JP2013072546A - Seal member for end effector of robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a seal member, which can be fitted without detaching an end effector from a robot fitted with the end effector while a bolt is not an obstacle, and which prevents sealability from excessively decreasing.SOLUTION: The seal member includes a pair of rim parts 30 which are formed each in a semi-annular shape and engage with each other to be annular. The rim parts 30 each have a first engagement part 32 provided at one end and second engagement part 33 provided at the other end, and the first engagement part 32 and second engagement part 33 engage a second engagement part 33 and a first engagement part 32 provided to the other rim part 30 respectively, and also, adsorbent 31 adsorbing a lubricant is provided on a reverse side.

Description

  The present invention relates to a seal member for a robot end effector that seals between a flange portion to which a robot end effector is attached and a flange cover.

  For example, an industrial robot includes a rotation drive unit for rotating the end effector on an arm unit to which the end effector is connected. This rotational drive part is connected to the flange part for attaching an end effector, and rotationally drives an end effector via a flange part. The flange portion is generally formed in a cylindrical shape and is rotatably supported by a bearing member. Further, the flange portion is covered with the flange cover together with the rotation drive portion and the bearing member in a state where the end portion on the side where the end effector is attached is exposed. At this time, in order to prevent lubricant such as grease applied to the rotation drive unit and the bearing member from flowing out to the outside, an annular oil seal that covers the entire outer peripheral side of the flange portion is provided inside the flange cover. And an O-ring are provided (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  By the way, during the operation of the robot, the temperature of the motor, the speed reducer, the bearing member, or the like rises. For this reason, even if the lubricant whose viscosity has been lowered as the temperature rises is sealed with an oil seal or the like, there is a risk of a slight amount of leakage from between the flange portion and the flange cover. For example, when the robot is used in a clean room, even if the amount of lubricant is very small, it may affect the quality of the product if it leaks. Therefore, it is conceivable to further provide a seal member having an adsorbent between the flange portion and the flange cover to adsorb the leaked lubricant.

  However, when an existing robot, that is, a robot installed on a production line with an end effector attached thereto is detached and attached again, there is a possibility that an attachment error will occur. For this reason, when the end effector is removed, calibration is required to check whether there is a problem in the operation of the robot. Since this calibration takes a lot of time and effort, the user wants to avoid removing the end effector. That is, in reality, it is substantially difficult for an existing robot to remove the end effector in order to attach the seal member.

JP-A-2005-14104

  Now, the end effector is attached to the distal end side of the arm portion of the robot with a slight gap (clearance) provided between the end effector and the arm portion. This gap is generally about a few millimeters and is not large enough for an operator's finger to enter. The flange portion is covered with a flange cover to protect the internal drive circuit, and the flange cover is fastened with three bolts. At this time, since the flange cover is fixed to the arm portion from the end effector side with a bolt, the head portion of the bolt is located in the gap. Since the three bolts are generally arranged at equal intervals, the three bolts are arranged around the flange portion. When the end effector is not removed, the bolts become an obstacle and seal. The member cannot be attached. That is, it is not easy to attach the seal member to the arm part to which the end effector is attached without removing the end effector. Further, if the sealing member is divided into a large number in order to avoid these bolts, there is a problem that the area where the adsorbent is arranged around the flange portion is reduced and the sealing performance is deteriorated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to be able to be attached without removing the end effector in the robot to which the end effector is attached and without causing the bolt to become an obstacle. It is to provide a seal member for an end effector of a robot that suppresses an excessive decrease in performance.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the rim portion is formed in a semi-annular shape having a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion, and the jig engagement portion is closer to the first engagement portion side than the center on the outer peripheral surface thereof. Is provided. For this reason, first, the rim portion is inserted into the gap between the end effector and the arm portion in a state where the rim portion is engaged with the jig, and the end portion of the inserted rim portion on the second engagement portion side is approximately spaced by 120 °. Insert between three bolts arranged at equal intervals. Next, the rim part is turned to the second engaging part side where the distance between the jig engaging part and the bolt is large and the turning amount is large, and the end part on the first engaging part side is turned between the bolts. . And the edge part by the side of the 1st engagement part is inserted from between bolts, and one rim part is attached. Thereby, the rim | limb part currently formed in the semicircle shape of about 180 degrees can be attached. Subsequently, the other rim portion is inserted into the space formed by the change in the positional relationship between the inserted rim portion and the bolt by turning in the same procedure. Then, the inserted rim portion and the other rim portion are engaged with each other by applying a force radially inward via a jig.

