JP2022064672A - Robot protective structure - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a robot protective structure capable of easily preventing a robot from being impacted by cutting chips, while restricting increases in the size and costs.SOLUTION: A robot protective structure includes: a robot 30 provided in a processing chamber 16 of a machine tool 10; a protective shield 60 which can be attached to and detached from the robot 30; and a storage area 80 which is provided within an accessible range of the robot 30 in order to store the protective shield 60 removed from the robot 30. The robot 30 performs, by changing its posture: fitting processing for taking out the protective shield 60 from the storage area 80 and fitting the shield to the robot 30; and storage processing for removing the protective shield 60 from the robot 30 and storing the shield in the storage area 80. During generation of chips, the robot 30 takes a protective posture in which the fitted protective shield 60 is directed toward a generation source of the chips.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

This specification discloses a robot protection structure that protects a robot provided in a machine tool processing chamber from chips.

In recent years, it has been proposed to install a robot in the processing chamber of a machine tool. By installing a robot in the processing chamber, various operations such as measurement of various physical quantities and transfer of workpieces can be automatically performed, and the quality and efficiency of workpiece processing can be further improved. However, when a robot is installed in the processing chamber, chips scattered during cutting collide with the robot, and the chips may damage the robot or the chips may invade gaps such as joints of the robot. There was a problem.

Therefore, it is conceivable to evacuate the robot to an area where the chips do not reach during the period when the chips are scattered. Further, as another embodiment, Patent Document 1 discloses that a robot is previously equipped with a housing that covers and protects the peripheral surface of the robot. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique of attaching a substantially dome-shaped cover to a robot and covering the periphery of a processing point with this cover to prevent scattering of waste such as an abrasive generated during processing. ing.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2020-49549 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-176403

Based on these conventional techniques, it is possible to effectively suppress the collision of chips with the robot. However, in the case of the technique for retracting the robot, a moving mechanism and a moving space for moving the entire robot are required, which causes new problems such as an increase in size and cost of the robot and the machine tool. Further, in Patent Document 1, it is necessary for the operator to attach the housing to the robot in advance, which is troublesome. Further, in the technique of Patent Document 2, the generated waste is accumulated in the internal space of the cover. In this case, there is no problem if the waste is bulky like an abrasive, but if the waste is bulky like chips, the interior space of the cover is quickly filled with chips. Therefore, there arises a problem that the processing cannot be performed continuously for a long time. Of course, if you make the cover larger, you can avoid these problems, but in that case, it leads to other problems such as larger size and larger size. That is, even if the technique of Patent Document 1 is applied to prevent the scattering of chips, various problems arise.

Therefore, this specification discloses a robot protection structure that can easily suppress the collision of chips with the robot while suppressing the increase in size and cost.

The robot protection structure disclosed in the present specification includes a robot provided in a processing chamber of a machine tool, a protective shield attached to and detachable from the robot, and the robot provided within the accessible range of the robot and removed from the robot. The robot is provided with a storage area in which the protective shield is stored, and by changing its posture, the robot takes out the protective shield from the storage area and attaches the protective shield to the robot, and the protective shield is attached to the robot. The robot is characterized in that it performs a storage process of removing it from the robot and storing it in the storage area, and when a chip is generated, the robot takes a protective posture in which the attached protective shield is directed toward the source of the chip. do.

In such a configuration, it is not necessary to increase the size of the robot or the processing room, so that the increase in size and cost can be effectively suppressed. Further, when chips are generated, a protective shield can be attached to the robot, so that the collision of chips with the robot can be easily suppressed.

In this case, the robot includes a robot body that is an articulated robot in which two or more links are connected via joints, an end effector that can be attached to and detached from the robot body, and a connecting portion that is connected to the protective shield. The connecting portion may be provided at a position where the end effector remains in the robot body even when the end effector is detached from the robot body.

With such a configuration, a protective shield can be attached to the robot regardless of the type of end effector attached.

In this case, one or more joints may be interposed between the connecting portion and the end effector, and the relative positions and postures of the connecting portion and the end effector may be changeable.

