CN113510689B

CN113510689B - Industrial robot and method for controlling industrial robot

Info

Publication number: CN113510689B
Application number: CN202110126920.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 王玉竹; 濱冲孟; 矢泽隆之
Original assignee: Nidec Sankyo Zhejiang Corp; Nidec Sankyo Corp
Current assignee: Nidec Sankyo Zhejiang Corp; Nidec Instruments Corp
Priority date: 2020-04-10
Filing date: 2021-01-29
Publication date: 2022-12-20
Anticipated expiration: 2041-01-29
Also published as: CN113510689A; JP2021167042A; JP7443141B2

Abstract

An industrial robot and a control method for the industrial robot can properly correct the position and orientation of a hand in the horizontal direction in order to place a conveying object on a delivery part after properly correcting the position and orientation of the conveying object in the horizontal direction placed on a receiving part even if the conveying object has a large warp. The industrial robot performs a first operation that is an operation when the arm is retracted so that the hand that receives the conveyance target object by the receiving unit approaches the main body. The control unit of the industrial robot acquires position data of a hand in a front-rear direction when a transmission-type detection mechanism fixed to the main body detects a conveyance object when the industrial robot performs a first operation, position data of the conveyance object in a left-right direction detected by the detection mechanism when the hand moves to a first measurement position, and position data of the conveyance object in the left-right direction detected by the detection mechanism when the hand after passing through the first measurement position moves to a second measurement position.

Description

Industrial robot and method for controlling industrial robot

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an industrial robot that transports a rectangular or square transport object. The present invention also relates to a method for controlling the industrial robot.

Background

Conventionally, an industrial robot for conveying a rectangular workpiece such as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display is known (for example, see patent document 1). The industrial robot described in patent document 1, for example, carries out a workpiece from a storage cassette and carries the workpiece to a predetermined processing apparatus. The industrial robot includes: a hand for loading a workpiece; a multi-joint arm to the tip end side of which a hand is rotatably connected; and a base to which a base end side of the articulated arm is rotatably connected. Further, the industrial robot includes: an arm driving mechanism that extends and retracts the multi-joint arm; a rotating mechanism that rotates the base; and a moving mechanism that moves the base in the horizontal direction. The arm driving mechanism extends and contracts the arm so that the hand moves linearly with respect to the base in a fixed direction.

In the industrial robot described in patent document 1, the hand includes two placing portions on which the workpiece is placed. Alignment sensors are mounted on the upper surfaces of the two placement portions on the distal ends thereof. The alignment sensor is a reflective optical sensor. When the moving direction of the hand that moves linearly when the arm extends and retracts is set as the front-rear direction, the alignment sensor detects one end surface in the front-rear direction of the workpiece stored in the storage cassette from below.

In the industrial robot described in patent document 1, before a workpiece stored in a storage cassette is loaded on a hand, one end surface in the front-rear direction of the workpiece stored in the storage cassette is detected by an alignment sensor, and the position and orientation (inclination in the horizontal plane) of the workpiece stored in the storage cassette in the front-rear direction are determined based on the detection result of the alignment sensor. Further, the position and orientation of the hand in the front-rear direction taught in advance are corrected based on the determined position and orientation of the workpiece in the front-rear direction, and the workpiece is loaded on the hand whose position and orientation in the front-rear direction are corrected.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2006-272526

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

In recent years, a construction method (panel level package (PLP)) for collectively manufacturing a plurality of semiconductor packages by arranging a large number of chips on a large rectangular or square panel has been widespread, and an industrial robot has been used in a manufacturing line for semiconductor packages using PLPs. PLP includes a step of coating (sealing) the upper surface of a panel on which a large number of chips are mounted with a resin, and the like, and a large warpage is likely to occur in a panel handled in a manufacturing line of a semiconductor package using PLP.

In the industrial robot described in patent document 1, in order to place the workpiece in the processing apparatus after correcting the position and orientation of the workpiece placed in the storage box in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction (i.e., the position and orientation in the horizontal direction) to appropriate positions and orientations, the position and orientation of the hand in the horizontal direction may be corrected when the workpiece is carried out from the storage box and the workpiece is carried into the processing apparatus. In this case, for example, a sensor for detecting the position of the workpiece carried out of the storage cassette in the left-right direction is attached to the base.

In this case, in order to correct the position and orientation of the workpiece placed in the storage cassette in the front-rear direction, the position and orientation of the workpiece in the front-rear direction are corrected based on the detection result of the alignment sensor before the workpiece placed in the storage cassette is loaded on the hand, and then the workpiece is loaded on the corrected hand, and in order to correct the position of the workpiece in the left-right direction, the position of the hand in the left-right direction is corrected when the workpiece loaded on the hand is loaded into the processing apparatus and placed based on the detection result of the sensor attached to the base.

The present inventors are studying the following techniques: in the industrial robot described in patent document 1, for example, when an operation of carrying out a conveyance object that is largely warped such as a panel handled in a manufacturing line of a semiconductor package using PLP out of a storage cassette and carrying the conveyance object into a processing apparatus is performed, the position and orientation of a hand in the horizontal direction are corrected in order to place the conveyance object in the processing apparatus after correcting the position and orientation of the conveyance object placed in the storage cassette in the horizontal direction.

However, as a result of studies by the present inventors, it has been found that when the alignment sensor attached to the upper surface of the hand placement unit is a reflective optical sensor as in the industrial robot described in patent document 1, if the object to be conveyed is largely warped, the vertical distance between the alignment sensor and the end surface (end surface in the front-rear direction) of the object to be conveyed becomes unstable, and light emitted from the alignment sensor and reflected by a portion other than the end surface of the object to be conveyed may be incident on the alignment sensor first. That is, the inventors of the present application have found, through their studies, that when the alignment sensor is a reflective optical sensor and a large warpage occurs in the object to be conveyed, the alignment sensor may not be able to appropriately detect the end face in the front-rear direction of the object to be conveyed.

If the front-rear direction end face of the conveyance object cannot be appropriately detected by the alignment sensor, the position and orientation of the hand in the front-rear direction cannot be appropriately corrected based on the detection result of the alignment sensor before the conveyance object placed in the storage case is loaded on the hand. Therefore, it is not possible to properly correct the position and orientation in the horizontal direction of the conveyance target object placed in the storage cassette and then place the conveyance target object in the processing apparatus.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an industrial robot that can appropriately correct the position and orientation of a hand in a horizontal direction in order to place a conveyance target object placed on a receiving portion on a delivery portion after appropriately correcting the position and orientation of the conveyance target object in the horizontal direction even if the conveyance target object is largely warped, in carrying out the conveyance target object from the predetermined receiving portion and carrying the conveyance target object into the predetermined delivery portion.

Further, the present invention has been made in an effort to provide a method of controlling an industrial robot that carries a conveyance target object out of a predetermined receiving portion and into a predetermined delivery portion, wherein even if the conveyance target object is largely warped, the position and orientation of the hand in the horizontal direction can be appropriately corrected in order to place the conveyance target object on the delivery portion after the position and orientation of the conveyance target object placed on the receiving portion in the horizontal direction are appropriately corrected.

