US-12617074-B2 - Pick-up method, pick-up device, and pick-up system

US12617074B2US 12617074 B2US12617074 B2US 12617074B2US-12617074-B2

Abstract

A pick-up method causes (a) a plate having, on an upper surface of the plate, a projection having a columnar shape and (b) a lower surface of a tray to get closer to each other so as to cause the projection and a shaft part to come into contact with each other and to push up a head part to a position upward of an upper surface of the tray, and causes a robot hand to grip the head part.

Inventors

Yoshikane Tanaami
Miyuki Hayashi

Assignees

SINTOKOGIO, LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20241104
Priority Date: 20231215

Claims (4)

1 . A pick-up method with which a robot hand picks up a component from a tray on a basis of control carried out by a control device, the component having a head part and a shaft part extending from the head part, the tray having (a) a recess which is provided to an upper surface of the tray and in which the head part is allowed to be housed and (b) a through-hole which penetrates the tray from the recess to a lower surface of the tray and in which the shaft part is allowed to be housed, the pick-up method comprising: a first step of causing (a) a plate having, on an upper surface of the plate, a projection having a columnar shape and (b) the lower surface of the tray to get closer to each other so as to cause the projection and the shaft part to come into contact with each other and to push up the head part to a position upward of the upper surface of the tray; and a second step of causing the robot hand to grip the head part having been pushed up to the position upward of the upper surface of the tray.
2 . The pick-up method according to claim 1 , wherein: the robot hand includes (a) a gripping part which is configured to grip the component and (b) a tool corresponding to the component; and in the second step, while causing the tool to rotate with respect to the head part gripped by the gripping part, the control device detects, with a force sensor, a force applied to the robot hand from the head part, and causes the tool to be attached to the head part on a basis of the force detected by the force sensor.
3 . A pick-up device comprising: a control device; a tray having (a) a recess which is provided to an upper surface of the tray and in which a head part of a component whose shaft part extends from the head part is allowed to be housed and (b) a through-hole which penetrates the tray from the recess to a lower surface of the tray and in which the shaft part is allowed to be housed; a plate disposed downward of the lower surface of the tray, the plate having, on an upper surface of the plate, a projection having a columnar shape; a lifting and lowering part which causes the plate or the tray to move up and down; and a robot hand, the control device (a) controlling the lifting and lowering part to cause the plate and the lower surface of the tray to get closer to each other so as to cause the projection and the shaft part to come into contact with each other and to push up the head part to a position upward of the upper surface of the tray and (b) causing the robot hand to grip the head part thus pushed up.
4 . A pick-up system comprising: a pick-up device recited in claim 3 ; and a housing device which feeds a component to the upper surface of the tray and causes the component to be housed in the tray.

Description

This Nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 on Patent Application No. 2023-212376 filed in Japan on Dec. 15, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a pick-up method, a pick-up device, and a pick-up system. BACKGROUND ART Patent Literature 1 discloses a component transfer system which adjusts a posture of a component having a shaft part and a head part while transferring the component. Patent Literature 2 discloses a work-piece gripping device which is fixed to an arm of a picking robot and which grips, with fingers, a tube housed in a tube rack. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Literature 1 Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2016-23079 Patent Literature 2 Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2004-223674 SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem Incidentally, depending on some types of components each having a shaft part and a head part, the following may sometimes happen. That is, in a state where such a component is housed in a housing part, a head part thereof does not adequately protrude from the housing part and the head part is hardly gripped. An aspect of the present disclosure has an object to provide a pick-up method with which a head part of a component can be gripped easily. Solution to Problem In order to attain the above object, a pick-up method in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure is a method with which a robot hand picks up a component from a tray on a basis of control carried out by a control device. The component has a head part and a shaft part extending from the head part. The tray has (a) a recess which is provided to an upper surface of the tray and in which the head part is allowed to be housed and (b) a through-hole which penetrates the tray from the recess to a lower surface of the tray and in which the shaft part is allowed to be housed. The pick-up method includes a first step of causing (a) a plate having, on an upper surface of the plate, a projection having a columnar shape and (b) the lower surface of the tray to get closer to each other so as to cause the projection and the shaft part to come into contact with each other and to push up the head part to a position upward of the upper surface of the tray. The pick-up method further includes a second step of causing the robot hand to grip the head part having been pushed up to the position upward of the upper surface of the tray. In order to attain the above object, a pick-up device in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure includes a control device, a tray, a plate, a lifting and lowering part, and a robot hand. The tray has (a) a recess which is provided to an upper surface of the tray and in which a head part of a component whose shaft part extends from the head part is allowed to be housed and (b) a through-hole which penetrates the tray from the recess to a lower surface of the tray and in which the shaft part is allowed to be housed. The plate is disposed downward of the lower surface of the tray, the plate having, on an upper surface of the plate, a projection having a columnar shape. The lifting and lowering part causes the plate or the tray to move up and down. The control device controls the lifting and lowering part to cause the plate and the lower surface of the tray to get closer to each other so as to cause the projection and the shaft part to come into contact with each other and to push up the head part to a position upward of the upper surface of the tray. The control device causes the robot hand to grip the head part thus pushed up. Advantageous Effects of Invention In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to easily grip a head part of a component. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a configuration of one example of a pick-up system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a tray. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a pick-up method in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a view for explaining a preparation step. FIG. 5 is a view for explaining a pick-up step. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS (Configuration of Pick-up System) FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a configuration of one example of a pick-up system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. A pick-up system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a system for picking up, from a tray 40, a vis screw 50 housed in the tray 40. The vis screw 50 includes a head part 501 and a shaft part 502, and the shaft part 502 extends from the head part 501. The tray 40 is made of, e.g., a soft material such as resin. Thus, even if the vis screw 50 collides with the tray 40, the vis screw 50 is hardly damaged. The tray 40 has, on its upper surface, a plurality of housing parts 41. Each of the housing parts 41 allows a vis screw 50 to be house