JP2018140445A - Robot device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enlarge an applicable range of a robot device.SOLUTION: A robot device 1 comprises a multi-joint arm mechanism 200 which is located near an external device 50 which is responsible for a work for a work-piece 80 and comprises a manual operation part, and transports the work-piece 80 between the external device 50 and work-piece depots 60, 70. The multi-joint arm mechanism 200 is equipped with a wrist joint part 4 at a tip of an arm part 2 which is so provided as to be freely capable of revolving and undulating and has direct-acting elasticity. A holding part 3 for holding the work-piece 80 is attached to the wrist joint part 4, and the holding part 3 has at least one vacuum suction part 34 which is configured from an elastic body in order to hold the work-piece 80 and operate the manual operation parts 54, 55, 56 of the external device 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a robot apparatus.

  In recent years, an environment in which a robot apparatus is in the same space as an operator has been studied. The possibility of a situation in which work is performed in the vicinity of an operator as well as the nursing robot device 1 as well as the industrial robot device is being studied. If this situation is realized, for example, the robot apparatus can work in the same manner as the worker next to the worker.

  However, the existence of singular points, which is unavoidable with the conventional vertical articulated arm mechanism, limits the work in the work area, and the elbow joint moves excessively and unpredictably with respect to the movement of the hand. Requires separation from the person.

  Therefore, the range in which the robot apparatus can be applied is limited.

  The purpose is to expand the applicable range of the robot apparatus.

  The robot apparatus according to the present embodiment includes an articulated arm mechanism that is disposed in the vicinity of an external apparatus that is provided with a manual operation unit and that is responsible for work on the work, and that conveys the work between the external apparatus and the work place. . The multi-joint arm mechanism is equipped with a wrist joint at the tip of an arm part that is provided with linear motion stretchability that can be swung and raised and lowered, and a holding part that holds a work is attached to the wrist joint. The holding part has at least one vacuum suction part made of an elastic body for holding the work and operating the manual operation part of the external device.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing appearances of the robot apparatus and the external apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the robot apparatus of FIG. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a suction portion of the robot apparatus of FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the articulated arm mechanism of the robot apparatus of FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a movable region of the articulated arm mechanism of the robot apparatus of FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the robot apparatus of FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a working position of the robot apparatus of FIG. FIG. 8 is a plan view of FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a work procedure of the robot apparatus of FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing another arrangement of the robot apparatus of FIG.

  Hereinafter, the robot apparatus 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 a perspective view showing appearances of the robot apparatus and the external apparatus according to the present embodiment. The robot apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is disposed in the vicinity of an external apparatus 50 including a manual operation unit for operation by a human, and performs the same operation as that performed by a human using the apparatus. Here, a printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 that performs an appearance inspection of the printed circuit board 80 will be described as an example of the external apparatus 50. An operator is located near the front of the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50, sets a work (printed circuit board) to be inspected at a predetermined position of the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50, and operates a manual operation unit (push button, pull button, etc.). To perform inspection work. The worker distributes and moves the printed circuit board to two locations according to the result of the inspection. The robot apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a mechanism for performing a series of operations for visual inspection of the printed circuit board 80 using the above-described printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 on behalf of a human. The printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 and the robot apparatus 1 may be electrically connected to each other or may be operated independently.

  The printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 includes a housing 51, a mounting table 52, an indicator lamp 53, and a manual operation unit. The casing 51 is configured in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped with a lower portion protruding forward. The casing 51 incorporates an inspection device (not shown) for inspecting the printed circuit board 80. The mounting table 52 is slidably supported by a sliding mechanism (not shown) between an inspection position in the housing 51 and a mounting position outside the housing 51. The indicator lamp 53 is provided in the upper part of the front surface of the housing 51. The indicator lamp 53 is lit in a color according to the inspection result. For example, if the inspection result is “good”, the indicator lamp 53 is lit in blue. On the other hand, if the inspection result is “defective”, the indicator lamp 53 is lit red. The manual operation unit is provided on the right side of the upper surface of the portion protruding forward of the housing 51. The manual operation unit has a start switch 54 that triggers the start of visual inspection of the printed circuit board 80 by the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50. Further, the manual operation unit has mode selection switches 55 and 56 for determining a mode of appearance inspection by the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50. Here, the start switch 54 and the mode selection switches 55 and 56 are constituted by pushbutton switches. For example, when one mode selection switch 55 is pressed, the appearance inspection by the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 is performed with high resolution. On the other hand, when the other start switch 5456 is pressed, the appearance inspection by the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 is performed at a low resolution.

  In the vicinity of the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50, a substrate stocker 60 for storing the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected and a substrate stocker 70 for storing the printed circuit board 80 after the inspection are arranged. The substrate stocker 70 is provided with a partition plate 71 so that the printed circuit boards 80 can be sorted according to the inspection result.

(Robot device 1)
FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the robot apparatus 1 of FIG. The robot apparatus 1 includes an articulated arm mechanism 200 having a plurality of joint portions. One of the plurality of joints is composed of a linear motion expansion / contraction mechanism. The robot apparatus 1 includes a substantially cylindrical base portion 10 and an arm portion 2 connected to the base portion 10. A wrist part 4 is attached to the tip of the arm part 2. The wrist part 4 is provided with an adapter (not shown). The adapter is provided in a rotating part of a sixth rotating shaft RA6 described later. The hand device 3 is attached via the adapter of the wrist part 4.

  The robot apparatus 1 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 joint portions J1, J2, and J3 are referred to as the root three axes, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth joint portions J4, J5, and J6 change the posture of the hand device 3. 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, particularly a joint portion having a relatively long expansion / contraction distance. The arm part 2 is a main component constituting the third joint part J3.

  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 that coincides with the third movement axis RA3, and the fifth joint portion J5 is a fifth rotation axis RA5 orthogonal to the fourth rotation axis RA4. It is a bending joint centered around. 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 part (first support part) 11 constituting the base part 10 has a cylindrical hollow structure formed around the first rotation axis RA1 of the first joint part J1. The first joint portion J1 is attached to a fixed base (not shown). When the first joint portion J <b> 1 rotates, the first support portion 11 rotates along with the turning of the arm portion 2. In addition, the 1st support part 11 may be fixed to the grounding surface. In that case, the arm part 2 is provided in a structure that turns independently of the first support part 11. A second support part 12 is connected to the upper part of the first support part 11.