  Thus, by forming the seal member with a pair of rim portions and providing the jig engaging portion, the rim portion can be inserted into a slight gap where an operator's finger or the like cannot be inserted. It is possible to attach the seal member without removing the end effector and without hindering the bolt. In addition, a space for inserting the other rim portion can be formed simply by turning the previously inserted rim portion, so that the seal member can be attached very easily.

  At this time, the first engagement portion is formed to extend radially inward from the outer peripheral surface side of the rim portion to more than half of the width of the rim portion, and the second engagement portion is radial from the inner peripheral surface side of the rim portion. Since it is formed on the outside so as to extend more than half of the width of the rim portion, the engagement between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion is ensured, and the seal member can be firmly attached.

  Now, in order to increase the amount of adsorbent, if the width of the rim portion is set wide enough not to contact the bolt, it becomes difficult to engage the rim portions with each other. Specifically, when the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are engaged, the inner peripheral side of the rim portion is in contact with the flange portion, so the rim portion is directed toward the outer periphery in the radial direction. It will bend and deform. However, since the bolts are arranged on the outer peripheral side of the rim portion, the deformation of the rim portion toward the radially outer side is limited, and the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are engaged. Can not be. Therefore, a relief hole that is recessed from the outer peripheral portion of the rim portion to the inner peripheral portion side is provided on one end side in the circumferential direction of the rim portion. As a result, even if the rim portion is bent outward in the radial direction, the bolt enters the escape hole, so that contact between the rim portion and the bolt is avoided, and the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are engaged. Can be combined.

  Now, in order to effectively prevent the leakage of the lubricant, it is desirable to increase the amount of the adsorbent. In that case, although it is desirable to provide the adsorbent on the entire outer peripheral side of the flange portion, it is necessary to divide the rim portion as described above. Therefore, the amount of the adsorbent can be increased by forming the rim portion wider in the radial direction. In addition, by setting the rim portion to the minimum number of divisions, that is, two divisions, it is possible to minimize the region where the adsorbent is not disposed, and it is possible to suppress an excessive decrease in the sealing performance.

  Further, although the rim portion is flexible, it has a certain degree of rigidity in order to tightly seal between the flange portion and the flange cover. Therefore, in order to engage the pair of rim portions, it is necessary to press the rim portions against each other. In that case, it is ideal to provide the jig engaging part at the center of the rim part for the most efficient pressing, but as described above, the three bolts should be provided at 120 ° intervals. Therefore, in order to turn the rim part to such an extent that the other rim part can be inserted, a certain amount of turning is required while avoiding contact between the jig and the bolt. Therefore, by providing the jig engaging part closer to the first engaging part than the center in the circumferential direction of the rim part, the jig is separated from one bolt by inserting the rim part between the bolts. The rim is engaged at the position. In this state, the jig is moved toward the other bolt so that the movement amount of the jig, that is, the turning of the rim portion is increased. As a result, it is possible to efficiently apply a force while avoiding the jig from coming into contact with the bolt while securing the amount of turning of the rim portion by the jig.

  In the invention according to claim 2, the flange part which covers at least one part of a relief hole in the circumferential direction is provided. The part where the relief hole is formed has a smaller radial width, and is more easily bent than the other parts. Therefore, there is a possibility that the escape hole may be bent due to vibration or long-term use during operation of the robot, resulting in a decrease in sealing performance. Therefore, the rigidity is enhanced by providing a flange portion on the surface of the escape hole opposite to the adsorbent. Thereby, bending of a relief hole is suppressed and it can reduce that a sealing performance falls.