Technical scheme for solving technical problem

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an industrial robot for conveying a rectangular or square conveyance object, comprising: a hand on which a conveyance object is loaded; an arm to which a hand is rotatably connected at a distal end side thereof and which extends and contracts in a horizontal direction; a body portion to which a base end side of an arm is rotatably connected; an optical detection mechanism mounted on the main body; and a control unit that controls the industrial robot, and performs an operation when the arm is contracted so that the hand receiving the conveyance object moves closer to the main body at the receiving position, that is, a first operation, and an operation when the arm is extended so that the hand receiving the conveyance object moves to the transfer position after the first operation, that is, a second operation, when the arm is moved to the transfer position, the hand moving linearly with respect to the main body in a state in which the hand moves in a predetermined direction when the industrial robot performs the first operation, when a position of the hand when the conveyance object placed in the predetermined receiving unit is loaded on the hand in a state in which the arm is extended is set as a receiving position, and a position of the hand when the conveyance object loaded on the hand is transferred to the predetermined transfer unit in a state in which the arm is extended, the detection mechanism is a transmission-type detection mechanism having a light receiving unit and a light emitting unit, wherein the light receiving unit is composed of a line sensor or an area sensor, the light emitting unit is disposed opposite to the light receiving unit with a predetermined interval in the vertical direction, if the moving direction of the hand when the industrial robot performs the first operation is defined as the front-back direction and the direction orthogonal to the front-back direction and the vertical direction is defined as the left-right direction, one end surface in the left-right direction of the object to be conveyed passes through the light receiving unit and the light emitting unit when the industrial robot performs the first operation, the control unit acquires first position data, second position data and third position data, wherein the first position data is data of the position of the hand in the front-back direction when the detection mechanism detects the object to be conveyed when the industrial robot performs the first operation, and the second position data is data after the detection mechanism detects the object to be conveyed, and a third position data which is data of a position of the one end surface in the left-right direction of the object to be conveyed detected by the detection means in the left-right direction when the hand having passed the first measurement position moves to the predetermined second measurement position, wherein the position and orientation of the hand in the horizontal direction when reaching the delivery position are corrected based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data when the industrial robot performs the second operation.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a method for controlling an industrial robot, the industrial robot including: a hand on which a rectangular or square object to be conveyed is placed; an arm to which a hand is rotatably connected at a distal end side thereof and which extends and contracts in a horizontal direction; a body portion to which a base end side of an arm is rotatably connected; and an optical detection mechanism which is attached to the main body, and which, when a position of a hand when the object to be conveyed placed in the predetermined receiving portion is loaded on the hand and the object to be conveyed is received in a state where the arm is extended is set as a receiving position, and a position of the hand when the object to be conveyed loaded on the hand is transferred to the predetermined transfer portion in a state where the arm is extended is set as a transfer position, performs an operation when the arm is retracted so that the hand which has received the object to be conveyed in the receiving position approaches the main body, that is, a first operation, and an operation when the arm is extended so that the hand on which the object to be conveyed is loaded moves to the transfer position after the first operation, that is, a second operation, and which, when the hand moves linearly with respect to the main body in a state where the hand moves in a certain direction in the first operation, the detection mechanism is a transmission-type detection mechanism having a light receiving portion and a light emitting portion, wherein the light receiving portion is configured by a line sensor or an area sensor, the light emitting section is disposed opposite to the light receiving section with a predetermined gap therebetween in the vertical direction, and when a moving direction of a hand in a first operation is defined as a front-rear direction and a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction and the vertical direction is defined as a left-right direction, one end surface in the left-right direction of the object to be conveyed in the first operation passes between the light receiving section and the light emitting section, and first position data, second position data, and third position data are acquired, the first position data being data of a position of the hand in the front-rear direction in the first operation when the detection mechanism detects the object to be conveyed in the detection mechanism, and the second position data being data of a position of the one end surface in the left-right direction of the object to be conveyed in the left-right direction in the detection mechanism when the hand moves to a predetermined first measurement position after the detection mechanism detects the object to be conveyed in the detection mechanism And data that is detected by the detection means when the hand having passed the first measurement position moves to a predetermined second measurement position, and corrects the position and orientation of the hand in the horizontal direction when the hand reaches the delivery position based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data when the second operation is performed.

In the present invention, first position data, second position data, and third position data are acquired, the first position data being data of a position of a hand in a front-rear direction when the detection mechanism detects the conveyance object when the industrial robot performs the first operation, the second position data being data of a position of one end surface in a left-right direction of the conveyance object in the left-right direction detected by the detection mechanism when the hand moves to the first measurement position after the detection mechanism detects the conveyance object, the third position data being data of a position of one end surface in the left-right direction of the conveyance object in the left-right direction detected by the detection mechanism when the hand after passing through the first measurement position moves to the second measurement position, the detection mechanism being a transmission-type detection mechanism having a light receiving portion and a light emitting portion disposed to face the light receiving portion.

Therefore, in the present invention, even if the conveyance target object is largely warped, the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data can be appropriately acquired by the detection means. Therefore, in the present invention, the position and orientation in the horizontal direction of the conveyance object loaded on the hand with the conveyance object placed on the receiving portion (position and orientation) held can be appropriately determined based on the appropriate first position data, second position data, and third position data.

In the present invention, since the position and orientation of the hand in the horizontal direction when the robot reaches the delivery position are corrected based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data when the robot performs the second operation, even if the conveyance object is greatly warped, the position and orientation of the hand in the horizontal direction when the conveyance object reaches the delivery position can be appropriately corrected based on the position and orientation of the conveyance object in the horizontal direction after being appropriately determined.

As described above, in the present invention, even if the conveyance target object is largely warped, the position and orientation in the horizontal direction of the conveyance target object loaded on the hand with the conveyance target object placed on the receiving portion held thereon can be appropriately determined, and the position and orientation in the horizontal direction of the hand when reaching the delivery position can be appropriately corrected based on the position and orientation in the horizontal direction of the conveyance target object after being appropriately determined. Therefore, in the present invention, even if the object to be conveyed is largely warped, the position and orientation of the hand in the horizontal direction can be appropriately corrected in order to place the object to be conveyed on the delivery portion after the position and orientation of the object to be conveyed placed on the receiving portion in the horizontal direction are appropriately corrected.

In the present invention, the industrial robot includes, for example, two hands, a first hand and a second hand, as hands, and includes: a first arm as an arm to which the first hand is connected; a second arm as an arm to which a second hand is connected; a body portion for connecting the first arm and the second arm; a first detection means for detecting the conveyance object carried by the first hand; and a second detection means as a detection means for detecting the object to be conveyed loaded on the second hand, wherein the object to be conveyed loaded on the first hand and the object to be conveyed loaded on the second hand are vertically displaced, and the first detection means and the second detection means are attached to the main body in a state of being vertically overlapped.

In this case, since the first detection means detects the transport object placed on the first hand and the second detection means detects the transport object placed on the second hand, even if the second arm is contracted in a state where the transport object is placed on the second hand, the control unit can appropriately acquire the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data, the first position data being data of the position of the first hand in the front-rear direction when the transport object placed on the first hand is detected by the first detection means, the second position data being data of the position of the one end face in the left-right direction of the transport object in the left-right direction detected by the first detection means when the first hand moves to the first measurement position, and the third position data being data of the position of the one end face in the left-right direction of the transport object in the left-right direction detected by the first detection means when the first hand moves to the second measurement position.

