EP0197145A1 - Releasable coupling means for robots - Google Patents

Releasable coupling means for robots

Info

Publication number
EP0197145A1
EP0197145A1 EP85905847A EP85905847A EP0197145A1 EP 0197145 A1 EP0197145 A1 EP 0197145A1 EP 85905847 A EP85905847 A EP 85905847A EP 85905847 A EP85905847 A EP 85905847A EP 0197145 A1 EP0197145 A1 EP 0197145A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
coupling
parts
tool
coupling arrangement
arrangement
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP85905847A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Christopher Wallace
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Plessey Overseas Ltd
Original Assignee
Plessey Overseas Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Plessey Overseas Ltd filed Critical Plessey Overseas Ltd
Publication of EP0197145A1 publication Critical patent/EP0197145A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J19/00—Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with manipulators
    • B25J19/02—Sensing devices
    • B25J19/021—Optical sensing devices
    • B25J19/025—Optical sensing devices including optical fibres
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J15/00—Gripping heads and other end effectors
    • B25J15/04—Gripping heads and other end effectors with provision for the remote detachment or exchange of the head or parts thereof

Definitions

  • This invention relates to robot machines and relates more specifically to arrangements for releasably coupling different tools to robot machines according to specific work requirements.
  • a coupling arrangement which facilitates the releasable coupling of a selected tool to a robot machine said coupling arrangement comprising first and second coupling parts attached or adapted to be attached respectively to the robot machine and a tool required to be releasably coupled to the machine, the coupling parts having mutually engagable operating/control/monitoring connections (e.g. electrical, optical hydraulic or pneumatic (i.e.
  • the robot machine may be controlled to select any one of a number of different tools in accordance with the work program the robot machine is to perform and accordingly each of the tools concerned may have attached to it a second coupler part in readiness for coupling to the first coupling part attached to the robot machine.
  • a tool having attached to it the second part of a coupling arrangement could be selected by different robot machines each having attached to them the first part of a coupling arrangement according to the invention.
  • the hydraulic and/or pneumatic connections may be made by means of a rigid connector pipe or pipes and it may conveniently be arranged that the connector pipe or pipes serve as coupling pin means which co-operate with the power operating locking means referred to in order to effect locking between the two parts of the coupling arrangement.
  • the coupling pin means may be provided with notches or grooves which are lockingly engaged by the rams of locking ram means to releasably secure the two parts of the coupler in mutual engagement.
  • Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a releasable tool coupling arrangement according to the invention
  • Figure 2 is an end view of the coupling arrangement of Figure 1 taken in the direction X of Figure 1 but rotated through 90 ° ;
  • Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of the coupling arrangement of Figure 1 taken along the section lines A-A and B-B, respectively, in Figure 2; and, Figures 5 and 6 are views along the lines C-C and D-D, respectively, in Figure 4.
  • the coupling arrangement illustrated comprises two coupling parts 1 and 2 which are shown coupled together and which are adapted to be connected, respectively, to the arm of a robot machine shown in part at 3 and a power tool or tool holder shown in part at 4 in Figure 1.
  • the coupling part 1 has a hollow neck or stem 5 which serves to accommodate a cable form (not shown) extending from the robot machine 3 to a socket part 6 having terminals 6a of a multi-contact electrical connector secured to a recessed head part 7 of the coupling part 1 by screws 8, as can best be seen in Figure 4.
  • Figure 5 shows the recessed form of the head part 7 for accommodating the connector socket part 6.
  • the head part 7 of the coupling part 1 is also fabricated to accommodate two hydraulically operated locking mechanisms 9 and 10 both of which are shown in Figures 2 and 5 and each of which comprises a ram 11 the nose portion 12 ( Figure 3) of which can be displaced into or out of a passageway 13 ( Figure 3 ) which receives one of two tubular coupling pins 14 and 15 secured to a body part 16 of the coupling part 2.
  • Hydraulic fluid hoses (not shown) for facilitating the transmission of actuating pressures to the rams 11 of the locking mechanisms will extend from the robot machine 3 to the ends of the two locking rams.
  • Figure 1 shows the coupling part 2 attached to the power operated tool 4.
  • This power operated tool or tool holder 4 may, for example, comprise one of a number of different tools which are required to be selectively coupled to the robot machine 3 according to the particular task to be performed by the machine under the control of a programmed computer (not shown).
