EP3012031B1 - Robot with a cleaning device and associated operating method - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a handling robot for opening and closing doors or hoods of motor vehicle bodies in a painting process.

Moreover, the invention relates to a corresponding operating method for such a handling robot.

In modern paint shops for motor vehicle bodies to be painted vehicle bodies with mounted doors and hoods are transported through the paint shop and painted by a multi-axis painting robot. For interior painting of the motor vehicle bodies, the doors and hoods are opened by a multi-axis handling robot and closed again after completion of the interior painting. For this purpose, the handling robots have handling tools in the form of grippers, which can grip the doors or hoods to be opened.

The problem here is that the handling tools (gripper) of the handling robot are exposed to the spray of the painting robot and therefore are polluted by the applied paint.

Even with a painting robot contamination of the painting robot is carried out by the applied spray, since it can not be completely prevented that the painting robot passes through the spray applied by himself or by a neighboring painting robot.

On the one hand, this paint contamination of the robot can lead to paint dripping from the dirty surfaces of the robot and dripping in the worst case on the components to be painted, which would lead to damage of the previously applied paint layer. This danger also exists with dried, powdery overspray which may be brought by the handling robot (e.g., door opener, bonnet opener) onto the vehicle body to be painted, which may be caused by, for example, cabin air, robot movement or vibration.

On the other hand, the Lackanhaftungen on the robot should be removed in a color change, to avoid subsequent contamination by the different colored Lackanhaftungen. This is only dispensable if, as is currently the case, the handling tools (for example grippers) act on surfaces of the motor vehicle bodywork that are not to be painted.

In the conventional paint shops for motor vehicle bodies of Lackierbetrieb is therefore regularly interrupted so that the paint-contaminated robot can be cleaned manually by maintenance personnel.

A disadvantage of this manual cleaning method, on the one hand, the fact that the painting must be interrupted to clean the robot, which suffers the cost of the paint shop.

On the other hand, every time the robot is cleaned, a dust or dirt entry into the paint booth is made by the maintenance personnel who use the paint booth to clean the paint booth Handling robots must enter and in the clothing and on the body (eg on the not covered by the protective clothing body parts such as face, neck, hair) always carries dust residue. This leads in the conventional painting to the fact that after cleaning the handling robot increasingly Lackierfehler occur that must be repaired consuming.

Furthermore, it should be noted on the prior art DE 601 25 369 T2 . GB 2 367 119 A . US 2002/0035413 A1 . DE 32 44 053 A1 . EP 1 327 485 A2 and DE 41 29 778 A1 ,

Out EP 0 446 120 A2 For example, a robot or a method of operating a robot according to the preamble of claims 1 and 12 are known. Here, the cleaning devices are separated from the robots and fixed. This requires a repositioning of the robot for a cleaning process, which is relatively expensive.

Furthermore are out JP H07-222945 A Painting robots known that can clean each other, since the painting robots each carry a cleaning device on its robot arm, which makes it possible to clean a neighboring painting robot. The disadvantage of this is, on the one hand, that the painting robots must be arranged adjacent so that they can be mutually cleaned. Another disadvantage of this technique is that when cleaning a painting robot not only the painting robot to be cleaned is blocked, but also the adjacent, cleaning painting robot.

The invention is therefore an object of the invention to provide a correspondingly improved handling robot and a indicate the associated operating procedure.

This object is achieved by a handling robot according to the invention and an associated operating method according to the subsidiary claims.

The invention includes the general teachings of automatically cleaning the handling tool of a handling robot or other polluting robot member (e.g., a hand axis or robotic arm) of the robot.

On the one hand, this offers the advantage that no or a shortened production interruptions of the paint shop are required for cleaning the robot, whereby the cost of the paint shop is improved.

On the other hand, the automatic cleaning of the handling robot according to the invention offers the advantage that the paint booth does not have to be entered by the maintenance staff for cleaning purposes, so that no dust is introduced during cleaning, which reduces the number of paint defects and thus improves the paint quality.

