EP2363288A1 - Device and method for aligning objects - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (10) has a robot device comprising a gripping arm for gripping and attaching an article (3) in a holding device (15). The holding device has a front-side retainer for holding the article. An adjusting unit adjusts an aligned condition of the article in the holding device, and a camera (14) visually detects a front-side section of the article. An image processing device detects a position of a preset marking at the section of the article. A controller is connected with the image processing device, and controls the adjusting unit based on the position of the marking. An independent claim is also included for a method for aligning articles for preparation of a decoration process in a printing machine.

Description

The invention relates to a device for aligning objects according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such devices are used in particular for preparing a decorating operation in a printing machine or a labeling operation in a labeling device. In the generic device, a spring-loaded finger is usually provided on an end face of the holding device, which is movably arranged about an axis and which is rotated during the insertion of the object until it engages in an associated recess on the front side portion of the object, which comes to rest on the end face of the holding device to rest. Alternatively, the finger is fixed and the article rotates in the receptacle until the stop in the article rests on the finger. Since such a device for aligning articles usually comprises a plurality of such holding devices, each of these holding devices must have such described spring-loaded fingers in order to align the object in the holding device and, for example, to prepare it for subsequent printing on the periphery of the article. Depending on the object to be aligned further special format parts must be in the holding device for the described Alignment can be used. This design of conventional devices is costly.

Accordingly, it is the object of the invention to simplify or eliminate a conventional device for aligning objects in their construction and thus to provide a more cost-effective production.

This object is achieved in a surprising manner by a device having the features of claim 1. In the device according to the invention, a camera device is provided, which captures a portion, in particular a front side portion of the gripping arm of the robot image object, and an image processing device for detecting the position of a predetermined mark on the front side portion of the object, wherein a data-connected to the image processing means control device in dependence the position of the detected mark on the front side portion of the object drives the means for adjusting an aligned state of the object.

The device according to the invention has the advantage over known devices that no special format parts in the device are more necessary for aligning the objects. In particular, it is also unnecessary to provide a finger-facial expression on the holding device in order to detect the position of the object in the holding device. In contrast, the invention provides, the end face portion, for example, a bottom portion of an object, which has a predetermined mark such as a special geometric design to capture and use this information in the subsequent orientation and orientation, so that the object either in an aligned state in the Holding device is used or the known orientation in the other Rotation of the article in the recording is taken into account. In this case, it may be provided that the object is also captured during orientation and orientation, and this information is used, for example, for further orientation and alignment.

The pictorial detection of the front side portion is not limited to the end face portion itself. Rather, the camera device detects the object from the front side portion and thus can, for example, the image of the interior of the object and thus possibly located there markings from the front side portion. In this case, the capture of the image can be done simultaneously with the loading of the machine without additional devices and almost no loss of time.

The device according to the invention is particularly suitable for objects which are to be aligned in the device for preparing a decorating process, an embossing process or a labeling process. The subsequent decorating can be carried out, for example, by a screen printing, flexographic or digital printing method. The device according to the invention is not limited to a particular form of objects to be aligned; These may be, for example, bottles, glasses and cups, but also crucibles or bottles. The device according to the invention can align articles of a large number of materials such as glass, plastic or metal.

In principle, the device according to the invention is designed for the treatment of objects which are to be decorated, for example, after their alignment at a certain point on the circumference. These objects have at least at a portion as on an end face, in particular on the ground one or more markings, for example, a raised mark or a trough, which means the camera device are detected so that the object can be aligned. The device according to the invention is particularly suitable as part of the transport device of a printing machine or a labeling machine, etc.

According to the invention, such markings can be arranged in the region of the front side of the objects, which in particular comprise recessed or raised structures such as grooves, holes, wedges, points, etc., but also symbols, texts or images. During the processing of a recognized mark, an interpretation, for example in the form of a text recognition, can also take place. For example, it is possible that the marking of the object recognized by the device according to the invention itself has information which can be detected and used for subsequent alignment of the article and / or beyond for subsequent decoration of the article. As such, the tag may comprise encoded information which is decoded and subsequently used for the alignment or decoration, such as the printing of the item. For example, depending on the detected marking or the decorated information, the respective object can be oriented differently and / or printed with different colors or labeled with different labels.