  • the power operated tool may, for example, comprise an electrically operated servo-controlled gripper device or a pneumatic gripper controlled by air pressure or vacuum, but it will be appreciated that any other suitable tools (e.g. hydraulically or even optically-operated) may alternatively be selectively employed. Accordingly, the tool selected may need to derive electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic or optical operating control signals over the coupling between the coupling parts 1 and 2.
  • the body part 16 of the coupling part 2 has secured to it the pair of tubular coupling pins 14 and 15. These coupling pins engage respective axially-extending holes 13 and 17 in the head part 7 of the coupling part 1.
  • the tubular coupling pins are provided with suitably located notches, such as the notch 18 ( Figure 3), which is adapted to be engaged by the nose 12 of the appertaining locking ram 11 in order to lock the coupling parts 1 and 2 in mutual engagement.
  • the free ends of the tubular coupling pins 14 and 15 which are preferably substantially flat, as shown, but which may be chamfered, are arranged to make fluid-tight engagement with respective bush seals, such as the bush seal 19 ( Figure 3).
  • Input ports one of which is shown at 20 in Figure 3, will have pneumatic or hydraulic hoses or pipes (not shown) connected thereto from the robot machine.
  • the mutually engaged coupling parts 1 and 2 of the coupling arrangement thus effectively provide a pneumatic connection between the robot machine 3 and the selected tool 4.
  • the coupling part 2 also has attached to it a plug part 21 of the electrical connector previously referred to, the pin contacts of this plug part mating with those of the socket part 6 as the two coupling parts 1 and 2 of the arrangement are brought together.
  • electrical connections will be effected between the robot machine 3 and a cable form (not shown) extending from the electrical connector to the tool or tool holder 4 to enable electrical signals to be transmitted through the coupling arrangement to the tool for the control thereof in accordance with a particular work program.
  • one or more of the electrical connections established through the coupled parts 1 and 2 by the multi-contact electrical connector having parts 6 and 21 and associated cable forms may be replaced by an optical fibre coupling arrangement which provides optical connection(s) between optical fibres in response to the mutual coupling of the two parts 1, 2 in mutual engagement.
  • Optical fibre cabling will accordingly extend from the robot machine 3 to the tool 4 and such an optical arrangment may provide for the transmission of visible or invisible (e.g. infra-red) optical signals between the machine and the tool as for the purpose of on-line robotic inspection from simple "part-present" detection to complex camera/vision systems.
  • Three dimensional/stereo sensor systems can be achieved by the use of only one optical fibre using storage and fixed tool offset techniques.
  • the coupling part 2 may include dowel means 22 and keyways 23 for locating the tool or tool holder 4 relative to the coupling part 2.
  • the invention enables electrical and/or optical and pneumatic and/or hyraulic connections to be made between robots and selected tools connected thereto in order to provide the requisite tool operating services.
  • the selection of the tools and the changing of tools can be performed quickly and accurately by the robot machine 3 without the need for human intervention.
  • many other embodiments of the invention may be employed without departing from the overall spirit of the invention.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Robotics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Manipulator (AREA)

Abstract

Dispositif de couplage qui facilite le couplage d'un outil sélectionné et d'une machine robot (3) avec possibilité de débrayer. Ce dispositif comprend une première et une seconde pièce de couplage (1, 2) fixées, ou adaptées pour être fixées, respectivement à la machine robot et à un outil (4) devant être couplé avec la machine tout en étant débrayable; les pièces de couplage possèdent des connexions à engagement réciproque pour le fonctionnement, la commande, et le contrôle (par exemple, des connexions électriques, optiques, hydrauliques ou pneumatiques) qui permettent de réaliser les différentes commandes de fonctionnement de l'outil et/ou d'autres fonctions par l'intermédiaire du dispositif de couplage, lorsque les deux pièces de couplage sont engagées réciproquement; l'une de ces pièces de couplage est pourvue de moyens de verrouillage assistés (9, 10) pour le verrouillage, avec possibilité de débrayer, des deux pièces de couplage lorsqu'elles sont engagées réciproquement.Coupling device which facilitates the coupling of a selected tool and a robot machine (3) with the possibility of disengaging. This device comprises a first and a second coupling part (1, 2) fixed, or adapted to be fixed, respectively to the robot machine and to a tool (4) to be coupled with the machine while being disengageable; the coupling parts have interlocking connections for operation, control and monitoring (for example, electrical, optical, hydraulic or pneumatic connections) which make it possible to carry out the various commands for operating the tool and / or other functions via the coupling device, when the two coupling parts are engaged reciprocally; one of these coupling parts is provided with assisted locking means (9, 10) for locking, with the possibility of disengaging, of the two coupling parts when they are engaged reciprocally.

