TAPE MATERIAL CONTROL APPARATUS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING TAPE MATERIAL CONTROL APPARATUS, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING PRODUCT, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

A tape material control apparatus includes a supply portion configured to supply a tape material including a peeling member and a sticker member, a first roller configured to feed the tape material to a peeling position where the sticker member is peeled off from the peeling member, a first rotary driving portion, a second roller configured to convey the peeling member from which the sticker member has been peeled off at the peeling position, a second rotary driving portion, a third roller around which the sticker member peeled off at the peeling position is windable, a third rotary driving portion, and a controller is configured to individually control a feeding speed of the tape material by the first rotary driving portion, a conveyance speed of the peeling member by the second rotary driving portion, and a winding speed of the sticker member by the third rotary driving portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to a tape material control apparatus, a method for controlling a tape material control apparatus, a method for manufacturing a product, and a recording medium.

Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, it is common that a work of sticking a sticker member to a workpiece is performed by a skilled worker, but automation is desired for sticking a sticker member with high precision and at a high speed. Therefore, an apparatus for sticking a sticker member to a workpiece has been developed. Further, for the apparatus that performs such sticking, the sticker member needs to be peeled off from a tape material constituted by a peeling member and the sticker member, and the sticker member needs to be supplied to the apparatus that performs the sticking. Automation of this is also desired.

Therefore, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-65833, a technique of supplying a tape material body to a reel by setting the tape material in a tool, rotating the reel provided at a distal end of a robot while moving the reel along the tool, and thus winding the tape material body around the reel while peeling off the tape material body from peeling paper is proposed.

In addition, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-47767, a technique of supplying an adhesive tape material from a supply reel to a peeling unit, sticking the adhesive tape material to a protective sheet temporarily attached to a sticking target surface by the peeling unit, and peeling off the protective sheet from the sticking target surface while moving the peeling unit is also proposed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a tape material control apparatus includes a supply portion configured to supply a tape material including a peeling member and a sticker member capable of being peeled off from the peeling member, a first roller configured to feed the tape material supplied from the supply portion to a peeling position where the sticker member is peeled off from the peeling member, a first rotary driving portion configured to rotate the first roller, a second roller configured to convey the peeling member from which the sticker member has been peeled off at the peeling position, a second rotary driving portion configured to rotate the second roller, a third roller around which the sticker member peeled off at the peeling position is windable, a third rotary driving portion configured to rotate the third roller, and a controller is configured to individually control a feeding speed of the tape material by the first rotary driving portion, a conveyance speed of the peeling member by the second rotary driving portion, and a winding speed of the sticker member by the third rotary driving portion.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a tape material control apparatus, includes providing the tape material control apparatus including a supply portion configured to supply a tape material including a peeling member and a sticker member capable of being peeled off from the peeling member, a first roller configured to feed the tape material supplied from the supply portion to a peeling position where the sticker member is peeled off from the peeling member, a first rotary driving portion configured to rotate the first roller, a second roller configured to convey the peeling member from which the sticker member has been peeled off at the peeling position, a second rotary driving portion configured to rotate the second roller, a third roller around which the sticker member peeled off at the peeling position is windable, a third rotary driving portion configured to rotate the third roller, and a controller, and individually controlling, by the controller, a feeding speed of the tape material by the first rotary driving portion, a conveyance speed of the peeling member by the second rotary driving portion, and a winding speed of the sticker member by the third rotary driving portion.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a tape material control apparatus includes a supply portion configured to supply a tape material including a peeling member and a sticker member capable of being peeled off from the peeling member, a cutting unit including a cutting blade configured to cut the sticker member and a suction attraction portion configured to grip the cut sticker member by suction attraction, a first roller configured to feed the tape material supplied from the supply portion to a peeling position where the cut sticker member is peeled off from the peeling member, a first rotary driving portion configured to rotate the first roller, a second roller configured to convey the peeling member from which the cut sticker member has been peeled off at the peeling position, a second rotary driving portion configured to rotate the second roller, a robot configured to move the cutting unit to the peeling position and a sticking position where the cut sticker member is stuck, and a controller configured to individually control a feeding speed of the tape material by the first rotary driving portion and a conveyance speed of the peeling member by the second rotary driving portion.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a tape material control apparatus, includes providing the tape material control apparatus including a supply portion configured to supply a tape material including a peeling member and a sticker member capable of being peeled off from the peeling member, a cutting unit including a cutting blade configured to cut the sticker member and a suction attraction block configured to grip the cut sticker member by suction attraction, a first roller configured to feed the tape material supplied from the supply portion to a peeling position where the cut sticker member is peeled off from the peeling member, a first rotary driving portion configured to rotate the first roller, a second roller configured to convey the peeling member from which the cut sticker member has been peeled off at the peeling position, a second rotary driving portion configured to rotate the second roller, a robot configured to move the cutting unit to the peeling position and a sticking position where the cut sticker member is stuck, and a controller, and individually controlling, by the controller, a feeding speed of the tape material by the first rotary driving portion and a conveyance speed of the peeling member by the second rotary driving portion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

However, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-65833, a tape material body longer than the movable range of the robot cannot be wound around the reel, and thus the length of the tape material body that can be stuck to the workpiece is limited, which leads to low versatility. In addition, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-47767, although the adhesive tape material can be supplied semi-automatically and thus the work load can be reduced, since a configuration in which the peeling unit is moved is employed similarly, the versatility is low.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tape material control apparatus, a method for controlling a tape material control apparatus, a method for manufacturing a product, or a recording medium that can improve the versatility.

First Embodiment

A first embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference toFIGS.1to18.

Schematic Configuration of Tape Material Control Apparatus

First, a schematic configuration of a tape material control apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference toFIGS.1and2.FIG.1is a perspective view of a tape material control apparatus according to the first embodiment. In addition,FIG.2is a side view of a sticker part according to the first embodiment.

As illustrated inFIG.1, for example, a tape material control apparatus1000constituted by a robot apparatus10, a sticker material supply apparatus300serving as a supply apparatus, and a workpiece400is disposed on an upper surface of a base1installed in a factory or the like. Among these, the robot apparatus10includes a pedestal2, and a robot arm10A serving as a robot body that is a manipulator of a six-axis articulated robot supported by the pedestal2. A flange portion11having a flange shape to which a peeling sticking head100serving as an end effector can be attached is provided at a distal end of the robot arm10A. To be noted, for the control of the six-axis articulated robot, known means can be used, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, the sticker material supply apparatus300that peels and cuts off a flexible sticker part (hereinafter referred to as a “sticker part”)202from a tape material201having a string shape or a belt shape and supplies the sticker part202to the robot apparatus10is disposed in the vicinity of the robot apparatus10. Further, the workpiece400serving as a target object to which the sticker part202is to be stuck is disposed in the vicinity of the robot apparatus10in a direction different from the sticker material supply apparatus300as viewed from the robot apparatus10.

As illustrated inFIG.2, the tape material201is constituted by lamination of a soft material layer201con peeling paper201aserving as a peeling member with an adhesive layer (sticking layer)201bsuch as a double-sided tape therebetween. This soft material layer201cis formed from a soft material formed in a sponge shape from a urethane foam or the like. A state in which the adhesive layer201band the soft material layer201care peeled off from the peeling paper201acan be defined as a sticker part202serving as a sticker member. That is, a configuration in which the sticker part202is peelably laminated on the peeling paper201ais employed. In the first embodiment, the tape material201is configured to be settable in a supply portion301of the sticker material supply apparatus300by a manual work, as a supply roll wound up in a bobbin shape. Further, in the sticker material supply apparatus300that will be described later, the soft material layer and the adhesive layer of the tape material201are cut and peeled off from the peeling paper201a. As a result of this, the sticker part202constituted by the adhesive layer201band the soft material layer201cis supplied to the peeling sticking head100of the robot apparatus10. To be noted, in the description of the first embodiment below, regarding two end portions of the sticker part202, for the sake of convenience, an end portion on the side on which the sticker part202is wound around the peeling sticking head100first will be referred to as a leading end, and an end portion on the side on which the sticker part202is wound around the peeling sticking head100last will be referred to as a trailing end.

In contrast, the workpiece400is manually set in a mounting position by unillustrated positioning. The robot apparatus10moves the peeling sticking head100to a position above a peeling stage306serving as a peeling position of the sticker material supply apparatus300, and performs the winding operation of peeling and winding up the sticker part202each time. Then, a sticking operation of conveying and sticking the wound-up sticker part202to the workpiece400is performed each time. That is, the robot apparatus10repeatedly executes the winding operation and the sticking operation, and thus sticks the sticker part202to the workpiece400. By the operation described above, the workpiece400to which the sticker part202is stuck is manufactured as a product.

The sticker material supply apparatus300and the workpiece400are respectively disposed on straight lines L1and L2forming an angle θ therebetween about a first shaft serving as a rotation shaft of the pedestal2within an operable range of the robot apparatus10. The arrangement of these may be appropriately determined in accordance with the setting status of the sticker material supply apparatus300and the workpiece400, the installation spaces of these, the environment of the surroundings, and the like, but it is preferable that the operable range of the robot apparatus10is not widened more than necessary in consideration of the takt time.

Configuration of Sticker Material Supply Apparatus

Next, the configuration of the sticker material supply apparatus300will be described with reference toFIGS.1and3.FIG.3is a schematic front view of a sticker material supply apparatus according to the first embodiment. As illustrated inFIG.1, the sticker material supply apparatus300includes a side plate309provided to erect from the base1. That is, as illustrated inFIGS.1and3, the sticker material supply apparatus300includes a supply portion301, a dancer roller control roller302serving as a first roller, a pressing roller303, and a dancer roller304that are supported by the side plate309. Further, the sticker material supply apparatus300includes a stretch roller305, a sticker cutting portion310serving as a cutting portion, a peeling stage306serving as a peeling position, a peeling paper feeding roller307serving as a second roller, and a pressing roller308that are supported by the side plate309. Further, the sticker material supply apparatus300is configured such that the tape material201is drawn around via these rollers.

As illustrated inFIG.3, the supply portion301is constituted by setting a supply roll around which the tape material201is wound, and the rotational speed thereof is controlled by a motor301A (seeFIG.8) whose rotation is controlled by a supply portion rotation control portion521. That is, the supply speed of the supply portion301feeding and supplying the tape material201by being rotationally driven is controlled by a system controller500. In addition, the supply portion301supplies the tape material201such that slack of the tape material201occurs between the supply portion301and the dancer roller control roller302. That is, the slack amount of the tape material201is detected by a slack detection sensor Sn1serving as a third detection portion constituted by an optical sensor or the like disposed in a lower portion of the supply portion301, and the rotation of the supply portion301is controlled by the system controller500so as to always maintain a constant slack amount.