Further, even if the first arm is retracted in a state where the object to be conveyed is loaded on the first hand, the control unit can acquire first position data of a position of the second hand in the front-rear direction when the second detection means detects the object to be conveyed loaded on the second hand, second position data of a position of one end surface of the object to be conveyed in the left-right direction detected by the second detection means when the second hand moves to the first measurement position, and third position data of a position of one end surface of the object to be conveyed in the left-right direction detected by the second detection means when the second hand moves to the second measurement position.

In the present invention, the industrial robot includes, for example: an arm driving mechanism which extends and contracts the arm so that the hand moves linearly with respect to the main body portion in a state of facing a certain direction; a rotating mechanism that rotates the main body; and a horizontal movement mechanism that moves the main body in the left-right direction, wherein the control unit controls the arm drive mechanism, the pivot mechanism, and the horizontal movement mechanism based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data when the industrial robot performs the second operation, and corrects the position and the orientation of the hand in the horizontal direction when the hand reaches the delivery position.

Effects of the invention

As described above, in the present invention, in an industrial robot that carries a conveyance target object out of a predetermined receiving portion and carries the conveyance target object into a predetermined delivery portion, even if the conveyance target object is largely warped, in order to place the conveyance target object on the delivery portion after the position and orientation of the conveyance target object placed on the receiving portion in the horizontal direction are appropriately corrected, the position and orientation of the hand in the horizontal direction can be appropriately corrected.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an industrial robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the industrial robot shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the industrial robot shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 (a), 4 (B), and 4 (C) are plan views for explaining the operation of the industrial robot shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of an industrial robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the industrial robot shown in fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a rear view of an industrial robot according to various embodiments of the present invention.

(description of symbols)

1. Robot (Industrial robot)

2. Object to be conveyed

3. Storage box (receiving part)

4. Processing equipment (interface)

5. Hand (first hand)

6. Hand (the second hand)

7. Arm (first arm)

8. Arm (second arm)

9. Main body part

20. 21 arm driving mechanism

22. Rotating mechanism

24. Horizontal rotating mechanism

25. Control unit

26. Detection mechanism (first detection mechanism)

27. Detection mechanism (second detection mechanism)

28. Alignment mechanism

30. Light emitting part

31. Light receiving part

X front-back direction

Y right and left directions.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(construction of Industrial robot)

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an industrial robot 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the industrial robot 1 shown in fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the industrial robot 1 shown in fig. 1.

The industrial robot 1 (hereinafter, referred to as "robot 1") according to the present embodiment is a horizontal articulated robot for conveying a predetermined conveyance object 2. The object 2 to be conveyed in the present embodiment is a large panel processed in a semiconductor package manufacturing line using PLP. The conveyance object 2 is formed in a rectangular or square flat plate shape. The robot 1 transports the transport objects 2 from the storage cassettes 3, in which the transport objects 2 are stored, to the processing device 4, which performs predetermined processing on the transport objects 2.

That is, the robot 1 carries out the conveyance object 2 from the storage cassette 3, and carries the conveyance object 2 carried out of the storage cassette 3 into the processing device 4. A plurality of conveyance objects 2 are housed in the storage box 3 in a stacked manner with a gap therebetween in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the storage box 3 is a receiving portion for receiving the object 2 to be conveyed by the robot 1, and the processing device 4 is a transfer portion for transferring the object 2 to be conveyed by the robot 1.

The robot 1 may transport the transport object 2 from the processing apparatus 4 to the storage cassette 3. That is, the robot 1 may carry the object 2 out of the processing device 4 and carry the object 2 carried out of the processing device 4 into the storage box 3. In this case, the processing device 4 is a receiving unit for receiving the object 2 to be conveyed by the robot 1, and the storage box 3 is a delivery unit for delivering the object 2 to be conveyed by the robot 1.

The robot 1 includes: two hands 5, 6, the said two hands 5, 6 is used for transporting the object 2 to load; an arm 7 to which a hand 5 is rotatably connected to a distal end side of the arm 7; an arm 8 to which a hand 6 is connected at a distal end side of the arm 8; a body 9 to which the base ends of the

arms

7 and 8 are rotatably connected; a housing 10, the housing 10 being for accommodating a lower portion of the main body portion 9; and a base 11, the base 11 supporting the main body portion 9 and the housing 10 to be movable in the horizontal direction. In the present embodiment, the hand 5 is a first hand, and the hand 6 is a second hand. In the present embodiment, the arm 7 is a first arm, and the arm 8 is a second arm.

The hands 5, 6 include: a hand base portion 14, the hand base portion 14 being rotatably connected to the front end sides of the

arms

7, 8; and a plurality of linear fork parts 15, wherein the upper surface side of the plurality of fork parts 15 is used for placing the object 2. The hands 5 and 6 of the present embodiment include two fork portions 15. The two fork parts 15 project from the hand base part 14 in the same direction in the horizontal direction. The two fork portions 15 are arranged parallel to each other. The fork parts 15 of the hand 5 and the fork parts 15 of the hand 6 project in the same direction. The fork 15 of the hand 5 and the fork 15 of the hand 6 are vertically offset. That is, the conveyance object 2 loaded on the hand 5 and the conveyance object 2 loaded on the hand 6 are vertically displaced. In the present embodiment, the fork 15 of the hand 5 is disposed above the fork 15 of the hand 6.

The

arms

7 and 8 are multi-joint arms that extend and contract in the horizontal direction. The

arms

7 and 8 are constituted by two arm portions, i.e., a first arm portion 16 and a second arm portion 17. The base end side of the first arm portion 16 is rotatably connected to the main body portion 9. The base end side of the second arm portion 17 is rotatably connected to the tip end side of the first arm portion 16. The hands 5 and 6 are rotatably connected to the tip end side of the second arm portion 17.

The first arm portion 16 is disposed above the main body portion 9. The second arm portion 17 is disposed above the first arm portion 16. The hands 5 and 6 are disposed above the second arm 17. The base end side of the first arm portion 16 of the arm 7 and the base end side of the first arm portion 16 of the arm 8 are connected to the main body portion 9 so as to be adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction. The

arms

7 and 8 are disposed adjacent to each other and at the same position in the vertical direction.

In the horizontal direction, the distance between the center of rotation of the first arm portion 16 with respect to the main body portion 9 and the center of rotation of the second arm portion 17 with respect to the first arm portion 16 is equal to the distance between the center of rotation of the second arm portion 17 with respect to the first arm portion 16 and the center of rotation of the hands 5, 6 with respect to the second arm portion 17. The

arms

7, 8 are horizontally extendable and retractable between a position where the

arms

7, 8 are extended so that the front ends of the hands 5, 6 (the front ends of the fork portions 15) are spaced apart from the main body portion 9 and a position where the

arms

7, 8 are retracted so that the front ends of the hands 5, 6 are close to the main body portion 9. When the amount of expansion and contraction of the

arms

7, 8 is equal, the fork 15 of the hand 5 and the fork 15 of the hand 6 overlap in the vertical direction. In this case, the arm 7 and the arm 8 are arranged in line symmetry when viewed in the vertical direction.