However, the invention is not limited to paint shops where no interruption in production takes place during the cleaning and the paint booth is not entered by maintenance personnel. Rather, the invention claimed regardless of the realization of these technical advantages protection for the idea of automatic cleaning of handling or painting robots.

In addition, the robots can also be within the scope of the invention partially and / or temporarily cleaned manually, which takes place for example in removable half-shells.

According to the invention, a cleaning device is provided which cleans the handling tool or any other dirt-prone robotic member of the handling or painting robot from the paint that has been deposited in the paint shop.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning device has an insertion opening into which the handling robot inserts the handling tool to be cleaned when cleaning is required. Such cleaning devices are for example for cleaning atomizers EP 0 333 040 A2 and DE 102 40 073 A1 In principle, they can also be used for cleaning purposes for handling tools, so that the content of these two publications of the present description is to be fully attributed to the structure and the mode of operation of the cleaning device. However, the invention is not limited to the conventional cleaning devices for atomizers in terms of construction and operation of the cleaning device, but in principle also with other types of cleaning equipment feasible.

When inserting the handling tool into the insertion opening of the cleaning device, the handling robot can perform, for example, a linear movement of the handling tool. For example, the handling robot can introduce the handling tool linearly from top to bottom into the insertion opening of the cleaning device. However, it is alternatively also possible for the handling robot to insert the handling tool into the insertion opening of the handling tool Cleaning device performs a combined movement, which consists of a rotary motion and a linear movement.

Moreover, within the scope of the invention it is also possible for the handling robot to perform a pivoting movement for insertion of the handling tool into the insertion opening of the cleaning device. For example, the cleaning device can be oriented horizontally so that the handling tool can be inserted in a horizontal direction into the insertion opening of the cleaning device. This movement can be realized in that the handling tool is pivoted about a horizontally extending axis of rotation.

However, the invention is not limited to the above-mentioned examples with regard to the introduction of the handling tool into the insertion opening of the cleaning device. Rather, another kinematics is conceivable that allows the introduction of the handling tool in the insertion of the cleaning device in the invention.

Furthermore, there is the possibility that the cleaning device with the insertion opening for the handling tool is attached to the outside of the handling robot.

Alternatively, there is the possibility that the cleaning device is arranged with the insertion opening for the handling tool in the housing of the handling robot.

It has already been mentioned above that cleaning devices for atomizers are known from the prior art. In a variant of the invention, it is therefore provided that a cleaning device serves both to clean a nebulizer and to clean the handling tool. This offers the advantage that it is possible to dispense with a separate additional cleaning device for the handling tool by using the already existing cleaning device for the atomizer.

In a variant of the invention, the cleaning device has a protective cover which at least partially covers the handling tool or the dirt-prone robotic member and thereby prevents or at least impedes contamination of the handling tool or the dirt-prone robotic member with the applied lacquer. It is advantageous if the protective cover is replaceable to replace a soiled protective cover with a clean protective cover can.

For example, such a protective cover consist of a protective cap or a protective film, which prevents contamination of the handling tool.

For example, the protective cover may be automatically picked up by the handling robot with vacuum or with a locking mechanism (e.g., detent, locking lever, or the like). Alternatively, the protective cover can be accommodated by means of a hook-and-loop fastener, a Velcro strip or a magnet, which can also serve as fastening means.

After contamination, the protective cover can then be automatically dropped, which can be done for example with compressed air or with a mechanically operated ejection cylinder.

In this case, a disposal container is preferably provided, wherein the handling robot can dispose of the soiled protective covers independently in the disposal container.

In addition, in this case preferably a reservoir is provided which contains a supply of clean protective covers, wherein the handling robot can remove the clean protective covers independently from the reservoir.

The handling robot according to the invention therefore preferably has a compressed air device in order to eject or suck in the protective cover.

Again, there is the possibility that the disposal container or the reservoir is attached to the outside of the handling robot.

