JP2024111791A - Control device and robot system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform processing only to containers which are transported and include no object therein.

SOLUTION: A control device 40 controls driving of a transfer mechanism 21 which transfers a container transported on a transport surface of a belt conveyor 2. The control device 40 drives the transfer mechanism 21 only when a container detection sensor 61 configured to detect existence of the container detects the existence of the container and an ingredient detection sensor 62 configured to detect existence of an object in the container does not detect the existence of the object.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a control device and a robot system.

In recent years, robots equipped with a gripping function have been used to perform various tasks. For example, when a robot is used to arrange prepared food, the robot grasps a predetermined amount of ingredients stored in a container such as a tray and releases them into the prepared food container to arrange the food.
Technologies relating to such a plating robot are disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1.

JP 2021-30407 A

Written by Nikkei BP, “Nikkei Robotics August 2022 Issue (No. 85)” Nikkei BP Publishing, July 10, 2022, pp. 14-20

In a general technique such as that described in Patent Document 1, the ingredients are placed directly on the conveyor belt while the container is being transported by the conveyor belt. In such a configuration, there is a risk that the ingredients will fall onto the conveyor belt when the ingredients are released for placement.
In contrast, in the technology described in Non-Patent Document 1, a container feeder is placed near the robot, and after the ingredients are served in the containers supplied by the feeder, the containers are sent to the belt conveyor. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the ingredients from falling onto the belt conveyor when the ingredients are released. In addition, since the ingredients are served near the robot, more precise movements can be achieved compared to when the arms are extended and the ingredients are served at a distance, and appropriate serving can be achieved.

However, when using the configuration described in Non-Patent Document 1, it is necessary to prepare a place for placing the supply machine and a place for stocking the containers to be supplied around the robot, which increases the installation area. In particular, when multiple robots are placed on one conveyor belt, multiple supply machines etc. are required to correspond to each of the multiple robots, making this problem even more pronounced.

Furthermore, this issue is not limited to cases where the target object is foodstuffs, but is common to a wide variety of fields, such as industrial fields, where robots are used for grasping and releasing.
In other words, in conventional technology, there is still room for improvement in terms of properly arranging ingredients without unnecessarily expanding the installation area.

The objective of this invention is to process only containers that are being transported and do not contain any target objects.

In order to solve the above problem, a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises:
A control device that controls the drive of a transfer mechanism that transfers a container being transferred on a transfer surface of the transfer device,
driving the transfer mechanism only when a container detection sensor that detects the presence of the container detects the presence of the container and an object sensor that detects the presence of an object in the container does not detect the presence of the object;
It is characterized by:

According to the present invention, processing can be performed only on containers that are being transported and do not contain any target objects.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a gripping system 1 according to the present invention; 3A to 3C are schematic diagrams showing examples of the shape of a gripping member 31a installed at the tip of a hand 31. 1 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the storage space 10A, the hand 31, the gripping member 31a, the robot arm 32, and the ingredient when performing an operation such as a gripping operation. FIG. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the opening and closing of a pair of gripping members 31a. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a control device 40. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device 40. 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams showing an example of a gripping operation by the articulated robot 30. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of a transfer position P1 and a release position P2 in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of a transfer position P1 and a release position P2 in the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration for driving a transfer mechanism 21. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of an ingredient plating process executed by the gripping system 1. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of a transfer position P1 and a release position P2 in a second embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a view showing the second embodiment as viewed vertically from above. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of a transfer position P1 and a release position P2 in a third embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a view showing the third embodiment as viewed vertically from above. 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams showing examples of the shape of a connection member 27.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Embodiment]
[composition]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a gripping system 1 according to the present invention.
The first to third embodiments will be described in detail below, but the overall configuration, which will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, the hardware and functional configuration of the control device 40, which will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6, and the method of grasping ingredients, which will be described with reference to Figure 7, are common to each embodiment.

The gripping system 1 in each embodiment is intended to be applied to a system for plating ingredients. In the following description, an example will be given in which the gripping system 1 grasps ingredients such as side dishes as objects and plates the ingredients in individual side dish containers. Note that plating individual side dishes in containers is merely an example, and each embodiment can also be applied to other uses, such as plating multiple side dishes individually in corresponding areas of a lunch box container. In the following description, weight will be used as an example of the amount of ingredients to be plated, but the present invention can be applied to physical quantities other than weight, such as volume, bulk, mass, and other various names for the physical quantities.

1, the gripping system 1 includes an ingredient storage unit 10, an articulated robot 30, a control device 40, a shielding unit 50, a container detection sensor 61, and an ingredient detection sensor 62. The control device 40, the articulated robot 30, the container detection sensor 61, and the ingredient detection sensor 62 are communicatively connected by wire or wirelessly, and are capable of communicating with each other.
The gripping system 1 further includes transport mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 in each embodiment. However, since the locations of these mechanisms differ depending on the embodiment, the transport mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 are not shown in FIG.

Furthermore, a belt conveyor 2 that automatically transports containers of prepared foods from upstream to downstream is installed adjacent to the gripping system 1. The belt conveyor 2 has a transport surface for transporting the containers, and the containers are transported while placed on this transport surface.
In addition, guide members 2A are installed on the belt conveyor 2 in the left and right directions when the direction of travel of the containers (i.e., downstream of the belt conveyor 2) is taken as the forward direction. The guide members 2A have a tapered shape that narrows in left and right width in the direction of travel, and are structured to guide the containers to a predetermined position. The containers filled with food are transported at various positions (e.g., different positions in the left and right direction) on the belt conveyor 2 upstream of the guide members 2A, and are guided by the guide members 2A to a transfer position P1, which is a position where the containers arriving at this position are transferred to their destination.

In each embodiment, the task of supplying the containers to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 further upstream of the gripping system 1 may be performed manually or by a container supply device.

The ingredient storage unit 10 includes a storage space 10A for storing ingredients such as side dishes to be served in the gripping system 1. The storage space 10A may be, for example, the ingredient storage unit 10 itself, or may be a general-purpose container such as a large tray or tray that can be installed in the ingredient storage unit 10. In addition, the storage space 10A stores, for example, a paste salad such as potato salad (a salad containing ingredients having viscosity or stickiness), side dishes such as udon (soybean pulp), kiriboshi daikon (dried radish), namasu (pickled vegetables), hijiki (simmered beans), and buttered corn. In each embodiment, the ingredient storage unit 10 stores multiple servings (for example, tens to hundreds of servings) of one type of ingredient. Then, the multiple gripping systems 1 serve ingredients such as side dishes in the corresponding side dish containers, thereby completing the work of serving the side dishes.
The storage space 10A of the ingredient storage section 10 can be replaced manually by an operator or automatically by the articulated robot 30.

The transfer mechanisms 21, 22, 23 transfer the container transferred to the transfer position P1 on the transfer surface of the belt conveyor 2 to a release position P2, which is a position where the multi-joint robot 30 releases the ingredients held by the multi-joint robot 30. Then, after the multi-joint robot 30 releases the ingredients into the container at the release position P2, the multi-joint robot 30 returns the container to the transfer position P1 again. As a result, the container with the ingredients released is placed again on the transfer surface of the belt conveyor 2 and transferred downstream.
As with the transport mechanisms 21, 22, and 23, the location of the release position P2 differs depending on the embodiment, and therefore the release position P2 is also omitted from FIG.

