JP2010046773A - Vertical articulated arm mechanism for carrying article - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vertical articulated arm mechanism capable of corresponding to carriage of a heavy article by extending output torque of a driving source. <P>SOLUTION: This vertical articulated arm mechanism 1 for carrying an article includes: a first arm 11 connected to a prescribed member 3 through a first joint part 10 and free to revolve in a vertical surface around the first joint 10; a second arm 21 connected to the first arm 11 through a second joint part 20 and free to revolve in a vertical surface in parallel with the vertical surface around the second joint part 20; a first driving mechanism 51 provided on the first joint part 10 and to revolve the first arm 11 around the first joint part 10; and a second driving mechanism 52 provided on the second joint part 20 and to revolve the second arm 21 around the second joint part 20. At least one of the first driving mechanism 51 and the second driving mechanism 52 includes: the driving source 61; and a cam mechanism to create revolving motion of the arms 11 and 21 in accordance with rotating motion input from the driving source 61. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles.

Conventionally, a vertical articulated robot is used for conveying and assembling parts. This vertical articulated robot has a plurality of arms connected to each other by a joint portion so as to be able to turn in a vertical plane (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-205374 A

  Then, for example, each arm is driven to rotate against gravity using a servo motor directly connected to each joint as a drive source.

  However, since the output torque is small with a servo motor alone, it is difficult to convey a heavy object such as a large workpiece at high speed. In addition, when maintaining the arm in a fixed posture with the workpiece held, it depends on the motor holding torque (the force that suppresses the rotation due to the electromagnetic attractive force between the rotor and the stator), but it is generally large. Even with this motor, the holding torque is small. For this reason, when handling a heavy workpiece, a mechanical mechanism for fixing the workpiece in a certain posture such as a clamp unit must be additionally provided, and the apparatus becomes large as a whole.

  For these points, combining the above-mentioned servo motor with a speed reducer and installing it at the joint can increase the output torque and use the large resistance of the speed reducer as a moment to maintain the arm in a constant posture. And solve the above-mentioned problems.

  However, a normal gear mechanism is used for the reduction gear, and the gear mechanism has a problem of backlash (play between gear tooth surfaces) due to the meshing of the gears. For this reason, this configuration lacks the stability of the turning motion of the arm. In particular, there is a possibility that the arm may flutter when the turning motion is reversed.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional problem, can increase the output torque of the drive source to cope with the conveyance of heavy objects, and is excellent in stability when maintaining the arm in a constant posture. A further object of the present invention is to provide a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles which is excellent in the stability of the turning motion in the vertical plane of the arm.

The main invention for achieving this object is:
A first arm coupled to a predetermined member via a first joint, and capable of turning in a vertical plane around the first joint;
A second arm connected to the first arm via a second joint, and capable of turning around a vertical plane parallel to the vertical plane around the second joint;
A first drive mechanism that is provided at the first joint and rotates the first arm around the first joint;
A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles having a second drive mechanism that is provided at the second joint part and rotates the second arm around the second joint part,
At least one drive mechanism of the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism is:
A drive source, and a cam mechanism that creates a turning motion of the arm based on a rotational motion input from the drive source,
The cam mechanism is
An input shaft to which rotational operation from the drive source is input;
A roller gear cam provided on the input shaft and rotating integrally with the input shaft;
A plurality of cam followers that engage with tapered ribs as cam surfaces formed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller gear cam have an outer peripheral surface, and rotate at a lower rotational speed than the input shaft by the rotation of the input shaft. And an output shaft to
One of the plurality of cam followers is always in contact with both the side wall surface on one side and the side wall surface on the other side of the tapered rib. It is an articulated arm mechanism.

  Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the output torque of the drive source to cope with the conveyance of heavy objects, and to have excellent stability when maintaining the arm in a constant posture, and further, within the vertical plane of the arm. It is possible to provide a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles that is excellent in the stability of the turning motion.

  At least the following matters will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

A first arm coupled to a predetermined member via a first joint, and capable of turning in a vertical plane around the first joint;
A second arm connected to the first arm via a second joint, and capable of turning around a vertical plane parallel to the vertical plane around the second joint;
A first drive mechanism that is provided at the first joint and rotates the first arm around the first joint;
A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles having a second drive mechanism that is provided at the second joint part and rotates the second arm around the second joint part,
At least one drive mechanism of the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism is:
A drive source, and a cam mechanism that creates a turning motion of the arm based on a rotational motion input from the drive source,
The cam mechanism is
An input shaft to which rotational operation from the drive source is input;
A roller gear cam provided on the input shaft and rotating integrally with the input shaft;
A plurality of cam followers that engage with tapered ribs as cam surfaces formed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller gear cam have an outer peripheral surface, and rotate at a lower rotational speed than the input shaft by the rotation of the input shaft. And an output shaft to
One of the plurality of cam followers is always in contact with both the side wall surface on one side and the side wall surface on the other side of the tapered rib. Articulated arm mechanism.

  According to such a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles, the rotational operation of the drive source is input to the cam mechanism to create the turning motion of the arm. At that time, the rotational speed is lowered by the cam mechanism. Along with this, the output torque is increased. Therefore, the output torque of the drive source can be increased and the arm can be turned, and a heavy object can be conveyed.