  The second support portion 12 has a hollow structure that is continuous with the first support portion 11. One end of the second support part 12 is attached to the rotating part of the first joint part J1. The other end of the 2nd support part 12 is open | released, and the 3rd support part 13 is rotatably fitted in 2nd rotating shaft RA2 of the 2nd joint part J2. The third support portion 13 has a hollow structure composed of a scale-shaped exterior that communicates with the first support portion 11 and the second support portion. The third support part 13 is accommodated in the second support part 12 and sent out as the second joint part J2 is bent and rotated. The rear part of the arm part 2 constituting the linear joint part J3 (third joint part J3) of the robot apparatus 1 is housed in a hollow structure in which the first support part 11 and the second support part 12 are continuous by contraction thereof. .

  The third support portion 13 is fitted to the lower end portion of the second support portion 12 so as to be rotatable about the second rotation axis RA2 at the lower end portion of the second support portion 13. 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 of the second joint portion J2 together with the wrist portion 4 and the hand device 3, that is, performs a hoisting operation.

  The fourth joint portion J4 is a torsional joint having a fourth rotation axis RA4 that typically coincides with the arm central axis along the expansion / contraction direction of the arm portion 2, that is, the third movement axis RA3 of the third joint portion J3. . When the fourth joint portion J4 rotates, it rotates around the fourth rotation axis RA4 together with the hand device 3 from the fourth joint portion J4 to the tip. 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, it rotates up and down together with the hand device 3 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 hand device 3 turns left and right.

  As described above, the hand device 3 attached to the adapter of the wrist portion 4 includes the first, second, and third joint portions J1. J2. It is moved to an arbitrary position by J3, and is arranged in an arbitrary posture by the fourth, fifth, and sixth joint portions J4, J5, and J6. In particular, the length of the linear motion expansion / contraction distance of the third joint portion J3 enables the hand device 3 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 the length of the linear motion expansion / contraction distance realized by the linear motion expansion / contraction mechanism constituting the third joint portion J3.

(Linear expansion / contraction mechanism)
The linear motion expansion / contraction mechanism constituting the linear motion expansion / contraction joint portion J3 has an arm portion 2. The arm unit 2 includes a first connection frame row 21 and a second connection frame row 22. The first connected frame row 21 includes a plurality of first connected frames 23. The 1st connection piece 23 is comprised by the substantially flat plate. The front and rear first connecting pieces 23 are connected in a row so as to be freely bent by pins at the end portions of each other. Thereby, the 1st connection top row | line | column 21 is provided with the property which can be bent inside and outside. The second linked frame row 22 includes a plurality of second linked frames 24. The second connecting piece 24 is configured as a short groove having a U-shaped cross section. The front and rear second connecting pieces 24 are connected in a row so as to be freely bent by pins at the bottom end portions of each other. Depending on the cross-sectional shape of the second connecting piece 24 and the connecting position by the pins, the second connecting piece row 22 can be bent inward, but cannot be bent outward.

The first first connected frame 23 in the first connected frame sequence 21 and the first second connected frame 24 in the second connected frame sequence 22 are connected by a connecting frame 27. For example, the connecting piece 27 has a shape obtained by combining the first connecting piece 23 and the second connecting piece 24.
When the arm portion 2 extends, the connecting piece 27 is the starting end, and the first and second connecting piece rows 21 and 22 are sent out from the opening of the third support portion 13. The first and second connection frame rows 21 and 22 are joined to each other in the vicinity of the opening of the third support portion 13. When the rear portions of the first and second connection top rows 21 and 22 are firmly held inside the third support portion 13, the joined state of the first and second connection top rows 21 and 22 is maintained. When the joined state of the first and second connection frame rows 21 and 22 is maintained, the bending of the first connection frame row 21 and the second connection frame row 22 is restricted. A columnar body having a certain rigidity is constituted by the first and second connecting piece rows 21 and 22 joined to each other and restrained from bending. The columnar body refers to a columnar rod body in which the first connection frame row 21 is joined to the second connection frame row 22.

  When the arm portion 2 contracts, the first and second connecting piece rows 21 and 22 are pulled back to the opening of the third support portion 13. The first and second connection frame rows 21 and 22 constituting the columnar body are separated from each other inside the third support portion 13. The separated first and second connecting frame rows 21 and 22 are returned to a bendable state, bent inward in the same direction, and stored in the first support portion 11 in a substantially parallel manner.

(Hand device 3)
The robot apparatus 1 includes a hand apparatus 3. The hand device 3 includes a suction mechanism for picking up the printed circuit board 80 by suction. Specifically, the hand device 3 includes a hand main body 31. The hand main body 31 has a prismatic shape, and includes an attachment portion on an upper end surface thereof. The hand device 3 is attached to the adapter of the wrist portion 4 through the attachment portion. An air chuck structure 32 is attached below the hand body 31. The air chuck structure 32 has a pair of sliders 33. The pair of sliders 33 are supported so as to be able to approach / separate. A pair of suction portions 34 are respectively attached to the pair of sliders 33. A vacuum method is typically adopted as the suction method of the suction part 34. The suction part 34 is formed into a cylindrical body with, for example, silicon resin as an elastic material. The suction unit 34 sucks the target in the axial direction of the cylindrical body. The suction portion 34 is attached to the slider 33 so that the suction direction is perpendicular to the slide direction. The tip end surface of the suction portion 34 that forms a cylindrical body is referred to as a contact surface 341 that contacts the workpiece. A rear portion (connection port) 343 of the suction unit 34 is connected to an output unit of the ejector device. The body portion (bellows portion) 342 of the suction portion 34 is formed into a bellows shape in which peak portions protruding outward in the radial direction and valley portions recessed in the radial direction are alternately continued. The presence of the bellows part 342 realizes that the suction surface is brought into close contact with the work surface by absorbing excessive force on the work and deforming the bellows part 342 in accordance with the shape of the work. In this way, by forming the bellows part 342 in the suction part 34, the hand device 3 can suck a plurality of types of workpieces having different surface shapes by the suction part 34.