The articulated robot 30 is, for example, a horizontal articulated robot or a vertical articulated robot, and is equipped with a hand 31 capable of grasping the ingredients to be plated, and a robot arm 32 that moves the hand 31 to any position within its movable range.
A weight sensor 30A for measuring the weight of the ingredient held by the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30 is provided at the joint that holds the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30 as an example of a means for acquiring the physical quantity of the ingredient held by the hand 31 with the gripping member 31a. A force sensor 30B for measuring the reaction force (including the force sense obtained by touching the surface) from the ingredient that has been touched is provided at the joint that holds the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30 as an example of a means for detecting that the hand 31 has come into contact with the ingredient. Data on the weight of the ingredient (i.e., the weight of the gripped ingredient) measured by the weight sensor 30A and data on the reaction force from the ingredient (i.e., the detection result of contact with the ingredient) measured by the force sensor 30B are output to the control device 40.

Furthermore, the joint that holds the hand 31 has an axis that rotates the hand 31 in a twisting direction relative to the robot arm 32. Therefore, when the hand 31 grasps an ingredient, the direction in which the hand 31 opens and closes can be adjusted by changing the orientation of the hand 31. This makes it possible to change the orientation of the hand 31 so that when the hand 31 reaches the vicinity of the inner wall surface of the container, the hand 31 opens and closes in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the storage space 10A, making it easier to grasp ingredients near the inner wall surface of the container.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the shape of the gripping member 31 a installed at the tip of the hand 31 .
In FIG. 2, only one of the pair of gripping members 31a is shown.
As shown in Fig. 2, the gripping member 31a in each embodiment is composed of a top plate portion, a main plate portion, a first side plate portion, and a second side plate portion. The top plate portion has a rectangular flat surface. When the flat surface of the top plate portion is in a horizontal state, the main plate portion extends at an angle from one end of the flat surface in the longitudinal direction to a position spaced apart vertically below the other end of the flat surface. When the flat surface of the top plate portion is in a horizontal state, the first side plate portion and the second side plate portion extend vertically downward from both ends of the flat surface.
In the following description, when the pair of gripping members 31a is not to be distinguished from one another, they will simply be referred to as "grip members 31a."

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the storage space 10A, the hand 31, the gripping member 31a, the robot arm 32, and the ingredient when performing an operation such as a gripping operation. In Figure 10, the vertical direction is referred to as the Z direction, a first horizontal direction perpendicular to the Z direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface) is referred to as the Y direction, and a second horizontal direction perpendicular to each of the Z direction and the Y direction is referred to as the X direction. In other words, the Z direction, Y direction, and X direction are each perpendicular to one another.

The hand 31 is disposed at the tip of the robot arm 32. The gripping member 31a is connected to the hand 31 by a connecting member and is thereby supported by the hand 31. The hand 31 and the gripping member 31a connected thereto can move within a movable range in each of the X, Y, and Z directions in accordance with the operation of the robot arm 32 controlled by the control device 40. The hand 31 achieves a gripping operation by opening and closing the pair of gripping members 31a in the Y direction by an actuator (not shown).
In addition, the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a connected thereto are capable of rotating about the Z direction as a rotation axis.
With this configuration, in each embodiment, the position and orientation of the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a can be changed arbitrarily, making it possible to appropriately perform operations such as gripping and releasing operations with a variety of movements.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the opening and closing of a pair of gripping members 31a. The gripping members 31a shown in Figure 2 are connected to the hand 31 by a connecting member so that their openings face each other. The X, Y, and Z directions in Figure 4 are the same as the directions defined in Figure 3. The pair of gripping members 31a are opened in an opening operation along the opening and closing direction (Y direction) as shown in Figure 4(a) to reach an open state. The pair of gripping members 31a are closed in a gripping operation by closing in the opening and closing direction (Y direction) as shown in Figure 4(b).

Then, the pair of gripping members 31a are closed and come into contact with each other, so that the inner surface with at least the closed tips and side plate portions becomes a container shape for gripping ingredients. With such a shape of the gripping members 31a, the tips of the gripping members 31a are inserted vertically from the surface of ingredients such as a paste salad, and the pair of gripping members 31a are closed at a predetermined depth to lift up the ingredients, so that an approximately fixed amount of ingredients can be gripped and removed from the storage space 10A.
In addition, after the pair of gripping members 31a are transferred onto the prepared food container at the serving position P1, the pair of gripping members 31a open and the container-shaped opening is exposed, thereby releasing the ingredients that have been grasped and allowing an approximately fixed amount of ingredients to be served in the prepared food container.

Returning to FIG. 1, the control device 40 is configured with an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a programmable controller, and controls the entire gripping system 1 by executing various programs. For example, the control device 40 controls the operation of the articulated robot 30 gripping ingredients from the ingredient storage section 10 and releasing them into a prepared food container to arrange the ingredients. In more detail, for example, the control device 40 controls the drive of the robot arm 32 to move the hand 31 to a predetermined position along a predetermined route and at a predetermined speed, and controls the drive of the actuator of the hand 31 to grip and release ingredients with the gripping member 31a. In addition, for example, the control device 40 controls the operation of the transport mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 based on the detection results of the container detection sensor 61 and the ingredient detection sensor 62.

The shielding unit 50 is composed of a plate-like member that surrounds and encloses the area in which the ingredient storage unit 10 and the articulated robot 30 are installed in the gripping system 1. The plate-like member that constitutes the shielding unit 50 is made of a transparent material such as glass or resin, making it possible to visually check the operating status of the gripping system 1 from the outside. In addition, an openable and closable door is installed on a part of the side wall that constitutes the shielding unit 50. When replacing the storage space 10A of the ingredient storage unit 10 or performing maintenance on the gripping system 1, an operator can open the door of the shielding unit 50 and perform various tasks.

The container detection sensor 61 is a sensor that detects the position of a container being transported on the belt conveyor 2. The container detection sensor 61 is, for example, composed of an optical sensor. The container detection sensor 61 detects, for example, that a container guided by the guide member 2A has been transported to the transfer position P1 or is about to be transported to the transfer position P1. The data on the container position detected by the container detection sensor 61 is output to the control device 40.

The ingredient detection sensor 62 is a sensor that detects ingredients served in a container. Like the container detection sensor 61, the ingredient detection sensor 62 is configured, for example, by an optical sensor. The ingredient detection sensor 62 detects, for example, whether ingredients are served in a container guided by the guide member 2A. Data on whether ingredients are served or not detected by the ingredient detection sensor 62 is output to the control device 40.

Note that in FIG. 1, only one set of ingredient storage units 10 and articulated robots 30 is shown, but this is merely an example, and multiple sets of ingredient storage units 10 and articulated robots 30 may exist for one belt conveyor 2. In other words, each embodiment can be applied to a situation in which multiple articulated robots 30 work together.

[Hardware configuration of the control device 40]
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device 40. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5 , the control device 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 711, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 712, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 713, a bus 714, an input unit 715, an output unit 716, a storage unit 717, a communication unit 718, and a drive 719.

The CPU 711 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 712 or a program loaded from the storage unit 717 to the RAM 713 .
The RAM 713 also stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 711 to execute various processes.