  Since the cam mechanism functions as a speed reducer as described above, the inertia of the cam mechanism becomes a large braking force that suppresses the arm from turning freely due to its own weight or the like. Therefore, the stability when maintaining the arm in a constant posture is also excellent.

  Furthermore, this cam mechanism uses a roller gear cam that can effectively prevent backlash. That is, a tapered rib as a cam surface is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller gear cam, and the plurality of cam followers are always provided on both the one side wall surface and the other side wall surface of the tapered rib. Any one of the cam followers is in contact. Therefore, it can be made substantially free from backlash, and the stability of the turning motion of the arm in the vertical plane is excellent.

Such a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles,
The joint is
A horizontal shaft provided on one of the predetermined members, the first arm, and the second arm to be connected to each other;
A hole formed horizontally in the other member among the members to be connected, into which the shaft body is inserted, and
A bearing member interposed between the shaft body and the hole portion to connect the shaft body to the hole portion so as to be relatively rotatable,
The output shaft of the cam mechanism is the shaft body,
The input shaft of the cam mechanism is disposed adjacent to the hole in the member in which the hole is formed, and the axial direction of the input shaft is orthogonal to the axial direction of the output shaft. It is desirable to face the direction.
According to such an article articulating vertical articulated arm mechanism, the axial direction of the input shaft is oriented in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the output shaft. Therefore, the dimension of the member provided with the input shaft can be reduced in the axial direction of the shaft body, which is the axial direction of the output shaft, and the vertical articulated arm mechanism for article conveyance can be reduced in size.

Such a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles,
The hole is formed at the longitudinal end of the member;
The input shaft is disposed on the inner side in the longitudinal direction than the hole portion in the member,
The axial direction of the input shaft is preferably directed in a direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the member.
According to such an articulated vertical articulated arm mechanism, the input shaft is disposed inside the longitudinal direction of the member, and the input shaft faces a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the member. Yes. Therefore, the longitudinal dimension of the member provided with the input shaft can be reduced, and the vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles can be reduced in size. In addition, when the member is the first arm or the second arm, the input shaft is arranged inside the longitudinal direction of the member, so that the necessary torque for turning the arm can be reduced. There are also effects.

Such a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles,
The drive source is disposed inside the longitudinal direction from the input shaft of the member,
It is desirable that a rotation transmission member for transmitting the rotation operation of the drive rotation shaft of the drive source to the input shaft is interposed between the drive rotation shaft and the input shaft.
According to such an articulated vertical articulated arm mechanism, since the drive source is arranged inside the longitudinal direction of the member with respect to the input shaft, the longitudinal dimension of the member can be reduced, The vertical articulated arm mechanism for article conveyance can be reduced in size.

Such a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles,
A first space portion is formed in the first arm to connect the hole portion of the first arm and the axial end surface of the shaft body,
A second space portion is formed in the second arm to connect the hole portion of the second arm and the axial end surface of the shaft body,
It is preferable that a power supply member such as a power cable for supplying power such as electric power to the drive source is passed through the first space portion and the second space portion.
According to such an articulated vertical articulated arm mechanism, the power supply member can be housed in the first arm and the second arm, so that the power supply member does not have to be exposed to the outside, and the appearance is clean. Can be. Further, it is possible to effectively prevent the power supply member from being entangled with an arm or the like outside. Furthermore, dust can be prevented from accumulating on the power supply member, and it becomes excellent in cleanliness, and the article articulating vertical articulated arm mechanism can be used in a clean room or the like.

Such a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles,
The part on the predetermined member side in the vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying an article is installed on a predetermined installation surface in a factory,
It is desirable that the hole portion related to the joint portion is provided in a member near the installation surface among members to be connected by the joint portion.
According to such an articulated vertical articulated arm mechanism, the hole is provided in a member closer to the installation surface among the members to be connected, and therefore, the drive source is necessarily installed in the installation. It is provided on a member near the surface. Therefore, the length of a power supply member such as a power cable for supplying power to the drive source can be shortened.

Such a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles,
The part on the predetermined member side in the vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying an article is installed on a predetermined installation surface in a factory,
It is preferable that the outer diameter of the shaft body of the joint portion is larger as the shaft body of the joint portion is located closer to the installation surface.
According to such an articulated vertical articulated arm mechanism, the outer diameter of the shaft body of the joint portion is made larger as the shaft body of the joint portion located closer to the installation surface. The arm closer to the surface can be set so that the output torque becomes larger, which can meet general needs.

Such a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles,
The bearing member of the joint is preferably a cross roller bearing.
According to such an article articulating vertical articulated arm mechanism, a cross roller bearing is used as a bearing member of the joint portion, and a thrust load and a radial load can be supported all at once. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the thrust bearing and the radial bearing separately, that is, it is not necessary to arrange the bearings in two rows, and the joint portion can be thinned in the axial direction of the shaft body.

Such a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles,
The drive source has a drive rotation shaft that is driven to rotate,
It is desirable that the drive rotation shaft and the input shaft are connected to each other so that they cannot be rotated relative to each other with their rotation centers being matched.
According to such an article articulating vertical articulated arm mechanism, a combination of the configuration in which the drive rotation shaft of the drive source is abutted with the input shaft and the cam device provided with the roller gear cam can be used completely. A drive system without backlash can be configured, and the turning motion of the arm can be stabilized to the maximum.

