Fitting method and robot system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11865728-B2
Application number	US-202117514064-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2021
Priority date	Oct 30, 2020
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

A fitting method includes (a) detecting a first position as a position where fitting of a first object and a second object is determined, (b) moving the first object from the first position toward a determination direction different from a fitting direction and detecting a second position as a position where magnitude of a force applied to the first object reaches a predetermined reference value, and (c) determining that a fitting condition of the first object and the second object is good when a predetermined determination condition including a condition that the second position is within an acceptable position range set according to the first position is satisfied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fitting method of fitting a first object in a second object using a robot having a movable unit including a robot arm and an end effector provided in the robot arm and gripping the first object and a force detection unit detecting a force applied to the movable unit, comprising:
(a) moving the first object in a fitting direction and detecting a first position as a position where fitting of the first object and the second object is determined;
(b) moving the first object from the first position toward a determination direction different from the fitting direction and detecting a second position as a position where magnitude of a force applied to the first object reaches a predetermined reference value; and
(c) determining that a fitting condition of the first object and the second object is good when a predetermined determination condition including a condition that the second position is within an acceptable position range set according to the first position is satisfied.

2. The fitting method according to claim 1 , wherein
(a) includes further moving the first object along the fitting direction after the first object reaches the first position, and detecting an achievement position as a position where the magnitude of the force applied to the first object is equal to or larger than a predetermined achievement threshold,
the determination direction is a release direction as an opposite direction to the fitting direction, and
the acceptable position range is a range set between the first position and the achievement position.

3. The fitting method according to claim 1 , wherein
the determination direction includes a plurality of directions,
(b) detects a plurality of second positions in the respective plurality of directions, and
(c) determines that the fitting condition of the first object and the second object is good when an average position of the plurality of second positions in the plurality of directions is within the acceptable position range.

4. The fitting method according to claim 1 , wherein
the first position is a position where, after the magnitude of the force applied to the first object exceeds a first threshold, the magnitude is below a second threshold smaller than the first threshold.

5. The fitting method according to claim 1 , further comprising storing a change over time of the magnitude of the force applied to the first object or a position of the first object at (b) and setting an acceptable range of the change over time, wherein
the determination condition includes a condition that the change over time of the magnitude of the force applied to the first object or the position of the first object at (b) is within the acceptable range.

6. A robot system that fits a first object in a second object, comprising:
a robot having a movable unit including a robot arm and an end effector provided in the robot arm and gripping the first object and a force detection unit detecting a force applied to the movable unit; and
a control unit controlling the robot, wherein
the control unit executes
(a) processing of moving the first object in a fitting direction and detecting a first position as a position where fitting of the first object and the second object is determined,
(b) processing of moving the first object from the first position toward a determination direction different from the fitting direction and detecting a second position as a position where magnitude of a force applied to the first object reaches a predetermined reference value, and
(c) processing of determining that a fitting condition of the first object and the second object is good when a predetermined determination condition including a condition that the second position is within an acceptable position range set according to the first position is satisfied.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kinoshita Hirofumi
• Takeuchi Kaoru
• Adachi Hiroki

Classifications

• B25J9/1687 Primary

  Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement · CPC title

• B25J13/085

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

• B25J13/088

  with position, velocity or acceleration sensors · CPC title

• B25J9/1602

  characterised by the control system, structure, architecture · CPC title

• B25J19/023

  including video camera means · CPC title