JP7774307B2 - Material supply robot and material supply system using the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a material supply robot and a material supply system using the same.

One example of a device that removes multiple cartons stored in a cardboard box and supplies them to a cartoner hopper is the device disclosed in Patent Document 1. This device pushes a stack of multiple cartons stored in an upright cardboard box from both sides in the stacking direction to create a gap between the inside surface of the cardboard box and the carton stack, then inserts a carton gripper into the gap and clamps and holds the carton stack. In this state, the carton gripper is moved in a predetermined direction to remove the gripped carton stack from the cardboard box and set it in the hopper.

Patent No. 4526160

When multiple cartons are prepared in a cardboard box stacked flat, it is not possible to create a predetermined space between the cartons and the inside surface of the cardboard box by pressing on the sides from the outside, and the device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is therefore unable to remove a stack of cartons from the cardboard box. This requires workers to manually remove the cartons from the cardboard box and feed them into the cartoner's hopper, which creates a significant workload.

Furthermore, even if it were possible to remove a stack of cartons from a cardboard box, if there was not enough space between the cardboard box and the cartons, it would be impossible to insert a gripping device equipped with an opening and closing mechanism that firmly clamps and holds the cartons, and there is a risk that the cartons will fall while being moved to the hopper position or during the hopper's supply operation.

Furthermore, due to the relationship between the front and back orientation of the cartons stored inside the cardboard box and the front and back orientation of the cartons when they are set in the hopper, and the relationship between the posture of the stack of cartons stored inside the cardboard box and the posture when they are set in the hopper, even if a carton can be removed from the cardboard box using a carton gripper that has the function of clamping and holding the stack of cartons, it may not be possible to set the cartons in the hopper in the removed state.

The above-mentioned problems are described as being independent of each other, and the present invention does not necessarily have to solve all of the problems described; it is sufficient if it can solve at least one of the problems. Furthermore, we intend to obtain rights to the configurations that solve these problems separately through divisional applications, amendments, etc.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the material supply robot of the present invention is a material supply robot that removes a carton bundle, in which multiple cartons are stored flat in a box, from the box and supplies the removed carton bundle to a packaging machine, and is equipped with a robot arm and a hand tool attached to the robot arm, and the hand tool is equipped with a first hand unit that enters the box and receives the carton bundle, and a second hand unit that clamps and holds the received carton bundle after transferring it from the first hand unit to a temporary storage location.

The robot arm adjusts the position and orientation of the hand tool, allowing the first hand unit to enter the box and transfer the received carton bundle to a temporary storage location. By moving the first hand unit while maintaining a position where its tip does not point downward and transferring the carton bundle to a temporary storage location, the first hand unit does not need to have the function of clamping and holding the carton bundle. As a result, the part that enters the box can be a fixed member, and insertion is possible even for cartons stacked flat and with little gap between the box and the inner surface. The second hand unit has a clamping and holding function, and can firmly hold the temporarily placed carton bundle, allowing it to stably move to the supply position of the packaging machine and supply it to the supply location. Furthermore, since the carton bundle is clamped and held, if the second hand unit can be configured to prevent the carton bundle from falling even when its tip is facing diagonally downward, it can be set in the packaging machine in a more flexible position.

(1) In addition to the above-mentioned premise configuration, the first hand unit may be configured to include a plurality of frame members that can enter the box, and at least some of the frame members may have a groove extending in the longitudinal direction on the outer surface thereof, and the leading end of a flap of the box may be hooked into the groove to open the flap. In this way, even if the opening of the box is blocked by the flap, the flap can be opened by adjusting the position and attitude of the hand tool using the robot arm, thereby exposing and removing the carton bundle from the opening.

(2) In addition to the above-mentioned premise configuration, the first hand unit may be configured to include a plurality of frame members that can enter the box, and at least some of the frame members may have protrusions at their tips, and the tips of the flaps of the box may be hooked onto the protrusions to open the flaps. In this way, even if the opening of the box is blocked by the flaps, the flaps can be opened by adjusting the position and attitude of the hand tool using the robot arm, and the carton bundle can be exposed and removed from the opening.

(3) A material supply system according to the present invention includes the material supply robot according to (1) or (2) , a raising device that holds the box containing the carton bundle and raises the box so that the opening of the box faces downward, and a temporary storage unit that temporarily stores the carton bundle received by the first hand unit in an upright state. In this way, the carton bundle stacked flat can be removed from the box and supplied to a packaging machine.

(4) The temporary storage unit may have a function of changing the inclination angle of the upright position of the temporarily stored carton bundle, and the backrest portion of the second hand unit located at the rear side and receiving the carton bundle may be configured at an angle corresponding to the inclination angle changed by the temporary storage unit. In this way, it is possible to supply carton bundles whose posture at the receiving portion of the packaging machine is different from that when stored in a box, for example, a parallelogram in side view.