  The suction part 34 has a vacuum suction function and a vacuum breaking function. An air tube is connected to each of the pair of suction portions 34. Each air tube is connected to an air pump (not shown). The air pump may be either a compression type or a vacuum type, but here it will be described as a compression pump.

  The suction portion 34 and the air pump are connected by two piping routes, a negative pressure route and a positive pressure route. A negative pressure valve and an ejector device are interposed in the negative pressure path. A positive pressure valve is interposed in the positive pressure path. The negative pressure valve and the positive pressure valve are electromagnetic valves. The solenoid valve driver 310 controls the opening and closing of the negative pressure valve and the opening and closing of the positive pressure valve in opposite phases. A negative pressure path is secured when the negative pressure valve is open and the positive pressure valve is closed. When the negative pressure path is secured, the inside of the suction portion 34 is introduced to the negative pressure. A positive pressure path is secured when the positive pressure valve is open and the negative pressure valve is closed. When the positive pressure path is secured, the inside of the suction portion 34 is introduced to the positive pressure.

  When the vacuum suction function is turned on, the negative pressure valve is opened and the positive pressure valve is closed under the control of the electromagnetic valve driver 310. The compressed air generated by the air pump is supplied to an ejector interposed between the negative pressure valve and the adsorbing portion 34. The ejector has an intake port, a nozzle, and an exhaust port. A connection port 343 of the suction unit 34 is connected to the intake port. The compressed air supplied to the ejector is ejected from the nozzle and is discharged from the exhaust port as a bundle of high-speed air. Then, the internal pressure of the ejector chamber decreases, and air is sucked in from the intake port. The air sucked from the intake port is exhausted from the exhaust port together with the compressed air. Thereby, a negative pressure is generated in the suction portion 34 connected to the intake port. When the vacuum break function normally provided in the ejector is turned on, the negative pressure valve is closed and the positive pressure valve is opened under the control of the electromagnetic valve driver 310. Thereby, the air cycle of the adsorption unit 34, the ejector and the air pump is reversed, and the compressed air generated by the air pump is directly supplied to the adsorption unit 34. As a result, a positive pressure is generated in the suction portion 34.

  For example, when the vacuum suction function is turned on in a state where the contact surfaces 341 of the pair of suction parts 34 are in close contact with the surface of the printed circuit board 80, the surface is defined by the surface of the printed circuit board 80 and the cylindrical part of the suction part 34. The air in the closed space is sucked by the ejector, and a negative pressure acts on the printed circuit board 80. Thereby, the hand apparatus 3 can pick the printed circuit board 80 by suction. When the vacuum break function is turned on, positive pressure is applied to the printed circuit board 80. Thereby, the picking state of the printed circuit board 80 by the hand device 3 is released. In this way, the suction unit 34 is configured in a cylindrical body, and the internal pressure of the suction unit 34 can be selected between a positive pressure and a negative pressure, so that the hand device 3 can pick and release the printed circuit board 80. You can work alternatively. A pressure sensor 320 is provided in the ejector. The pressure sensor 320 measures the internal pressure of the adsorption unit 34. Even if the hand device 3 is not equipped with a vacuum breaking function, the hand device 3 picks the printed circuit board 80 by turning off the vacuum suction function of the hand device 3 and returning the internal pressure of the suction portion 43 to atmospheric pressure. The state is released and the picked work can be released.

  The air chuck structure 32 is connected to the above-described air pump through two air tubes. One air tube is connected to the rear end of the air cylinder via a solenoid valve. The other air tube is connected to the tip of the air cylinder via another electromagnetic valve. These solenoid valves are alternately opened and closed under the control of the solenoid valve driver 310, whereby the pistons move back and forth. As a result, the pair of sliders 33 moves toward and away from each other with the pair of suction portions 34. Thereby, the space | interval of a pair of adsorption | suction part 34 can be adjusted, and the hand apparatus 3 can pick several types of printed circuit boards 80 from which size differs.

(Suction part 34)
A function of picking the printed circuit board 80 and a function of operating the manual operation unit of the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 are combined through the above-described suction unit 34. Examples of the operation unit include a toggle switch, a rocker switch, a push button switch, a pull button switch, a rotary switch, a slide switch, and a jog dial. Here, the operation unit is a start switch 54 configured as a pushbutton switch. The start switch 54 is designed with its material, strength, size, and shape on the assumption that it is pushed by the hand of a person. Therefore, there is a risk that the start switch 54 may be broken if it is pushed with a force stronger than the design strength or if it is pushed deeper than the designed stroke. Since the adsorption | suction part 34 is provided with the bellows part 342, the danger can be reduced.

  The suction portion 34 has a higher elastic modulus than the standard elastic modulus of a human hand. For example, when the suction portion 34 is pressed by a hand formed of metal or the like, the start switch 54 and the hand are mechanically contacted to start the switch 54. May be damaged. Therefore, it is desirable to form the suction portion 34 with a material suitable for pressing the start switch 54. Typically, the suction portion 34 is a material adjusted to a physical property that is the same as or similar to the elasticity of a human hand, for example, Silicon resin material or polyurethane resin material is applied.

When the bellows inner diameter of the suction portion 34 is larger than the outer shape of the contact surface 341 of the start switch 54, the start switch 54 may be fitted inside the cylinder of the contact surface 341. Even if the center of the upper surface of the start switch 54 and the center of the suction portion 34 coincide with each other or slightly deviate from that position, the end surface portion (contact surface 341) of the cylindrical body constituting the suction portion 34 on the upper surface of the start switch 54 ) To ensure high operation accuracy, the inner diameter of the cylindrical body of the suction portion 34 and the outer diameter of the contact surface 341 are designed as follows.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the suction portion 34 of the hand device 3 of FIG. The adsorption part 34 forms a cylindrical body as a whole. The axially central portion (body portion) of the cylindrical body is configured in a 1.5 step bellows shape. The rear portion of the suction portion 34 is formed in a constant diameter cylinder in order to ensure a function as a connection port for connecting to the ejector. The front portion of the suction portion 34 is formed in a funnel shape whose outer diameter gradually increases toward the front. The outer diameter r11 of the tip surface (contact surface) 341 of the suction portion 34 is longer than the outer diameter r13 of the connection port 343. The outer diameter r11 of the tip surface (contact surface) 341 of the suction part 34 is smaller than the outer diameter of the upper surface of the start switch 54. Typically, the outer diameter r11 of the contact surface 341 is configured to be the same as or close to a standard outer diameter of a fingertip of a human hand, for example, 10 mm.