With such a configuration, when working with the end effector, the connecting part can be changed to a position and posture that does not interfere with the work, and when connecting the protective shield to the connecting part, the end effector can be changed. It can be changed to a position and posture that does not interfere with the connection.

Further, the protective shield may be provided with a locking mechanism that maintains the connected state between the connecting portion and the protective shield regardless of the direction of gravity.

With such a configuration, the protective shield attached to the robot does not separate from the robot due to its own weight. As a result, the protective shield can be moved relatively freely without worrying about the vertical orientation of the protective shield.

In this case, the locking mechanism may maintain the connected state by utilizing at least one of a spring force, a magnetic force, and a frictional force.

With such a configuration, it is not necessary to provide a power source for the protective shield. As a result, the protective shield can be made lightweight and simple.

Further, the protective shield may have a shape in which the chips colliding with the protective shield can fall on the floor surface of the processing chamber in the protective posture.

With such a configuration, even if a large amount of chips are generated, the chips are not accumulated on the protective shield, so that the robot can be continuously protected from the chips for a long time.

Further, the protective shield may have a size that covers the entire robot in the protective posture.

With such a configuration, the robot can be more reliably protected from chips.

According to the robot protection structure disclosed in the present specification, it is possible to easily suppress the collision of chips with the robot while suppressing the increase in size and cost.

It is a schematic side view of a machine tool. It is a schematic diagram around a robot. It is a figure which shows the process of attaching a protective shield to a robot. It is a figure which shows the process of attaching a protective shield to a robot. It is a figure which shows the robot of a protective posture. It is an enlarged view around a clip. It is an enlarged view around a clip. It is a figure which shows an example of another robot protection structure. It is a figure which shows an example of another robot protection structure. It is a figure which shows an example of another robot protection structure. It is a figure which shows an example of another robot protection structure.

Hereinafter, the robot protection structure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a machine tool 10 incorporating a robot protection structure. In the following description, the direction parallel to the rotation axis of the work spindle 18 is the Z axis, the direction parallel to the moving direction orthogonal to the Z axis of the tool post 20 is the X axis, and the direction orthogonal to the X axis and the Z axis is the Y axis. Called. Further, on the Z axis, the direction from the work spindle 18 toward the tool post 20 is the plus direction, on the X axis, the direction from the work spindle 18 toward the tool post 20 is the plus direction, and on the Y axis, the direction is above the work spindle 18. The direction toward is the positive direction.

The machine tool 10 is a lathe having a work spindle 18 that rotates and holds the work. More specifically, the machine tool 10 of this example is a turning center having a turret 22 for holding a plurality of types of tools 26. However, the machine tool 10 exemplified here is an example, and the technique disclosed in the present specification may be applied to other types of machine tools as long as cutting can be performed. For example, the robot protection structure disclosed in the present specification may be mounted on a machining center having a tool spindle for rotating and holding a tool, or may be mounted on a multi-tasking machine that combines a lathe and a milling machine. In the following, the machine tool 10 will be described as a turning center.

The periphery of the processing chamber 16 of the machine tool 10 is covered with a cover 12. A large opening is formed on the front surface of the processing chamber 16, and this opening is opened and closed by the door 14. The operator accesses each part in the processing chamber 16 through this opening. During processing, the door 14 provided in the opening is closed. This is to ensure safety and environmental friendliness.

The machine tool 10 includes a work spindle 18 that holds one end of the work so that it can rotate, and a tool post 20 that holds the tool 26. The work spindle 18 can be rotated by a motor (not shown), and a chuck 24 or a collet for holding the work detachably is provided on the end surface of the work spindle 18. The work spindle 18 and the chuck 24 rotate about a rotation axis extending in the horizontal direction (Z-axis direction).

The tool post 20 is a tool holding device for holding the tool 26. The tool post 20 is movable in a direction parallel to the Z axis, that is, the axis of the material. Further, the tool post 20 can move forward and backward in a direction parallel to the X axis, that is, in the radial direction of the material. As is clear from the figure, the X-axis is tilted in the horizontal direction so as to move upward as it goes to the back side when viewed from the opening of the processing chamber 16.