The rotation speed of the dancer roller control roller302is controlled by a motor302A (seeFIG.8) whose rotation is controlled by a dancer roller control roller control portion522. That is, the dancer roller control roller302is rotated so as to feed the tape material201to the dancer roller304and the peeling stage306serving as the peeling position (supply position of sticker part) that will be described later. In addition, the pressing roller303is configured to be capable of pressurization by opening and closing with respect to the dancer roller control roller302by an air cylinder321. The pressing roller303is rotated by being driven via the tape material201by rotating the dancer roller control roller302in a state in which the tape material201is clamped between the dancer roller control roller302and the pressing roller303.

The dancer roller304is supported so as to be slidable in the up-down direction by a support mechanism whose illustration is omitted, and is urged downward by an unillustrated urging member such as a spring or by the weight thereof. Further, the dancer roller304is disposed so as to press the tape material201stretched between the dancer roller control roller302and the stretch roller305from above. To be noted, the stretch roller305is configured to rotate by being driven by the tape material201. The dancer roller304configured in this manner is configured to apply a constant tension to the tape material201drawn to the sticker material supply apparatus300. That is, the system controller500moves down the dancer roller304by feeding the tape material201by the rotation of the dancer roller control roller302, and moves up the dancer roller304by conveying the peeling paper201aby the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307. By moving up or down the dancer roller304in this manner, the length of the passage path of the tape material between the peeling paper feeding roller307and the dancer roller control roller302is increased or decreased. Therefore, basically, the tension is applied to the tape material201without changing the position of the dancer roller304, by controlling the peeling paper feeding roller307and the dancer roller control roller302to the same timing and the same conveyance speed.

To be noted, even if the peeling paper feeding roller307and the dancer roller control roller302are controlled to the same conveyance speed, the dancer roller304moves up or down in the actual operation. Therefore, the sticker material supply apparatus300is provided with a dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2(seeFIG.8) serving as a first detection portion. For example, the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2includes an upper position detection sensor Sn2aand a lower position detection sensor Sn2bas illustrated inFIG.3. It is assumed that, for example, the upper position detection sensor Sn2ahas detected upward movement of the dancer roller304by a predetermined amount from the original position. In this case, the dancer roller304is moved down to be closer to the original position by increasing the feeding speed of the dancer roller control roller302such that there is a speed difference between the feeding speed of the dancer roller control roller302and the conveyance speed of the peeling paper feeding roller307. Conversely, it is assumed that, for example, the lower position detection sensor Sn2bhas detected downward movement of the position of the dancer roller304by a predetermined amount from the original position. In this case, the dancer roller304is moved up to be closer to the original position by decreasing the feeding speed of the dancer roller control roller302such that there is a speed difference between the feeding speed of the dancer roller control roller302and the conveyance speed of the peeling paper feeding roller307.

In addition, there is a possibility that an abnormality such as stoppage of the tape material201by slipping or being caught by one of the rollers occurs. Therefore, the sticker material supply apparatus300is provided with a dancer roller abnormality detection sensor Sn3(seeFIG.8) serving as a second detection portion. For example, the dancer roller abnormality detection sensor Sn3includes an upper abnormality detection sensor Sn3aand a lower abnormality detection sensor Sn3bas illustrated inFIG.3. The upper abnormality detection sensor Sn3aand the lower abnormality detection sensor Sn3bare disposed at positions farther away from the original position in the up-down direction than the upper position detection sensor Sn2aand the lower position detection sensor Sn2bthat are described above. Further, it is assumed that one of the upper abnormality detection sensor Sn3aand the lower abnormality detection sensor Sn3bhas detected movement of the dancer roller304thereto. That is, in this case, abnormality is detected and the sticker material supply apparatus300is stopped as a case where the position of the dancer roller304has moved up or down to an abnormal position beyond a normal movement range (predetermined range) including the original position.

To be noted, although a case where the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2and the dancer roller abnormality detection sensor Sn3are configured as separate sensors has been described in the first embodiment as described above, the configuration is not limited to this, and these may be constituted by a single sensor. The form of the sensor is not limited, and for example, the position of a member that moves together with the dancer roller304in a support mechanism (not illustrated) supporting the dancer roller304may be detected by an encoder or a laser distance meter.

The sticker cutting portion310includes an air cylinder311controlled by a cutting blade moving air control portion531(seeFIG.8), and a cutting blade312moved up and down by the air cylinder311. The cutting blade312stands by in a moved-up state, but moves down at the time of cutting, and cuts off the sticker part202(soft material layer201cand adhesive layer201b) serving as a part of the product without cutting the peeling paper201aof the tape material201. For the cutting blade312used for the sticker cutting portion310, for example, a Thomson blade or an ultrasonic cutter can be used. To be noted, in the first embodiment, a mechanical configuration in which a minute gap between the cutting edge and the peeling stage306is constant when the cutting blade312is moved down is employed, and the size of the gap is set to about a half of the thickness of the peeling paper201a.

The peeling stage306plays a role as a receiving stage for receiving the tape material201and a role of promoting the peeling of the sticker part202by drawing the peeling paper201aof the tape material201around at an acute angle at a leading end portion306aof the peeling stage306. As will be described in detail later, the peeling stage306includes a peeling position for supplying the sticker part202to the peeling sticking head100while peeling off the sticker part202from the peeling paper201a. To be noted, in the first embodiment, when peeling off the sticker part202, the posture of the peeling sticking head100is changed, but the peeling sticking head100is not usually moved. However, since there is a distance between a leading end chuck105and a trailing end chuck103that will be described later, the peeling position (supply position) in the first embodiment has a range of a predetermined length in the conveyance direction of the tape material201corresponding to this distance. In addition, a sticker material leading end detection sensor Sn4serving as a fourth detection portion that detects arrival at a start position of a leading end202sof the sticker part202cut off from the tape material201, the start position being a position where the peeling is started, is disposed above the peeling stage306.

The rotational speed of the peeling paper feeding roller307is controlled by a motor307A (seeFIG.8) whose rotation is controlled by a peeling paper feeding roller control portion523. That is, the peeling paper feeding roller307is rotated to convey the tape material201positioned downstream of the dancer roller304in the conveyance direction. In addition, the pressing roller308is configured to be capable of pressurization by opening and closing with respect to the peeling paper feeding roller307by the air cylinder322. The pressing roller308is rotated by being driven via the peeling paper201aof the tape material201by rotating the peeling paper feeding roller307in a state in which the peeling paper201ais clamped between the peeling paper feeding roller307and the pressing roller308. To be noted, the peeling paper201afed by the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307may be collected into a collecting box or the like as it is, or may be wound up by an unillustrated roller and collected as a roll of a certain amount.

Configuration of Peeling Sticking Head

Next, the configuration of the peeling sticking head according to the first embodiment will be described with reference toFIGS.4to7.FIG.4is a perspective view of the peeling sticking head according to the first embodiment.FIG.5is a schematic front view of the peeling sticking head according to the first embodiment.FIG.6is a schematic side view of the peeling sticking head according to the first embodiment.FIG.7is a schematic view of a winding roller according to the first embodiment.

As illustrated inFIGS.4,5, and6, the peeling sticking head100includes an attachment101, a connecting portion101A of the attachment101is fixed to the flange portion11(seeFIG.1) disposed on a sixth shaft of the robot arm10A of the robot apparatus10. The attachment101rotatably supports a winding roller104serving as a third roller to which the leading end chuck105serving as a first gripping portion capable of gripping the leading end of the sticker part202is integrally fixed. The winding roller104has an outer circumferential surface104aaround which the sticker part202is wound.

In addition, the attachment101includes a rotational driving mechanism112that rotationally drives the winding roller104, and a ball spline shaft114serving as an axial direction moving portion. The rotational driving mechanism112includes a motor112A that outputs a driving force to rotate the winding roller104, and a transmission mechanism112B constituted by a belt-and-pulley mechanism that transmits the rotation of the motor112A to the ball spline shaft114. Further, the ball spline shaft114slides the winding roller104in the axial direction by the rotation of the motor112A.

As described above, in the configuration of the peeling sticking head100according to the first embodiment, the ball spline shaft114is used for the sliding of the winding roller104in the axial direction. As a result of this, the rotation and the slide movement in the axial direction of the winding roller104can be performed in synchronization (that is, in an interlocked manner). In addition, the number of motors is reduced, and thus the cost is reduced. To be noted, a motor that rotationally drives the winding roller104and a motor that slides the winding roller104in the axial direction may be provided separately, and these may be independently operated.

Meanwhile, the leading end chuck105is fixed to the winding roller104so as to integrally rotate with the winding roller104. Specifically, the leading end chuck105includes a fixed chuck105afixed to the winding roller104, and a movable chuck105bthat opens and closes by relatively moving with respect to the fixed chuck105a. The movable chuck105bis urged toward the fixed chuck105aby a tension spring108(seeFIG.4), that is, the leading end chuck105is always urged in the closing direction by the tension spring108. Further, an air cylinder111that presses the movable chuck105bvia a cam follower109is attached to the attachment101.

In addition, as illustrated inFIG.6, the ball spline shaft114is fixed to an end portion of the winding roller104, and the leading end chuck105is fixed to the ball spline shaft114with a bolt or the like. In addition, the cam follower109is attached to the side opposite to the leading end chuck105. Further, a configuration in which the leading end portion110presses the cam follower109by the extension/contraction operation of the air cylinder111in the axial direction, and thus the movable chuck105balways in the closed state is opened from the fixed chuck105aagainst the urging force of the tension spring108is employed.

To be noted, if the leading end chuck105is opened and closed simply by operating the air cylinder, there is a possibility that the air plumbing is twisted as a result of the air plumbing rotating together with the rotation of the winding roller104. Therefore, a configuration in which the air cylinder111is separated from the leading end chuck105is employed as described above, but this configuration does not need to be employed.

Meanwhile, as illustrated inFIGS.4and5, in the peeling sticking head100, a pressing roller102serving as a fourth roller and the trailing end chuck103serving as a second gripping portion capable of gripping the trailing end of the sticker part202are provided in the state of being attached to the attachment101. The pressing roller102and the trailing end chuck103are disposed in a positional relationship parallel to the axial direction of the winding roller104. The pressing roller102is disposed between the winding roller104and the trailing end chuck103to be adjacent to the trailing end chuck103, and is rotatably supported with respect to the attachment101. The pressing roller102is configured to abut the sticker part202stretched between the winding roller104and the trailing end chuck103from the inner side, and is particularly configured to be capable of pressing the sticker part202against the peeling stage306in the winding operation.

In addition, as illustrated inFIG.5, a position regulating guide116serving as a guide for regulating the position of the sticker part202may be provided. Although illustration inFIG.4is omitted, the position regulating guide116is provided in the vicinity of the member on which the pressing roller102is provided, so as not to interrupt the rotation of the pressing roller102and not to interrupt the winding and sticking of the sticker part202. The position regulating guide116illustrated inFIG.5is disposed between the winding roller104and the pressing roller102so as to be adjacent to the pressing roller102(in the vicinity of the pressing roller102). The position regulating guide116is configured to abut the sticker part202stretched between the winding roller104and the trailing end chuck103from the inner side, and is configured to be capable of regulating the position of the sticker part202in the short-side direction particularly in the winding operation.

