1B, and the third jig mounting part 1C in the first embodiment correspond to one jig mounting unit 10.

As shown in FIG. 6, the multiple jig mounting units 10 are arranged side by side along the circumferential direction of the rotation axis along the vertical direction Z. The multiple jig mounting units 10 are supported so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis. In this embodiment, a pair of support frames 3 supporting each jig mounting unit 10 are connected to each other by a connecting frame 4. A rotating shaft 5 formed to extend in the vertical direction Z is connected to the connecting frame 4. The rotating shaft 5 is rotated by a specified driving device, so that the multiple jig mounting units 10 rotate around the axis of the rotating shaft 5. In this example, four jig mounting units 10 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the axis of the rotating shaft 5.

3. Other embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which three jig mounting parts 1 are arranged in the vertical direction Z has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and two or four or more jig mounting parts 1 may be arranged. Furthermore, a plurality of jig mounting parts 1 may be arranged at an incline with respect to the vertical direction Z. In this case, it is preferable that the plurality of jig mounting parts 1 are inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z so that the upper end of each jig mounting part 1 faces the rear side Y2 with respect to the lower end. Furthermore, a plurality of jig mounting parts 1 may be arranged in a horizontal line.

(2) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the jig J is attached to the jig attachment portion 1 via two attachment members 2 (upper attachment member 2U and lower attachment member 2L) has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the jig J may be attached to the jig attachment portion 1 via one or three or more attachment members 2.

(3) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which there are two upper holding mechanisms HU of the first jig JA and two upper held portions 21U of the first upper mounting member 2UA, two lower holding mechanisms HL of the first jig JA and two lower held portions 21L of the first lower mounting member 2LA, two upper holding mechanisms HU of the second jig JB and two upper held portions 21U of the second upper mounting member 2UB, and three lower holding mechanisms HL of the second jig JB and three lower held portions 21L of the second lower mounting member 2LB. However, the number of holding mechanisms of the jig J and the number of held portions of the mounting member 2 is not limited.

(4) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which each mounting member 2 has two upper fixing portions 22U and two upper fastening portions 11U of the jig mounting portion 1, and each mounting member 2 has two lower fixing portions 22L and two lower fastening portions 11L of the jig mounting portion 1. However, the number of fixing portions of the mounting member 2 and the number of fastening portions of the jig mounting portion 1 are not limited.

(5) In the above embodiment, the multiple types of jigs J have been described as having different positions of the upper contact portions H1U and different numbers of the lower contact portions H1L. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the multiple types of jigs J may have different shapes of at least one of the upper contact portions H1U and the lower contact portions H1L.

(6) In the above embodiment, the upper holding mechanism HU includes an upper abutment H1U, an upper locking portion H3U as an upper switching portion H2U, an upper oscillating shaft H4U, and an upper drive portion H5U, and the lower holding mechanism HL includes a lower abutment H1L, a lower locking portion H3L as a lower switching portion H2L, a lower oscillating shaft H4L, and a lower drive portion H5L. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the holding mechanism H may hold a holding object (jig J, workpiece W) by engaging a pin with the holding object.

(7) In the above embodiment, the upper drive unit H5U and the lower drive unit H5L are configured by pneumatic cylinders as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
The upper drive unit H5U and the lower drive unit H5L may be configured with a hydraulic cylinder such as a hydraulic cylinder. Alternatively, the upper drive unit H5U and the lower drive unit H5L may be configured with an electric actuator such as a solenoid or a motor.

(8) The configurations disclosed in each of the above-described embodiments may be combined with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, provided no inconsistencies arise. With respect to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely illustrative in all respects. Therefore, various modifications may be made as appropriate within the scope of the spirit of this disclosure.

4. Overview of the Above-described Embodiment Hereinafter, an overview of the above-described jig stocker will be described.

The jig stocker is
A jig stocker in which jigs are arranged and supported by a robot arm so as to be detachably attached to the robot arm,
a plurality of jig attachment portions to which the jig is attached via an attachment member,
The jig includes a holding mechanism for holding the workpiece,
the mounting member includes a held portion held by the holding mechanism and a fixing portion removably fixed to each of the plurality of jig mounting portions,
There are a plurality of types of the jig, each of which has a different configuration of the holding mechanism depending on the type of the workpiece,
There are a plurality of types of mounting members, each of which has a different configuration of the held portion depending on the type of the jig, and has the same configuration of the fixing portion.

