Packing apparatus and packing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10329042-B2
Application number	US-201615069055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2016
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

For accurate housing of an object to be packed even in an unfixed box body, a packing apparatus includes a movable unit and a force detection part provided in the movable unit and houses an object to be packed in a box body formed from a packing material based on an output value of the force detection part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot comprising:
a base
a first arm provided on the base, the first arm having a first end effector;
a second arm provided on the base, the second arm having a second end effector and a force sensor;
an imaging device configured to capture an image of an inside of a package, the package having first and second walls opposite to each other, the package being configured to contain an object in the inside of the package;
a memory storing computer-readable instructions; and
a processor executing the computer-readable instructions to control the robot to:
cause the imaging device to capture the image including the package and the object;
perform a first operation to position the first and second end effectors between the object and the second wall;
after the first operation, perform a second operation to contact the object with the first end effector by moving the first end effector toward the first wall;
after the second operation, perform a third operation to move the object toward the first wall with the first end effector so that the object will be placed in contact with the first wall; and
after the third operation commences, perform a fourth operation to move the second wall into contact with the second end effector and when the force sensor detects a force applied to the second end effector that is equal to or larger than a threshold value, the processor causes the first end effector to stop moving.

2. The robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
cause the first end effector to selectively apply a force to the first wall so that the package moves; and
cause the second end effector to selectively contact the second wall so as to adjust a location of the package in response to an output signal from the force sensor and place the object in the package.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Nammoto Takashi
• Kosuge Kazuhiro
• Harada Tomoki
• Hashimoto Koichi
• Yamaguchi Kengo

Classifications

• B65B57/06 Primary

  and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged · CPC title

• B25J13/085

  Force or torque sensors (B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65B35/32

  by gravity · CPC title

• B65B35/16

  by grippers · CPC title

• B25J9/0087

  Dual arms (double SCARA arms B25J9/043) · CPC title