JP2014184539A - Arm operation method and arm operation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inhibit the deterioration of the operability of an arm in an operation device including a three-position enabling switch and an arm operation method using the operation device.SOLUTION: An operation device 30 includes: a rod-like body 3 which may be gripped by a worker's hand; an insertion part 37 attached to an arm 11; and an enabling switch connected with a control device of a robot 10 and having a lever 34 which may move between first to third positions, the enabling switch which is turned off when the lever 34 is positioned at the first position or the third position and is turned on when the lever 34 is positioned at the second position. The lever 34 is provided at a side part of a body 31 in one longitudinal end part 31b of the body 31 and is pulled in an inner direction of the body 31 by a predetermined force thereby being moved from the first position to the third position.

Description

  The present invention relates to an operating device that is attached to an arm of a robot and is gripped by an operator to operate the arm, and an arm operating method using the operating device.

  Some of these types of operation devices include an operation handle that is held by an operator and an enable switch that is grasped together with the operation handle (see Patent Document 1). In the thing of patent document 1, an enable switch is switched to 2 positions, on and off. Then, only when the enable switch is in the ON position, the robot arm is operated based on the operator's operating force.

JP 2011-36964 A

  By the way, in order to further improve the safety, if an enable switch that can be switched to the three positions of off, on, and off is applied to the one described in Patent Document 1, the following problems occur.

  That is, with the three-position enable switch, the robot operation is permitted only when the operator presses the switch with a light force. For this reason, if the operator applies a force to the operation handle gripped when operating the arm, the enable switch may be strongly pushed or released, and the enable switch may be switched to the OFF position. As a result, the operation of the arm may stop unintentionally and the operability of the arm may be reduced.

  The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and a main object of the present invention is to reduce the operability of the arm in the operating device having the 3-position enable switch and the arm operating method using the operating device. It is to suppress doing.

  The present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above problems.

  The first means is a method in which an operator applies a force to the operating device to operate the arm of the robot, and the operating device is attached to the arm and a rod-shaped main body that can be gripped by the operator's hand. Connected to the controller of the robot, a first position that is not moved, a second position that is moved to an intermediate position, and a second position that is moved beyond the intermediate position An enable switch that has a movable member that can move to three positions, the position of the movable member is turned off at the first position and the third position, and turned on at the second position. , Provided at a side of the main body at one end in the longitudinal direction of the main body, and moved from the first position to the third position by being pushed with a predetermined force in the inner direction of the main body, The arm An attachment step of attaching an enable portion and connecting the enable switch to the control device; and after the attachment step, the operator holds the main body with four fingers other than the little finger of the hand, and moves the movable member to the little finger The operation permission step of pushing and maintaining the second position to the second position by the predetermined force, and the operation step of operating the arm by applying force to the body after the operation permission step. Features.

  In the attaching step, the attached portion of the operating device is attached to the arm of the robot, and the enable switch is connected to the control device of the robot. The enable switch is turned off when the position of the movable member is the first position and the third position, and is turned on at the second position. Since the enable switch is connected to the robot control device, the robot control device can permit the operation of the robot arm only when the enable switch is in the ON position.

  After the attachment step, the operator holds the main body with four fingers other than the little finger of the hand, and presses and maintains the movable member with the little finger to the second position with a predetermined force. As a result, the enable switch is turned on to permit the robot to operate. Here, the movable member is provided at a side portion of the main body at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the main body, and is moved from the first position to the third position by being pushed by the predetermined force in the inner direction of the main body. For this reason, the operator can easily push the movable member to the second position with the little finger while holding the main body of the operating device with the four fingers other than the little finger of the hand.

  Thereafter, the operator operates the arm by applying a force to the main body of the operating device. At this time, it is possible to easily maintain the movable member at the second position with the little finger by operating the arm of the robot by applying force to the main body mainly with four fingers other than the little finger. Specifically, since the little finger is the weakest finger, it hardly contributes to gripping an object. For this reason, it is sufficiently possible to exclude the little finger when grasping the main body. Therefore, even if the little finger is used for pressing the movable member, the main body can be gripped very normally. That is, the force for gripping the main body and operating the arm can be separated from the force for pressing the movable member of the enable switch. Therefore, when the operator operates the robot arm with the operating device, the enable switch can be prevented from being turned off unintentionally, and the operability of the arm can be prevented from being lowered.

  In the second means, the movable member protrudes from the main body so as to intersect the longitudinal direction of the main body, and can swing around an end portion on the main body side. The operator includes a step of pulling and maintaining the movable member with a little finger from the side of the main body.