  In the invention described in claim 3, the jig engaging portions are formed on the press-fitting holes into which the pins provided on the jig for turning the rim portion are press-fitted so as to be insertable / removable, and on both sides in the circumferential direction of the press-fitting holes. Engaging recesses. Since the gap between the end effector and the arm portion is usually about several millimeters, a user or an operator cannot insert a finger. Therefore, the rim portion is fixed to the jig by press-fitting the pin of the jig into the press-fitting hole. Thereby, a rim | limb part is hold | maintained at a jig | tool. Therefore, when the rim portion is inserted, the rim portion can be easily inserted and turned. Moreover, when the engaging convex part provided in the jig is engaged with the engaging concave part, when engaging the rim parts with each other, a force can be applied in a wide range in the circumferential direction. The parts can be reliably engaged.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the rim | limb part by one Embodiment typically, (A) is a perspective view of the surface side of a sealing member, (B) is a perspective view of the back surface side of a sealing member. Diagram showing the appearance of the robot FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of region III in FIG. 2, schematically showing a gap between the robot end effector and the flange cover. The figure which shows typically the attachment site | part of the flange seen from the arrow A direction of FIG. FIG. 1 schematically showing a procedure for attaching a seal member FIG. 2 schematically showing the installation procedure of the seal member FIG. 3 schematically showing the procedure for attaching the seal member FIG. 4 schematically showing the procedure for attaching the seal member FIG. 5 schematically showing the installation procedure of the seal member FIG. 6 schematically showing the procedure for attaching the seal member The figure which shows the state which attached the sealing member typically

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a seal member will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the robot 11 to which the seal member 10 (see FIG. 3) is attached is a well-known robot such as a 6-axis vertical multi-rotation joint type. A base portion 12, a shoulder portion 13, a first arm portion 14, a second arm portion 15, a third arm portion 16 and a fourth arm portion 17 that are fixed to the surface are provided. Each of the base portion 12, the shoulder portion 13, and the first to fourth arm portions has a rotation joint (not shown) at each connection portion, and is sequentially connected to each other to constitute a so-called robot arm. In the case of the robot 11, the shoulder portion 13 is coupled to be pivotable in the horizontal direction around the base portion 12, and the first arm portion 14 is pivotable in the vertical direction (vertical direction) in FIG. 2 at the distal end side of the shoulder portion 13. The second arm portion 15 is connected to be pivotable in the vertical direction on the distal end side of the first arm portion 14, and the third arm portion 16 is connected to the distal end portion of the second arm portion 15 in the axial direction of the second arm portion 15. The fourth arm portion 17 is connected to the distal end portion of the third arm portion 16 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction around the third arm portion 16.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the fourth arm portion 17 has a flange portion 18 on the right end side in the drawing. The flange portion 18 is formed in a substantially columnar shape, and the left end portion in the drawing is connected to the rotation drive portion 19 provided in the fourth arm portion 17. The rotation drive unit 19 includes a motor, a speed reducer, and a bearing member that rotatably supports the flange portion 18. The rotational drive unit 19 rotationally drives the flange portion 18 supported by the bearing member. In addition, since the structure of the motor of the rotation drive part 19, a reduction gear, etc. is known, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The flange portion 18 and the rotation drive portion 19 are covered with a flange cover 20. In the case of this embodiment, the flange cover 20 is generally formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and covers the flange portion 18 and the rotation drive portion 19 from the outer peripheral side. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the flange cover 20 has an opening 20b formed at the bottom 20a. This opening 20b is provided in order to expose the attachment site 18a provided on the distal end side (right end side in the case of FIG. 3) of the flange portion 18. For this reason, a gap C is formed between the opening 20 b and the flange portion 18. In FIG. 4, illustration of the seal member 10 and an end effector 24 (see FIG. 4) to be described later is omitted.

