JP2003266343A - Conveyance device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveyance device capable of dispensing with the drive for holding attitude of a movable base. <P>SOLUTION: The movable base 22 is provided in a free end part of an arm body 23 provided on a base 21 in a basic end part so as to elongate, shrink, and retract freely. The arm body 23 is elongated, shrunk, and driven by a drive means 24 to displace the movable base 22 in order to convey an object to be conveyed. The arm body 23 is constituted by connecting in substantially rhombus shape using each gear 38, 39, 57, 58 so that each arm part 44, 46 operate symmetrically in synchronization and in the interlocking relationship in order to hold the movable base 22 at fixed attitude when elongating and shrinking. Moreover, a fixation avoid means 100 is provided to avoid fixation of the arm body 23 at a neutral position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a carrying device for carrying a product.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a conventional conveying apparatus 1. The transport device 1 is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-2001.
30190. This transfer device 1 has a base 2
A first arm 3 formed integrally with the base 2, a second arm 4 rotatably connected to the first arm 3, and a second arm 4 for rotationally driving the first arm 3 A motor 5 and a movable table 6 rotatably provided on the second arm 4.
And interlocking means 7 for rotating the movable table 6 with respect to the second arm 4 in association with the rotation of the second arm 4 with respect to the first arm 3. The interlocking unit 7 decelerates the rotation of the second arm 4 with respect to the first arm 3 by half and interlocks the movable table 6 with the second arm 4 so that the movable table 6 is fixed. It is configured so that it can be held in this posture.

[0003]

In the carrier device 1, the movable table 6 can be held in a fixed posture, and therefore the object held on the movable table 6 can be held in a fixed posture and conveyed. However, the interlocking means 7 is required as means for maintaining the posture of the movable table 6. Since such interlocking means 7 must transmit the rotation to the tip of the second arm 4, it naturally extends to the tip of the second arm 4.

As described above, in the transport apparatus 1 in which the plurality of arms 3 and 4 are simply rotatably connected and the transport object is transported by mutual rotation, the movable table 6 is provided to maintain the posture of the transport object. You have to drive. The drive source for maintaining this posture is shared by the motor 5, and is provided on the base 2 separated from the movable base 6 in order to suppress inertial force and due to restrictions on the tip shape and the like. Therefore, the interlocking means 7 for transmitting the driving force of the motor 5 to the movable table 6 is required.

Therefore, in the conventional transfer apparatus 1,
Specifically, a means for holding the posture, which is the interlocking means 7, must be provided separately, and the mass increases, and the carrying capacity decreases due to its own weight. When one motor 5 is used for both conveyance and posture retention as in the conveyance device 1, power transmission becomes multistage, and the positioning accuracy of the movable table 6 deteriorates. Furthermore, since it has a single arm structure, it has low rigidity and is prone to shake and shake.

An object of the present invention is to provide a carrying device which does not require a drive for maintaining the posture which causes such a problem.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a base, a movable base, a base at its base end, and a movable base at its free end. And a drive unit that is fixedly provided on the base and that drives the arm body to extend and retract.

According to the present invention, the movable base is provided at the free end of the arm body provided at the base end so as to be extendable and retractable on the base, and is movable by driving the arm body to extend and retract. The table can be displaced, and the object to be held can be transferred to the movable table. The arm body is configured to hold the movable table in a fixed posture when it is extended and retracted, and it is not necessary to drive the movable table separately from the extension and the contraction of the arm body. As a result, only the drive means for extending and retracting the arm body needs to be provided on the base, and the drive means for driving the movable base is not required. Naturally, the transmission for transmitting the power for driving the movable base is required. It is possible to convey the conveyed object while maintaining the posture with a simple structure without requiring any means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the arm body is a pair of arm portions which are connected so as to be symmetrically interlocked with each other, and a plurality of link members are connected to each other so that they can be angularly displaced. The link member is provided with an arm portion that can be folded and extended by mutual angular displacement, and can be extended and retracted by folding and extending each arm portion, and the axis of each link member is arranged on one virtual plane. As described above, it is characterized in that it is extendable in both extension directions around the neutral retracted position where each arm is folded.

