Bending robot and method for detecting workpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046378-B2
Application number	US-201615548559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2016
Priority date	Feb 19, 2015
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A bending robot takes out a workpiece stored on a stacker while contacting its end face with a storage reference flat plane of the stacker, and then supplies it to a bending machine. The bending robot includes a main body movable parallel to the storage reference flat plane, an arm portion supported by the main body and capable of positioning above the stacker, and a distance sensor provided in the arm portion for measuring a distance to the workpiece stored on the stacker in a contactless manner. According to the bending robot, bending can be done with high efficiency.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bending robot configured to remove a workpiece stored on a stacker and then to supply the workpiece to a bending machine, the workpiece being stacked on a bottom plate of the stacker, the stacker further including a wall plate having a storage reference flat plane extending upwardly from the bottom plate and configured to contact an end face of the workpiece, the bending robot comprising:
a main body movable parallel to the storage reference flat plane;
an arm portion supported by the main body and configured to be positioned above the stacker; and
a distance sensor provided in the arm portion and configured to measure a distance to the workpiece stored on the stacker in a contactless manner, wherein
the main body moves parallel to the storage reference flat plane; and
the distance sensor measures on a measurement path in a vicinity of the storage reference flat plane.

2. A method for detecting whether or not a workpiece is stored on a stacker that stores the workpiece to be supplied to a bending machine by a bending robot, the method comprising:
providing, in the stacker, a bottom plate on which the workpiece is to be stacked and a wall plate having a storage reference flat plane that is raised from the bottom plate and with which an end face of the workpiece is to be contacted;
preliminarily providing, in the bending robot, a main body that is movable parallel to the storage reference flat plane, an arm portion that is supported by the main body and capable of positioning above the stacker, and a distance sensor that is provided in the arm portion and capable of measuring a distance to the workpiece stored on the stacker in a contactless manner;
moving the main body parallel to the storage reference flat plane and measuring a distance along a measurement path in a vicinity of the storage reference flat plane by the distance sensor; and
judging that the workpiece is stored on the stacker when two electric current values or electric voltage values are measured in the distance-measurement of the measuring.

3. A workpiece supply apparatus comprising:
a stacker for storing a workpiece, the stacker comprising:
a bottom plate configured to stack the workpiece; and
a wall plate having a storage reference plane extending upwardly from the bottom plate and configured to contact an end face of the workpiece;

a bending robot configured to remove the workpiece stored on the stacker and then to supply the workpiece to a bending machine, the bending robot comprising:
a main body movable parallel to the storage reference flat plane;
an arm portion supported by the main body and configured to be positioned above the stacker; and
a distance sensor provided in the arm portion and configured to measure a distance to the workpiece stored on the stacker in a contactless manner, wherein
the main body moves parallel to the storage reference flat plane; and
the distance sensor measures on a measurement path in a vicinity of the storage reference flat plane.

Assignees

• Amada Holdings Co Ltd
• Amada Holding Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kato Tetsuaki
• Yamagishi Atsushi
• Uchida Daiya

Classifications

• B21D5/02

  on press brakes without making use of clamping means · CPC title

• B25J13/087

  for sensing other physical parameters, e.g. electrical or chemical properties · CPC title

• B21D43/20

  Storage arrangements; Piling or unpiling (in general B65G, {B65H}) · CPC title

• B25J13/086

  Proximity sensors · CPC title

• B21D43/24 Primary

  Devices for removing sheets from a stack · CPC title