  The flange cover 20 is fixed to the fourth arm portion 17 by three bolts 21. The three bolts 21 are arranged at equal intervals on the outer peripheral side of the flange portion 18 and at a predetermined arrangement interval from the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 18. Specifically, the three bolts 21 are provided at intervals of 120 ° with the flange portion 18 as the center, and at a position separated from the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 18 by a certain distance L. In addition, in order to prevent the lubricant for lubrication applied to the bearing member of the rotation drive unit 19 from flowing out from the opening 20b, an oil seal, an O-ring (not shown), etc. Is provided.

  A plurality of female screw holes 22 and positioning holes 23 are provided in the attachment portion 18 a of the flange portion 18 exposed from the flange cover 20. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an end effector 24 is attached to the attachment portion 18a. The end effector 24 is also referred to as a hand or a manipulator. In the case of the present embodiment, the end effector 24 has a cylindrical main body portion 24 a having a diameter equal to or larger than the diameter of the flange cover 20. For this reason, the end surface on the distal end side of the fourth arm portion 17 is covered with the main body portion 24 a of the end effector 24. The end effector 24 is screwed to the female screw hole 22 by a screw (not shown) in a state where the end effector 24 is positioned by the positioning hole 23. Thereby, the end effector 24 is rotationally driven by the rotational drive unit 19 integrally with the flange portion 18. Further, in order to prevent the end effector 24 from coming into contact with the fourth arm portion 17 during rotational driving, a predetermined clearance, for example, approximately several, is provided between the left end portion of the main body portion 24a and the fourth arm portion 17. It is attached to the flange portion 18 through a gap of about millimeters. The size of the gap between the fourth arm portion 17 and the end effector 24 is determined by the design specifications of the robot 11.

  In the robot 11 having such a configuration, even if the lubricant whose viscosity has been lowered with the temperature rise of the motor, the bearing member, or the like during operation is sealed with an oil seal or the like, the flange portion 18 and the flange cover 20 There is a risk of leaking a small amount from between. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, a seal member 10 that seals between the flange portion 18 and the flange cover 20 is provided in the gap between the fourth arm portion 17 and the end effector 24.

  By the way, in the case of the existing robot 11, since the user wants to avoid the removal of the end effector 24 as described above, it is substantially difficult to remove the end effector 24 only for attaching the seal member 10. . Further, since the head of the bolt 21 that fixes the flange cover 20 to the fourth arm portion 17 protrudes into the gap between the fourth arm portion 17 and the end effector 24, the seal member remains attached with the end effector 24 attached. When installing 10, the bolt 21 becomes an obstacle. For this reason, in order to attach the seal member 10, it is necessary to divide. On the other hand, if the sealing member 10 is divided to avoid the bolt 21, the area sealed around the flange portion 18 is reduced, and the sealing performance is deteriorated.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the following seal member 10 is employed. The seal member 10 is formed in an annular shape (see FIG. 3) that covers the flange portion 18 from the outer peripheral side by combining two rim portions 30 shown in FIGS. 1 (A) and 1 (B). The rim portion 30 is provided with an adsorbent 31, a first engagement portion 32, a second engagement portion 33, a relief hole 34, a collar portion 35, and a jig engagement portion 36. Hereinafter, the surface on the side where the adsorbent 31 shown in FIG. 1 (A) is not provided is referred to as the surface of the rim portion 30 for convenience, and the surface on the side where the adsorbent 31 shown in FIG. 1 (B) is provided. Is referred to as the back surface of the rim portion 30 for convenience. That is, in the state where the seal member 10 is attached, the surface on the flange cover 20 side becomes the back surface of the rim portion 30.

  The rim portion 30 is formed in a semi-annular shape, that is, an arc shape of approximately 180 °. The thickness H of the rim portion 30 is set to a value that can be inserted into the gap between the fourth arm portion 17 and the end effector 24 described above. Further, the width W of the rim portion 30 is set to a value less than the distance L (arrangement interval) from the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 18 to the bolt 21 and as close to the distance L as possible. That is, the rim portion 30 is set so that its width W is substantially equal to the distance L. In the case of the present embodiment, the rim portion 30 is formed of a flexible material such as a resin material.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the adsorbent 31 is provided on the back side of the rim portion 30 and adsorbs the lubricant leaking from between the flange portion 18 and the flange cover 20. The adsorbent 31 is accommodated in an accommodation recess 37 formed to be recessed from the rear surface side to the front surface side of the rim portion 30. The adsorbent 31 is formed in an arc shape that is generally similar to the shape of the rim portion 30. Further, the adsorbent 31 has a maximum size within a range in which the thickness H of the rim portion 30 and the width W of the rim portion 30 do not change. More specifically, the adsorbent 31 is accommodated in the housing recess 37. It is formed in a size that is generally in a icicle position with respect to the inner peripheral surface and the back surface.