The CPU 711, ROM 712, and RAM 713 are interconnected via a bus 714. An input unit 715, an output unit 716, a memory unit 717, a communication unit 718, and a drive 719 are connected to the bus 714.

The input unit 715 includes input devices such as a mouse and a keyboard, and receives input of various information to the control device 40. The input unit 715 may include a microphone, and may receive input of various information by voice input from the worker.
The output unit 716 is composed of a display, a speaker, etc., and outputs images and sounds.
The storage unit 717 is configured with a hard disk or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or the like, and stores various data managed by each server.
The communication unit 718 controls communication with other devices via the network.

Removable media 731, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, is appropriately loaded into the drive 719. A program read from the removable media 731 by the drive 719 is installed in the storage unit 717 as necessary.
It should be noted that the above hardware configuration is the basic configuration of the control device 40, and it is possible to adopt a configuration that does not include some of the hardware, to include additional hardware, or to change the implementation form of the hardware.

[Functional configuration]
Next, the functional configuration of the control device 40 will be described.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 40.
6, by executing a program for controlling the operation of the gripping system 1, a sensor information acquisition unit 151, an ingredient state determination unit 152, an ingredient amount determination unit 153, an articulated robot control unit 154, a transport mechanism control unit 155, and a record control unit 156 function in the CPU 711 of the control device 40. In addition, a parameter storage unit 171 and a history database (history DB) 172 are formed in the storage unit 717.

The parameter storage unit 171 stores various parameters used when the gripping system 1 operates. For example, the parameter storage unit 171 stores the position of the storage space 10A of the ingredient storage unit 10, the position of the area in the prepared food container where the ingredients are to be served, the relationship between the amount of insertion of the hand 31 into the ingredient when gripping the ingredient and the weight of the gripped ingredient (function or table-format data, etc.), parameters that define the operation pattern of the articulated robot 30, etc. In each embodiment, the amount of insertion of the hand 31 into the ingredient is an index for estimating the weight (physical amount) of the ingredient. In other words, from the relationship between the amount of insertion of the hand 31 into the ingredient and the weight of the gripped ingredient, the actual weight of the gripped ingredient (target gripping weight) is estimated based on the amount of insertion of the hand 31 into the ingredient.

History DB 172 stores control parameters acquired when gripping system 1 operates, or measurement data of the weight of ingredients arranged by gripping system 1, as history. History DB 172 also stores an ingredient status map showing the status of ingredients in storage space 10A of ingredient storage unit 10. Details of this ingredient status map will be described later together with an explanation of recording control unit 156 that creates and updates the ingredient status map.

The sensor information acquisition unit 151 acquires sensor information, which is information detected by various sensors installed in the gripping system 1. For example, the sensor information acquisition unit 151 acquires data on the weight of ingredients measured by a weight sensor 30A installed at a joint of the articulated robot 30, data on the reaction force from the ingredients measured by a force sensor 30B, data on the position of the container detected by the container detection sensor 61, and data on whether ingredients are served or not detected by the ingredient detection sensor 62.

The ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the state of the ingredients based on the data of the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B. For example, the ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the depth of the ingredients in the storage space 10A (the depth from the surface of the ingredients in the storage space 10A to the bottom surface of the storage space 10A) and the flatness of the surface (how rough the surface is) from the data of the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B. In each embodiment, a method of measuring the state of the ingredients based on the reaction force using the force sensor 30B is used, rather than a method of determining the state of the ingredients by image analysis using a camera. Therefore, for example, the introduction cost and management cost of the camera can be reduced, and since there is no need to consider the blind spot of the camera, the arrangement of the multi-joint robot 30 and the storage space 10A, etc. can be selected more flexibly. In addition, since a camera is not used, there is no need to consider the influence of steam generated from the ingredients and lighting on the shooting.

Furthermore, when the ingredient condition determination unit 152 recognizes the depth of the ingredient and the flatness of the surface, it determines whether these meet the conditions for gripping the ingredient (for example, whether the depth and flatness of the ingredient are equal to or greater than a set threshold value). The flatness of the ingredient's surface can be defined, for example, based on the absolute value of the magnitude of the unevenness of the surface, and can be defined so that the flatter the ingredient's surface is, the higher the value. The flatness may also be determined for each part of the ingredient's surface. The ingredient condition determination unit 152 also determines whether the condition of the ingredients in the storage space 10A is such that a specified amount of ingredients can be gripped in one gripping operation.

The ingredient amount determination unit 153 determines whether a specified amount of ingredients has been grasped based on the weight data of the ingredients measured by the weight sensor 30A of the articulated robot 30.

The articulated robot control unit 154 controls the operation of the articulated robot 30, and causes the articulated robot 30 to execute a series of operations for plating ingredients according to the operation pattern defined in the gripping system 1. For example, the articulated robot control unit 154 causes the articulated robot 30 to execute an operation of gripping ingredients with the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30 (gripping operation), an operation of transferring the gripped ingredients to a side dish container (transfer operation), an operation of releasing the gripped ingredients (releasing operation), an operation of shaping the surface of the released ingredients after plating (shaping operation), etc.

The transfer mechanism control unit 155 controls the operation of the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 based on data on the position of the container detected by the container detection sensor 61 and data on whether ingredients are served or not detected by the ingredient detection sensor 62. The specific control method by the transfer mechanism control unit 155 will be described in more detail when explaining each embodiment.

The recording control unit 156 stores the control parameters acquired when the gripping system 1 performs the gripping operation and the measurement data of the weight of the ingredients arranged by the gripping system 1 in the history DB 172. The recording control unit 156 also creates and updates an ingredient condition map showing the state of the ingredients in the storage space 10A of the ingredient storage unit 10, and also stores this ingredient condition map in the history DB 172. More specifically, the recording control unit 156 detects the state of the ingredients in each area of the storage space 10A based on the measurement data of the weight of the ingredients and the reaction force of the ingredients acquired when the gripping system 1 performs the gripping operation, the determination result by the ingredient condition determination unit 152 described below, and the measurement data of the weight of the ingredients arranged by the gripping system 1, and generates an ingredient condition map by linking it to the identification information that identifies each area and storing it. In this case, the state of the ingredients is the remaining amount of ingredients in each area, and the depth and flatness of the ingredients determined by the ingredient condition determination unit 152 described below. In addition, if the storage space 10A is replaced after the ingredients in the storage space 10A have been arranged, the ingredient status map is updated assuming that a predetermined amount of ingredients (e.g., a sufficient amount of ingredients for the storage space 10A) is stored in a predetermined state (e.g., with a flat surface).

Next, we will explain the details of the gripping operation performed by the articulated robot 30 based on the control of the articulated robot control unit 154.

[Grasp operation]
In the gripping system 1 according to each embodiment, the relationship between the depth (insertion amount) at which the gripping member 31a is inserted into the ingredient and the weight of the ingredient gripped at that time is known in advance depending on the ingredient and the type of gripping member 31a used. For example, the density of the ingredient to be gripped (a parameter representing the weight per unit depth) is measured in advance, and the gripped weight can be calculated (estimated) by a function whose element is the product of the ingredient density and the depth at which the gripping member 31a is inserted. This allows the weight of the ingredient to be estimated by a simple calculation.