Such a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles,
It is desirable that the drive mechanism including the roller gear cam is provided for all the joint portions included in the article conveying vertical articulated arm mechanism.
According to such a vertical multi-joint arm mechanism for article conveyance, it is possible to stabilize the turning operation of all the arms included in the vertical multi-joint arm mechanism for article conveyance.

Such a vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles,
A third arm connected to the second arm via a third joint, and capable of turning around a third joint in a vertical plane parallel to the vertical plane;
A third drive mechanism that is provided at the third joint portion and pivots the third arm around the third joint portion;
The third arm has a holding surface for detachably holding the article,
The first drive mechanism, the second drive mechanism, and the third drive mechanism are each a drive mechanism that includes the roller gear cam,
The predetermined member is placed on a predetermined installation surface in a factory,
The article conveying vertical articulated arm mechanism conveys the article held on the holding surface from one position to the other position by a turning operation of the first arm, the second arm, and the third arm. At the same time, it is desirable to translate the holding surface in the normal direction of the holding surface in the course of the conveyance.

According to such a vertical articulated arm mechanism for article conveyance, the article is conveyed from one position to the other position, and the holding surface is parallel to the normal direction of the holding surface during the conveyance process. The transfer operation of moving can be performed at high speed and with high accuracy.
This is because the configuration with the smallest number of arms among the configurations with sufficient conditions capable of performing the above-described transfer operation is a configuration including three arms that rotate in a vertical plane parallel to each other. In other words, the above-described configuration including the first, second, and third arms eliminates the arms unnecessary for the above-described transfer operation, and therefore, mechanical properties associated with the addition of such unnecessary arms are reduced. This is because the tackiness can be suppressed.

=== First Embodiment ===
1A to 1C are explanatory views of the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment. 1A is a plan view viewed from above, FIG. 1B is a side view taken along the line BB in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is a front view taken along the line CC in FIG. 1A.

  The vertical articulated arm mechanism 1 is, for example, a horizontal substrate in the next process while turning upside down a glass substrate W such as a liquid crystal panel as an example of an article cut out in the previous process and placed on the horizontal material storage 100. It is transported and placed on a safe material storage place 110 (see FIG. 4).

  As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1 has three joint portions 10, 20, and 30 as an example of a multi-joint, and these joint portions 10, 20, and 30 are sequentially connected in series. Three arms 11, 21, 31 (hereinafter also referred to as a three-axis vertical articulated arm mechanism 1). The first arm 11 is connected to a base member 3 (corresponding to a predetermined member) fixed on the installation surface G of the factory via a first joint portion 10 and swivels around the first joint portion 10 in a vertical plane. Is possible. The second arm 21 is connected to the first arm 11 via the second joint portion 20, and can turn around the second joint portion 20 in a vertical plane parallel to the turning surface of the first arm 11. is there. The third arm 31 is connected to the second arm 21 via the third joint portion 30, and can turn around the third joint portion 30 in a vertical plane parallel to the turning surface of the first arm 11. is there.

  The third arm 31 has a glass substrate holding part 41 that detachably sucks and holds the glass substrate W. In addition, each of the joint portions 10, 20, and 30 is provided with drive mechanisms 51, 52, and 53 that drive the arms 11, 21, and 31 that are in charge of the joint portions. Therefore, an appropriate control device such as a computer controls these drive mechanisms 51, 52, 53, so that the arms 11, 21, 31 are moved so that the glass substrate holding part 41 moves to the target position along the target locus. The arms 11, 21 and 31 are swung while being coordinated.

  In the following description, the end portion closer to the base member 3 in the longitudinal direction of each arm 11, 21, 31 is referred to as a root portion, and the end portion far from the base member 3 on the opposite side, that is, a glass substrate. The end portion on the side close to the holding portion 41 is referred to as a tip portion. Of the two directions orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, the direction parallel to the vertical plane is referred to as the thickness direction, and the direction facing the horizontal direction is referred to as the width direction.

  The base member 3 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped member whose longitudinal direction faces the vertical direction. And the base part of the 1st arm 11 is supported by the 1st joint part 10 provided in the upper end part.

  2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams of the first joint unit 10. 2A is a vertical cross-sectional view, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view along BB in FIG.

  The first joint portion 10 includes a circular shaft body 12 provided on the side surface of the base portion of the first arm 11 and protruding in the horizontal direction, and a circular hole portion formed horizontally on the side surface of the upper end portion of the base member 3. 4. Then, in a state where the circular shaft body 12 is inserted in the hole portion 4 in the horizontal direction, a cross roller bearing 13 (corresponding to a bearing member) is interposed therebetween, whereby the first arm 11 is The base member 3 is supported so as to be relatively rotatable. Here, since the cross roller bearing 13 can support the thrust load and the radial load all at once, it is not necessary to arrange the thrust bearing and the radial bearing separately from each other. As a result, the first joint portion 10 is arranged in the width direction. Can be thin.

  The first arm 11 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped member, and a drive mechanism 51 (corresponding to the first drive mechanism) for turning the first arm 11 is disposed adjacent to the first joint portion 10.

  The drive mechanism 51 is provided on the side of the base member 3 as a drive source, and decelerates the rotational operation of the drive rotation shaft 62 of the servo motor 61 and the circular shaft body of the first arm 11. 12, and a cam mechanism 71 that outputs to 12. Therefore, the cam mechanism 71 can turn the first arm 11 by expanding the output torque of the servo motor 61.