Here, as illustrated inFIG.5, the position regulating guide116is positioned on a common tangent between the pressing roller102and the winding roller104and comes into contact with a side surface of the stretched sticker part202, and thus the position of the tape material in the short-side direction can be regulated. In addition, by disposing the position regulating guide116as close to the pressing roller102as possible, the position regulating effect for the tape material in the short-side direction is improved, and particularly twisting of the tape material can be suppressed when sticking the sticker part202to a curved line.

In addition, in the first embodiment, as illustrated inFIG.7, a holding groove104bhaving a spiral shape and configured to hold the wound-up sticker part202so as not to be displaced particularly in the axial direction is provided in the outer circumferential surface104aof the winding roller104. To be noted, the winding roller104ofFIG.7is illustrated in a simplified manner for the sake of convenience of description. As a result of this, overlapping and uneven intervals of the sticker part when winding up the sticker part can be suppressed, and the precision of the winding amount and the feeding amount with respect to the rotation amount in the winding operation and the sticking operation can be improved.

Configuration of Control System of Tape Material Control Apparatus

Next, the configuration of the control system of the tape material control apparatus1000will be described with reference toFIG.8.FIG.8is a block diagram illustrating a control system of the tape material control apparatus according to the first embodiment.

The system controller500serving as a controller is a so-called central processing unit: CPU, executes a program stored in a memory502constituted by a random access memory: RAM, a read-only memory: ROM, and the like in accordance with an operation on an operation portion501, and thus controls each component of the tape material control apparatus1000. That is, the system controller500integrally controls the robot arm10A, the peeling sticking head100, and the sticker material supply apparatus300. The robot arm10A includes a six-axis joint driving system509constituted by motors driving the joints of the robot arm10A and the like, and a robot controller508that controls the six-axis joint driving system509in accordance with a movement target position and a movement path.

To be noted, the program stored in the memory502described above may be a program stored in a transitory or non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, or a flash memory. Further, this program can be referred to as a program to be executed by a computer such as the system controller500.

Meanwhile, the peeling sticking head100includes a winding roller rotation control portion510serving as a third rotary driving portion that drives the motor112A to control the normal rotation or reverse rotation of the winding roller104and position of the winding roller104in the axial direction, Further, the peeling sticking head100includes a leading end chuck opening/closing air control portion512that controls the air cylinder111that opens and closes the leading end chuck105that is always maintained in the closed state by the tension spring108described above. In addition, the peeling sticking head100includes a trailing end chuck opening/closing air control portion513that controls an air cylinder106that opens and closes the trailing end chuck103. In addition, the peeling sticking head100includes a trailing chuck moving air control portion514that controls an air cylinder107for moving up and down the trailing end chuck103, which drives the trailing end chuck103in the up-down direction. Further, the peeling sticking head100may include an image processing controller401that controls an on-hand camera115for obtaining the sticking position on the workpiece400and the peeling position (position of the peeling stage306) in the sticker material supply apparatus300.

In addition, the sticker material supply apparatus300includes a supply portion rotation control portion521that drives the motor301A to control the rotational speed of the supply portion301(supply speed of the tape material201). Further, the sticker material supply apparatus300includes a dancer roller control roller control portion522serving as a first rotary driving portion that drives the motor302A to control the rotational speed of the dancer roller control roller302(feeding speed of the tape material201). Further, the sticker material supply apparatus300includes a peeling paper feeding roller control portion523serving as a second rotary driving portion that drives the motor307A to control the rotational speed of the peeling paper feeding roller307(conveyance speed of the peeling paper201a). In addition, the sticker material supply apparatus300includes a cutting blade moving air control portion531that drives the air cylinder311to control the movement of the cutting blade312in the up-down direction. These motors and air cylinders are each simultaneously and independently controlled, and thus driving of the rollers and cutting blades can be controlled in a desired manner. In addition, the sticker material supply apparatus300includes the slack detection sensor Sn1, the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2, the dancer roller abnormality detection sensor Sn3, and the sticker material leading end detection sensor Sn4described above in connection with the system controller500.

To be noted, although a case where each controller and each control portion is provided in the robot arm10A or the peeling sticking head100is described in the first embodiment, the configuration is not limited to this, and the controllers and control portions may be disposed on the outside. In this case, the command signals are transmitted wirelessly or through wiring.

Sticker Part Supply Operation

Next, the operation of supplying the sticker part202to the robot apparatus10from the sticker material supply apparatus300in the tape material control apparatus1000will be described with reference toFIGS.9to18.FIG.9is a flowchart illustrating a sticker part supply process according to the first embodiment.FIG.10is a diagram illustrating an operation of gripping the leading end of the sticker part by the peeling sticking head.FIG.11is a diagram illustrating an operation of peeling off the leading end of the sticker part from the peeling paper.FIG.12is a diagram illustrating an operation of peeling off and winding up the sticker part from the peeling paper by the winding roller.FIG.13is a diagram illustrating an operation of cutting the sticker part.FIG.14is a diagram illustrating the feeding operation of the sticker part after cutting the sticker part.FIG.15is a diagram illustrating an operation of turning the peeling sticking head.FIG.16is a diagram illustrating an operation of gripping the trailing end of the sticker part by the peeling sticking head.FIG.17is a diagram illustrating an operation of peeling off the sticker part and moving away by the peeling sticking head.FIG.18is a diagram illustrating an initial state in which the sticker part has been fed to the peeling start position.

Preparation Step

Before starting the operation of supplying the sticker part202from the sticker material supply apparatus300to the robot apparatus10, preparation of the sticker material supply apparatus300is performed as a preparation step. First, the tape material201needs to be manually drawn to the supply path in the sticker material supply apparatus300. After the completion of the drawing, the cutting blade312is moved down by the air cylinder311, and thus the sticker part202(and the adhesive layer201battached thereto) that is to be a product is cut off without cutting the peeling paper201aof the tape material201. The sticker part202on the downstream side of the cutting blade312that has performed the cutting in the supply path is manually peeled off and removed from the supply path. Then, the peeling paper feeding roller307is rotated to feed the peeling paper201a, and thus the tape material201is advanced along the supply path.

At this time, if the peeling paper feeding roller307is simply rotated, the dancer roller304moves up in accordance with the advancement of the tape material201. Therefore, by rotating the dancer roller control roller302at the same timing as the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307, the dancer roller304is controlled so as not to move up excessively. For example, the upward movement amount of the dancer roller304can be suppressed by rotating the dancer roller control roller302at a speed equal to or slightly lower than the rotational speed of the peeling paper feeding roller307.

In addition, regarding the feeding amount of the tape material201at this time, the tape material201needs to be fed to a position where peeling of the leading end202sof the cut sticker part202is started on the peeling stage306, that is, to a position where the leading end202sis gripped by the leading end chuck105of the peeling sticking head100. Therefore, the arrival of the leading end202sof the sticker part202is detected by the sticker material leading end detection sensor Sn4, and the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307and the dancer roller control roller302is stopped on the basis of the detection result. Then, to return, to a predetermined position (within a predetermined range from the original position), the position of the dancer roller304having moved up slightly, the dancer roller control roller302is rotated to a position where the position of the dancer roller304is detected by the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2. Then, the dancer roller control roller302is stopped on the basis of the detection result.

Further, the tape material201fed from the supply portion301is pulled by the rotation of the dancer roller control roller302is pulled. Therefore, the supply portion301is rotated until the slack amount of the tape material201fed from the supply portion301being a predetermined slack amount is detected by the slack detection sensor Sn1. Then, the rotation of the supply portion301is stopped on the basis of the detection result. To be noted, after this, the system controller500controls the rotation of the supply portion301such that the tape material201between the supply portion301and the dancer roller control roller302is always maintained at a constant slack amount.

When the preparation of the sticker material supply apparatus300is completed as a result of the preparation step described above, the sticker material supply apparatus300takes the initial state illustrated inFIG.18. The system controller500starts the control of the supply operation (supply process) by the tape material control apparatus1000in accordance with the flowchart illustrated inFIG.9. To be noted, the following control is control (processing) basically performed solely by the system controller500, and therefore in the following description, description indicating that the operation is performed by the system controller500will be omitted.

Supply Operation

Robot Moving Step

When the system controller500starts the control of the supply operation, the robot apparatus10is operated in step S1to move the peeling sticking head100provided at the distal end of the robot apparatus10to a position (position above sticker part peeling position) above the position where the peeling of the sticker part202is started. That is, the leading end chuck105of the peeling sticking head100is moved to a position above the leading end202sof the sticker part202(seeFIG.18). Then, in step S2, the peeling sticking head100is moved down to a position (sticker part peeling position) where the peeling of the sticker part202is started.

Sticker Leading End Gripping Step

Then, as illustrated inFIG.10, in step S3, the leading end202sof the sticker part202is gripped by causing the leading end chuck105to enter the leading end202sof the sticker part202and closing the leading end chuck105. To be noted, since the sticker part202is a flexible material capable of elastic deformation, the leading end chuck105can easily bite into and grip the sticker part202by entering the sticker part202and closing.

Peeling Starting Step of Sticker Part

Next, as illustrated inFIG.11, to peel off the leading end202sof the sticker part202, the peeling sticking head100and the sticker part202are moved horizontally by the operation (posture change of the robot arm10A) of the robot apparatus10. At the same time as this, the peeling paper201ais advanced in step S4by the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307. As a result of this, the leading end202sof the sticker part202is peeled off from the peeling paper201aat the sharp leading end portion306a(seeFIG.3) of the peeling stage306. The horizontal movement amount of the peeling sticking head100and the movement amount of the peeling paper by the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307at this time are preferably equal.

Dancer Roller Position Adjusting Step

Meanwhile, a need to return the position of the dancer roller304having moved up in accordance with the conveyance of the sticker part202and the peeling paper201a(tape material201) to a predetermined position arises. Therefore, the dancer roller control roller302is rotated to a position where the position of the dancer roller304is recognized by the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2. At this time, the upward movement of the dancer roller304may be suppressed by simultaneously controlling the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307and the rotation of the dancer roller control roller302.

Slack Amount Adjusting Step

Further, the tape material201fed from the supply portion301is pulled by the rotation of the dancer roller control roller302. Therefore, as described above, the slack amount of the tape material201fed from the supply portion301is detected by the slack detection sensor Sn1, and the supply portion301is rotated such that a constant slack amount is maintained all the time.

Winding Step

Next, as illustrated inFIG.12, in step S5, the rotation of each of the peeling paper feeding roller307, the winding roller104of the peeling sticking head100, and the dancer roller control roller302is controlled while controlling these individually in synchronization with each other. That is, the conveyance of the peeling paper201aby the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307and the winding of the sticker part202by the rotation of the winding roller104are performed at the same timing in parallel with each other. At this time, the winding roller104winds up the sticker part202spirally by the rotation and movement in the axial direction. In addition, by also performing the rotation of the dancer roller control roller302in parallel, the upward movement amount of the dancer roller304is also suppressed. By controlling each roller individually as described above, the sticker part202is wound around the winding roller104without moving the peeling sticking head100, that is, without moving or changing the posture of the robot arm10A at all.

