JP2013071208A - Robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact robot, while preventing inconvenience from occurring during robot expansion/contraction operation, in an electrical cable.SOLUTION: In the robot 10, a lifting operation section 11 includes a fixed section 14 and a moving section 15, and a turning operation section 12 includes a turning arm 17 and a turning motor 18. The fixed section 14 and the moving section 15 are connected to one end side and the other end side of an FPC cable 51, respectively. The moving section 15 includes a turn supporting section 16 for turnably supporting the turning operation section 12. The turn supporting section 16 includes a wind-up section for winding up the surplus of the FPC cable 51 to be generated when the moving section 15 is moved.

Description

  The present invention relates to a robot, for example, an industrial robot used in a factory or the like.

  Conventionally, a robot that has a plurality of movable parts, one of which is a movable part that can be expanded and contracted along the direction of the telescopic axis, has been put into practical use. Cables are accommodated. As an electric cable, generally, a harness in which a plurality of electric wires are bundled or a covered wiring that is an aggregate of a plurality of wires is used. In this case, an extra length is given to the electric cable in advance in consideration of the expansion and contraction operation of the robot.

  As a technique related to cable arrangement, a technique has been proposed in which an electric cable is accommodated and arranged in a cable protector in a telescopic shaft case. For example, what is described in Patent Document 1 uses a cable protector made of a plastic bendable component and having a cable housing space formed therein, and the cable protector is S-shaped in the telescopic shaft case. It is to be arranged in a state that does. In such a technique, the movable margin of the electric cable during the expansion / contraction operation is secured by the deformation of the cable protector in the expansion / contraction shaft case.

  In addition, as a cable protector arranged in an S shape in the telescopic shaft case in this way, the cable protector has a plurality of link frames composed of a pair of link plates and a connecting body for connecting them, and the link frames are mutually connected. There is also known a structure that has a structure that is rotatably connected and that guides an electric cable through a cable housing space formed by connecting link frames in a cable protector.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-65689

  However, in the technique in which the electric cable is accommodated in the cable protector arranged in the S shape as described above, the cable accommodating dimension (minimum required) depends on the curvature of the bent portion of the cable protector in the telescopic shaft case. (Dimension) becomes large. This hinders miniaturization as a robot.

  In this regard, in order to reduce the cable housing size in the telescopic shaft case, it is conceivable to arrange the electric cable alone without using the cable protector, but assuming that the robot can be telescopic at high speed. There is a concern that the electric cable may be violated in the telescopic shaft case, which may cause inconvenience that the electric cable is worn or damaged.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is a main object of the present invention to achieve downsizing of a robot and to suppress the occurrence of inconveniences associated with robot expansion and contraction operations in an electric cable.

  Hereinafter, means and the like effective for solving the above-described problems will be described while showing functions and effects as necessary.

The first invention includes a first unit and a second unit that can move relative to each other in a robot expansion and contraction direction, and a third unit that can rotate with respect to the second unit.
One end side and the other end side of the electric cable are connected to the first unit and the second unit, respectively.
The second unit is provided with a rotation support portion that rotatably supports the third unit, and the rotation support portion is moved along the relative movement of the first unit and the second unit. A robot that moves in a direction toward or away from one unit,
The electrical cable is an FPC cable,
The rotation support portion is provided with a winding portion that winds up a surplus portion of the FPC cable that is generated when the first unit and the second unit move relative to each other.

  In the robot having the above configuration, an FPC cable is used as an electric cable. In this case, the volume required for cable accommodation can be reduced as compared with a configuration using a harness having a plurality of electric wires bundled as an electric cable or a covered wiring which is an assembly of wirings. In addition, the storage capacity can be greatly reduced compared to the conventional configuration using the cable protector.