As such a mark can also serve the outline of an object, in particular on the end face, which also allows unambiguous conclusions about the angular position of the object in non-cylindrical objects as in an oval basic shape of the object.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

Conveniently the means for adjusting an aligned condition of the article may comprise means for rotating the article in the gripping arm of the robotic device. This means can for example be realized in that the robot device is arranged for rotating the held in a robot hand object to the axis of this object, for example by providing a rotary arm with a correspondingly driven axis of rotation. In this respect, the orientation or alignment of the object is performed by the robot, which then uses the aligned object in the holding device. A movement of the object in the holding device itself can be dispensed with.

In another expedient embodiment of the device according to the invention it can be provided that the means for adjusting the aligned state of the object is integrated in the holding device itself. For example, the holding means may comprise means for rotating the article such as a drive, i. the article is rotated in the holding device after being inserted therein.

However, it may be particularly expedient for both the robot arm and the means for rotating the object in the holding device to be actuated as a function of the front side section detected by the camera device in order to bring the object into the desired aligned state in the holding device.

The holding device of the device according to the invention may, for example, have a mandrel receptacle, so that the object bears against the holding device with an end face. It is particularly useful, however, if the holding device has two end side receptacles, which are designed as a bottom receptacle and tip holder, wherein the inserted into the holding device subject with a bottom portion of the bottom receptacle and with a tip portion of the tip holder. By means of such a design, the respective object can be clamped between the bottom receptacle and the tip receptacle and can thus be firmly fixed and aligned with the subsequent processes, such as a printing or a labeling process.

A particularly simple construction results when the optical axis of the camera device is substantially parallel to the axis of the holding device. This ensures that after camera recording a simple movement of the robot arm is sufficient to insert the object in the holding device. In addition, it can be facilitated during the camera recording a flat focus on the front page section.

In addition, it may also be appropriate to arrange the optical axis of the camera device obliquely to the axis of the holding device, so that the object in this case not from above or below, i. is absorbed by one of the two end faces, but this is recorded obliquely. In addition, it can also be provided to make the viewing direction of the camera adjustable, so that the alignment can be carried out in each case optimized for the respective object.

In terms of the method, the above object is achieved by a method for aligning objects, in particular for preparing a decorating process in a printing press or a labeling operation in a labeling device, wherein the object is gripped by a gripper arm of a robot and subsequently inserted into a holding device, so that a front side portion of the Object bears against an end face of the holding device, wherein a predetermined, aligned state of the object used in the holding device is adjusted. The inventive method is characterized in that prior to insertion of the article in the holding device, a portion, in particular a front side portion of the object is captured and image processing is performed to detect the position of a predetermined mark on the front side portion of the article and depending on the means the image processing detected position of the predetermined mark on the end face portion of the object is moved so that it is arranged in the predetermined aligned state in the holding device.

After the detection of the position of the predetermined marking on the front side portion of the object by means of image processing, the orientation of the object can then take place, on the one hand characterized in that the robot orients the object before insertion into the holding device in the desired position, in particular rotates or in that the Object is first inserted into the holding device and then rotated in this to set a predetermined rotational position of the object in the holding device, which corresponds to the aligned state of the article in the holding device.

Advantageously, the predetermined marking on a front side portion of the article may have coded information which is used after the decoding for the specific orientation and / or decoration of this article. In the described manner, finally, by means of the decoded information of the marking, a control with respect to the orientation of the object, a control with respect to the subsequent processing stations or finally a control of the entire device can be carried out. This makes it possible for every single object to orientate individually and / or, for example, subsequently to decorate individually depending on the information attached by means of the marking on the object.

Figur 1

einen Ausschnitt einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten von flaschenförmigen Gegenständen,

Figur 2

die in Figur 1 dargestellte Ausführungsform in einer ausführlicheren Prinzipdarstellung,

Figur 3

eine weitere Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung in einer Prinzipdarstellung,

Figur 4

eine weitere erfindungsgemäß ausgebildete Vorrichtung in einer Prinzipdarstellung und

Figur 5

eine der in den Figuren 1 - 4 dargestellte Vorrichtung im Einsatz in einer Druckmaschine

zeigt.The invention will be explained in the following by describing some embodiments of a device according to the invention, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1

a detail of a device according to the invention for aligning bottle-shaped objects,

FIG. 2

in the FIG. 1 illustrated embodiment in a more detailed schematic diagram,

FIG. 3

a further embodiment of a device according to the invention in a schematic representation,

FIG. 4

a further device designed according to the invention in a schematic representation and

FIG. 5

one of the in the Figures 1 - 4 illustrated device in use in a printing press

shows.