Alternatively, there is the possibility that the disposal container or the storage container is structurally mounted separately from the handling robot on the cabin floor or on the cabin wall of the painting booth.

In one embodiment of the invention, the protective cover for the handling robot consists of two half-shells which in the installed state surround the dirt-prone robotic member (eg, a robot's hand axis) and are connected together by a fastener, thereby fixing the protective cover to the dirt-prone robotic member.

For example, the attachment means for connecting the two half-shells may be a conventional adhesive tape.

Alternatively, however, there is the possibility that a cable tie or a Velcro fastener is used as a fastening means for connecting the two half-shells of the protective cover, wherein the handling of a hook-and-loop fastener is particularly simple and therefore advantageous.

Furthermore, the cleaning of the handling tool can be realized in that the handling tool is connected by a quick-change coupling with the rest of the handling robot to allow a quick replacement of the soiled handling tool by a clean handling tool. The separated handling tool can then be stored directly in a cleaning device, so that the cleaning of the previously replaced and stored handling tool takes place during the painting process.

Furthermore, in one embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the distal robot arm serving to guide the handling tool is connected to the rest of the handling robot by means of a quick-change coupling in order to enable a quick replacement of the soiled robot arm with the handling tool attached thereto.

In a variant of the invention, the contamination of the handling robot is minimized by the fact that the serving for guiding the handling tool distal robot arm is aligned at an acute angle or even parallel to the spray of the paint to provide the spray as little as possible attack surface.

Furthermore, there is the possibility that the robot arm serving to guide the handling tool has a drip point at which the paint drips off the robot arm. The Abtropfstelle can be formed for example by a bead in the robot arm. By this constructive measure, the Abtropfstelle can be selectively influenced, whereby unwanted drips are prevented at a disturbing point on the component surfaces to be painted or on the handling robot itself.

Furthermore, it is within the scope of the invention, the possibility that the serving for guiding the handling tool robot arm and / or the handling tool itself has an absorbent coating, which absorbs the impinging paint and thereby prevents dripping of the paint or extends the time to the next necessary cleaning ,

Furthermore, within the scope of the invention it is also possible for the robot arm serving to guide the handling tool and / or the handling tool to be cleaned to have cleaning nozzles in its outer wall, via which cleaning agents (for example solvent, compressed air) can be dispensed in order to avoid paint adhesion. For example, the robot arm may also be porous, so that the detergent can escape over a large area through the individual pores of the robot arm. The pores can also be used to allow different amounts of air to escape at any time or at any time to prevent soiling (free-flow air).

In a further embodiment of the invention, the handling robot is in a painting booth with a booth wall arranged, wherein the cabin wall spatially limits the spray booth. Here, a cleaning opening is arranged in the cabin wall through which the handling tool can be inserted from the inside of the cabin wall on the outside of the cabin wall to clean or replace the handling tool outside the spray booth, which can be done either automatically or manually in this embodiment ,

Further, it should be mentioned that the handling robot in the present invention preferably a SCARA robot (SCARA: S elective C ompliants A ssembly R obot A rm) is, has the vertically oriented rotational axes of motion and is therefore also of the horizontal articulated robot, since essentially only rotational movements in the horizontal direction are possible. Such SCARA robots are described for example in FIG SPONG / HUTCHINSON / VIDYASAGAR: "Robot Modeling and Control", pages 15-16, John Wiley & Sons (2006 ), so that the contents of this textbook of the present description with regard to the structure and operation of a SCARA robot is attributable.

Preferably, however, the term robot used in the context of the invention is based on a multi-axis robot with, for example, 5, 6 or 7 axes, from which so-called side machines and roof machines are to be distinguished.

It should also be mentioned that the invention comprises not only the handling robot according to the invention described above, but also a complete painting installation with such a handling robot.

From the above description it is already apparent that that the invention is not only directed to a handling robot or a paint shop, but also relates to a corresponding operating method in which the cleaning or keeping clean the handling robot automatically.