Calculation of Conditions of Rotation Control of Each Roller.

At this time, it is preferable that the movement amount of the peeling paper201aby the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307and the movement amount of the adhesive layer201b(such as a double-sided tape) in the sticker part202to be wound around the winding roller104are equal. However, since the sticker part202is wound around the winding roller104by applying a constant tension to the sticker part202, compression of the soft material of the sticker part202needs to be taken into consideration.

Here, for example, for a case where the winding is performed by the winding roller104while applying a tension of 1 N, an example of calculation of the rotation control conditions of the peeling paper feeding roller307and the winding roller104will be described. For example, the sticker part202has a length of 1500 mm, and includes a soft material layer having a compression rate of 50% and a thickness of 5 mm under application of a tension of 1 N. In addition, for example, the peeling paper feeding roller307and the winding roller104each have a diameter of 80 mm.

First, since the thickness of the peeling paper201afed by the peeling paper feeding roller307is minute, the thickness is almost negligible. Therefore, the conveyance amount of the peeling paper201aby one rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307is “80×3.14≈251.3 mm” by calculation from the diameter of 80 mm and pi. Therefore, to convey the sticker part202by the whole length of 1500 mm, the peeling paper feeding roller307needs to be rotated about six times in accordance with “1500/251.3≈6”. Further, in the case where the conveyance speed of the peeling paper201ais set to 200 mm/s, the rotational angular velocity of the peeling paper feeding roller307is “200/251.3×360≈286.5 (deg/s)”.

Next, the thickness of the sticker part202wound up by applying a tension of 1 N by the winding roller104becomes “5×0.5=2.5 mm” because the soft material layer thereof is compressed. In addition, the adhesive layer201bis formed from, for example, a double-sided tape, is hardly extendable or contractable, and is positioned on the outer circumferential side of the flexible layer when wound around the winding roller104. Therefore, the winding amount of the sticker part202by one rotation of the winding roller104is “(80+2.5×2)×3.14=267 mm” in consideration of the diameter 80 mm of the winding roller104and the thickness 2.5 mm of the sticker part202to be wound up. That is, “(diameter of winding roller+compression rate×thickness of sticker member×2)× pi=length of adhesive layer of wound-up sticker part per rotation” holds. Therefore, to wind up the sticker part202for the whole length of 1500 mm, the winding roller104needs to be rotated by about 5.6 times in accordance with “1500/267≈5.6”. Further, in the case where the winding speed of the sticker part202is set to 200 mm/s similarly to the conveyance speed of the peeling paper201a, the rotational angular velocity of the winding roller104(that is, the rotational speed of the winding roller104) is “200/267×360≈269.6 (deg/s)”. To be noted, strictly speaking, it is preferable that the distance between the leading end chuck105and the trailing end chuck103is subtracted from the total length of 1500 mm of the sticker part202.

In the description above, a case where the conveyance speed of the peeling paper201aby the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307and the winding speed of the sticker part202by the rotation of the winding roller104are both set to 200 mm/s has been described. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the user may intentionally provide a speed difference in consideration of the difference in the extension amount or the like between the peeling paper201aand the sticker part202.

Winding Finishing Step

Next, when winding of the sticker part202of a predetermined length is finished, in step S6, the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307, the winding roller104, and the dancer roller control roller302is stopped. Specifically, the conveyance of the tape material201is progressed by rotating each roller until the length from the leading end202sof the wound-up sticker part202to the descending position (cutting position) of the cutting blade312is equal to the length of one sticker part202. Then, similarly to the processing described above, to return, to the predetermined position, the position of the dancer roller304having moved up, the dancer roller control roller302is rotated to the position where the position of the dancer roller304is detected by the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2. To be noted, since the length of the sticker part202to be wound around the winding roller104can be arbitrarily set, a case where the length of the sticker part202to be used is different can be also easily addressed by controlling the rotation amount of each roller.

Sticker Part Cutting Step

Next, as illustrated inFIG.13, the cutting blade312is moved down by the cutting blade moving air cylinder311, and thus the cutting edge is caused to enter to about a half of the thickness of the peeling paper201ain the thickness direction beyond the thickness of the sticker part202and the adhesive layer201b(double-sided tape). As a result of this, the sticker part202(soft material layer and adhesive layer) of the tape material201is cut in step S7. To be noted, for example, in the case where the thickness of the peeling paper201ais 0.15 mm, it is preferable that the gap between the peeling stage306that receives the tape material201and the cutting edge of the cutting blade312is set to 0.075 mm, and the descent end of the cutting blade moving air cylinder311is mechanically adjusted by a stopper or the like. In addition, an ultrasonic cutter may be used instead of a normal cutting blade, and in this case, the cutting blade may be moved down while applying a predetermined ultrasonic vibration thereto, or the ultrasonic vibration may be applied after the cutting blade has reached the descent end. In addition, at this time, the descent end of the cutting blade needs to be adjusted in consideration of the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration so as not to cut the peeling paper201a.

Sticker Part Cutting Ending Step

Next, after the cutting of the sticker part202(and the adhesive layer201b) is completed, the cutting blade312is moved up by the cutting blade moving air cylinder311in step S8.

Next, as illustrated inFIG.14, in step S9, the rotation of each of the peeling paper feeding roller307, the winding roller104of the peeling sticking head100, and the dancer roller control roller302is controlled again while controlling these individually in synchronization with each other. Similarly to step S5described above, the conveyance of the peeling paper201aby the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307and the winding of the sticker part202by the rotation of the winding roller104are performed at the same timing in parallel with each other. At this time, the winding roller104spirally winds up the sticker part202by rotation and the movement in the axial direction. In addition, by also performing the rotation of the dancer roller control roller302in parallel, the upward movement amount of the dancer roller304is also suppressed. To be noted, in this step S9, since the tape material201is conveyed until a cut portion201xof the sticker part202reaches a position to which the trailing end chuck103is moved down for the gripping, the rotation amount of each roller is very small. In addition, also at this time, the sticker part202is wound around the winding roller104without moving or changing the posture of the robot arm10A at all.

Then, when a trailing end202eof the sticker part202is conveyed to a trailing end gripping position where the trailing end202ecan be gripped by the trailing end chuck103as will be described later, the rotation of the dancer roller control roller302, the peeling paper feeding roller307, and the winding roller104is stopped.

Peeling Sticking Head Turning Step

Next, as illustrated inFIG.15, in step S10, the robot apparatus10is operated (posture of the robot arm10A is changed) to turn the peeling sticking head100in the clockwise direction in the drawing such that the opening/closing direction of the trailing end chuck103of the peeling sticking head100is horizontal. At this time, it is preferable that the peeling sticking head100is turned about the pressing roller102of the peeling sticking head100as a turning center such that extension or contraction of the sticker part202does not occur. In addition, as a result of the turning of the peeling sticking head100, the trailing end chuck103is positioned right above the trailing end202eof the sticker part202to face the trailing end202e.

Trailing End Chuck Entering Step

Next, as illustrated inFIG.16, the trailing end chuck103is moved in the up-down direction by the trailing end chuck moving air cylinder107provided in the peeling sticking head100, and thus the chuck is caused to enter the trailing end202eof the sticker part202in step S11.

Trailing End Chuck Gripping Step

Next, in step S12, the trailing end chuck103is closed by the trailing end chuck opening/closing air cylinder106provided in the peeling sticking head100, and thus the trailing end202eof the sticker part202is gripped.

Sticker Part Peeling Completion Step

Next, in step S13, the robot apparatus10is operated (posture of the robot arm10A is changed) to move up the peeling sticking head100, and thus the sticker part202is peeled off from the peeling paper201aas illustrated inFIG.17. As a result of this, the sticker part202of a predetermined length is supplied from the sticker material supply apparatus300to the peeling sticking head100of the robot apparatus10. To be noted, in the case where the peeling of the sticker part202is not completed for some reason, that is, in the case where the result of step S14is NO, the process returns to step S1described above, and the control described above is repeated until the peeling of the sticker part202is completed. Then, in the case where it is determined that the peeling of the sticker part202is completed, that is, in the case where the result of step S14is YES, the process proceeds to the next step (for example, a sticker part sticking step that will be described later).

Initial State Transition Step

Then, as illustrated inFIG.18, the leading end202sof the cut sticker part202is fed to a position where the peeling on the peeling stage306is started, that is, to a position where the cut sticker part202is gripped by the leading end chuck105of the peeling sticking head100. At this time, similarly to the preparation step, the arrival of the leading end202sof the sticker part202is detected by the sticker material leading end detection sensor Sn4, and the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307and the dancer roller control roller302is stopped on the basis of the detection. Then, to return, to a predetermined position (within a predetermined range from the original position), the position of the dancer roller304having slightly moved up, the dancer roller control roller302is rotated to a position where the position of the dancer roller304is detected by the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2. Then, the dancer roller control roller302is stopped on the basis of the detection result.

To be noted, in the first embodiment, a case where the rotation of the peeling paper feeding roller307and the dancer roller control roller302is stopped by detecting the arrival of the leading end202sof the sticker part202by the sticker material leading end detection sensor Sn4has been described. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the rotation amount of the peeling paper feeding roller307and the dancer roller control roller302may be controlled such that the leading end202sof the sticker part202moves from the gripping position of the trailing end chuck103to the gripping position of the leading end chuck105.

In addition, in the series of operations, the slack amount of the tape material201fed from the supply portion301is always maintained at a predetermined amount or more. That is, the slack detection sensor Sn1always detects the slack amount, and when the slack amount becomes a predetermined amount of less, the supply portion301is rotated to generate the slack of the predetermined amount or more, and thus a state in which the tape material201is slack is maintained all the time. That is, the rotation and stoppage of the supply portion301are controlled only in accordance with the slack amount of the tape material201independently from the rotation operation of each roller.

Sticker Part Sticking Step

When the supply of the sticker part202to the winding roller104of the peeling sticking head100is completed as described above, the peeling sticking head100is moved to a position above the workpiece400by changing the posture of the robot arm10A by operating the robot apparatus10. Next, for example, a feature point of the workpiece400is detected by the on-hand camera115, the sticking position of the sticker part202is detected, and the trailing end chuck103is moved to a sticking start position of the workpiece400. Then, the pressing roller102presses the sticker part202onto the sticking position on the workpiece400. Then, while the movement of the robot arm10A is controlled to move the peeling sticking head100to the sticking position on the workpiece400, the rotational speed of the winding roller104is controlled by the winding roller rotation control portion510. At this time, the sticking speed is controlled by rotating the winding roller104in a direction opposite to the rotational direction for winding up the sticker part202while moving the winding roller104also in the axial direction. As a result of this, the sticker part202is stuck onto the workpiece400from the winding roller104, and finally the gripping by the leading end chuck105is cancelled to complete the sticking of the sticker part202onto the workpiece400. As a result of this, the workpiece400to which the sticker part202is stuck can be manufactured. To be noted, after this, the process returns to the robot moving step (see S1) described above and returns to the supply operation of the next sticker part202, or in the case where it has been determined that all the manufacturing steps have been finished, all the work process by the tape material control apparatus1000described above is finished.

