JPS6161955B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a handling system having a visual function, and particularly to a handling system composed of a plurality of handling devices.

[Conventional technology]

Many conventional industrial handling devices perform handling operations sequentially according to the contents of a storage device. This type of device has the flexibility to change the work procedure depending on the contents of the storage device, but once the contents are determined, it is independent of changes in the state of the target object or other surrounding circumstances. Continue working. In other words, in order for this type of device to perform its work satisfactorily, it is necessary to perfect the conditions for supplying the object.

An example of a conventional handling system will be explained with reference to FIG. Two types of target objects 2-a and 2-b are mixed and supplied to the transport device 1-c, and the handling device 10 picks up the objects one after another. A separately provided handling device 20 receives the object gripped by the handling device 10 and transfers it to the conveying device 1-a or 1-b, depending on whether the target object is 2-a or 2-b. Transport. 2
Visual devices 3-a and 3-b are installed to identify the type of object and to recognize the gripping state of the object by the handling device 10. With this function, the handling device 20 can accurately grasp the target object and transfer it to a predetermined transport device.

However, the following points are listed as drawbacks of such conventional technology.

(1) Once the handling device has moved to a position corresponding to the visual device, it is necessary to perform recognition processing on the target object, which imposes constraints not only on work time but also on the layout of the system.

(2) In order to appropriately recognize the situation of a target object using a fixed visual device, it is necessary to install multiple visual devices, or to change the posture of the object in any direction for recognition, and to use both devices to grasp it. Some means are required to increase the degree of freedom of movement of the handling device.

(3) If the visual device is placed at an appropriate distance to prevent contact between the handling device and the visual device, recognition accuracy is likely to decrease or recognition errors may occur due to changes in background conditions.

Furthermore, recently, the production style of the raw materials industry has been shifting from the traditional high-volume production of small variety to high-mix low-volume production, and in such a mixed production system,
It is becoming difficult to completely maintain working conditions such as supply of target objects.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The above-mentioned conventional technology does not take into consideration the case where the working conditions change, and there is a problem in that the work continues regardless of the fluctuation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a flexible handling system that can sufficiently cope with changes in working conditions and that allows quick work.

[Means for solving problems]

The above object is to provide a first device that sequentially supplies a plurality of types of first objects, and a plurality of types of second objects whose postures are to be matched and combined with each of the first objects. a second device for detecting a first object supplied by the first means; The second handling device is moved to a position where the visual device can take an image, and the output of the visual device moves a second object of a type corresponding to the identified type of the first object to the first object. a handling device selects and controls the first handling device to move to a predetermined transfer position, moves the second handling device to the transfer position, and in response to the output of the vision device controls the first handling device to select and move the second handling device to the predetermined transfer position; controlling the second handling device to receive a second object held by the first handling device; and controlling the second handling device to receive the second object held by the first handling device; and a first object supplied by the first device in a pose-adaptive combination.
This is achieved by having a handling control device that controls the handling device.

[Effect]

Since each handling device performs handling work based on information from a visual device installed at the tip of one handling device, even if the working conditions change, the handling work can be performed in response to this fluctuation.

〔Example〕

FIG. 3a is a diagram showing the basic configuration of the present invention.
That is, the visual device is installed in a movable part of a handling device originally intended for handling an object, especially in a part close to the gripping mechanism. Visual devices include the technology described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1982-26334 as a technology for recognizing the types and postures of several types of objects, and the technology described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1983-1989 as a technology for recognizing the position of a given object at high speed. - Since the technology described in Publication No. 111665 has been developed, this technology can be used. In Figure 3a, 4
is a visual device.

With this configuration of the handling device, most of the problems of the prior art are solved, and at the same time, the following features are added.

(1) The basic configuration of Fig. 3a maintains the function of a conventional multi-arm handling system as shown in Fig. 3b, and at the same time, as shown in Fig. 3c, it has one handling means and one independent visual field. It can be used as a device or even as a movable visual device that functions independently as shown in d, so its range of applications is wide.

(2) When performing handling operations on the same object, such as handing over objects, it is possible to perform handling operations and object recognition processing simultaneously and rationally, resulting in extremely high work efficiency.

A more detailed explanation will be given below based on specific examples.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, 8 is a belt conveyor which is a first device that mixes and sequentially supplies a plurality of types of first objects 2-c and 2-d.