The main body 9 is rotatable relative to the housing 10 in an axial direction in which the vertical direction is rotational. Further, the main body 9 can be raised and lowered with respect to the housing 10. The housing 10 is linearly movable in a horizontal direction with respect to the base 11. In the following description, the moving direction of the housing 10 with respect to the base 11 (Y direction in fig. 1 and the like) is referred to as "left-right direction", and the X direction in fig. 1 and the like orthogonal to the left-right direction and the up-down direction is referred to as "front-back direction". One side in the front-rear direction, that is, the X1 direction side in fig. 1 and the like, is referred to as a "front" side, and the opposite side, that is, the X2 direction side in fig. 1 and the like, is referred to as a "rear" side.

In the present embodiment, for example, a plurality of storage cassettes 3 are arranged in the left-right direction. Further, for example, the plurality of storage cassettes 3 are disposed on one side of the robot 1 in the front-rear direction, and the processing device 4 is disposed on the other side of the robot 1 in the front-rear direction. For example, the plurality of storage cassettes 3 are disposed on the front side of the robot 1, and the processing device 4 is disposed on the rear side of the robot 1. In the storage cassette 3 and the processing apparatus 4, the end surfaces of the objects 2 to be conveyed, which are placed on the hands 5 and 6, are substantially parallel to the front-rear direction or the left-right direction.

Further, the robot 1 includes: an arm drive mechanism 20, the arm drive mechanism 20 extending and contracting the arm 7; an arm drive mechanism 21, the arm drive mechanism 21 extending and contracting the arm 8; a rotation mechanism 22 for rotating the main body 9 by the rotation mechanism 22; an elevating mechanism 23 for elevating the main body 9 by the elevating mechanism 23; a horizontal movement mechanism 24, the horizontal movement mechanism 24 moving the main body 9 in a horizontal direction together with the housing 10; and a control unit 25, wherein the control unit 25 controls the robot 1. Further, the robot 1 includes: a detection mechanism 26, the detection mechanism 26 being configured to detect the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 5; and a detection mechanism 27, wherein the detection mechanism 27 is used for detecting the conveying object 2 loaded on the hand 6. In the present embodiment, the detection means 26 is a first detection means, and the detection means 27 is a second detection means.

The arm drive mechanism 20 includes: a motor as a driving source; and a power transmission mechanism that transmits power of the motor to the arm 7 and the hand 5. The arm drive mechanism 20 extends and contracts the arm 7 so as to linearly move the hand 5 with respect to the main body 9 in a fixed direction. The arm drive mechanism 21 is similar to the arm drive mechanism 20, and includes: a motor as a driving source; and a power transmission mechanism that transmits power of the motor to the arm 8 and the hand 6. The arm drive mechanism 21 extends and contracts the arm 8 so as to linearly move the hand 6 with respect to the main body 9 in a fixed direction. The

arm driving mechanisms

20 and 21 are electrically connected to the control unit 25. Specifically, the motors and the like of the

arm drive mechanisms

20 and 21 are electrically connected to the control unit 25.

The rotation mechanism 22 rotates the main body 9 relative to the housing 10 in an axial direction in which the vertical direction is a rotation direction. That is, the turning mechanism 22 turns the

arms

7 and 8 together with the main body 9 in the axial direction in which the vertical direction is turned. The rotation mechanism 22 includes: a motor as a driving source; and a power transmission mechanism that transmits power of the motor to the main body portion 9. The rotation mechanism 22 is housed in the case 10. The rotation mechanism 22 is electrically connected to the control unit 25. Specifically, the motor and the like of the turning mechanism 22 are electrically connected to the control unit 25.

The lifting mechanism 23 lifts the main body 9 relative to the housing 10. That is, the lifting mechanism 23 lifts and lowers the

arms

7 and 8 together with the main body 9. The lifting mechanism 23 lifts and lowers the turning mechanism 22 together with the main body 9. The elevating mechanism 23 is housed in the case 10. The lifting mechanism 23 includes: a motor as a driving source; and a power transmission mechanism that transmits power of the motor to the main body portion 9. The elevating mechanism 23 is electrically connected to the control unit 25. Specifically, the motor and the like of the turning mechanism 23 are electrically connected to the control unit 25.

The horizontal movement mechanism 24 linearly moves the housing 10 in the left-right direction with respect to the base 11. That is, the horizontal movement mechanism 24 linearly moves the body 9 and the

arms

7 and 8 in the left-right direction together with the housing 10. The horizontal movement mechanism 24 includes: a motor as a driving source; and a power transmission mechanism that transmits power of the motor to the housing 10. The horizontal movement mechanism 24 is electrically connected to the control unit 25. Specifically, the motor and the like of the horizontal movement mechanism 24 are electrically connected to the control unit 25.

The

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 are optical detection mechanisms having a light emitting section 30 and a light receiving section 31. The detection means 26 and 27 are transmissive detection means. Light emitting unit 30 is disposed to face light receiving unit 31 with a predetermined gap in the vertical direction from light receiving unit 31. The light receiving unit 31 of the present embodiment is a line sensor. In the light receiving unit 31, a plurality of light receiving elements are arranged in a row in the left-right direction. The optical axis of the light emitted from the light emitting unit 30 may be parallel to the vertical direction or may be slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction.

The

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 are attached to the main body 9. Specifically, the

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 are fixed to a sensor fixing member 32 fixed to the main body 9, and the

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 are attached to the main body 9 via the sensor fixing member 32. The detection mechanism 26 and the detection mechanism 27 are attached to the main body 9 via the sensor fixing member 32 in a state of being overlapped in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the detection mechanism 26 is disposed directly above the detection mechanism 27. The

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 move up and down while rotating with respect to the housing 10 together with the main body 9. The

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 move in the left-right direction together with the main body 9. The

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 are electrically connected to the control unit 25.

As described above, the robot 1 conveys the conveyance target objects 2 from the storage cassettes 3 to the processing apparatus 4. Further, as described above, the

arms

7, 8 are extendable and retractable in the horizontal direction between a position where the

arms

7, 8 are extended so that the distal ends of the hands 5, 6 are separated from the main body 9 and a position where the

arms

7, 8 are retracted so that the distal ends of the hands 5, 6 are close to the main body 9. In the present embodiment, when the robot 1 receives the conveyance object 2 from the storage cassette 3 and when the robot 1 delivers the conveyance object 2 to the processing device 4, the

arms

7 and 8 are in the extended state.

When the position of the hand 5 (see fig. 1) when the hand 5 is loaded with the transport object 2 placed in the storage cassette 3 in the state where the arm 7 is extended and the transport object 2 is received is set as the receiving position 5A and the position of the hand 5 when the transport object 2 loaded in the hand 5 is delivered to the processing apparatus 4 in the state where the arm 7 is extended is set as the delivery position 5B, the robot 1 performs an operation when the arm 7 is retracted so that the hand 5 receiving the transport object 2 at the receiving position 5A comes close to the main body 9, that is, a first operation M11 and an operation when the arm 7 is extended after the first operation M11 until the hand 5 loaded with the transport object 2 moves to the delivery position 5B, that is, a second operation M12. In a state after the first operation M11 is completed, the turning radius (turning radius) of the main body 9 including the object 2 to be conveyed loaded on the hand 5, and the arm 7 is minimized.