  Further, in the configuration including the first to third units as described above, when relative movement occurs in the first unit and the second unit, the rotation support provided in the second unit is accompanied by the relative movement. The portion (the rotation support portion that rotatably supports the third unit) moves in a direction toward or away from the first unit. At this time, the slack (remainder) of the FPC cable that occurs during the relative movement is wound up by the winding unit provided in the rotation support unit of the second unit. In other words, for example, even if the FPC cable is slack (residual) due to the relative movement of both the first and second units in the shrinking direction, the surplus portion is wound around the winding portion, As a result, the FPC cable can be maintained in a moderately stretched state.

  Since the FPC cable can be maintained in a stretched state in this way, the relative movement of both the first and second units eliminates the inconvenience of FPC cable rampage and associated cable wear and damage without using cable protectors. Can be suppressed. In this case, it is possible to suppress inconveniences such as wear and breakage of the cable even if it is assumed that the robot can expand and contract at high speed. As described above, it is possible to reduce the size of the robot and to suppress the occurrence of inconveniences associated with the robot extending and contracting operation with respect to the electric cable.

  The second invention is characterized in that the winding portion is provided with a biasing means for pulling and biasing the FPC cable in the cable winding direction.

  It is considered that the length of slack (the remainder) of the FPC cable can be changed according to the expansion / contraction state of the robot. In this regard, as described above, the FPC cable can be maintained in a state in which the FPC cable is properly stretched at all times regardless of the expansion / contraction state of the robot by adopting a configuration in which the FPC cable is pulled and biased in the cable winding direction by the biasing means. .

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the rotation support portion rotates the third unit with respect to the second unit by a motor, and the output shaft of the motor is in the same direction as the width direction of the FPC cable. The motor is arranged to extend,
The winding unit performs winding of the FPC cable with the output shaft as a central axis of cable winding.

  In the above configuration, the FPC cable can be wound by making good use of the situation in which the rotation support portion moves toward or away from the first unit when the first unit and the second unit move relative to each other and the motor arrangement. The removal can be suitably performed. That is, when the slack (remainder) of the FPC cable increases due to the movement of the rotation support portion with respect to the first unit, the slack can be eliminated by winding the FPC cable around the output shaft of the motor. Further, when the slack (remainder) of the FPC cable is reduced by the movement of the rotation support portion with respect to the first unit, the FPC cable can be pulled out from the output shaft of the motor.

In a fourth aspect of the present invention, the first unit is provided with a first abutting portion that abuts on one side of the cable surface of the FPC cable, and the second unit has the other surface of the cable surface of the FPC cable. A second abutting portion that abuts on the side is provided;
The FPC cable is folded back in the extension / contraction direction in the cable housing portion between the first unit and the second unit by each of the contact portions.

  When the FPC cable is folded back by the first contact portion and the second contact portion, when the relative movement occurs in the extending direction in the first unit and the second unit, the return amount between the contact portions changes. There is a concern that slack (the remainder) may occur in the FPC cable. In this respect, as described above, since the surplus portion of the FPC cable is wound up by the winding portion, the inconvenience that the FPC cable remains loose is solved.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance of a biaxial robot. Sectional drawing which shows the rotation support structure of the rotation arm by a rotation support part. Sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of a raising / lowering operation part. The perspective view which shows the internal structure of a raising / lowering operation part. The perspective view which shows the internal structure of a raising / lowering operation part. The perspective view which shows the internal structure of a raising / lowering operation part. The schematic diagram for demonstrating the behavior of the FPC cable of the return | turnback state.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a two-axis robot having an elevating mechanism and a rotating mechanism is embodied, and FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance thereof.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the robot 10 generally has both an up-and-down operation unit 11 that performs an up-and-down operation along an axis J <b> 1 extending in the vertical direction and a forward and reverse direction with an axis J <b> 2 extending in a direction orthogonal to the axis J <b> 1 as a rotation center. And a rotation operation unit 12 that performs the rotation operation. The raising / lowering operation unit 11 and the turning operation unit 12 have driving units (motors) for raising and lowering and for turning, respectively. The raising / lowering operation part 11 is corresponded to the expansion-contraction operation part which expands-contracts by using the axis | shaft J1 as an expansion-contraction direction.