As is clear from FIG. 1, the floor surface 28 on which the tool post 20 is installed is parallel to the X axis, that is, is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. Therefore, chips, cutting oil, and the like that have fallen on the floor surface 28 slide down to the front end portion of the floor surface 28 due to gravity. Finally, it falls to the chip collecting unit 29 arranged on the front side of the floor surface 28 and is collected.

A turret 22 capable of holding a plurality of tools 26 is provided on the end face of the tool post 20 in the Z direction. The turret 22 has a polygonal shape in the Z-axis direction, and is rotatable about an axis parallel to the Z-axis. A plurality of tool mounting portions on which the tool 26 can be mounted are provided on the peripheral surface of the turret 22. Then, by rotating the turret 22, the tool 26 used for machining can be changed.

A robot 30 is further provided in the processing chamber 16. The robot 30 assists in processing the work. For example, the robot 30 senses various physical quantities (for example, temperature, distance, etc.), conveys an article (for example, a work, a tool 26, etc.), and performs additional processing on the work (for example, welding, laminated molding, etc.). Or give. The specific configuration of the robot 30 will be described later, but by providing the robot 30 in the processing chamber 16, the quality and efficiency of processing the work can be further improved.

However, when the robot 30 is provided in the machining chamber 16, the robot 30 is located in the vicinity of the machining point even during the period in which the workpiece is being machined. In this case, chips scattered in the processing chamber 16 due to the cutting process may collide with the robot 30. Then, when the chips collide with the robot 30, the robot 30 may be injured, or the chips may invade the joint 46 of the robot 30 and hinder the normal driving of the robot 30.

Therefore, the machine tool 10 of this example is equipped with a robot protection structure that protects the robot 30 from chips and cutting oil. Hereinafter, this robot protection structure will be described.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram around the robot 30. Prior to the description of the robot protection structure, the robot 30 to be protected will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the robot 30 has a robot main body 40 which is an articulated robot and an end effector 42 which can be attached to and detached from the robot main body 40. The robot body 40 is a serial manipulator type articulated robot in which a plurality of links 44a to 44d are connected in a row via a plurality of joints 46a to 46d. In the following, unless a specific link is indicated, the subscript alphabets a to d are omitted and referred to as "link 44". The same applies to the joint 46.

The robot body 40 is fixed to the wall surface of the processing chamber 16 and its position is unchanged. On the other hand, the posture of the robot 30 can be appropriately changed by driving the joint 46. In this example, the robot body 40 has four joints, and among these four joints, the joint 46a on the most proximal side is a rotation joint that rotates around an axis parallel to the axis of the link 44a. .. Further, the remaining three joints 46b to 46d are rotary joints that rotate about an axis orthogonal to the axis of the links 44b to 44d. However, the configuration of the joint 46 and the number of the joint 46 and the link 44 may be changed as appropriate. An actuator (not shown) having a motor or the like is attached to each joint 46, and each joint 46 rotates or rotates by driving the actuator. The drive of the actuator is controlled by the controller 32. The controller 32 calculates the positions of the end effector 42 and the connecting portion 50, which will be described later, from the driving amount of the actuator provided in each joint 46.

A connection portion 48 is provided at the tip of the robot body 40. The end effector 42 is attached to and detached from the robot body 40 via the connection portion 48. The end effector 42 is an element for working on an object, and its specific configuration is not particularly limited. Therefore, the end effector 42 may be one that exerts a mechanical action, for example, a gripper or an suction device that mechanically holds the object, a roller that presses the object, or the like. Further, the end effector 42 may be something that senses something, for example, a contact sensor that detects the presence or absence of contact with an object, or a sensor that measures a physical quantity (for example, temperature, distance, etc.) of the object. Further, the end effector 42 may be an auxiliary processing device that performs prior or additional processing on the work, for example, a welding nozzle, a laminated modeling device, or the like. Further, the end effector 42 may be a camera that captures an object. A plurality of types of such end effectors 42 are prepared in advance, and the end effectors 42 attached to the robot 30 are replaced according to the progress of processing.