Summary of First Embodiment

As described above, according to the tape material control apparatus1000of the first embodiment, the system controller500individually controls the rotation of each of the dancer roller control roller302, the peeling paper feeding roller307, and the winding roller104. That is, the feeding speed of the tape material201by the dancer roller control roller302, the conveyance speed of the peeling paper201aby the peeling paper feeding roller307, and the winding speed of the sticker part202by the winding roller104are individually controlled. Further, according to this control, the sticker part202is supplied from the sticker material supply apparatus300to the robot apparatus10while making the movement distance of the peeling sticking head100smaller than the length of the sticker part202to be wound around the winding roller104. Therefore, the sticker part202of an arbitrary length can be wound around the winding roller104while making the movement of the peeling sticking head100as small as possible.

That is, when starting the peeling of the sticker part202(seeFIG.11), when turning the peeling head (seeFIG.15), and when completing the peeling of the sticker part (seeFIG.17), the turning and movement of the peeling sticking head100is performed by changing the posture of the robot arm10A. However, in the supply operation of the sticker part202other than this, the supply of the sticker part202from the sticker material supply apparatus300to the robot apparatus10is achieved by winding up the sticker part202without moving the peeling sticking head100. Particularly, when winding up the sticker part202by the winding roller104(seeFIGS.12and14), the winding of the sticker part202is performed in a state in which the posture of the robot arm10A is maintained without changing. Therefore, the movement distance of the peeling sticking head100is smaller than the length of the sticker part202wound around the winding roller104. Therefore, the movement distance of the peeling sticking head100can be made as small as possible all the time regardless of the length of the sticker part202wound around the winding roller104. As a result of this, increase in the overall size of the tape material control apparatus1000can be suppressed. In addition, even if the length of the sticker part202is larger than the size of the sticker material supply apparatus300, the sticker part202can be supplied to the robot apparatus10, that is, the versatility can be improved.

In addition, if the type of the sticker part202is different, the thickness and compression rate thereof differ, and therefore the diameter of the sticker part202in the state of being wound around the winding roller104changes. Therefore, there is a possibility that the winding speed does not match, thus loosening or tightening occurs, and the winding of the sticker part202cannot be performed normally unless the winding speed of the winding roller104with respect to the conveyance speed of the peeling paper feeding roller307is relatively changed in accordance with the thickness and compression rate. However, in the first embodiment, the winding speed of the sticker part202around the winding roller104with respect to the conveyance speed of the peeling paper201aby the peeling paper feeding roller307is adjusted and controlled as in the example of the condition calculation described above in accordance with the type of the sticker part202, particularly with the thickness and compression rate. As a result of this, normal winding of the sticker part202can be achieved.

Further, the peeling sticking head100includes the ball spline shaft114that moves the winding roller104in the axial direction, and the sticker part202is spirally wound around the winding roller104by moving the winding roller104in the axial direction in synchronization with the rotation of the winding roller104. As a result of this, the sticker part202longer than the outer circumferential length of the winding roller104can be wound up without increasing the diameter of the winding roller104.

Second Embodiment

A second embodiment having a configuration partially modified from the first embodiment described above will be described with reference toFIGS.19to23. To be noted, in the description below, elements identical to or corresponding to those in the first embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference signs, and description thereof will be omitted or simplified. Parts different from the first embodiment described above will be mainly described.

As described above, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-65833, a tape material is set on a tool, and the tape material is wound around a reel provided at a distal end of a robot. However, for example, in the case of cutting off a sticker part from the tape material and causing a sticking apparatus (head) of the robot to hold the sticker part, the cutting position of the sticker part is limited by the movable range of the robot, which leads to low versatility as manufacture equipment.

In addition, as described above, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-47767, a protective sheet is peeled off while moving a peeling unit. However, for example, in the case of cutting off a sticker part from a tape material and causing a sticking apparatus (head) of the robot to hold the sticker part, it is not realistic to move the cutting blade in accordance with the movement of the tape material, and the versatility thereof is low.

Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-23131, after cutting a protective film and an adhesive layer by a cutting blade of a half-cut apparatus, these are conveyed to a peeling roller and peeled off from a separator. However, since these are conveyed to the peeling roller after temporarily moving the cutting blade of the half-cut apparatus away from the adhesive layer, there is a possibility that reattachment occurs at the adhesive layer separated from the cutting blade, and a peeling failure in which the peeling cannot be performed can occur. To be noted, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-23131, half-cut in which the separator is not cut is realized by matching the dimension of the cutting blade projecting from an emboss stage with the thickness of the protective film and the adhesive layer. However, since the thickness of the portion to be cut changes depending on the material, the position of the edge of the cutting blade needs to be adjusted in accordance with the material to be cut, which leads to low versatility.

In the second embodiment, an example of a structure (method) for solving these problems will be described below.

Schematic Configuration of Tape Material Control Apparatus

First, a sticker material supply apparatus600serving as a supply apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described with reference toFIG.19.FIG.19is a schematic front view of the sticker material supply apparatus600according to the second embodiment.

The sticker material supply apparatus600is disposed in the vicinity of a robot apparatus having a configuration similar to the robot apparatus10described in the first embodiment above, and constitutes a tape material control apparatus2000(seeFIG.20). To be noted, a cutting peeling sticking head800serving as an end effector that will be described in detail later is attached to the robot apparatus10in the second embodiment, and the robot apparatus10is configured in a similar manner to the first embodiment except for this. The tape material control apparatus2000according to the second embodiment causes the cutting peeling sticking head800of the robot apparatus10to peel off and hold a sticker part203that will be described later from the tape material201of the sticker material supply apparatus600. Further, the tape material control apparatus2000moves the cutting peeling sticking head800of the robot apparatus10holding the sticker part203to the vicinity of an unillustrated workpiece, and performs a work of sticking the held sticker part203to the unillustrated workpiece.

As illustrated inFIG.19, the sticker material supply apparatus600includes a supply portion601, a dancer roller control roller602serving as a first roller, a pressing roller603, and a dancer roller604that are supported by a side plate (seeFIG.1) whose illustration is omitted inFIG.19. Further, the sticker material supply apparatus600includes a pressure receiving unit630serving as a cutting unit supported to be movable in a V1-V2direction that is a conveyance direction of the tape material201(horizontal direction in the second embodiment) with respect to the side plate whose illustration is omitted. The pressure receiving unit630includes a receiving stage631, a cutting roller632, a peeling stage633, and a feeding roller634, and is capable of moving these collectively in the V1-V2direction. In addition, the sticker material supply apparatus600includes a pressing roller609, a waste material feeding roller607serving as a second roller, and a pressing roller608that are supported by the side plate whose illustration is omitted. Further, the sticker material supply apparatus600is configured such that the tape material201is drawn around via each of these rollers.

To be noted, in the second embodiment, part of the adhesive layer201band the soft material layer201claminated on the peeling paper201aof the tape material201is cut (seeFIG.22A), and the cut portion is attracted by suction to the cutting peeling sticking head800that will be described later. In the description below, the cut sticker part that is part of the adhesive layer201band the soft material layer201cwill be referred to as a sticker part203. In addition, in the second embodiment, not only the peeling paper201ais discarded but the soft material layer201cfrom which the sticker part203has been cut off and in which a hole is opened is discarded in the state of still being stuck to the peeling paper201a. Therefore, this tape material in which a hole is opened will be referred to as a waste material204.

As illustrated inFIG.19, the supply portion601is constituted by setting a supply roll around which the tape material201is wound, and the rotational speed thereof is controlled by a motor601A (seeFIG.20) whose rotation is controlled by a supply portion rotation control portion721. That is, the supply speed of the supply portion601feeding and supplying the tape material201by being rotationally driven is controlled by the system controller500. In addition, the supply portion601supplies the tape material201such that slack of the tape material201occurs between the supply portion601and the dancer roller control roller602. That is, the slack amount of the tape material201is detected by a slack detection sensor Sn1serving as a third detection portion constituted by an optical sensor or the like disposed in a lower portion of the supply portion601, and the rotation of the supply portion601is controlled by the system controller500so as to always maintain a constant slack amount.

The rotation speed of the dancer roller control roller602is controlled by a motor602A (seeFIG.20) whose rotation is controlled by a dancer roller control roller control portion722serving as a first rotary driving portion. That is, the dancer roller control roller602is rotated so as to feed the tape material201to the dancer roller604and the peeling position (supply position of sticker part203) that will be described later. In addition, the pressing roller603is configured to be capable of pressurization by opening and closing with respect to the dancer roller control roller602by an air cylinder621. The pressing roller603is rotated by being driven via the tape material201by rotating the dancer roller control roller602in a state in which the tape material201is clamped between the dancer roller control roller602and the pressing roller603.

The dancer roller604is supported so as to be slidable in the up-down direction by a support mechanism whose illustration is omitted, and is urged downward by an unillustrated urging member such as a spring or by the weight thereof. Further, the dancer roller604is disposed so as to press the tape material201stretched between the dancer roller control roller602and the stretch roller605from above. To be noted, the stretch roller605is configured to rotate by being driven by the tape material201. The dancer roller604configured in this manner is configured to apply a constant tension to the tape material201drawn to the sticker material supply apparatus600.

That is, the system controller500moves down the dancer roller604by feeding the tape material201by the rotation of the dancer roller control roller602, and moves up the dancer roller604by conveying the waste material204by the rotation of the waste material feeding roller607. By moving up or down the dancer roller604in this manner, the length of the passage path of the tape material between the waste material feeding roller607and the dancer roller control roller602is increased or decreased. Therefore, basically, the tension is applied to the tape material201without changing the position of the dancer roller604, by controlling the waste material feeding roller607and the dancer roller control roller602to the same timing and the same conveyance speed.

To be noted, even if the waste material feeding roller607and the dancer roller control roller602are controlled to the same conveyance speed, the dancer roller604moves up or down in the actual operation. Therefore, the sticker material supply apparatus600is provided with the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2(seeFIG.20) serving as a first detection portion. For example, the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2includes the upper position detection sensor Sn2aand the lower position detection sensor Sn2bas illustrated inFIG.19. It is assumed that, for example, the upper position detection sensor Sn2ahas detected upward movement of the dancer roller604by a predetermined amount from the original position. In this case, the dancer roller604is moved down to be closer to the original position by increasing the feeding speed of the dancer roller control roller602such that there is a speed difference between the feeding speed of the dancer roller control roller602and the conveyance speed of the waste material feeding roller607. Conversely, it is assumed that, for example, the lower position detection sensor Sn2bhas detected downward movement of the position of the dancer roller604by a predetermined amount from the original position. In this case, the dancer roller604is moved up to be closer to the original position by decreasing the feeding speed of the dancer roller control roller602such that there is a speed difference between the feeding speed of the dancer roller control roller602and the conveyance speed of the waste material feeding roller607.

