Automatic article feeding system

• US 5,380,138 A
• Filed: 10/25/1993
• Issued: 01/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Toshihiro, Inaba, Ryohei, Arai, Mitsuo, Kasai, Shozo, Yasuhara, Masateru, Nikaido, Norio, Azuma, Yusaku, Tanita, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Huppert, Michael S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Krizek, Anice
• Application Number:
  US08/140,964
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 221/134, 221/228, 221/233, 414/277, 414/281, 414/331, 414/411, 414/929, 901/6, 901/7
• US Class Current: 414/277
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/001 Article feeders for assembling machines screws or nuts being carried by a disposable strip or disc B25B23/045
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/10 by means of magazines
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/1494 using grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/00 Loading or unloading of vehicles B65G67/00

Abstract

An article feeding apparatus which feeds articles from a feed source to a section to be subjected to feeding includes a stocker for stocking a plurality of pallets retaining a plurality of articles in units of types of articles, with the stocker being capable of moving one pallet to a predetermined position, and a take-out unit for taking the pallet moved to the predetermined position outside the stocker in order to transfer articles to the section to be subjected to feeding. In addition, a buffer receives replacement of the pallets retaining the articles from external equipment and temporarily stores the plurality of pallets, and a replacing unit replaces the pallets in the stocker with the pallets in the buffer in accordance with a decrease in number of articles in the pallet in the stocker to a predetermined value as the articles are fed to the feeding section.

Claims

1. An article feeding apparatus for feeding articles to a robot, comprising:

temporary storing means for temporarily storing a plurality of containers upon receiving the containers from external equipment;

elevator means for vertically moving at least one container; and

stocking means for stocking a plurality of articles of the same type,

wherein the articles are fed to the robot through said temporary storing means, elevator means and stocking means, successively, and wherein

said stocking means is provided between said elevator means and the robot, and includes an elevating frame in which a plurality of containers are stocked and which is vertically movable, and draw-out means for supplying a container at a predetermined position in said elevating frame to the robot,

said temporary storing means includes loading means for receiving containers each containing articles and capable of vertical movement and separating means for separating one container from other containers stacked on said loading means at a separating position; and

said elevator means is provided between said temporary storing means and said stocking means, includes an elevator body movable between the separating position of said temporary storing means and the predetermined position of said stocking means and first replacing means for replacing a container in said stocking means which has finished supplying all the articles to the robot, with the container separated in said temporary storing means by said separating means.

2. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first replacing means includes:

take-in means for taking in a newly separated container from said temporary storing means;

draw-in means for drawing in a container to be replaced from said stocking means; and

push-out means for pushing a newly separated container out of a replacement position in said stocking means.

3. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising unloading means for receiving an empty container from said stocking means and unloading the received empty container,

said unloading means including:

a vertically movable lift base;

drive means for driving said lift base in a vertical direction; and

stop means for stopping said lift base at a predetermined vertical position.

4. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said stop means includes detecting means for detecting a height, from a floor, of an uppermost empty container stacked on said lift base during an upward movement process of said lift base.

5. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the containers have different thicknesses,

said stop means further includes discriminating means for discriminating the thickness of an empty container,

said detecting means has detectors corresponding in number to the different thicknesses of the containers, with

said detectors being provided at different vertical positions in accordance with the thicknesses of the corresponding containers, and

said stop means stops upward movement of said lift base when said detector provided at a position corresponding to the discrimination result of said discrimination means detects the uppermost empty container.

6. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said separating means includes:

a plurality of separating members capable of engaging with each container stacked on said loading means; and

drive means for moving each said separating member to simultaneously separate all the containers above said loading means.

7. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said temporary storing means includes:

second replacing means for replacing an empty container in said stocking means with the container separated by said separating means, wherein

said elevator means reciprocates between said predetermined position for feeding articles to a feeding section and a position adjacent said separating position in said temporary storing means, and is moved to the position adjacent to the separating position for replacement of the empty container by said second replacing means.

8. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second replacing means includes:

first container transfer means, arranged above said loading means, for transferring the separated container to said elevator means; and

second container transfer means, arranged below said loading means, for drawing out an empty container from said elevator means.

9. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising an unloading mechanism, arranged below said loading means, for unloading the empty container transferred from said stocking means by said second container transfer means.

10. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said unloading mechanism includes:

a vertically movable unloading base on which empty containers are stacked; and

drive means for moving said unloading base upward so as to receive the empty container from said second container transfer means.

11. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each container includes a body with an open upper surface, a lid for closing the upper surface of the body, and opening means for moving the lid to open the upper surface of the body.

12. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the opening means includes:

a lid push-up member arranged adjacent to the container; and

drive means for moving the lid push-up member upward in one direction and pushing the lid upward.

13. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

lock means for locking the container stocked in said stocking means at a predetermined position.

14. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

unloading means, arranged below said first replacing means, for unloading an empty container; and

control means for controlling vertical movement of said first replacing means so that an empty container held by said first replacing means is located adjacent to the uppermost position of empty containers stacked on said unloading means.

15. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said control means includes:

first memory means for updating and storing the uppermost position each time said first replacing means draws out an empty container and stacks the drawn empty container on said unloading means;

second memory means for storing a position at which said first replacing means draws out an empty container from said stocking means; and

first calculating means for calculating a moving amount of said first replacing means based on the updated uppermost position and the draw-out position.

16. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said plurality of containers are classified by thickness, and

said control means includes:

first detecting means for detecting the thickness and a draw-in position of an empty container drawn out by said first replacing means;

first memory means for updating and storing the uppermost position based on the thickness and a stacking margin each time said first replacing means draws in an empty container and stacks the drawn empty container on said unloading means; and

first calculating means for calculating a moving amount of said first replacing means based on the updated uppermost position and the thickness and draw-in position of the empty container newly drawn from said stocking means.

17. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said plurality of containers have different thicknesses, and

said control means includes:

first detecting means for detecting the thickness and a draw-in position of an empty container drawn by said first replacing means;

third memory means for updating and storing the uppermost position based on the thickness and a stacking margin each time said first replacing means draws an empty container and stacks the drawn empty container on said unloading means; and

second calculating means for calculating a moving amount of said first replacing means based on the updated uppermost position and the thickness and draw-in position of the empty container newly drawn out from said stocking means.

18. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first replacing means includes:

a body;

engaging means, provided on said body, for engaging with the container; and

drive means for reciprocally driving said engaging means between said temporary storing means and said stocking means.

19. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said engaging means includes:

a first engaging member for taking the container stored in said temporary storing means into said body; and

a second engaging member for moving the container between said stocking means and said body.

20. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said engaging means further includes:

a third engaging member for drawing out an empty container in said stocking means.

21. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said drive means comprises a common drive source for simultaneously moving said first, second and third engaging members.

22. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said drive means includes:

a first drive source for simultaneously moving said first and second engaging members; and

a second drive source for moving said third engaging member.

23. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the containers is provided with flange means for being supported by a shelf and discriminating means for discriminating information about the thickness of the container and the sort of articles therein.

24. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the flange means includes a first engaging portion for engaging with said take-in means and a second engaging portion for engaging with said push-out means.

25. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a supplying operation of said draw-out means and a replacing operation of said first replacing means are performed simultaneously.

26. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said first engaging portion is constructed by a first recess formed on said flange means, and

said second engaging portion is constructed by a second recess formed on said flange means.

27. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 26, wherein each of said first and second recesses is formed in a trapezoidal shape.

28. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising means for returning said elevator means to said separating position after the empty container is discharged from the stocking means by said unloading means.

29. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the containers have different thicknesses, and

said elevating frame of said stocking means has a plurality of shelves for supporting the container at equal intervals along the vertical direction, and further includes means for determining the shelf on which the container separated by the separating means of said temporary storing means and to be received by the stocking means is supported, based on information on the thickness of the container.

30. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising:

means for indicating when a number of articles contained in the container supported on the shelf reaches a predetermined number;

means for memorizing information about the thickness and position of each of the containers in the stocking means;

means for outputting a request for replacing the container in the stocking means, based on the indication from the indicating means; and

means for searching said memorizing means based on the request from the outputting means.

31. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each container supported on said shelf in said stocking means has a lid for covering an inner space of the container, and further comprises means for locking all of the containers supported on said shelves when said elevating frame moves.

32. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the containers include a first container having a first thickness and a second container having a second thickness which is an integral number multiple of the first thickness;

and

said elevating frame is provided with a plurality of shelves for supporting each container, said shelves being arranged at equal intervals along the vertical direction and capable of supporting the containers with different thicknesses.

33. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

informing means for informing that a number of the articles contained in the container positioned at the lowest position in said elevating frame of said stocking means reaches a prescribed number;

transfer means for transferring one container from said temporary storing means to said elevator means, based on the information from said informing means; and

calculating means for calculating a waiting position of said elevator means in order to replace the container transferred to said elevator means with the container at the lowest position in said stocking means.

34. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said draw-out means includes engaging means for engaging with the container in said stocking means in a single operation.

35. An article feeding apparatus which feeds articles from a feed source to a feeding section, comprising:

temporary storing means for temporarily storing a plurality of differently shaped containers in a stack upon receiving the containers from the feed source, each container retaining a plurality of articles;

separating means for separating one selected container from the other containers in the stack of containers stored in said temporary storing means by moving the stack of containers relatively to the selected container;

stocking means for stocking the plurality of containers supplied from said temporary storing means so as to feed one container to the feeding section in accordance with a predetermined feed order;

supply means for supplying the selected separated container in said temporary storing means to said stocking means;

first counter means for counting the number of articles remaining in each of the plurality of containers in said stocking means; and

control means for causing said supply means to supply a new container when the count value of a container has reached a predetermined value as indicated by said first counter means.

36. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said first counter means has a plurality of counters respectively corresponding to stock addresses of the plurality of containers in said stocking means.

37. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said supply means includes:

replacing means which is arranged between said temporary storing means and said stocking means and is reciprocally moved between a position of a container whose count value has reached the predetermined value and a position of the separated container so as to replace containers in said stocking means, and wherein

said control means moves said replacing means of the container to the separation position to prepare for replacement when the count value has reached the predetermined value.

38. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said supply means includes replacing means which is arranged between said temporary storing means and said stocking means and is reciprocally moved between a position of a container whose count value has reached the predetermined value and a position of the separated container so as to replace containers in said stocking means, and wherein

said control means moves said replacing means of the container to the position of the container whose count value has reached the predetermined value to prepare for replacement when the count value has reached the predetermined value.

39. An article feeding apparatus which feeds articles from a feed source to a feeding section, comprising:

temporary storing means for temporarily storing a plurality of differently shaped containers in a stack, each container retaining a plurality of articles, upon receiving the containers from the feed source;

memory means for storing correspondences between each of the plurality of containers in said temporary storing means and the articles retained therein;

stocking means for stocking the containers supplied from said temporary storing means and feeding one container from said temporary storing means to the feeding section in accordance with a predetermined feed order;

separating/supply means for separating a specific container from the other containers in the stack of containers in said temporary storing means and,supplying the separated container to said stocking means; and

control means for, when the number of articles in a container is decreased as the articles are fed to the feeding section, searching for a storage position of a container retaining the corresponding articles in said temporary storing means based on the correspondence between the articles and the containers stored in said memory means, and causing said separating/supply means to separate/supply the searched for container.

40. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 39, wherein said control means comprises updating means for, when the searched container is separated and supplied, updating the storage positions of the plurality of containers in said temporary storing means.

41. An article feeding apparatus which feeds articles from a feed source to a feeding section, comprising:

temporary storing means for temporarily storing a plurality of differently shaped containers in a stack, each container retaining a plurality of articles, upon receiving the containers from the feed source, said temporary storing means including a base on which the plurality of containers are stacked, and separating means for separating a predetermined container from the other containers in the stack of containers on said base by moving the stacked containers relatively to the predetermined container;

stocking means for storing the containers and feeding one container to the feeding section;

signal generating means for generating a signal starting a draw-in operation in which the predetermined container is moved to said stocking means from the plurality-of containers stacked on said base;

drive means for vertically moving said base so that the predetermined container specified for the draw-in operation opposes said separating means; and

discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the container vertically moved to the position opposing said separating means by said drive means is a container specified for the draw-in operation.

42. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 41, wherein said separating means executes a separation operation after it is determined that the container vertically moved to the position opposing said separating means by said drive means is the container requested by said signal generating means.

43. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 42, wherein each of said containers has an information medium attached to its side surface and indicating at least a type of an article retained therein, and

said discrimination means includes:

reading means for reading information indicated by the information medium; and

detecting means for detecting a coincidence between the information read by said reading means and the type of article contained in the container and requested by said signal generating means.

44. An article feeding apparatus for feeding articles to a robot for assembling and/or machining the article, comprising:

temporary storing means for temporarily storing a plurality of differently shaped containers in a stack, each of the containers retaining a plurality of the articles, including vertically movable loading means for holding stacked containers and separating means for separating one container from the other containers in the stack of containers on said loading means by moving the stacked containers-relatively to said one container;

stocking means for stocking the containers and supplying one container to the robot;

first detecting means for detecting a number of articles contained in each of the containers stocked in said stocking means;

second detecting means for detecting whether or not a container having a predetermined number of articles exists in said temporary storing means;

moving means for moving a container in said temporary storing means to a separating position, based on the detected result from said second detecting means; and

separation confirming means for confirming that a container in which the number of articles is the predetermined number coincides with the container which is moved to the separating position by said moving means.