The controller 32 controls the drive of the robot 30. The controller 32 is a computer that physically has a processor 32a that performs various operations and a memory 32b that stores various control programs and control parameters. The controller 32 may be the controller of the machine tool 10, the so-called numerical control device itself, or a computer provided separately from the numerical control device. In any case, the controller 32 manages the progress of machining on the machine tool 10 and controls the drive of the robot 30 so that the robot 30 takes a protective posture described later when chips are scattered. ..

In order to protect the robot 30 from chips and the like, a protective shield 60 is provided in the processing chamber 16, and a connecting portion 50 that can be connected to the protective shield 60 is fixed to the robot 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 50 is an intermediate portion extending from a terminal link 44d in a direction substantially orthogonal to the link 44d and an intermediate portion extending from the tip of the root portion 50a in a direction substantially orthogonal to the root portion 50a. It is a metal fitting having a substantially J-shaped cross section having a portion 50b and a return portion 50c extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the intermediate portion 50b from the tip of the intermediate portion 50b.

The protective shield 60 intervenes between the source of the chips (usually the processing point) and the robot 30 during the period in which chips are generated due to the cutting of the work, and reaches the robot 30 of the chips. It is a member that inhibits. In this example, the protective shield 60 is a substantially plate-shaped member having sufficient shape retention. The material of the protective shield 60 is not particularly limited as long as it has a strength such that holes are not opened even if chips collide with it. However, as will be described later, the robot 30 largely moves the protective shield 60. Therefore, the protective shield 60 is made of a relatively lightweight material, for example, resin. With such a configuration, the load on the robot 30 when moving the protective shield 60 can be reduced.

The main body 62 of the protective shield 60 has a substantially plate shape, and a passage hole 66 through which the connecting portion 50 can pass is formed in the vicinity of the lower end of the main body 62. Hereinafter, of the main body 62, the surface facing the wall surface in the stored state is referred to as “back surface”, and the surface facing the robot 30 side is referred to as “front surface”. A clip 70 is provided on the back surface of the protective shield 60 at a position slightly above the passage hole 66. The clip 70 functions as a locking mechanism 68 for maintaining the connected state between the connecting portion 50 and the protective shield 60 regardless of the direction of gravity.

6 and 7 are enlarged views of the periphery of the clip 70. The clip 70 has a swing piece 72 and a spring 76 that urges the swing piece 72 in one direction. The swing piece 72 can swing around a swing shaft 74 parallel to the horizontal direction. The lower end of the rocking piece 72 is an arc portion 72a curved on a substantially arc. One end of the spring 76 is connected to the main body 62 and the other end is connected to the upper end of the swing piece 72, and the swing piece 72 is urged in a direction in which the arc portion 72a abuts on the main body 62.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the return portion 50c of the connecting portion 50 is inserted between the arc portion 72a and the main body 62, the return portion 50c is sandwiched and held between the swing piece 72 and the main body 62. .. The urging force of the spring 76 is such that the return portion 50c can be sandwiched between the swing piece 72 and the main body 62 even when the directions of the protective shield 60 and the connecting portion 50 are changed and gravity acts on the paper surface in FIG. It is the size.

The explanation will be continued with reference to FIG. 2 again. The protective shield 60 is stored in the storage area 80 during the period when it is not attached to the robot 30. The storage area 80 is provided within an accessible range of the robot 30. In this example, the recess formed in the wall surface to which the robot 30 is fixed functions as the storage area 80. In other words, the storage area 80 is provided in the processing chamber 16. Therefore, when the robot 30 accesses the protective shield 60 stored in the storage area 80, it is not necessary to open the door 14, and the safety of the operator outside the processing chamber 16 can be ensured more reliably.