In addition, there is a possibility that an abnormality such as stoppage of the tape material201by slipping or being caught by one of the rollers occurs. Therefore, the sticker material supply apparatus600is provided with the dancer roller abnormality detection sensor Sn3(seeFIG.20) serving as a second detection portion. For example, the dancer roller abnormality detection sensor Sn3includes the upper abnormality detection sensor Sn3aand the lower abnormality detection sensor Sn3bas illustrated inFIG.19. The upper abnormality detection sensor Sn3aand the lower abnormality detection sensor Sn3bare disposed at positions farther away from the original position in the up-down direction than the upper position detection sensor Sn2aand the lower position detection sensor Sn2bthat are described above. Further, it is assumed that one of the upper abnormality detection sensor Sn3aand the lower abnormality detection sensor Sn3bhas detected movement of the dancer roller604thereto. That is, in this case, abnormality is detected and the sticker material supply apparatus600is stopped as a case where the position of the dancer roller604has moved up or down to an abnormal position beyond a normal movement range (predetermined range) including the original position.

To be noted, although a case where the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2and the dancer roller abnormality detection sensor Sn3are configured as separate sensors has been described in the present embodiment as described above, the configuration is not limited to this, and these may be constituted by a single sensor. The form of the sensor is not limited, and for example, the position of a member that moves together with the dancer roller604in a support mechanism (not illustrated) supporting the dancer roller604may be detected by an encoder, a laser distance meter, or the like.

The rotational speed of the waste material feeding roller607is controlled by a motor612A (seeFIG.20) whose rotation is controlled by a waste material feeding roller control portion723serving as a second rotary driving portion. That is, the waste material feeding roller607is rotated to convey the tape material201positioned downstream of the dancer roller604in the conveyance direction. In addition, the pressing roller608is configured to be capable of pressurization by opening and closing with respect to the waste material feeding roller607by an air cylinder622. The pressing roller608is rotated by being driven via the waste material204by waste material feeding roller607in a state in which the waste material204is clamped between the waste material feeding roller607and the pressing roller608. To be noted, the waste material204fed by the rotation of the waste material feeding roller607may be collected into a collecting box or the like as it is, or may be wound up by an unillustrated roller and collected as a roll of a certain amount.

Configuration of Cutting Peeling Sticking Head

Next, the configuration of the cutting peeling sticking head800according to the second embodiment will be described with reference toFIGS.21A to22B.FIG.21Ais a schematic side view of the peeling sticking head according to the second embodiment.FIG.21Bis a schematic front view of the cutting peeling sticking head according to the second embodiment.FIG.22Ais a perspective view of the cutting peeling sticking head and the tape material according to the second embodiment.FIG.22Bis a perspective view of the cutting blade of the cutting peeling sticking head and the pressure receiving unit according to the second embodiment.

As illustrated inFIGS.21A and21B, the cutting peeling sticking head800includes an attachment801, and a connecting portion801aof the attachment801is fixed to the flange portion11(seeFIG.1) disposed on a sixth shaft of the robot arm10A of the robot apparatus10. A cutting head804is attached to the attachment801via attachment plates802and803integrated with the attachment801with bolts802aor the like.

The cutting head804is fixed to a support plate806, and the support plate806is supported so as to be movable in the up-down direction indicated by an arrow Z1-Z2as a result of guide pins807aand808abeing inserted in an unillustrated elongated hole defined in the attachment plate803. Since the elongated hole is longer than the interval between the guide pins807aand808a, the cutting head804is relatively movable with respect to the attachment plate803by an amount corresponding to the difference.

A bent portion806aformed at an upper end portion of the support plate806is inserted in an unillustrated guide hole defined in the attachment plate803to protrude on the back surface side of the attachment plate803, and faces an operant811athat is moved up and down by an air cylinder811fixed to the back surface of the attachment plate803. When this air cylinder811is turned on, air is provided thereto via a tube812, and the air cylinder811causes the operant811ato protrude upward in a direction indicated by the arrow Z1. In addition, in an OFF state in which the air is stopped, the operant811ais moved downward indicated by the arrow Z2, and a state in which the air cylinder811is pulled back is taken. That is, by switching the air cylinder811controlled by a cutting peeling sticking head compliance control portion712(seeFIG.20) to the ON state, the bent portion806aof the support plate806is pressed upward by the operant811a, and the cutting head804is moved upward. Then, the upper position thereof is determined by the abutment between the attachment plate803and the bent portion806aof the support plate806. As a result of this operation, a joined state in which the cutting head804is integrated with the attachment801and the flange portion11of the robot apparatus10as a rigid body via the support plate806and the attachment plates803and802is taken.

In addition, in a state in which the air to the air cylinder811is OFF, that is, in a state in which the operant811ais pulled back, the support plate806moves downward with respect to the attachment plate803. Further, in the unillustrated elongated hole in the attachment plate803, the lower guide pin808ais in a released state in which the lower guide pin808ais free within the range of the clearance, and the cutting head804is in the ON state of a compliance function in which the cutting head804is movable in the vertical direction. As a result of this, the position of the cutting head804can be determined by an unillustrated fixing mechanism (for example, a mechanism such as a head locking arm in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-94451) without putting a load on the robot apparatus10. The drive of the unillustrated fixing mechanism is controlled by an air cylinder850whose drive is controlled by a cutting head locking air control portion731. That is, the unillustrated fixing mechanism can fix a cutting head pressing plate809provided in the cutting head804while pressing the cutting head pressing plate809against the pressure receiving unit630that will be described in detail below by the air cylinder850.

In addition, as illustrated inFIG.21B, a cutting blade805and a pair of bearer parts810are disposed on a lower surface809a(that is, cutting blade attaching surface) of the cutting head pressing plate809. The bearer parts810are attached to the lower surface809athat is the surface to which the cutting blade805is attached, and are each formed in a shape slightly taller (projecting downward) than a cutting edge805aof the cutting blade805. That is, when cutting the sticker part203that will be described in detail later, the bearer parts810abut the cutting roller632, and the cutting blade805half-cuts the peeling paper201a. To be noted, although a configuration in which the bearer part810are provided on the two sides with the cutting blade805therebetween has been described in the present embodiment, a configuration in which the bearer part810is disposed on only one side may be employed.

In addition, as illustrated inFIG.22A, the cutting blade805is formed in an overall shape set in accordance with the overall shape of the sticker part203and serving as a die so as to cut off the sticker part203constituted by the adhesive layer201band the soft material layer201cfrom the tape material201on the whole circumference without cutting the peeling paper201a. Inside the overall shape of the cutting blade805, a suction attraction block815serving as a suction attraction portion is disposed to be capable of being driven with a minute gap between the suction attraction block815and the inner wall of the cutting blade805, and the suction attraction block815is configured to be capable of gripping the sticker part203by suction attraction. That is, the cutting blade805has a hollow shape, and the suction attraction block815is driven therein by a drive source such as an unillustrated air cylinder. To be noted, in the case where the shape of the sticker part203is a simple quadrangular shape, the cutting blade may be a single straight blade such as a Thomson blade, and configuring the suction attraction block815to be driven in a state in which there is a minute gap between the suction attraction block815and the cutting blade can be considered also in this case.

In addition, the position of the advancing end (lower end) or the retracting end (upper end) of the suction attraction block815can be adjusted with high precision by an adjusting screw or the like. Typically, the distance between the cutting edge805aand a suction attraction surface815aof the suction attraction block815at the retracting end (upper end) is a distance at the time of cutting the sticker part203, and is preferably a value smaller than the thickness of the sticker part203. In addition, the distance between the cutting edge805aand the suction attraction surface815aat the advancing end (lower end) is a distance at the time of sticking the sticker part203to the workpiece, and is preferably very small such that the sticker part203can be sufficiently compressed.

To be noted, in the case where the suction attraction block815does not need to be driven when sticking the sticker part203, a part in which the cutting blade805and the suction attraction block815are integrated may be used. In this case, by employing a configuration in which there is no gap between the inner wall of the cutting blade805and the suction attraction block815, a more sealed state may be generated to stabilize the suction attraction state.

Configuration of Pressure Receiving Unit

Next, the pressure receiving unit630that, in the case of cutting the sticker part203by the cutting blade805described above, receives the pressurizing force of the cutting blade805and approaching the cutting blade805to cut the sticker part203will be described with reference toFIGS.19and22B. As illustrated inFIG.19, the pressure receiving unit630is disposed on the peeling paper201aside of the sticker part203, and includes a receiving stage631, a cutting roller632, a peeling stage633, and a feeding roller634. The pressure receiving unit630is disposed to be movable in a V1-V2direction, which is the conveyance direction of the tape material201and which is a horizontal direction, by an air cylinder650(seeFIG.20) whose drive is controlled by a pressure receiving unit drive control portion732. That is, the pressure receiving unit630is configured to be slidable on a surface on the side of the sticker part203opposite to the peeling paper201a. To be noted, the mechanism for moving the pressure receiving unit630is not limited to the air cylinder650, and may be, for example, a mechanism constituted by a servo motor and a ball screw such as a single axis numerical control: NC.

As illustrated inFIG.22B, the cutting roller632of the pressure receiving unit630is configured to be rotatable as a result of an axial center632athereof being rotatably supported by a support arm641fixed to and supported by a frame640of the pressure receiving unit630.

In the present embodiment, as will be described in detail later, the cutting peeling sticking head800serving as an end effector is moved, by the robot apparatus10, to a peeling position where the sticker part203is cut and peeled off. A mechanical configuration in which the minute gap between the cutting edge805aof the cutting blade805and the cutting roller632in this state is constant is employed. This gap is set to about a half of the thickness of the peeling paper201a, that is, configured such that the sticker part203is cut without fully cutting the peeling paper201a. For managing the minute gap between the cutting edge805aand the cutting roller632, the bearer parts810(seeFIG.21B) provided in the cutting peeling sticking head800described above are used. That is, when the pressure receiving unit630is moved in the V2direction that is a horizontal direction in a state in which the cutting blade805is biting into the sticker part203at the position of the receiving stage631, the cutting roller632abuts and is pressed against the bearer parts810. At this time, a minute gap between the cutting blade805and the cutting roller632can be generated easily and with high precision by the height difference between the bearer parts810and the cutting blade805.

Specifically, in the case where the height of the cutting blade805is t and the thickness of the peeling paper201ais 0.1 mm, the height of the bearer parts810is set to t+0.05 mm. As a result of this, the gap between the cutting edge805aand the cutting roller632is 0.05 mm in the state in which the bearer parts810are pressed against the cutting roller632.