  The raising / lowering operation unit 11 includes a fixing unit 14 that is fixed to a predetermined robot installation location, and an elevator unit 15 that moves up and down with respect to the fixing unit 14. At the upper part of the elevating part 15, there is provided a rotation support part 16 which is connected to the rotation operation part 12 and supports it so as to be rotatable. In this case, during the lifting / lowering operation of the lifting / lowering part 15, the rotation support part 16 moves in a direction approaching or moving away from the fixed part 14. The rotation support part 16 has a disk-shaped base part 16a and two projecting parts 16b and 16c extending upward from the base part 16a.

  The rotation operation unit 12 includes a rotation arm 17 that is rotatably supported by the rotation support unit 16 of the lifting operation unit 11, and a rotation operation motor 18 that rotates the rotation arm 17. And have. The rotation arm 17 has a pair of overhanging portions 17a on the rotation base end side, and the protrusions 16b and 16c of the rotation support portion 16 are disposed between the pair of overhanging portions 17a. . The rotation operation motor 18 is fixed to one overhanging portion 17a, and the rotation arm 17 rotates about the axis J2 as the motor 18 is driven. Note that an operation tool including, for example, a transfer hand is provided on the rotation tip side of the rotation arm 17.

  In the present embodiment, the fixing unit 14 corresponds to a “first unit”, the elevating unit 15 corresponds to a “second unit”, and the rotation operation unit 12 (rotation arm 17) corresponds to a “third unit”.

  A rotation support structure of the rotation arm 17 by the rotation support portion 16 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rotating motor 18 includes a motor body 18a including a drive solenoid section, a speed reduction section 18b that reduces the rotational output of the motor body 18a at a predetermined reduction ratio, and an output of the speed reduction section 18b. And an output shaft 18c provided on the side. The motor main body 18 a and the speed reduction portion 18 b of the rotation operation motor 18 are fixed to the overhang portion 17 a of the rotation arm 17, and the output shaft 18 c is fixed to the protruding portion 16 b of the rotation support portion 16. The protruding portion 16b is provided integrally with the base portion 16a, and is fixed in a state where the output shaft 18c is passed through a hole formed in the protruding portion 16b. In this configuration, the output shaft 18c is a fixed shaft. In this case, when the rotation motor 18 is energized and driven, the motor body 18a rotates with respect to the rotation support portion 16, and accordingly, the rotation support is performed with the axis J2 as the rotation center. The rotating arm 17 rotates with respect to the portion 16.

  The output shaft 18c of the rotation operation motor 18 extends to a position that passes through the protrusion 16b and reaches the protrusion 16c. The protrusion 16c is configured by a case body having an internal space, and the internal space is used as a winding space for the FPC cable 51 described later. The details will be described later.

  Next, a detailed configuration of the lifting operation unit 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the lifting / lowering operation unit 11, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the internal structure of the lifting / lowering operation unit 11 seen from two different directions. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the case portion on the outer periphery of the lifting and lowering operation unit 11 is omitted. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the lifting and lowering operation unit 11 with some components such as an electric cable (FPC cable) omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, in the ascending / descending operation portion 11, the fixing portion 14 includes a fixing portion base 21 having a substantially disk shape and a fixing portion case 22 extending upward from the fixing portion base 21. Yes. The fixed portion base 21 has a lower base 21a and an upper base 21b that are connected to each other by screws or the like, and a cover 21c is attached so as to surround both the bases 21a and 21b. The lower base 21a is provided with a fixing flange portion 21d that is fixed to the robot installation location with a screw or the like. The fixed part case 22 has a cylindrical shape having substantially the same outer diameter as the fixed part base 21 and is fixed to the fixed part base 21 (specifically, the upper base 21b).