According to the present invention, the arm body realizes an arm body that extends and retracts by holding the movable table in a fixed posture by connecting the pair of arm portions so as to interlock with each other symmetrically. can do. Further, by constructing the arm body by connecting the pair of arm portions, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the arm body in addition to maintaining the posture of the movable table. Further, it is extendable in both extension directions around the neutral retracted position where each arm is folded so that the axis of each link member is arranged on one virtual plane.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a link member disposed near the base end of each arm is angularly movably connected to the base, and the drive means is located near the base end of the first arm. The first link member is angularly displaced with respect to the base, and the link member near the base end of the second arm is interlocked with the planet to angularly drive with respect to the base.

According to the present invention, the first arm portion is driven by the driving means, and the second arm portion is interlocked with the first arm portion in a planetary manner. It is possible to realize an arm body that can be moved. Moreover, by the drive means provided on the base,
Only by driving the first arm portion, the movable base can be held in a fixed posture and the arm body can be extended and retracted.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, when the arm body is at least in the neutral retracted position, a driving force for extending and retracting the arm body is provided at a position different from the driving force by the driving means. It is characterized in that it includes a means for avoiding sticking applied to the.

According to the invention, the sticking avoidance means
A driving force can be applied to the arm body 23 at a position different from that of the driving means.

[0015]

1 is a perspective view showing a carrying device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows the carrier device 2.
It is a top view which shows 0. The transporting device 20 is a device for transporting a transported object. Specifically, for example, when manufacturing a vehicle body and parts of an automobile, when processing is performed by using a plurality of processing devices, the transporting device 20 extends between the processing devices. It is used to convey a work, which is a conveyed product.

The transfer device 20 includes a base 21 and a movable base 22.
And an arm body 23 and a driving means 24. The base 21 is formed in a flat plate shape, and can be fixed to a predetermined position such as a multi-axis robot which is a 6-axis robot or other devices. The movable table 22 is formed in a flat plate shape and can be provided with a holder or the like for holding a conveyed object.

The arm body 23 is provided at the base 21 at the base end portion 27, and the movable base 22 is provided at the free end portion 28. The arm body 23 is configured to be extendable and retractable while holding the movable base 22 in a fixed posture.

Specifically, the arm body 23 is also in the neutral position, and is centered on the retracted position 30 which is most retracted, and the two extended positions 31, which are most extended from the retracted position 30,
It is possible to extend in the extension directions A1 and A2 toward 32, and to retract from the respective extension positions 31 and 32 in the retracted directions B1 and B2 toward the retracted positions. Each extension direction A
1 and A2 are in opposite directions to each other and each degenerate direction B1 and B
2 are in opposite directions to each other.

The driving means 24 is fixedly provided on the base 21 in the vicinity of the base 21, drives the arm 23 to extend in the respective extension directions A1 and A2, and also extends and retracts in the respective retracting directions B1 and A1.
Degenerate drive to B2. As a result, the movable base 22 defines the position when the arm body 23 is in the retracted position 30 as the midpoint position, and the respective extension directions A1 and A2 and the retracted directions B1 and B
It is displaced along a linear path parallel to 2. At this time, the posture of the movable table 21 is kept constant. Drive means 24
Is realized by, for example, a servo motor.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the section line S2-S2 of FIG. 2 with the arm body 23 in the retracted position 30. With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 together, a base casing 34 that is a gear box for housing a gear train and the like is fixedly provided on the base 21.

Two base shafts 36 and 37 are supported on the base casing 34 so as to be angularly displaceable around their respective axes. Therefore, the base shafts 36 and 37 are provided so as to be angularly displaceable with respect to the base 21. An angular displacement axis line that coincides with the axis line of the first base shaft 36, the angular displacement axis line of the first base shaft 36 with respect to the base 21 (hereinafter referred to as “first base shaft angular displacement axis line”) L36, and It is an angular displacement axis line that coincides with the axis line of the base shaft 37, and the second base shaft 3 is attached to the base 21.
7 angular displacement axis (hereinafter referred to as "second base angular displacement axis")
It is parallel to L37.

A first base arm gear 38 is attached to the first base shaft 36, and a first base angular displacement axis L with respect to the first base shaft 36 is provided.
It is mounted in a state in which angular displacement around 36 is blocked. A second base arm gear 39 is attached to the second base shaft 37,
It is mounted in a state in which angular displacement around the second base angular displacement axis L37 with respect to the second base shaft 37 is blocked.

