Apparatus for the automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9289897-B2
Application number	US-201313929637-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2013
Priority date	Jun 29, 2012
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus for the automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container comprising a first object recognition device for detecting the workpieces and a first gripper for picking and removing the workpieces from the container; and a control for evaluating the data of the first object recognition device, for track planning and for controlling the first gripper; wherein an intermediate station on which the first gripper places the workpiece after the removal from the container; and a positioning apparatus which positions the workpieces more accurately starting from the intermediate station and/or singularizes them.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container, comprising a first object recognition device for detecting the workpieces and a first gripper for picking and removing the workpieces from the container;
a control for evaluating data of the first object recognition device, for path planning and for controlling the first gripper,
wherein an intermediate station comprises a placing region and a removal region, different than the placing region, wherein the first gripper places the workpieces on the placing region of the intermediate station after the removal from the container, wherein the apparatus positions the workpieces more accurately and/or singularizes the workpieces by picking the workpieces up from the removal region of the intermediate station; and
a second object recognition device for detecting the workpieces on the intermediate station, wherein the second object recognition device is arranged in the removal region of the intermediate station.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first gripper for picking the workpieces in the container is a magnetic and/or pneumatic gripper.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein, for the event that the first gripper cannot pick up a workpiece with a first position calculated for picking, the first gripper repeats the picking with at least one second, changed position; and/or wherein, for the event that no workpiece can be picked with a predefined ideal picking position between the workpiece and the first gripper, the control makes use of a second gripping position.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the apparatus uses the first gripper for picking up the workpieces from the removal region of the intermediate station.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the control controls the first gripper for placing the workpieces on the intermediate station such that it drops the workpieces onto the placing region of the intermediate station from a certain height, wherein movement of the first gripper is controlled by a height sensor for measuring a height of the workpiece gripped by the first gripper over the placing region.

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the placing region of the intermediate station comprises a slanted plane, such that the workpieces move out of the placing region by gravity.

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the intermediate station comprises a transport belt for transport of the workpieces from the placing region to the removal region, where they are gripped and removed from the intermediate station.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the transport belt is equipped with a mechanical reorientation device which at least partly changes a position of workpieces on the transport belt on their way from the placing region to the removal region.

9. The apparatus in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the reorientation device has a flap and/or a bar which extends transversely to a transport direction over the transport belt.

10. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first gripper for picking the workpieces in the container is a mechanical gripper.

11. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first gripper is moved by a gripping arm, wherein the gripping arm is a robot arm of a 6-axial robot or a gripper arm arranged at a surface portal or at a linear portal.

12. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a second gripper for picking up the workpieces from the removal region of the intermediate station.

13. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first gripper is used for picking up the workpieces from the removal region of the intermediate station.

14. An apparatus for automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container, comprising a first object recognition device for detecting the workpieces and a first gripper for picking and removing the workpieces from the container; and
a control for evaluating data of the first object recognition device, for path planning and for controlling the first gripper,
wherein an intermediate station comprises a placing region and a removal region, different than the placing region, wherein the first gripper places the workpieces on the placing region of the intermediate station after the removal from the container, wherein the apparatus positions the workpieces more accurately and/or singularizes the workpieces by picking the workpieces up from the removal region of the intermediate station,
wherein the control controls the first gripper for placing the workpieces on the intermediate station such that it drops the workpieces onto the placing region of the intermediate station from a certain height, wherein movement of the first gripper is controlled by a height sensor for measuring a height of the workpiece gripped by the first gripper over the placing region, and
wherein the height sensor is a light barrier arrangement arranged laterally at the placing region.

15. The apparatus in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising a slanted plane and a transport belt arranged on the intermediate station such that workpieces placed by the first gripper on the slanted plane move to the transport belt by gravity and are further transported by the transport belt to the removal region, where they are gripped and removed from the intermediate station.

16. An apparatus for automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container, comprising a first object recognition device for detecting the workpieces and a first gripper for picking and removing the workpieces from the container; and
a control for evaluating data of the first object recognition device, for path planning and for controlling the first gripper,
wherein an intermediate station comprises a placing region and a removal region, different than the placing region, wherein the first gripper places the workpieces on the placing region of the intermediate station after the removal from the container, wherein the apparatus positions the workpieces more accurately and/or singularizes the workpieces by picking the workpieces up from the removal region of the intermediate station, and
wherein the apparatus comprises a second gripper for picking up the workpieces from the removal region of the intermediate station.

17. The apparatus in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the first gripper and/or the second gripper is/are moved by a gripping arm, wherein the gripping arm is a robot arm of a 6-axial robot or a gripper arm arranged at a surface portal or at a linear portal.

18. The apparatus in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the intermediate station comprises a transport belt for transport of the workpieces from the placing region to the removal region, where they are gripped and removed from the intermediate station.

19. An apparatus for automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container, comprising a first object recognition device for detecting the workpieces and a first gripper for picking and removing the workpieces from the container; and
a control for evaluating data of the first object recognition device, for path planning and for controlling the first gripper,
wherein an intermediate station comprises a placing region and a removal region, different than the placing region, wherein the first gripper places the workpieces on the placing region of the intermediate station after the removal from the container, wherein the apparatus positions the workp

Assignees

• Liebherr Verzahntech Gmbh

Inventors

• Mattern Thomas
• Haenschke David
• Riedmiller Bernhard
• Mundt Alois

Classifications

• B25J9/1612

  characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control · CPC title

• B25J9/0093

  co-operating with conveyor means · CPC title

• B25J9/0096

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

• B25J9/0084 Primary

  comprising a plurality of manipulators · CPC title

• G06T1/0014

  Image feed-back for automatic industrial control, e.g. robot with camera (robots B25J19/023) · CPC title