Fanuc Corporation

Hiroaki Kubota

Atsushi Watanabe

Kazunori Ban

Masaru Oda

Kazuhisa Otsuka

Taro Arimatsu

Yoshinori Ochiishi

Tadamasa Horiuchi

A hand as an end effector. The hand includes a base, a hook element associated with the base and capable of hooking and lifting an object, a holding element associated with the base and cooperating with the hook element to hold the object therebetween, and a drive section causing a relative movement between the hook element and the holding element. For example, the hook element is arranged movably in a direction toward and away from the holding element on the base, and the drive section drives the hook element. Alternatively, the holding element is arranged movably in a direction toward and away from the hook element on the base, and the drive section drives the holding element. A handling robot includes an arm and the above-described hand attached to the arm.

Hand and handling robot

A food dishing robot system capable of dealing with dishing operations of foods of various characteristics. Trays are supplied to vicinities of food dishing robots RB&#x2013;RBby food supplying lines L&#x2013;L. Four food conveying containers are placed on each tray. Each of the robots RB&#x2013;RBhandles a food conveying container containing a food on the tray to move the food conveying container over a lunch box supplied by a lunch box supplying line Lat a predetermined position, and dishes the food on a predetermined space in the lunch box. The food contained in the food conveying container is discharged through a cutout or an opening formed at a side thereof by inclining the food conveying container. The food conveying container may have a bottom plate to be opened/closed or the robot may have an auxiliary member in the form of scoop to forcedly discharge the food from the food conveying container. After completing the dishing of the food, the food conveying container is returned on the tray. Shaped, shapeless, solid, powdery, granular and liquid food can be dished on the lunch box.

Food dishing robot system

Growing community of inventors

Fujiyoshida, Japan

Hiroaki Kubota