Similarly, when the position of the hand 6 when the hand 6 is loaded with the transport object 2 placed in the storage cassette 3 in the state where the arm 8 is extended and the transport object 2 is received is set as the receiving position 6A and the position of the hand 6 when the transport object 2 loaded in the hand 6 is delivered to the processing apparatus 4 in the state where the arm 8 is extended is set as the delivery position 6B, the robot 1 performs the operation when the arm 8 is retracted so that the hand 6 receiving the transport object 2 at the receiving position 6A approaches the main body 9, that is, the first operation M21 and the operation when the arm 8 is extended until the hand 6 loaded with the transport object 2 moves to the delivery position 6B after the first operation M21, that is, the second operation M22. In the state after the first operation M21 is completed, the turning radius of the main body 9 including the object 2 to be conveyed loaded on the hand 6, and the arm 8 is minimized.

As described above, the arm drive mechanism 20 extends and contracts the arm 7 so as to linearly move the hand 5 with respect to the main body 9 in a state of facing a certain direction, and the arm drive mechanism 21 extends and contracts the arm 8 so as to linearly move the hand 6 with respect to the main body 9 in a state of facing a certain direction. That is, the hand 5 moves linearly with respect to the main body 9 in a state of facing in a certain direction when the robot 1 performs the first motion M11, and the hand 6 moves linearly with respect to the main body 9 in a state of facing in a certain direction when the robot 1 performs the first motion M21. The hand 5 moves linearly with respect to the main body 9 in a state of facing in a certain direction when the robot 1 performs the second motion M12, and the hand 6 moves linearly with respect to the main body 9 in a state of facing in a certain direction when the robot 1 performs the second motion M22.

In the present embodiment, since the storage case 3 is disposed on the front side of the robot 1 and the processing device 4 is disposed on the rear side of the robot 1, the hand 5 moves linearly in the front-rear direction when the robot 1 performs the first motion M11 and when the robot 1 performs the second motion M12. Further, the hand 6 moves linearly in the front-rear direction when the robot 1 performs the first motion M21 and when the robot 1 performs the second motion M22.

Specifically, the hand 5 moves linearly to the rear side in a state where the tip of the fork 15 is directed to the front side when the robot 1 performs the first motion M11, and moves linearly to the rear side in a state where the tip of the fork 15 is directed to the rear side when the robot 1 performs the second motion M12. Further, the hand 6 moves linearly to the rear side in a state where the front end of the fork 15 is directed to the front side when the robot 1 performs the first motion M21, and moves linearly to the rear side in a state where the front end of the fork 15 is directed to the rear side when the robot 1 performs the second motion M22.

When the robot 1 performs the first operation M11, one end surface of the object 2 to be conveyed, which is mounted on the hand 5, in the left-right direction passes between the light emitting unit 30 of the detection mechanism 26 and the light receiving unit 31 of the detection mechanism 26. That is, the detection mechanism 26 is disposed at a position where one end surface of the conveyance object 2 loaded on the hand 5 in the left-right direction passes between the light emitting portion 30 of the detection mechanism 26 and the light receiving portion 31 of the detection mechanism 26 when the robot 1 performs the first operation M11. The detection mechanism 26 is disposed at a position rearward of the rear end of the transport object 2 placed on the hand 5 disposed at the receiving position 5A. When the robot 1 performs the second operation M12, one end surface of the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 5 in the left-right direction also passes between the light emitting unit 30 of the detection mechanism 26 and the light receiving unit 31 of the detection mechanism 26.

Similarly, when the robot 1 performs the first operation M21, one end surface of the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 6 in the left-right direction passes between the light emitting unit 30 of the detection mechanism 27 and the light receiving unit 31 of the detection mechanism 27. That is, the detection mechanism 27 is disposed at a position where one end surface of the conveyance object 2 loaded on the hand 6 in the left-right direction passes between the light emitting portion 30 of the detection mechanism 27 and the light receiving portion 31 of the detection mechanism 27 when the robot 1 performs the first operation M21. The detection mechanism 27 is disposed at a position rearward of the rear end of the conveyance object 2 loaded on the hand 6 disposed at the receiving position 6A. When the robot 1 performs the second operation M22, the one end surface of the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 6 in the left-right direction also passes between the light emitting unit 30 of the detection mechanism 27 and the light receiving unit 31 of the detection mechanism 27.

As described above, since the light receiving unit 31 is a line sensor in which a plurality of light receiving elements are aligned in a row in the left-right direction, the position of one end surface in the left-right direction of the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 5 in the left-right direction can be detected by the detection mechanism 26. Similarly, the position of one end surface in the left-right direction of the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 6 can be detected by the detection mechanism 27.

Further, the robot 1 performs a turning operation of turning the main body 9 between the first operation M11 and the second operation M12. At this time, the arm 8 is also contracted. Further, the robot 1 performs a turning operation of turning the main body 9 between the first operation M21 and the second operation M22. At this time, the arm 7 also contracts. The robot 1 performs the lifting operation of the main body 9 and the movement operation of the main body 9 in the left-right direction between the first operation M11 and the second operation M12 and between the first operation M21 and the second operation M22, as necessary. The robot 1 performs the up-and-down operation of the main body 9 and the movement operation of the main body 9 in the left-and-right direction in the first operations M11 and M21, or performs the up-and-down operation of the main body 9 and the movement operation of the main body 9 in the left-and-right direction in the second operations M12 and M22, as necessary.

(method of controlling Industrial robot)

Fig. 4 (a), 4 (B), and 4 (C) are plan views for explaining the operation of the robot 1 shown in fig. 1. In fig. 4 (a), 4 (B), and 4 (C), the hand 6 and the like are not shown.

The control unit 25 acquires first position data of the position of the one end surface in the left-right direction of the object to be conveyed 2 in the front-rear direction detected by the detection mechanism 26 when the detection mechanism 26 detects the object to be conveyed 2 (specifically, when the detection mechanism 26 detects the rear end of the object to be conveyed 2 mounted on the hand 5 (that is, when the detection mechanism 26 first detects the object to be conveyed 2 mounted on the hand 5), referring to fig. 4 (a)), second position data of the position of the one end surface in the left-right direction of the object to be conveyed 2 in the left-right direction detected by the detection mechanism 26 when the hand 5 moves to a predetermined first measurement position (referring to fig. 4 (B)) after the detection mechanism 26 detects the object to be conveyed 2, and third position data of the position of the one end surface in the left-right direction of the object to be conveyed 2 detected by the detection mechanism 26 when the hand 5 after passing through the first measurement position moves to a predetermined second measurement position (referring to fig. 4 (C)).

