JP2017007021A - Tool for adjusting arm reference position of direct-acting joint - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To position an arm part in a stable state without removing an arm cover.SOLUTION: A tool 40 is the tool for adjusting a reference position of an arm part 2 for covering a direct-acting square column-shaped arm part 2 with an expanding arm cover 6, and comprises plates 41A, 41B composed of base parts 45A, 45B and extension parts 46A, 46B extending from the base parts 45A, 45B. Connection plates 42A, 42B connect the plates 41A, 41B in an opposed state by sandwiching the arm part 2. A fastener 43 fastens the connection plates 42A, 42B to the plates 41A, 41B. The extension parts 46A, 46B are longer than the contraction length of the arm cover 6. A width of the base parts 45A, 45B is equal to or longer than a height of the arm part 2. A width of the extension parts 46A, 46B is shorter than the height of the arm part 2. When the tool 40 is installed in the arm part 2, the extension parts 46A, 46B of the plates 41A, 41B are inserted into a clearance between the arm part 2 and the arm cover 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a jig for adjusting an arm reference position of a linear motion joint.

  Conventionally, articulated robot arm mechanisms have been used in various fields such as industrial robots. Some types of articulated robot arm mechanisms are equipped with a rotary joint and a linear joint with a relatively long movement length.

  This linear motion joint with a relatively long movement length eliminates the need for the elbow joint, which has traditionally been used to move the front and back of the hand, and can easily eliminate the singularity. The long moving length requires a structure in which the arm portion is covered with a stretchable arm cover.

  As is well known, at the time of shipment or installation of the robot arm mechanism, an alignment operation for matching the control recognition length of the arm unit with the actual extension / contraction length is required. Typically, the arm part 2 is contracted the most, and the control part recognizes the position as the origin for operation control (arm reference position of the linear motion joint) (referred to as “origin origin”) and controls the feed length of the arm part. doing.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an external side view of the robot arm mechanism 1 viewed from a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the arm portion is expanded and contracted. The robot arm mechanism 1 has a substantially cylindrical base portion 10, an arm portion 2 connected to the base portion 10, and a wrist portion 4 attached to the tip of the arm portion 2. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the arm portion 2 is most contracted when not covered with the arm cover. As shown in FIG. 8, if the arm part 2 is not covered by the arm cover, the arm part can be positioned at the most contracted position in a stable state, and the origin can be correctly determined. .

  However, the robot arm mechanism 1 is provided in a state where the arm portion 2 is covered with a stretchable arm cover as described above. Accordingly, when the arm portion 2 is most contracted in a state where it is covered with the arm cover, the arm cover can be contracted only from the position shown in FIG. FIG. 9 shows the most contracted state when the arm portion 2 is covered with the arm cover 6. In FIG. 9, the arm cover 6 is notched so that the arm portion 2 is exposed. Further, Lb (Short) shown in FIG. 9 indicates the length in the compression direction (hereinafter referred to as the contraction length) when the arm cover 6 is most compressed.

  As shown in FIG. 9, when the arm part 2 is covered with the arm cover 6, the arm part 2 can be contracted only to a position just before the contraction length of the arm cover 6, so that the origin is found at that position. There is a need to.

  However, the arm cover 6 is configured, for example, in a bellows shape so as to cover the entire arm portion 2 in accordance with the extension of the arm portion 2, and a material having elasticity is used. Therefore, it is difficult to always set the position when the arm portion 2 is most contracted in a state where the arm portion 2 is covered with the arm cover, due to the structure of the arm cover 6 and the characteristics of the material. That is, in the conventional robot arm mechanism 1, it is difficult to position the arm unit 2 in a stable state and to find the origin without removing the arm unit 2.

  An object is to provide a jig capable of aligning the arm portion in a stable state without removing the arm cover.