  A roller gear cam 72 is used for the cam of the cam mechanism 71. Specifically, a plurality of cam followers 73 are arranged at a predetermined pitch along the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of the circular shaft body 12 serving as an output shaft, and the outer circumferential surface of the circular shaft body 12 is arranged on the base member 3. An input shaft 72a to which a rotational operation is input from the servomotor 61 is supported at both ends by bearings 79, 79 while facing the circumferential direction of the circular shaft body 12 so as to rotate. A roller gear cam 72 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the input shaft 72a. That is, the tapered rib 74 that forms the cam surface of the roller gear cam 72 is formed in a substantially spiral shape in which the axial position is uniformly and continuously displaced in one direction according to the circumferential position of the input shaft 72a. ing. Therefore, when the rotation operation is input from the drive rotation shaft 62 of the servo motor 61 to the roller gear cam 72 and the roller gear cam 72 rotates, the cam follower 73 is engaged via the engagement between the tapered rib 74 and the cam follower 73. Are sequentially sent in the axial direction of the roller gear cam 72, whereby the circular shaft body 12 is rotated and the first arm 11 is turned.

  Here, the tapered rib 74 is formed such that any one of the cam followers 73 is always in contact with both the one side wall surface 74a and the other side wall surface 74b of the tapered rib 74. Has been. For example, when the cam follower 73 moves away from the side wall surface 74 a of the tapered rib 74, another cam follower 73 comes into contact with the side wall surface 74 a before that. Therefore, at least the pair of cam followers 73 and 73 are always maintained in a state in which the tapered rib 74 is sandwiched, and as a result, there is no backlash and the turning motion in the vertical plane of the first arm 11 is stabilized. It is done.

  Further, the above-described input shaft 72a is disposed in the base member 3 on the inner side in the longitudinal direction of the base member 3 (lower side in the vertical direction) than the hole portion 4 of the first joint portion 10, and further, The axial direction of the input shaft 72a faces the thickness direction of the base member 3 (corresponding to the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the circular shaft body 12 serving as the output shaft and intersecting (orthogonal) with the longitudinal direction of the base member 3). Yes. Therefore, compared with the case where the input shaft 72a is disposed outside the hole 4 in the longitudinal direction (upward in the vertical direction), or the axial direction of the input shaft 72a is directed to the longitudinal direction of the base member 3. Thus, the size of the base member 3 in the longitudinal direction can be reduced, and the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1 can be downsized.

  Furthermore, the drive rotation shaft 62 of the servo motor 61 and the input shaft 72a of the cam mechanism 71 are connected to each other through a shaft joint 63 so that the rotation centers of the drive rotation shaft 62 and the cam shaft 71 are not relative to each other. Therefore, backlash does not occur in this connection, and a drive system that is completely free from backlash can be configured by the combination with the roller gear cam 72 described above.

  3A is a side view showing a part of the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1 in a broken state, and FIG. 3B is a view showing the broken part in FIG. It is.

  The second arm 21 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped member. The root portion of the second arm 21 is supported by the second joint portion 20 provided at the distal end portion of the first arm 11. That is, the second joint portion 20 includes a circular shaft body 22 that is provided on the side surface of the root portion of the second arm 21 and protrudes in the horizontal direction, and a hole that is horizontally opened at the side surface of the distal end portion of the first arm 11. Part 14. Then, in a state where the circular shaft body 22 is inserted in the hole portion 14 in the horizontal direction, a cross roller bearing 23 (corresponding to a bearing member) is interposed therebetween, whereby the second arm 21 is The first arm 11 is supported so as to be relatively rotatable.

  Similar to the first joint portion 10 described above, the drive mechanism 52 (corresponding to the second drive mechanism) of the second arm 21 is also disposed adjacent to the second joint portion 20. 52 is only smaller in size than the drive mechanism 51 of the first arm 11 described above, and its basic configuration is the same as that of the drive mechanism 51 of the first arm 11. That is, the phrases “base member 3”, “first arm 11”, and “circular shaft body 12” in the description of the driving mechanism 51 of the first arm 11 described above are referred to as “first arm 11”, “first arm 11”, respectively. If the words “2 arms 21” and “circular shaft body 22” are read and replaced, this will explain the drive mechanism 52 of the second arm 21 as it is. Therefore, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  However, since the drive mechanism 52 of the second arm 21 is provided in the first arm 11 that rotates, in addition to the operation and effect of the drive mechanism 51 of the first arm 11 described above, the following operation is performed. There is also an effect. That is, the cam mechanism 71 related to the drive mechanism 52 of the second arm 21 also has the input shaft 72a, and the arrangement position of the input shaft 72a in the first arm 11 is the drive of the first arm 11 described above. Similar to the arrangement position of the input shaft 72a of the mechanism 51 in the base member 3, the first arm 11 is located at a position inside the longitudinal direction of the first arm 11 with respect to the hole portion 14 constituting the second joint portion 20. Yes. Therefore, compared with the case where the input shaft 72a is disposed outside the first arm 11 in the longitudinal direction, there is an effect that the required torque during the turning operation of the first arm 11 can be reduced.