The control unit 25 determines the position of the transport object 2 loaded by the hand 5 in the front-rear direction based on the first position data, and determines the position and orientation (inclination of the transport object 2 in the horizontal plane) of the transport object 2 loaded by the hand 5 in the left-right direction based on the second position data and the third position data. The second positional data is data of the position in the left-right direction of the portion of one end surface in the left-right direction of the transport object 2 which is relatively close to the rear end of the transport object 2 (see fig. 4B), and the third positional data is data of the position in the left-right direction of the portion of the one end surface in the left-right direction of the transport object 2 which is relatively close to the front end of the transport object 2 (see fig. 4C).

The control unit 25 compares the determined position (horizontal position) and orientation of the object 2 to the horizontal position and orientation of the object 2 taught to the robot 1 in advance, and corrects the horizontal position and orientation of the hand 5 when the robot 1 reaches the delivery position 5B based on the comparison result when the robot 1 performs the second operation M12. That is, when the robot 1 performs the second motion M12, the control unit 25 corrects the position and the orientation of the hand 5 in the horizontal direction when reaching the delivery position 5B based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data.

Specifically, when the robot 1 performs the second motion M12, the control unit 25 controls the arm driving mechanism 20, the pivoting mechanism 22, and the horizontal movement mechanism 24 based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data, and corrects the position and the orientation of the hand 5 in the horizontal direction when the hand reaches the delivery position 5B. Further, when the robot 1 performs the second action M12, the control unit 25 corrects the position and the orientation in the horizontal direction of the hand 5 when reaching the delivery position 5B based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data so that the position in the horizontal direction of the object 2 to be conveyed placed on the processing device 4 is an appropriate position and the orientation of the object 2 to be conveyed placed on the processing device 4 is an appropriate orientation.

Similarly, the control unit 25 acquires first position data of the position of the hand 6 in the front-rear direction when the detection mechanism 27 detects the conveyance object 2 (specifically, when the detection mechanism 27 detects the rear end of the conveyance object 2 loaded on the hand 6) when the robot 1 performs the first operation M21, second position data of the position of one end surface in the left-right direction of the conveyance object 2 in the left-right direction detected by the detection mechanism 27 when the hand 6 moves to the predetermined first measurement position after the detection mechanism 27 detects the conveyance object 2, and third position data of the position of one end surface in the left-right direction of the conveyance object 2 in the left-right direction detected by the detection mechanism 27 when the hand 6 after passing through the first measurement position moves to the predetermined second measurement position.

The control unit 25 determines the position of the conveyance object 2 loaded by the hand 6 in the front-rear direction based on the first position data, and determines the position and the orientation of the conveyance object 2 loaded by the hand 6 in the left-right direction based on the second position data and the third position data. The control unit 25 compares the position and the orientation of the conveyance target object 2 in the horizontal direction after the determination with the position and the orientation of the conveyance target object 2 in the horizontal direction taught to the robot 1 in advance, and corrects the position and the orientation of the hand 6 in the horizontal direction when the hand reaches the delivery position 6B based on the comparison result when the robot 1 performs the second motion M22.

That is, when the robot 1 performs the second action M22, the control unit 25 corrects the position and the orientation of the hand 6 in the horizontal direction when reaching the delivery position 6B, based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data. Specifically, when the robot 1 performs the second motion M22, the control unit 25 controls the arm driving mechanism 21, the pivoting mechanism 22, and the horizontal movement mechanism 24 based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data, and corrects the position and the orientation of the hand 6 in the horizontal direction when the hand reaches the delivery position 6B.

Further, when the robot 1 performs the second action M22, the control unit 25 corrects the position and the orientation of the hand 6 in the horizontal direction when reaching the delivery position 6B based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data so that the position of the object 2 to be conveyed placed on the processing device 4 in the horizontal direction is an appropriate position and the orientation of the object 2 to be conveyed placed on the processing device 4 is an appropriate orientation.

When the hand 5 is loaded with the objects 2 to be conveyed placed in the storage case 3, the arm 7 that has contracted extends so as to move the hand 5 to the receiving position 5A taught in advance. The hand 5 carries and holds the conveyance object 2 placed in the storage case 3 (position and orientation). Similarly, when the hand 6 is loaded with the object 2 placed in the storage case 3, the arm 8 that has contracted extends so as to move the hand 6 to the receiving position 6A taught in advance. The hand 6 is provided with the conveyance object 2 held in the storage case 3.

(main effects of the present embodiment)

As described above, in the present embodiment, the control unit 25 acquires the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data using the

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 when the robot 1 performs the first operations M11 and M21, but the

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 are transmissive detection mechanisms including the light receiving unit 31 and the light emitting unit 30 disposed to face the light receiving unit 31. Therefore, in the present embodiment, even if the conveyance target object 2 is largely warped, the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data can be appropriately acquired by the

detection mechanisms

26 and 27. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the position and orientation in the horizontal direction of the transport object 2 loaded on the hands 5 and 6 in the state (position and orientation) of being held in the storage cassette 3 can be appropriately determined based on the appropriate first position data, second position data, and third position data.

In addition, in the present embodiment, when the robot 1 performs the second motions M12, M22, the positions and orientations in the horizontal direction of the hands 5, 6 when reaching the delivery positions 5B, 6B are corrected based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data, and therefore, even if the conveyance object 2 is largely warped, the positions and orientations in the horizontal direction of the hands 5, 6 when reaching the delivery positions 5B, 6B can be appropriately corrected based on the appropriately determined positions and orientations of the conveyance object 2 in the horizontal direction.

As described above, in the present embodiment, even if the conveyance target object 2 is largely warped, the position and orientation in the horizontal direction of the conveyance target object 2 loaded on the hands 5 and 6 while being placed on the storage case 3 can be appropriately determined, and the position and orientation in the horizontal direction of the hands 5 and 6 when reaching the delivery positions 5B and 6B can be appropriately corrected based on the position and orientation in the horizontal direction of the conveyance target object 2 after being appropriately determined. Therefore, in the present embodiment, even if the object 2 is largely warped, the position and orientation of the hands 5 and 6 in the horizontal direction can be appropriately corrected in order to place the object 2 on the processing device 4 after the position and orientation of the object 2 placed on the storage cassette 3 in the horizontal direction are appropriately corrected.

In the present embodiment, the detection mechanism 26 for detecting the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 5 and the detection mechanism 27 for detecting the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 6 are separately provided, and the detection mechanism 26 and the detection mechanism 27 are attached to the main body 9 in a state of being overlapped in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the present embodiment, even if the arm 8 contracts in a state in which the object to be conveyed 2 is loaded on the hand 6, the control unit 25 can appropriately acquire the first position data of the position of the hand 5 in the front-rear direction when the detection mechanism 26 detects the object to be conveyed 2 loaded on the hand 5, the second position data of the position of one end face in the left-right direction of the object to be conveyed 2 in the left-right direction detected by the detection mechanism 26 when the hand 5 moves to the first measurement position, and the third position data of the position of one end face in the left-right direction of the object to be conveyed 2 in the left-right direction detected by the detection mechanism 26 when the hand 5 moves to the second measurement position.

