JP2005297106A - Positioning error absorbing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent damage of a workpiece by performing positional dislocation absorbing operation without directly applying a load to the workpiece, in an error absorbing device for absorbing positional dislocation generated between the workpiece and a base part for inserting the workpiece. <P>SOLUTION: This positioning error absorbing device is composed of a fixing part arranged oppositely to pistons for applying a brake by sandwiching a moving side washer 9 and having a lock mechanism composed of a plurality of brake pads 6 and the two pistons 4 and 5 for operating the brake pads, the moving side washer 9 movably held in the horizontal direction by a steel ball 11, and a movable part fixed to the moving side washer and having floating body 10 attachable with a holding device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is used in an apparatus for assembling with an articulated robot or an automatic assembling apparatus to absorb horizontal and torsional errors that occur during assembling and smoothly perform assembly operations such as component insertion. And an assembly method using the error absorbing device.

  When assembly work is performed by an articulated robot or an automatic assembly device, a position generated between a work held by a holding device attached to the tip of the multi-indirect robot or automatic assembly device and a base portion into which the work is inserted As a method of absorbing the deviation and smoothly assembling, a method of arranging an error absorbing device between the tip of the articulated robot or the automatic assembly device and the holding device attached to the tip is generally performed. ing.

  The error absorbing device has a device configuration such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-138487 utilizing the elasticity of a cylindrical elastic body disposed between a fixed plate and a movable plate, or is moved horizontally by a steel ball. An apparatus having a device configuration such as Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 6-3529 in which the movable portion held in a movable manner is biased toward the axis center of the error absorbing device main body by a plurality of springs is well known. In the error absorbing device of the above method, the workpiece held by the holding device is brought into contact with the base portion into which the workpiece is inserted and then pressed from above by a multi-indirect robot or the like, so that the workpiece follows the chamfer portion of the insertion hole. The movable part is returned to the center of the main body axis by the elastic body or spring force after the insertion is completed, but the load pressed by the robot or the like on the workpiece at the time of insertion and the movable part is When moving, a load is generated by the elastic body or spring that urges the movable part toward the center of the body axis, so there is a problem that the work may be damaged when it is used to assemble a work that is easily damaged. .

As a method for solving the above problem, there are a multi-joint robot used for assembly work and a method for improving the stop position accuracy by using a device having high rigidity for the automatic assembly device. When holding a workpiece with the holding device attached to the tip of the machine, the variation in position between the holding claw and the workpiece cannot be eliminated. The work was overloaded and the problem was not solved.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-138487 FIG. Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-3529

  It is an object of the present invention to provide an error absorbing device capable of preventing work damage and improving work efficiency by enabling an operation that does not cause a load directly on the work when the work is inserted. To do.

  According to the present invention, as means for solving the above-described problems, an error absorbing device disposed between a tip portion of an articulated robot or an automatic assembly device and a holding device attached to the tip portion is provided with a movable portion. It does not have an centripetal mechanism using an elastic body or a spring that performs centripetal movement toward the center of the main body, and the movable part can be operated with a very small pressing force. It is assumed that it has a lock mechanism that can be held at an arbitrary position by being clamped by a brake pad attached to the piston, and is held by a holding device attached to the tip of an articulated robot or the like before the workpiece is inserted. The workpiece is positioned with high accuracy by the lock mechanism that can hold the workpiece at any position after positioning it with a positioning jig. It was capable of holding device configuration.

  The error absorbing device placed between the tip of an articulated robot or automatic assembly device and the holding device attached to the tip can be operated smoothly with a small pressing force, and the movable part can be locked at an arbitrary position. By making it possible to lock the position with a lock mechanism and hold it after positioning with a positioning device, the chamfered part of the insertion hole is inserted into the insertion hole during work insertion. Unlike conventional methods that contact workpieces, there is no load on the workpieces, so even easily damaged workpieces can be assembled smoothly without damage, and work efficiency can be improved. became.