Furthermore, the configurations shown in (1) to (4) above can be configured by combining them as appropriate, and based on such a combined configuration, it is advisable to combine the components described in the embodiments and drawings.

This invention allows carton bundles stored flat in a box to be removed and set into a packaging machine.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a material supply robot and a material supply system using the same according to the present invention. FIG. FIG. This is a side view. 1 shows a carton stack and a cardboard box. FIG. 1 is a diagram (part 1) showing an example of a raising table device. FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 2) showing an example of a raising table device. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the raising table device. FIG. 1 is a perspective view (part 1) showing a hand tool. FIG. 2 is a perspective view (part 2) showing the hand tool. FIG. 3 is a perspective view (part 3) showing the hand tool. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a hand tool. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the hand tool. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the opening function of the outer flap. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the opening function of the inner flap. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the carton bundle removal function when the raising table device is in the installed position. FIG. 1 is a perspective view (part 1) showing a temporary placement table. FIG. 10 is a perspective view (part 2) showing the temporary placement table. FIG. 10 is a perspective view (part 3) showing the temporary placement table. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the temporary placement of a carton stack on the temporary placement table. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the temporary placement of a carton stack on the temporary placement table. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a hand tool according to another embodiment. FIG.

The following describes in detail preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these embodiments, and various changes, modifications, and improvements may be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Figures 1 to 4 show the overall configuration of a material supply system 10 according to this embodiment. The material supply system 10 is configured to remove carton bundles 3, each consisting of a large number of cartons 2 stored in a cardboard box 1 transported by an upstream transport conveyor 11, and to supply the removed carton bundles 3 to a hopper 15 of a cartoner 14, an example of a downstream packaging machine. The removal and supply of the carton bundles 3 is performed by a material supply robot 20. The material supply robot 20 is a six-axis articulated robot equipped with a robot arm 21 and a hand tool 22 attached to the tip of the robot arm 21. The hand tool 22 holds the carton bundle 3, and the movement of the robot arm 21 controls the hand tool 22 to a predetermined position and a predetermined orientation and posture. After the carton bundles 3 have been removed, the empty cardboard box 1 is transported and discharged by an output conveyor 19.

In this way, the material supply system 10 of this embodiment is a full-line automated system that automatically performs the process of setting a cardboard box 1 containing a carton bundle 3 on a conveyor line, transporting the cardboard box 1 on a conveyor 11, automatically removing the carton bundle 3 from the cardboard box 1 using a material supply robot 20, and supplying it to the hopper 15 of the cartoner 14, and then removing the carton bundle 3 and discharging the empty cardboard box 1.

Note that in Figures 1 to 4, the material supply robot 20 is depicted in multiple work processes on the same diagram, with one of the robot arm 21 and hand tool 22 not shown in each work process. For example, the robot arm 21 is in a position to remove carton bundles 3 from a cardboard box 1, and the hand tool 22 attached to its tip is not shown. Also, the hand tools 22 at the position to supply carton bundles 3 to the hopper 15 of the cartoner 14 and at intermediate positions on the way there are shown supporting the carton bundles 3, but the robot arm 21 is not shown.

As shown in Figure 5(a), the carton 2 comprises a rectangular bottom 2a, side walls 2b arranged adjacent to the four sides of the bottom 2a, a lid 2c arranged adjacent to the top edge of one of the four side walls 2b, and a glue tab 2d for bonding adjacent side walls together, all of which are formed as a single sheet in an unfolded state. Cartons 2 of this shape are stacked flat to form a carton bundle 3. This carton bundle 3 is stored in an upward-opening cardboard box 1 as shown in Figure 5(b) without being bound with a band or the like as shown in Figure 5(c). When the carton bundle 3 is stored in the cardboard box 1, gaps are formed between the four corners of the carton bundle 3 and the four corners of the interior of the cardboard box 1 in a plan view.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cardboard box 1 is stored so that the upper opening side becomes the printed side of the carton 2, i.e., the outer surface when the carton 2 is assembled. Also, in Figure 5, a pair of outer flaps 4 connected to the long sides of the cardboard box 1 and a pair of inner flaps 5 connected to the short sides are each open outward, leaving the cardboard box 1 in an open position; however, when the cardboard box is fed onto the transport conveyor 11 and transported, the outer flaps 4 and inner flaps 5 are in a closed position, as shown in Figure 1, etc.