  The movable member protrudes from the main body so as to intersect with the longitudinal direction, and can swing around the end on the main body side. In the operation permission process, the operator pulls (pushes) the movable member with a little finger from the side of the main body to maintain it. For this reason, the movable member can be pushed by the natural movement of the little finger, and the operability of the arm can be improved. Furthermore, since the movable member uses the lever principle, it can be operated even with a weak force. The fact that the operation is possible with a weak force means that the force for maintaining the second position is also weak. And it can be said that it is easy to adjust the magnitude of force because it can be done with weak force, so it can be said that it is very easy to operate in view of operating while balancing the force by tilting the main body up and down and left and right .

  In the third means, the movable member has a concave portion formed in an intermediate portion, and moves from the first position to the third position by being pushed inward of the main body, and the operation permission is provided. The step includes a step in which the worker puts a little finger on the concave portion and pushes the movable member with a little finger from the side of the main body to maintain it.

  The movable member has a recess formed in the intermediate portion, and moves from the first position to the third position by being pushed toward the inside of the main body. In the operation permission step, the operator places the little finger on the concave portion, and presses and maintains the movable member with the little finger from the side of the main body. For this reason, it can suppress that a little finger remove | deviates from a movable member, and can improve the operativity of an arm.

  In the fourth means, the main body is provided with a cover portion that extends from both outer sides to the side of the main body in the longitudinal direction of the main body and covers the side of the movable member. The operation permission step includes a step in which the operator passes the little finger of the hand between the movable member and the cover.

  The main body is provided with a cover portion that extends from both outer sides to the side of the main body in the longitudinal direction of the main body and covers the side of the movable member. In the operation permission step, the operator passes the little finger of the hand between the movable member and the cover. Accordingly, since the little finger is separated from the other fingers by the cover portion, it is easy to physically and consciously separate the force for gripping the main body and operating the arm and the force for pushing the movable member. Furthermore, since it can suppress that fingers other than a little finger contact a little finger or a movable member, it can suppress effectively that an enable switch unintentionally switches off. In particular, an arm operating device that moves the main body up, down, left, and right is effective because there is a high possibility that another finger will come into contact.

  In the fifth means, the movable member has an annular portion that opens in the circumferential direction of the main body, and moves from the first position to the third position by being pushed into the inner direction of the main body. The operation permission step includes a step in which the operator passes a little finger through the annular portion and pushes and maintains the movable member from the side of the main body with the little finger.

  The movable member has an annular portion that opens in the circumferential direction of the main body, and moves from the first position to the third position by being pushed inwardly of the main body. In the operation permission step, the operator passes the little finger through the annular portion, and presses and maintains the movable member with the little finger from the side of the main body. For this reason, it can suppress that a little finger remove | deviates from a movable member, and can improve the operativity of an arm. Furthermore, since the little finger is separated from the other fingers by the annular portion, it becomes easy to physically and consciously separate the force for gripping the main body and operating the arm and the force for pushing the movable member.

  In the sixth means, at least one end portion of the portion excluding the movable member in the longitudinal direction of the main body is provided with a protruding portion that protrudes from the main body so as to intersect the longitudinal direction, and the operation step includes And the operator applies at least one of the index finger side portion and the ring finger side portion of the hand to the protruding portion.

  At least one end of the portion excluding the movable member in the longitudinal direction of the main body is provided with a protruding portion that protrudes from the main body so as to intersect the longitudinal direction. In the operation process, the operator applies at least one of the index finger side portion and the ring finger side portion of the hand to the projecting portion when operating the arm by applying force to the main body. Therefore, when moving the operating device to the index finger side or the ring finger side of the hand, a force can be applied by applying a part of the hand to the protruding portion. As a result, it is not necessary to hold the main body strongly, so that the physical burden on the operator can be reduced and the operability of the arm can be improved.

  In the seventh means, the attached portion is swingable with respect to the main body about a connecting portion with the main body, and the attached portion is swung with respect to the main body to And adjusting the angle between the main body and the body.

  The attached portion is swingable with respect to the main body about a connecting portion with the main body. And according to the said process, a to-be-attached part is rock | fluctuated with respect to a main body, and the angle of an arm and a main body is adjusted. Therefore, the operability of the arm can be improved.

  The eighth means is an arm operating device, which is connected to and moved by a rod-shaped main body that can be gripped by an operator's hand, a mounted portion attached to the robot arm, and the robot control device. A movable member that is movable to a first position in a state of being moved, a second position in a state of being moved to an intermediate position, and a third position of being moved beyond the intermediate position, wherein the position of the movable member is An enable switch that is turned off at the first position and the third position and turned on at the second position, and the movable member is provided on a side portion of the main body at one end in the longitudinal direction of the main body. And moving from the first position to the third position by being pushed with a predetermined force toward the inside of the main body.

