JP2000141272A - Industrial robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an industrial robot high in sanitation and easy in mainte nance work at a low cost. SOLUTION: An outer peripheral surface of a first casing 9 constituting an exposed surface of an industrial robot, outer peripheral surfaces of casing parts of a second shaft arm 2 and a third shaft arm 3 and an outer peripheral part of a rod of a first shaft J1 are applied with antibacterial treatment by resin coating, and oil seals 12-15 of each part are constituted themselves of an antibacterial material. Maintenance work of cleaning, disinfection, etc., of the industrial robot can be simplified, since anticorrosion and chemical resistance are realized at a low cost without changing the material of a main part and propagation of bacteria is prevented by their antibacterial work.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of an industrial robot.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Industrial robots handling foods, medical supplies, sanitary goods, etc., are required to be sanitary for the robots themselves. As a method for maintaining the sanitary state of the robot, there is a method in which the robot is configured to have a waterproof structure and can be washed, and the robot is periodically washed and disinfected with a chemical. For example, at a food processing site, cleaning and disinfection of the robot with chemicals are performed after the operation is completed in order to prevent food fragments attached to the robot from corroding and causing bacteria to propagate during the operation. However, this method has a problem that the hygiene of the robot completely depends on the cleaning and disinfecting operations. In other words, unless the washing and disinfecting operations are always performed with chemicals, the hygiene of the robot cannot be maintained.

In order to provide a structure that can withstand washing and disinfecting operations with chemicals, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-33973 is disclosed.
It is necessary to adopt a material having excellent rust resistance and chemical resistance, such as stainless steel or aluminum subjected to hard anodizing, as shown in FIG.

However, these materials are expensive, and there is a problem that replacing materials such as iron and aluminum generally used for robots with these materials leads to an increase in the cost of the robot.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and to provide an industrial robot which is highly hygienic and easy in maintenance work at low cost.

[0006]

According to the present invention, an antibacterial treatment is performed on a part or all of a member on an exposed surface of a robot mechanism, or on a part or all of an exposed part on a wrist of a robot. Some or all of these members are made of an antibacterial material. Further, the antibacterial treatment can be easily performed by coating a resin mixed with an antibacterial agent.

[0007] Antimicrobial treatment is applied to the portion of the robot where hygiene is required, or the propagation of bacteria is suppressed because the portion where hygiene is required is made of an antimicrobial material. That is, since the robot itself has an antibacterial action, it is not necessary to frequently clean and disinfect the robot with chemicals, thereby improving the maintainability of the robot. Furthermore,
Since it is not necessary to frequently use chemicals for cleaning and disinfection, expensive materials with excellent rust resistance and chemical resistance, such as stainless steel or hard anodized aluminum, are used for each member. There is no need to do this, and the cost of the robot can be reduced.

Further, when cleaning a robot that has been subjected to antibacterial treatment, the chemicals used for cleaning and disinfection do not necessarily have to be strong, and in some cases, even fresh water is sufficient. Cleaning can be performed easily. Furthermore, if each of the above-mentioned members is made of a rust-resistant and chemical-resistant antibacterial material, the cleaning and disinfection work is performed in the same manner as in the prior art, and together with the antibacterial action of the robot itself, it becomes longer than before. The hygiene of the robot can be maintained over a period.

According to the present invention, an industrial robot having high hygiene and easy maintenance can be provided at low cost.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The mechanical unit of the industrial robot (hereinafter, simply referred to as a robot) includes one linear motion axis J1 and three rotation axes J2, J3, and J4. The work tool 4 is mounted on the tip of the rotation shaft J4.

A linear motion shaft J1 for moving the second shaft arm 2 up and down.
Is driven in a vertical direction by a servomotor M1 via a ball screw & nut mechanism 1 and the like. A rotation axis J2 for rotating the second axis arm 2 in a horizontal plane;
A rotary shaft J3 for rotating the work tool 4 in a horizontal plane and a rotary shaft J4 for rotating the work tool 4 in a horizontal plane are respectively provided with servomotors M2, M3, via hollow reducers 5, 6 and 7, respectively. It is rotationally driven by M4.

The outer wall 8 covering the robot mechanism is provided with a first casing 9 containing the ball screw & nut mechanism 1, the servomotor M1, etc., and a second casing containing the servomotors M2, M3, the hollow reduction gears 5, 6 and the like. 10
(To be the second shaft arm 2), and a third casing 11 (to be the third shaft arm 3) in which the servomotor M4, the speed reducer 7, and the like are housed. The third shaft arm 3 (the third casing 11) is a wrist of the robot.