The transport conveyor 11 comprises two plate conveyors arranged in parallel. The plate conveyor at the back in FIG. 1 has a transport path that transports from right to left in the figure, while the plate conveyor at the front in FIG. 1 has a transport path that transports from left to right in the figure. Although not shown, the back plate conveyor has an additional upstream transport path, through which cardboard boxes 1 transported on this transport path are transferred sequentially. The front plate conveyor also has a shorter transport path and is equipped with a lifting table device 12 at its downstream discharge end.

As shown enlarged in Figures 6 and 7, the raising table device 12 includes a box holding member 17 that is connected to the base member 16, which can rotate forward and backward around one side of the base member 16, and a drive mechanism 18 that rotates the box holding member 17 forward and backward. As shown in Figure 7, the box holding member 17 includes a plurality of rollers 17b that are rotatably connected to a frame 17a that is roughly U-shaped in plan view, and these rollers 17b are configured to support the bottom surface of the cardboard box 1. The rotation axes of the rollers 17b are arranged to extend perpendicular to the conveying direction of the transport conveyor 11 and are freely rotatably supported by bearings. The frame 17a extends in the conveying direction of the transport conveyor 11 and includes a pair of left and right bearing members A and B that support the rollers 17b, and a connecting member C that connects the bearing members A and B. An upwardly extending sidewall guide plate 17c is connected to one of the pair of left and right bearing members A and B that make up the frame 17a and support the bearings (here, bearing member A on the right side in the conveying direction). Furthermore, a stopper member 17d is provided at the connecting portion of the frame 17a, extending above the rollers 17b in the axial direction of the rollers 17b. As shown in Figure 6 and elsewhere, the sidewall guide plate 17c and stopper member 17d are configured to be able to come into contact with the side of a cardboard box 1 placed on the rollers 17b. Furthermore, the box holding member 17 is equipped with suction cups 17e in the gaps between adjacent rollers 17b, and is configured to be able to suction and hold the bottom of a cardboard box 1 placed on the rollers 17b.

The drive mechanism 18 includes a pair of bearing plate members 18a mounted at predetermined positions on the top surface of the base member 16, a rotating shaft 18b rotatably supported by the pair of bearing plate members 18a, a first pulley 18c attached to one end of the rotating shaft 18b, a drive shaft 18f that rotates forward and backward and is connected to a drive source such as a servo motor, a second pulley 18e attached to the drive shaft 18f, and an endless belt 18d stretched between the first pulley 18c and the second pulley 18e. The box holding member 17 is connected to the rotating shaft 18b and rotates integrally therewith.

As a result, when the drive source operates to rotate the drive shaft 18f forward or backward, the rotational force is transmitted to the rotating shaft 18b, causing it to rotate forward or backward. Accordingly, the box holding member 17 rotates forward or backward around the rotating shaft 18b. In this embodiment, this forward or reverse rotation causes the box holding member 17 to move between a first position, in which the roller 17b is positioned horizontally and the sidewall guide plate 17c is positioned vertically, as shown in FIG. 7, and a second position, in which the box holding member 17 is rotated a predetermined angle from the first position and raised. The predetermined angle is 90 degrees or greater, more preferably greater than 90 degrees, such as 105 degrees. A 90-degree angle results in the roller 17b standing vertically and the sidewall guide plate 17c being positioned horizontally. A greater angle than 90 degrees results in the roller 17b tilting forward. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the box holding member 17 is controlled to stop in a third position, which is a predetermined angle intermediate between the first and second positions. The predetermined angle for this third position should be a relatively large angle less than 90 degrees, for example, an appropriate angle between 60 and 80 degrees.

As shown in Figure 6, when a cardboard box 1 is supplied to the box holding member 17 in the first position, the bottom surface of the cardboard box 1 is supported by rollers 17b and held by suction cups 17e, and the side surface of the cardboard box 1 contacts the side wall guide plate 17c and stopper member 17d, remaining in the specified position.

When the box holding member 17 rises from that position and shifts to the second position, the cardboard box 1 also rises, its bottom surface rising 90 degrees before rotating further and tilting forward, with the opening of the cardboard box 1 facing diagonally downward. In other words, the cardboard box 1, held by suction on the box holding member 17, shifts in a position equal to the position of the box holding member 17 and, ultimately, the angle of the holding surface formed by the multiple rollers 17b. Specifically, when the box holding member 17 is in the first position, the cardboard box 1 is horizontal with its opening facing upward, as shown by the solid line in Figure 8. In the third position, the cardboard box 1 rises from the first position, as shown by the two-dot chain line, with its opening facing diagonally upward. In the second position, the cardboard box 1 is in a position with its opening facing diagonally downward, as shown by the dashed line.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the base member 16 is connected to a lifting mechanism, allowing its vertical position to be changed. As the base member 16 rises and falls, the box holding member 17 and drive mechanism 18 also rise and fall together. In Figures 6 and 7, the vertical position of the roller 17b of the box holding member 17 is one step lower than the conveying surface of the conveyor 11. However, when a cardboard box 1 is conveyed from the conveyor 11 and transferred onto the roller 17b, the base member 16 and therefore the box holding member 17 are raised at an appropriate timing beforehand, so that the conveying surface (holding surface) of the roller 17b matches the height of the conveying surface of the conveyor 11. As a result, the cardboard box 1 being conveyed from the conveyor 11 smoothly and without any steps is transferred onto the box holding member 17 of the lift table device 12. The front side of the cardboard box 1 in the conveying direction then contacts the stopper member 17d, preventing further forward movement and positioning it in the front-to-rear direction. Additionally, the left-right position relative to the conveying direction can be determined by guiding the sheet using the side wall guide plates 17c.