Description

Releasable coupling means for robots.
This invention relates to robot machines and relates more specifically to arrangements for releasably coupling different tools to robot machines according to specific work requirements. According to the present invention there is provided a coupling arrangement which facilitates the releasable coupling of a selected tool to a robot machine said coupling arrangement comprising first and second coupling parts attached or adapted to be attached respectively to the robot machine and a tool required to be releasably coupled to the machine, the coupling parts having mutually engagable operating/control/monitoring connections (e.g. electrical, optical hydraulic or pneumatic (i.e. air pressure or vacuum^ connections) for permitting various tool control and/or other functions to be performed via the coupling arrangement when the two coupled parts are in mutual engagement and in which one of the coupling parts is provided with power-operated locking means for releasably locking the two coupling parts in their condition of mutual engagement.
As will be appreciated, the robot machine may be controlled to select any one of a number of different tools in accordance with the work program the robot machine is to perform and accordingly each of the tools concerned may have attached to it a second coupler part in readiness for coupling to the first coupling part attached to the robot machine.
According to an alternative arrangement a tool having attached to it the second part of a coupling arrangement could be selected by different robot machines each having attached to them the first part of a coupling arrangement according to the invention.
The hydraulic and/or pneumatic connections may be made by means of a rigid connector pipe or pipes and it may conveniently be arranged that the connector pipe or pipes serve as coupling pin means which co-operate with the power operating locking means referred to in order to effect locking between the two parts of the coupling arrangement. For example, the coupling pin means may be provided with notches or grooves which are lockingly engaged by the rams of locking ram means to releasably secure the two parts of the coupler in mutual engagement.
By way of example one embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a releasable tool coupling arrangement according to the invention;
Figure 2 is an end view of the coupling arrangement of Figure 1 taken in the direction X of Figure 1 but rotated through 90 ° ;
Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of the coupling arrangement of Figure 1 taken along the section lines A-A and B-B, respectively, in Figure 2; and, Figures 5 and 6 are views along the lines C-C and D-D, respectively, in Figure 4.
Referring to the drawings, the coupling arrangement illustrated comprises two coupling parts 1 and 2 which are shown coupled together and which are adapted to be connected, respectively, to the arm of a robot machine shown in part at 3 and a power tool or tool holder shown in part at 4 in Figure 1.
The coupling part 1 has a hollow neck or stem 5 which serves to accommodate a cable form (not shown) extending from the robot machine 3 to a socket part 6 having terminals 6a of a multi-contact electrical connector secured to a recessed head part 7 of the coupling part 1 by screws 8, as can best be seen in Figure 4. Figure 5 shows the recessed form of the head part 7 for accommodating the connector socket part 6. The head part 7 of the coupling part 1 is also fabricated to accommodate two hydraulically operated locking mechanisms 9 and 10 both of which are shown in Figures 2 and 5 and each of which comprises a ram 11 the nose portion 12 (Figure 3) of which can be displaced into or out of a passageway 13 (Figure 3 ) which receives one of two tubular coupling pins 14 and 15 secured to a body part 16 of the coupling part 2. Hydraulic fluid hoses (not shown) for facilitating the transmission of actuating pressures to the rams 11 of the locking mechanisms will extend from the robot machine 3 to the ends of the two locking rams.
Figure 1 shows the coupling part 2 attached to the power operated tool 4. This power operated tool or tool holder 4 may, for example, comprise one of a number of different tools which are required to be selectively coupled to the robot machine 3 according to the particular task to be performed by the machine under the control of a programmed computer (not shown). The power operated tool may, for example, comprise an electrically operated servo-controlled gripper device or a pneumatic gripper controlled by air pressure or vacuum, but it will be appreciated that any other suitable tools (e.g. hydraulically or even optically-operated) may alternatively be selectively employed. Accordingly, the tool selected may need to derive electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic or optical operating control signals over the coupling between the coupling parts 1 and 2.
To facilitate the releaseable coupling between the coupling parts 1 and 2 and at the same time provide a pneumatic and/or hydraulic connection between the selected tool 4 and the robot machine 3, the body part 16 of the coupling part 2 has secured to it the pair of tubular coupling pins 14 and 15. These coupling pins engage respective axially-extending holes 13 and 17 in the head part 7 of the coupling part 1. The tubular coupling pins are provided with suitably located notches, such as the notch 18 (Figure 3), which is adapted to be engaged by the nose 12 of the appertaining locking ram 11 in order to lock the coupling parts 1 and 2 in mutual engagement. As can best be seen in Figure 3, the free ends of the tubular coupling pins 14 and 15 which are preferably substantially flat, as shown, but which may be chamfered, are arranged to make fluid-tight engagement with respective bush seals, such as the bush seal 19 (Figure 3). Input ports, one of which is shown at 20 in Figure 3, will have pneumatic or hydraulic hoses or pipes (not shown) connected thereto from the robot machine. The mutually engaged coupling parts 1 and 2 of the coupling arrangement thus effectively provide a pneumatic connection between the robot machine 3 and the selected tool 4.