  According to the above configuration, the attached portion of the operating device is attached to the arm of the robot, and the main body of the operating device is gripped by the operator's hand. The operating device includes an enable switch that turns off when the position of the movable member is the first position and the third position, and turns on at the second position. Since the enable switch is connected to the robot control device, the robot control device can permit the operation of the robot arm only when the enable switch is in the ON position. For this reason, the operator operates the arm of the robot by applying force to the gripped main body while maintaining the position of the movable member at the second position.

  Here, the movable member is provided at a side portion of the main body at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the main body, and is moved from the first position to the third position by being pushed with a predetermined force in the inner direction of the main body. For this reason, the operator can easily push the movable member to the second position with the little finger while holding the main body of the operating device with the four fingers other than the little finger. Then, it is possible to easily maintain the movable member at the second position with the little finger by operating the arm of the robot by mainly applying force to the main body with four fingers other than the little finger. That is, the force for gripping the main body and operating the arm can be separated from the force for pressing the movable member of the enable switch. Therefore, when the operator operates the robot arm with the operating device, the enable switch can be prevented from being turned off unintentionally, and the operability of the arm can be prevented from being lowered.

  In the ninth means, the movable member protrudes from the main body so as to intersect the longitudinal direction of the main body, and can swing around the end portion on the main body side.

  The movable member protrudes from the main body so as to intersect with the longitudinal direction, and can swing around the end on the main body side. For this reason, the operator can pull and maintain the movable member with the little finger from the side of the main body. Therefore, the movable member can be pushed by the natural movement of the little finger, and the operability of the arm can be improved.

  In the tenth means, the movable member has a recess formed in an intermediate portion thereof, and moves from the first position to the third position by being pushed inward of the main body.

  The movable member has a recess formed in the intermediate portion, and moves from the first position to the third position by being pushed toward the inside of the main body. For this reason, the operator can place the little finger on the recess and press and hold the movable member with the little finger from the side of the main body. Therefore, the little finger can be prevented from being detached from the movable member, and the operability of the arm can be improved.

  In the eleventh means, the main body is provided with a covering portion that extends from both outer sides to the side of the main body in the longitudinal direction of the main body and covers the side of the movable member. Yes.

  The main body is provided with a cover portion that extends from both outer sides to the side of the main body in the longitudinal direction of the main body and covers the side of the movable member. For this reason, the operator can pass the little finger of the hand between the movable member and the cover. Accordingly, since the little finger is separated from the other fingers by the cover portion, it is easy to physically and consciously separate the force for gripping the main body and operating the arm and the force for pushing the movable member.

  In a twelfth means, the movable member has an annular portion that opens in the circumferential direction of the main body, and moves from the first position to the third position by being pushed inward of the main body. .

  The movable member has an annular portion that opens in the circumferential direction of the main body, and moves from the first position to the third position by being pushed inwardly of the main body. For this reason, the operator can push and maintain the movable member with the little finger from the side of the main body through the little finger through the annular portion. Therefore, the little finger can be prevented from being detached from the movable member, and the operability of the arm can be improved. Furthermore, since the little finger is separated from the other fingers by the annular portion, it becomes easy to physically and consciously separate the force for gripping the main body and operating the arm and the force for pushing the movable member.

  In the thirteenth means, the attached portion and the movable member are provided at opposite end portions in the longitudinal direction of the main body.

  According to the said structure, the to-be-attached part and the movable member are provided in the edge part on the opposite side in the longitudinal direction of a main body. For this reason, in a state where the attached portion is attached to the arm of the robot, the main body can be gripped by positioning the thumb on the arm side. Therefore, the operability of the arm can be improved as compared with the case where the little finger is positioned on the arm side and the main body is gripped.

  In the fourteenth means, at least one end of the portion excluding the movable member in the longitudinal direction of the main body is provided with a protruding portion that protrudes from the main body so as to intersect the longitudinal direction.

  According to the said structure, the protrusion part which protrudes from a main body so that it may cross | intersect a longitudinal direction is provided in the at least one end part of the part except a movable member in the longitudinal direction of a main body. For this reason, when an operator holds the main body, at least one of the index finger side portion and the ring finger side portion can be applied to the protruding portion. Therefore, when moving the operating device to the index finger side or the ring finger side of the hand, a force can be applied by applying a part of the hand to the protruding portion. As a result, it is not necessary to hold the main body strongly, so that the physical burden on the operator can be reduced and the operability of the arm can be improved.

  In the fifteenth means, the attached portion is swingable with respect to the main body about a connecting portion with the main body.