As described below, the material supply robot 20 removes the carton bundle 3 from the cardboard box 1, which has now assumed the second position. Once the removal of the carton bundle 3 is complete, the drive mechanism 18 operates, and the box holding member 17 returns to the first position. Accordingly, the cardboard box 1, from which the carton bundle 3 has been removed and which is now empty, returns to a position where the top opening is facing upward. The base member 16 then rises, controlling the position of the conveying surface formed by rollers 17b to coincide with the conveying surface of the discharge conveyor 19. This causes the empty cardboard box 1 to also rise, and a pusher mechanism (not shown) or similar device is configured to laterally shift and transfer the cardboard box 1 onto the discharge conveyor 19. The empty cardboard box 1 is then transported downstream by the discharge conveyor 19.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the box holding member 17 is raised, the entire member, including the rollers 17b, rotates forward and backward to raise it up. However, for example, the frame 17a and rollers 17b may remain horizontal and not rise, and the suction cups 17e, the parts that support them, and the side wall guide plates 17c may rotate forward and backward to raise it up. It is preferable to configure the cardboard box 1 supplied to the raising table device 12 to rotate a predetermined angle and rise up.

As shown in Figures 9 to 14, the hand tool 22 provided on the material supply robot 20 has a first hand unit 23 that removes unbound carton bundles 3 from a cardboard box 1, and a second hand unit 24 that supplies the removed carton bundles 3 to the hopper 15 of the cartoner 14. The first hand unit 23 and the second hand unit 24 are attached to a rectangular box-shaped base body 25 that opens at the top and bottom so that they are arranged back-to-back and facing opposite directions. This base body 25 is attached to the tip of the robot arm 21, so that the hand tool 22 moves to an appropriate position in accordance with the operation of the robot arm 21. The base body 25 has a front wall 25a, left and right side walls 25b, and a rear wall 25c, forming a predetermined space inside.

The first hand unit 23 comprises a pair of left and right first frames 26 on the lower side and a pair of left and right second frames 27 on the upper side. These four frames are arranged so that they are located at the four corners of an imaginary rectangle. The first frame 26 and second frame 27 on the left side and the first frame 26 and second frame 27 on the right side are connected together by connecting parts 28 that extend vertically, and are connected to the base main body 25 as a single unit. The first frame 26, second frame 27, and connecting parts 28 are formed integrally using a substantially flat plate.

In addition, in this embodiment, the integrated first frame 26, second frame 27, and connecting portion 28 are configured to be movable toward and away from the base body 25. This makes it possible to accommodate changes in carton size.

The front wall 25a of the base body 25 comes into contact with the surface of the carton stack 3 removed by the first hand unit 23, forming a backrest. The surface forming the backrest forms a 90-degree angle with the longitudinal direction of the first frame 26 and second frame 27.

The first frame 26 has a generally L-shaped cross section, and the pair of first frames 26 has a wide portion 26a below its inner surface (the opposing surface of the pair of first frames 26: the inner surface side of the first hand portion 23) that protrudes toward the center of the first hand portion 23. In addition, the outer surface of the first frame 26 has a groove portion 26b that extends from the back side toward the tip.

The second frame 27 has a tapered surface 27a that widens outward toward the tip of its inner surface, and the distance between the pair of opposing left and right second frames 27 gradually increases toward the tip in the area where the tapered surface 27a is formed. The tip of the second frame 27 has protrusions 27b that protrude above and below it. The protrusions 27b are approximately triangular in shape, and the tip surfaces of the upper and lower protrusions 27b are formed flush.

