阅读说明：本技术 箱组装装置与箱组装方法 (Box assembling apparatus and box assembling method ) 是由 平田和范 桥本猛 长广一平 片渊浩 于 2018-11-22 设计创作，主要内容包括：箱组装装置一边通过保持机构将折叠状态的箱材展开为筒状的状态进行保持,一边使底板中的一方的底板与第一夹具抵接来将一方的底板向内侧折弯。通过折弯机构将底折翼向内侧折弯为与一方的底板重叠。一边通过保持机构保持箱材,一边使底板中的另一方的底板与第二夹具抵接来将另一方的底板向内侧且上方折弯为与底折翼重叠,由此使底板相互卡合。(The box assembly device holds the folded box material in a cylindrical state by the holding mechanism, and bends one of the bottom plates inward by bringing the one of the bottom plates into contact with the first jig. The bottom flap is folded inward by a folding mechanism so as to overlap one of the bottom plates. While holding the box material by the holding mechanism, the other of the bottom plates is brought into contact with the second jig and the other bottom plate is bent inward and upward so as to overlap the bottom flap, whereby the bottom plates are engaged with each other.)

1. A box assembling device for assembling a box material, the box material comprising: 4 side panels arranged to be connected via a fold line; a bottom plate provided to extend from lower edges of a pair of the side plates that are opposed to each other; and a bottom flap provided to extend from the lower edges of the other pair of side panels,

the tank assembly device is characterized in that,

the disclosed device is provided with:

a robot main body having a holding mechanism for holding the box material, a bending mechanism for bending a bottom flap of the box material inward, and a robot arm to which the holding mechanism and the bending mechanism are attached;

a control device that controls an operation of the robot main body;

a first clamp configured to be fixed; and

a second clamp disposed opposite to the first clamp and configured to be fixed,

while the holding mechanism holds the folded box material in a state of being expanded into a tubular shape, one of the bottom plates is brought into contact with the first jig to bend the one bottom plate inward,

the bottom flap is folded inward by the folding mechanism so as to overlap the one bottom plate,

while holding the box material by the holding mechanism, the other of the bottom plates is brought into contact with the second jig, and the other bottom plate is inwardly bent to overlap the bottom flap, whereby the bottom plates are engaged with each other.

2. Tank assembly arrangement according to claim 1,

the holding mechanism includes:

a base;

a rotary joint having a horizontal rotation axis;

a tip portion rotatably connected to the base portion via the rotary joint;

a holding portion provided at the tip end portion for holding the box material in a folded state; and

a first bending portion that folds the box material held by the holding portion to unfold the box material into a tubular shape.

3. Tank assembly arrangement according to claim 1 or 2,

the bending mechanism includes:

a base;

a support portion provided at the base portion and supporting the box member expanded in a cylindrical shape; and

and a second bending portion that inwardly bends the bottom flap of the box material supported by the support portion.

4. Tank assembly device according to one of the claims 1 to 3,

further comprises an injection mechanism fixedly arranged between the first clamp and the second clamp and used for injecting air,

the injection mechanism injects air toward the bottom flaps of the box material located above the space between the first jig and the second jig, respectively, to open the bottom flaps outward,

the one bottom plate is bent inward by abutting the one bottom plate against the first jig while holding the box material with the bottom flaps opened outward by the holding mechanism.

5. A box assembling method for assembling a box material by a box assembling apparatus, the box material comprising: 4 side panels arranged to be connected via a fold line; a bottom plate provided to extend from lower edges of a pair of the side plates that are opposed to each other; and a bottom flap provided to extend from the lower edges of the other pair of side panels,

the box assembling device is provided with: a robot main body having a holding mechanism for holding the box material, a bending mechanism for bending a bottom flap of the box material inward, and a robot arm to which the holding mechanism and the bending mechanism are attached; a control device that controls an operation of the robot main body; a first clamp configured to be fixed; and a second clamp disposed opposite to the first clamp and fixed thereto,

the tank assembly method is characterized by comprising the following steps:

while the holding mechanism holds the folded box material in a state of being expanded into a tubular shape, one of the bottom plates is brought into contact with the first jig to bend the one bottom plate inward;

bending the bottom flap inwardly by the bending mechanism so as to overlap the one bottom plate; and

while holding the box material by the holding mechanism, the other of the bottom plates is brought into contact with the second jig, and the other bottom plate is bent inward and upward so as to overlap the bottom flap, whereby the bottom plates are engaged with each other.