  According to the said structure, the attaching part can be rock | fluctuated with respect to a main body centering | focusing on the connection part with a main body. For this reason, the angle between the arm of the robot and the main body can be adjusted, and the operability of the arm can be improved.

  In a sixteenth means, the attached portion has an output portion connected to the enable switch, and the output portion is connected to the control device by attaching the attached portion to the arm. .

  According to the said structure, the to-be-attached part has the output part connected to the enable switch, and an output part is connected to a control apparatus by attaching a to-be-attached part to an arm. For this reason, the control apparatus can grasp | ascertain the state of an enable switch via the output part of a to-be-attached part. Therefore, the operation device can be attached to the arm and the enable switch can be connected to the control device at a time, and the work efficiency can be improved.

The perspective view which shows the arm and operating device of a robot. The schematic diagram which shows the connection of the control apparatus and enable switch of a robot. The perspective view which shows the operator's hand holding the main body of an operating device. The perspective view which shows the example of a change of a movable member. The side view which shows the example of a change of a movable member. The perspective view which shows the example of a change of an operating device. The perspective view which shows the other example of a change of an operating device. The perspective view which shows the other example of a change of an operating device.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The present embodiment is embodied in an operating device that is used by being attached to an arm in direct teaching of a robot.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the arm 11 and the operating device 30 of the robot 10.

  The robot 10 is a vertical articulated robot, and includes an arm 11 having six (plural) joints. Each joint of the arm 11 is provided with a motor, and the arm 11 is driven by the rotation of these motors. Each motor is provided with an electromagnetic brake that brakes its output shaft and an encoder that outputs a pulse signal corresponding to the rotation angle of the output shaft. The robot 10 operates the arm 11 to perform operations such as assembly of parts to the workpiece and conveyance of the workpiece.

  The arm 11 has a rotating part 11a and a hand part 11b. A hand portion 11b is provided at the tip of the rotating portion 11a. The hand portion 11b is rotatable with respect to the rotating portion 11a with the axis line J1 as the center of rotation.

  An insertion hole 12a is formed in the rotating portion 11a coaxially with the axis J1. In the hand portion 11b, an insertion hole 12b is formed coaxially with an axis J2 perpendicular to the central axis. One of the insertion hole 12a and the insertion hole 12b can be omitted.

  The operating device 30 includes a main body 31, a lever 34, and an insertion portion 37.

  The main body 31 is formed in an elliptical column shape (bar shape), and has a size that can be gripped by an operator's hand. On the surface of the main body 31, a concave portion 31a extending in the circumferential direction with a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction is formed. This predetermined interval corresponds to the standard finger interval of the operator. These recessed portions 31a constitute a gripped portion that is gripped by an operator's hand.

  A curved lever 34 is provided on the side of the main body 31 at one end 31 c in the longitudinal direction of the main body 31. The lever 34 (movable member) forms a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the main body 31 and protrudes from the main body 31 so as to intersect the longitudinal direction of the main body 31. The lever 34 can swing in the internal direction of the main body 31 with the end on the main body 31 side as the center. Thereby, the operator can pull the lever 34 with a little finger from the side of the main body 31. The lever 34 is pulled (pressed) with a predetermined force by the little finger of the operator's hand, thereby moving the first position in the unmoved state, the second position in the moved state to the intermediate position, and the intermediate position. It is switchable (movable) to the third position in a state of being moved beyond. The predetermined force is set to a magnitude that can be generated by a normal operator with a little finger.

  The main body 31 extends from both outer sides (upper side and lower side in FIG. 1) to the side of the main body 31 in the longitudinal direction of the main body 31, and the front side of the lever 34 (the side of the main body 31) is extended. A covering guard portion 32 is formed. The guard portion 32 (cover portion) is formed in an annular shape (arc shape) and opens in the circumferential direction of the main body 31. A lever 34 is accommodated inside the guard portion 32, and a predetermined gap is formed between the guard portion 32 and the lever 34. Thereby, the operator can insert a little finger between the upper part of the lever 34 and the guard part 32, and the swinging of the lever 34 is not hindered by the guard part 32.

  An insertion portion 37 is attached to one end 31b opposite to the side where the lever 34 is provided in the longitudinal direction of the main body 31. That is, the lever 34 and the insertion portion 37 are provided at one end 31 c and one end 31 b opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction of the main body 31. The insertion portion 37 (attached portion) is formed in a columnar shape, and one end thereof is rotatably supported by a pin 33 attached to the main body 31. That is, the insertion portion 37 can swing with respect to the main body 31 around the pin 33 (connecting portion with the main body 31). The insertion portion 37 is formed to be insertable into the insertion holes 12a and 12b.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between the control device 20 of the robot 10 and the enable switch 40.