  The space above the fixed portion base 21 and inside the fixed portion case 22 is an installation space for the lifting / lowering actuator. In this installation space, a lifting / lowering motor 25 for lifting / lowering the robot and a lifting / lowering motor are provided. An expansion / contraction mechanism section 26 that rotates in accordance with the rotational drive of 25 and expands and contracts in the vertical direction, that is, the robot ascending / descending direction is installed.

  The expansion / contraction mechanism section 26 is configured using a ball screw expansion / contraction mechanism, and includes a ball screw 31 provided so as to penetrate the fixed section base 21 in the vertical direction. The ball screw 31 is provided so as to rotate without moving up and down in the vertical direction (that is, without moving up and down with respect to the fixed portion base 21). It is screwed. In this case, when the ball screw 31 rotates, the ball nut 32 moves in the up-and-down direction while rotating accordingly.

  In the fixed portion base 21, a space in the base that opens downward is formed in the lower base 21 a, and power for transmitting the rotation of the lifting motor 25 to the ball screw 31 is formed in the space in the base. A transmission mechanism is provided. The power transmission mechanism includes an input-side pulley 35 provided so as to be integrally rotatable with the output shaft of the lifting motor 25, and an output-side pulley 36 provided so as to be integrally rotatable with the ball screw 31. 36, a belt 37 is wound around. Therefore, when the elevating motor 25 is rotationally driven, both pulleys 35 and 36 are rotated accordingly, and the ball screw 31 is rotated by the rotation. Note that the power transmission mechanism may have a deceleration function for decelerating motor rotation. Further, the power transmission mechanism may be configured by a gear mechanism including a plurality of power transmission gears (reduction gears). Furthermore, the structure which the motor 25 for raising / lowering is provided in the space in a base may be sufficient.

  On the other hand, the elevating part 15 has an elevating part base 41 that is substantially disk-shaped and is disposed to face the fixed part base 21, and a cylindrical elevating part case 42 that extends downward from the elevating part base 41. The lifting part case 42 has an upper plate part 42 a fixed to the bottom surface of the lifting part base 41. The elevating part case 42 is provided so as to cover the outer side of the fixed part case 22, and moves up and down with respect to the fixed part case 22.

  In addition, a plate-like frame 43 extending downward is provided on the upper plate portion 42 a of the lifting unit case 42. The frame 43 includes a vertical plate portion 43a extending in the vertical direction, and a pair of flange portions 43b and 43c provided at both upper and lower end portions thereof in a direction orthogonal to the vertical plate portion 43a, and the upper flange portion 43b moves up and down. The upper case 42 a is fixed to the upper plate portion 42 a. A connecting plate 44 is fixed to the lower flange portion 43 c, and the ball nut 32 is fixed to the connecting plate 44.

  In this case, the ball nut 32 is integrated with the elevating part base 41 via the frame 43 and the connecting plate 44. When the ball nut 32 moves up and down by the rotation of the ball screw 31, the elevating part base is adjusted accordingly. 41 and the raising / lowering part case 42 move up and down (moves up and down).

  The frame 43 is provided such that the vertical plate portion 43 a is located approximately through the center of the lift base 41. In this case, the frame 43 includes a motor housing space that houses the lifting motor 25 and a telescopic mechanism housing space that houses the telescopic mechanism portion 26 in the case internal space S formed by the fixed portion case 22 and the lifting portion case 42. It is provided in the boundary part.

  Further, the elevating operation unit 11 is provided with a guide mechanism for guiding the elevating movement of the elevating unit 15 with respect to the fixed unit 14. A specific configuration of the guide mechanism will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the frame 43 fixed to the elevating part 15 side is provided with a pair of sliders 46 that move up and down together with the frame 43 at the lower end part. Each slider 46 is provided at a position that is an end in the width direction of the frame 43. On the other hand, the fixed portion base 21 is provided with a pair of guide rails 47 extending upward from the upper surface thereof. Each guide rail 47 is provided at a position sandwiching the pair of sliders 46 from both lateral sides. In the above configuration, when the elevating unit 15 moves up and down relative to the fixed unit 14 (when the frame 43 moves up and down), the slider 46 and the frame 43 move while being guided by the guide rail 47. Thereby, the stable operation | movement of the raising / lowering part 15 is attained. 3 to 5, the guide mechanism is not shown for convenience.