6. A box assembling apparatus for assembling a box material having a bottom plate and 4 side plates provided to be connected to the bottom plate via fold lines,

the tank assembly device is characterized in that,

the disclosed device is provided with:

a robot main body having a holding mechanism for holding the box material, a pressing mechanism for pressing the box material, and a robot arm to which the holding mechanism and the pressing mechanism are attached;

a control device that controls an operation of the robot main body; and

a stencil holder configured to be fixed, following the shape of the bottom plate of the box,

while holding a box material obtained by expanding the bottom plate and the 4 side plates into a flat plate shape by the holding mechanism, the box material is arranged on the stencil jig,

the pressing mechanism presses the bottom plate of the box material placed on the stencil holder from above, thereby bending the side plate with respect to the bottom plate via the folding line.

7. Tank assembly arrangement according to claim 6,

the pressing mechanism includes:

a first surface portion for pressing the box material from above; and a second surface portion for pressing the box material from the side,

the first surface portion presses a bottom plate of the box material disposed above the stencil jig from above, and the side plate is bent upward with respect to the bottom plate via the fold line, thereby forming a bottom portion of the box,

the side plate is folded inward by the second surface portion pressing from the side against the side plate folded upward with respect to the bottom plate via the fold line,

the first surface portion presses the side plate bent inward from above to bend the side plate downward toward the bottom plate, thereby forming a side portion of the box.

8. A box assembling method for assembling a box material by a box assembling apparatus, the box material having a bottom plate and 4 side plates provided to be connected to the bottom plate via fold lines,

the tank assembly method is characterized in that,

the box assembling device is provided with:

a robot main body having a holding mechanism for holding a box material, a pressing mechanism for pressing the box material, and a robot arm to which the holding mechanism and the pressing mechanism are attached;

a control device that controls an operation of the robot main body; and

a stencil holder configured to be fixed, following the shape of the bottom plate of the box,

while holding a box material obtained by expanding the bottom plate and the 4 side plates into a flat plate shape by the holding mechanism, the box material is arranged on the stencil jig,

the pressing mechanism is pressed from above against a bottom plate of the box material disposed above the stencil jig, and the side plate is bent with respect to the bottom plate via the fold line, thereby forming a bottom portion of the box.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a tank assembly apparatus and a tank assembly method.

Background

Conventionally, a box assembling apparatus for assembling a box is known (see patent documents 1 and 2). This apparatus unfolds corrugated paper in a folded state into a solid shape, bends flaps (flaps), and joins the seams of the folded flaps with an adhesive tape or the like to form a bottom portion of a box, thereby assembling the corrugated paper into a box shape.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2014-124798

Patent document 2: international publication No. 2014/125627

However, in the above-described conventional technique, when the bottom portion of the box is formed, the folded flaps are joined at the seams, and therefore, complicated processing is required.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a tank assembly apparatus capable of easily assembling a tank.

In order to achieve the above object, a tank assembly apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is a tank assembly apparatus for assembling a tank material, the tank material including: 4 side panels arranged to be connected via a fold line; a bottom plate provided to extend from lower edges of a pair of the side plates that are opposed to each other; and a bottom flap provided to extend from a lower side of the other pair of side plates, the box assembly apparatus including: a robot main body having a holding mechanism for holding the box material, a bending mechanism for bending a bottom flap of the box material inward, and a robot arm to which the holding mechanism and the bending mechanism are attached; a control device for controlling the operation of the robot main body; a first clamp configured to be fixed; and a second jig which is opposed to the first jig and is fixed, and which holds the folded box material in a state of being spread into a tubular shape by the holding mechanism, while bending one of the bottom plates inward by bringing the one bottom plate into contact with the first jig, and while bending the bottom flap inward by the bending mechanism so as to overlap the one bottom plate, holds the box material by the holding mechanism, while bringing the other of the bottom plates into contact with the second jig, and bends the other bottom plate inward so as to overlap the bottom flap, thereby engaging the bottom plates with each other.

According to the above configuration, while the box material in the folded state is held in the state of being expanded into a tubular shape, one bottom plate is brought into contact with the first jig, and the one bottom plate is bent inward. Next, the bottom flap is folded inward so as to overlap one of the bottom plates. While holding the box material, the other of the bottom plates is brought into contact with the second jig, and the other bottom plate is bent inward and upward so as to overlap the bottom flap. The bottom of the tank is formed by the mutual engagement of the bottom plates. Thus, the tank can be easily assembled with a simple structure.

The holding mechanism may include: a base; a rotary joint having a horizontal rotation axis; a distal end portion rotatably connected to the base portion via the rotary joint; a holding section provided at the tip end section for holding the box material in a folded state; and a first bending portion that folds the box material held by the holding portion to unfold the box material into a tubular shape.

According to the above configuration, the folded box material can be folded while being held by the holding mechanism (e.g., end effector), thereby expanding the box material into a tubular shape.