FIG. 1 shows in a section of an apparatus 1 for aligning bottle-shaped objects, which are aligned for a subsequent decorating process. Shown is just an operating position in which the gripper arm 2 of the robot, the bottle 3 with its bottom on a camera device 4 aligns for imaging of the bottom portion. The captured image is processed in a microcomputer device to determine the location of a given image To detect mark on the bottom portion of the bottle 3. With knowledge of the location of this mark now calculated a control device, the necessary steps to allow the bottle 3 comes to rest in a predetermined aligned state in the holding device, wherein in the figure alone a bottom receptacle 5 is shown, which after insertion of the bottle 3 through the Gripper arm 2 of the robot rests against the bottom of the bottle 3. For clarity of illustration, the tip receptacle of the holding device is not shown, which abuts axially after insertion of the bottle 3 in the holding device on the opposite side of the bottom of the bottle 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the orientation of the bottle 3 is performed by rotating the bottle 3 in the holding device. For this purpose, a motor drive is mounted on the bottom receptacle 5, which is controlled by a control device as a function of the position of the previously detected mark on the bottom of the bottle 3 and the necessary steps calculated therefrom so that the predetermined aligned state of the bottle 3 in preparation for the subsequent printing process is set. The printing process itself is then carried out in a printing station, not shown, wherein the bottle 3 remains in the described holding device.

In an embodiment, not shown, it may also be provided that the bottle 3 is rotated in response to the detected position of the mark on the bottom of the bottle 3 by the robot device. In this embodiment, the robot device is equipped with the corresponding degrees of freedom. A subsequent movement of the bottle 3 after insertion into the holding device can be dispensed with.

In another embodiment, not shown, the camera is in relation to the device elements, such as arranged the gripper arm of the robot device so that the orientation of the object can be recorded with the camera without the object must be held with a front side in a special process step in front of the camera, but can during the movement of the object between the recording and the insertion are automatically detected in the holder device, so that no further cycle times are necessary. In this way, image acquisition, calculation and positioning can take place during the time during which the object is picked up and inserted into the holding device.

FIG. 2 shows the in FIG. 1 illustrated device 10 in an overall view. The objects to be aligned, here bottles 3, are fed to the device 10 by means of a feeding conveyor belt 20. The robot device comprises left and right gripper arm segments 12a, b, whose hand-removed end is articulated in each case to an associated articulation element 11a, b. Left and right Greifarmsegmente 12a, b are hinged at its other end to the gripping hand 13, which is designed for gripping and carrying the bottles 3.

FIG. 2 shows in a representation of three different operating situations A, B and C of the gripper arm. First, the robot device is controlled so that the gripping hand grasps the bottle 3 arranged on the conveyor belt 20 at the front, operating situation A. Thereafter, the gripper arm segments are controlled so that the bottle 3 is arranged with its bottom to the optical axis of the camera 14 (operating situation B) in order to capture this front side portion of the bottle 3, from which in the described embodiment, the rotational orientation of the bottle 3 is determined due to an associated mark at the bottom of the bottle. The bottle is then inserted by the robot device in the holding device 15, operating situation C of the gripper arm. The holding device 15 comprises a bottom receptacle 16 and a neck receptacle 18, wherein first the bottle is applied to the bottom receptacle by means of the robot device and subsequently the neck receptacle 18 with its centering part 19 starting from a position E in a further operating position D of the neck receptacle 18 to the bottle is used to fix the bottle in the holding device 15. Thereafter, the gripper arm 13 opens, this operating situation is in FIG. 2 not shown anymore.

After the bottle is now fixed in the holding device, the bottle can be rotated axially over the attacking on the bottom receptacle 16 motor 17. This rotation is performed by a control, not shown, taking into account the detected in the operating position B of the gripping arm rotational orientation of the bottle, such that the bottle is aligned, for example, for a subsequent decorating in a predetermined manner with respect to their rotational position.

The movement path of the gripping hand is shown in the figure by the trajectory S.

The Figures 3 and 4 show the in FIG. 2 illustrated device each in a slightly modified form. In this respect, the same components are provided with the same reference numerals. At the in FIG. 3 As shown, the camera is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the feeding conveyor belt 20, so that the imaging of the bottom section of the bottle 3 takes place directly after the bottle is picked up by the belt. As can be seen, the trajectory S of the robot arm is substantially identical to that of the FIG. 2 , Since the image detection of the front side portion of the bottle is made at the beginning of the trajectory, the time for moving the bottle into the holding device 15 for performing the image processing and thus for the detection the rotational orientation of the bottle can be used.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which not the bottom portion of the bottle, but the opposite end portion, ie, the area of the bottle neck is captured by the camera 14, wherein in the illustrated embodiment, the camera axis is again arranged in parallel and aligned with the bottle axis.