  The third arm 31 has a circular shaft body 32 that is long in the width direction parallel to the axial direction of the circular shaft body 12 (see also FIG. 1C) at the base portion thereof. A substrate holding part 41 is fixed. One end of the circular shaft 32 is inserted into a hole 24 formed horizontally at the side of the tip of the second arm 21, and a cross roller bearing 33 (bearing member) provided in the hole 24. ). That is, the circular shaft body 32, the hole portion 24, and the cross roller bearing 33 constitute the third joint portion 30.

  Note that, similarly to the first and second joint portions 10 and 20 described above, a drive mechanism 53 (corresponding to the third drive mechanism) of the third arm 31 is also disposed adjacent to the third joint portion 30. However, the drive mechanism 53 is only smaller in size than the drive mechanism 52 of the second arm 21, and the basic configuration is the same. That is, as in the case of the second arm 21, the phrases “base member 3”, “first arm 11”, and “circular shaft body 12” in the description of the drive mechanism 51 of the first arm 11 described above, If the words “second arm 21”, “third arm 31”, and “circular shaft body 32” are read and replaced, this will explain the drive mechanism 53 of the third arm 31 as it is. Therefore, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C, the glass substrate holding portion 41 of the third arm 31 extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at an appropriate interval in the longitudinal direction (width direction) of the circular shaft body 32. A plurality (seven in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1C) of rod members 43 are provided, and the appearance of the glass substrate holding portion 41 has a substantially comb shape. Each bar member 43 is formed with a holding surface 43a for placing and holding the glass substrate W to be transported, and each holding surface 43a is provided with a plurality of suction cups (not shown). Further, a pipe (not shown) such as a hose or a pipe is built in each rod member 43 and the circular shaft body 32, and the suction cup is connected to the tip of the pipe. A vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to the end. Therefore, the glass substrate W placed on the holding surface 43a can be sucked and held or released by sucking by the ON / OFF control of the vacuum pump.

  The glass substrate holding part 41 is substantially comb-shaped because the mounting table 101 of the glass substrate W of the material storage 100 in the previous process is formed in the same comb shape. This is to avoid interference with the mounting table 101 when the mounted glass substrate W is lifted and supported from below (see FIG. 4). That is, when the glass substrate W placed on the material storage 100 is lifted, the comb of the glass substrate holder 41 and the comb of the mounting table 101 of the material storage 100 are in a state of being in the gap between each other. The glass substrate W can be placed on the holding surface 43a of the glass substrate holding portion 41 while preventing mutual interference.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the operation of transporting the glass substrate W by the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1.
As described above, the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1 is configured so that the glass substrate W cut out in the previous process and placed on the material storage 100 (corresponding to one position) is turned upside down while the material storage in the next process is performed. 110 (corresponding to the other position) is transported and placed in the horizontal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a mounting table 101 for the glass substrate W is installed in the material storage 100 in the previous process, and the glass substrate W is mounted on the horizontal upper surface 101 a of the mounting table 101. As described above, the upper surface 101a is formed in a substantially comb shape corresponding to the substantially comb shape of the glass substrate holding portion 41 of the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1. That is, the glass substrate holding part 41 is formed such that the positions of the combs are staggered in the width direction. On the other hand, a mounting table 111 of a material storage place 110 of the next process is installed in front of the material storage place 100 of the previous process in the horizontal direction.

  And according to the above-mentioned vertical articulated arm mechanism 1, the glass substrate W is conveyed as follows.

  First, as shown in a state A in FIG. 4, as an initial state, the glass substrate holding portion 41 is located immediately below the upper surface 101 a of the mounting table 101 in the previous process, and the normal direction of the holding surface 43 a is It shall be in the state which faced the upper direction of the perpendicular direction. And from this state, as shown in state B in FIG. 4, the glass substrate holding portion 41 is translated in the normal direction of the holding surface 43 a to lift the glass substrate W on the mounting table 101 from below. At the time of lifting, the vacuum pump starts operating, and the glass substrate W is sucked and held by the suction cup of the holding surface 43a.

  Next, the glass substrate holding portion 41 is moved forward by the coordinated turning operation of the first, second, and third arms 11, 21, 31, whereby the glass as shown in a state C in FIG. 4. The substrate W is transported above the mounting table 111 of the material storage place 110 in the next process. Although the glass substrate W is turned upside down and turned downward by the turning operation, since the glass substrate W is sucked and held by the glass substrate holding portion 41, it does not fall.

  Then, the glass substrate holding part 41 is translated in the downward direction while maintaining the state in which the holding surface 43a is directed downward in the vertical direction. As a result, as shown in the state D in FIG. Placed on the upper surface 111 a of the mounting table 111. Then, when the vacuum pump is stopped and the suction and holding of the glass substrate W is released, the glass substrate holding part 41 has the normal direction of the holding surface 43a directed downward in the vertical direction as shown in the state C in FIG. The glass substrate W is transferred to the mounting table 111 by moving parallel to the upper side while maintaining the state.

  Finally, the glass substrate holding part 41 is moved to the rear stage of the mounting table 101 while moving the glass substrate holding part 41 rearward by the coordinated turning operation of the first, second and third arms 11, 21, 31. It sinks directly under the upper surface 101a, thereby returning to the initial state shown by the state A in FIG.