It should also be mentioned that within the scope of the invention it is also possible for the handling robot to be cleaned by a neighboring painting robot. For this purpose, the painting robot can apply solvent (for example, rinsing agent, cleaning agent) or compressed air to the areas of the handling robot to be cleaned, whereby an alternating application of solvent and compressed air is also possible in order to improve the cleaning effect. The application of the solvent or the compressed air through the adjacent painting robot can be done either by the already existing atomizer or by a separate cleaning nozzle, which may be provided on the painting robot.

In the context of the invention, the cleaning robot is preferably cleaned during an already occurring color change time in which the paint to be applied is changed. This is advantageous because the cleaning of the handling robot then does not require a production interruption.

In addition, paint shops regularly production interruptions, for example, at the weekend or a shift change, these already occurring production interruptions can then be used advantageously for cleaning the handling robot.

However, there is also the possibility that the Painting operation for cleaning the handling robot is interrupted. This offers the possibility that, for example, after each component painting or after a certain number of component finishes cleaning of the handling robot can be done, whereby the painting quality is improved.

Figur 1

eine schematische Seitenansicht eines als Handhabungsroboter eingesetzten SCARA-Roboters mit einer Reinigungseinrichtung, wobei die Reinigungseinrichtung außen an dem Handhabungsroboter angebracht ist, und

Figur 2

eine Abwandlung des Handhabungsroboters aus Figur 1, wobei die Reinigungseinrichtung in das Gehäuse des Handhabungsroboters integriert ist.

Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims or are explained in more detail below together with the description of the preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to FIGS. Show it:

FIG. 1

a schematic side view of a SCARA robot used as a handling robot with a cleaning device, wherein the cleaning device is attached to the outside of the handling robot, and

FIG. 2

a modification of the handling robot of Figure 1, wherein the cleaning device is integrated into the housing of the handling robot.

FIG. 1 shows a handling robot 1, which is mounted on a cabin floor 2 of a spray booth in a paint shop and has the task in motor vehicle bodies with pre-assembled doors to open the doors for interior painting and then close again, which is known per se from the prior art , so that the handling robot 1 is also referred to as a door opener.

(SCARA: S elective C ompliants A ssembly R obort A rm) In this embodiment, the handling robot 1 as the SCARA robot is formed, and has in addition to a stationary robot base 3, two robot arms 4, 5, which are rotatable about vertical axes of rotation A1, A2.

At the distal end of the robot arm 5, a boom 6 is mounted, which carries on its upper side a handling tool 7, wherein the handling tool 7 relative to the boom 6 in the vertical direction along a movement axis A3 displaceable and beyond a vertical axis of rotation along a movement axis A4 is rotatable.

The handling robot 1 thus has four axes of movement A1-A4 in this exemplary embodiment.

On the boom 6, a cleaning device 8 is further attached, which allows a cleaning of the handling tool 7. For this purpose, the cleaning tool 7 is introduced into an insertion opening of the cleaning device 8 and then cleaned in the cleaning device 8. For example, the cleaning device 8 may be constructed like a conventional atomizer cleaning device, as used in e.g. EP 0 333 040 B1 However, other constructions of the cleaning device 8 are possible.

The embodiment according to FIG. 2 is largely consistent with those described above and in FIG. 1 illustrated embodiment, so reference is made to avoid repetition of the above description, wherein the same reference numerals are used for corresponding details.

A special feature of this embodiment is that the cleaning device 8 is arranged in the housing of the boom 6.

Another special feature of this embodiment is that the cleaning device 8 is aligned horizontally, so that the handling tool 7 must be inserted in the horizontal direction in the insertion of the cleaning device 8.