A hook portion 64 folded back in a substantially J shape is formed at the upper end of the protective shield 60. A wall-side hook 82 on which the hook portion 64 is hooked is provided on the wall surface of the storage area 80. The protective shield 60 is stored in a state of being suspended from the wall-side hook 82. Further, a stopper 84 is provided on the upper side of the wall-side hook 82. The stopper 84 is a fixing member protruding from the wall surface, and is a member to which a part of the protective shield 60 is in contact.

Next, the operation when protecting the robot 30 from chips will be described. During the period when the robot 30 does not need to be protected from chips, that is, during the period when no cutting is performed, the protective shield 60 is stored in the storage area 80 in a suspended state as shown in FIG. There is. When the cutting process is started, the controller 32 drives the robot 30 to attach the protective shield 60 to the robot 30.

The attachment of the protective shield 60 to the robot 30 is realized by changing the posture of the robot 30 and moving the connecting portion 50 with respect to the protective shield 60. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the posture of the robot 30 is changed and the connecting portion 50 is inserted into the passage hole 66. After that, the connecting portion 50 is moved upward until the upper end of the return portion 50c is above the upper edge of the passage hole 66, and then the connecting portion 50c comes into contact with the back surface of the main body 62 of the protective shield 60. Move 50 horizontally. When the return portion 50c comes into contact with the back surface of the main body 62, the connecting portion 50 is moved upward in that state. As a result, the upper end of the return portion 50c comes into contact with the lower end of the swing piece 72 of the clip 70. In this state, when the connecting portion 50 is further moved upward, the protective shield 60 is lifted, and as shown in FIG. 4, the upper end of the protective shield 60 comes into contact with the stopper 84. When the connecting portion 50 is further moved upward in this state, the return portion 50c enters between the swing piece 72 of the clip 70 and the main body 62 of the protective shield 60. That is, the return portion 50c is held by the clip 70. Since the urging force of the spring 76 of the clip 70 is sufficiently larger than the force of gravity acting on the protective shield 60, in this state, the connection between the connecting portion 50 and the protective shield 60 is maintained regardless of the direction of gravity. Will be done.

Here, as is clear from the above description, the protective shield 60 is not provided with an actuator having a power source, and the robot 30 changes its posture in the mounting process for mounting the protective shield 60 on the robot 30. It is realized by doing. Therefore, according to this example, it is not necessary to provide an electric wiring or a power source to the protective shield 60, and the protective shield 60 can be made a lightweight and simple configuration.

When the connecting portion 50 and the protective shield 60 are connected, that is, when the protective shield 60 is attached to the robot 30, the robot 30 takes a protective posture toward the source of the chips 86. Specifically, the robot 30 rotates the end joint 46d 180 degrees from the state of FIG. 4 in which the mounting process is completed, and directs the protective shield 60 toward the source of the chips 86, that is, the processing point. Take a protective posture.

Here, the protective shield 60 is set to a size that can cover the entire robot 30 in the protective posture. Specifically, when the robot 30 takes a protective posture, the upper end of the protective shield 60 is higher than the upper end of the robot 30, and the lower end of the protective shield 60 is lower than the lower end of the robot 30. Further, the width of the protective shield 60 is larger than the width of the robot 30. Therefore, the chips 86 scattered from the processing point come into contact with the protective shield 60 before reaching the robot 30. As a result, the robot 30 can be effectively protected from chips 86.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, in this example, when the robot 30 takes a protective posture, the protective shield 60 stands in a substantially vertical direction. In other words, in the protective posture, the protective shield 60 is tilted with respect to the horizontal. Therefore, the chips 86 that come into contact with the protective shield 60 naturally fall downward due to gravity and are collected by the chip collecting unit 29.

When the generation of chips 86 is stopped, that is, the cutting process is stopped, the robot 30 executes a storage process of removing the protective shield 60 from the robot 30 and storing it in the storage area 80. Specifically, the end joint 46d is rotated 180 degrees to direct the protective shield 60 toward the storage area 80. Then, with the hook portion 64 of the protective shield 60 hooked on the wall-side hook 82, the connecting portion 50 is moved downward. As a result, the return portion 50c slides through the clip 70, and the connection between the connecting portion 50 and the protective shield 60 is released. Finally, when the robot 30 pulls out the connecting portion 50 from the passing hole 66, the storage process is completed.