  Even if the center of the contact surface 341 of the suction part 34 coincides with the center of the upper surface of the start switch 54 by the contact surface 341 designed in this way, the contact of the suction part 34 further with respect to the center of the upper surface of the start switch 54 Even if the center of the surface 341 is slightly deviated, the start switch 54 does not fit inside the cylindrical body of the suction portion 34, and the substantial portion (resin of the cylindrical body of the suction portion 34 with respect to the upper surface of the start switch 54. Portion) can be brought into contact with each other, and the probability of occurrence of an operation error of the start switch 54 by the suction portion 34 can be reduced.

  The suction portion 34 may be designed such that the bellows inner diameter r12 is larger than the outer diameter of the upper surface of the start switch 54 so that the start switch 54 does not fit inside the cylindrical body of the suction portion 34. Further, the adsorbing portion 34 may configure the outer diameter r11 and the bellows inner diameter r12 of the contact surface 341 regardless of the size of the upper surface of the start switch 54. Even if the suction unit 34 is configured in this way, the contact surface 341 is set by setting the work position of the robot apparatus 1 so that the center position of the contact surface 341 is deviated from the center position of the contact surface of the start switch 54. Can be brought into contact with the start switch 54.

  Further, the pair of adsorbing portions 34 are not necessarily the same. Since the contact part 34 can be attached to and detached from the output part of the ejector device, the operator may select the suction part 34 suitable for the size and shape of the switch to be operated by the suction part 34. For example, when the outer diameters of the upper surfaces of the mode selection switches 55 and 56 are larger than the outer diameter of the upper surface of the start switch 54, one suction part 34 (FIG. 3B) is replaced with the other suction part 34 (FIG. Design larger than a)). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, one suction portion 34 (FIG. 3B) has a connection port 343 whose outer diameter r <b> 23 is the connection port of the other suction portion 34 (FIG. 3A). The outer diameter r <b> 13 of 343 is approximately equivalent to the bellows inner diameter r <b> 22 of the other suction portion 34, and the outer diameter r <b> 21 of the contact surface 341 is the contact surface of the other suction portion 34. It is configured to be larger than the outer diameter r11 of 341. Thereby, one suction part 34 (FIG. 3B) is configured to have a size suitable for pressing the mode selection switches 55 and 56, and the other suction part 34 (FIG. 3A) is configured as the start switch 54. It is possible to configure the size suitable for pushing. Similarly, one suction part 34 may be formed of a material different from that of the other suction part 34. One suction portion 34 may include a contact surface 341 having a shape different from the shape of the contact surface 341 of the other suction portion 34. For example, one suction part 34 may include a rectangular annular contact surface 341, and the other suction part 34 may include an annular contact surface 341. Further, the hand device 3 according to the present embodiment may include one or three or more suction units 34.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the robot arm mechanism of FIG. In the robot arm mechanism, three position degrees of freedom are realized by the first joint portion J1, the second joint portion J2, and the third joint portion J3 that form the three base axes. In addition, three posture degrees of freedom are realized by the fourth joint portion J4, the fifth joint portion J5, and the sixth joint portion J6 constituting the wrist three axes.

  The robot coordinate system Σb is a coordinate system having an arbitrary position on the first rotation axis RA1 of the first joint portion J1 as an origin. In the robot coordinate system Σb, three orthogonal axes (Xb, Yb, Zb) are defined. The Zb axis is an axis parallel to the first rotation axis RA1. The Xb axis and the Yb axis are orthogonal to each other and orthogonal to the Zb axis. The hand coordinate system Σh is a coordinate system having an arbitrary position (hand reference point) of the hand device 3 attached to the wrist 4 as an origin. For example, when the hand device 3 is a two-finger hand, the position of the hand reference point (hereinafter simply referred to as the hand) is defined as the center position between the two fingers. In the hand coordinate system Σh, three orthogonal axes (Xh, Yh, Zh) are defined. The Zh axis is an axis parallel to the sixth rotation axis RA6. The Xh axis and the Yh axis are orthogonal to each other and orthogonal to the Zh axis. For example, the Xh axis is an axis parallel to the front-rear direction of the hand device 3. The hand posture is a rotation angle around each of three orthogonal axes of the hand coordinate system Σh with respect to the robot coordinate system Σb (rotation angle around the Xh axis (yaw angle) α, rotation angle around the Yh axis (pitch angle) β, Zh axis It is given as the surrounding rotation angle (roll angle) γ.

  The first joint portion J1 is disposed between the first support portion 11 and the second support portion 12, and is configured as a torsion joint with the rotation axis RA1 as the center. The rotation axis RA1 is arranged perpendicular to the reference plane BP of the base on which the fixing portion of the first joint portion J1 is installed.

  The 2nd joint part J2 is comprised as a bending joint centering on rotating shaft RA2. The rotation axis RA2 of the second joint portion J2 is provided in parallel to the Xb axis on the spatial coordinate system. The rotation axis RA2 of the second joint portion J2 is provided in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis RA1 of the first joint portion J1. Further, the second joint portion J2 is offset with respect to the first joint portion J1 in two directions, that is, the direction of the first rotation axis RA1 (Zb axis direction) and the Yb axis direction perpendicular to the first rotation axis RA1. The second support portion 12 is attached to the first support portion 11 so that the second joint portion J2 is offset in the two directions with respect to the first joint portion J1. A virtual arm rod portion (link portion) that connects the second joint portion J2 to the first joint portion J1 has a crank shape in which two hook-shaped bodies whose tips are bent at right angles are combined. This virtual arm rod part is comprised by the 1st, 2nd support parts 11 and 12 which have a hollow structure.