The base arm gears 38 and 39 are meshed with each other, whereby the base shafts 36 and 37 are angularly displaced in an interlocking manner so that their angular displacement directions are opposite to each other. The base arm gears 38 and 39 are connected to the base shafts 3
6 and 37 are configured to work together at the same angular displacement speed.

The base casing 34 also includes the drive shaft 4
0 is supported so as to be angularly displaceable around its axis.
An angular displacement axis line that coincides with the axis line of the drive shaft 40, the angular displacement axis line of the drive shaft 40 with respect to the base casing 34 (hereinafter referred to as “driving angular displacement axis line”) L40, and the base base angular displacement axis lines L36 and L37. Are parallel.

The base casing 34 is further provided with a drive means 24 fixedly provided. The output shaft 43 of the drive unit 24 and the drive shaft 40 are coupled to each other so that the angular displacement can be transmitted, and the drive shaft 40 is driven by the drive unit 24 to perform the angular displacement.

A drive gear 41 is mounted on the drive shaft 40 in a state in which angular displacement around the drive angular displacement axis L40 with respect to the drive shaft 40 is blocked. The drive gear 41 meshes with the first base arm gear 38. In this way, the drive means 24 is driven by the drive means 24 and the drive gear 41.
And the first base shaft 3 via the first base arm gear 38.
6 is driven for angular displacement, and further, via the second base arm gear 39, the second base shaft 37 is interlocked with the planet and driven for angular displacement.

The gear train having the base arm gears 38 and 39 and the drive gear 41 is housed in the base casing 34 and protected from dust and the like. As a result, durability is improved and malfunction is prevented, and each base shaft 3
It is possible to achieve smooth interlocking of 6,37.

The arm body 23 has a pair of arm portions 44 and 45 which are connected so as to be symmetrically interlocked with each other. In the first arm portion 44, a plurality of link members 46, 47 in the present embodiment are connected to each other so that they can be angularly displaced, and can be folded and extended by the mutual angular displacement of each link member 46, 47. . Similarly, the second arm portion 45 has a plurality of
In the present embodiment, the two link members 48 and 49 are connected to each other so that they can be angularly displaced, and can be folded and extended by the mutual angular displacement of the link members 48 and 49.

In the first arm portion 44, one end portion of a link member (hereinafter referred to as “first base end side link member”) 46 arranged on the base end side is fixed to the first base shaft 36, and It is provided so that it can be angularly displaced with respect to the table 21. One end of the first base shaft 36 projects in one direction (downward in FIG. 3) from the base casing 34, and the first base end side link member 46 can be fixed to this one end. By fixing the first base end side link member 46 to the first base base shaft 36 in this way, the first base end side link member 46 is fixed to the base base 21 and the base base housing 34 without interference. It is connected to the base 21 by a connecting structure capable of rotation, that is, angular displacement of 360 degrees or more.

At the other end of the first base end side link member 46,
The first link shaft 50 is fixedly provided. The axis of the first link shaft 50 is arranged in parallel with the axis of the first base shaft 36 (first base angular displacement axis L36), and the first link member 4
6 is projected on the side opposite to the first base shaft 36.

The first arm portion 4 is attached to the first link shaft 50.
4, one end of a link member 47 (hereinafter referred to as “first free end side link member”) arranged on the free end side of the first link shaft 5
No. 0 is provided so that it can be angularly displaced about its axis. In this way, each link member 46, 4 of the first arm portion 44
7 is connected so as to be angularly displaceable around a first link angular displacement axis L50 that coincides with the axis of the first link shaft 50.

As described above, by using the first link shaft 50, the first base end side link member 46 and the first free end side link member 47 of the first arm portion 44 rotate, that is, angular displacement of 360 degrees or more. Are connected by a connecting structure capable of As a result, the first arm portion 44 can fold each link member 46, 47 such that their axes are arranged on the same virtual plane, and can be extended from the folded state to both sides. it can.