7-a represents object 2-c among the first objects and object 2-a among the plurality of types of second objects whose postures are to be combined with each other, and 7-b represents the first object 2-c. Object 2-d among the plurality of types of second objects whose postures should be matched and combined with object 2-d among the objects of
This is a hanger conveyor which is the second device that supplies b.

In this way, the first handling device 10 and the second
A handling system consisting of a handling device 20 handles object 2-a for object 2-c and object 2-a for object 2-d, which are sequentially fed onto the belt conveyor, which is the first device. -b
The purpose is to adapt and combine postures.

The first handling device 10 includes a pivot shaft 11,
Vertical axis 12, telescopic axis 13 and objects 2-a, 2
The second handling device 20 consists of a gripping mechanism 16 for gripping the belt conveyor 8, a running axis 21 parallel to the belt conveyor 8, and a transverse axis 2 perpendicular thereto.
2. It is composed of a vertical shaft 23, a bending shaft 24, a rotation shaft 25, and a gripping mechanism 26 for holding objects 2-a and 2-b. Note that a visual device 4 is installed approximately in the center of the 26 gripping mechanisms.

First, since the objects 2-a and 2-b are fed under almost similar conditions, the first handling device 10 only needs to slightly change the rotational position and vertical position to center the objects at the feeding position A or B. The hole portion is grabbed and transferred to the delivery position C to the second handling device 20. The second handling device 20 receives the object at position C with its outer portion sandwiched between the objects, and then assembles the object onto the object 2-c supplied to the conveyor 8. In this case, the role of the visual device 4 installed in the second handling device 20 is as follows.

(1) After the assembly work is completed, the second handling 2
0 moves to position E in parallel with conveyor 8,
Next, the supplied object is recognized as either 2-c or 2-d. At this time, not only the type of object but also its center position and positional deviation in the rotational direction are recognized. Among these, information regarding the type of object is sent to the handling control device 27 of the first handling device 10 via the recognition processing device 29, and thereby the first handling device 10
grabs the required one of objects 2-a and 2-b and moves to position C.

(2) Next, the second handling device 20 moves to position C, recognizes the rotational position shift of the object gripped by the first handling device 10,
The gripping mechanism 26 of the second handling device 20 of the two handling devices is rotated according to the deviation, and the parallel surfaces of the outer shape are sandwiched between the gripping mechanisms 26 and the gripping mechanism 26 of the second handling device 20 of the two handling devices.
Receive more.

(3) The second handling device 20 then transfers the object onto the target object on the belt conveyor 8.
At this time, since the position, rotation, and direction of the object are known in advance in the recognition described in (1) above, this information is sent from the recognition processing device 29 to the handling control device 28 of the second handling device 20. Therefore, the second handling device 20
By using the detection information from the visual device 4 or the feed position detector (not shown) provided in connection with the belt conveyor 8, the position of the conveyor in the moving direction can be corrected, and all that is left to do is to lower the conveyor and the assembly work can be completed. is possible.

According to the present invention, it is possible to perform work with flexibility according to changes in work conditions, and
This has the effect of allowing you to work quickly.

In addition, the configuration method and number of handling devices, the type and number of visual devices, that is, detectors that can detect the shape factors of objects in a non-contact manner, the recognition processing method using them, and the detection installed other than the visual device. It goes without saying that the principles of the present invention are applicable regardless of the presence or absence of a vessel and its type.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
This figure shows an example of the configuration of a conventional handling system having a visual function, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the basic configuration of a handling device according to the present invention.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first device that sequentially supplies a plurality of types of first objects.
a second device for respectively supplying a plurality of types of second objects whose postures are to be matched and combined with each of the first objects, a first handling device, and a second handling device. an apparatus, the movable part of which is provided with a visual device; and the second handling device is positioned such that the visual device is in a position where the visual device can image the first object supplied by the first means. and the output of the visual device causes the first
controlling the first handling device so that the first handling device selects a second object of a type corresponding to the identified type of object and moving it to a predetermined delivery position; a handling device is moved to the transfer position, and in response to the output of the vision device, the second handling device
controlling the second handling device to receive a second object held by the handling device, and in response to the output of the vision device, the received second object and the second object delivered by the first device; and a handling control device that controls a second handling device to combine the first object and the first object in a manner that adapts their postures. 2. In claim 1, the handling control device changes the posture of the first object imaged by the visual device during movement from a predetermined delivery position to the position of the first object imaged by the visual device. A handling system characterized in that the attitude of a second object received by the first handling device is controlled so as to be compatible with the first handling device.