  The third joint portion J3 is configured as a linear motion telescopic joint with the movement axis RA3 as the center. The movement axis RA3 of the third joint portion J3 is provided in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis RA2 of the second joint portion J2. In the reference posture in which the rotation angle of the second joint portion J2 is zero degrees, that is, the undulation angle of the arm portion 2 is zero degrees and the arm portion 2 is horizontal, the movement axis RA3 of the third joint portion J3 is the second joint The rotation axis RA2 of the part J2 and the rotation axis RA1 of the first joint part J1 are provided in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis RA2. On the spatial coordinate system, the movement axis RA3 of the third joint portion J3 is provided in parallel to the Yb axis perpendicular to the Xb axis and the Zb axis. Further, the third joint portion J3 is offset with respect to the second joint portion J2 in two directions, that is, the direction of the rotation axis RA2 (Yb axis direction) and the direction of the Zb axis orthogonal to the movement axis RA3. The third support portion 13 is attached to the second support portion 12 so that the third joint portion J3 is offset in the two directions with respect to the second joint portion J2. The virtual arm rod portion (link portion) that connects the third joint portion J3 to the second joint portion J2 has a hook-shaped body whose tip is bent vertically. This virtual arm rod portion is constituted by the second and third support portions 12 and 13.

The fourth joint portion J4 is configured as a torsion joint with the rotation axis RA4 as the center. The rotation axis RA4 of the fourth joint part J4 is arranged to substantially coincide with the movement axis RA3 of the third joint part J3.
The fifth joint J5 is configured as a bending joint with the rotation axis RA5 as the center. The rotation axis RA5 of the fifth joint portion J5 is disposed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the movement axis RA3 of the third joint portion J3 and the rotation axis RA4 of the fourth joint portion J4.
The sixth joint portion J6 is configured as a torsion joint with the rotation axis RA6 as the center. The rotation axis RA6 of the sixth joint portion J6 is disposed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the rotation axis RA4 of the fourth joint portion J4 and the rotation axis RA5 of the fifth joint portion J5. The sixth joint J6 is provided to turn the hand device 3 as a hand effector left and right. The sixth joint portion J6 may be configured as a bending joint whose rotation axis RA6 is substantially orthogonal to the rotation axis RA4 of the fourth joint portion J4 and the rotation axis RA5 of the fifth joint portion J5.

  In this way, one bending joint portion of the base three axes of the plurality of joint portions J1-J6 is replaced with a linear motion expansion / contraction joint portion, and the second joint portion J2 is offset in two directions with respect to the first joint portion J1. Then, by offsetting the third joint portion J3 in two directions with respect to the second joint portion J2, the robot arm mechanism of the robot apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment eliminates the singularity posture structurally.

(Moveable region of articulated arm mechanism 200 having linear motion expansion / contraction joint part J3)
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a movable region of the robot apparatus 1 of FIG. The movable area includes a fan-shaped area centered on the first rotation axis RA1 in the horizontal direction swept by the movable part of the articulated arm mechanism (not including the hand device and the workpiece), and a second area in the vertical direction. This is a combined area with a fan-shaped area centered on the rotation axis RA2. In other words, the movable region is a total region of a region swept by the wrist portion 4 and a region swept by each joint portion and each link of the root three axes necessary for moving the wrist portion 4 in the region. It is. The movable region of the human hand refers to a region swept by the human shoulder joint, upper arm, elbow joint, forearm and wrist. The movable area of the multi-joint arm mechanism of the robot apparatus 1 is narrower than the movable area of a human hand because there is no elbow joint.

  The multi-joint arm mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment employs a linear motion telescopic joint as the joint portion J3, so that the region swept by the joint portion of the root three axes and each link is swept by the arm portion 2. Since it can be considered as a region, the three-dimensional movable region can be defined by a simple shape. The movable region MS (L) in the horizontal direction (the turning direction around the first rotation axis RA1) is the first rotation axis RA1 when the linear motion telescopic joint portion J3 is extended to the maximum and the arm portion 2 is provided in the longest state. The length from the tip of the wrist part 4 to the tip of the wrist part 4 can be defined as a substantially fan-shaped region with the rotation angle (turning angle) operable on mounting of the first joint part J1 as the central angle. At this time, the region WS (L) swept by the wrist part 4 extends from the first rotation axis RA1 to the wrist part 4 when the arm part 2 is provided in the longest state by extending the linear motion expansion / contraction joint part J3 most. The length from the first rotation axis RA1 to the tip of the wrist part 4 when the arm part 2 is provided in the shortest state by contracting the linear expansion / contraction joint part J3 to the minimum is the inner diameter, It can be defined as an annular region with the turning angle of one joint J1 as the central angle.

  Similarly, the movable region in the vertical direction (the undulating direction around the second rotation axis RA2) is MS (V), the first when the arm portion 2 is provided in the longest state by extending the linear motion expansion / contraction joint portion J3 most. The length from the rotation axis RA1 to the tip of the wrist portion 4 can be defined as a substantially fan-shaped region with the rotation angle (the undulation angle) operable for mounting the second joint portion J2 as the center angle. At this time, the region WS (V) swept by the wrist part 4 extends from the first rotation axis RA1 to the wrist part 4 when the arm part 2 is provided in the longest state by extending the linear motion expansion / contraction joint part J3 most. The length from the first rotation axis RA1 to the tip of the wrist part 4 when the arm part 2 is provided in the shortest state by contracting the linear expansion / contraction joint part J3 to the minimum is the inner diameter, It can be defined as an annular region with the undulation angle of the two joints J2 as the central angle.

  The three-dimensional movable region of the articulated arm mechanism 200 is a comprehensive region of the horizontal fan-shaped movable region MS (L) and the vertical movable region MS (V). A vertical and horizontal fan shape is shown in which the movable region MS (L) is raised and lowered within the range of the undulation angle at which the second joint portion J2 can operate.