  Incidentally, as described above, when the glass substrate holding portion 41 is translated in the normal direction of the holding surface 43a in the horizontal conveyance process, the biaxial vertical articulated arm mechanism has sufficient freedom of movement. However, if the three-axis vertical articulated arm mechanism 1 is used, the glass substrate holding portion 41 can be translated in the normal direction of the holding surface 43a in the horizontal conveyance process as described above. In other words, the three-axis vertical articulated arm mechanism 1 having the three arms 11, 21, 31 swiveling in the mutually parallel vertical planes is the most armed configuration among the sufficient conditions for performing the above-described transport operation. The configuration is small. Therefore, according to the three-axis vertical articulated arm mechanism 1, it is possible to effectively specialize in the above-described transport operation, and as a result, the transport operation can be performed at high speed and with high accuracy.

  By the way, the outer diameters of the circular shaft bodies 12, 22, and 32 of the first, second, and third joint portions 10, 20, and 30 are joints located closer to the installation surface G, as can be seen with reference to FIG. The part is getting bigger. That is, the circular shaft body 22 of the second joint portion 20 is larger than the outer diameter of the circular shaft body 32 of the third joint portion 30, and the first joint is larger than the outer diameter of the circular shaft body 22 of the second joint portion 20. The circular shaft body 12 of the part 10 is larger. This is because the necessary torque increases due to factors such as the weight of the other arm acting on the arm closer to the installation surface G.

=== Second Embodiment ===
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1a according to the second embodiment, which is shown in the same manner as in FIG. 3A.

  In the first embodiment, the servo motor 61 of each of the first, second, and third arms 11, 21, 31 is connected to the corresponding input shaft 72 a by a shaft joint 63. 61 protrudes outside the base member 3, the first arm 11, and the second arm 21, but in this second embodiment, each servo motor 61 is connected to the base member 3, the first arm 11, and the second arm 21. It differs in that it is housed inside the arm 21.

  That is, as in the first embodiment, all the members of the base member 3, the first arm 11, and the second arm 21 according to the second embodiment of FIG. In the position inside the longitudinal direction of the members 3, 11 and 21 relative to the parts 4, 14, and 24, there is a housing hole 72b for housing the input shaft 72a, but the longitudinal direction is further longer than the housing hole 72b. An accommodation hole 61b for accommodating the servo motor 61 is formed inside the direction. Then, in a state where the input shaft 72a and the servo motor 61 are accommodated in the corresponding accommodation holes 72b and 61b, respectively, an end portion of the input shaft 72a and an end portion of the drive rotation shaft 62 of the servo motor 61 are respectively provided. Gears 72c and 61c serving as rotation transmission members are fixed, and the rotation operation of the drive rotary shaft 62 is transmitted to the input shaft 72a by these gears 72c and 61c.

  And according to such a structure, since the drive mechanisms 51, 52, and 53 of each arm 11, 21, and 31 are each accommodated in the inside of the corresponding member 3, 11, and 21, it is neat and clean. Become.

  Also, each servo motor 61 is disposed inside the input shaft 72a with respect to the longitudinal direction of the corresponding member 3, 11, 21, respectively, so that the servo motors in the first arm 11 and the second arm 21 are respectively arranged. The attachment position 61 has moved to the inner side in the longitudinal direction than in the case of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, the required torque for turning the first arm 11 and the second arm 21 can be reduced by at least the movement.

=== Third Embodiment ===
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1b according to the third embodiment, which is shown in substantially the same manner as in FIG. 3B.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the wiring route of the power supply cable (corresponding to the power supply member) for supplying power to each servo motor 61 has not been described. As an example, the power cable is connected to the first arm. 11 and drawing along the outside of the second arm 21. However, in that case, there is a risk that the power cable may get entangled with the arms 11 and 21 due to the turning motion of the arms 11 and 21, and the power cable placed outside easily collects dust and dirt. There is also a problem in terms.

  Therefore, in the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a power cable 65 is provided in the arms 21, 11 from the second arm 21 to the first arm 11 where the servomotor 61 on the most distal end side is provided. The above problem is solved by passing it through. Other configurations are the same as those in the second embodiment.

  More specifically, the first arm 11 is a box having a substantially hollow structure, that is, it has a cavity 16 communicating with the hole 14 of the first arm 11 inside. Further, the circular shaft body 12 of the first arm 11 is formed with a through hole 12 a along the axial direction, and the through hole 12 a communicates with the cavity 16. Therefore, a space portion 17 (corresponding to the first space portion) that connects the end surface 12 b of the circular shaft body 12 to the hole portion 14 is formed inside the first arm 11.

  Similarly, the second arm 21 is also a box with a substantially hollow structure, that is, it has a cavity 26 communicating with the hole 24 of the second arm 21 inside. A similar through hole 22 a is also formed in the circular shaft body 22 of the second arm 21. Therefore, a space portion 27 (corresponding to the second space portion) that connects the end surface 22 b of the circular shaft body 22 from the hole portion 24 is also formed in the second arm 21.

Furthermore, the hole 4 of the base member 3 is formed so as to penetrate the base member 3 in the width direction.
Then, when the second arm 21, the first arm 11, and the base member 3 are sequentially connected, as shown in FIG. 6, the root portion of the first arm 11 is formed from the hole 24 at the distal end portion of the second arm 21. Since the through hole 12a of the circular shaft body 12 communicates with the hole 4 of the base member 3 and penetrates in the width direction, the through hole of the circular shaft body 12 of the first arm 11 is formed. 12 a is exposed on the side surface of the upper end portion of the base member 3.