  The first engagement portion 32 is provided at one end portion in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 30. In the case of the present embodiment, the first engagement portion 32 has a first claw portion 32a formed to extend from the outer peripheral surface side of the rim portion 30 to the inner side in the radial direction by more than half of the width of the rim portion 30. doing. The second engagement portion 33 is provided at an end portion on the opposite side of the first engagement portion 32 in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 30. In the case of the present embodiment, the second engagement portion 33 includes a second claw portion 33a formed to extend from the inner peripheral surface side of the rim portion 30 to the outer side in the radial direction to more than half of the width of the rim portion 30. Have. The second claw portion 33a engages with the first claw portion 32a. Thereby, the first engaging part 32 and the second engaging part 33 are engaged with the second engaging part 33 and the first engaging part 32 provided on the other rim part 30, respectively. That is, in the case of this embodiment, the seal member 10 is configured by a pair of rim portions 30 formed in the same shape. Further, the rim portion 30 is formed so that the width of the end portion on the second engagement portion 33 side is slightly tapered (see FIG. 5 and the like).

  The escape hole 34 is provided at the end of the rim portion 30 on the side where the first engagement portion 32 is provided. The escape hole 34 is formed in a shape that is recessed radially inward from the outer peripheral surface of the rim portion 30. For this reason, in the rim portion 30, the width of the portion where the escape hole 34 is provided is narrower than the width W of other portions. On the other hand, a flange portion 35 that covers the escape hole 34 is provided on the surface side of the rim portion 30 where the escape hole 34 is provided. The collar portion 35 is formed by extending the surface of the rim portion 30 in the circumferential direction. In the present embodiment, the collar portion 35 is formed to have a width smaller than the width W of the rim portion 30 and covers a part of the escape hole 34.

  The jig engaging portion 36 is provided closer to the first engaging portion 32 than the center in the circumferential direction of the rim portion 30 and closer to the center than the escape hole 34. The jig engaging portion 36 includes a press-fit hole 38 that is recessed inward in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the rim portion 30, and a radially inner side from the outer peripheral surface of the rim portion 30 that is provided on both sides in the circumferential direction of the press-fit hole 38. And two engaging recesses 39 formed to be recessed. The jig engaging portion 36 engages with a jig 40 (see FIG. 5 described later) for turning the rim portion 30 in the circumferential direction. At this time, as will be described in detail later, a pin 41 (see FIG. 5) provided on the jig 40 is press-fitted into the press-fitting hole 38 so as to be insertable / removable, and the two engaging convex portions 42 provided on the jig 40. Engages with the two engaging recesses 39, respectively.

  Next, the effect | action of the above-mentioned sealing member 10 is demonstrated, referring FIGS. 5-11 which shows the procedure of attachment of the sealing member 10. FIG. In the following description, for the sake of simplicity, the pair of rim portions 30 constituting the seal member 10 will be referred to as a first rim R1 and a second rim R2 for convenience. Here, the first rim R1 is the rim portion 30 that is attached first in the attachment procedure described below, and the second rim R2 is the rim portion 30 that is attached after the first rim R1 is attached. Further, the three bolts 21 to which the flange cover 20 is attached are referred to as bolts B1, B2, and B3 in the clockwise direction for convenience as shown in FIGS.