As is clear from the above description, in this example, the protective shield 60 is attached to and detached from the robot 30, and the protective shield 60 is attached to the robot 30 only when necessary. With such a configuration, the robot 30 can be protected from the chips 86 during the generation period of the chips 86. Further, since the protective shield 60 is relatively large, it is difficult to smoothly perform various operations by the end effector 42 when the protective shield 60 is attached. However, according to this example, the protective shield 60 is used as necessary. The protective shield 60 can be removed. Therefore, according to this example, various operations by the end effector 42 can be performed more smoothly. Further, in this example, the protective shield 60 is not provided with an actuator, and the robot 30 and the protective shield 60 are connected by utilizing the posture change of the robot 30. As a result, the configuration of the protective shield 60 can be made lightweight and simple.

The configuration described so far is an example, and at least the robot 30 has a removable protective shield 60, and by changing the posture of the robot 30, the mounting process and the storage process can be realized. For example, other configurations may be changed as appropriate. For example, in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 50 is fixed to the link 44d at the end, and the joint 46 is not present between the connecting portion 50 and the end effector 42. However, as shown in FIG. 8, one or more joints 46e can be interposed between the end effector 42 and the connecting portion 50, and the relative position and posture relationship between the end effector 42 and the connecting portion 50 can be changed. You may do so. With such a configuration, the end effector 42 can be changed to a position and posture that does not interfere with the attachment / detachment when the protective shield 60 is attached / detached, and when the work is performed using the end effector 42, the connecting portion is formed. 50 can be changed to a position and posture that does not interfere with the work.

Further, in FIG. 2, the joint 46d immediately before the connecting portion 50 is a rotary joint that rotates about an axis substantially orthogonal to the link 44. However, as shown in FIG. 9, the joint 46e immediately before the connecting portion 50 may be a rotating joint that rotates about an axis parallel to the link 44. With such a configuration, the protective shield 60 can be changed from the state stored in the storage area 80 to the state facing the source of the chips 86 without turning the protective shield 60 upside down.

Further, in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 50 is provided on the front side of the connecting portion 48, and the connecting portion 50 remains in the robot main body 40 even when the end effector 42 is detached from the robot main body 40. However, as shown in FIG. 9, the connecting portion 50 may be fixed to the end effector 42.

Further, the configurations of the connecting portion 50 and the locking mechanism 68 may be changed as appropriate. For example, in FIG. 2, the clip 70 is provided on the back surface side of the protective shield 60, but as shown in FIG. 10, the clip 70 may be provided on the front surface side of the protective shield 60. With such a configuration, the passage hole 66 of the protective shield 60 can be eliminated. Since there is no passage hole 66, the chips 86 that reach the robot 30 through the passage hole 66 can be eliminated, and the robot 30 can be protected more reliably.

Further, the lock mechanism 68 is not limited to the clip 70 using the spring 76, and may be another mechanism. For example, the locking mechanism 68 may utilize magnetic force. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, a magnetic body 52 is provided in the connecting portion 50 and a magnet 78 is provided in the protective shield 60, and the connecting portion 50 and the protective shield 60 are connected by utilizing the magnetic attraction generated between the two. The state may be maintained. Further, as another form, a hook-and-loop fastener may be provided on the connecting portion 50 and the protective shield 60, and the connecting force of the hook-and-loop fastener may be used to maintain the connected state between the connecting portion 50 and the protective shield 60. Further, as another form, the frictional force may be used to maintain the connected state between the connecting portion 50 and the protective shield 60. For example, a tapered protrusion is provided at the tip of the connecting portion 50, and a hole into which the protrusion is press-fitted is provided in the protective shield 60, and the frictional force generated between the protrusion and the hole protects the connecting portion 50. The state of connection with the shield 60 may be maintained. In this case, a high friction material such as rubber may be provided on at least one of the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion and the inner peripheral surface of the hole.