  The elevating unit base 41 is also a connecting intermediate member for fixing the rotation support unit 16 to the upper part of the elevating operation unit 11. Although not shown, the elevating unit base 41 has a base of the rotation support unit 16 on the upper surface side. The part 16a is fixed.

  Further, the elevating operation unit 11 is provided with an FPC cable 51 as an electric cable. The FPC cable 51 is a flat cable made of a thin flexible printed circuit board having an elongated shape with a predetermined width and an electric circuit formed on an insulating film such as a synthetic resin with a copper foil or the like. It is provided between the elevating part base 41. That is, in this case, the case internal space S that is a cable housing portion is a space that expands and contracts in the vertical direction, and the FPC cable 51 is disposed in the space. One end side (lower end side) of the FPC cable 51 is fixed to the fixing portion base 21 by a fixing member (not shown), and the fixing portion is fixed via a through hole formed in the outer peripheral portion of the fixing portion 14 (for example, the fixing portion case 22). 14 is pulled out to the outside. Note that a detachable connector may be used for connection between the FPC cable 51 and the fixed portion base 21.

  Further, the other end side (upper end side) of the FPC cable 51 is drawn upward from the elevating part base 41. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, cable insertion holes 41 a and 16 d are respectively formed in the elevating part base 41 and the base part 16 a, and the cable insertion holes 41 a and 16 d are the protruding parts 16 c of the rotation support part 16. It communicates with the interior space. In this case, the FPC cable 51 is guided to the internal space of the protruding portion 16c through the cable insertion holes 41a and 16d.

  The FPC cable 51 sends drive power and control signals to each drive unit in the robot 10 (the drive unit of the up-and-down operation unit 11 on the front stage side and the drive unit of the rotation operation unit 12 on the rear stage side). That is, power supply from a power supply device (not shown) and signal transmission from the robot controller are performed via the FPC cable 51. In addition, when the robot operation state is detected by each of the operation units 11 and 12, the detection signal is similarly sent through the FPC cable 51.

  In this embodiment, in particular, as a mounting structure of the FPC cable 51, folding means for folding and arranging the FPC cable 51 in an S-shape in the case internal space S is used. 14 has a first folding bar 52 and a second folding bar 53 provided in the elevating part 15. In the present embodiment, these folding bars 52 and 53 correspond to a first contact portion and a second contact portion, respectively. Each of the folding bars 52 and 53 is a rod-like long material. The first folding bar 52 is attached to the distal ends of a pair of mounting rods 54 extending upward from the fixed part base 21 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rod, and the second folding bar 53 extends downward from the lifting part base 41. Are attached to the distal ends of a pair of mounting rods 55 extending in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rods. In the fixing portion 14, the elevating motor 25 is disposed using the space between the pair of mounting rods 54.

  In this case, the first folding bar 52 abuts on one side of the cable surface of the FPC cable 51, and the second folding bar 53 abuts on the other side of the cable surface of the FPC cable 51. In the case internal space S, the second folding bar 53 is disposed closer to the fixed portion base 21 than the first folding bar 52, so that the FPC cable 51 is folded up and down by the folding bars 52 and 53. . In order to avoid contact between the FPC cable 51 and the lifting / lowering motor 25, another contact bar different from the folding bars 52 and 53 is provided between the fixed portion base 21 and the first folding bar 52. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the second folding bar 53 has a pair of connecting portions 53a connected to each mounting rod 55, and an intermediate portion 53b provided between the pair of connecting portions 53a. The intermediate portion 53b is rotatable around its axis. The intermediate portion 53b has a length larger than the width dimension of the FPC cable 51, and the FPC cable 51 is hooked on the intermediate portion 53b. Similarly, the first folded bar 52 has a pair of connecting portions connected to each mounting rod 54 and an intermediate portion provided between the pair of connecting portions, and the intermediate portion is around its axis. The structure may be freely rotatable.