  When attaching the seal member 10, first, as shown in FIG. 5, the first rim R1 is attached. In this case, the first rim R <b> 1 is inserted between the fourth arm portion 17 and the end effector 24 by the jig 40. The jig 40 is formed in a flat plate shape having a tip branched into three. The jig 40 has a pin 41 located at the center of the three branches, and an engaging convex portion 42 provided on both sides of the pin 41. The jig 40 is fixed to the first rim R1 by press-fitting the pin 41 into the press-fitting hole 38 of the first rim R1 and engaging the engaging convex portion 42 with the engaging concave portion 39 of the first rim R1. Thereby, the first rim R <b> 1 is inserted into the gap between the fourth arm portion 17 and the end effector 24 while being held by the jig 40.

  In this case, the first rim R1 is inserted between the bolts B1 and B2, for example. At this time, as described above, the first rim R1 has a narrow width between the portion where the escape hole 34 is provided and the end portion on the second engagement portion 33 side. Can be easily inserted between. Of course, the first rim R1 may be inserted between the bolts B2 and B3 or between the bolts B3 and B1, and in this case, the position where the second rim R2 described below is inserted changes. Only.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the state where the first rim R1 is inserted, the bolt B3 becomes an obstacle and the second rim R2 cannot be attached. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the first rim R1 is turned in the circumferential direction to the extent that the jig 40 does not contact the bolt B2 in the direction of the second engagement portion 33 (in the clockwise direction in FIG. 6). To do. Thereby, the relative positional relationship between the first rim R1 and the bolts B1 to B3 changes, and a space for attaching the second rim R2 is secured. At this time, since the jig engaging portion 36 is provided closer to the first engaging portion 32 than the center in the circumferential direction of the first rim R1, the first rim R1 is swung largely, that is, the first rim R1. Can be secured.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7, the second rim R2 is inserted between the bolts B2 and B3. At this time, since the first rim R1 is already attached, unlike the state of FIG. 5 described above, the second rim R2 may come into contact with the bolt B3. Specifically, the width W of the first rim R1 and the second rim R2 is set to be substantially equal to the distance L, and the first claw portion 32a of the first engagement portion 32 and the first engagement portion 32 of the second engagement portion 33 are set. Since the two claw portions 33a are each formed to be more than half of the width W of the rim portion 30, the second engagement portion 33 of the first rim R1 and the first engagement of the second rim R2 as shown in FIG. When the portion 32 is engaged, the total value of the radial widths exceeds the distance L.

  In this state, since the inner peripheral side of the first rim R1 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 18, when force is applied from the jig 40 to the first rim R1 and the second rim R2, Although the second rim R2 is bent toward the outer periphery in the radial direction, the second rim R2 is radially outward by providing the escape hole 34 on the first engagement portion 32 side of the second rim R2. Even if bent, the bolt B3 enters the escape hole 34, so that the contact between the second rim R2 and the bolt B3 is avoided. Thereby, the second engaging part 33 of the first rim R1 and the first engaging part 32 of the second rim R2 can be engaged with each other. When further force is applied to the first rim R1 and the second rim R2 in this state, in other words, when the second rim R2 is pushed in, as shown in FIG. The first engagement portion 32 of the first rim R1 comes into contact. At this time, although the first rim R1 bends radially outward, the first rim R1 has sufficient space on the radially outer side, so that the engagement with the second rim R2 is not hindered.

  By further applying force from the jig 40 in this state, as shown in FIG. 9, the second engagement portion 33 of the second rim R2 and the first engagement portion 32 of the first rim R1 are engaged with each other. To do. That is, the first rim R1 and the second rim R2 are engaged with each other. Although illustration is omitted, at this time, the adsorbent 31 provided on the first rim R1 and the second rim R2 is in contact with the flange cover 20.

  Thereafter, by removing the jig 40, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the pair of rim portions 30 (first rim R1 and second rim R2) in a state where the inner peripheral side is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 18. The sealing member 10 formed in an annular shape is attached. At this time, as described above, the adsorbent 31 is provided in such a shape as to be the icicle position on the inner peripheral surface of the seal member 10 and the icicle position on the back surface of the rim portion 30 (see FIG. 1). Is the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 18 protruding from the flange cover 20. and. The gap C (see FIG. 4) between the flange portion 18 and the flange cover 20 is attached with the adsorbent 31 covered. That is, the gap between the flange portion 18 and the flange cover 20 is sealed by the seal member 10. In FIG. 11, the end effector 24 is not shown.