As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, the cardboard box 1 is conveyed by the conveyor 11 with the outer flaps 4 and inner flaps 5 in a closed position. Therefore, when the cardboard box 1 is fed to the table lifting device 12, the outer flaps 4 and inner flaps 5 remain closed. More specifically, the tape closing the outer flaps 4 is cut in a previous process, and the cardboard box 1 is conveyed with the outer flaps 4 in a half-open state. However, because the outer flaps 4 and inner flaps 5 are half-open, the upper opening of the cardboard box 1 is covered, and the first hand unit 23 cannot be inserted into the cardboard box 1 in this half-open state. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first frame 26 and second frame 27 are used to open the outer flaps 4 and inner flaps 5, allowing the cardboard box 1 to be opened.

As shown in Figure 15, the robot arm 21 is operated with respect to a cardboard box 1 held horizontally on a box holding member 17 in the first position, hooking the groove 26b of the first frame 26 onto the tip of the half-open outer flap 4 (see Figure 15(a)). With the first frame 26 hooked, it is moved in a predetermined direction and controlled so that the outer flap 4 is displaced to an open position so that it is positioned outside the upper opening of the cardboard box 1. By operating the left and right first frames 26 respectively, the two outer flaps 4 are opened respectively (see Figure 15(b)). This exposes the inner flap 5.

Next, as shown in Figure 16, the box holding member 17 is placed in the third position, tilting the cardboard box 1 by 60 to 80 degrees. The robot arm 21 is then operated with respect to the cardboard box 1 in this position, causing the protrusion 27b of the second frame 27 to hook onto the tip of the inner flap 5 (see Figure 16(a)). With the second frame 27 hooked, it is then moved diagonally upward or downward, and controlled to displace to an open position so that the inner flap 5 is positioned outside the upper opening of the cardboard box 1 (see Figure 16(b)).

This opens the outer and inner flaps 4 and 5 of the cardboard box 1, opening the cardboard box 1 and exposing the carton bundle 3 through the opening. The robot arm 21 is then operated to insert the first frame 26 and second frame 27 of the first hand unit 23 into the cardboard box 1 (see Figure 17(a)). The rotation of the box holding member 17 of the table lifting device 12 is synchronized with the movement of the first hand unit 23 by the operation of the robot arm 21, and the first frame 26 and second frame 27 remain inserted into the cardboard box 1 while the box holding member 17 transitions from the third position to the second position. As a result, when the second position is reached, the box holding member 17, and therefore the opening of the cardboard box 1, assumes a forward-leaning position, and the carton bundle 3 inside the cardboard box 1 is handed over to the first hand unit 23 (see Figure 17(b)). Next, the robot arm 21 is operated to remove the first frame 26 and second frame 27 of the first hand unit 23 from the cardboard box 1, and the carton bundle 3 also moves along with the first hand unit 23, allowing it to be removed from the cardboard box 1.

In this removed state, the first hand unit 23 is in a diagonally upward position, and each carton 2 constituting the carton bundle 3 is supported with its glue tab 2d in contact with the upper surface of the wide portion 26a of the first frame 26, and with its predetermined sidewall 2b in contact with the upper surface of the first frame 26. The left and right sides of the carton 2 are in contact with the inner surfaces of the first and second frames 26 and 27, respectively, preventing lateral movement (see Figure 18, etc.). Furthermore, from its diagonally upward position, a force acts on the entire carton bundle 3, tending to move it toward the back of the first hand unit 23, and the back side of the carton bundle 3 comes into contact with the seatback. Therefore, the first hand unit 23 does not actively hold the carton bundle 3 by suction or clamping, but does stably support it. Then, by moving the first hand unit 23 while maintaining this diagonally upward position, the removed carton bundle 3 can be moved to a predetermined position.

As mentioned above, the angle between the surface (front wall 25a) that forms the backrest of the first hand unit 23 and the longitudinal direction of the first frame 26 and second frame 27 is 90 degrees. Therefore, when the rear side of the carton stack 3 is in contact with the backrest, each carton 2 is positioned perpendicular to the first frame 26, and the carton stack 3 is supported by the first hand unit 23 in the same external shape as when it was stored inside the cardboard box 1.

In this embodiment, a temporary placement table 30 is provided midway along the path from the raising table device 12, where carton bundles 3 are removed from the cardboard box 1, to the hopper 15 of the cartoner 14, which ultimately supplies the removed carton bundles 3. The carton bundles 3 removed by the first hand unit 23 are temporarily placed on the temporary placement table 30 in an upright position, and the second hand unit 24 grasps the temporarily placed carton bundles 3 and moves while still grasping them, supplying the carton bundles 3 to the hopper 15. Because the second hand unit 24 has the function of grasping and holding the carton bundles 3, the carton bundles 3 will not fall even if, for example, the tip of the second hand unit 24 is tilted downward, allowing for stable supply to the hopper 15.

