Patent ID: 7203586

Claim:
A controller for a contact mechanism for performing a process of controlling an operation of the contact mechanism, which includes a contacting member provided so as to be movable in a one-axis direction, an actuator coupled to the contacting member and moving the contacting member, and a contacted member that contacts the contacting member when the contacting member moves to a predetermined position, in order to press the contacting member to the contacted member by moving the contacting member beyond the predetermined position by using the actuator, the controller comprising: target position setting means for setting a target position of the contacting member in the process; actual position grasping means for grasping an actual position of the contacting member; control input determination means for determining a control input to the actuator so as to increase an output of the actuator along with an increase in a difference between the target position and the actual position of the contacting member to eliminate the difference; and contact detecting means for detecting that the contacting member contacts the contacted member, wherein the target position setting means sets the target position of the contacting member so that the control input to the actuator matches a target control input that causes the pressing force applied from the contacting member to the contacted member to be at a predetermined level when the contact detecting means detects that the contacting member contacts the contacted member.