The weight calculated in this way can also be stored as data in table format. Furthermore, since it is possible to grasp the range of the surface of the ingredient where the flatness decreases with one gripping operation, a pitch is set for shifting the gripping position for each gripping operation on the surface of the ingredient in the storage space 10A. Furthermore, a gripping operation pattern is set based on the predetermined depth and pitch for inserting the gripping member 31a, which indicates from which position on the surface of the ingredient and how the ingredient is to be gripped. Then, the gripping operation is performed according to this gripping operation pattern as follows.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a gripping operation by the articulated robot 30. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, when the articulated robot 30 grasps an ingredient, the following steps are taken to grasp the ingredient: (1) approach the ingredient; (2) detect the surface of the ingredient; (3) insert the grasping member 31a into the ingredient; (4) close the grasping member 31a to close the grasping member 31a; and (5) measure the weight (physical quantity) of the grasped ingredient. If the grasped weight matches the specified amount, the ingredient is transferred to a side dish container and released. Note that the grasped weight matches the specified amount means, for example, that the weight of the grasped ingredient is within a specified error (within ±15%, etc.) with respect to the target weight. However, in consideration of the case where the ingredient sticks to the grasping member 31a and cannot be released, the error when the grasped weight is more than the specified amount may be set to be larger than the error when the grasped weight is less than the specified amount. On the other hand, if the grasped weight does not conform to the specified amount, further, (6) the ingredient is released (the ingredient is returned) to the grasped position in the storage space 10A; (7) if the weight of the grasped ingredient is excessive (for example, if the weight of the grasped ingredient exceeds the upper limit of the range of the specified amount), the ingredient is grasped by adjusting the depth at which the grasping member 31a is inserted into the ingredient to be shallower than the previous time; and (8) if the weight of the grasped ingredient is insufficient (for example, if the weight of the grasped ingredient is below the lower limit of the range of the specified amount), the ingredient is grasped again in the following steps.

The surface of the ingredient can be detected in step (2) by using the force sensor 30B to measure the reaction force received when the gripping member 31a of the articulated robot 30 comes into contact with the ingredient.
Furthermore, when inserting the gripping member 31a into the ingredient in step (3), it is possible to calculate the amount of insertion from the control parameters of the articulated robot 30 (such as the rotation angle of the joints), or to calculate the amount of insertion from the elapsed time since the surface of the ingredient was detected in step (2) and insertion began.

In step (8), even if the gripping member 31a is inserted deeper into the ingredient than the previous time, if the specified amount of ingredient cannot be gripped (if the ingredient is inserted less deeply at the intended gripping position than the required insertion depth to obtain the specified amount), it is possible to control the total amount of ingredient gripped in multiple attempts to be the specified amount by gripping the ingredient from multiple points on the ingredient's surface. In this case, for example, the total depth to which the gripping member 31a is inserted at multiple points on the ingredient's surface (total insertion amount) can be controlled to be the same as the depth to which the gripping member 31a is inserted into the ingredient when gripping a specified amount of ingredient at one time. In addition, for example, when gripping the second or subsequent points, it is also possible to release the already gripped ingredient at the next intended gripping position, and then insert the gripping member 31a into the ingredient to the depth to which it would be inserted when gripping a specified amount of ingredient at one time against the surface of the ingredient where the released ingredient is located, and grip the specified amount of ingredient again at one time.

The relationship between the depth (insertion amount) at which the gripping member 31a is inserted into the ingredient and the weight of the ingredient gripped at that time can be calculated (estimated) from the density of the ingredient, or the weight can be estimated by machine learning the data on the depth at which the gripping member 31a is inserted and the measured data on the weight of the ingredient gripped at that time, and using a machine learning model generated by machine learning. The density of the ingredient can also be calculated during this machine learning process, and the weight of the gripped ingredient can be calculated from the depth (insertion amount) at which the gripping member 31a is inserted into the ingredient using the calculated density.

[First embodiment]
[Configuration and Function]
The above describes the contents common to all the embodiments. Next, the specific configuration and operation of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
8 and 9 are enlarged perspective views showing the vicinity of the transfer position P1 and the release position P2 in the first embodiment. In these figures, similar to FIG. 1, the left side of the paper surface is the upstream side of the conveyor belt 2, and the right side of the paper surface is the downstream side of the conveyor belt 2.
8 shows the belt conveyor 2, the guide member 2A, the ingredient storage section 10, the transfer mechanism 21, the articulated robot 30, the container detection sensor 61, and the ingredient detection sensor 62. The functional configurations of these are as described above with reference to FIG.

First, the articulated robot 30 calculates the depth to which the ingredients should be inserted into the ingredient storage section 10 based on the density of the ingredients. Then, the articulated robot 30 grasps a specified amount of ingredients based on the calculated insertion depth and waits.

Next, the container placed on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 is guided by the guide member 2A to be conveyed to a transfer position P1, which is a position where the container is transferred to its destination.
A transfer mechanism 21 is disposed at this transfer position P1. This transfer mechanism 21 is a mechanism that transfers the container transferred to the transfer position P1 to a release position P2, which is a position where the multi-joint robot 30 releases the ingredients held by the multi-joint robot 30. When the transfer mechanism 21 does not operate for transfer, the container passes through the transfer mechanism 21 and is transferred directly downstream of the belt conveyor 2.

The operation of the transfer mechanism 21 is controlled by the transfer mechanism control unit 155 of the control device 40. To this end, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 acquires data on the position of the container detected by the container detection sensor 61 and data on whether ingredients are served or not detected by the ingredient detection sensor 62 via the sensor information acquisition unit 151. The transfer mechanism control unit 155 then first detects that the container has been transported to the transfer position P1 or is about to be transported to the transfer position P1 based on the data on the position of the container detected by the container detection sensor 61. Note that while colored containers are used as containers for prepared foods, transparent containers are also commonly used. The container detection sensor 61 is capable of detecting both colored and transparent containers in this way.

When the transfer mechanism control unit 155 detects the transport of a container to the transfer position P1, it then determines whether the container is a container without any side dish ingredients (i.e., an empty container) or a container with ingredients already in it, based on the detection results of the ingredient detection sensor 62. The reason for this determination is that, as described above, when multiple articulated robots 30 are arranged for one belt conveyor 2 and these multiple articulated robots 30 are working in cooperation, there is a possibility that a container with ingredients already in it may be transported by an upstream articulated robot 30.

The ingredient detection sensor 62 is a distance-detecting photoelectric sensor, and is disposed at a predetermined height (e.g., about 15 cm from the conveying surface) vertically above the transfer position P1. The transfer mechanism control unit 155 sets a threshold value for the height of the ingredients from the conveying surface, assuming that the ingredients have already been plated. Then, based on the detection results of the ingredient detection sensor 62, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines that the ingredients have already been plated when a height exceeding this threshold value continues to be detected for a certain period of time.
Even if a certain height of an empty container (e.g., the periphery of the container) exceeds the threshold, the time is short and less than the certain time, so that it is possible to prevent the empty container from being mistakenly determined to already have ingredients in it.

In this case, the length of this fixed time can be set appropriately within a range of time that is shorter than the time from when the container detection sensor 61 detects the container to when the container is transported and passes the transfer position P1.