The bending mechanism may include: a base; a support portion provided at the base portion and supporting the box member expanded in a cylindrical shape; and a second bending portion that inwardly bends the bottom flap of the box material supported by the support portion.

According to the above configuration, the bottom flap of the box material can be folded inward while supporting the box material expanded into a cylindrical shape by the folding mechanism (e.g., the end effector).

The tank assembly device may further include: and an injection mechanism which is fixedly provided between the first jig and the second jig and injects air, wherein the injection mechanism injects air toward the bottom flap of the box material located above a space between the first jig and the second jig, respectively, to open the bottom flap outward, and the one bottom plate is bent inward by bringing the one bottom plate into contact with the first jig while holding the box material with the bottom flap open outward by the holding mechanism.

According to the above configuration, the bottom flaps of the box material located in the space between the first jig and the second jig are each opened outward by injecting air by the injection mechanism. Then, while holding the box material with the bottom flaps opened outward by the holding mechanism, one bottom plate is brought into contact with the first jig to bend the one bottom plate inward. This allows the operation to be performed without interfering with the bottom flap when one of the bottom plates is folded inward.

A box assembling method according to another aspect of the present invention is a box assembling method for assembling a box material by a box assembling apparatus, the box material including: 4 side panels arranged to be connected via a fold line; a bottom plate provided to extend from lower edges of a pair of the side plates that are opposed to each other; and a bottom flap provided to extend from a lower side of the other pair of side plates, the box assembling device including: a robot main body having a holding mechanism for holding the box material, a bending mechanism for bending a bottom flap of the box material inward, and a robot arm to which the holding mechanism and the bending mechanism are attached; a control device for controlling the operation of the robot main body; a first clamp configured to be fixed; and a second jig opposed to the first jig and fixed to the first jig, the tank assembling method including the steps of: while the holding mechanism holds the folded box material in a state of being expanded into a tubular shape, one of the bottom plates is brought into contact with the first jig to bend the one bottom plate inward; bending the bottom flap inwardly by the bending mechanism so as to overlap the one bottom plate; and while holding the box material by the holding mechanism, bringing the other of the bottom plates into contact with the second jig, and bending the other bottom plate inward and upward so as to overlap the bottom flap, thereby engaging the bottom plates with each other.

A box assembling apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is a box assembling apparatus for assembling a box material having a bottom plate and 4 side plates provided to be connected to the bottom plate via fold lines, the box assembling apparatus including: a robot main body having a holding mechanism for holding the box material, a pressing mechanism for pressing the box material, and a robot arm to which the holding mechanism and the pressing mechanism are attached; a control device for controlling the operation of the robot main body; and a stencil jig configured to be fixed, configured to follow the shape of the bottom plate of the box, and configured to bend the side plates with respect to the bottom plate via the folding lines by arranging the box material on the stencil jig while holding the box material in which the bottom plate and the 4 side plates are spread in a flat plate shape by the holding mechanism, and by pressing the bottom plate of the box material arranged on the stencil jig from above by the pressing mechanism. Thus, the tank can be easily assembled with a simple structure.

According to the above configuration, the bottom plate and the 4 side plates are arranged on the reticle chuck while holding the box member spread in a flat plate shape. A bottom plate of a box material placed on a reticle chuck is pressed from above. The side panels are thereby bent with respect to the bottom panel via the fold lines to form the bottom of the box.

The pressing mechanism may include: a first surface portion for pressing the box material from above; and a second surface portion for pressing the box material from a side, wherein the first surface portion presses the bottom plate of the box material disposed above the reticle jig from above, and the side plate is bent upward with respect to the bottom plate via the fold line, thereby forming a bottom portion of the box, wherein the second surface portion presses the side plate bent upward with respect to the bottom plate via the fold line from a side, thereby bending the side plate inward, and the first surface portion presses the side plate bent inward from above, thereby bending the side plate downward toward the bottom plate, thereby forming a side portion of the box.

According to the above configuration, the pressing mechanism includes: a first surface for pressing the box material; and a second surface portion for pressing the box material from the side. Thus, first, the first surface portion is pressed from above against the bottom plate of the box member disposed above the reticle chuck. Thus, the side plates are bent upward with respect to the bottom plate via the folding lines to form the bottom of the box. Next, the second surface portion is pressed from the side against the side plate that is bent upward with respect to the bottom plate via the fold line. Thereby, the side plate is bent inward. Finally, the first surface portion is pressed against the inwardly bent side plate from above. The side plates are thereby bent downward toward the bottom plate to form the side portions of the box.