45. An article feeding apparatus for feeding articles to a robot for assembling and/or machining the article, comprising:

stocking means arranged adjacent to the robot and including a vertically movable elevating frame in which a plurality of containers each containing at least one article are stocked and a draw-in portion for drawing one container from said elevating frame; and

temporary storing means arranged adjacent to said stocking means, said temporary storing means including;

a buffer base attached to a fixed portion and stocking a plurality of containers thereon,

separating means for separating one container at a lowest position on said buffer base from the plurality of containers by moving the other containers vertically and keeping the separated container on said buffer base,

replacing means for replacing one container stocked in said stocking means with one container separated by said separating means; and

setting means for setting a replace position of said replacing means at the same height as a separating position for said separating means.

46. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 45, wherein said replacing means includes:

pushing means for pushing the separated container on said buffer base toward said stocking means; and

take-in means for taking an empty container stocked in said stocking means to an underside of said temporary storing means.

47. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 46, wherein said pushing means is attached over said buffer base, and said take-in means is attached under said buffer base.

48. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 45, further comprising:

robot controlling means for controlling the robot by instructing an operation order for assembling and/or machining the article, and for controlling vertical movement of said elevating frame and a replacing operation of one container in said elevating frame in accordance with the operation order;

indicating means for indicating a number of articles in each of the containers stocked in said stocking means and indicating when a number of articles in a container reaches a predetermined number;

separation controlling means for causing said separating means to separate one container from other containers in accordance with the indication from said indication means; and

stocking controlling means for stopping the supply of the article to the robot and moving said elevating frame to the separating position.

49. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 48, further comprising:

lift means being vertically movable and arranged below said temporary storing means;

memory means for memorizing height information of each of the containers stocked in said stocking means;

replace controlling means for instructing said replacing means based on said indication from said indication means;

searching means for searching said memory means for height information based on an instruction from said replace controlling means; and

lift controlling means for controlling said lift means based on the height information obtained by said searching means.

50. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 49, further comprising detecting means for detecting an uppermost position of the containers which are stacked on said lift means.

51. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 45, further comprising lock means for locking the containers to said elevating frame of said stocking means.

52. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 45, wherein each container stocked in said stocking means has a lid for covering an inner space of the container, and which further includes means for removing the lid from the container prior to the drawing operation to the draw-in portion.

53. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the containers are sorted out by thickness, and

said elevating frame of said stocking means has a plurality of shelves for supporting the containers at equal intervals along the vertical direction, and further comprises means for determining the shelf on which the container separated by said separating means and to be received in said stocking means is supported, based on information about the thickness of the container.

54. An article feeding apparatus which feeds articles to a robot, comprising:

temporary storing means for temporarily storing a plurality of containers in a stack, each container retaining a plurality of articles; and

stocking means for stocking a plurality of containers supplied from said temporary storing means, the plurality of containers being vertically separated from each other so that any one container can be removed from and replaced in said stocking means without moving the other stocked containers, wherein

said temporary storing means includes a vertically movable table on which the plurality of containers are stacked, separating means for separating a designated container from the other containers in the stack of containers on said table by moving the stacked containers relatively to the designated container, and replacing means replacing an empty container in said stocking means with a full container from said temporary storing means, and wherein

said stocking means includes means for removing a designated container out of said stocking means so that the robot may access the removed container, and for replacing the removed container back into said stocking means so that a next designated container can be removed from said stocking means.

55. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 54, wherein said table receives the containers in a stacked relationship and a lowermost container in the stack is arranged to be supplied to said stocking means.

56. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 54, wherein said replacing means includes:

engaging means for engaging with an empty container in said stocking means; and

actuating means for actuating said engaging means to engage with the empty-container.

57. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 56, wherein said stocking means includes a frame vertically movable and a plurality of shelves attached inside said frame for supporting the containers independently, and wherein

said frame is vertically movable between a position in which an uppermost shelf opposes said separating means and position in which a lowermost shelf opposes said separating means.

58. The article feeding apparatus according to claim 57, wherein the container includes a pallet retaining the articles therein and a lid for covering the pallet, and further comprising a lid opening means for opening the lid in said stocking means prior to feeding the container to the robot.