  Therefore, the power plug of the power cable 65 of the servo motor 61 for driving the third arm 61 arranged inside the second arm 21 and the servo motor 61 for driving the second arm arranged inside the first arm 11. The power plug of the power cable 65 can be taken out from the hole 4 at the upper end of the base member 3. With this, the power cable 65 of the servo motor 61 can be connected to the inside of the first arm 11 and the second arm 21. Can fit completely.

  Incidentally, the rod member 43 and the circular shaft body 32 of the glass substrate holding portion 41 provided in the third arm 31 are provided with air lines such as hoses and pipes so that the suction cups of the glass substrate holding portion 41 can perform adsorption operation. In this case, as the circular shaft body 32, for example, a hollow structure such as a hollow pipe as shown in FIG. 6 is used. The pipe 47 is accommodated in the cavity 26 of the second arm 21 from the hole 24 of the second arm 21, and from there, the upper end of the base member 3 passes through the same route as the power cable 65 described above. The end of the pipe 47 is taken out from the hole 4. And the above-mentioned vacuum pump is connected with the said terminal.

=== Other Embodiments ===
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to this embodiment, The deformation | transformation as shown below is possible.

(A) In the above-described embodiment, the configuration including the three joint portions 10, 20, 30 and the three arms 11, 21, 31 as an example of the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1 has been described. The numbers of 20, 30 and arms 11, 21, 31 are not limited to this, and the number of joint portions and arms may be two or four or more, respectively.

(B) In the above-described embodiment, the roller gear cam is used for the drive mechanisms 51, 52, 53 of all the arms 11, 21, 31 provided in the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1. However, at least one arm is driven. If a roller gear cam is used for the mechanism, it goes without saying that it is included in the scope of the present invention. However, if roller gear cams are used for the drive mechanisms of all arms, the positioning accuracy of the most distal arm can be maximized through stabilization of the turning motion of all arms.

(C) In the above-described embodiment, the base member 3 installed and fixed on the installation surface G of the factory is shown as an example of the predetermined member to which the first arm 11 is coupled. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the predetermined member may be configured to be movable in the horizontal direction, and further, the predetermined member is fixed to an arm of another industrial robot, that is, the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1 according to the present embodiment. May be combined with an industrial robot.

(D) In the above-described embodiment, each of the first arm 11, the second arm 21, and the third arm 31 is configured to pivot in a vertical plane parallel to each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The third arm 31 may turn on a surface other than the vertical surface.

(E) In the above-described embodiment, the base member 3, the first arm 11, the second arm 21, and the third arm 31, which are close to the installation surface G among the members to be connected to each other by the joint portion. The hole of the joint is provided in the member, and the circular shaft inserted into the hole is provided in the other member.

For example, the second joint portion 20 will be specifically described as an example. In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3B, the first arm 11 and the second arm 21 are connected by the second joint portion 20. Since the first arm 11 is located closer to the installation surface G than the second arm 21, the hole 14 of the second joint portion 20 is provided in the first arm 11. Although the circular shaft body 22 is provided, this installation relationship may be reversed as shown in FIG. That is, the circular shaft body 22 may be provided in the first arm 11 and the hole portion 14 may be provided in the second arm 21.
However, considering that the servo motor 61 as a drive source is provided on the member provided with the hole 14, the hole 14 is formed in FIG. 3B rather than in the second arm 21 as in the example of FIG. The first arm 11 is preferably provided as in the first embodiment. That is, it is preferable to provide the hole portion 14 in the member 11 near the installation surface G among the members 11 and 21 to be connected to each other by the joint portion 20. In this way, the length of the power cable 65 for supplying power to the servo motor 61 can be shortened.

(F) In the above-described embodiment, the electric motor is shown as an example of the power, and the servo motor 61 that is operated by the electric power is illustrated as the driving source. However, if the electric motor is operated by being supplied with an appropriate power, For example, a hydraulic motor that operates by hydraulic pressure may be used as a drive source.

1A is a plan view of the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment, FIG. 1B is a side view thereof, and FIG. 1C is a front view thereof. 2A is a longitudinal sectional view of the first joint portion 10, and FIG. 2B is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2A. 3A is a side view showing a part of the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1 in a broken state, and FIG. 3B is a view showing the broken part in FIG. It is. It is explanatory drawing of the conveyance operation example of the glass substrate W by the vertical articulated arm mechanism. It is explanatory drawing of the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1a which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the vertical articulated arm mechanism 1b which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of other embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 vertical articulated arm mechanism (vertical articulated arm mechanism for article transport),
1a Vertical articulated arm mechanism (vertical articulated arm mechanism for article conveyance),
1b Vertical articulated arm mechanism (vertical articulated arm mechanism for article conveyance),
3 Base member (predetermined member), 4 holes, 10 joints,
11 First arm, 12 Circular shaft body (output shaft, shaft body),
12a through hole, 12b end face, 13 cross roller bearing (bearing member),
14 holes, 16 cavities, 17 spaces (first space), 20 joints,
21 second arm, 22 circular shaft (output shaft, shaft),
22a through hole, 22b end face, 23 cross roller bearing (bearing member),
24 holes, 26 cavities, 27 spaces (second space), 30 joints,
31 third arm, 32 circular shaft (output shaft, shaft),
33 Cross roller bearing (bearing member),
41 glass substrate holding part, 43 bar member, 43a holding surface, 47 pipe line,
51 First arm drive mechanism (first drive mechanism),
52 second arm drive mechanism (second drive mechanism),
53 third arm drive mechanism (third drive mechanism),
61 servo motor (drive source), 61b accommodation hole, 61c gear (rotation transmission member),
62 drive rotation shaft, 63 shaft joint, 65 power cable (power supply member),
71 cam mechanism, 72 roller gear cam, 72a input shaft, 72b receiving hole,
72c gear (rotation transmission member), 73 cam follower, 74 tapered rib,
74a side wall surface, 74b side wall surface,
100 Material storage place (one position) of the previous process, 101 mounting table, 101a upper surface,
110 Material storage for the next process (the other position), 111 mounting table, 111a upper surface,
G Mounting surface, W glass substrate