A box assembling method according to another aspect of the present invention is a box assembling method for assembling a box material having a bottom plate and 4 side plates provided to be connected to the bottom plate via fold lines, by a box assembling apparatus including: a robot main body having a holding mechanism for holding a box material, a pressing mechanism for pressing the box material, and a robot arm to which the holding mechanism and the pressing mechanism are attached; a control device for controlling the operation of the robot main body; and a stencil jig configured to be fixed, and configured to form a bottom portion of the box by pressing the pressing mechanism from above against the bottom plate of the box member disposed above the stencil jig while holding a box member in which the bottom plate and the 4 side plates are spread in a flat plate shape by the holding mechanism, and by bending the side plates with respect to the bottom plate via the folding lines, while following a shape of the bottom plate of the box.

The present invention can provide a tank assembly apparatus capable of easily assembling a tank by having the above-described structure.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a tank assembly apparatus according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the box member of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view schematically showing the overall configuration of one example of the robot of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of the end effector of the right arm in fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of the end effector of the left arm in fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the control device.

Fig. 7 is an explanatory view schematically showing a box holding operation.

Fig. 8 is an explanatory view schematically showing an assembling operation of the box member.

Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram of an assembling operation of the box member according to the modification.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the tank assembly apparatus according to the second embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a top view of the tank assembly of fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing the structure of the end effector of the right and left arms.

Fig. 13 is an explanatory view schematically showing an assembling operation of the box member.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the respective constituent elements are schematically shown in order to facilitate understanding of the drawings. The direction in which the pair of arms are opened is referred to as a left-right direction, the direction parallel to the axis of the base shaft is referred to as an up-down direction, and the direction orthogonal to the left-right direction and the up-down direction is referred to as a front-back direction.

(first embodiment)

Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a tank assembly apparatus 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1, the box assembling apparatus 10 is introduced into, for example, a manufacturing site of products and foods, and is used in an assembling operation of a box for packaging the products and the foods. In the present embodiment, a case where the tank assembly apparatus 10 according to the present invention is configured by the robot 11 will be described. The robot 11 is a two-arm robot including a pair of robot arms 13 and 13 supported by a base 12. However, the tank assembly apparatus 10 is not limited to the case where it is configured by the robot 11. In addition, although the horizontal articulated type two-arm robot is described with respect to the robot 11, a vertical articulated type two-arm robot can be used. The robot 11 can be installed in a limited space (for example, 610mm × 620mm) corresponding to the size of one person.

A conveyor 70 is disposed on the front surface of the robot 11, and a container 71 for storing the box 50 is disposed on the table on the right side of the robot 11. The conveyor 70 is a device for transferring the assembled box 50 from the front of the robot 11 to the right, and extends in the left-right direction. A work table 60 of the robot 11 is disposed between the base 12 of the robot 11 and the conveyor 70. The work table 60 is substantially square in plan view, and is disposed on the front side of the base 12. A first jig 41 and a second jig 42 are fixed to the table 60. The first jig 41 and the second jig 42 are disposed to face each other. The robot 11 takes out the box 50 stored in the container 71 by the end effectors 18, 19 connected to the left and right robot arms 13, assembles the box 50 using the first jig 41 and the second jig 42, and feeds out the assembled box 50 onto the conveyor 70. In the present embodiment, the working area of the pair of robot arms 13, 13 is an area covering a part of the container 71, the work table 60, and the conveyor 70.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the box 50. The box material 50 is made of corrugated paper, for example. Fig. 2 (a) is an expanded view of the box member 50 (before assembly). As shown in fig. 2 (a), the box member 50 is assembled from 1 sheet member, and the sheet member includes: 4 side panels 51a, 51b, 51c, 51d provided to be connected via a folding line; bottom plates 52b, 52a provided to extend from lower edges of a pair of side plates 51a, 51c of the side plates that are opposed to each other; bottom flaps 53a, 53b provided to extend from the lower edges of the other pair of side plates 51b, 51 d; a cover plate 54 provided to extend from an upper edge of the side plate 51 c; and lid flaps 55a and 55b provided to extend from the upper edges of the pair of side plates 51b and 51 d. The side plates 51a, 51c and the side plates 51b, 51d are formed so that the lengths in the X-axis direction are equal to each other. The cover plate 54 is formed to have a length in the X-axis direction substantially equal to the length of the side plates 51a, 51c in the X-axis direction, and a length in the Y-axis direction substantially equal to the length of the side plates 51b, 51d in the X-axis direction. An adhesive sheet 51e is connected to an end edge of the side plate 51a via a fold line. By bonding the adhesive sheet 51e to the edge of the side plate 51d, the 4 side plates 51a, 51b, 51c, and 51d are connected in series via a folding line. Fig. 2 (B) is a plan view showing the box member 50 before assembly. As shown in fig. 2 (B), the box member 50 can be folded into two by connecting 4 side plates 51a, 51B, 51c, and 51d with 2 side plates in series. The box 50 before assembly is stored in the container 71 (see fig. 1) in this state. Fig. 2 (C) is a perspective view of the assembled box 50. Fig. 2 (D) is an external view of the assembled bottom of the box. The bottom surface of the box member 50 is first folded inwardly of the bottom plate 52a, and then the bottom flaps 53a and 53b are folded inwardly so as to overlap the folded bottom plate 52 a. Then, the bottom plate 52b is inwardly bent so as to overlap the bent bottom flaps 53a and 53 b. Thereby, the bottom plates 52a and 52b are engaged with each other to form the bottom surface of the box member 50 (see fig. 2D).