Then, when a container is detected by the container detection sensor 61 and it is determined based on the detection result of the ingredient detection sensor 62 that no ingredients have been served in the container, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 identifies the container as an empty container in which ingredients will be served. The transfer mechanism control unit 155 then drives the transfer mechanism 21 to transfer the empty container to the release position P2, which is the position where the multi-joint robot 30 releases the ingredients held by it. On the other hand, when a container is not detected or when a container is detected but ingredients have already been served in it, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 keeps the transfer mechanism 21 on standby without driving it.

Figure 9 shows the state in which the transfer mechanism 21 is driven to transfer the container from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2. The release position P2 is closer to the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30 than the transfer position P1. In this embodiment, the release position P2 is a position vertically above the conveying surface. The transfer mechanism 21 holds the container at the release position P2 until the release operation is completed. Then, the articulated robot 30 releases the ingredients held by the pair of gripping members 31a to the container held at the release position P2 by performing an operation to open the pair of gripping members 31a. In this way, by performing the release near the gripping members 31a, the momentum at the time of release can be suppressed and the ingredients can be prevented from scattering at the time of release. In addition, since it is not necessary to move the gripping members 31a more than necessary, it is also possible to prevent the ingredients from falling on the movement path of the gripping members 31a.

Then, when the release by the articulated robot 30 is completed, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 21 again to transfer the container (here, the container with the ingredients already filled in) from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1. Once the container has been transferred to the transfer position P1, it is placed again on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 and is transported downstream on the belt conveyor 2.

In this case, if the container is transferred to the transfer position P1 simply on the condition that the release by the articulated robot 30 has been completed, there is a possibility that the container will collide with another container transferred to the transfer position P1. Therefore, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 transfers the container to the transfer position P1 at a timing when it is confirmed, based on the detection result of the container detection sensor 61, that no other container has been transferred to the transfer position P1 or that the container is not about to be transferred to the transfer position P1. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation in which containers collide with each other.
This completes the series of operations in the first embodiment.

The transfer mechanism 21 is driven by the actuator 25 shown in the figure to perform the transfer as described above. The actuator 25 is an actuator that performs linear motion, and is realized by, for example, an air cylinder.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration for driving the transfer mechanism 21. Fig. 10 illustrates the timing when the transfer mechanism 21 transfers a container from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2. Note that the container that was at the transfer position P1 is shown by a dashed imaginary line.
The transfer mechanism 21 includes a first driving mechanism 211 , a second driving mechanism 212 , and a container holding unit 213 .
The first driving mechanism 211 and the second driving mechanism 212 are elongated plate-like members, and are each fixed in a rotatable state by a fastener such as a screw. The container holding part 213 is a member that holds the container during transportation, and is formed, for example, in a shape that follows the side surfaces and bottom surfaces of both ends of the container. The first driving mechanism 211 and the second driving mechanism 212 support the container holding part 213 by the ends that are not fixed by a screw or the like.

These components of the transfer mechanism 21 form a link mechanism. When the actuator 25 transmits a force that causes it to move linearly (here, the force that causes the actuator 25 to extend) to the first drive mechanism 211, the first drive mechanism 211 rotates and the second drive mechanism 212 that forms the link mechanism also rotates. This rotation causes the container holding section 213 to move upward from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2. After that, the actuator 25 moves linearly in the opposite direction and contracts, causing the first drive mechanism 211 and the second drive mechanism 212 to rotate in the opposite direction. This rotation causes the container holding section 213 to move downward from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1. This allows the transfer mechanism 21 to achieve transfer.

[Overall operation]
Next, the overall operation of the gripping system 1 will be described.
11 is a flowchart showing the flow of an ingredient plating process executed by the gripping system 1. The ingredient plating process is started, for example, when an operation for starting the ingredient plating process is performed by an operator.

When the ingredient placement process is started, in step S11 of FIG. 11, the articulated robot control unit 154 reads operation data (such as data on the movement pattern and the amount of insertion of the hand 31) from the parameter storage unit 171 to perform a series of operations in the ingredient placement process, thereby preparing to grasp the ingredients.

In step S12, the articulated robot control unit 154 transfers the hand 31 to the storage space 10A according to the operation pattern data.

In step S13, the ingredient status determination unit 152 recognizes the status of the ingredients in the storage space 10A by reading from the history DB 172 an ingredient status map showing the status of the ingredients in the storage space 10A of the ingredient storage unit 10. The ingredient status determination unit 152 continues to recognize the status of the ingredients based on the data of the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B acquired by the sensor information acquisition unit 151.

In step S14, the depth to which the gripping members 31a are to be inserted into the ingredients is determined based on the data of the operation pattern read in step S11 and the state of the ingredients in the storage space 10A recognized in step S13.
In step S15, the articulated robot control unit 154 inserts the gripping member 31a into the ingredient to the determined insertion depth.
In step S16, the articulated robot control unit 154 closes the gripping members 31a to grip the ingredient.

In step S17, the ingredient amount determination unit 153 measures the weight (physical amount) of the ingredient being held and determines whether or not a specified amount of ingredient is being held. If the specified amount of ingredient is being held, step S17 is determined as Yes, and processing proceeds to step S18. On the other hand, if the specified amount of ingredient is not being held, step S17 is determined as No, and processing is performed again from step S14. In this case, if the amount of ingredient being held exceeds the specified amount, the insertion depth is re-determined to be shallower in step S14 that is performed again. On the other hand, if the amount of ingredient being held is less than the specified amount, the insertion depth is re-determined to be deeper in step S14 that is performed again. The processing from step S14 to step S17 corresponds to the gripping operation described with reference to FIG. 8.

In step S18, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines whether or not a container has been detected at the transfer position P1 based on the detection result of the container detection sensor 61. If a container has been detected, step S18 is determined as Yes, and the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if a container has not been detected, step S18 is determined as No, and the process repeats the determination in step S18.

In step S19, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines whether the container already contains ingredients based on the detection result of the ingredient detection sensor 62. If ingredients are already contained, the determination in step S is Yes, and the process returns to step S18, and the determination in step S18 is performed again. On the other hand, if ingredients are not contained, the determination in step S19 is No, and the process proceeds to step S20.

In step S20, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 21 to transfer the container from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2.
In step S21, the articulated robot control unit 154 releases the grasped ingredient into a container at the release position P2.

In step S22, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines whether or not a container has been detected at the transfer position P1 based on the detection result of the container detection sensor 61. If a container has been detected, the determination in step S22 is Yes, and the process repeats the determination in step S22. On the other hand, if a container has not been detected, the determination in step S22 is No, and the process proceeds to step S23.

In step S23, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 21 to transfer the container from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1. When the container (here, the container with the ingredients already filled in) is transferred to the transfer position P1, it is placed again on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 and is transported downstream of the belt conveyor 2.

In step S24, the record control unit 156 stores the control parameters acquired in the ingredient plating process and the measurement data (history data) of the weight of the plated ingredients in the history DB 172. The record control unit 156 also updates an ingredient status map showing the status of the ingredients in the storage space 10A of the ingredient storage unit 10, and also stores this updated ingredient status map in the history DB 172. In this case, if the weight of the plated ingredients is excessive or insufficient, an alert may be output to the operator.

In step S25, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether or not a condition for terminating the ingredient plating process is met. In this case, the condition for terminating the ingredient plating process can be defined as when ingredients have been plated into the planned number of side dish containers, when an operation for terminating the ingredient plating process has been performed by the worker, or the like.
If the condition for terminating the ingredient plating process is not met, the result in step S25 is No, and the process is repeated from step S12. On the other hand, if the condition for terminating the ingredient plating process is met, the result in step S25 is Yes, and the ingredient plating process is terminated.