In the second arm portion 45, one end portion of a link member (hereinafter referred to as "second base end side link member") 48 arranged on the base end side is fixed to the second base shaft 37, and It is provided so that it can be angularly displaced with respect to the table 21. Like the first base shaft 36, one end of the second base shaft 37 projects from the base casing 34 in one direction, and the second base end side link member 48 is fixed to this one end. be able to. By fixing the second base end side link member 48 to the second base base shaft 37 in this way, the second base end side link member 48 is fixed to the base base 21 and the base base housing 34 without interference. It is connected to the base 21 by a connecting structure capable of rotation, that is, angular displacement of 360 degrees or more.

At the other end of the second base end side link member 48,
The second link shaft 51 is fixedly provided. The second link shaft 51 is arranged such that its axis is parallel to the axis of the second base shaft 37 (the second base angular displacement axis L37), and the second base shaft 37 and the second base shaft 37 with respect to the second base end side link member 48. Project to the other side.

The second arm portion 4 is attached to the second link shaft 51.
One end of a link member 49 (hereinafter referred to as a “second free end side link member”) arranged on the free end side of the second link shaft 5
1 is provided so as to be angularly displaceable around its axis. In this way, each link member 48, 4 of the second arm portion 45
9 is connected so as to be angularly displaceable around a second link angular displacement axis L51 that coincides with the axis of the second link shaft 51.

As described above, by using the second link shaft 51, the second base end side link member 48 and the second free end side link member 49 of the second arm portion 45 rotate, that is, angular displacement of 360 degrees or more. Are connected by a connecting structure capable of As a result, the second arm portion 45 can be folded such that the link members 48 and 49 are arranged on the same virtual plane with their respective axes, and can be extended from the folded state to both sides. it can.

At the other end of the first free end side link member 47,
The first movable base shaft 55 is fixedly provided. The first movable base shaft 55 is provided on the movable base 22 so as to be angularly displaceable around its axis. An angular displacement axis line that coincides with the axis line of the first movable base shaft 55, and the first movable base shaft 5 with respect to the movable base 22.
An angular displacement axis line 5 (hereinafter, referred to as “first movable platform angular displacement axis line”) L55 is parallel to the first base platform angular displacement axis line L36.

At the other end of the second free end side link member 49,
The second movable base shaft 56 is fixedly provided. The second movable base shaft 56 is provided on the movable base 22 so as to be angularly displaceable around its axis. It is an angular displacement axis line that coincides with the axis line of the second movable base shaft 56, and the second movable base shaft 5 with respect to the movable base 22.
An angular displacement axis line 6 (hereinafter, referred to as “second movable platform angular displacement axis line”) L56 is parallel to the second base platform angular displacement axis line L56.

A first movable base arm gear 57 is mounted on the first movable base shaft 55 in a state in which angular displacement around the first movable angular displacement axis L55 with respect to the first movable base shaft 55 is blocked. The second movable base arm gear 58 is attached to the second movable base shaft 56 in a state in which angular displacement around the second movable base angular displacement axis L56 with respect to the second movable base shaft 56 is blocked.

The movable base arm gears 57 and 58 mesh with each other, whereby the movable base shafts 55 and 56 are
The angular displacement is interlocked so that the angular displacement directions are opposite to each other. Further, the movable base arm gears 57 and 58 are configured such that the movable base shafts 55 and 56 interlock at the same angular displacement speed.

The movable base shafts 55 and 56 each have a movable base casing 6 which is a gear box for accommodating a gear train or the like.
0 is provided. The movable base shafts 55, 56 are provided so that both ends thereof protrude from the movable base casing 60, and the movable base 22 is provided at the end of the movable base shafts 55, 56 opposite to the base 21. It is provided. In addition, each movable base shaft 5
Reference numerals 5 and 56 are provided so as to be angularly displaceable with respect to the movable base casing 60.

The gear train having the movable base arm gears 57 and 58 is housed in the movable base casing 60 and protected from dust and the like. This improves durability, prevents malfunction, and achieves smooth interlocking of the movable base shafts 55 and 56.

The pair of arm portions 44 and 45 are arranged symmetrically. The arm body 23 has the axes of the link members 46 to 49 arranged on the same virtual plane when the arm portions 44 and 45 are in the folded state, and in the other state, that is, the extended state, the arm body 23. Is configured to have a substantially rhombic shape.