According to this configuration, a jig is attached to each of the multiple jig attachment parts via an attachment member that has a held portion that is held by the jig's holding mechanism and a fixing portion that is detachably fixed to the jig attachment part. There are multiple types of attachment members depending on the type of jig, and in the multiple types of attachment members, the held portions have different configurations depending on the type of jig, while the fixing portions have a common configuration. This allows jigs of various configurations to be attached to the jig attachment parts by simply replacing the attachment member depending on the type of jig, without changing the configuration of the jig attachment part. Therefore, a jig stocker with excellent versatility can be realized.

Here, it is preferable that the multiple jig attachment portions are arranged in a vertical line.

With this configuration, multiple jigs can be placed in the jig stocker by utilizing the vertical space. Therefore, many jigs can be placed in the jig stocker while keeping the horizontal placement area of the jig stocker small.

In a configuration in which a plurality of the jig attachment portions are arranged side by side along the vertical direction,
a plurality of jig attachment units each including a plurality of the jig attachment portions arranged side by side along the vertical direction are provided;
It is preferable that the multiple jig attachment units are arranged side by side in a circumferential direction of a rotation axis along the vertical direction, and are supported rotatably around the rotation axis.

This configuration allows more jigs to be placed in the jig stocker while keeping the horizontal placement area of the jig stocker small. In addition, the robot arm can easily access the desired jig by simply changing the rotational positions of multiple jig mounting units.

In addition, when the jig is attached to the jig attachment portion, the direction in which the jig attachment portion and the jig are aligned is defined as a front-rear direction,
the held portion has an abutment surface facing the jig attachment portion in the front-rear direction when the fixing portion is fixed to the jig attachment portion,
It is preferable that the holding mechanism comprises an abutment portion that abuts against the abutment surface, and a switching portion that is configured to be switchable between a fixed state in which the abutment portion abuts against the abutment surface to fix the jig to the jig mounting portion, and a released state in which the abutment portion is moved away from the abutment surface to allow the jig to move relative to the jig mounting portion.

With this configuration, the jig can be easily attached to and detached from the jig attachment part by switching the switching part between the fixed state and the released state.

The above configuration is suitable when the multiple types of jigs differ from each other in at least one of the position, shape, and number of the abutment parts. This is because in such a configuration, it is difficult to attach various jigs to the jig attachment part unless an attachment member having a different configuration of the held part depending on the type of jig is used.

It is also preferable that the switching unit includes a locking portion connected to the abutment portion, a swing shaft that swingably supports the locking portion, and a drive unit that swings the locking portion.

With this configuration, the switching part can be easily switched between the fixed state and the released state simply by swinging the locking part connected to the abutment part with the drive part. Therefore, the configuration of the switching part can be simplified.

The technology disclosed herein can be used in a jig stocker in which jigs that are detachably attached to a robot arm and support various workpieces are arranged.

100: Jig stocker 1: Jig mounting portion 2: Mounting member 2U: Upper mounting member 21U: Upper held portion (held portion)
22U: Upper fixed part (fixed part)
2L: Lower mounting member 21L: Lower held part (held part)
22L: Lower fixed part (fixed part)
J: Jig H: Holding mechanism HU: Upper holding mechanism HL: Lower holding mechanism W: Workpiece

Claims (3)

A robot arm;
A jig that is detachably attached to the robot arm and supports various workpieces;
A jig stocker in which the jig is placed ,
the jig stocker includes a plurality of mounting members and a plurality of jig mounting portions to which the jigs are attached via the mounting members ,
The jig includes a holding mechanism for holding the workpiece,
Each of the plurality of mounting members includes a held portion held by the holding mechanism and a fixing portion removably fixed to each of the plurality of jig mounting portions,
There are a plurality of types of the jig, each of which has a different configuration of the holding mechanism depending on the type of the workpiece,
The mounting member includes a plurality of types in which the configuration of the held portion differs depending on the type of the jig and the configuration of the fixing portion is the same,
With the jig attached to the jig attachment portion, a direction in which the jig attachment portion and the jig are aligned is defined as a front-rear direction,
the held portion has an abutment surface facing the jig attachment portion in the front-rear direction when the fixing portion is fixed to the jig attachment portion,
The holding mechanism includes an abutment portion that abuts against the abutment surface, and a switching portion that is configured to be switchable between a fixed state in which the abutment portion abuts against the abutment surface to fix the jig to the jig mounting portion, and a released state in which the abutment portion is moved away from the abutment surface to allow the jig to move relative to the jig mounting portion. The facility according to claim 1 , wherein the holding mechanisms provided on the multiple types of jigs are different from each other in at least one of the position, shape, and number of the abutment portions. The facility according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the switching unit comprises a locking portion connected to the abutment portion, a swing shaft that swingably supports the locking portion, and a drive unit that swings the locking portion.

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