Even if the arm 7 is contracted in a state where the object to be conveyed 2 is loaded on the hand 5, the control unit 25 can appropriately acquire first position data of the position of the hand 6 in the front-rear direction when the detection mechanism 27 detects the object to be conveyed 2 loaded on the hand 6, second position data of the position of one end surface in the left-right direction of the object to be conveyed 2 in the left-right direction when the hand 6 is moved to the first measurement position, which is detected by the detection mechanism 27, and third position data of the position of one end surface in the left-right direction of the object to be conveyed 2 in the left-right direction when the hand 6 is moved to the second measurement position.

(modification of Industrial robot)

Fig. 5 is a plan view of an industrial robot 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a side view of the industrial robot 1 shown in fig. 5. In fig. 5 and 6, the same components as those of the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In the above embodiment, the arm 7 and the arm 8 are disposed at the same position in the vertical direction and adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction, but the arm 7 and the arm 8 may be disposed at positions shifted from each other in the vertical direction as shown in fig. 5 and 6. In this case, the main body portion 9 includes: an arm support 57 that supports the base end sides of the

arms

7 and 8 and is capable of moving up and down; a support frame 58, the support frame 58 supporting the arm support 57 to be liftable; and a swing frame 59, the swing frame 59 constituting a lower end portion of the main body 9.

As shown in fig. 6, the base end side of the arm 7 is rotatably connected to the upper end side of the arm support 57, and the base end side of the arm 8 is rotatably connected to the lower end side of the arm support 57. The support frame 58 holds the hands 5, 6 and the

arms

7, 8 via the arm support 57 so as to be liftable. The lower end of the support frame 58 is fixed to the revolving frame 59. The revolving frame 59 is connected to the base 60 so as to be rotatable in the axial direction in which the vertical direction is a rotation direction. The base 60 is linearly movable in the left-right direction with respect to the base 11.

The arm drive mechanism 20 extends and contracts the arm 7 so that the hand 5 linearly moves with respect to the arm support 57 in a predetermined direction. That is, the arm drive mechanism 20 extends and contracts the arm 7 so as to linearly move the hand 5 with respect to the main body 9 in a fixed direction. The arm drive mechanism 21 extends and contracts the arm 8 so as to linearly move the hand 6 with respect to the arm support 57 in a fixed direction. That is, the arm drive mechanism 21 extends and contracts the arm 8 so as to linearly move the hand 6 with respect to the main body 9 in a fixed direction.

The rotating mechanism 22 rotates the revolving frame 59 relative to the base 60 in the axial direction in which the vertical direction is the rotation direction. That is, the rotation mechanism 22 rotates the main body 9 relative to the base 60 in the axial direction in which the vertical direction is the rotation direction. The lifting mechanism 23 lifts and lowers the arm support 57 relative to the support frame 58. The horizontal movement mechanism 24 linearly moves the base 60 in the left-right direction with respect to the base 11. That is, the horizontal movement mechanism 24 linearly moves the main body 9 in the left-right direction together with the base 60.

The

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 are mounted on the arm support 57 of the main body 9. Specifically, the

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 are fixed to a sensor fixing member (not shown) fixed to the arm support 57, and the

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 are attached to the main body 9 via the sensor fixing member. The detection mechanism 26 and the detection mechanism 27 are attached to the main body 9 in a vertically overlapped state.

The detection mechanism 26 is disposed at a position where one end surface of the conveyance object 2 loaded on the hand 5 in the left-right direction passes between the light emitting portion 30 of the detection mechanism 26 and the light receiving portion 31 of the detection mechanism 26 when the robot 1 performs the first operation M11. The detection mechanism 27 is disposed at a position where one end surface of the conveyance object 2 loaded on the hand 6 in the left-right direction passes between the light emitting portion 30 of the detection mechanism 27 and the light receiving portion 31 of the detection mechanism 27 when the robot 1 performs the first operation M21.

(different modifications of the Industrial robot)

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the industrial robot 1 according to the different embodiment of the present invention. In fig. 7, the same components as those of the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In the industrial robot shown in fig. 7, an alignment mechanism 28 is further provided between the

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 and the main body 9, and the alignment mechanism 28 adjusts (aligns) the positions at which the

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 are attached to the main body 9. Specifically, the

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 are fixed to the sensor fixing member 32 fixed to the main body 9 via the alignment mechanism 28, and the

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 are attached to the main body 9 via the alignment mechanism 28 and the sensor fixing member 32. The alignment mechanism 28 is a stage capable of adjusting the positions of the

detection mechanisms

26, 27 relative to the sensor fixing member 32 in the X direction, the Y direction, the Z direction, and the θ direction within the XY plane. The position of the

detection mechanisms

26 and 27 may be adjusted manually by the alignment mechanism 28, or may be automatically adjusted by the control unit 25. By adjusting the mounting positions, angles, and the like of the

detection mechanisms

26, 27 by the alignment mechanism 28, the positions as references of the conveyance object 2 and the

detection mechanisms

26, 27 are easily obtained, and readjustment is easy when the positions, angles, and the like of the

detection mechanisms

26, 27 are shifted. The alignment mechanism 28 may be a mechanism that enables adjustment in at least any one of the four directions.

(other embodiments)

The above embodiment is an example of a preferable embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without changing the gist of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the robot 1 may include the detection mechanism 26 disposed at a position where one end surface in the left-right direction of the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 5 passes through between the light emitting portion 30 and the light receiving portion 31 when the robot 1 performs the first operation M11, and the detection mechanism 26 disposed at a position where the other end surface in the left-right direction of the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 5 passes through between the light emitting portion 30 and the light receiving portion 31 when the robot 1 performs the first operation M11.

In this case, when the robot 1 performs the first action M11, the presence or absence of a defect (fragment) and the size of a defect at both ends in the left-right direction of the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 5 can be detected by using the two detection mechanisms 26. In this case, the light receiving unit 31 of the detection mechanism 26 additionally provided may not be a line sensor. In this case, the detection means 26 additionally provided may be a reflection-type detection means.

Similarly, the robot 1 may include a detection mechanism 27 disposed at a position where one end surface in the left-right direction of the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 6 passes through between the light emitting portion 30 and the light receiving portion 31 when the robot 1 performs the first operation M21, and may further include a detection mechanism 27 disposed at a position where the other end surface in the left-right direction of the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 6 passes through between the light emitting portion 30 and the light receiving portion 31 when the robot 1 performs the first operation M21.

In this case, when the robot 1 performs the first operation M21, the presence or absence of a defect (fragment) and the size of a defect at both ends in the left-right direction of the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 6 can be detected by using the two detection mechanisms 27. In this case, the light receiving unit 31 of the detection mechanism 27 additionally provided may not be a line sensor. In this case, the detection means 27 additionally provided may be a reflection-type detection means.

In the above embodiment, the robot 1 may include one detection mechanism. In this case, when the robot 1 performs the first operation M11, one end surface in the left-right direction of the object 2 to be conveyed, which is placed on the hand 5, passes through between the light emitting section 30 and the light receiving section 31 of one detection mechanism, and when the robot 1 performs the first operation M21, one end surface in the left-right direction of the object 2 to be conveyed, which is placed on the hand 6, passes through between the light emitting section 30 and the light receiving section 31 of one detection mechanism. In this case, when the robot 1 performs the first action M11, the arm 8 is extended or contracted in a state where the object 2 is not mounted on the hand 6, and when the robot 1 performs the first action M21, the arm 7 is extended or contracted in a state where the object 2 is not mounted on the hand 5.