  The jig according to the present embodiment is a jig for adjusting the reference position of the arm part of the linear motion joint formed by covering the linearly-moving prismatic arm part with the arm cover that expands and contracts, and includes a base part and the base part. A pair of flat plates each including an extended portion extending from the portion; a connection plate for connecting the pair of flat plates in a state of facing each other with the arm portion interposed therebetween; and a fastener for fastening the connection plate to the flat plate. The extending portions of the pair of flat plates are longer than the contraction length of the arm cover, the width of the base portion is equal to or longer than the height of the arm portion, and the width of the extending portion is the height of the arm portion. The extension portion of the flat plate is inserted into the gap between the arm portion and the arm cover when the jig is mounted on the arm portion.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a robot arm mechanism according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the robot arm mechanism 1 shown in FIG. 1 with the arm cover 6 removed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a jig for adjusting the arm reference position according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of mounting the jig according to the present embodiment on the arm unit 2. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state where the attachment of the jig to the arm portion is completed. FIG. 6 is a view in which the arm cover and the third support portion are cut out to make the periphery of the jig according to the present embodiment visible. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an exterior side view of the robot arm mechanism shown by cutting out the arm cover as viewed from the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the arm portion is expanded and contracted. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an external side view of the robot arm mechanism 1 viewed from a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the arm portion is expanded and contracted. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state where the arm portion is contracted most when the arm portion is covered with an arm cover.

  Hereinafter, the robot arm mechanism 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be given only when necessary.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the robot arm mechanism 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the robot arm mechanism 1 of FIG. 1 with the arm cover 6 removed. The robot arm mechanism includes a substantially cylindrical base 10, an arm 2 connected to the base 10, and a wrist 4 attached to the tip of the arm 2. The wrist part 4 is provided with an adapter (not shown). For example, the adapter is provided in a rotating portion of a sixth rotating shaft RA6 described later. A robot hand corresponding to the application is attached to the adapter provided on the wrist portion 4. The arm portion 2 is covered with a stretchable arm cover 6 formed in a cylindrical or other cylindrical bellows shape. One end portion of the arm cover 6 is connected to a joint portion of the wrist portion 4 with the arm portion 2, and the other end portion is connected to an end portion of a second support portion 11b described later. The arm cover 6 expands and contracts in accordance with the linear movement of the arm unit 2 and can always cover the entire arm unit 2. The arm cover 6 is detachable at the connection portion with the wrist portion 4. When attaching the jig 40 described later to the arm portion 2, the arm cover 6 can be exposed to the arm cover 6. The robot arm mechanism has a plurality of, here six, joint portions J1, J2, J3, J4, J5, and J6. The plurality of joint portions J1, J2, J3, J4, J5, and J6 are sequentially arranged from the base portion 10. In general, the first, second, and third joints J1, J2, and J3 are called the root three axes, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth joints J4, J5, and J6 change the posture of the robot hand. Called wrist 3 axis. The wrist 4 has fourth, fifth, and sixth joints J4, J5, and J6. At least one of the joint portions J1, J2, and J3 constituting the base three axes is a linear motion expansion / contraction joint. Here, the third joint portion J3 is configured as a linear motion expansion / contraction joint portion, particularly a joint portion having a relatively long expansion / contraction distance. The arm part 2 represents the expansion / contraction part of the linear motion expansion / contraction joint part J3 (third joint part J3). The arm part 2 is configured in a prismatic shape, for example.

  The first joint portion J1 is a torsion joint centered on the first rotation axis RA1 that is supported, for example, perpendicularly to the base surface. The second joint portion J2 is a bending joint centered on the second rotation axis RA2 arranged perpendicular to the first rotation axis RA1. The third joint portion J3 is a joint in which the arm portion 2 expands and contracts linearly around a third axis (moving axis) RA3 arranged perpendicular to the second rotation axis RA2.

  The fourth joint portion J4 is a torsion joint centered on the fourth rotation axis RA4. The fourth rotation axis RA4 substantially coincides with the third movement axis RA3 when a later-described seventh joint portion J7 is not rotating, that is, when the entire arm portion 2 is linear. The fifth joint J5 is a bending joint centered on a fifth rotation axis RA5 orthogonal to the fourth rotation axis RA4. The sixth joint portion J6 is a bending joint centered on the sixth rotation axis RA6 that is perpendicular to the fourth rotation axis RA4 and perpendicular to the fifth rotation axis RA5.

  The arm support body (first support body) 11a that forms the base portion 10 has a cylindrical hollow structure formed around the first rotation axis RA1 of the first joint portion J1. The first joint portion J1 is attached to a fixed base (not shown). When the first joint portion J1 rotates, the arm portion 2 pivots left and right along with the shaft rotation of the first support 11a. The first support 11a may be fixed to the ground plane. In that case, the arm part 2 is provided in a structure that turns independently of the first support 11a. A second support part 11b is connected to the upper part of the first support 11a.