  The robot 10 is connected to the control device 20. The control device 20 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a storage device, a drive circuit, a position detection circuit, and the like. The ROM stores system programs and operation programs for the robot 10. The RAM stores parameter values and the like when executing these programs. Detection signals from the encoders are input to the position detection circuit. The position detection circuit detects the rotation angle of the motor provided at each joint based on the detection signal of each encoder. The CPU executes the operation program (program) set in advance, and based on the position information input from the position detection circuit, the rotation angle of each joint of the arm 11 (the posture of the arm 11) is set to the target rotation angle ( Feedback control to target posture).

  A teaching pendant 70 is connected to the control device 20. The teaching pendant 70 (operation device) includes a CPU, a ROM, a microcomputer including a RAM, various manual operation keys, a display, and the like. The operator can manually operate the pendant 70 to create, modify, register, and set various parameters for the operation program of the robot 10. In teaching for correcting an operation program or the like, an operator directly teaches teaching points (positional coordinates) through which the hand portion 11 b of the arm 11 passes in the operation using the operation device 30. Then, the operator can operate the robot 10 through the control device 20 based on the teaching operation program.

  The main body 31 incorporates an enable switch 40 and an emergency stop switch 44. The enable switch 40 is switched to the three positions of off, on, and off. The enable switch 40 is turned off when the lever 34 is at the first position and the third position, and the lever 34 is turned on at the second position. The emergency stop switch 44 is a normally closed switch, and is opened when the emergency stop button 35 is pressed. The emergency stop button 35 is provided on the main body 31 (not shown in FIG. 1). The circuit 38 of the enable switch 40 and the circuit 39 of the emergency stop switch 44 are connected to the output unit 37a (terminal) of the insertion unit 37.

  A circuit 14 is connected from the control device 20 to the insertion holes 12 a and 12 b via the arm 11 of the robot 10. And the output part 37a is connected to the circuit 14 in the arm 11 by inserting the insertion part 37 into the insertion hole 12a or the insertion hole 12b. That is, the insertion portion 37 (the operation device 30) is attached to the arm 11, whereby the circuits 38 and 39 of the switches 40 and 44 are connected to the control device 20. For this reason, the control device 20 can grasp the state of the enable switch 40 via the output unit 37 a of the insertion unit 37. The control device 20 permits the operation of the arm 11 of the robot 10 only when the enable switch 40 is in the on position. The arm 11 is provided with a lock mechanism (not shown) that locks the insertion portion 37 inserted into the insertion holes 12a and 12b.

  Next, a method for operating the arm 11 of the robot 10 using the operation device 30 in direct teaching of the robot 10 will be described.

  First, the operator inserts the insertion portion 37 of the operating device 30 into the insertion hole 12a or the insertion hole 12b of the arm 11, and locks the insertion portion 37 by the lock mechanism. Thereby, the insertion part 37 (operation device 30) is attached to the arm 11. At this time, by inserting the insertion portion 37 into the insertion hole 12a or the insertion hole 12b, the enable switch 40 and the emergency stop switch 44 are connected to the control device 20 (attachment process). The connection between the switches 40 and 44 and the control device 20 is effective when the operation key of the teaching pendant 70 is switched from “Auto Mode” to “Manual Mode”.

  Further, the operator swings the insertion portion 37 with respect to the main body 31 before or after attaching the insertion portion 37 to the arm 11 and adjusts the angle between the arm 11 and the main body 31 (angle adjustment step). .

  1 and 3, the operator holds the main body 31 with four fingers other than the little finger of the hand and passes the little finger between the upper portion of the lever 34 and the guard portion 32 as shown in FIGS. Then, the lever 34 is swung to the second position with a predetermined force with a little finger and maintained (operation permission step). Specifically, the operator holds each recess 31a of the main body 31 with the ring finger and thumb from the index finger, and pulls the lever 34 from the side of the main body 31 with the little finger and maintains it. Note that the thumb side is located on the arm 11 side, not the little finger side of the hand. Accordingly, the enable switch 40 is turned on, and the operation of the arm 11 of the robot 10 is permitted by the control device 20. In this operation-permitted state, the control device 20 applies a driving force that resists gravity to the arm 11 so that the arm 11 can be freely moved by other forces acting on the arm 11.

  After the operation permission step, the operator applies a force to the main body 31 to operate the arm 11 (operation step). At this time, the operator applies force to the main body 31 mainly with four fingers other than the little finger to operate the arm 11 and maintains the lever 34 in the second position with the little finger.

  The embodiment described in detail above has the following advantages.