As described above, the gripping system 1 according to this embodiment can release ingredients for plating at the release position P2, which is a position close to the articulated robot 30, rather than on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. Therefore, the articulated robot 30 does not need to move a long distance when releasing, and it is possible to prevent ingredients from falling along the movement path. Furthermore, since the articulated robot 30 plates ingredients near the container, it can achieve more precise movements and proper plating compared to when the robot arm 32 is extended and plating is performed at a distance. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ingredients from falling onto the belt conveyor 2 when the ingredients are released for plating.

Moreover, the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 that perform each of these transport operations can be realized by a drive mechanism with a relatively simple configuration that does not substantially increase the installation area. Moreover, the gripping system 1 does not require a supply device to be placed around the articulated robot 30 or a stock of containers to be supplied, as in the above-mentioned conventional technology. Furthermore, since the containers from which the ingredients have been released are transferred again to the conveying surface of the same belt conveyor 2, there is no need to prepare multiple belt conveyors, such as a first belt conveyor for conveying containers before plating and a second belt conveyor for conveying containers after plating.
Therefore, according to the gripping system 1, when releasing ingredients gripped by the robot, the ingredients can be appropriately arranged without unnecessarily expanding the installation area.

In addition, in the gripping system 1, the conveying surface, the articulated robot 30, and the ingredient storage section 10 are arranged in this order in a direction intersecting the traveling direction of the conveying surface.
This not only shortens the distance between the container and the articulated robot 30 when releasing, but also shortens the distance between the articulated robot 30 and the ingredient storage unit 10 when gripping. This shortens the total distance that the articulated robot 30 must travel when gripping and the distance it must travel when releasing again. This makes it possible to better prevent the ingredients from falling off the path of movement.

[Second embodiment]
[Configuration and Function]
In the first embodiment described above, the release position P2 was a position vertically above the conveying surface. In this way, it is not necessary to prepare a place for the release position P2 around the articulated robot 30, and the installation area can be further reduced. Also, in the first embodiment, by performing the release near the gripping member 31a, the momentum at the time of release can be suppressed and the ingredients can be prevented from scattering, etc., at the time of release. However, depending on the characteristics of the ingredients (e.g., being very juicy), it may not be possible to completely avoid scattering, etc.
Therefore, in the second embodiment, the side surface of the articulated robot 30 is set as the release position P2. Although this requires some space for providing the release position P2, it is possible to more reliably prevent the ingredients from scattering onto the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2.

Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of the transfer position P1 and the release position P2 in the second embodiment. Fig. 12 is a side view with the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 2 facing the front side of the paper. In the following description, the configurations and functions common to the above-mentioned embodiments and the configurations and functions common to the first embodiment will not be described or illustrated as appropriate.
12 shows the belt conveyor 2, the transfer mechanism 22, the actuator 25, and the articulated robot 30. The transfer mechanism 22 includes a first drive mechanism 221, a second drive mechanism 222, and a container holder 223.

In this embodiment, the transfer position P1 is the same as in the first embodiment. On the other hand, the release position P2 is on a workbench provided on the side of the articulated robot 30 as shown in the figure. The transfer mechanism 22 forms a link mechanism driven by an actuator 25, similar to the transfer mechanism 21. Here, in the second embodiment, it is necessary to move the container horizontally, rather than lifting it on the conveying surface as in the first embodiment. Therefore, although it cannot be seen in FIG. 12, there is also one second drive mechanism 222 on the back side of the paper, and it is fixed to the first drive mechanism 221 like the second drive mechanism 222 on the front side of the paper. That is, in this embodiment, a pair of (two) second drive mechanisms 222 sandwich the first drive mechanism 221, forming a parallel link mechanism in which the pair of second drive mechanisms 222 drive in parallel. In this way, by supporting the container holder 223 from both ends with the pair of second drive mechanisms 222, a more stable state is achieved, and the container holder 223 can be appropriately moved horizontally.

Fig. 13 is a vertically overhead view of this embodiment, which illustrates the belt conveyor 2, the ingredient container 10, the transport mechanism 22, the actuator 25, and the articulated robot 30.
As shown in Fig. 13(a), when an empty container is conveyed to transfer position P1, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 22 to transfer the container from transfer position P1 to release position P2. Also, as shown in Fig. 13(b), when an ingredient is released by the articulated robot 30, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 22 to transfer the container from release position P2 to transfer position P1. In either case, the conditions for transfer are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Here, a shielding plate is disposed between the transfer mechanism 22 and the release position P2. As a result, the first drive mechanism 221 and the second drive mechanism 222 of the transfer mechanism 22 are shielded from the release position P2. As a result, even if ingredients are scattered when releasing at the release position P2, the scattered ingredients will not adhere to the first drive mechanism 221 or the second drive mechanism 222. Note that a portion of the side of the shielding plate is cut out so as not to impede the transfer by the transfer mechanism 22. Specifically, when driven by the parallel link mechanism, the movement follows the same trajectory every time, so the shielding plate is cut out in a shape that follows this trajectory. As a result, transfer can be performed without interference between the shielding plate and the first drive mechanism 221 or the second drive mechanism 222.

[Third embodiment]
[Configuration and Function]
In the first and second embodiments described above, the transfer mechanism 21 and the transfer mechanism 22 are realized by a link mechanism, and transfer is performed by this link mechanism. In this regard, since the link mechanism also moves in the height direction, it is possible to accommodate to some extent even if the height of the belt conveyor 2 is slightly different. In the third embodiment, a configuration is adopted that can more easily accommodate differences in the height direction.

Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of the transfer position P1 and the release position P2 in the third embodiment. Fig. 14 is a side view with the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 2 facing the front side of the paper. In the following description, the configurations and functions common to the above-mentioned embodiments and the configurations and functions common to the first and second embodiments will not be described or illustrated as appropriate.
13 shows the belt conveyor 2, the transfer mechanism 23, the actuator 26, and the articulated robot 30. The transfer mechanism 23 further includes a first drive mechanism 231 and a container holder 233.

In this embodiment, the transfer position P1 is the same as in the first and second embodiments. Also, the release position P2 is on a work table provided on the side portion of the articulated robot 30, as in the second embodiment, as shown in the figure.
In this embodiment, instead of the actuator 25, an actuator 26 is disposed vertically above the belt conveyor 2. The actuator 26 is an air cylinder, and in this embodiment, performs linear motion in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 2 (the left-right direction on the paper).

The first drive mechanism 231 of the transfer mechanism 23 is connected to the drive section of the actuator 26, and performs linear motion in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 2 (left-right direction on the paper) in conjunction with the linear motion of the actuator 26. This first drive mechanism 231 is also connected to the container holding section 233, and as a result, the container holding section 233 also performs a similar linear motion. In this way, the transfer mechanism 23 of this embodiment can be realized by a drive mechanism of a relatively simple configuration, rather than a link mechanism or the like.