  In FIG. 2, the protrusion 16 c of the rotation support unit 16 is provided with a winding unit that winds up the surplus portion of the FPC cable 51 that is generated during the lifting operation of the lifting unit 15. That is, the protrusion 16c is a cable winding unit. The structure of this protrusion 16c (cable winding unit) will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 2, the rotation motor 18 is arranged such that its output shaft 18 c extends in the same direction as the width direction of the FPC cable 51. The FPC cable 51 is wound around the output shaft 18c as the central axis of the cable winding. In FIG. 2, “M” indicates a portion where the FPC cable 51 is wound. In this case, a spring device 57 is provided as an urging means on the output shaft 18c in the projecting portion 16c, and the spring device 57 takes up the FPC cable 51 in the winding direction (the retracting direction from the projecting portion 16c). ) Has a tensile force. More specifically, the spring device 57 has, for example, a spring, and one end of the wound FPC cable 51 is connected to one end of the spring. Therefore, in a state where the FPC cable 51 is pulled out from the protruding portion 16c against the tensile force of the spring spring, the slackness of the FPC cable 51 is eliminated by the tensile force (that is, the force in the direction of rewinding the FPC cable 51).

  In addition, although illustration is omitted, an end portion of the FPC cable 51 on the protruding portion 16c side is provided with a cable extending portion extending in the axial direction of the output shaft 18c, and the cable extending portion is outside the protruding portion 16c. To be drawn.

  Next, the behavior of the FPC cable 51 during the lifting operation of the lifting operation unit 11 will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the behavior of the FPC cable 51. 7A shows a state in which the elevating unit 15 (elevating unit base 41) is in the lowered position, and FIG. 7B shows a state in which the elevating unit 15 (elevating unit base 41) is in the raised position.

  7 (a) and 7 (b), the FPC cable 51 is disposed by being folded back by the folding bars 52 and 53. The difference between them is the folding length between the folding bars 52 and 53. (A) is large and (b) is small. In this case, although the cable length of the FPC cable 51 in the case internal space S (the cable length between the bases 21 and 41) is different, the spring device can be used in either of FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b). 57, an appropriate tensile force is applied to the FPC cable 51. As a result, in any situation, the FPC cable 51 is maintained in a moderately stretched state (a state in which tension is applied by an appropriate tension), and in that state, the FPC cable 51 is moved up and down without being loosened. It becomes.

  Therefore, even if it is assumed that the elevating operation unit 11 moves up and down at a high speed, inconveniences such as the FPC cable 51 rampage, cable wear and damage associated therewith are suppressed. Further, during the up-and-down operation, the position of the contact portion (contact portion) with the second folding bar 53 in the FPC cable 51 changes, but the intermediate portion 53b of the second folding bar 53 rotates around the axis. Since it is free, inconveniences such as wear of the FPC cable 51 at the intermediate portion 53b that is a contact portion (contact portion) with the FPC cable 51 are suppressed.

  According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be obtained.

  Since the FPC cable 51 is used as the electrical cable, the volume required for housing the cable can be reduced as compared with a configuration using a harness in which a plurality of electric wires are bundled and a covered wiring that is an assembly of wirings. In addition, the storage capacity can be greatly reduced compared to the conventional configuration using the cable protector.