  In the operation permission process, the operator holds the main body 31 with four fingers other than the little finger of the hand, and moves and maintains the lever 34 to the second position with a predetermined force by the little finger. Thereby, the enable switch 40 is turned on, and the operation of the robot 10 is permitted. Here, the lever 34 is provided at a side portion of the main body 31 at one end 31 b in the longitudinal direction of the main body 31, and is moved from the first position to the third position by being pulled with a predetermined force toward the inside of the main body 31. . Therefore, the operator can easily move the lever 34 to the second position with the little finger while holding the main body 31 of the operating device 30 with the four fingers other than the little finger of the hand.

  In the operation process, the operator operates the arm 11 by applying a force to the main body 31 of the operation device 30. At this time, it is possible to operate the arm 11 of the robot 10 by mainly applying a force to the main body 31 with four fingers other than the little finger and easily maintain the lever 34 at the second position with the little finger. That is, the force for gripping the main body 31 and operating the arm 11 and the force for pulling the lever 34 of the enable switch 40 can be separated. Therefore, when the operator operates the arm 11 of the robot 10 with the operating device 30, the enable switch 40 can be prevented from being turned off unintentionally, and the operability of the arm 11 can be prevented from being lowered. be able to. Further, when the operator grips the main body 31 with his / her hand and applies a force, the little finger is not easily applied with the force, so that the enable switch 40 can be effectively prevented from being turned off unintentionally.

  The lever 34 protrudes from the main body 31 so as to intersect the longitudinal direction of the main body 31 and can swing around the end portion on the main body 31 side. In the operation permission step, the operator pulls and maintains the lever 34 with a little finger from the side of the main body 31. For this reason, the lever 34 can be pulled by the natural movement of the little finger, and the operability of the arm 11 can be improved. Furthermore, even in an emergency, the lever 34 can be easily pulled with the power of the little finger. Further, the operating device 30 can be operated with either the right hand or the left hand.

  The main body 31 is provided with a guard portion 32 that extends from both outer sides to the side of the main body 31 in the longitudinal direction of the main body 31 and covers the front side of the lever 34. In the operation permission process, the operator passes the little finger of the hand between the lever 34 and the guard portion 32. Therefore, since the little finger is separated from the other fingers by the guard portion 32, it is easy to physically and consciously separate the force for operating the arm 11 by gripping the main body 31 and the force for pulling the lever 34.

  The insertion portion 37 can swing with respect to the main body 31 around the pin 33. In the angle adjustment step, the angle between the arm 11 and the main body 31 is adjusted by swinging the insertion portion 37 with respect to the main body 31. Therefore, the operability of the arm 11 can be improved.

  The insertion portion 37 and the lever 34 are respectively provided at one end 31 c and one end 31 b opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction of the main body 31. For this reason, in a state where the insertion portion 37 is attached to the arm 11 of the robot 10, the main body 31 can be gripped by placing the thumb on the arm 11 side. Therefore, the operability of the arm 11 can be improved as compared with the case where the little finger is positioned on the arm 11 side and the main body 31 is gripped.

  The insertion unit 37 has an output unit 37 a connected to the enable switch 40, and the output unit 37 a is connected to the control device 20 by attaching the insertion unit 37 to the arm 11. For this reason, the control device 20 can grasp the state of the enable switch 40 via the output unit 37 a of the insertion unit 37. Therefore, attachment of the operating device 30 to the arm 11 and connection of the enable switch 40 to the control device 20 can be performed at a time, and work efficiency can be improved.

  In the operation process, when the operator applies force to the main body 31 to operate the arm 11, the operator can apply the medicine side portion of the hand to the guard portion 32 (protruding portion). Therefore, when the operating device 30 is moved to the ring finger side of the hand, a force can be applied by applying a part of the hand to the guard portion 32. As a result, it is not necessary to hold the main body 31 strongly, so that the physical burden on the operator can be reduced and the operability of the arm 11 can be improved.

  In addition, the said embodiment can also be changed and implemented as follows. About the same member as the said embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

  The main body 31 is not limited to an elliptical columnar shape, but can be an arbitrary columnar shape (bar shape) such as a cylindrical shape or a quadrangular prism shape.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a lever 134 that extends from the one end 31c side to the one end 31b side may be employed. Also in this case, the lever 134 (movable member) can swing around the end on the main body 31 side. Then, the lever 134 is pulled (pressed) with a predetermined force by the little finger of the operator's hand, so that the lever 134 is not moved, the second position is moved to the middle position, and the middle is moved. It is switchable (movable) to the third position that is moved beyond the position. Further, when a human finger is gripped, a hand fist is formed by bending toward the middle of the palm. Therefore, according to the lever 134 configured as described above, the tip of the lever 134 is close to the bending direction of the little finger. Will work in the direction. Accordingly, an operation in accordance with the natural movement of the little finger becomes possible, so that the operability can be improved.