  The second support portion 11b has a hollow structure that is continuous with the first support portion 11a. One end of the second support portion 11b is attached to the rotating portion of the first joint portion J1. The other end of the second support portion 11b is opened, and the third support portion 11c is fitted so as to be rotatable on the second rotation axis RA2 of the second joint portion J2. The 3rd support part 11c has a hollow structure which consists of a scale-like exterior which is connected to the 1st support part 11a and the 2nd support part. The third support portion 11c is accommodated in the second support portion 11b and sent out as the second joint portion J2 is bent and rotated. The rear part of the arm part 2 that constitutes the linear motion expansion / contraction joint part J3 (third joint part J3) of the robot arm mechanism is housed in the hollow structure in which the first support part 11a and the second support part 11b are continuous by contraction. The

  The third support portion 11c is fitted to the lower end portion of the second support portion 11b so as to be rotatable about the second rotation axis RA2 with respect to the open end lower portion of the second support portion 11b. Thereby, a second joint portion J2 as a bending joint portion around the second rotation axis RA2 is configured. When the second joint portion J2 rotates, the arm portion 2 rotates in a vertical direction around the second rotation axis RA2, that is, performs a undulation operation.

  The fourth joint portion J4 is a torsional joint having an arm central axis along the expansion / contraction direction of the arm portion 2, that is, a fourth rotation axis RA4 that typically contacts the third movement axis RA3 of the third joint portion J3. When the fourth joint portion J4 rotates, the wrist portion 4 and the robot hand attached to the wrist portion 4 rotate about the fourth rotation axis RA4. The fifth joint J5 is a bending joint having a fifth rotation axis RA5 orthogonal to the fourth rotation axis RA4 of the fourth joint J4. When the fifth joint portion J5 rotates, the fifth joint portion J5 rotates up and down (vertical direction around the fifth rotation axis RA5) together with the robot hand from the fifth joint portion J5 to the tip. The sixth joint J6 is a bending joint having a sixth rotation axis RA6 perpendicular to the fourth rotation axis RA4 of the fourth joint J4 and perpendicular to the fifth rotation axis RA5 of the fifth joint J5. When the sixth joint portion J6 rotates, the robot hand turns left and right.

  As described above, the robot hand attached to the adapter of the wrist portion 4 is moved to an arbitrary position by the first, second, and third joint portions J1, J2, and J3, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth joint portions J4, Arranged in an arbitrary posture by J5 and J6. In particular, the length of the extension / contraction distance of the arm portion 2 of the third joint portion J3 enables the robot hand to reach a wide range of objects from the proximity position of the base portion 10 to the remote position. The third joint portion J3 is characterized by a linear expansion / contraction operation realized by a linear motion expansion / contraction mechanism constituting the third joint portion J3 and a length of the expansion / contraction distance.

  The third support portion 11c accommodates the injection portion 30 that supports the arm portion 2 that moves linearly. The injection unit 30 is disposed in the vicinity of the rear of the injection port 39 at the tip of the third support 11c. In order to support the arm part 2 comprised in prismatic shape, the injection | emission part 30 is comprised by the substantially square tube-shaped frame, for example. The injection unit 30 has a transport unit that feeds the arm unit 2 supported by the frame forward, pulls it back, and transports the arm unit 2.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the jig 40 for adjusting the arm reference position according to the present embodiment. The jig 40 shown in FIG. 3 shows a configuration in a state where it is attached to the arm unit 2.

  The jig 40 includes a pair of flat plates 41A and 41B, a pair of connecting plates 42A and 42B, and a plurality of fasteners 43 that fasten the flat plates 41A and 41B and the connecting plates 42A and 42B. The flat plate 41A includes a base portion 45A and an extended portion 46A extending from the base portion 45A. The flat plate 41B is configured in the same shape as the flat plate 41A, and includes a base portion 45B and an extended portion 46B extending from the base portion 45B.

  The jig 40 in this embodiment is configured by combining the flat plates 41A and 41B and the connecting plates 42A and 42B by fastening the fasteners 43 to form the jig 40 shown in FIG. 3, and by removing the fasteners 43, the flat plates 41A and 41B, The connecting plates 42A and 42B can be individually separated. That is, the jig 40 according to the present embodiment can be assembled and attached to the arm part 2 as necessary when the origin of the arm part 2 is obtained using the jig 40.