  Further, when the elevating part 15 moves up and down, the slack (remainder) of the FPC cable 51 that occurs during the elevating operation is taken up by the winding part (projecting part 16 c) provided in the rotation support part 16. . Therefore, the slack of the FPC cable 51 can be suppressed and the FPC cable 51 can be maintained in a moderately stretched state (a state in which a moderate tension is applied) in both the descending operation and the ascending operation of the elevating unit 15. Thereby, when the robot 10 is moved up and down, it is possible to suppress inconveniences such as the FPC cable 51 rampage and the accompanying cable wear and breakage without using a cable protector. That is, it becomes possible to use the FPC cable 51 in a single state (a state of peeling) without using a protector. In this case, it is possible to suppress inconveniences such as wear and breakage of the cable even if it is assumed that the robot can expand and contract at high speed. As described above, it is possible to reduce the size of the robot 10 and to suppress the occurrence of inconveniences associated with the robot lifting / lowering operation with respect to the electric cable.

  In this embodiment, a plurality of signal lines and power lines are configured by the FPC cable 51, and the plurality of signal lines and power lines are formed by a harness in which a plurality of wirings are bundled or a covered wiring that is an aggregate of a plurality of wirings. The minimum bending radius can be reduced as compared with the case of configuring. Therefore, in the case where the FPC cable 51 is folded, the bending radius at the folded portion can be reduced, and the robot 10 can be downsized.

  The motor output shaft 18c fixed to the rotation support portion 16 of the elevating unit 15 is used as a central axis for cable winding, and the FPC cable 51 is wound. Thereby, when the slack (the remainder) of the FPC cable 51 becomes large due to the movement of the rotation support portion 16 with respect to the fixed portion 14, the FPC cable 51 is wound around the motor output shaft 18c to eliminate the slack. be able to. Further, when the loosening (remainder) of the FPC cable 51 is reduced by the movement of the rotation support part 16 with respect to the fixed part 14, the FPC cable 51 can be pulled out from the motor output shaft 18c.

  The FPC cable 51 is arranged in a state of being folded by the folding bars 52 and 53. In this configuration, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience that the FPC cable 51 remains slack even if the cable turn-back length changes as the lifting / lowering portion 15 moves up and down.

  Since each folding bar 52, 53 is supported by the mounting rods 54, 55, if the at least one folding bar 52, 53 is moved along the mounting rods 54, 55, both folding bars 52, 53 are provided. The distance in the vertical direction can be easily adjusted. Therefore, for example, even when trying to change the lifting / lowering operation range (movable range) while using the same configuration as the lifting / lowering operation unit 11 or when trying to realize a robot having a different lifting / lowering operation range (movable range), The slackness and tension of the FPC cable 51 can be easily adjusted.

  Further, since the pair of mounting rods 54 and 55 for supporting the folding bars 52 and 53 are provided at intervals larger than the width dimension of the FPC cable 51, the mounting rods 54 and 55 are connected to the FPC cable 51. This is more suitable for preventing wear due to rubbing of the FPC cable 51. In this case, the space between each pair of mounting rods 54 and 55 can be used as an installation space for a motor or the like. Therefore, a large space in the case internal space S can be used for component storage and the like, and the components can be concentrated and arranged, so that further downsizing is possible.

  Since the second folding bar 53 provided in the elevating unit 15 among the folding bars 52 and 53 is configured to be rotatable around its axis, the contact portion between the FPC cable 51 and the second folding bar 53 is raised when the robot is raised and lowered. The rubbing can be suppressed.

  Since the FPC cable 51, which is an electrical cable, is housed inside the case of the robot 10, the electrical cable may interfere with the installation of other robots and mechanical equipment in a factory or the like, or may interfere with the work of field workers. Can be suppressed.

[Other Embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the description of the above embodiment, and may be implemented as follows, for example.

  In the above embodiment, the FPC cable 51 is folded and arranged in the vertical direction in the case internal space S of the lifting and lowering operation unit 11, but this is changed and the FPC cable 51 is arranged without folding. Also good. Even if it is this structure, the problem that the FPC cable 51 will loosen unintentionally can be suppressed by providing a cable winding part as mentioned above.