The second hand unit 24 includes three third frames 31 that hold the upper side of the carton bundle 3 and two fourth frames 32 that hold the lower end surface of the carton bundle 3. One of the three third frames 31 is configured to be able to contact the upper end surface of the carton bundle 3, and the remaining two are configured to be able to contact the left and right side surfaces of the carton bundle 3. The three third frames 31 are attached to the base body 25 so that they can rotate forward and backward within a predetermined angular range around their base ends. The three third frames 31 are connected to a link mechanism 35, such as a toggle clamp, provided within the base body 25. This link mechanism 35 operates based on the drive of a cylinder 36, opening and closing the three third frames 31 together. The left and right third frames 31 rotate laterally, and the upper third frame 31 rotates in a vertical plane.

When open, the three third frames 31 each open with their leading edge facing outward, allowing the carton bundle 3 to be smoothly guided into the second hand unit 24. On the other hand, when the third frames 31 are closed with the carton bundle 3 positioned in the second hand unit 24, the three third frames 31 clamp the carton bundle 3 from above and from the left and right, and are driven by the cylinder 36 to hold it firmly in place.

Furthermore, a first claw portion 33 is fixedly installed at the tip end of each third frame 31. The first claw portion 33 has a tip portion that protrudes toward the inside of the second hand portion 24. In this way, when the three third frames 31 are in contact with and holding down the surface of the carton bundle 3, the tip of each first claw portion 33 has a portion that protrudes toward the center more than the third frame 31, and this protruding portion prevents the carton bundle 3 from separating toward the tip end.

Also, without providing such protruding portions, or in addition to providing such protruding portions, the first claws 33 may extend in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the third frame 31, with the direction of extension being inward toward the center of the second hand unit 24. That is, the first claws 33 attached to the third frame 31 that can contact the upper end surface are inclined downward relative to the longitudinal direction of the third frame 31. The first claws 33 attached to the third frame 31 that can contact the left side surface are inclined to the right relative to the longitudinal direction of the third frame 31. The first claws 33 attached to the third frame 31 that can contact the right side surface are inclined left relative to the longitudinal direction of the third frame 31. In this way, when the three third frames 31 are in contact with and holding down the surfaces of the carton bundle 3, each first claw 33 is inclined toward the center, and the three first claws 33 prevent the carton bundle 3 from separating toward the tip.

On the other hand, two fourth frames 32 are fixed to the base body 25 at a predetermined distance. The fourth frames 32 are arranged parallel to the first frame 26 and second frame 27. Second claws 38, which protrude upward, are fixed to the tips of the fourth frames 32. The protruding portions of the second claws 38 catch on the front of the carton bundle 3, preventing it from slipping forward. The fourth frames 32 are fixed to the base body 25 and cannot be opened or closed. The robot arm 21 then operates to bring the second hand unit 24, with the third frames 31 in an open position, closer to the carton bundle 3, and the fourth frames 32 are positioned so that they come into contact with the underside of the carton bundle 3. The upper three third frames 31 are then closed by driving the cylinders 36, thereby sandwiching and holding the carton bundle 3 between the upper third frames 31 and the fourth frames 32.

As shown in Figures 18 to 20, the temporary placement table 30 has two support rails 41 spaced a predetermined distance apart in the center of the top surface of a flat, rectangular mounting base 40, with side guide members 42 attached to the outside of each support rail 41. Furthermore, one end of each support rail 41 is equipped with a backrest member 43 extending upward. The angle between the support rails 41 and the backrest member 43 is 90 degrees, allowing temporary placement without disrupting the external shape of the carton bundle 3 transported and supplied by the first hand unit 23.

As shown in Figure 18, when a bundle of cartons 3 is temporarily placed on the temporary placement table 30, the support rail 41 supports the center of the underside of the bundle of cartons 3, and the side guide member 42 contacts the side wall portion 2b of the carton 2 to prevent lateral movement. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 19, the support rail 41 is inclined as a whole, including the mounting base 40, so that it slopes downward toward the backrest member 43. The temporarily placed bundle of cartons 3 is guided by this inclination, with its surface contacting the backrest member 43 and maintaining an upright position.

In addition, in this embodiment, the side guide members 42 are connected to the top of sliders 44 that are attached to the mounting base 40 so that they can move longitudinally. When the operating handle 45 is rotated forward or backward, the pair of sliders 44, and therefore the pair of side guide members 42 connected to them, move toward or away from each other. This makes it possible to accommodate changes in the size of the carton 2.

The process of switching the carton bundle 3 from the first hand unit 23 to the second hand unit 24 using the temporary placement table 30 is as follows: After removing the carton bundle 3 from the cardboard box 1, the first hand unit 23 supports the carton bundle 3 with its tip facing diagonally upward between the first frame 26, the second frame 27, and the front wall 25a of the base body 25, which serves as the backrest. Based on the operation of the robot arm 21, the first hand unit 23 is positioned at a predetermined position above the temporary placement table 30 (see Figure 21(a)).