Fig. 15 is a vertically overhead view of this embodiment, showing the belt conveyor 2, the ingredient container 10, the transport mechanism 23, the connecting member 27, and the articulated robot 30.
The connecting member 27 is a member that connects the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 and the top surface of the work table where the release position P2 is provided. The detailed structure of the connecting member 27 will be described later with reference to FIG.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 and the top surface of the work table are connected via the connecting member 27. The transfer mechanism 23 then uses the horizontal linear motion of the actuator 26 to transfer the container by sliding the container from the transfer position P1 on the conveying surface to the release position P2 on the top surface of the work table.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15(a), when an empty container is transported to transfer position P1, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 23 to transfer the container from transfer position P1 to release position P2 while abutting against the container with one end (the left end on the paper) of the container holding unit 233. Also, as shown in FIG. 15(b), when the ingredients are released by the articulated robot 30, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 23 to transfer the container from release position P2 to transfer position P1 while abutting against the container with the other end (the right end on the paper) of the container holding unit 233. In either case, the conditions for transfer are the same as those in the first embodiment.

In this way, in this embodiment, the transfer mechanism 23 can be realized with a drive mechanism of a relatively simple configuration, rather than a link mechanism or the like. Also, since it only requires sliding, it is only necessary to match the height of the top surface of the work table to the belt conveyor 2, and it is possible to accommodate belt conveyors 2 of various heights without changing the configuration of the transfer mechanism 23. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the actuator 26 is located vertically above the release position P2, even if ingredients are scattered when released, it is possible to prevent the ingredients from adhering to the actuator 26.

16 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the shape of the connection member 27. The connection member 27 is composed of a bottom portion provided with a slit and a pair of guide portions provided on the left and right sides. The pair of guide portions have a tapered shape whose width narrows from the transfer position P1 side toward the release position P2 side, and is structured to guide the container to the release position P2.
In addition, by providing a slit in the bottom of the connecting member 27, even if the juice or the like from the ingredients splashes out at the release position P2, the splashed juice or the like falls through the slit, thereby preventing it from adhering to the bottom of the container which is transferred to the transfer position P1 after plating.

In addition, the tip of the connecting member 27 on the transfer position P1 side has a mountain-like shape that rises vertically upward. If it were flat instead of this shape, and there was even a slight difference between the height of the conveying surface and the height of the top surface of the work table, the member would be inclined from one side to the other, making it difficult to slide from the other side to one side. In contrast, once the connecting member 27 overcomes this mountain-like shape, it slides downward to the other side, so even if there is a slight difference between the height of the conveying surface and the height of the top surface of the work table, this difference can be absorbed and the container can be slid appropriately.
In this manner, in this embodiment, the connecting member 27 also has a distinctive structure, so that the container can be transferred more reliably.

[Modification 1]
In each of the above-described embodiments, the articulated robot 30 arranges food in the vicinity of the container, and therefore can perform more precise movements and more appropriate arrangement than when the robot arm 32 is extended to arrange food at a distance. Therefore, the articulated robot 30 may utilize this more precise movement to perform an operation of shaping the released ingredients after releasing the ingredients into the container, or an operation of releasing the ingredients that have adhered to the gripping members 31a after release without leaving any ingredients in the container.

In this case, the action of shaping the released ingredients may involve, for example, gripping the released ingredients again from the container and releasing them back into the container to shape them into a more stable shape. Another possible action may involve, for example, lifting the gripping members 31a while closing them from the released state into the container to shape them into a mountain shape. Another possible shaping action may involve, for example, poking the released ingredients with the tip of the gripping members 31a to firmly bond the ingredients together and prevent the released ingredients from falling apart.

As an operation for releasing the ingredients attached to the gripping member 31a after release without leaving them behind in the container, for example, the gripping member 31a may be vibrated, causing the ingredients attached to the gripping member 31a to fall. Alternatively, the gripping member 31a may be lowered vertically from above the container and suddenly stopped, causing the ingredients attached to the gripping member 31a to fall by inertial force.

As with common technology, it is difficult to perform such an operation when plating on the conveyor belt. However, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the articulated robot 30 performs an operation on a stopped container near the container, making it possible to perform even more complex operations such as those exemplified above.

[Modification 2]
In the above embodiment, it is assumed that a pair of gripping members 31a (i.e., two gripping members 31a) is used, but this is not limited thereto. Three or more gripping members 31a may be used. The gripping operation may be performed by bringing the openings of the gripping members 31a closer to each other, and the release operation may be performed by moving the openings of the gripping members 31a away from each other.
In this case, for example, if three gripping members 31a are used, when viewed vertically from above, the tips of the three gripping members 31a, each with a central angle of 120°, are moved closer to or farther away from the center.
Even in this manner, the above-mentioned guidance operation and other operations can be performed.

[Modification 3]
In the above-described embodiment, the ingredient state determination unit 152 determines the state of the ingredient based on data on the reaction force from the ingredient measured by the force sensor 30B (i.e., the detection result of contact with the ingredient), but this is not limited to this.

If the installation cost of the camera is not an issue, the state of the ingredients may be determined by taking an image using a camera (i.e., an imaging device). In the above embodiment, the weight of the ingredients held by the articulated robot 30 or the weight of the ingredients placed in the prepared food container is measured by the weight sensor 30A, but this is not limited to the above.
For example, it is possible to estimate the volume of an ingredient from an image of the ingredient captured by an imaging device, and calculate the weight of the ingredient by multiplying the density by the estimated volume, etc.
In this case, a means for calculating the weight of the ingredient can be implemented without using the weight sensor 30A.

[Configuration example]
As described above, the gripping system 1 in this embodiment comprises a multi-joint robot 30 equipped with a gripping member 31a, transfer mechanisms 21, 22, 23 for transferring containers, and a control device 40 for controlling the operation of the multi-joint robot 30 and the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, 23.
The control device 40 is
a first transfer operation in which the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 transfer the container being transferred on the transfer surface of the belt conveyor 2 to a release position P2, which is a position closer to the articulated robot 30 than the position during transfer;
a release operation in which the multi-joint robot 30 releases the ingredient held by the holding member 31a from the container at a release position P2;
a second transport operation in which the container from which the ingredients have been released is transported again to the transport surface by the transport mechanisms 21, 22, and 23, thereby transporting the container again to the belt conveyor 2;
The articulated robot 30 and the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 execute the above steps.
As a result, the gripping system 1 can release the ingredients for plating at the release position P2, which is a position close to the articulated robot 30, rather than on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. Therefore, the articulated robot 30 does not need to move a long distance when releasing, and it is possible to prevent the ingredients from falling on the movement path. Furthermore, since the articulated robot 30 plates the ingredients near the container, it can achieve more precise movements and more appropriate plating compared to when the robot arm 32 is extended and plating is performed at a distance. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ingredients from falling onto the belt conveyor 2 when the ingredients are released for plating.

Moreover, the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 that perform each of these transport operations can be realized by a drive mechanism with a relatively simple configuration that does not substantially increase the installation area. Moreover, the gripping system 1 does not require a supply device to be placed around the articulated robot 30 or a stock of containers to be supplied, as in the above-mentioned conventional technology. Furthermore, since the containers from which the ingredients have been released are transferred again to the conveying surface of the same belt conveyor 2, there is no need to prepare multiple belt conveyors, such as a first belt conveyor for conveying containers before plating and a second belt conveyor for conveying containers after plating.
Therefore, according to the gripping system 1, when releasing ingredients gripped by the robot, the ingredients can be appropriately arranged without unnecessarily expanding the installation area.