  In the above embodiment, the FPC cable 51 is wound up by using the spring spring in the spring device 57 that constitutes the cable winding portion, but this is changed and the FPC cable 51 is wound up by using a coil spring. Also good.

  -It is good also as a structure which provides in the rotation support part 16 of the raising / lowering operation part 11 the motor only for winding for winding up the FPC cable 51. As shown in FIG. In this case, even if the FPC cable 51 is slack (the remainder), the slack can be appropriately wound by driving the winding-dedicated motor. Further, since the slack (remainder) of the FPC cable 51 is determined according to the lift position of the lift section 15, the drive of the winding-up motor can be controlled by the robot controller, and the robot controller can control the lift position of the lift section 15 according to the lift position. Thus, the cable winding amount by the winding dedicated motor may be adjusted. The take-up dedicated motor is preferably installed on the opposite side of the rotating operation motor 18 with the pair of projecting portions 17a of the rotating arm 17 interposed therebetween.

  In the above-described embodiment, the unit in which the rotation operation unit 12 is connected in the elevating operation unit 11 (elevation unit 15 in FIG. 1) and the unit in which the rotation operation unit 12 is not connected (fixing unit 14 in FIG. 1). ), The latter unit (fixed part 14) is a fixed unit fixed to a predetermined robot installation position, but this is changed, and the latter unit (fixed part 14) is movable and operable. It is good also as a unit. For example, another unit is provided in front of “the unit that is not connected to the rotation operation unit 12”, and “the unit that is not connected to the rotation operation unit 12” is connected to the other unit. It is good also as a structure which carries out rotation operation | movement or expansion-contraction operation | movement.

  The robot expansion / contraction direction is not limited to the vertical direction (vertical direction), but may be other directions such as a horizontal direction. For example, the axis J1 is oriented in the horizontal direction, and the raising / lowering operation unit 11 extends and contracts along the J1 direction.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Robot, 11 ... Elevating operation part, 12 ... Rotating operation part (3rd unit), 14 ... Fixed part (1st unit), 15 ... Elevating part (2nd unit), 16 ... Rotation support part, 16c ... Projection (winding part), 18 ... Motor for rotation operation, 18c ... Output shaft, 25 ... Moving motor, 51 ... FPC cable (flat cable), 52 ... First folding bar (first contact part) 53 ... 2nd folding | turning bar (2nd contact part), 57 ... Spring apparatus (biasing means).

Claims (4)

A first unit and a second unit that can move relative to each other in a robot expansion / contraction direction, and a third unit that can rotate with respect to the second unit;
One end side and the other end side of the electric cable are connected to the first unit and the second unit, respectively.
The second unit is provided with a rotation support portion that rotatably supports the third unit, and the rotation support portion is moved along the relative movement of the first unit and the second unit. A robot that moves in a direction toward or away from one unit,
The electrical cable is an FPC cable,
The robot according to claim 1, wherein the rotation support portion is provided with a winding portion that winds up a surplus portion of the FPC cable that is generated when the first unit and the second unit move relative to each other.   The robot according to claim 1, wherein the winding unit is provided with a biasing unit that pulls and biases the FPC cable in a cable winding direction. The rotation support unit rotates the third unit with respect to the second unit by a motor, and the motor is arranged such that an output shaft of the motor extends in the same direction as the width direction of the FPC cable. Has been placed,
The robot according to claim 1, wherein the winding unit performs winding of the FPC cable with the output shaft as a central axis of cable winding. The first unit is provided with a first abutting portion that abuts on one side of the cable surface of the FPC cable, and the second unit a second abuts on the other side of the cable surface of the FPC cable. A contact portion is provided,
4. The FPC cable according to claim 1, wherein the FPC cable is folded back in the extension / contraction direction in a cable housing portion between the first unit and the second unit by the contact portions. The robot according to item.

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