  As described above, the articulated arm mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment is configured such that the joint portion J3 is not a rotary joint (elbow joint) but a linear motion expansion / contraction joint, thereby moving the position of the wrist portion 4 to the root. The area swept by the three-axis joint and each link can be minimized, and the movable area can be defined by a simple substantially fan shape. On the other hand, as the movable region of the human hand, a region swept by the elbow is added to the movable region of the multi-joint arm mechanism having the above-described linearly movable expansion and contraction joint portion J3. That is, when the wrist unit 4 of the robot apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is moved in the same manner as the human wrist moves, the movable region of the articulated arm mechanism 200 according to the present embodiment is more than the movable region of the human hand. Is too narrow. Therefore, the robot apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment can be arranged at the same position as the worker and can perform the same work as the worker instead of the worker. For example, in the factory, if the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 is disposed in an environment that can be operated by a human, the robot apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is disposed as it is at a position where the human has operated, and is the same as a human. Work can be done. That is, it is not necessary to move the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 to a special position for the robot apparatus 1 to operate. In addition, the robot apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment can be arranged at a wall or the like where it is difficult to arrange a robot apparatus including a multi-joint arm mechanism having a conventional elbow joint.

(Block diagram of the robot apparatus 1)
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the robot apparatus 1 according to this embodiment.
The robot apparatus 1 includes an articulated arm mechanism 200. The multi-joint arm mechanism 200 has a plurality of joint portions J1, J2, J3, J4, J5, and J6. A stepping motor is provided in each of the plurality of joint portions J1-J6. The rotation of these stepping motors is controlled by a motor driver 210. The motor driver 210 sends a pulse signal corresponding to the position command value from the operation control device 100 to the stepping motor. As a result, the stepping motor rotates to a position corresponding to the command value. When the stepping motor rotates, the joint portion J3 expands and contracts, and the joint portions J1, J2, and J4-J6 rotate. Connected to the drive shafts of these stepping motors is a rotary encoder 220 that outputs a pulse at every fixed rotation angle. The encode pulses output from the rotary encoder 220 are added / subtracted by a counter (not shown). The motor driver 210 identifies the current rotational position of the stepping motor by multiplying the accumulated pulse number counted by the counter by the step angle. The hand device 3 is provided with an electromagnetic valve driver 310 that controls opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve of the air chuck structure 32.

  The operation control apparatus 100 includes a system control unit 101, a pressure sensor interface (I / F) 102, a camera interface (I / F) 103, a task program storage unit 104, a sequence controller 105, and a command value output unit 106. And have.

  Each unit is connected to the system control unit 101 via a control / data bus 109. The system control unit 101 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a semiconductor memory, and the like, and controls the operation control apparatus 100 in an integrated manner.

  A pressure sensor 320 is connected to the operation control apparatus 100 via a pressure sensor I / F 102. The pressure sensor 320 repeatedly measures the internal pressure of the suction unit 34 of the hand device 3. The pressure sensor 320 sends an adsorption detection signal to the operation control device 100 when the pressure value becomes lower than the threshold value. The threshold value is set in advance and corresponds to the pressure value when the printed circuit board 80 is sucked to the suction portion 34.

  A camera 330 is connected to the operation control apparatus 100 via a camera I / F 103. The camera 330 is attached to the tip and front of the wrist 4 of the robot apparatus 1. The camera 330 captures the indicator lamp 53 according to the control of the sequence controller 105 and sends the captured image data to the operation control apparatus 100. The sequence controller 105 extracts the color of the indicator lamp 53 by performing color image processing on the transmitted captured image data, and determines the next processing in the task program according to the extracted color type.

  The task program storage unit 104 stores task program data. This task program is a sequence program for instructing the procedure, position, operation, condition, etc. for causing the robot apparatus 1 to perform work. In the present embodiment, the task program includes the hand trajectory of the hand device 3 until the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected is inspected by the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 and the printed circuit board 80 after inspection is sorted into positions according to the inspection result. The work position and the operation task at each work position are described together with the procedure. This task program is generated by prior teaching, for example.

  The sequence controller 105 controls the operation of the robot apparatus 1 in accordance with the task program loaded by the system control unit 101. The sequence controller 105 sends a command value to the command value output unit 106 according to the task program.

  The command value output unit 106 sends a control signal corresponding to the command value sent from the sequence controller 105 to the motor driver 210 and the solenoid valve driver 310. For example, the command value output unit 106 sends to the motor driver 210 a control signal corresponding to each position command value of the joint portions J1 to J6 after the elapse of the control cycle Δt (for example, 10 ms) according to the control of the sequence controller 105. The motor driver 210 of each of the joint portions J1-J6 supplies a pulse signal corresponding to the position command value to the stepping motor. Thus, each of the joint portions J1-J6 is displaced to a position corresponding to the position command value before the control period Δt elapses. In addition, the command value output unit 106 sends a control signal corresponding to the vacuum suction function ON / OFF and the vacuum break function ON / OFF to the solenoid valve driver 310 according to the control of the sequence controller 105. The electromagnetic valve driver 310 controls the opening and closing of the positive pressure valve and the negative pressure valve according to the control signal sent from the operation control device 100. For example, the solenoid valve driver 310 controls the negative pressure valve and the positive pressure valve according to the control signal related to the vacuum suction function ON, the negative pressure valve is opened, and the positive pressure valve is closed. Thereby, a negative pressure is generated in the suction part 34.

  Hereinafter, a plurality of work positions described in the task program and work contents at each work position will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a work position of the robot apparatus 1 of FIG. FIG. 8 is a plan view of FIG.

  The work position P0 represents the standby position of the hand device 3. The work position P1 represents a position where the picking operation of the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected by the hand device 3 is performed. The work position P1 is set above the substrate stocker 60 that stocks the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected. The work position P2 represents a position where the release operation of the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected by the hand device 3 is performed. The work position P2 is set above the placement position of the placement table 52. The work position P3 represents a position where the push operation of the start switch 54 of the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 by the hand device 3 is performed. The work position P3 is set so that the center position of the contact surface 341 of the suction portion 34 is above the center position of the upper surface of the start switch 54.