  The base portions 45A and 45B are formed in a substantially square shape, and extended portions 46A and 46B are formed at the center of one side. The widths (Lh) of the base portions 45A and 45B are equal to or slightly longer (for example, within 1 cm) than the height of the arm portion 2, and the widths (Lsh) of the extended portions 46A and 46B are shorter than the height of the arm portion 2. . Accordingly, the flat plates 41A and 41B are configured in a T shape.

  The length (Lj) in the longitudinal direction of the flat plates 41A and 41B is a length that defines an arm reference position where the arm portion 2 is most contracted when the origin is set. For example, the length (Lj) in the longitudinal direction of the flat plates 41A and 41B is 13.5 cm. Further, the length (Lk) of the extended portions 46A and 46B is formed to be, for example, about 1 cm longer than the contracted length (Lb (Short)) of the arm cover 6 shown in FIG.

  The base portions 45A and 45B of the flat plates 41A and 41B have a thickness capable of forming at least a hole into which the fastener 43 is inserted. The fastener 43 is constituted by, for example, a screw member. Therefore, for example, two screw holes for engaging the fasteners 43 (screw members) are formed on each of the two sides to which the coupling plates 42A and 42B of the base portions 45A and 45B are attached.

  The connection plates 42 </ b> A and 42 </ b> B are members for connecting the pair of flat plates 41 </ b> A and 41 </ b> B in a state of facing each other with the arm portion 2 interposed therebetween. The connecting plates 42A and 42B are formed, for example, in a square shape, and at least two opposite sides are formed to a length that defines the interval width (Lw) between the flat plates 41A and 41B. The distance (Lw) between the flat plates 41A and 41B is equal to or slightly longer (for example, within 1 cm) than the width of the arm portion 2.

  The connecting plates 42A and 42B are provided with through holes for allowing the fasteners 43 to pass therethrough in the vicinity of the sides on which the base portions 45A and 45B of the flat plates 41A and 41B are mounted. The through holes provided in the connecting plates 42A and 42B are formed in accordance with the positions of the screw holes provided in the base portions 45A and 45B of the flat plates 41A and 41B. The fastener 43 is engaged with the screw holes of the base portions 45A and 45B through the through holes of the connecting plates 42A and 42B.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of mounting the jig 40 according to the present embodiment on the arm unit 2.

  When attaching the jig 40 to the arm part 2, the arm cover 6 covering the arm part 2 is removed from the wrist part 4 to expose the arm part 2.

  First, the flat plates 41A and 41B are connected by a single connecting plate 42B. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 4, the opening part which can introduce | transduce the arm part 2 by flat plate 41A, 41B and the connection board 42B is formed. The opening is aligned from below the arm 2 and the arm 2 is introduced between the flat plates 41A and 41B. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the connecting plate 42A is fixed to the flat plates 41A and 41B by the fasteners 43, and the flat plates 41A and 41B are connected.

  FIG. 5 shows a state where the attachment of the jig 40 to the arm unit 2 is completed.

  As described above, the width (Lh) of the base portions 45A and 45B is equal to or slightly longer than the height of the arm portion 2, and the interval width (Lw) of the flat plates 41A and 41B is equal to the width of the arm portion 2. Or slightly longer. That is, since the jig 40 is not fixed to the arm portion 2, the jig 40 can move along the arm portion 2 in a state where the jig 40 is attached to the arm portion 2 as shown in FIG. 5.

  Further, since the arm portion 2 is configured in a prismatic shape and the arm cover 6 is configured in a cylindrical shape, a substantially arcuate gap is formed between each surface of the arm portion 2 and the inside of the arm cover 6. The width of the gap is widest near the center of the surface of the arm portion 2. The extended portions 46A and 46B formed on the flat plates 41A and 41B are formed from the center of one side of the base portions 45A and 45B, and the width (Lsh) is shorter than the height of the arm portion 2. Therefore, when the jig 40 is attached to the arm portion 2, the extended portions 46 </ b> A and 46 </ b> B are inserted into the gap between the arm portion 2 and the arm cover 6 and do not affect the expansion and contraction of the arm cover 6.

