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US 12,565,385 B2Granted
Article loading apparatus and article loading method
AssigneesHyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
InventorDong Wook Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An article loading method includes a first transfer step of picking up at least some of a plurality of articles accommodated in a storage member and transferring the articles to an upper portion of a plate, a dropping step of dropping the plurality of articles, which is transferred to the upper portion of the plate in the first transfer step, onto the plate, a second transfer step of picking up some of the articles, which are dropped onto the plate in the dropping step, and transferring the articles to an alignment unit, and a loading step of transferring the article, which is transferred to the alignment unit in the second transfer step, and loading the article to one side, in which the article is freely dropped toward the plate in the dropping step.
Claims13
An article loading apparatus comprising:
- a storage member configured to accommodate a plurality of articles;
- a plate positioned at one side of the storage member;
- and
- a first holding unit positioned at the one side of the storage member and one side of the plate, the first holding unit being configured to pick up the plurality of articles positioned in the storage member, and move the plurality of articles to the plate;
- wherein the first holding unit comprises:
- an electromagnet member configured to perform a first transfer step of lifting and transferring the plurality of articles accommodated in the storage member and transfer the plurality of articles;
- and
- a pinching member configured to perform a second transfer step of holding and transferring the plurality of articles located on the plate;
- wherein the first holding unit is configured to capture an image of the positional state of the plurality of articles in the storage member and to perform the first transfer step when it is determined that the articles exist in the storage member;
- wherein, in the first transfer step, the articles transferred to an upper side of the plate are dropped onto the plate;
- wherein the first holding unit is further configured to capture an image of the positional state of the articles on the plate and to perform the second transfer step when it is determined that at least some of the articles on the plate are capable of being held;
- and
- wherein, in the second transfer step, when no article on the plate is arranged in a first state in which the article can be directly transferred to an alignment unit after being held by the pinching member, the pinching member grips an article that is arranged on the plate in a second state in which the article must be attached to the electromagnet member after being held, separated therefrom, and re-gripped before being transferred to the alignment unit.
10 more elements
An article loading method comprising:
- a first transfer step of picking up at least some of a plurality of articles positioned in a storage member and transferring the at least some of the plurality of articles to an upper portion of a plate;
- a dropping step of dropping the at least some of the plurality of articles, which are transferred to the upper portion of the plate in the first transfer step, onto the plate;
- a second transfer step of picking up at least some of the plurality of articles, which are dropped onto the plate in the dropping step, and transferring the at least some of the plurality of articles to an alignment unit;
- and
- a loading step of transferring at least some of the plurality of articles, which are transferred to the alignment unit in the second transfer step, and loading the at least some of the articles to one side;
- wherein the at least some of the articles are freely dropped toward the plate in the dropping step;
- wherein the first transfer step comprises a step of picking up at least some of the plurality of articles accommodated in the storage member by using a magnetic force of an electromagnet member and transferring at least some of the plurality of articles to the upper portion of the plate;
- wherein the second transfer step comprises a step of holding, by a pinching member, at least some of the plurality of articles accommodated in the plate and transferring at least some of the plurality of articles to the alignment unit;
- a plate vision capturing step of, before the second transfer step, capturing an image of a position state of the plurality of articles in the plate;
- wherein the second transfer step is performed when it is determined, in the plate vision capturing step, that at least some of the plurality of articles in the plate are capable of being held;
- wherein when at least some of the plurality of articles in the plate and captured in the plate vision capturing step are in a second state different from the first state, in the second transfer step, the pinching member holds the plurality of articles in the second state in the plate, the pinching member attaches the plurality of articles to a magnetic member having magnetism and separates from the plurality of articles, the pinching member holds again the plurality of articles attached to the magnetic member, and the pinching member transfers the plurality of articles to the alignment unit;
- and
- wherein in the second transfer step, the pinching member holds the plurality of articles in the second state in the plate when there exists no article disposed in the first state in the plate.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.