  Furthermore, since the positioning can be performed by the positioning device and the position can be held by the lock mechanism, the workpiece can be accurately obtained even when the insertion hole or the like is not provided on the base on which the workpiece is placed. It becomes possible to arrange in a positioned state.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the error absorbing device of the present embodiment includes a body, two pistons that are operated by fluid pressure disposed in the body, and a plurality of brake pads that are attached to face the pistons. A fixed part having a lock mechanism and a movable part held movably in the horizontal direction by a steel ball, and a washer attached to the floating body when the piston moves forward is held by a brake pad at any position. It is a device that performs positioning.

  The apparatus of the present invention is moved in the horizontal direction by a plurality of brake pads 6 arranged opposite to each other, a fixing portion having a lock mechanism composed of two pistons for operating the brake pads 6, and a steel ball 11. The movable part is formed of a floating body 10 that is held in a possible manner.

  The fixed portion is constituted by a cylinder A composed of a body A1 and a cylinder cover 3 and a cylinder B composed of a body B2 and a cylinder cover 3 which are connected in a state of being positioned by a positioning pin 7.

A pressure port 12 is provided on the outer periphery of the body A1 forming the cylinder A, and the pressure port 12 is communicated with a cylinder portion provided at the center of the body A1 by a first fluid passage 13.
A circumferential groove is formed in the cylinder A, and a seal is inserted in the circumferential groove so as to always contact the piston A4 accommodated in the cylinder A so as to be slidable by fluid pressure. A first pressure chamber 15 is formed.
The piston A4 accommodated in the cylinder A and slides is provided with a second fluid passage 14 provided in the center and a plurality of brake pads 6 provided on the same circumference from the center of the piston. ing.

A second pressure chamber 16 is also formed in the body B2 forming the cylinder B by a piston B5 inserted into the cylinder and a seal in the same manner as the body A1.
The piston B5 accommodated in the cylinder B has a through hole provided in the center and a plurality of brake pads 6 on the same circumference from the center of the piston opposed to the brake pads 6 disposed on the piston A4. Arranged in position.

  The rod portion of the piston A4 is inserted into the through hole provided at the center of the piston B5. Since the second fluid passage 14 is provided at the center of the piston A4 as described above, the pressure port 12, the first pressure chamber 15, and the second pressure chamber 16 are communicated with each other by the second fluid passage 14, and the pressure is increased. By supplying fluid pressure from the port 12, the apparatus is configured to operate the piston A 4 and the piston B 5 simultaneously.

The movable part is composed of a moving washer 9 and a floating body 10.
The moving washer 9 is held in the space provided between the cylinder A and the cylinder B by the positioning pin 7 in the fixed portion so as to be movable in the horizontal direction by the steel ball 11. The floating body 10 that can be attached is fixed.

The operation of the error absorbing device of this embodiment will be described. When the fluid pressure is supplied from the pressure port 12, the fluid pressure is supplied to the first pressure chamber 15 and the second pressure chamber 16 communicated by the second fluid passage 14 provided in the central portion of the piston A.
When fluid pressure is supplied to each pressure chamber, the piston A4 moves downward in the drawing and the piston B5 moves upward in the drawing, and the moving washer is moved by the brake pad 6 disposed facing the piston A4 and the piston B5. 9 is pinched and the floating body 10 is locked.
When the supply of fluid pressure is stopped, the piston A4 is slightly moved downward in the drawing and the piston B5 is slightly moved downward in the drawing by the elasticity of the seal that is inserted into the groove provided on the body side and in contact with the piston. The washer 9 is released from the brake pad 6 so that the floating body 10 is movable in the horizontal direction.