FIG. 5 shows the integration of one of the in the Figures 2-4 illustrated device for aligning objects in a here designed as a screen printing machine 100 decorating device. The screen printing machine 100 is constructed in a carousel-like manner and initially comprises an input station 130, as in the Figures 2-4 is shown. Further, in the described embodiment, the screen printing machine 100 has four printing stations 110a-d and correspondingly four drying stations 120a-d. After passing through the individual processing stations for carrying out a four-color screen printing, the bottle 3 is removed from the holding device at the output station by means of a second robot device and placed on the discharging conveyor belt 25 for removal. The described orientation of the bottle within the input station 130 serves to prepare the orientation of the bottle for subsequent four-color printing.

On the other hand, the in Fig. 5 shown machine depending on the specific application, for example, be designed as a printing machine with 8 printing stations or decorating station, each with 3 printing and drying stations and with an embossing and a labeling station. In all cases, a device according to the invention is included.

In a not shown, but similar to one in the Figures 1 - 4 In the embodiment shown, the object, here the bottle, already aligned in the holding device 15 used. In this case, the robot device is designed to rotate the bottle along the bottle axis. This rotation can then be performed after the imaging of the face portion and subsequent image processing during transport of the bottle into the holding device 15. This eliminates the provision of a drive on all floor shots 16, see for example FIG. 2 ,

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

contraption

2

claw arm

3

bottle

4

camera means

5

soil ingestion

10

contraption

11a,

b connecting element

12a, b

Gripper arm segments (left, right)

13

gripping hand

14

camera

15

holder

16

soil ingestion

17

motor drive

18

neck receiving

19

centering

20

Conveyor belt (feeder)

25

Conveyor belt (removal)

100

screen printing machine

110a, b, c, d

printing station

120a, b, c, d

drying station

130

input station

140

output station

A, B, C

gripper arm position

D, E

Position of the neck

S

trajectory

Claims (10)

Device (1,10) for aligning objects, in particular for preparing a decorating process in a printing press, comprising - A robot device with a gripping arm (2) for gripping and subsequent insertion of an article (3) in one - Holding device (15) which for holding the object (3) has at least one end face receiving, which is designed to bear against an end face portion of the object used in the holding device, as well as a Means for adjusting an aligned state of the object in the holding device,
characterized by a camera device (4, 14) which image captures a portion, in particular a front side portion of the gripping arm (2) object, an image processing device for detecting the position of a predetermined mark on the portion of the object, one with the Image processing device data-connected control device as a function of the situation the detected mark on the portion of the object drives the means for adjusting an aligned state of the object. Device (1, 10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for adjusting an aligned state of the article (3) in the holding device (15) comprises means for rotating the article in the gripping arm (2) of the robot device. Device (1, 10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for adjusting an aligned state of the article (3) in the holding device (15) comprises means for rotating the article in the holding device. Device (1, 10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the holding device has two end-side receptacles which are designed as a bottom receptacle (5, 16) and tip receptacle (18), wherein the object inserted into the holding device (15) with a bottom portion on the bottom receptacle (5) and with a tip portion of the tip holder (18). Device (1, 10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the optical axis of the camera device (4, 14) extends substantially parallel to the axis of the holding device (15). Method for aligning objects, in particular for preparing a decorating process in a printing machine (100), wherein the object (3) is gripped by a gripper arm (2) of a robot and subsequently inserted into a holding device (15) a front side portion of the object bears against a front side receptacle of the holding device, wherein a predetermined, aligned state of the object inserted into the holding device (15) is adjusted,
characterized in that before inserting the article (3) into the holding device (15) a portion, in particular a front side portion of the object is image-captured and image processing is performed to detect the position of a predetermined mark on the portion of the article and wherein in dependence the position of the predetermined mark detected by the image processing is moved at the portion of the object thereof so as to be arranged in the predetermined aligned state in the holding device (15). A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the predetermined aligned state of the object (3) in the holding device (15) by a predetermined rotational position of the article (3) is fixed in the holding device. A method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that for adjusting the predetermined aligned state of the object (3) in the holding device, the object is moved before insertion into the holding device by driving at least one robot axis of rotation. A method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that for adjusting the predetermined aligned state of the article (3) in the holding device, the object after insertion into the holding device (15) is rotated about a rotational axis of the holding device. Method according to one of Claims 6 to 9, characterized in that coded information provided by means of the marking is decoded and used to control the device (1, 10), in particular for controlling the alignment of the article (3) in the holding device (15).

Images