The gripping member 31a further includes an ingredient storage section 10 in which an ingredient is stored to be gripped prior to a release operation,
In a direction intersecting the traveling direction of the conveying surface, the conveying surface, the articulated robot 30, and the ingredient storage section 10 are arranged in this order.
This not only shortens the distance between the container and the articulated robot 30 when releasing, but also shortens the distance between the articulated robot 30 and the ingredient storage unit 10 when gripping. This shortens the total distance that the articulated robot 30 must travel when gripping and the distance it must travel when releasing again. This makes it possible to better prevent the ingredients from falling off the path of movement.

The release position P2 is a position vertically above the conveying surface,
The transfer mechanism 21, which has performed the first transfer operation, holds the container at the release position P2 until the release operation is completed.
This eliminates the need to prepare a release position P2 around the articulated robot 30, making it possible to further reduce the installation area.

The release position P2 is a position in a direction intersecting the traveling direction of the conveying surface,
The drive portion of the transfer mechanism 22 operates at a position shielded from the release position P2.
As a result, even if the ingredients are scattered at the release position P2 when the ingredients are released, the ingredients can be prevented from adhering to the drive parts of the transfer mechanism 22.

The release position P2 is a position adjacent to the conveying surface in a direction intersecting with the moving direction of the conveying surface,
In the first transfer operation, the transfer mechanism 23 transfers the container by sliding the container from the conveying surface to the release position P2.
This makes it possible to realize the transport mechanism 23 using a drive mechanism for sliding that has a relatively simple configuration.

The container detection sensor 61 detects a container being transported on the transport surface.
Based on the detection result of the detection means, the control device 40 causes the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 to perform the second transfer operation at a timing such that the container to be subjected to the second transfer operation does not collide with other containers being transported on the transport surface.
This makes it possible to prevent the container containing the ingredients from colliding with other containers during the second transport operation.

a container detection sensor 61 for detecting a container being transported on the transport surface;
An ingredient detection sensor 62 that detects ingredients released into a container being transported on the transport surface;
Further equipped with
The control device 40 is
The transport mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 are caused to execute this process for containers that are detected by the container detection sensor 61 but for which no ingredients are detected by the ingredient detection sensor 62.
This makes it possible to transfer only the containers in which ingredients are to be served (i.e., empty containers) without transferring containers in which ingredients have already been served.

A plurality of sets of the articulated robot 30 and the transport mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 are provided.
The control device 40 is
The plurality of sets of articulated robots 30 and transfer mechanisms 21 , 22 , 23 are caused to execute a first transfer operation and a second transfer operation on one transfer surface of one belt conveyor 2 .
This allows multiple articulated robots 30 to work together, effectively utilizing the benefits of detecting filled containers and preventing collisions using the control of each of the sensors described above.

The above-described embodiment and modifications are merely examples of the present invention, and various embodiments that realize the functions of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.
For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example, the present invention has been described as being applied to a gripping system for serving prepared foods, but the present invention can be applied to systems for gripping various objects. For example, the present invention can be applied to a system for gripping highly viscous or adhesive materials such as kneaded mortar, concrete, plaster, clay, etc. The present invention is suitable for gripping objects having a viscosity of medium viscosity or higher (5000 mPa·s) at working temperature or room temperature.
Furthermore, the examples described in the above-described embodiments can be appropriately combined to implement the present invention.
The above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or software.
In other words, the functional configuration in Fig. 6 is merely an example and is not particularly limited. In other words, it is sufficient that the grasping system 1 is provided with a function capable of executing the above-mentioned series of processes as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example in Fig. 5.
Furthermore, one functional block may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination of both.

When the series of processes is executed by software, the program constituting the software is installed into a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium.
The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware, or may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a general-purpose personal computer.

The storage medium that stores the program is composed of removable media distributed separately from the device body, or storage media that is pre-installed in the device body. Removable media is composed of, for example, a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or flash memory. Optical disks are composed of, for example, CD-ROMs (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), Blu-ray Discs (registered trademark), etc. Magneto-optical disks are composed of, for example, MDs (Mini-Disks), etc. Flash memory is composed of, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or SD cards. Storage media pre-installed in the device body is composed of, for example, a ROM or hard disk in which the program is stored.

In this specification, the steps of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium include not only processes that are performed chronologically according to the order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically but are executed in parallel or individually.
In addition, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall device that is composed of a plurality of devices, a plurality of means, etc.

The above embodiment shows an example of the application of the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In other words, the present invention can be modified in various ways, such as by omission or substitution, without departing from the gist of the present invention, and various embodiments other than the above embodiment can be adopted. The various embodiments and modifications that the present invention can adopt are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

1 gripping system, 2 belt conveyor, 2A guide member, 10 ingredient storage section, 10A storage space, 21, 22, 23 transfer mechanism, 211, 221 first drive mechanism, 212, 222 second drive mechanism, 213, 223 container holding section, 25, 26 actuator, 27 connection member, 30 multi-joint robot, 30A weight sensor, 30B force sensor, 31 hand, 31a gripping member, 32 robot arm, 40 control device, 50 shielding section, 61 container detection sensor, 62 ingredient detection sensor, 151 sensor information acquisition section, 152 ingredient state determination section, 153 ingredient amount determination section, 154 multi-joint robot control section, 155 transfer mechanism control section, 156 recording control section, 171 parameter storage section, 172 history database (history DB), 711 CPU, 712 ROM, 713 RAM, 714 bus, 715 input section, 716 output section, 717 memory section, 718 communication section, 719 drive, 731 removable media

Claims (6)

A control device that controls the drive of a transfer mechanism that transfers a container being transferred on a transfer surface of the transfer device,
driving the transfer mechanism only when a container detection sensor that detects the presence of the container detects the presence of the container and an object sensor that detects the presence of an object in the container does not detect the presence of the object;
A control device comprising: the container detection sensor, the object sensor, and the transfer mechanism are disposed in this order along a conveying direction of the conveying device from an upstream side to a downstream side,
determining the presence of an object in the container after the container detection sensor detects the presence of the container;
The control device according to claim 1 . The object sensor measures the height of the object in the container from the conveying surface, and detects the presence of the object in the container only when the sensor detects that the height exceeds a predetermined value for a certain period of time or more.
3. The control device according to claim 1 or 2. The length of the certain period of time is set to be shorter than the time from when the container detection sensor detects the presence of a container to when the container passes through a position where the transfer mechanism is disposed.
4. The control device according to claim 3. A first robot disposed along a conveying surface of the conveying device;
a second robot disposed downstream of the first robot in a conveying direction of the conveying device along a conveying surface of the conveying device;
a transport mechanism for transporting a container being transported on a transport surface of the transport device;
a container detection sensor for detecting the presence of the container;
an object sensor for detecting the presence of an object in the container;
Equipped with
only when the container detection sensor detects the presence of a container and the object sensor does not detect the presence of an object, an operation of moving the container from the conveying surface toward the second robot is performed by a transfer mechanism.
A robot system comprising: an operation of the second robot releasing an object into the container brought close to the second robot by the transfer mechanism;
and returning the container from which the object has been released to the conveying surface only when the presence of the container on the conveying surface is not detected by the container detection sensor.
6. The robot system according to claim 5 .

Images