An oil seal 1 for maintaining a dust-proof / water-proof function in a sliding portion between the first casing 9 and the linear motion shaft J1.
2 are interposed. In addition, a rotating portion between the linear motion shaft J1 and the second casing 10, a rotating portion between the second casing 10 and the third casing 11, and a third casing 1
Oil seals 13, 14, 15 for maintaining a dustproof / waterproof function are interposed in a rotating portion between the rotating shaft 1 and the rotating shaft J4.

Further, on the outer peripheral surface (exposed surface) of the first casing 9, the second casing 10, and the third casing 11,
Antibacterial treatment is performed with a resin coating of a fluororesin or nylon resin mixed with an antibacterial agent.

Examples of the antibacterial agent to be mixed into the resin include (1) a ceramic antibacterial agent in which ions of silver, copper, zinc, or the like having excellent antibacterial activity against general bacteria and fungi are incorporated into a ceramic crystal; ) An antibacterial material obtained by incorporating silver, copper, zinc, or the like in the form of ions, complexes, or metals into an inorganic simple substance such as zeolite or silica gel, such as silver, zeolite, or antibacterial silica gel. And a natural antibacterial agent or the like produced by extracting the same. In addition, the example of the said antibacterial agent is a part, and this invention is not limited to these.

[0016] Instead of the above coating, a paint treatment using a paint mixed with these antibacterial agents may be applied.

Further, the outer periphery of the rod of the first shaft J1 exposed to the outside is also subjected to antibacterial treatment by the same resin coating as described above. In this case, since the outer peripheral portion of the first shaft J1 frequently slides between the first shaft J1 and the oil seal 12, it is desirable to apply a resin coating having excellent wear resistance. In addition, at least a portion of the fourth shaft J4 that is outside the third casing is subjected to the same antibacterial treatment using the same resin coating as described above.

Further, since the oil seals 12 to 15 constituting the robot mechanism are likely to be worn inside and outside due to rotation and sliding, the oil seals 12 to 15 are made of antibacterial material. Specifically, the oil seals 12 to 1
In the molding step 5, the above-mentioned ceramic antibacterial agent or the like may be mixed into the resin, synthetic rubber or the like as the raw material.

Since the exposed surface of the robot mechanism itself is made of the same material as the conventional one (for example, the first casing 9 is an iron casting, and the second and third casings are an aluminum casting). The manufacturing cost of the robot according to the invention is the same as that of the conventional one, only adding the cost of the antibacterial treatment. In addition, regardless of the material of the member, rust resistance,
Since chemical resistance is imparted, it is possible to sufficiently withstand washing and disinfecting operations with chemicals and water.

The first casing 9 and the casings of the second shaft arm 2 and the third shaft arm 3 and the first
Since most of the members such as the rod of the shaft J1 are exterior parts, it is not necessary to consider an increase in thickness due to a resin coating or a paint film, and design and processing dimensional data relating to metal parts of these members. Can be used as it is. The rod of the first shaft J1 serves as a fitting portion with the oil seal 12. However, since the oil seal 12 has elasticity and toughness, an increase in outer dimensions caused by coating the rod of the first shaft J1 is a problem. No.

When the entire exposed surface of the robot mechanism is subjected to antibacterial treatment by coating or painting, the work may be performed individually at the stage of parts, or integrally after assembly of the entire robot. An antibacterial treatment may be applied. When performing antibacterial treatment collectively after assembly, for example, completely extrude the rod of the first shaft J1 to expose all parts that may be exposed to the outside. To do.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The robot shown in FIG. 2 has substantially the same structure as the robot shown in FIG. However, the mechanical part of the robot shown in FIG.
Instead of interposing an oil seal 12 as shown in FIG. 1, an upper surface of the first casing 9 and a linear motion shaft J1
A cylindrical flexible bellows 16 is mounted concentrically with the translation shaft J1 between the lower end of the upper flange portion 17 and the lower end. Therefore, when the linear motion shaft J1 moves in the axial direction, the bellows 16 connected to the first casing 9 expands and contracts, so that the hermeticity of the first casing 9 is maintained. Function is maintained.

The robot shown in FIG. 2 is subjected to the same antibacterial treatment as the robot shown in FIG. That is, (1) The member on the exposed surface of the robot mechanism is subjected to antibacterial treatment, or the member is made of a material containing an antibacterial agent. (2) An antibacterial treatment is applied to a member exposed on the wrist of the robot, or the member is made of a material containing an antibacterial agent. (3) The exposed surface of the robot mechanism is treated with a natural antibacterial agent or a ceramic antibacterial agent.