  6 and 7 show a state in which the arm portion 2 is positioned in order to obtain the origin using the jig 40. 6 is a view showing the arm cover 6 and the third support portion 11c in a cutaway manner so that the periphery of the jig 40 can be visually recognized. FIG. 7 shows the arm viewed from a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the arm portion 2 is expanded and contracted. It is a figure which shows the external appearance side surface of the robot arm mechanism 1 shown by notching the cover.

  When the arm part 2 is contracted in a state where the jig 40 is attached to the arm part 2, the side of the base parts 45A and 45B where the extended parts 46A and 46B are not provided comes into contact with the end part 50 of the wrist part 4. The arm portion 2 can be contracted until the distal end portions of the extended portions 46A and 46B come into contact with the injection port 39 of the third support 11c. That is, the position where the flat plates 41A and 41B are in contact with the wrist portion 4 and the injection port 39 is the state where the arm portion 2 is most contracted. The arm cover 6 is compressed when the base portions 45A and 45B of the flat plates 41A and 41B abut when the arm portion 2 is contracted. The lengths (Lk) of the extended portions 46A and 46B are longer than the contracted length (Lb (Short)) of the arm cover 6. For this reason, before the arm cover 6 is compressed to the contracted length, the distal end portions of the extended portions 46A and 46B abut against the injection port 39 of the third support 11c.

  Thus, by using the jig 40, it is possible to align the arm part 2 in a stable state without removing the arm cover 6 from the arm part 2. That is, since the arm portion 2 can be contracted accurately to a position corresponding to the length of the jig 40 (the flat plates 41A and 41B), the position is set as the origin in motion control (arm reference position of the linear motion joint). By feeding out, it becomes possible to realize stable control of the feed length of the arm portion 2.

  In the above-described embodiment, the jig 40 includes the two flat plates 41A and 41B, but it is sufficient that at least one flat plate is provided. Moreover, since the arm part 2 is comprised by the prismatic shape in the jig 40 in this embodiment, it combines the plate-shaped four members (flat plate 41A, 41B, connecting plate 42A, 42B), and the arm part 2 of FIG. Although it is configured to be able to be mounted along the outer peripheral surface, other shapes corresponding to the outer shape of the arm portion 2 can be used. For example, when the arm part 2 is configured in a columnar shape, the jig is configured to have a columnar part that can be mounted along the outer peripheral surface of the arm part 2.

  Moreover, although the jig 20 mentioned above is comprised combining four members (flat plate 41A, 41B, connecting plate 42A, 42B), the number of members does not need to be four. For example, the jig 40 can be configured by combining two members.

  Further, for example, the flat plate 41A, the connecting plate 42A, the flat plate 41B, and the connecting plate 42B may be connected in an order by a hinge mechanism so that they can be integrated with each other. In this case, the jig 40 can be attached to the arm portion 2 by attaching a member integrated with the arm portion 2 and fastening the flat plate 41A and the connecting plate 42B with a fastener.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Robot arm mechanism, 2 ... Arm part, 4 ... Wrist part, 6 ... Arm cover, 10 ... Base part, J1, J2, J3, J4, J5, J6 ... Joint part, 11a ... 1st support body, 11b ... 1st 2 support bodies, 11c ... 3rd support body, 40 ... jig, 41A, 41B ... flat plate, 42A, 42B ... connection plate, 43 ... fastener.

Claims (4)

In a jig for adjusting the reference position of the arm part of the linear motion joint formed by covering the linearly-moving prismatic arm part with the arm cover that expands and contracts,
A pair of flat plates comprising a base portion and an extended portion extending from the base portion;
A connecting plate for connecting the pair of flat plates in a state of facing each other with the arm portion interposed therebetween;
A fastener for fastening the connecting plate to the flat plate;
The extended portions of the pair of flat plates are longer than the contracted length of the arm cover, the width of the base portion is equal to or longer than the height of the arm portion, and the width of the extended portion is shorter than the height of the arm portion. The extending portion of the flat plate is inserted into the gap between the arm portion and the arm cover when the jig is mounted on the arm portion.   2. The jig according to claim 1, wherein the extended portion of the flat plate is formed at the center of one side of the flat plate formed in a square shape.   The pair of flat plates and a connecting plate are combined to form the jig by fastening the fastener, and the pair of flat plates and the connecting plate can be individually separated by removing the fastener. Item 1. A jig according to item 1.   The jig according to claim 1, wherein when the jig is attached to the arm portion, the jig is movable along the arm portion.

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