Fig. 3 is a front view schematically showing the overall configuration of an example of the robot 11. As shown in fig. 3, the robot 11 includes: a base 12 fixed to the carriage; a pair of robot arms (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "arms") 13, 13 supported by the base 12; a control device 14 housed in the base 12; and a vacuum generating device 90. The vacuum generator 90 is a device that generates negative pressure in the suction head 22, which will be described later, such as a vacuum pump or a CONVUM (registered trademark). Each arm 13 is a horizontal articulated robot arm configured to be movable relative to the base 12, and includes an arm portion 15, a toggle link portion 17, and end effectors 18 and 19. The right arm 13 and the left arm 13 may have substantially the same configuration. The right arm 13 and the left arm 13 can be operated independently or in association with each other.

In this example, the arm portion 15 is constituted by a first link 15a and a second link 15 b. The first link 15a is coupled to a base shaft 16 fixed to the upper surface of the base 12 via a rotary joint J1, and is rotatable about a rotation axis L1 passing through the axial center of the base shaft 16. The second link 15b is coupled to the distal end of the first link 15a by a rotary joint J2 and is rotatable about a rotation axis L2 defined at the distal end of the first link 15 a.

The toggle link 17 includes an elevating portion 17a and a rotating portion 17 b. The lifting portion 17a is connected to the end of the second link 15b via a linear joint J3, and is movable up and down with respect to the second link 15 b. The turning unit 17b is coupled to the lower end of the lifting unit 17a by a turning joint J4 and is turnable around a predetermined rotation axis L3 at the lower end of the lifting unit 17 a.

The end effectors 18 and 19 are connected to the rotating portion 17b of the toggle link 17. The end effector 18 is provided at the end of the right arm 13, and the end effector 19 is provided at the end of the left arm 13.

Each arm 13 configured as described above has joints J1 to J4. A servomotor (not shown) for driving, an encoder (not shown) for detecting a rotation angle of the servomotor, and the like are provided in the arm 13 so as to correspond to the joints J1 to J4. The rotation axes L1 of the first links 15a, 15a of the 2 arms 13, 13 are positioned on the same straight line, and the first link 15a of one arm 13 and the first link 15a of the other arm 13 are arranged with a step in the vertical direction.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of the end effector 18 of the right arm 13. Fig. 4 (a) shows a front view. Fig. 4 (B) shows a side view. Fig. 4 (C) is a plan view.

The end effector 18 is a holding mechanism that holds the box 50. The end effector 18 includes: a base portion 20 including a rotating portion 17b of the toggle portion 17; a rotary joint J5 having a horizontal rotation axis L4; a distal end portion 21 rotatably coupled to the base portion 20 via a rotary joint J5; an adsorption head (holding part) 22 provided at the end part 21 and adsorbing and holding the box material 50 in a folded state; and a first bending portion 23 for folding the box 50 (side plate) held by the adsorption head 22 to expand the box 50 into a cylindrical shape.

The base portion 20 is coupled to the raising and lowering portion 17a of the toggle link portion 17 via a rotary joint J4, and is coupled to the tip portion 21 via a rotary joint J5. The tip portion 21 is coupled to the base portion 20 via a rotary joint J5, and the suction head 22 is attached thereto. The distal end portion 21 is bent into a substantially L-shape in side view (see fig. 4B). The base 20 has a rectangular shape in plan view (see fig. 4C). In the present embodiment, the suction head 22 is provided at 4 positions with the same length on the back side of the tip end portion 21. The 4-point ends of the suction head 22 are configured to contact the box 50 (side plate). As shown in the drawing, the position where the tip of the suction head 22 faces downward is referred to as a reference position of the suction head 22. The suction head 22 is connected to a vacuum generator 90 (see fig. 3) via a pipe (not shown). The piping is provided with, for example, an on-off valve (not shown). The suction head 22 is sucked and released by opening and closing the pipe with the on-off valve. The box 50 in a folded state can be sucked and held by the suction head 22. Further, the tip end portion 21, which is sucked and held by the box member 50, can be rotated with respect to the base portion 20 by the rotary joint J5.