Further, the shape and configuration of the protective shield 60 may be changed as appropriate. For example, the protective shield 60 may not be able to cover the entire robot 30 if it can cover at least a part of the robot 30. Further, a part of the protective shield 60 may be made of a flexible sheet that does not have shape retention. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the protective shield 60 may have a plate-shaped main body 62 having a shape-retaining property, and a flexible sheet portion 81 hanging below the main body 62.

Further, in the description so far, the storage area 80 is provided on the same wall surface as the wall surface on which the robot 30 is installed, but the storage area 80 is provided in another place as long as it is within the accessible range of the robot 30. You may. Therefore, the storage area 80 may be provided outside the processing chamber 16. Further, the storage area 80 may be provided on a wall surface different from the wall surface on which the robot 30 is installed. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the robot 30 may be fixed to the top surface of the processing chamber 16 and the storage area 80 may be provided on the side surface of the processing chamber 16. In this case, since the source of the chips 86 is located below the robot 30, the robot 30 faces the protective shield 60 downward in the protective posture.

Further, the storage form of the protective shield 60 may be changed as appropriate. For example, the protective shield 60 may be stored in a state of being placed on a predetermined mounting table instead of being stored in a suspended state. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, a mounting table 90 for the protective shield 60 may be provided in the storage area 80, and the protective shield 60 may be placed on the mounting table 90. Further, in the description so far, the robot 30 is fixed to the wall surface, but the robot 30 may be movable. For example, the robot 30 may have a dedicated moving mechanism, or may be installed on another moving body (for example, a tool post 20 or the like). Further, the form of the robot 30 may be appropriately changed, and another form of the robot 30, for example, a parallel link robot or the like may be adopted.

10 Machine tools, 12 covers, 14 doors, 16 machining chambers, 18 work spindles, 20 tool post, 22 turrets, 24 chucks, 26 tools, 28 floors, 29 chip collectors, 30 robots, 32 controllers, 40 robot bodies , 42 end effector, 44 link, 46 joint, 48 connection part, 50 connection part, 52 magnetic material, 60 protective shield, 62 main body, 64 hook part, 66 passage hole, 68 lock mechanism, 70 clip, 72 rocking piece, 74 Swing shaft, 76 Spring, 78 Magnet, 80 Storage area, 81 Seat, 82 Wall side hook, 84 Stopper, 86 Chips, 90 Stand.

Claims (7)

Robots installed in the processing room of machine tools and
A protective shield that can be attached to and detached from the robot,
A storage area provided within the accessible range of the robot and in which the protective shield removed from the robot is stored.
By changing the posture of the robot, the protective shield is taken out from the storage area and attached to the robot, and the protective shield is removed from the robot and stored in the storage area. Storage processing,
When the chips are generated, the robot takes a protective posture in which the attached protective shield is directed toward the source of the chips.
A robot protection structure characterized by that. The robot protection structure according to claim 1.
The robot
The robot body, which is an articulated robot in which two or more links are connected via joints,
An end effector that can be attached to and detached from the robot body,
The connecting part connected to the protective shield and
The connecting portion is provided at a position where the end effector remains in the robot body even when the end effector is detached from the robot body.
A robot protection structure characterized by that. The robot protection structure according to claim 2.
One or more joints are interposed between the connecting portion and the end effector.
The relative position and orientation of the connecting portion and the end effector can be changed.
A robot protection structure characterized by that. The robot protection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The protective shield is a robot protective structure comprising a locking mechanism for maintaining a connected state between the connecting portion and the protective shield regardless of the direction of gravity. The robot protection structure according to claim 4.
The lock mechanism is a robot protection structure characterized in that the connected state is maintained by utilizing at least one of a spring force, a magnetic force, and a frictional force. The robot protection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
The protective shield is a robot protective structure characterized in that, in the protective posture, chips colliding with the protective shield can fall on the floor surface of the processing chamber. The robot protection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The protective shield is a robot protective structure having a size that covers the entire robot in the protective posture.

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