In addition, as illustrated inFIG.19, the pressure receiving unit630includes the receiving stage631and the peeling stage633disposed adjacent to the cutting roller632. The receiving stage631receives the pressurizing force pressing the cutting edge805aof the cutting blade805. The level difference between the highest point of the cutting roller632and the receiving stage631is set to, for example, 0.20 mm. In this case, in a state in which the cutting peeling sticking head800has been moved to the peeling position described above, an upper surface631aof the receiving stage631serves as the pressure receiving surface, and the gap between the cutting edge805aand the upper surface631aof the receiving stage631is 0.25 mm. That is, the sticker part203is compressed by the cutting blade805to the size of this gap. This 0.25 mm is a value set such that the position of the cutting edge805ais slightly away from reaching the peeling paper201a, and the entirety of a sponge serving as the sticker part203is compressed together by the suction attraction block815. That is, this state is set for compressing the sticker part203without receiving a reaction force of the cutting load and while minimizing the deformation of the sticker part203, and for cutting the sticker part203while maintaining the compressed state thereof. To be noted, at this time, since the movement of the tape material201is stopped as will be described later, the cutting blade805and the tape material201do not relatively move in the conveyance direction (V1-V2direction), and the cutting blade805only moves in the compressing direction. This suppresses deformation of the sticker part203in the conveyance direction.

Further, as a result of sliding the pressure receiving unit630in the conveyance direction that is a horizontal direction while maintaining the compressed state of the sticker part203, the cutting roller632and the cutting blade805are pressed against each other, and thus the sticker part203is cut. To be noted, at this time, the position of the cutting head804is maintained by the unillustrated fixing mechanism described above such that the cutting roller632rolls while in contact with the bearer parts810, in other words, such that the cutting head804is not displaced by the reaction force of the cutting.

To be noted, in the positional relationship between the highest point of the cutting roller632and the upper surface631aof the receiving stage631, in the case where the level difference therebetween is large, there is a possibility that the sticker part203is displaced when the cutting blade805pressurizes and compresses the sticker part203. This can be a cause of inconsistency in the shape of the cut cross-section of the sticker part203or inconsistency in the position where the cut sticker part203is held by the suction attraction block815. Further, if the cutting roller632is moved in the state in which the sticker part230is displaced, the sticker part203is deformed greatly, and the sticker part203is cut in the deformed state, which leads to inconsistency in the shape of the cut sticker part203. Therefore, the inconsistency in the shape of the sticker part203and the like can be suppressed by setting the level difference between the highest point of the cutting roller632and the receiving stage631to an appropriate value such as 0.20 mm as described above.

Meanwhile, the peeling stage633includes an upper surface633athat receives the tape material201from which the sticker part203has been cut off in the form in which the sticker part203has been cut off, and a leading end portion633bhaving an acute angle and a function that promotes peeling of the cut sticker part203. The peeling stage633draws the peeling paper201aof the tape material201in a Z shape in side view by the feeding roller634and the pressing roller609, and thus bends the peeling paper201aalong the leading end portion633bhaving an acute angle. That is, as a result of being moved in the horizontal direction (V1-V2direction) by the movement of the pressure receiving unit630, the peeling stage633moves the position where the peeling paper201ais bent, and thus promotes the peeling of the cut sticker part203from the peeling paper201a.

Incidentally, when cutting the sticker part203by the cutting roller632and the cutting blade805, the cutting blade805bites into the peeling paper201aof the tape material201to almost a half of the thickness of the peeling paper201a. That is, the adhesive layer201bconstituted by a double-sided tape or the like is cut apart by the cutting blade805, and the cut apart state is maintained until the pressure receiving unit630moves in the V2direction and thus the sticker part203moves to the leading end portion633bof the peeling stage633. As a result of this, the reattachment of the adhesive layer201bof the double-sided tape or the like can be suppressed at the cut apart position.

In addition, the level difference between the highest point of the cutting roller632and the upper surface633aof the peeling stage633is also preferably as small as possible to maintain the state in which the cutting edge804aof the cutting blade805is biting into the tape material201. To be noted, in the present embodiment, a case where the receiving stage631, the cutting roller632, and the peeling stage633are integrally provided in the pressure receiving unit630has been described. However, depending on the material of the tape material201, the sticker part203can be cut and peeled off approximately simultaneously by drawing the tape material201along the outer circumference of the cutting roller632without using the peeling stage633, and the peeling stage633is not necessarily needed.

Configuration of Control System of Tape Material Control Apparatus

Here, the configuration of the control system of the tape material control apparatus2000will be described with reference toFIG.20.FIG.20is a block diagram illustrating a control system of the tape material control apparatus2000in the second embodiment. As illustrated inFIG.20, the sticker material supply apparatus600includes the supply portion rotation control portion721that drives the motor601A to control the rotational speed of the supply portion601(supply speed of the tape material201). Further, the sticker material supply apparatus600includes the dancer roller control roller control portion722serving as a first rotary driving portion that drives the motor602A to control the rotational speed of the dancer roller control roller602(feeding speed of the tape material201). Further, the sticker material supply apparatus600includes the waste material feeding roller control portion723serving as a second rotary driving portion that drives the motor612A to control the rotational speed of the waste material feeding roller607(conveyance speed of the waste material204). In addition, the sticker material supply apparatus600includes the cutting head locking air control portion731that drives the air cylinder850to position and fix the cutting head804of the cutting peeling sticking head800with respect to the pressure receiving unit630. Further, the sticker material supply apparatus600includes the pressure receiving unit drive control portion732that drives the air cylinder650to control the movement of the pressure receiving unit630in the horizontal direction. These motors and air cylinders are each simultaneously and independently controlled, and thus driving of the rollers, the pressure receiving unit630, and the like can be controlled in a desired manner. In addition, the sticker material supply apparatus600includes the slack detection sensor Sn1, the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2, the dancer roller abnormality detection sensor Sn3, and the sticker material leading end detection sensor Sn4described above in connection with the system controller500.

In addition, the cutting peeling sticking head800is provided with a suction attraction control portion710that turns the suction attraction mechanism713of the suction attraction block815on and off. In addition, the cutting peeling sticking head800is provided with a suction attraction block driving air control portion711that controls an air cylinder714that drives the suction attraction block815in the up-down direction. In addition, the cutting peeling sticking head800is provided with the cutting peeling sticking head compliance control portion712that controls the air cylinder811for controlling a compliance function of the cutting peeling sticking head800. The cutting peeling sticking head compliance control portion712is configured to control the ON/OFF of the air cylinder811such that the movement of the cutting head804in the cutting peeling sticking head800is enabled and disabled in certain conditions. To be noted, the detailed configuration, control, compliance function, and the like of the cutting peeling sticking head800are substantially the same as those described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-094451, and therefore the details thereof will be omitted in the present specification for the sake of simplification of the description.

Sticker Part Supply Operation

Next, the operation of supplying the sticker part203to the robot apparatus10from the sticker material supply apparatus600in the tape material control apparatus2000will be described with reference toFIG.23.FIG.23is a flowchart illustrating a sticker part supply process according to the second embodiment.

Preparation Step

Before starting the operation of supplying the sticker part203from the sticker material supply apparatus600to the robot apparatus10, preparation of the sticker material supply apparatus600is performed as a preparation step. First, the tape material201needs to be manually drawn to the supply path in the sticker material supply apparatus600. That is, the tape material201from which the sticker part203has not been cut off into a product shape is set in the sticker material supply apparatus600in the initial stage.

At this time, a case where the position of the dancer roller604is not appropriate when the tape material201is simply set can be considered. In this case, the dancer roller604is moved to a predetermined position by rotating the waste material feeding roller607or the dancer roller control roller602. For example, in the case where the position of the dancer roller604is below a predetermined position (position within a predetermined range from the original position), the waste material feeding roller607is rotated to a position where the position of the dancer roller604is detected by the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2. Thus, the dancer roller604is moved up. Conversely, in the case where the position of the dancer roller604is above a predetermined position (position within a predetermined range from the original position), the dancer roller control roller602is rotated to a position where the position of the dancer roller604is detected by the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2. Thus, the dancer roller604is moved down.

Further, the tape material201fed from the supply portion601is pulled by the rotation of the dancer roller control roller602. Therefore, the supply portion601is rotated until the slack amount of the tape material201fed from the supply portion601being a predetermined slack amount is detected by the slack detection sensor Sn1. Then, the rotation of the supply portion601is stopped on the basis of the detection result. To be noted, after this, the system controller500controls the rotation of the supply portion601such that the tape material201between the supply portion601and the dancer roller control roller602is always maintained at a constant slack amount.

When the preparation of the sticker material supply apparatus600is completed as a result of the preparation step described above, the sticker material supply apparatus600takes the initial state. The control of the supply operation (supply process) by the tape material control apparatus2000is started in accordance with the flowchart illustrated inFIG.23. To be noted, the following control is control (processing) basically performed solely by the system controller500, and therefore in the following description, description indicating that the operation is performed by the system controller500will be omitted.

Supply Operation

Robot Moving Step

When the system controller500starts the control of the present supply operation, first, in step S21, the robot apparatus10is controlled to move to the initial position. In addition, in the sticker material supply apparatus600, a portion of the sticker part203that is not cut in the tape material201is conveyed to and set in a peeling position where the cutting and peeling are performed. Then, a workpiece is supplied to and set in an unillustrated mounting unit.

Next, in step S22, the air cylinder811in the cutting head804of the cutting peeling sticking head800is turned on, and thus the flange portion11of the robot arm10A and the cutting head804are integrated.

Next, in step S23the robot apparatus10is operated to move the cutting peeling sticking head800provided at a distal end of the robot apparatus10to a position above the peeling position of the sticker part203. Further, the robot apparatus10is operated to start moving down the cutting peeling sticking head800to a cutting start position where the cutting of the sticker part203by the cutting blade805is started, that is, to a position where the cutting blade805comes into contact with the sticker part203.

Then, in step S24, at a timing immediately before the cutting head804reaches the cutting start position, the air cylinder811is turned off, and the compliance state of the cutting head804is turned on. That is, the cutting head804is switched to a state of being free in the up-down direction. In addition, the air cylinder714is turned on, and the suction attraction of the suction attraction block815of the cutting head804is turned on. In addition, in step S25, the unillustrated fixing mechanism (locking arm or the like) is driven by driving the air cylinder850, and thus the cutting head804is locked to be relatively unmovable in the up-down direction with respect to the pressure receiving unit630. As a result of this, the cutting blade805is pressed against the receiving stage631and bites into the portion serving as the sticker part203in the tape material201. In addition, at this time, the dancer roller control roller602and the waste material feeding roller607are stopped, and a state in which the tape material201does not move is maintained in a state in which a predetermined tension is applied to the tape material201by the dancer roller604. As a result of the tension of the tape material201at this time being maintained at a constant value by the dancer roller604, the extension and contraction of the tape material201are stabilized, and a desired shape can be stably obtained for the cut shape of the sticker part203.