  In place of the levers 34 and 134, as shown in FIG. 5, a rectangular plate-shaped button 234 may be employed. The button 234 (movable member) is also switchable (movable) from the first position to the third position by being pressed with a predetermined force toward the inside of the main body 31 with the little finger of the operator's hand. In addition, a recess 234 a is formed in an intermediate portion of the button 234 in the longitudinal direction of the main body 31. In the operation permission step, the operator places a little finger on the recess 234a and presses and maintains the button 234 from the side of the main body 31 with the little finger. For this reason, it can suppress that a little finger remove | deviates from the button 234, and the operativity of the arm 11 can be improved. Note that the recess 234a can be omitted. In addition, the button 234 is not limited to a rectangular plate shape, and may have any shape that can be pressed with a little finger, such as a disk shape.

  Instead of the levers 34 and 134, a trigger 334 (movable member) can be employed as shown in FIG. The trigger 334 has an annular portion 334 a that opens in the circumferential direction of the main body 331, and moves from the first position to the third position by being pushed into the inner direction of the main body 331 with a predetermined force. In the operation permission step, the operator passes the little finger through the annular portion 334a and pulls and maintains the trigger 334 from the side of the main body 331 with the little finger. For this reason, it can suppress that a little finger remove | deviates from the trigger 334, and the operativity of the arm 11 can be improved. Further, since the little finger is separated from the other fingers by the annular portion 334a, it is easy to physically and consciously separate the force for operating the arm 11 by gripping the main body 331 and the force for pulling the trigger 334. One end portion of the insertion portion 37 is fixed to one end portion 331b on the side of the main body 331 where the trigger 334 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 7, protrusions 431 c and 431 d that protrude from the main body 431 so as to be orthogonal (cross) to the longitudinal direction may be provided at both ends of the portion excluding the lever 34 in the longitudinal direction of the main body 431. . In this case, a portion of the main body 431 between the protruding portions 431c and 431d is a gripped portion 431e gripped by the operator.

  According to such a configuration, when the operator holds the gripped portion 431e, the index finger side portion and the ring finger side portion of the hand can be applied to the protruding portions 431c and 431d, respectively. Therefore, when moving the operating device 430 to either the index finger side or the ring finger side of the hand, a force can be applied by applying a part of the hand to the protruding portions 431c and 431d. As a result, it is not necessary to strongly grip the main body 431, so that the physical burden on the operator can be reduced and the operability of the arm 11 can be improved. One of the projecting portions 431c and 431d can be omitted. Even in that case, in the operation process, when the operator applies a force to the main body 431 to operate the arm 11, at least one of the index finger side portion and the ring finger side portion of the hand is the protruding portion 431 c or the protruding portion 431 d. Can be applied.

  Further, the operating device 430 includes a suction cup 437 (attached part) attached to the arm 11. The enable switch 40 is connected to the control device 20 by a cord 438. In this case, the enable switch 40 may transmit a signal indicating ON or OFF to the control device 20. The enable switch 40 can also transmit a signal indicating ON or OFF to the control device 20 by radio. That is, the enable switch 40 and the control device 20 may be wirelessly connected.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the operating device 530 may include a flange 537 (attached portion) attached to the arm 11. A screw hole 537 b is formed in the flange 537, and the flange 537 can be fastened to the arm 11 by inserting a screw into the screw hole 537 b.

  A pin 537 a (output unit) connected to the enable switch 40 is provided on the flange 537. Then, the pin 537 a is connected to the control device 20 by fastening the arm 11 to the flange 537. According to such a configuration, the operating device 530 can be more reliably attached to the arm 11 and the connection between the enable switch 40 and the control device 20 can be stabilized.

  In the above embodiment, the operating device 30 is used in direct teaching of the robot 10. However, the operating device 30 can be used in a hand guide that guides the hand portion 11 b of the arm 11 during the operation of the robot 10. In this case, an operation force sensor that detects the magnitude and direction of the operation force by the operator may be attached to the insertion portion 37 or the like (attached portion), and the arm 11 may be operated based on the output of the operation force sensor. .

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Robot, 11 ... Arm, 20 ... Control apparatus, 30 ... Operation apparatus, 31 ... Main body, 31b ... One end part, 31c ... One end part, 32 ... Guard part (cover part, protrusion part), 34 ... Lever (movable member) , 37... Insertion part (attached part), 37 a... Output part, 40... Enable switch, 134... Lever (movable member), 234. 334 ... Trigger (movable member), 334a ... annular part, 430 ... operating device, 431 ... main body, 431c ... projecting part, 431d ... projecting part, 431e ... held part, 437 ... suction cup (attached part), 530 ... Operation device, 537... Flange (attached part), 537a... Pin (output part).