According to the sealing member 10 demonstrated above, there exist the following effects.
The seal member 10 is formed by a pair of rim portions 30 having the same shape and formed in a semi-annular shape. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, each rim portion 30 forms a space by first turning one rim portion 30 (first rim R <b> 1) through a gap between bolts 21 and then turning to form a space. The other rim portion 30 (second rim R2) is attached to. Then, the first rim R1 and the second rim R2 are pressed and engaged with each other by the jig 40. Thereby, a pair of rim | limb parts 30 which comprise the sealing member 10 can be attached, avoiding the volt | bolt 21. FIG. Therefore, in the robot 11 in which the flange cover 20 is fixed by the three bolts 21 and the bolts 21 are located on the outer peripheral side of the flange portion 18 and in the gap between the arm portion and the end effector 24, in other words, the end effector 24 is An annular seal member for sealing between the flange portion 18 and the flange cover 20 without removing the end effector 24 and without causing the bolt 21 to obstruct the existing robot 11 attached. 10 can be attached.

  In this case, since the sealing member 10 is composed of the rim portion 30 having the same shape, the labor of manufacturing and managing the rim portion 30 can be reduced, and there is no confusion during the mounting operation of the rim portion 30, and the work efficiency is improved. Can be improved.

  The rim portion 30 is formed in a semi-annular shape, that is, an arc shape of approximately 180 °, and an adsorbent 31 having a substantially similar shape is provided on the back side thereof. It is unclear where the lubricant leaks around the flange portion 18. Therefore, the adsorbent 31 can be arranged in a region excluding the portion where each rim portion 30 engages on the outer peripheral side of the flange portion 18 by dividing the annular seal member 10 into two as the minimum division number. it can. Thereby, even if it is a case where it is substantially difficult to remove the end effector 24, in other words, even if it is a case where a division | segmentation is essential in order to attach the sealing member 10, the area | region where the adsorbent 31 is not arrange | positioned to the minimum Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sealing performance from being excessively lowered.

  Since the width of each rim portion 30 is set to a value close to the distance L from the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 18 to each bolt 21, the amount of the adsorbent 31 is increased, in other words, the upper limit for adsorbing the lubricant. Get higher. Thereby, even if it is a case where a large amount of lubricant leaks temporarily, scattering of the lubricant to the outside can be suppressed. Moreover, the frequency of the maintenance which replaces the adsorbent 31 can also be reduced by increasing the adsorbent 31. FIG.

  When the width of each rim portion 30 is set to a value close to the distance L from the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 18 to each bolt 21, the rim portion 30 contacts the bolt 21 when the rim portions 30 are engaged with each other. However, contact between the rim portion 30 and the bolt 21 is avoided by providing the relief hole 34 on the outer peripheral surface side of the rim portion 30. Thereby, a pair of rim | limb part 30 can be mutually engaged.

  The part where the escape hole 34 is formed is easily bent because the width of the rim portion 30 is smaller than the other part. Therefore, by providing a flange portion 35 that covers at least a part of the escape hole 34 in the circumferential direction on the surface side of the rim portion 30, rigidity of a portion where the escape hole 34 is provided while ensuring an avoidance space for the bolt 21. Is increasing. Thereby, the bending in the site | part in which the relief hole 34 is provided is suppressed, and the fall of the contact property of the sealing member 10 and the flange part 18, in other words, the fall of a sealing performance can be reduced.

