Supply device configured to circulate workpieces and transport device equipped with supply device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10654169-B2
Application number	US-201816033535-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2018
Priority date	Jul 19, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

The supply device includes a rotating table. The supply device includes a plate-shaped member configured to move bolts placed on the table and a plate-shaped member configured to discharge bolts to the outside of the table. A replenishment region to which bolts are replenished is set in a first rotation region of the table. A discharge region from which the bolts are discharged is defined in a second rotation region. The plate-shaped member is configured to move bolts from the first rotation region to the second rotation region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transport device comprising:
a supply device including a placement member on which a workpiece is placed and supplying the workpiece to a take-out device taking out the workpiece;
a take-out device taking out the workpiece placed on the placement member;
an imaging device imaging the workpiece placed on the placement member; and
a control device controlling the take-out device and the imaging device; wherein the supply device includes:
a drive motor rotating the placement member;
a movement member moving the workpiece placed on the placement member; and
a discharge member discharging the workpiece to the outside of the placement member; wherein
a plurality of rotation regions are predetermined on a surface of the placement member in a concentric shape around a rotation axis of the placement member,
the rotation regions are regions in which the workpiece is moved in the circumferential direction by rotation of the placement member,
a replenishment region in which the workpiece is replenished is set in one rotation region of an innermost rotation region and an outermost rotation region, and a discharge region in which the discharge member is disposed is set in the other rotation region,
the movement member is configured to move the workpiece to an adjacent rotation region in a direction from the rotation region in which the replenishment region is set to the rotation region in which the discharge region is set,
a detection region in which the workpiece is imaged by the imaging device, a gripping region in which the workpiece is gripped by the take-out device, and a movement region in which the movement member is disposed are predetermined in a region where the placement member is disposed,
at least a portion of the detection region is disposed downstream from the replenishment region in a direction in which the placement member rotates, and the detection region is disposed upstream from the gripping region,
the gripping region, the discharge region, the movement region, and the replenishment region are disposed in the order of the gripping region, the discharge region, the movement region, and the replenishment region along the direction of rotation of the placement member when the placement member is viewed in a plan view, and
the control device detects a position and orientation of the workpiece based on an image of the workpiece captured by the imaging device, calculates a position and orientation of the workpiece in the gripping region based on a position and orientation of the workpiece in the detection region and a rotation angle of the placement member, and controls the take-out device based on a position and orientation of the workpiece in the gripping region so as to grip the workpiece when the workpiece passes through the gripping area a plurality of times while moving through the rotation regions.

2. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein
the movement member includes a plate-like member that does not move when the placement member rotates, and
the plate-like member is inclined with respect to a radial direction of the placement member when viewed in a plan view so as to move the workpiece placed on one rotation region to the adjacent rotation region.

3. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein
the replenishment region is defined in the innermost rotation region,
the discharge region is defined in the outermost rotation region, and
the movement member is configured to move the workpiece from one rotation region toward another rotation region arranged outside the one rotation region.

4. The transport device according to claim 3 , wherein
the supply device includes a collection device collecting the workpiece discharged outside of the placement member,
the discharge member is configured to move the workpiece from the outermost rotation region to the outside of the placement member, and
the collection device includes a collection part collecting the workpiece discharged from the placement member, a conveyor transporting the workpiece collected by the collection part, and a replenishment part replenishing the workpiece to the innermost rotation region.

5. The transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising an export device exporting the workpiece taken out by the take-out device, wherein
the control device controls the take-out device so as to change a state of the workpiece taken out from the placement member to a predetermined direction and orientation and transport the workpiece to the export device.

Assignees

• Fanuc Corp

Inventors

• Oowatari Hiroshi

Classifications

• B25J9/0093

  co-operating with conveyor means · CPC title

• B65G47/1428 Primary

  rotating movement · CPC title

• B25J9/1697 Primary

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title

• B65G47/905

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• B25J9/0096

  co-operating with a working support, e.g. work-table · CPC title