In this way, the pair of arm portions 44, 45 are
One end portion of each of the base end side link members 46 and 48 that is the base end portion is commonly connected to the base 21 that is one member so as to be angularly displaceable, and is interlocked to perform angular displacement in mutually opposite directions. To be connected. Further, each arm portion 44, 45 is
The other ends of the free end side link members 47 and 49, which are the free ends thereof, are commonly connected to the movable base 22, which is one member, so as to be angularly displaceable, and are interlocked with each other to turn in opposite directions. It is connected so as to be displaced. In this way, each arm 44,
By connecting 45, each arm part 44, 45
Can be linked symmetrically.

The arm body 23 thus constructed drives one of the link members 46 to 49 in angular displacement with respect to either the base 21 or the movable base 22 to which the link member is connected. By doing so, expansion and contraction drive can be performed. Moreover, at this time, the movable table 22 can be held in a fixed posture regardless of the extension / contraction operation of the arm body 23. In other words, if the posture of the base 21 is constant, the movable base 2
The posture of 2 is also held constant.

Therefore, as described above, each base shaft 36,
Driving means 24 for angularly driving at least one of 37 is provided, in other words, the driving means 24 is provided in the vicinity of the base 21, and the first base end side link member 46 is angularly moved relative to the base 21. By driving the displacement, the second base end side link member 48 is interlocked with the planet to be angularly displaced with respect to the base 21, the movable base 22 is held in a fixed posture, and the arm body 23 is driven to expand and contract. it can.

Further, by connecting the arm portions 44 and 45 with the connecting structure as described above, the arm portions 44 and 4 are connected.
5 is centered on the neutral retracted position 30 in which the arms 44 and 45 are folded so that the axes of the link members 46 to 49 are arranged on one virtual plane.
It is configured to extend freely. As a result, the movable base 22
With respect to the base 21, it is possible to displace not only the region on one side but also the region on the other side in both regions.
Therefore, the movable base 22 can be displaced within a wide range between the positions when the arm body 23 is arranged at the two extended positions 31 and 32.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the vicinity of the free end portion 28 of the arm body 23. With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 in combination, the transfer device 20 further includes a sticking avoiding means 65 provided at the free end portion 28 of the arm body 23. Sticking avoidance means 65
Is means for applying a driving force for expanding and contracting the arm body 23 to a position different from the driving force by the driving means 24 when the arm body 23 is at least in the neutral retracted position 30. The sticking avoiding means 65 may apply the driving force only when the arm body 23 is in the neutral retracted position, or may always apply the driving force. That is, the timing of applying the driving force is not particularly limited. Sticking avoidance means 6
Reference numeral 5 is a means for driving angular displacement of at least one of the movable base shafts 55 and 56, both in the present embodiment, and has a pair of actuators, specifically, air cylinders 66 and 67. .

At the end of the first movable base shaft 55 opposite to the side where the movable base 22 is provided, angular displacement around the first movable base angular displacement axis L55 with respect to the first movable base shaft 55 is prevented. In this state, the first sticking avoidance gear 68 is mounted. In addition, at the end of the second movable base shaft 56 opposite to the side where the movable base 22 is provided, the angular displacement around the second movable base angular displacement axis L56 with respect to the second movable base shaft 56 is prevented. ,
The second sticking avoidance gear 69 is mounted.

Further, a sticking avoiding operation member 72 having racks 70 and 71 formed along the longitudinal direction is provided on both sides. The sticking avoiding operation member 72 is connected to the first rack 70 and the first rack 70.
The sticking avoidance gear 68 meshes with the other rack 71 and the second
In the state in which it is meshed with the sticking avoidance gear 69, the longitudinal direction thereof is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the plane including the movable base angle displacement axis lines L55 and L56.

Each of the air cylinders 66, 67 is a single-acting or double-acting type cylinder, and has cylinder tubes 74, 7
5, the piston rods 76 and 77 can be extendedly driven, and are fixed to the movable base housing 60. Each air cylinder 66, 67
Are arranged so as to face each other with the sticking avoidance operation member 72 sandwiched from both sides in the longitudinal direction, and the tip end portions of the piston rods 76 and 77 are fixed to the sticking avoidance operation member 72. The extension direction of each piston rod 76, 77 is perpendicular to the plane including the movable platform angle displacement axis lines L55, L56.