The first bent portion 23 is connected to the toggle portion 17 via a driving portion 24. The drive unit 24 includes an actuator (not shown) therein. The distal end of the first bending portion 23 is configured to be linearly movable by an actuator of the driving portion 24 to expand and contract in the arrow direction (see fig. 4B and C). The box member 50 (side plate) held by the suction head 22 is bent by the end of the first bending portion 23. This enables the box member 50 to be expanded into a cylindrical shape.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of the end effector 19 of the left arm 13. Fig. 5 (a) shows a front view. Fig. 5 (B) shows a side view. Fig. 5 (C) is a plan view. The end effector 18 includes: a base part 30 including a rotating part 17b of the toggle part 17; a first hand portion 31 attached to the base portion 30 via a connecting portion 33; and a second hand portion 32 attached to the base portion 30 via a connecting portion 33.

The first hand 31 has a pair of fingers. Each finger portion has an L-shape in plan view. The driving portion 35 drives a pair of finger portions. The driving unit 35 is provided in the connecting unit 33 and includes an actuator (not shown) therein. The actuator of the driving unit 35 linearly moves to change the distance between the pair of finger portions. By driving the driving unit 35, the pair of finger portions can sandwich the box member 50 with a reduced interval therebetween. The first hand 31 corresponds to the "support portion" of the present invention.

The second hand portion 32 has a pair of finger portions. Each finger portion has an L-shape in plan view. The driving portion 35 drives a pair of finger portions. The driving unit 35 is provided in the connecting unit 33 and includes an actuator (not shown) therein. The actuator of the driving unit 35 linearly moves to change the distance between the pair of finger portions. By driving the driving unit 35, the pair of finger portions can be reduced in interval to bend the bottom flaps 53a and 53b of the box material 50 inward. The second hand 32 corresponds to the "second bend" of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the control device 14 of the robot 11. As shown in fig. 6, the control device 14 includes an arithmetic unit 14a such as a CPU, a storage unit 14b such as a ROM or a RAM, and a servo control unit 14 c. The control device 14 is a robot controller provided with a computer such as a microcontroller. The control device 14 may be a single control device 14 that performs centralized control, or may be a plurality of control devices 14 that cooperate to perform distributed control.

The storage unit 14b stores information such as a basic program and various kinds of fixed data as a robot controller. The computing unit 14a reads out and executes software such as a basic program stored in the storage unit 14b to control various operations of the robot 11. That is, the arithmetic unit 14a generates a control command for the robot 11 and outputs the control command to the servo control unit 14 c. The servo controller 14c is configured to control the driving of the servo motors corresponding to the joints J1 to J5 of the arms 13 of the robot 11, and the like, based on the control command generated by the arithmetic unit 14 a.

The controller 14 controls the operation of the vacuum generator 90 (see fig. 3) and the opening and closing of the on-off valve. The suction head 22 is sucked and released by opening and closing the pipe by opening and closing the opening and closing valve.

Next, a box assembling operation performed by the box assembling apparatus 10 will be described with reference to the drawings (fig. 1, 7 to 9). As shown in fig. 1, before the assembling operation, the box members 50 are stored in the container 71 in a state of being folded into two (see fig. 2B).

First, the robot 11 sucks and holds the uppermost box 50 in the container 71 by the end effector 18 at the end of the right arm 13. Fig. 7 is a plan view schematically showing how the box 50 is held by the end effector 18. Specifically, as shown in fig. 7 (a), the side plate 51c of the box 50 folded in two is sucked and held by the suction head 22 of the end effector 18. Next, as shown in fig. 7 (B), the distal end portion 21 of the side plate 51c suction-holding the box member 50 is turned by 90 degrees with respect to the base portion 20 by the rotary joint J5. Next, as shown in fig. 7 (C), the end of the first bent portion 23 is driven in the arrow direction to abut against the side plate 51b of the box 50 adjacent to the side plate 51 a.

Then, as shown in fig. 7 (D), the end of the first bending portion 23 is further driven in a straight line to bend the side plate 51b adjacent to the side plate 51a of the box member 50 held by the suction head 22 so as to be substantially perpendicular to the side plate 51 a. Thereby, the box 50 held by the end effector 18 is expanded into a tubular shape. Then, the robot 11 moves the right arm 13 to convey the tubular box 50 held by the end effector 18 onto the work table 60.

Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an assembling operation of the box 50. As shown in fig. 8 (a), the robot 11 supports the box 50 by the first hand 31 of the end effector 19 attached to the end of the left arm 13, while holding the side plate 51a of the tubular box 50 by the end effector 18 attached to the end of the right arm 13, and by sandwiching the side plate 51b (51d) of the box 50. At this time, the bottom plates 52a and 52b and the bottom flap 53a (53b) of the box member 50 are positioned above the space between the first and second jigs 41 and 42. Next, the robot 11 moves the left and right arms 13 and 13 in the direction of the first jig 41 (the direction of the arrow in the figure) while holding the box 50 in the expanded tubular state by the end effectors 18 and 19. As shown in fig. 8 (B), the bottom plate 52a of the box member 50 is brought into contact with the first jig 41 to bend the bottom plate 52a inward.

As shown in fig. 8 (C), the bottom flap 53a (53b) is folded inward so as to overlap the bottom plate 52a by the second hand 32 of the end effector 19. Then, the box 50 is moved in the direction of the second jig 42 (the direction of the arrow in the figure) by moving the left and right arms 13, 13.

As shown in fig. 8 (D), the bottom plate 52b of the box member 50 is brought into contact with the second jig 42, and the bottom plate 52b is inwardly bent so as to overlap the bent bottom flap 53a (53b), whereby the bottom plates 52a and 52b are engaged with each other. The bottom of the tank is formed (see fig. 2 (D)). According to the tank assembling apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the tank can be easily assembled with a simple structure.

[ modified examples ]

Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram of an assembling operation of the box member according to the modification. As shown in fig. 9, in the present modification, the blower 43 is fixedly provided on the work table 60. The blowing device 43 is disposed between the first jig 41 and the second jig 42. During the assembly operation, the robot 11 holds the side plate 51a of the tubular box 50 by the end effector 18 attached to the end of the right arm 13, and supports the box 50 by the end effector 19 attached to the end of the left arm 13, with the side plates 51b and 51d of the box 50 sandwiched therebetween. At this time, the bottom plates 52a, 52b and the bottom flaps 53a, 53b of the box member 50 are positioned above the space between the first and second jigs 41, 42. The blower 43 has two outlets for the air, and is disposed so that the outlets face the bottom flaps 53a and 53b located above. By blowing air toward the bottom flaps of the box 50 positioned above the work table 60 by the air blower 43, the bottom flaps 53a and 53b can be opened outward. When the bottom plate 52a is folded inward, the work can be performed without interfering with the bottom flaps 53a and 53 b.

(second embodiment)

Next, a second embodiment will be explained. The basic structure of the tank assembly apparatus of the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the description of the common configuration with the first embodiment will be omitted, and only the different configuration will be described.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a tank assembly apparatus 10A according to the second embodiment. Fig. 11 is a top view of the tank assembly device 10A of fig. 10. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the reticle chuck 44 is used instead of the two chucks 41 and 42 in the structure of the box member 80 to be assembled. As shown in fig. 10 and 11, work tables 61, 62, and 63 are disposed on the right side, front side, and left side of the robot 11, respectively. The box members 80 before assembly are stacked and arranged on the work table 61 in a spread flat state. The box member 80 of the present embodiment includes a bottom plate 81, 4 side plates 82a, 82b, 82c, 82d connected to the bottom plate by fold lines, and a lid 83. A reticle chuck 44 is fixedly provided on the work table 62 in a shape following the shape of the bottom plate 81 of the box member 80. The reticle chuck 44 is composed of a chuck 44a corresponding to one side of the bottom plate 81 on the side of the side plate 82a, a chuck 44b corresponding to one side of the bottom plate 81 on the side of the side plate 82b, a chuck 44c corresponding to one side of the bottom plate 81 on the side of the side plate 82c, and a chuck 44d corresponding to one side of the bottom plate 81 on the side of the side plate 82 d. In the present embodiment, the jigs 46 supporting the lid 83 and the 4 jigs supporting the continuous side plates are arranged at four corners. The assembled box member 80 is disposed on the work table 63.

The robot 11 takes out the box 80 on the table 61 by the end effectors 18A, 19A connected to the right and left arms 13, assembles the box 80 on the table 62, and disposes the assembled box 80 on the table 63. In the present embodiment, the working area of the pair of robot arms 13, 13 is an area covering the work tables 61, 62, and 63.

Fig. 12 shows the configuration of the end effectors 18A, 19A of the right and left arms 13, 13. Fig. 12 (a) is a plan view of the left and right elbow lever portions 17. Fig. 12 (B) is a front view of the left and right elbow lever portions 17. As shown in fig. 12, the configurations of the right and left end effectors 18A, 19A are bilaterally symmetrical, and since the same configuration is provided, only one configuration will be described.

The end effector 18A includes: a base portion 25 including a rotating portion 17b of the toggle portion 17; and a pressing portion 26 connected to and fixed to the base portion 25.