  The jig engaging portion 36 is composed of a press-fit hole 38 into which a pin 41 provided in the jig 40 is press-inserted so that the pin 41 can be inserted and removed, and an engagement recess 39 formed on both sides of the press-fit hole 38 in the circumferential direction. Thereby, the rim | limb part 30 and the jig | tool 40 are mutually fixed. Therefore, the rim portion 30 is held by the jig 40 and can be inserted into the gap between the fourth arm portion 17 and the end effector 24 so that the operator's finger cannot enter. In addition, when the engaging projection 42 provided on the jig 40 is engaged with the engaging recess 39, the rim portion 30 is turned and when the rim portions 30 are engaged with each other, the rim portion The pressure applied to 30 is dispersed. As a result, the rim portion 30 can be easily inserted into the gap between the end effector 24 and the arm portion, and the jig 40 may be damaged when the rim portion 30 is turned and when the rim portion 30 is engaged. While reducing, force can be applied in a wide range in the circumferential direction, and the rim portion can be reliably engaged. That is, the attaching operation of the seal member 10 can be easily performed.

  The rim portion 30 is made of a flexible material for attachment, but has a certain degree of rigidity for tight sealing. For this reason, when engaging the rim | limb part 30, it is necessary to press each other with a certain amount of force. In order to attach the second rim R2, it is necessary to increase the turning amount of the first rim R1 in the circumferential direction. Therefore, by providing the jig engaging portion 36 closer to the first engaging portion 32 than the center of the rim portion 30 in the circumferential direction, the amount of turning of the first rim R1 can be ensured and the jig 40 can be secured. Thus, it is possible to efficiently apply a force while avoiding contact with the bolt 21.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified or expanded as follows.
Since the size of the gap between the fourth arm portion 17 and the end effector 24 is a value determined by the design specifications of the robot 11, for example, when there is almost no gap between the head of the bolt 21 and the end effector 24. It is good also as a structure which does not provide the collar part 35. FIG.
Further, since the distance L at which the bolt 21 is disposed is a value determined by the design specifications of the robot 11, the width W of the rim portion 30 may be appropriately set according to the distance L.

  In the drawing, 10 is a seal member, 11 is a robot, 17 is a fourth arm part (arm part), 18 is a flange part, 19 is a rotation drive part, 20 is a flange cover, 21 is a bolt, 24 is an end effector, 30 is Rim part, 31 adsorbent, 32 first engaging part, 33 second engaging part, 36 jig engaging part, 38 press-fitting hole (jig engaging part), 39 engaging concave part ( (Jig engaging part), 40 is a jig, 41 is a pin, 42 is an engaging convex part, B1, B2, and B3 are bolts, R1 is a first rim (rim part), and R2 is a second rim (rim part). Indicates.

Claims (3)

A pair of rim portions formed in a semicircular shape that is wide in the radial direction by a material having flexibility, and forming an annular shape by engaging each other;
A first engagement portion extending at least half of the width of the rim from the outer peripheral surface side of the rim portion to the radially inner side at the one end in the circumferential direction of the rim portion;
At the end of the rim portion opposite to the first engagement portion, the rim portion extends from the inner peripheral surface side to the outer side in the radial direction with the width of the rim as an upper limit, and more than half of the pair of the rim portions. A second engagement portion that engages with the first engagement portion provided on the other rim portion;
A jig engaging portion that is provided on the outer peripheral surface closer to the first engaging portion than the center in the circumferential direction of the rim portion and engages with an external jig for turning the rim portion in the circumferential direction;
A clearance hole that is provided between the first engagement portion and the jig engagement portion on one end side in the circumferential direction of the rim portion, and is recessed radially inward from the outer peripheral surface of the rim portion;
An adsorbent provided on one surface of the rim portion and adsorbing a lubricant;
A seal member for an end effector of a robot.   2. The robot end effector seal member according to claim 1, further comprising a flange portion that covers at least a part of the clearance hole in a circumferential direction on a surface of the rim portion opposite to the adsorbent. 3. The jig engaging portion is
A press-fitting hole formed so as to be recessed radially inward from the outer peripheral surface of the rim part, and into which a pin provided in the jig is press-inserted;
An engagement recess formed to be recessed inward in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the rim portion on both sides in the circumferential direction of the press-fitting hole, and engaged with an engagement projection provided in the jig;
The robot end effector sealing member according to claim 1, further comprising:

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