Claims (16)

A method in which an operator applies a force to an operating device to operate a robot arm,
The operating device is:
A rod-shaped body that can be gripped by the operator's hand;
A mounted portion attached to the arm;
Connected to the control device of the robot and movable to a first position in an unmoved state, a second position in a state moved to an intermediate position, and a third position in a state moved beyond the intermediate position An enable switch having a movable member, wherein the position of the movable member is turned off at the first position and the third position, and turned on at the second position;
With
The movable member is provided at a side portion of the main body at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the main body, and moves from the first position to the third position by being pressed with a predetermined force in the inner direction of the main body. And
Attaching the attached portion to the arm, and attaching the enable switch to the control device;
After the attaching step, the operator holds the main body with four fingers other than the little finger of the hand, and pushes and maintains the movable member to the second position with the predetermined force with the little finger;
After the operation permission step, an operation step in which the operator applies a force to the main body to operate the arm;
A method of operating an arm, comprising: The movable member protrudes from the main body so as to intersect the longitudinal direction of the main body, and can swing around an end on the main body side,
The arm operation method according to claim 1, wherein the operation permission step includes a step in which the worker pulls and maintains the movable member with a little finger from a side of the main body. The movable member has a recess formed in an intermediate portion, and moves from the first position to the third position by being pushed inwardly of the main body.
The arm operation method according to claim 1, wherein the operation permission step includes a step in which the worker places a little finger on the concave portion and pushes and maintains the movable member with a little finger from a side of the main body. The main body is provided with a cover portion that extends from both outer sides to the side of the main body in the longitudinal direction of the main body and covers the side of the movable member.
The said operation permission process is an operation method of the arm of any one of Claims 1-3 including the process in which the said operator passes the little finger of a hand between the said movable member and the said cover part. The movable member has an annular portion that opens in the circumferential direction of the main body, and moves from the first position to the third position by being pushed into the inner direction of the main body.
The arm operation method according to claim 1, wherein the operation permission step includes a step in which the operator passes a little finger through the annular portion and presses and maintains the movable member with a little finger from a side of the main body. At least one end portion of the portion excluding the movable member in the longitudinal direction of the main body is provided with a protruding portion that protrudes from the main body so as to intersect the longitudinal direction,
The arm operation method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operation step includes a step in which the worker applies at least one of an index finger side portion and a ring finger side portion of the hand to the protruding portion. The attached portion is swingable with respect to the main body around a connecting portion with the main body,
The arm operating method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of adjusting an angle between the arm and the main body by swinging the attached portion with respect to the main body. A rod-shaped body that can be gripped by the operator's hand;
A mounted portion attached to the arm of the robot;
Connected to the control device of the robot and movable to a first position in an unmoved state, a second position in a state moved to an intermediate position, and a third position in a state moved beyond the intermediate position An enable switch having a movable member, wherein the position of the movable member is turned off at the first position and the third position, and turned on at the second position;
With
The movable member is provided at a side portion of the main body at one end in the longitudinal direction of the main body, and is moved from the first position to the third position by being pressed with a predetermined force toward the inner direction of the main body. Arm operating device characterized by.   The arm operating device according to claim 8, wherein the movable member protrudes from the main body so as to intersect with a longitudinal direction of the main body, and is swingable about an end portion on the main body side.   The arm operating device according to claim 8, wherein the movable member has a concave portion formed in an intermediate portion, and moves from the first position to the third position by being pushed inwardly of the main body. .   The said main body is provided with the cover part which extends to the side of the said main body from the both outer sides rather than the said movable member in the longitudinal direction of the said main body, and covers the said side of the said movable member. The arm operating device according to any one of the above.   The said movable member has an annular part opened in the circumferential direction of the said main body, and moves from the said 1st position to the said 3rd position by being pushed in the internal direction of the said main body. Arm operating device.   The arm operating device according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the attached portion and the movable member are provided at ends opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction of the main body.   The protrusion part which protrudes from the said main body is provided in the at least one end part of the part except the said movable member in the longitudinal direction of the said main body so that it may cross | intersect the said longitudinal direction. The arm operating device described.   The arm operating device according to any one of claims 8 to 14, wherein the attached portion is swingable with respect to the main body about a connecting portion with the main body. The attached part has an output part connected to the enable switch,
The arm operating device according to any one of claims 8 to 15, wherein the output portion is connected to the control device by attaching the attached portion to the arm.

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