(4) The robot wrist is treated with a natural antibacterial agent or a ceramic antibacterial agent. (5) The exposed surface of the robot mechanism is coated with a resin mixed with an antibacterial agent. Fluorine resin or nylon resin is used as this coating material. (6) Coat the robot's wrist with resin mixed with antibacterial agent. Fluorine resin or nylon resin is used as this coating material. (7) Paint the exposed surface of the robot mechanism with paint mixed with an antibacterial agent. (8) Paint the wrist of the robot with paint mixed with antibacterial agent.

The bellows 12 in the robot shown in FIG. 2 is an element of the robot mechanism and has an exposed surface. However, if the bellows 12 is coated with a resin mixed with an antimicrobial agent, the bellows 12 may expand or contract, causing cracks or peeling in the surface layer. For this reason, it is desirable that the bellows 12 itself be formed of an antibacterial material having an antibacterial action, instead of coating the bellows 12 with such a coating. Specifically, as in the case of the oil seals 13 to 15, at the stage of forming the bellows 12, the above-mentioned ceramic antibacterial agent or the like may be mixed into resin, synthetic rubber, or the like as a raw material thereof.

Both the robot according to the first embodiment and the robot according to the second embodiment have an antibacterial effect over the entire exposed surface of the robot mechanism and the exposed surface of the robot wrist.

However, the part having the antibacterial effect may be determined according to the use environment of the robot.
An antibacterial treatment or an antibacterial agent is applied only to the casing part of the third shaft arm 3 constituting the wrist for performing the actual handling work or the casing part of the second shaft arm 2 provided with the third shaft arm 3. You may.

For example, in a case where the entire robot is brought into a highly sanitary environment such as a food manufacturing factory or a medical product manufacturing factory and the work is performed, the entire exposed surface of the robot mechanism and the exposed surface of the robot wrist are required. It is desirable to have an antibacterial effect over the entire area. On the other hand, when the robot is used in an environment such as handling of a simple sanitary article, it may be sufficient if only a specific portion of the robot has an antibacterial action.

According to the present invention, the propagation of bacteria is suppressed by an antibacterial coating or an antibacterial material in a portion of the robot where a sanitary environment is required. Therefore, the robot is not frequently washed and disinfected with chemicals. However, the hygiene can be maintained for a long time, and the maintainability of the robot is improved.

Further, by constructing the robot with an antibacterial coating or an antibacterial material, problems such as the propagation of bacteria are suppressed beforehand, so that the chemicals used for cleaning and disinfection need not be strong. In some cases, fresh water is sufficient, so that cleaning and disinfection can be easily cleaned. In addition, if cleaning and disinfection work is performed at the same level as in the past, the antibacterial action of the robot itself is combined,
The hygiene of the robot can be maintained for a longer time than before.

[0031]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an industrial robot having high hygiene and easy maintenance at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an industrial robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an industrial robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ball screw & nut mechanism 2 2nd axis arm 3 3rd axis arm 4 Working tool 5 Hollow reduction gear 6 Hollow reduction gear 7 Reduction gear 8 Outer wall 9 First casing 10 Second casing 11 Third casing 12-15 Oil seal 16 Bellows 17 Upper flange part M1 to M4 Servo motor J1 Linear motion axis J2 to J4 Rotary axis

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An industrial robot wherein an antibacterial treatment is applied to a member on an exposed surface of the robot mechanism, or the member on the exposed surface is made of a material containing an antibacterial agent. 2. An industrial robot, wherein an antibacterial treatment is performed on a member exposed on a wrist of the robot, or the exposed member on the wrist is made of a material containing an antibacterial agent. 3. An industrial robot wherein a member on an exposed surface of the robot mechanism is treated with a natural antibacterial agent or a ceramic antibacterial agent. 4. An industrial robot, wherein a wrist of the robot is treated with a natural antibacterial agent or a ceramic antibacterial agent. 5. An industrial robot, wherein an exposed surface of a robot mechanism is coated with a resin mixed with an antibacterial agent. 6. An industrial robot, wherein the wrist of the robot is coated with a resin mixed with an antibacterial agent. 7. The industrial robot according to claim 5, wherein a fluorine resin or a nylon resin is used as a coating agent for the coating. 8. An industrial robot, wherein an exposed surface of the robot mechanism is painted with a paint containing an antibacterial agent. 9. An industrial robot, wherein the wrist of the robot is painted with a paint containing an antibacterial agent.