The hand tool 22 then moves downward, and the first hand unit 23 enters the space between the side guide members 42 of the temporary placement table 30, positioning the first frame 26 between the support rails 41 and side guide members 42 of the temporary placement table 30, and controlling the front wall portion 25a of the base body 25 to be positioned between the pair of backrest members 43 of the temporary placement table 30. As a result, predetermined portions of the surface of the carton stack 3 come into contact with the support rails 41, side guide members 42, and backrest members 43 (see Figure 21(b)).

Next, the first hand unit 23 is moved toward the outside of the backrest member 43 (to the right in Figure 24) and positioned outside the temporary placement table 30 (see Figure 21 (c)). As a result, the carton stack 3 is supported by the support rails 41, side guide members 42, and backrest member 43, and is temporarily placed on the temporary placement table 30 in the position in which it was supported by the first hand unit 23.

Next, in response to the movement of the robot arm 21, the hand tool 22 is moved around and positioned in front of the temporary placement table 30 (opposite the side where the backrest member 43 is located), and the second hand unit 24 is controlled to face the temporary placement table 30 (see Figure 22(a)).

Next, the hand tool 22 is advanced toward the temporary placement table 30, and the second hand unit 24 enters the temporary placement table 30, positioning the fourth frame 32 between the pair of support rails 41 of the temporary placement table 30, while controlling the third frame 31 so that it is close to and facing the surface of the carton bundle 3. At an appropriate timing prior to this entry, the cylinder 36 is actuated to open the three third frames 31. Then, the second hand unit 24 advances to the back, and the cylinder 36 is actuated at an appropriate timing when the first claw 33 and the second claw 38 are positioned outside the surface of the carton bundle 3 that contacts the backrest member 43, thereby closing the third frames 31. As a result, the carton bundle 3 is sandwiched and held between the third frames 31 and the fourth frames 32 (see Figure 22(b)). The third frames 31 can be closed, for example, when the rear wall 25c of the base body 25 comes into contact with the carton bundle 3.

Next, the second hand unit 24 is moved toward the front of the temporary placement table 30 (to the left in Figure 24) and positioned outside the temporary placement table 30 (see Figure 22(c)). As a result, the carton bundle 3, while still held by the second hand unit 24, moves together and is removed from the temporary placement table 30. Furthermore, the second hand unit 24 holding the carton bundle 3 maintains its holding of the carton bundle 3 even when in a downwardly tilted position as shown in Figure 22(c), because the third frame 31 closes to grip the carton bundle 3 with a predetermined biasing force and the first claw unit 33 and second claw unit 34 prevent the carton bundle 3 from coming off from the tip side.

Then, with the operation of the robot arm 21, the hand tool 22, while still holding the carton bundle 3 with the second hand unit 24, reaches the front side of the hopper 15 of the downstream cartoner 14, where the second hand unit 24 enters the hopper 15, opens the third frame 31 to release the carton bundle 3 from its hold, and, with the third frame 31 still in the open position, moves the second hand unit 24 away from the hopper 15, thereby transferring the carton bundle 3 to the hopper 15 and supplying it.

Figures 23 and 24 show the main parts of another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is applied to a material supply system in which the shape of the carton bundle 3 when stored in the cardboard box 1, i.e., a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, is different from the shape of the carton bundle 3 when set in the hopper. In this embodiment, the hopper tilts each carton 2 that makes up the carton bundle 3 at an angle, so that the carton bundle 3 is stored in the shape of a parallelogram when viewed from the side.

The rear wall portion 25c' of the base body 25 of the hand tool 22 is configured to tilt forward, so that the angle between the longitudinal direction of the fourth frame 32 and the rear wall portion 25c' is an acute angle. Other configurations may be similar to those of the previously described embodiment.

As shown in Figures 24(b) and (c), the temporary placement table 30 is configured so that the backrest member 43 can rotate forward and backward around the lower end. More specifically, as shown in Figure 24(b), the temporary placement table 30 moves back and forth between a basic position in which the angle between the support rail 41 and the backrest member 43 is 90 degrees, and an inclined position in which the backrest member 43 is rotated a predetermined angle from the basic position and tilted, as shown in Figure 24(b). The angle between the support rail 41 and the inclined position is set according to the angle when setting the carton stack 3 in the hopper 15. The angle of the inclined position corresponds to the angle between the rear wall portion 25c' of the hand tool 22 and the fourth frame 32.

