Pick-up device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12371282-B2
Application number	US-202117539328-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2021
Priority date	Dec 10, 2020
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A pick-up device picking up stacked sheet-shaped workpieces from the top, the device includes a nozzle mechanism that pulls up a first workpiece from the top of the stacked workpieces by air blowing, a holding mechanism that holds the first workpiece, a separation mechanism that includes a claw member being inserted into a lower side of the first workpiece with respect to the stacked workpieces, and a forward and backward drive unit causing a tip part of the claw member to move forward and backward, a suction mechanism that pulls up the first workpiece, a control device that controls the above four mechanisms, and a selection unit that selects one or more combinations of the nozzle mechanism, the separation mechanism, and the suction mechanism. The control device controls an operation for picking up the stacked workpieces from the top according to the selection of the selection unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pick-up device picking up stacked sheet-shaped workpieces from the top, the device comprising:
a nozzle mechanism that includes a pick-up nozzle pulling up a first workpiece from the top of the stacked workpieces by air blowing;
a holding mechanism that holds the first workpiece from the top;
a separation mechanism that includes a claw member being inserted into a lower side of the first workpiece from the top with respect to the stacked workpieces, and a forward and backward drive unit causing a tip part of the claw member to move forward and backward;
a suction mechanism that includes a non-absorption type suction pad pulling up the first workpiece from the top of the stacked workpieces;
a control device that controls the nozzle mechanism, the separation mechanism, the suction mechanism, and the holding mechanism; and
a selection unit that selects one or more combinations of the nozzle mechanism, the separation mechanism, and the suction mechanism,
wherein the control device executes operation control for picking up the stacked workpieces from the top according to the selection of the selection unit.

2. The pick-up device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control device executes, according to the selection of the selection unit, the operation control of any one of a first pick-up operation for picking up the workpiece by the separation mechanism alone, a second pick-up operation for picking up the workpiece by a combination of the nozzle mechanism and the separation mechanism, and a third pick-up operation for picking up the workpiece by a combination of the suction mechanism and the separation mechanism.

3. The pick-up device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the holding mechanism includes a gripping member that is lowered relative to the claw member on the upper side of the claw member to grip the workpiece, and a gripping drive unit that gives the gripping member a movement operation for allowing the gripping member to move along a relatively downward direction with respect to the claw member, and
the control device, in the first pick-up operation, causes the tip part of the claw member of the separation mechanism to move forward to be inserted into the lower side of the first workpiece from the top, and causes the gripping member of the holding mechanism to be relatively lowered to grip the first workpiece from the top.

4. The pick-up device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the holding mechanism includes a gripping member that is lowered relative to the claw member on the upper side of the claw member to grip the workpiece, and a gripping drive unit that gives the gripping member a movement operation for allowing the gripping member to move along a relatively downward direction with respect to the claw member, and
the control device, in the second pick-up operation, causes the pick-up nozzle to blow air by the nozzle mechanism to pull up the first workpiece from the top, causes the tip part of the claw member of the separation mechanism to move forward to be inserted into the lower side of the first workpiece from the top, and causes the gripping member of the holding mechanism to be relatively lowered to grip the first workpiece from the top.

5. The pick-up device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the holding mechanism includes a gripping member that is relatively lowered relative to the claw member on the upper side of the claw member to grip the workpiece, and a gripping drive unit that gives the gripping member a movement operation for allowing the gripping member to move along a relatively downward direction with respect to the claw member, and
the control device, in the third pick-up operation, causes the non-absorption type suction pad of the suction mechanism to pull up the first workpiece from the top of the stacked workpieces, causes the tip part of the claw member of the separation mechanism to move forward to be inserted into the lower side of the first workpiece from the top, and causes the gripping member of the holding mechanism to be relatively lowered to grip the first workpiece from the top.

6. The pick-up device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a displacement detecting unit that detects a displacement in a stacking direction on an upper surface of the stacked workpieces; and
an estimation unit that estimates a state of the first workpiece from the top, based on a detected result of the displacement detecting unit.

7. The pick-up device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the estimation unit estimates the state of the first workpiece from the top, from the displacement in the stacking direction on the upper surface of the stacked workpieces to be detected by the displacement detecting unit, and an inclination based on the displacement.

8. The pick-up device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the control device executes a normalization operation for normalizing the state of the first workpiece according to the state of the first workpiece from the top estimated by the estimation unit.

9. The pick-up device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the control device controls any one or more of the nozzle mechanism, the separation mechanism, the suction mechanism, and the holding mechanism to execute the normalization operation.

Assignees

• Juki Kk

Inventors

• Maruyama Takeshi
• Uehara Yuuki

Classifications

• B25J15/0014

  having fork, comb or plate shaped means for engaging the lower surface on a object to be transported · CPC title

• B25J15/0052

  multiple gripper units or multiple end effectors · CPC title

• B65H3/32

  by elements, e.g. fingers, plates, rollers, inserted or traversed between articles to be separated and remainder of the pile (such elements acting only as supplementary devices to assist separation or prevent double feed B65H3/50) · CPC title

• B65H3/40

  by two or more separators acting alternately on the same pile (rotary or oscillating bodies carrying two or more separators B65H3/42) · CPC title

• B65H3/48

  Air blast acting on edges of, or under, articles · CPC title