As can be seen from Figure 4, the coupling part 2 also has attached to it a plug part 21 of the electrical connector previously referred to, the pin contacts of this plug part mating with those of the socket part 6 as the two coupling parts 1 and 2 of the arrangement are brought together. Thus electrical connections will be effected between the robot machine 3 and a cable form (not shown) extending from the electrical connector to the tool or tool holder 4 to enable electrical signals to be transmitted through the coupling arrangement to the tool for the control thereof in accordance with a particular work program.
It may here be mentioned that one or more of the electrical connections established through the coupled parts 1 and 2 by the multi-contact electrical connector having parts 6 and 21 and associated cable forms (not shown) may be replaced by an optical fibre coupling arrangement which provides optical connection(s) between optical fibres in response to the mutual coupling of the two parts 1, 2 in mutual engagement. Optical fibre cabling will accordingly extend from the robot machine 3 to the tool 4 and such an optical arrangment may provide for the transmission of visible or invisible (e.g. infra-red) optical signals between the machine and the tool as for the purpose of on-line robotic inspection from simple "part-present" detection to complex camera/vision systems. Three dimensional/stereo sensor systems can be achieved by the use of only one optical fibre using storage and fixed tool offset techniques. The coupling part 2 may include dowel means 22 and keyways 23 for locating the tool or tool holder 4 relative to the coupling part 2.
As will be appreciated from the foregoing description of one specific embodiment of the present invention the invention enables electrical and/or optical and pneumatic and/or hyraulic connections to be made between robots and selected tools connected thereto in order to provide the requisite tool operating services. The selection of the tools and the changing of tools can be performed quickly and accurately by the robot machine 3 without the need for human intervention. Clearly, many other embodiments of the invention may be employed without departing from the overall spirit of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS :
1. A coupling arrangement which facilitates the releasable coupling of a selected tool to a robot machine, said coupling arrangement comprising first and second coupling parts attached or adapted to be attached, respectively, to the robot machine and a tool required to be releasably coupled to the machine, the coupling parts having mutually engageable operating/control/monitoring connections (e.g. electrical, optical, hydraulic or pneumatic connections) for permitting various tool operating control and/or other functions to be performed via the coupling arrangement when the two coupled parts are in mutual engagement and in which one of the coupling parts is provided with power-operated locking means for releasably locking the two coupling parts in their condition of mutual engagement.
2. A coupling arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the two coupling parts are arranged to be locked together by means of hydraulically-operated ram means.
3. A coupling arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which one of the coupling parts has tubular coupling pin means extending therefrom for engaging one or more holes in the other coupling part to provide a sealed passageway through the coupling arrangement for hydraulic fluid, air, etc. from the robot machine for the remote operation or control of the tool.
4. A coupling arrangement as claimed in claims 2 and 3, in which the hydraulically-operated ram means engages with notch means in the coupling pin means to lock the coupling parts in mutual engagement.
5. A coupling arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the two coupling parts are provided with the respective parts of a multi-contact electrical connector which provides through electrical connections between cabling extending from the robot to the tool when the two coupling parts are mutually coupled.
6. A coupling arrangement as claimed in claim 1, or claim 5 in which the two coupling parts are provided with respective parts of an optical fibre connector for connecting optical fibres extending between the robot machine and the selected tool when the coupling parts are in mutual engagement.
7. A coupling arrangement as claimed in claim 6, in which optical fibre connector forms a part of the multi-contact electrical connector.
8. A coupling arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the respective coupling parts have passageways extending axially therethrough for the passage of electrical and/or optical cabling etc.
9. A coupling arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the coupling part adapted to be attached to the tool has one or more key ways and/or dowel means for correct orientation of a tool holder relative to the coupling part.
EP85905847A 1984-10-17 1985-10-17 Releasable coupling means for robots Withdrawn EP0197145A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8426225 1984-10-17
GB848426225A GB8426225D0 (en) 1984-10-17 1984-10-17 Robot machines