By extending the piston rod 76 of one of the air cylinders 66, the sticking avoidance operation member 72
Is displaced to one side in the longitudinal direction, and the arm body 23
Extend in one extension direction A1, or this extension direction A1
It is possible to apply a driving force that shrinks in the same shrinking direction B2 to each movable base shaft 55, 56. Further, by extending the piston rod 77 of the other air cylinder 67, the sticking avoidance operation member 72 is driven to be displaced in the other longitudinal direction, and the arm body 23 extends in the other extension direction A2, or this extension direction. A driving force that shrinks in the same shrinking direction B1 as A2 can be applied to each movable base shaft 55, 56.

The sticking avoiding means 65 applies a driving force so that the expansion / contraction driving direction of the driving means 24 and the driving direction of the sticking avoiding means 100 coincide with each other. This avoids the sticking phenomenon in which the arm body 23 is located in the neutral retracted position and the vicinity thereof and the arm body 23 is difficult to be expanded and contracted only by driving the drive means 24, and the neutral retracted position and the neutral retracted position thereof are avoided. It is possible to smoothly extend and retract the arm body 23 even when it is in the vicinity.

In this manner, the sticking avoiding means 65 drives the sticking avoiding operation member 72 to displace, thereby driving the movable base shafts 55 and 56 to be angularly displaced. This sticking avoidance means 65
Is only required to avoid the sticking phenomenon at the neutral retracted position 30 by configuring the arm body 23 in the link mechanism as described above. Compared with the driving force required to drive the arm body 23 to expand and contract, It is sufficient that a very small driving force can be given, and the size can be reduced. Further, the sticking avoiding means 65 as described above can suppress the occupied area when projected onto a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the arm body 23 expands and contracts.

The portions of the sticking avoiding gears 68, 69 and the sticking avoiding operation member 72 that mesh with the sticking avoiding gears 68, 69 are covered with a cover and protected from dust and the like. This improves durability, prevents malfunction, and prevents the sticking avoiding means 100 from moving each movable spindle 5.
A smooth drive of 5,56 can be achieved.

The transport device 20 of the present embodiment as described above
According to this, the movable body 22 can be displaced by extending and retracting the arm body 23 by the drive means 24, that is, expanding and contracting, and the movable table 22 can be held and the transported object 81 can be transported. You can For example, the movable table 22
The holding means 80, such as a gripping means or a suction means for holding the transported object 81, is provided on the holding means 80.
Thus, the conveyed object 81 can be held.

The arm body 23 includes gears 38, 39; 5
7, 58, a pair of arm portions 44, 45 are connected in a closed diamond shape so as to be synchronously interlocked symmetrically with each other, and by a simple configuration of only a combination of such arm portions 44, 45, The rotary motion can be converted into a linear motion, and the movable base 22 can be held in a fixed posture and expanded or contracted so as to be displaced along a straight line without providing any additional means.

When the arm body 23 expands and contracts, the movable base 2
2 is configured to be held in a fixed posture, and it is not necessary to drive the movable base 22 to hold the posture, apart from the expansion and contraction of the arm body 23. As a result, only the driving means 24 for driving the arm body 23 to extend and retract is provided on the base 21, and the driving means for driving the movable table 22 for maintaining the posture is not required. Therefore, a transmission means for transmitting driving power is not required, and it is possible to convey the conveyed object 81 while maintaining its posture with a simple configuration.

By simplifying the configuration as described above, it is possible to prevent an increase in mass due to the addition of means for maintaining the posture of the movable table 21 and prevent a decrease in the carrying capacity. In other words, due to the weight reduction due to the simplification of the configuration, the weight reduction of the arm body 23 can be allowed, and the rigidity of the arm body 23 can be increased to convey the heavy load, and thus the weight. It is possible to realize the conveyance of the object, prevent the shake and the swing, and realize the smooth and highly accurate conveyance. In this way, the carrying capacity of the carrying device can be increased.