The base portion 25 is substantially square in plan view, and is formed of a member bent in an L-shape in front view. The pressing portion 26 includes: a first surface 26a for pressing the box member 80 from above; and a second surface 26b for pressing the box member from the side. In the present embodiment, the pressing portion 26 has a U-shape in front view, and the first surface portion 26a and the second surface portion 26b are substantially perpendicular to each other. The first surface 26a is provided with 2 suction heads 26 c. The box member 80 pressed from above by the first surface portion 26a can be sucked and held by the suction head 26 c. Thereby, the end effector 18A can hold the box 80 and press the box 80. The end effector 18A corresponds to the "holding mechanism" and the "pressing mechanism" of the present invention.

Next, a box assembling operation performed by the box assembling apparatus 10A will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of fig. 13. In fig. 13, for convenience of explanation, the reticle chuck 44 is shown with only one chuck 44a corresponding to the bottom plate 81 on the side plate 82a side of the box member 80 and only one chuck 44b corresponding to the bottom plate 81 on the side plate 82b side.

First, as shown in fig. 13 (a), the robot 11 uses one of the left and right end effectors 18A, 19A to place the box 80 on the reticle chuck 44 while holding the box 80 in which the bottom plate 81 and the 4 side plates 82 are spread out in a flat plate shape.

Next, as shown in fig. 13B, the robot 11 presses the bottom plate 81 of the box member 80 placed on the reticle chuck 44 from above by the left and right end effectors 18A and 19A (first surface portions 26a), thereby bending the side plates 82a and 82B with respect to the bottom plate 81 via a folding line (not shown). Thereby forming the bottom of the tank.

Next, the right side portion of the tank is formed. Specifically, as shown in fig. 13C, the robot 11 presses the right end effector 18A (second surface portion 26b) from the outside against the right side plate 82a bent upward, and bends the side plate 82a inward. At this time, the robot 11 is pressed from the inside to the side plate 82a bent upward by the left end effector 19A (second surface 26 b). This makes it easy to bend the side plate 82a inward.

Next, as shown in fig. 13D, the robot 11 presses the right side plate 82a, which is bent inward, from above by the right end effector 18A (first surface portion 26a) and bends the side plate 82a downward toward the bottom plate 81. Thereby forming the right side of the tank.

Next, the left side portion of the tank is formed. Specifically, as shown in fig. 13 (E), the left end effector 19A is moved to the outside of the left side plate 82b bent upward, and the right end effector 18A is moved to the inside of the left side plate 82 b.

Next, as shown in fig. 13 (F), the robot 11 presses the left end effector 19A (second surface 26b) from the outside against the left side plate 82b that has been bent upward, and bends the side plate 82b inward. At this time, the robot 11 is pressed from the inside to the left side plate 82a bent upward by the right end effector 18A (second surface 26 b). This makes it easy to bend the side plate 82b inward.

Next, as shown in fig. 13G, the robot 11 presses the left side plate 82b, which is bent inward, from above by the left end effector 19A (first surface portion 26a), and bends the side plate 82b downward toward the bottom plate 81. Thereby forming the left side of the tank. This enables the box member 80 to be assembled.

Finally, as shown in fig. 13 (H), the robot 11 arranges the shape of the inside of the box by pressing the left and right end effectors 18A, 19A from the inside of the box to the bottom and the side portions. According to the present embodiment, the tank can be easily assembled with a simple structure.

(other embodiments)

In the above embodiments, the box assembly work is performed by the double-arm robot 11, but the present invention may be realized by a dedicated device that includes the end effectors 18(18A) and 19(19A) and is capable of performing positioning control.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions. Therefore, the above description should be construed as merely illustrative, and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode for carrying out the present invention. The details of the structure and/or function of the present invention can be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Possibility of industrial utilization

The invention is useful at the manufacturing site of the product.

Description of reference numerals:

10. 10a … tank assembly; 11 … robot; 13 … right and left arms; 14 … control device; 17 … elbow lever portion; 18. 18a … end effector; 19. 19a … end effector; 20 … base part; 21 … a tip portion; 22 … adsorption head; 23 … bending part; 24 … driving part; 25 … connecting member; 26 … pressing part; 26a … first face; 26b … second face; 30 … driving part; 31 … first hand; 32 … second hand; 35 … drive part; 41 … a first clamp; 42 … second clamp; 43 … blower device; 44 … stencil clip; 45. 46 … abutting the clamp; 50 … box stock; 51 … side panels; 52 … a bottom panel; 53 … bottom flap; 54 … a cover portion; 55 … flap; 60 to 63 … work stages; 70 … conveyor belt; 71 … container; 80 … box stock; 81 … bottom plate; 82 … side panels; 83 … cover part; 90 … vacuum generating device.