In the above embodiment, the light receiving unit 31 may be an area sensor in which a plurality of light receiving elements are two-dimensionally arranged. In this case, the position of one end surface in the left-right direction of the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 5 in the left-right direction can be detected by the detection mechanism 26. Similarly, the position of one end surface in the left-right direction of the transport object 2 loaded on the hand 6 can be detected by the detection mechanism 27.

In the above embodiment, the robot 1 may include one hand and one arm. For example, the robot 1 may also comprise only one hand 5 and one arm 7. In this case, the detection mechanism 27 is not necessary. Further, when the robot 1 includes one hand and one arm, for example, the robot 1 may include: a first arm drive mechanism that rotates the first arm 16 with respect to the main body 9; a second arm driving mechanism that rotates the second arm 17 relative to the first arm 16; and a hand drive mechanism that rotates the hand 5 with respect to the second arm portion 17, instead of the arm drive mechanism 20. In this case, the robot 1 may not include the rotation mechanism 22 and the horizontal movement mechanism 24, for example.

In addition, when the number of hands and arms included in the robot 1 is one, the number of arm portions included in the arm 7 may be three or more. For example, as described in japanese patent laid-open No. 2019-176029, the number of arm portions included in the arm 7 may be three. In this case, the robot 1 may not include the rotation mechanism 22 and the horizontal movement mechanism 24, for example.

In the above embodiment, the number of the fork parts 15 included in the hands 5 and 6 may be 3 or more. In the above embodiment, the storage box 3 and the processing device 4 may be disposed on the front side of the robot 1. In the above embodiment, the conveyance target 2 may be a member other than a large panel handled in a semiconductor package manufacturing line using PLP.

Claims

1. An industrial robot for conveying a rectangular or square object to be conveyed, comprising:

a hand on which the conveyance object is loaded;

an arm to which the hand is rotatably connected at a distal end side thereof and which extends and contracts in a horizontal direction;

a body portion to which a base end side of the arm is rotatably connected;

an optical detection mechanism mounted on the main body; and

a control unit that controls the industrial robot,

and a controller configured to perform a first operation and a second operation, when the position of the hand when the hand is placed on the hand and the transport object placed on a predetermined receiving portion is received in a state where the arm is extended is set as a receiving position, and when the position of the hand when the transport object placed on the hand is delivered to a predetermined delivery portion in a state where the arm is extended is set as a delivery position, the first operation is an operation when the arm is retracted so that the hand receiving the transport object approaches the main body portion in the receiving position, and the second operation is an operation when the arm is extended so that the hand on which the transport object is placed moves to the delivery position after the first operation,

the hand is linearly moved with respect to the main body in a state of being oriented in a predetermined direction when the industrial robot performs the first motion,

the detection mechanism is a transmission-type detection mechanism having a light receiving section and a light emitting section, wherein the light receiving section is formed of a line sensor or an area sensor, the light emitting section is disposed to face the light receiving section with a predetermined gap in a vertical direction,

when the moving direction of the hand in the first operation of the industrial robot is defined as a front-rear direction and a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction and a vertical direction is defined as a left-right direction,

when the industrial robot performs the first operation, one end surface of the object to be conveyed in the left-right direction passes through the space between the light receiving part and the light emitting part,

the control unit acquires first position data indicating a position of the hand in a front-rear direction when the detection unit detects the object to be conveyed when the industrial robot performs the first operation, second position data indicating a position of one end surface of the object to be conveyed in a left-right direction when the hand is moved to a predetermined first measurement position after the detection unit detects the object to be conveyed, and third position data indicating a position of one end surface of the object to be conveyed in the left-right direction when the hand having passed the first measurement position is moved to a predetermined second measurement position, the position and orientation of the hand in the horizontal direction when the hand has reached the transfer position being corrected based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data when the industrial robot performs the second operation.

2. The industrial robot of claim 1,

the hands include two hands, a first hand and a second hand,

and comprises:

a first arm as the arm to which the first hand is connected;

a second arm as the arm to which the second hand is connected;

a body portion for connecting the first arm and the second arm;

a first detection unit that detects the conveyance object placed on the first hand; and

a second detection means as the detection means for detecting the conveyance object loaded on the second hand,

the object to be conveyed loaded on the first hand and the object to be conveyed loaded on the second hand are vertically displaced from each other,

the first detection means and the second detection means are attached to the main body in a state of being overlapped in a vertical direction.

3. An industrial robot as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising:

an arm driving mechanism that extends and retracts the arm so that the hand moves linearly with respect to the main body portion while facing a predetermined direction;

a rotation mechanism that rotates the main body; and

a horizontal movement mechanism that moves the main body in a left-right direction,

the control unit controls the arm driving mechanism, the pivoting mechanism, and the horizontal movement mechanism based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data when the industrial robot performs the second operation, and corrects the position and the orientation of the hand in the horizontal direction when the hand reaches the delivery position.

4. The industrial robot as claimed in claim 1 or 2,

an alignment mechanism that adjusts a position at which the detection mechanism is mounted to the main body portion is further included between the detection mechanism and the main body portion.

5. A method for controlling an industrial robot, the industrial robot comprising:

a hand on which a rectangular or square object to be conveyed is placed;

an arm to which the hand is rotatably connected on a tip end side thereof and which extends and contracts in a horizontal direction;

a body portion to which a base end side of the arm is rotatably connected; and

an optical detection mechanism mounted on the main body,

and a first operation and a second operation are performed, with the position of the hand when the hand is placed on the hand and the transport object placed on a predetermined receiving portion in the arm-extended state and the transport object is received, and with the position of the hand when the transport object placed on the hand is delivered to a predetermined delivery portion in the arm-extended state as a delivery position, the first operation being an operation when the arm is retracted so that the hand receiving the transport object approaches the main body portion at the receiving position, and the second operation being an operation when the arm is extended so that the hand on which the transport object is placed moves to the delivery position after the first operation,

the hand is linearly moved relative to the main body in a state of being directed in a certain direction when the first operation is performed,

when the moving direction of the hand during the first operation is defined as a front-rear direction and a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction and a vertical direction is defined as a left-right direction, one end surface of the object to be conveyed in the left-right direction passes between the light receiving unit and the light emitting unit during the first operation,

the method includes acquiring first position data, second position data, and third position data, wherein the first position data is data of a position of the hand in a front-rear direction when the detection mechanism detects the conveyance object at the time of the first operation, the second position data is data of a position of one end surface in a left-right direction of the conveyance object detected by the detection mechanism when the hand moves to a predetermined first measurement position after the detection mechanism detects the conveyance object, the third position data is data of a position of one end surface in a left-right direction of the conveyance object detected by the detection mechanism when the hand after passing through the first measurement position moves to a predetermined second measurement position, and the position and orientation of the hand in a horizontal direction when reaching the transfer position are corrected based on the first position data, the second position data, and the third position data at the time of the second operation.