Further, since the attitude of the movable table can be kept constant by the structure of the arm body itself, the positioning accuracy of the movable table is higher than that in the case where the movable table is driven by a plurality of stages of power transmission to maintain the attitude. Can be higher. Further, since the means for maintaining the posture is not required, the belt tensioning in this mechanism, the clearance tightening adjustment such as the backlash, etc. are not required, and the accuracy does not change over time, which is good.

Further, the arm body 23 is provided with a pair of arm portions 44,
By arranging and connecting 45 symmetrically, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the arm body 23 and to carry heavy objects, and at the same time, to prevent swinging and shaking and to realize smooth and highly accurate carrying. be able to. Further, each base shaft 36, 37, each link shaft 50, 51, each movable base shaft 55,
56 and each of the link members 46 to 49 are formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, which makes it possible to realize a lightweight and highly rigid transfer device.

Further, with respect to the neutral retracted position 30 where the arms 44 and 45 are folded so that the axes of the link members 46 to 49 are arranged on one virtual plane, both extension directions A1, Since it can be extended to A2, the transport distance can be increased.

Further, the pair of arm portions 44, 45 are symmetrical with a simple structure in which the first arm portion 44 is driven by the driving means 24 and the second arm portion 45 is interlocked with the first arm portion 44 as a planet. Can be synchronized with.
Moreover, it is only necessary to drive the first arm portion 44 by the driving means 24 provided on the base 21.

Furthermore, by the sticking avoiding means 100,
When the arm body 23 is in the neutral retracted position, it is possible to apply a driving force for extending the arm body 23 in either one of the extending directions. As a result, when the arm body 23 is once stopped at the neutral retracted position and its vicinity and then expanded and contracted again, it is possible to prevent the arm body 23 from becoming difficult to move and fixed at the neutral retracted position 30 and its vicinity. Then, it can be easily expanded and contracted.

Further, since the sticking avoiding means 100 is constructed as described above, it can be made small and lightweight, and even if it is provided at the free end portion of the arm body 23, it hardly affects the carrying capacity. . It is efficient to provide the sticking avoiding means 100 at the free end of the arm body 23 because the driving force is the smallest. Further, by configuring the sticking avoiding means 100 as described above, the occupied area when projected onto the plane perpendicular to the direction in which the arm body 23 expands and contracts is suppressed to a small size, that is, the free end portion is made slim, and the arm body 23 is achieved.
The free end portion of can be inserted into a narrow space, and is suitable for transporting a work between devices such as between press devices.

FIG. 5 shows the transfer device 20 and the multi-axis robot 85.
It is a front view which shows the conveyance equipment 86 which combined with. The carrier device 20 may be combined with a robot 85 such as a multi-axis robot which is, for example, a six-axis robot to configure the carrier facility 86. The transport facility 86 is used to transport a workpiece 81, which is a work, between a plurality of processing devices 88 and 89 such as a press device used when manufacturing a vehicle body and parts of an automobile. By slimming the free end portion of the arm body 23 as described above, even when the free end portion of the arm body 23 is transported from a narrow space having a U-shaped cross section to a similar space in the press die or the like, It can be easily realized by slimming down.

A robot 85 is provided at an installation position such as a floor where the processing devices 88 and 89 are provided. The robot 85 is attached to the tip of the robot 85 by the base 21, and the transfer device 20 is installed.
Is provided. The robot 85 is not particularly limited, and a widely used robot having high versatility can be used.

By thus combining the transport device 20 and the robot 85, the transport distance by the transport device 20 and the transport distance by the robot 85 are combined to realize long-distance transport. For example, the transport distance D20 = D1 + D2 by the transport device 20 is 3.6 (1.8 × 2) m, the transport distance D3 by the robot 85 is 5.4 m, and the transport distance D of 9 m is achieved in total. be able to. Therefore, by using the carrier device 20, long-distance carrier can be realized without modifying the highly versatile robot 86.

Further, the transport speed of the transport device 20 and the transport speed of the robot 85 are combined to enable high-speed transport. For example, a transport distance of 9 m can be transported in 6.0 seconds. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time during which the processing devices 88 and 89 wait for the transfer of the work by the transfer facility, and improve the manufacturing efficiency of products such as automobiles.