In this embodiment, the carton bundle 3, which has been transferred and supported by the first hand unit 23 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, is temporarily placed on the temporary placement table 30 (see Figure 24(a)), and the hand tool 22 is removed from the temporary placement table 30 (see Figure 24(b)). As a result, the carton bundle 3 is supported on the temporary placement table 30 while in contact with the support rails 41 and the backrest member 43, and maintains the approximately rectangular parallelepiped posture in which it was stored in the cardboard box 1.

In this embodiment, the backrest member 43 then tilts from its basic position to an inclined position (see Figure 24(c)). Accordingly, each carton 2 constituting the carton bundle 3 supported by the backrest member 43 tilts along the inclination of the backrest member 43, and the carton bundle 3' deforms into a parallelogram shape in side view as shown. In this state, the second hand unit 24 of the hand tool 22 moves forward toward the temporary placement table 30. The second hand unit 24 then grasps the inclined carton bundle 3' on the temporary placement table 30. As a result, the carton bundle 3' can be held, as shown by the second hand unit 24 in Figure 23. In this state, the hand tool 22 is moved to the hopper 15 of the cartoner 14 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, and the carton bundle 3' is supplied to the hopper 15.

The other configurations and functions can be the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiment, so detailed explanations will be omitted.

In addition, in each embodiment, the hand tool 22 has the function of opening the outer flaps 4 and inner flaps 5 of the cardboard box 1. However, if the box is transported to the table lifting device 12 with the flaps already open, or if the box is open without any flaps, then it is not necessary to provide a structure for opening the flaps, i.e., the grooves 26b of the first frame 26 or the protrusions 27b of the second frame 27.

In addition, in each of the above-described embodiments, the outer flap 4 is opened by the groove 26b provided on the first frame 26, and the inner flap 5 is opened by the protrusion 27b provided on the second frame 27. However, various combinations are possible, such as changing this correspondence depending on the orientation of the cardboard box 1 supplied to the raising table device 12, or opening both flaps with a single configuration by changing the orientation or posture of the hand tool 22.

While various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments, it should be noted that these embodiments and descriptions are provided to aid in understanding the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations and manufacturing methods explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of the various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. While the configurations of the present invention that are sought to be patented are specified in the appended claims, it is hereby expressly stated that configurations not currently specified in the claims may be claimed in the future as disclosed herein.

1: Cardboard box 2: Carton 3: Carton bundle 4: Outer flap 5: Inner flap 10: Material supply system 11: Transport conveyor 12: Raising table device 14: Cartoner 15: Hopper 17: Box holding member 17e: Suction cup 20: Material supply robot 21: Robot arm 22: Hand tool 23: First hand unit 24: Second hand unit 26: First frame 26b: Groove portion 27: Second frame 27b: Convex portion 30: Temporary placement table 31: Third frame 32: Fourth frame 33: First claw portion 34: Second claw portion 38: Second claw portion 40: Mounting base 41: Support rail 42: Side guide member 43: Backrest member

Claims (4)

A material supply robot that removes a carton bundle, in which a plurality of cartons are stored in a box in a flat stacked state, from the box and supplies the removed carton bundle to a packaging machine,
A robotic arm,
a hand tool attached to the robotic arm;
the hand tool includes a first hand portion that enters the box and receives the carton stack;
a second hand unit that sandwiches and holds the received carton bundle in a state where the carton bundle has been transferred from the first hand unit to a temporary storage location;
the first hand unit includes a plurality of frame members that can enter the box;
a groove portion extending in the longitudinal direction is provided on an outer surface side of at least some of the frame members among the plurality of frame members;
The material supply robot is configured to hook the tip end of the flap of the box into the groove and open the flap. A material supply robot that removes a carton bundle, in which a plurality of cartons are stored in a box in a flat stacked state, from the box and supplies the removed carton bundle to a packaging machine,
A robotic arm,
a hand tool attached to the robotic arm;
the hand tool includes a first hand portion that enters the box and receives the carton stack;
a second hand unit that sandwiches and holds the received carton bundle in a state where the carton bundle has been transferred from the first hand unit to a temporary storage location;
the first hand unit includes a plurality of frame members that can enter the box;
a protrusion is provided on a tip of at least some of the frame members among the plurality of frame members;
The material supply robot is configured to hook the tip of the flap of the box onto the protrusion and open the flap. The material supply robot according to claim 1 or 2;
a lifting device that holds the box containing the carton bundle and lifts the box so that an opening portion of the box faces downward;
a temporary storage unit that temporarily stores the carton bundle received by the first hand unit in an upright position. the temporary placement unit has a function of changing the inclination angle of the upright posture of the temporarily placed carton bundle,
4. The material supply system according to claim 3, wherein the second hand section has a backrest portion for receiving the carton bundle located at the rear side, the backrest portion being configured at an angle corresponding to the inclination angle changed in the temporary storage section.