Next, an assembly method using the error absorbing device of this embodiment will be described.
The error absorbing device of this embodiment is disposed between the tip of an articulated robot or automatic assembly device and the holding device 18 attached to the tip, and fluid pressure is supplied from the pressure port 12.
When the fluid pressure is supplied from the pressure port 12, the fluid pressure is supplied to the first pressure chamber 15 and the second pressure chamber 16 communicated by the second fluid passage 14 provided in the central portion of the piston A.
When fluid pressure is supplied to each pressure chamber, the piston A4 moves downward in the drawing and the piston B5 moves upward in the drawing, and the moving washer is moved by the brake pad 6 disposed facing the piston A4 and the piston B5. 9 is held and the floating body 10 is locked.

The holding device 18 is moved to the workpiece supply unit while the floating body 10 is in the locked state, and the supply of fluid pressure is stopped after the movement is completed. By stopping the supply of fluid pressure, the piston A4 is moved upward in the drawing and the piston B5 is moved slightly downward in the drawing by the elasticity of the seal that is inserted into the groove provided on the body side and in contact with the piston, After the moving washer 9 is released from the brake pad 6 and the floating body 10 is brought into a floating state, the work 19 is held by the holding device 18.
After the work 19 is held, the fluid pressure is supplied again to bring the floating body 10 into the locked state. Next, the work 19 held by the holding device 18 is conveyed to the positioning process, and the supply of the fluid pressure is stopped again. Then, the workpiece 19 is positioned by the positioning device 17 that directly positions the workpiece 10 in contact with the workpiece 19 and the fluid pressure is supplied again to maintain the position determined by the positioning device 17. High-precision positioning is completed by locking the movable part.
The work 19 positioned with high accuracy by the above process can be smoothly assembled without contacting the periphery of the work insertion hole in the assembling process.

    As described above, since the position of the workpiece can be determined by the lock mechanism of the error absorbing device that can be locked at an arbitrary position after the positioning of the workpiece with high accuracy is completed by the positioning device, the workpiece can be moved during assembly work. Since it does not require a taper part for copying, it is possible to supply workpieces positioned with high accuracy even on a flat surface that does not have a copying part. it can.

Sectional view of the error absorbing device of this embodiment

Diagram showing Conventional Example 1

Diagram showing Conventional Example 2

The figure showing the assembly process at the time of using the error absorbing device of a present Example

The figure showing the assembly process when using the error absorbing device of the conventional example

Explanation of symbols

1 Body A
2 Body B
3 Cylinder cover 4 Piston A
5 Piston B
6 Brake pad 7 Positioning pin 8 Fixed washer 9 Moving side washer 10 Floating body 11 Steel ball 12 Pressure port 13 First fluid passage 14 Second fluid passage 15 First pressure chamber 16 Second pressure chamber 17 Positioning device 18 Holding device 19 Workpiece 20 Elastic body 21 Spring 22 Fixed part 23 Movable part 24 Seal

Claims (4)

  Arranged between the tip of an articulated robot or automatic assembly device and a holding device attached to the tip to absorb misalignment errors that occur between assembly parts and parts to be assembled during assembly work In the positioning mechanism of the movable part of the error absorbing device, a horizontal mechanism is provided by a locking mechanism comprising two pistons operated by fluid pressure disposed in the body and a plurality of brake pads attached to face the pistons. An error absorbing device characterized in that a movable part can be positioned at an arbitrary position by sandwiching a washer of a movable part composed of a washer and a floating body that are movably held by a brake pad.   2. The device configuration according to claim 1, wherein the movable portion is unlocked by slightly retracting the piston by an elastic force of an O-ring inserted in a circumferential groove provided on the inner wall of the cylinder. Error absorber.   The piston rod is provided in one of the pistons arranged at positions facing the fixed body, the through hole is provided in the other piston, and the piston rod is slidably held in the through hole. The error absorbing device according to 1.   The workpiece held by the holding device is positioned with high accuracy by the positioning device provided in the middle of conveyance, and after the positioning is completed, the movable part is locked by the lock mechanism, and the assembly work is performed while maintaining the state of the workpiece positioned with high accuracy. An assembling method using the error absorbing device according to claim 1.

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