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0197145A1 true EP0197145A1 (en) 1986-10-15

Family

ID=10568316

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP85905847A Withdrawn EP0197145A1 (en) 1984-10-17 1985-10-17 Releasable coupling means for robots

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0197145A1 (en)
JP (1) JPS62500923A (en)
KR (1) KR870700469A (en)
AU (1) AU5200086A (en)
GB (1) GB8426225D0 (en)
NZ (1) NZ213866A (en)
WO (1) WO1986002307A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5185328A (en) * 1987-08-20 1993-02-09 Nissan Chemical Industries Ltd. Quinoline type mevalonolactones useful for treating hyperlipidemia, hyperlipoproteinemia or atherosclerosis
IT1248419B (en) * 1990-06-15 1995-01-16 Comau Spa ASSEMBLY STATION OF A PRINTED SHEET STRUCTURE PROVIDED WITH A WELDING ROBOT THAT CAN ALSO BE USED FOR THE PERIODIC CONTROL OF THE EQUIPMENT USED IN THE STATION.

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1329005A (en) * 1962-04-25 1963-06-07 Commissariat Energie Atomique Improvements to locking systems for handling grippers and in particular for remote manipulator grippers
IT1129104B (en) * 1980-06-26 1986-06-04 Comau Spa AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR CHANGE OF ELECTRIC WELDING CALIPER OPERATED BY THE ARM OF A PROGRAMMABLE MANIPULATOR
DE3151532A1 (en) * 1981-12-24 1983-07-14 Licentia Patent-Verwaltungs-Gmbh, 6000 Frankfurt Arrangement for the automatic changing of grippers
DE3214025A1 (en) * 1982-04-16 1983-10-20 Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm GmbH, 8000 München TWO-PIECE FITTING WITH TAPERED SLEEVE AND TAPERED SHAFT
FR2542243B1 (en) * 1983-03-11 1987-01-23 Syspro TOOL HOLDER FOR INDUSTRIAL ROBOT
US4512709A (en) * 1983-07-25 1985-04-23 Cincinnati Milacron Inc. Robot toolchanger system
EP0154227B1 (en) * 1984-03-09 1989-11-02 Applied Robotics, Inc. Exchange system and method for connecting, and/or exchanging remote elements to a central control source

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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Title
See references of WO8602307A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU5200086A (en) 1986-05-02
GB8426225D0 (en) 1984-11-21
WO1986002307A1 (en) 1986-04-24
JPS62500923A (en) 1987-04-16
KR870700469A (en) 1987-12-29
NZ213866A (en) 1987-06-30

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