The above-described embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and the configuration can be changed within the scope of the present invention, and the shape, size, material, etc. of each component can be appropriately selected. . For example, the arm body 23 may have a pantograph shape in which a plurality of the arm bodies of the above-described embodiment are connected. Further, the configuration in which the arm portions 44 and 45 are interlocked with each other may be a configuration other than a gear, for example, a configuration using a friction wheel or a belt. Further, the driving means 24
Are not limited to servomotors, and may be other motors and other actuators such as cylinders.

The sticking avoiding means 100 does not necessarily have to be provided. The sticking avoiding means 100 may be a servomotor that rotationally drives at least one of the movable base shafts 55 and 56, or may be configured to drive the link shafts 50 and 51 by angular displacement.

[0072]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, by simplifying the structure, it is possible to prevent an increase in mass due to the addition of means for maintaining the posture of the movable table, and to prevent a decrease in conveyance ability. . In other words, due to the weight reduction due to the simplification of the configuration, the weight reduction of the arm body can be allowed, and the rigidity of the arm body can be increased.
It is possible to realize a high-load transfer, that is, a heavy load, and to prevent shaking and shaking to achieve smooth and highly accurate transfer. In this way, the carrying capacity of the carrying device can be increased.

Further, since the attitude of the movable table can be kept constant by the constitution of the arm body itself, the positioning accuracy of the movable table is higher than that in the case where the movable table is driven by a plurality of stages of power transmission to maintain the attitude. Can be higher. Further, there is no need for means for maintaining the posture, such as a power transmission mechanism for maintaining the posture, and there is no need for belt tensioning, clearance tightening adjustment such as backlash in this mechanism, and there is no accuracy fluctuation over time, It is good.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, an arm body that extends and retracts by holding the movable table in a fixed posture without providing any additional means is provided by a simple structure of only combining the arm portions. Can be realized. In addition, the rigidity of the arm body can be increased, and the heavy object can be conveyed, and swinging and shaking can be prevented, and smooth and highly accurate conveyance can be realized. Further, since the arms can be freely extended in both extension directions around the neutral position where the arms are folded, the transport distance can be increased.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize an arm body having a simple structure and capable of symmetrically interlocking a pair of arm portions. Moreover, the drive means provided on the base allows the movable base to be held in a fixed posture and the arm body to be extended and retracted only by driving the first arm portion.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the arm body is once stopped at or near the neutral retracted position and then extended and retracted again, the arm body is in the neutral retracted position or It is possible to easily expand and contract by avoiding sticking due to difficulty in expansion and contraction in the vicinity.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a carrying device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a transfer device 20.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the section line S2-S2 of FIG. 2 with the arm body 23 in the retracted position 30. FIG.

4 is a plan view showing the vicinity of a free end portion 28 of an arm body 23. FIG.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a transfer facility 86 in which a transfer device 20 and a multi-axis robot 85 are combined.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional conveying device 1.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 Conveyor 21 base 22 Mobile platform 23 Arm body 24 Driving means 36, 37, 50, 51, 55, 56 axes 38, 39, 41, 57, 58, 68, 69 gears 44,45 arm 46-49 Link member 67,68 Air cylinder 70,71 racks 100 Sticking avoidance means

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A base, a movable base, a base provided at a base end, and a movable base provided at a free end,
Conveyance characterized by including an arm body configured to be extendable and retractable while holding a movable base in a fixed posture, and a drive unit fixedly provided on a base and extending and retracting the arm body. apparatus. 2. The arm body is a pair of arm portions which are connected so as to be symmetrically interlocked with each other, and a plurality of link members are connected to each other so that they can be angularly displaced. Each arm part is foldable and extendable, and each arm part is extendable and retractable by folding and extending, and each arm part is folded so that the axis of each link member is arranged on one virtual plane. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the transport device is extendable in both extension directions around a neutral retracted position to be folded. 3. A link member disposed near the base end portion of each arm portion is angularly displaceably coupled to the base, and the drive means includes a link member near the base end portion of the first arm portion. 3. The transport apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transporting device is angularly displaced relative to the base, and the link member near the base end of the second arm is interlocked with the planet to drive the angular displacement relative to the base. 4. A position different from the driving force of the driving means when the arm body is at least in the neutral retracted position,
4. The conveyance device according to claim 2, further comprising a sticking avoiding unit that applies a driving force for extending and retracting the arm body to the arm body.