Although the axis of movement A4 is therefore likewise a rotational movement axis, the axis of rotation is aligned at right angles to the plane of the drawing. This means that the handling tool 7 can be pivoted from the position shown in solid lines down to the position shown in dashed lines and then further into the cleaning device 8.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

handling robots

2

cabin floor

3

robot base

4

robot arm

5

robot arm

6

boom

7

handling tool

8th

cleaning device

Claims (14)

1. Handling robot (1) for a painting installation with

   a) a handling tool (7) for handling components to be painted in the painting installation, in particular for opening and closing doors or hoods of motor vehicle bodies, the handling tool (7) being exposed in the painting installation to a spray jet of a paint applied to the components to be painted, and

   b) a cleaning device (8) for cleaning the handling tool (7) of the handling robot (1) from the paint which is applied with the spray jet in a painting operation, wherein the cleaning device (8) has an insertion opening into which the handling tool (7) is introduced by the handling robot (1) for cleaning,

   characterized in that

   c) the cleaning device (8) is arranged on the outside of the hand-held robot (1) or in a housing of the handling robot (1).
2. Handling robot (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning device (8) subjects the handling tool (7) to a cleaning treatment in order to remove the adhering paint.
3. Handling robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handling robot (1) has a linear movement axis (A3) and/or a rotational movement axis (A4) for introducing the handling tool (7) into the cleaning device (8) for cleaning.
4. Handling robot (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the handling robot (1) introduces the handling tool linearly from top to bottom into the insertion opening of the cleaning device.
5. Handling robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning device (8) for the handling tool (7) is an atomizer cleaning device which serves both for cleaning an atomizer and for cleaning the handling tool (7).
6. Handling robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handling tool (7) is mounted at the distal end of a robot arm of the handling robot (1) .
7. Handling robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

   a) the handling robot (1) is arranged in a painting cabin with a cabin wall, the cabin wall spatially delimiting the painting cabin, and

   b) in that a cleaning opening is arranged in the cabin wall through which the handling tool (7) can be inserted from the inside of the cabin wall onto the outside of the cabin wall in order to clean the hand holding tool (7) outside the painting cabin.
8. Handling robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handling robot (1) is a SCARA robot (1) having a plurality of parallel rotary axes of movement.
9. Handling robot (1) according to claim 8,
   characterized in that,

   a) the SCARA robot (1) has several robot arms (4, 5) which can be rotated about vertically extending rotation axes (Al, A2),

   b) an extension arm (6) is attached to the distal end of the distal robot arm (5),

   c) the boom (6) carries the handling tool (7) on its upper side,

   d) the handling tool (7) is displaceable in a vertical direction along a movement axis (A3) relative to the delivery (6),

   e) the cleaning device (8) is attached to the boom (6).
10. Handling robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handling tool (7) is a door opener or a hood opener.
11. Painting installation with a handling robot (1) according to one of the preceding claims.
12. Operating method for a painting installation, comprising the following steps:

    a) Application of a spray jet of a paint to a component to be coated, in particular to a motor vehicle body component, by means of a painting robot,

    b) handling of the motor vehicle body component by a handling tool (7) of a handling robot (1), in particular opening and closing a door or a hood of the motor vehicle body component, the handling tool (7) being exposed to the spray jet,

    c) Automatic cleaning of the handling tool (7) of the handling robot (1) from the applied paint by means of a cleaning device (8),

    c1) wherein the handling tool (7) of the handling robot (1) being subjected to a cleaning treatment by the cleaning device (8) in order to remove the adhering paint,

    c2) wherein the cleaning device (8) having an insertion opening into which the handling tool (7) is inserted by the handling robot (1) for cleaning,

    characterized in that

    d) the cleaning device (8) is arranged on the outside of the handling robot (1) or in a housing of the handling robot (1).
13. Operating method according to claim 12, characterized in that the handling tool (7) for cleaning is inserted through a cleaning opening in a cabin wall of a painting cabin and cleaned outside the painting cabin.
14. Operating method according to one of claims 12 to 13, characterized in that the handling tool (7) or the robot member (15) of the handling robot (1) and/or the painting robot susceptible to contamination is cleaned

    a) during a colour change time during which the coating to be applied is changed, or

    b) during a production break which occurs independently of cleaning; or

    c) during a cleaning interruption of the painting plant, and/or

    d) after each component coating or after a certain number of component coatings.

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