  The work position P4 represents a position where the picking operation of the printed circuit board 80 after the inspection by the hand device 3 is performed. The work position P4 is set above the placement position of the placement table 52, preferably at the same position as the work position P2. The work position P5 represents a position where the release operation of the printed circuit board 80 after the inspection by the hand device 3 is performed when the inspection result of the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected by the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 is “good”. The work position P5 is set above the position where the printed board 80 with the inspection result “good” in the board stocker 70 that stocks the printed board 80 after the inspection is stocked. The work position P6 represents a position where the release operation of the printed circuit board 80 after the inspection by the hand device 3 is performed when the inspection result of the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected by the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 is “defective”. The work position P6 is set above the position for stocking the printed circuit board 80 whose inspection result is “defective” in the substrate stocker 70 for stocking the printed circuit board 80 after the inspection.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a work procedure of the robot apparatus 1 of FIG. When the task program is loaded by the system control unit 101, the hand device 3 operates in the following procedure according to the control of the sequence controller 105. The printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 and the robot apparatus 1 are electrically connected so that they can communicate with each other, and the operation of the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 is triggered by a control signal indicating the completion of the operation of the robot apparatus 1. 1 may be started in response to a control signal indicating completion of the operation of the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50, and the robot apparatus 1 and the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 may be linked in this manner. However, in this embodiment, the robot apparatus 1 is arranged on the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 in place of the worker, and the robot apparatus 1 operates the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50. The printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 and the robot The apparatus 1 is electrically separated, and the operation of the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 is started when the operation of the robot apparatus 1 with respect to the manual operation unit is triggered. 50 operation completion is judged and started.

(Step S11) Picking the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected
The hand device 3 is moved from the work position P0 to the work position P1. At the work position P1, a negative pressure is generated in the suction part 34 of the hand device 3, and the hand device 3 is lowered. The lowering operation of the hand device 3 is stopped when the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected is sucked by the suction unit 34, that is, when the suction detection signal is output. Thereby, the hand apparatus 3 can pick the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected. In step S11, the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected is picked by the hand device 3.

(Step S12) Release the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected
The hand device 3 is moved from the work position P1 to the work position P2. A positive pressure is generated in the suction part 34 of the hand device 3 at the work position P2. Accordingly, the hand device 3 can release the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected that has been picked onto the mounting table 52. In step S12, the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected is released to the mounting table 52 of the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50.

(Step S13) The start switch 54 of the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 is operated.
The hand device 3 is moved from the work position P2 to the work position P3. Compressed air is supplied to the suction portion 34 of the hand device 3 at the work position P3. In this state, the hand device 3 is lowered. The descending distance is set to a necessary stroke for the suction unit 34 to press the start switch 54. When the suction part 34 comes into contact with the start switch 54, the inside of the suction part 34 is introduced to a positive pressure. Since the positive pressure is generated in the suction portion 34, the shape change of the suction portion 34 due to being pressed against the start switch 54 is suppressed, and the suction portion 34 and the start switch 54 of the hand device 3 are buffered. The appearance inspection of the printed circuit board 80 by the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50 is started by the processing of the start switch 54 in step S13. When the start switch 54 is pressed, a negative pressure may be introduced into the suction portion 34, or the suction portion 34 may be set to atmospheric pressure instead of negative pressure or positive pressure. By setting the inside of the suction portion 34 to a negative pressure or atmospheric pressure, when the start switch 54 is pushed and operated as the hand device 3 is lowered, the situation where the suction portion 34 is shifted from the start switch 54 This can be suppressed as compared with the case where the inside is set to a positive pressure.

(Step S14) Picking printed circuit board 80 after inspection
The hand device 3 is moved from the work position P3 to the work position P4. A negative pressure is generated in the suction part 34 of the hand device 3 at the work position P4, and the hand device 3 is lowered. The descending operation of the hand device 3 is stopped when the inspected printed circuit board 80 is adsorbed by the adsorbing unit 34, that is, when the adsorbing detection signal is output. Thereby, the hand device 3 can pick the printed circuit board 80 after the inspection. In the process of step S <b> 14, the printed circuit board 80 after inspection is picked by the hand device 3.

(Step S15) Inspection result confirmation operation
The inspection result of the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected is determined by the robot device 1 at the work position P4. Specifically, the indicator lamp 53 is photographed by the camera 330 attached to the robot apparatus 1, and the color of the indicator lamp 53 is determined by performing color image processing on the photographed image. When the color of the indicator lamp 53 is “blue”, the process of step S16 is executed. On the other hand, when the color of the indicator lamp 53 is “red”, the process of step S17 is executed.

(Step S16) Released printed circuit board 80
The hand device 3 is moved from the work position P4 to the work position P5. A positive pressure is generated in the suction part 34 of the hand device 3 at the work position P5. As a result, the hand device 3 can release the picked printed circuit board 80 after inspection to a position where the printed circuit board 80 with the inspection result “good” in the substrate stocker 70 is stocked.

(Step S17) Released printed circuit board 80
The hand device 3 is moved from the work position P4 to the work position P6. A positive pressure is generated in the suction part 34 of the hand device 3 at the work position P6. As a result, the hand device 3 can release the picked printed circuit board 80 that has been picked up to a position where the printed circuit board 80 whose inspection result is “defective” in the substrate stocker 70 is stocked. In the process of step S16 or step S17, the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected is sorted according to the inspection result.

(Step S18) Repeated operation
The operations from step S11 to step S17 are repeated until there is no printed board 80 to be inspected. The presence / absence of the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected can be determined, for example, by photographing the substrate stocker 60 of the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected by the camera 330 and based on the captured image. In addition, you may make it perform the operation | movement of step S11-step S17 repeatedly the number of times set by the operator beforehand.

  According to the robot apparatus 1 described above, the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected is inspected by the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50, and the printed circuit board 80 after inspection is sorted into positions corresponding to the inspection results, as in the case of humans. be able to.

  The robot apparatus 1 having a conventional elbow joint has a wider movable area than the robot apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. Further, the conventional robot apparatus 1 may make a sudden turning motion to avoid a singular point on the structure. It is not easy for surrounding workers to predict the movement of the root three axes for moving the wrist portion 4. For these reasons, the conventional robot apparatus 1 has a low degree of freedom in arrangement and can only perform passive work such as working on a work flowing on the line.