Peeling Starting Step of Sticker Part

Next, in step S26, the pressure receiving unit630is driven in the V2direction in the horizontal direction, and the sticker part203is cut off and peeled off from the tape material201. Specifically, as a result of the cutting peeling sticking head800moving to the cutting peeling position, the entirety of the outer circumference of the sticker part203is compressed by the receiving stage631and the cutting blade805, and the entirety of the inside of the sticker part203is compressed by the receiving stage631and the suction attraction block815. Then, the pressure receiving unit630is moved in the horizontal direction (V2direction) in a state in which the cutting peeling sticking head800is stopped. As a result of this, the highest point of the cutting roller632moves in the horizontal direction while generating a pressurizing force on the cutting edge805aof the cutting blade805by point contact, and thus the sticker part203is cut. In addition, at the same time, the suction attraction block815sucks air on the inside of the cutting blade805, and thus the sticker part203is attracted to and gripped by the suction attraction block815by suction attraction. At this time, in the sticker part203, air easily passes through the soft material layer201cbecause the soft material layer201cis formed from sponge or the like, but since the adhesive layer201bconstituted by a double-sided tape or the like does not easily pass air therethrough, the suction attraction of the sticker part203is reinforced. Therefore, the cut sticker part203is attracted to and gripped by the suction attraction block815by suction attraction while maintaining the compressed state from before the cutting. Further, the leading end portion633bof the peeling stage633bends the tape material201and moves the bent position in the horizontal direction, and thus promotes the peeling of the sticker part203from the tape material201.

When the movement of the pressure receiving unit630in the V2direction in the horizontal direction is finished, in step S27, the air cylinder850is turned off to release the unillustrated fixing mechanism (locking arm or the like), and thus the locked state of the cutting head804is cancelled. In addition, in step S28, the air cylinder811is turned on and the compliance state of the cutting head804is turned off, that is, the cutting head804is integrated with the flange portion11of the robot arm10A.

Here, if the peeling of the sticker part203is not completed for some reason, that is, in the case where the result of step S29is NO, the process returns to step S21described above, the control described above is repeated until the peeling of the sticker part203is completed. Then, in the case where it has been determined that the peeling of the sticker part203has been completed, that is, in the case where the result of step S29is YES, the process proceeds to the next step (for example, the sticker part sticking step described later).

Initial State Transition Step

In the case where the peeling of the sticker part203is completed as described above, that is, in the case where the result of step S29is YES, the process proceeds to the sticking step (S30to S33) of the sticker part203described below, and at this time, the sticker material supply apparatus600transitions to the initial state in parallel (initial state transition step). Specifically, the pressure receiving unit630is moved in the V1direction to return to the original position (initial position), and then the waste material feeding roller607is rotated by a predetermined amount to feed the tape material201by a certain pitch. At this time, similarly to the preparation step, the waste material feeding roller607or the dancer roller control roller602is rotated to move the dancer roller604to a predetermined position. The position of the dancer roller604should be higher than a predetermined position (position within a predetermined range from the original position) as a result of feeding the tape material201by the certain pitch. Therefore, the dancer roller604is moved down by rotating the dancer roller control roller602to a position where the position of the dancer roller604is detected by the dancer roller position detection sensor Sn2.

Slack Amount Adjusting Step

Further, when the tape material201is fed by the certain pitch as described above, the sticker material supply apparatus600adjusts the slack amount of the tape material201(slack amount adjusting step). That is, the tape material201fed from the supply portion601is pulled by the rotation of the dancer roller control roller602. Then, as described above, the slack amount of the tape material201fed from the supply portion601is detected by the slack detection sensor Sn1, and the supply portion601is rotated such that a constant slack amount is maintained all the time.

In addition, in the series of operations, the slack amount of the tape material201fed from the supply portion601is always maintained at a predetermined amount or more. That is, the slack detection sensor Sn1always detects the slack amount, and when the slack amount becomes a predetermined amount of less, the supply portion601is rotated to generate the slack of the predetermined amount or more, and thus a state in which the tape material201is slack is maintained all the time. That is, the rotation and stoppage of the supply portion601are controlled only in accordance with the slack amount of the tape material201independently from the rotation operation of each roller.

Sticker Part Sticking Step

When the sticker part203is attracted to the suction attraction block815of the cutting peeling sticking head800by suction attraction as described above, the cutting peeling sticking head800is moved to a position above the workpiece by changing the posture of the robot arm10A by operating the robot apparatus10in step S30. Next, in step S31, for example, a feature point of the workpiece is detected by the on-hand camera115to detect the sticking position of the sticker part203, and thus the cutting peeling sticking head800is moved to a sticking position on the workpiece. Then, the suction attraction block815is advanced to compress the sticker part203between the suction attraction block815and the workpiece. In step S32, by turning off the suction attraction of the suction attraction block815or discharging air in a reverse direction in this state, the holding of the sticker part203is cancelled, and thus the sticker part203is stuck to the workpiece. As a result of this, in step S33, a workpiece to which the sticker part203is stuck can be manufactured as a product. Then, the cutting peeling sticking head800is returned to the initial position by operating the robot apparatus10to change the posture of the robot arm10A. To be noted, after this, the process returns to the robot moving step (S21) described above to proceed to the cutting peeling operation of the next sticker part203, which corresponds to NO of step S34. Alternatively, in the case where it has been determined that all the manufacturing steps have been finished, that is, in the case where the result of step S34is YES, all the work steps by the tape material control apparatus2000described above are finished.

Summary of Second Embodiment

As described above, according to the tape material control apparatus2000of the second embodiment, the system controller500individually controls the rotation of each of the dancer roller control roller602and the waste material feeding roller607. That is, the feeding speed of the tape material201by the dancer roller control roller602and the conveyance speed of the waste material204by the waste material feeding roller607are individually controlled. Further, according to this control, the sticker part203is supplied from the sticker material supply apparatus600to the robot apparatus10while reducing the movement distance of the cutting peeling sticking head800. Therefore, the sticker part203can be gripped by the cutting peeling sticking head800while suppressing the movement of the cutting peeling sticking head800to a minimum value. Therefore, the cutting position is less limited than in the case of cutting and peeling off the sticker part203from the tape material201while moving the cutting peeling sticking head800(that is, the cutting blade805), and thus the versatility as manufacturing equipment can be improved.

In addition, according to the tape material control apparatus2000according to the second embodiment, the sticker part203is attracted and gripped by suction attraction by the suction attraction block815while cutting the sticker part203by the cutting blade805. As a result of this, the cutting blade805does not need to be moved away after cutting the sticker part203, and the cutting edge of the cutting blade805is present at an interface of the cut adhesive layer201bfrom the cutting to the peeling. Therefore, occurrence of reattachment of the adhesive layer201bafter the cutting blade805can be suppressed, thus occurrence of a peeling failure of the sticker part203can be suppressed, and the reliability of the peeling can be improved.

Further, according to the tape material control apparatus2000according to the second embodiment, a height difference is set between the cutting blade805and the bearer parts810, and the bearer parts810are configured to directly press the cutting roller632. As a result of this, the gap between the cutting blade805and the cutting roller632can be managed with high precision. In addition, in such a configuration, the sticker part203of any thickness can be used by just setting the height of the bearer parts810, which improves the versatility.

Particularly, if the type of the sticker part203is different, the thickness of the peeling paper201abeing different and the thickness, compression rate, and/or the like of the sponge being different can be considered. However, in the second embodiment, the gap between the cutting blade805and the cutting roller632can be managed to be constant regardless of the physical properties of the sticker part203to be used. As a result of this, stable cutting can be performed regardless of the physical properties of the sticker. In addition, if the type of the sticker part203is different, the thickness, compression rate, and/or the like thereof are different, but the compression rate of the sticker part203at the time of cutting and peeling can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the retracting end of the suction attraction block815in accordance with the physical properties of the sticker part203to be used. As a result of this, optimum peeling of the sticker part203matching the physical properties of the sticker can be achieved.

In addition, at the time of cutting and peeling the sticker part203, the receiving stage631of the pressure receiving unit630, the cutting roller632, and the peeling stage633are integrally driven, and the cutting blade805is fixed so as not to move. As a result of this, in the cutting and peeling of the sticker part203, the shape of the sticker part203can be maintained, and the precision of the sticker part203as a part can be improved. In addition, also when sticking the sticker part203to the workpiece, since the shape of the sticker part203is maintained, the sticking precision can be improved.

Possibility of Other Embodiments

In the first embodiment described above, a case where the peeling sticking head100is not moved, that is the robot arm10A is not moved while winding up the sticker part202has been described. However, the peeling sticking head100may be moved while winding up the sticker part202. Particularly, if the movement distance at this time is smaller than the length of the sticker part202, the size of the tape material control apparatus1000can be reduced.

In addition, in the first embodiment, a case where the rotational speed of the winding roller104is adjusted in accordance with the type of the sticker part202, particularly the thickness, compression rate, and/or the like of the sticker part202has been described. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and a configuration in which the rotational speed of the winding roller104is fixed and the conveyance speed of the tape material201by the peeling paper feeding roller307and the dancer roller control roller302is adjusted may be employed. That is, if the winding speed of the winding roller104and the conveyance speed of the tape material201match, occurrence of loose winding and tight winding can be suppressed.

In addition, in the first embodiment, a case where the sticker part202is spirally wound up as a result of the winding roller104rotating while moving in the axial direction has been described. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and a configuration in which the sticker part is wound up by one rotation of a winding roller having a large outer diameter and not moving in the axial direction may be employed. Further, in the case of spirally winding the sticker part around the winding roller104, for example, the sticker part may be wound around in multiple layers such as two or three layers.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, a case where a tension is applied to the tape material201by the dancer roller304or604has been described. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and any configuration may be employed as long as a tension can be applied to the tape material201. For example, movement of one or both of the dancer roller control roller302or602and the peeling paper feeding roller307or the waste material feeding roller607may be controlled, and the tension may be applied by extending or contracting the path of these. In addition, the tension may be applied by using the speed difference between the dancer roller control roller302or602and the peeling paper feeding roller307or the waste material feeding roller607.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, a case where one type of tape material (sticker part) is supplied from one supply portion301or601has been described. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and for example, a configuration in which tape materials of a plurality of types different in at least one of width, thickness, material, and the like can be supplied to the robot apparatus10in parallel may be employed to improve the versatility in terms of products to be manufactured. Further, in the case of enabling supplying the tape materials to the robot apparatus10in parallel, the lengths of the sticker parts to be supplied may be different.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, a case where a reel around which the tape material is wound is set in the supply portion301or601has been described, but the configuration is not limited to this, and a configuration in which the tape material is supplied from a supply apparatus disposed on the further upstream side may be employed.

The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the embodiments may be modified in many ways within the technical concept of the present disclosure. For example, at least two of the plurality of embodiments and plurality of modification examples described above may be combined. In addition, the effects described in the present embodiment are merely enumeration of the most preferable effects that can be obtained from the embodiments of the present disclosure, and the effects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those described in the embodiments.

Although a case where the robot body is a robot of a vertically articulated robot has been described in the embodiments described above, the configuration is not limited to this. The robot body may be, for example, a horizontally articulated robot, a parallel link robot, or an orthogonal robot. In addition, the embodiments described above can be applied to machines capable of automatically performing extension, contraction, bending, vertical movement, horizontal movement, turning, or a composite operation of these on the basis of information in a storage device provided in the control apparatus.

According to the present invention, the versatility can be improved.

OTHER EMBODIMENTS

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-072835, filed Apr. 27, 2023, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-045553, filed Mar. 21, 2024 which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.