Claims (11)

A first arm coupled to a predetermined member via a first joint, and capable of turning in a vertical plane around the first joint;
A second arm connected to the first arm via a second joint, and capable of turning around a vertical plane parallel to the vertical plane around the second joint;
A first drive mechanism that is provided at the first joint and rotates the first arm around the first joint;
A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles having a second drive mechanism that is provided at the second joint part and rotates the second arm around the second joint part,
At least one drive mechanism of the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism is:
A drive source, and a cam mechanism that creates a turning motion of the arm based on a rotational motion input from the drive source,
The cam mechanism is
An input shaft to which rotational operation from the drive source is input;
A roller gear cam provided on the input shaft and rotating integrally with the input shaft;
A plurality of cam followers that engage with tapered ribs as cam surfaces formed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller gear cam have an outer peripheral surface, and rotate at a lower rotational speed than the input shaft by the rotation of the input shaft. And an output shaft to
One of the plurality of cam followers is always in contact with both the side wall surface on one side and the side wall surface on the other side of the tapered rib. Articulated arm mechanism. The vertical articulated arm mechanism for article conveyance according to claim 1,
The joint is
A horizontal shaft provided on one of the predetermined members, the first arm, and the second arm to be connected to each other;
A hole formed horizontally in the other member among the members to be connected, into which the shaft body is inserted, and
A bearing member interposed between the shaft body and the hole portion to connect the shaft body to the hole portion so as to be relatively rotatable,
The output shaft of the cam mechanism is the shaft body,
The input shaft of the cam mechanism is disposed adjacent to the hole in the member in which the hole is formed, and the axial direction of the input shaft is orthogonal to the axial direction of the output shaft. A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles, characterized in that it is oriented in the direction of movement. A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles according to claim 2,
The hole is formed at the longitudinal end of the member;
The input shaft is disposed on the inner side in the longitudinal direction than the hole portion in the member,
The vertical multi-joint arm mechanism for conveying an article, wherein an axial direction of the input shaft faces a direction intersecting with a longitudinal direction of the member. A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles according to claim 3,
The drive source is disposed inside the longitudinal direction from the input shaft of the member,
An article conveying vertical characterized in that a rotation transmission member for transmitting the rotation operation of the drive rotation shaft of the drive source to the input shaft is interposed between the drive rotation shaft and the input shaft. Articulated arm mechanism. A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
A first space portion is formed in the first arm to connect the hole portion of the first arm and the axial end surface of the shaft body,
A second space portion is formed in the second arm to connect the hole portion of the second arm and the axial end surface of the shaft body,
A power supply member such as a power cable for supplying power such as electric power to the drive source is passed through the first space portion and the second space portion. Arm mechanism. A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
The part on the predetermined member side in the vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying an article is installed on a predetermined installation surface in a factory,
The vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying an article, wherein the hole portion related to the joint portion is provided in a member near the installation surface among members to be connected by the joint portion. A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles according to any one of claims 2 to 6,
The part on the predetermined member side in the vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying an article is installed on a predetermined installation surface in a factory,
The vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles, wherein the outer diameter of the shaft body of the joint portion is larger as the shaft body of the joint portion is located closer to the installation surface. A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles according to any one of claims 2 to 7,
The vertical articulated arm mechanism for article conveyance, wherein the bearing member of the joint is a cross roller bearing. A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The drive source has a drive rotation shaft that is driven to rotate,
The vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying an article, wherein the drive rotation shaft and the input shaft are connected to each other so that relative rotation is impossible while the rotation centers of the drive rotation shaft and the input shaft coincide with each other. A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying an article, wherein the drive mechanism including the roller gear cam is provided for all the joint portions of the vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying the article. A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying articles according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A third arm connected to the second arm via a third joint, and capable of turning around a third joint in a vertical plane parallel to the vertical plane;
A third drive mechanism that is provided at the third joint portion and pivots the third arm around the third joint portion;
The third arm has a holding surface for detachably holding the article,
The first drive mechanism, the second drive mechanism, and the third drive mechanism are each a drive mechanism that includes the roller gear cam,
The predetermined member is placed on a predetermined installation surface in a factory,
The article conveying vertical articulated arm mechanism conveys the article held on the holding surface from one position to the other position by a turning operation of the first arm, the second arm, and the third arm. A vertical articulated arm mechanism for conveying an article, wherein the holding surface is translated in the normal direction of the holding surface in the course of the conveyance.

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