  On the other hand, the robot apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a linear motion expansion / contraction joint instead of the elbow joint, so that when the wrist portion 4 of the robot apparatus 1 moves in the same area as the area where the human wrist moves, the movement is possible. The area can be narrower than the movable area of the human hand. Moreover, since the arm part 2 moves in the linear category from the wrist part 4 to the base part 10, the surrounding worker can easily predict the movement of the arm part 2 from the movement of the wrist part 4. In addition, since the articulated arm mechanism 200 of the robot apparatus 1 eliminates the singular point in structure, it is not necessary to perform a sudden turning operation to avoid the singular point. For these reasons, the robot apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment can be arranged in the same manner as a human being, for example, can be arranged in the vicinity of the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50. Further, the hand device 3 of the robot apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes the suction unit 34 having a structure that can be used for both the suction of the printed circuit board 80 and the operation of the start switch 54 of the printed circuit board inspection device 50, thereby In the same manner as is performed, the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected is set in the printed circuit board inspection apparatus 50, the start switch 54 is pressed, the printed circuit board 80 after inspection is sorted into a position corresponding to the inspection result, etc. Active work can be performed. In the present embodiment, the hand device 3 may be configured to have both a function of operating the manual operation unit of the external device and a function of holding the work to provide the external device with the work. For example, the hand device 3 includes a gripping portion for holding the workpiece, and the gripping portion is equipped with an elastic protrusion perpendicular to the approaching / separating direction of the gripping portion, for example, downward to hold the workpiece by gripping. And the function of operating the manual operation unit of the external device by the elastic protrusion.

  By applying this, a plurality of robot devices 1 may be arranged close to each other, and the plurality of robot devices 1 may perform a series of operations in cooperation. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing another arrangement of the robot apparatus 1 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, inspection apparatuses 50A, 50B, and 50C are arranged adjacent to each other in order from the wall 90, and the robot apparatuses 1A, 1B, and 1C may be arranged in front of the inspection apparatuses 50A, 50B, and 50C, respectively. . The robot apparatus 1A picks the printed circuit board 80 to be inspected from the substrate stocker 60, sets the printed circuit board 80 in the inspection apparatus 50A, presses the start switch 54A, and the printed circuit board 80 inspected by the inspection apparatus 50A becomes the next inspection apparatus B. set. When the printed circuit board 80 is set in the inspection apparatus 50B, the robot apparatus 1B presses the start switch 54B and sets the printed circuit board 80 inspected by the inspection apparatus 50B in the next inspection apparatus C. When the printed circuit board 80 is set in the inspection apparatus 50C, the robot apparatus 1C presses the start switch 54C, and positions the printed circuit board 80 inspected by the inspection apparatus C according to the inspection result of the substrate stocker 70. Sort into. These robot devices 1A, 1B, and 1C are electrically connected so as to be able to communicate with each other, and the operation of each robot device is started with a control signal indicating the completion of the operation of another robot device as a trigger. It may be. Alternatively, the robot devices 1A, 1B, and 1C may be electrically separated so that the operation start of each robot device can be independently operated by sensor output or sequence control of the robot device.

  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 apparatus, 2 ... Arm part, 3 ... Hand apparatus, 4 ... Wrist part, 50 ... Printed circuit board inspection apparatus, 51 ... Case, 52 ... Mounting table, 53 ... Indicator, 54 ... Start switch 54, 55, 56 ... Mode selection switch, 60, 70 ... Substrate stocker, 80 ... Printed circuit board

Claims (9)

In a robot apparatus provided with an articulated arm mechanism for transferring a work between the external apparatus and a work place, which is disposed in the vicinity of an external apparatus having a manual operation unit, which is responsible for work on the work,
The articulated arm mechanism is equipped with a wrist joint part at the tip of an arm part having linear motion stretchability that is provided so as to be pivotable and undulating,
A holding part for holding the workpiece is attached to the wrist joint part,
The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding unit includes at least one vacuum suction unit made of an elastic body for holding the workpiece and operating the manual operation unit of the external device.   The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum suction unit is configured as a cylindrical body having a bellows shape.   The robot apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vacuum suction unit is made of silicon resin. The holding part has a plurality of vacuum suction parts,
The plurality of vacuum suction units are configured as cylindrical bodies having different inner diameters or outer diameters, and one of the plurality of vacuum suction units is selectively used to operate the manual operation unit of the external device. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that:   When holding the workpiece, the inside of the vacuum suction portion is introduced to a negative pressure, and when operating the manual operation portion, the vacuum suction portion is introduced to the negative pressure or the positive pressure to introduce a negative pressure or a positive pressure. The robot apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve on a path between the pressure source and the positive pressure source.   When holding the workpiece, the inside of the vacuum suction unit is introduced to a negative pressure, and when operating the manual operation unit, the vacuum suction unit and a negative pressure source or The robot apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls opening and closing of an electromagnetic valve on a path to the positive pressure source. The arm portion is
A plurality of connecting pieces which are connected to bendable and are formed into columnar bodies by restraining the bending of the connecting pieces;
An injection part for supporting the columnar body;
The robot apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage unit that stores the connection piece in the base in a bendable state. In a robot apparatus equipped with an articulated arm mechanism that is arranged in the vicinity of an external apparatus equipped with a manual operation unit that carries out work on a workpiece,
The articulated arm mechanism is equipped with a wrist joint part at the tip of an arm part having linear motion stretchability that is provided so as to be pivotable and undulating,
A holding part for holding the workpiece is attached to the wrist joint part,
The robot device according to claim 1, wherein the holding unit is configured by an elastic body for holding the workpiece and operating the manual operation unit of the external device. In a robot apparatus equipped with an articulated arm mechanism that is arranged in the vicinity of an external apparatus equipped with a manual operation unit that carries out work on a workpiece,
The articulated arm mechanism is equipped with a wrist joint at the tip of the arm with a fan-shaped movable region,
A holding part for holding the workpiece is attached to the wrist joint part,
The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding unit includes at least one vacuum suction unit made of an elastic body for holding the workpiece and operating the manual operation unit of the external device.

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