JP2023169378A - Robot and fingertip member for robot - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a robot in which two action parts respectively applying different actions relative to an object can be flexibly switched by a simple mechanism, and in which alignment of each action part with respect to the object can be easily and reliably performed.SOLUTION: Provided is a robot that comprises a rod member, a first action part, and a second action part. The rod member is capable of displacing its position and/or attitude within a predetermined space. The first action part is disposed at one end of the rod member, and capable of applying a first action to the object. The second action part is disposed at the other end of the rod member, and capable of applying a second action that is different from the first action to the object. In the robot, one of the first and the second action parts facing the object can be changed over to the other action part by rotating the rod member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a robot that automatically performs work. The present invention also relates to a robot hand member that is a component of a robot.

Generally, in a robot that performs work automatically, an end effector configured to be able to apply a desired action to an object is provided at the tip of the robot arm, as described in Patent Document 1, etc. By operating the arm in multiple axes, the position and posture of the end effector relative to the object can be freely controlled.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-174481

In conventional robots, in response to changes in the work to be performed by the robot, it is necessary to replace the robot with an end effector suitable for each work, or to operate a separate robot for each type of work. For this reason, there were problems such as poor overall work efficiency and increased equipment costs.

Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a plurality of end effectors having different functions in advance at the tip of the robot hand, and to selectively use the end effectors depending on the type of work. In this case, each end effector as an action part can be flexibly switched with the simplest possible mechanism relative to the target object, and the position of each end effector with respect to the target object can be easily and reliably adjusted. It is preferable to configure

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and each of the two action parts that can add different actions to the object can be flexibly switched by a simple mechanism, and each action can be switched flexibly by a simple mechanism. It is an object of the present invention to provide a robot that can easily and reliably align a part to an object.

According to the present invention, the robot includes a rod member, a first action part, and a second action part, and the rod member has a position and/or position within a predetermined space. The first acting part is provided at one end of the rod member and is configured to be able to apply a first action to the object, and the second acting part is configured to be able to change its posture. , is provided at the other end of the rod member and is configured to be able to apply a second action different from the first action to the object, and when the rod member rotates, the action is applied to the object. A robot is provided that is configured to be able to switch one of the first and second action parts facing an object to the other.

According to the robot according to the present invention, one of the first and second acting parts facing the object can be switched to the other by rotating the rod member, so that switching of the acting parts is easy. This has the advantageous effect of being able to be carried out flexibly, and the positioning of each action section to the object can be easily and reliably performed.

1 is a simplified explanatory diagram of a robot according to the present invention. FIG. 2A is an overall perspective view of a robot hand member according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the same. FIG. 3A is an overall perspective view of a robot hand member according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a side view of the same. FIG. 4A is an overall perspective view of a robot hand member according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a side view of the same. FIG. 5A is an overall perspective view of a robot hand member according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5B is a side view of the same.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1. Basic Configuration First, the basic configuration of a robot 1 according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, a robot 1 according to the present invention includes a robot arm 2 and a robot hand member 3 configured to be attachable to the robot arm 2.

The robot arm 2 is a well-known multi-joint (multi-axis) robot arm, and can freely displace its tip 2a three-dimensionally under automatic control by the control device 4. A robot hand member 3 is attached to the tip 2a of the robot arm 2. This robot hand member 3 is also automatically controlled by the control device 4 similarly to the robot arm 2.

The robot hand member 3 includes an attachment part 5 to the robot arm 2, a rod member 6, a first action part 7, and a second action part 8. The robot hand member 3 is attached to the robot arm 2 by an attachment part 5. The specific configuration of the attachment portion 5 is arbitrary.

The rod member 6 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the attachment portion 5. That is, a motor 9 serving as a rotational drive source for the rod member 6 is fixed to the mounting portion 5, and the rod member 6 is disposed on an output shaft 9a of the motor 9. The rod member 6 includes a rod body 10 that extends linearly. An output shaft 9a of the motor 9 is fixed at a position approximately half the length of the rod body 10. A first acting portion 7 is provided at one end 10a of the rod body 10, and a second acting portion 8 is provided at the other end 10b.

The first action section 7 is configured to be able to apply a first action to the object A, and the second action section 8 is configured to apply a second action to the object A that is different from the first action. Constructed so that actions can be added. Specific examples of the first action part 7 and the second action part 8 include a spindle part for rotationally driving a tool for performing a predetermined work on the object A, a spindle part for gripping the object A, Examples include a gripper hand section, a sensor section of an appropriate type such as a laser type or a camera type for acquiring information regarding the object A, and the like. Here, the information regarding the object A includes, for example, the presence or absence of the object A, the position of the object A, the properties and shape of the object A, etc. Refers to at least one piece of useful information.

In the present invention, by rotating the rod member 6, one of the first and second action parts 7 and 8 facing the object A can be switched to the other. Specifically, the rod member 6 is rotated 180 degrees from the state where one of the first and second action parts 7, 8 faces the object A [the state shown in FIG. 1A], so that the first and second action parts 7, 8 are The other of the second acting parts 7, 8 can be switched to the state [the state shown in FIG. 1B] facing the object A, and such switching of the acting parts 7, 8 can be carried out in a timely manner as necessary. It is possible to perform work on object A while

According to the present embodiment, by rotating the rod member 6, one of the first and second acting parts 7 and 8 facing the object A can be switched to the other, so that the acting part 7, 8 can be flexibly switched by a simple mechanism, and the positioning of each action section 7, 8 with respect to the object A can be easily and reliably performed. In particular, since the rod member 6 includes a rod body 10 that extends linearly, and the rod body 10 rotates 180 degrees to switch between the operating parts 7 and 8, the overall maneuverability is further increased. .

2. Specific Aspects Next, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. In FIGS. 2 to 5, members or elements that are the same or equivalent to those in FIG. Similarly, in FIGS. 2 to 5, members or elements that are the same or equivalent to each other are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanation will be omitted.

In each of the robot hand members 3-2 to 3-5 shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the attachment portion 5 to the robot arm is formed as a bifurcated portion, and the rotational movement of the rod member 6 is attached to the base portion 5a of the bifurcated portion. A motor 9 is provided as a drive source.

Further, the robot hand members 3-2 to 3-5 shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 differ from those shown in FIG. 1 in terms of the specific structure of the rod member 6. That is, in the robot hand members 3-2 to 3-5 shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the rod member 6 includes a first bracket 11 and a second bracket 12 in addition to the linearly extending rod body 10. And, it further includes.

The first bracket 11 is formed at one end of the rod body 10, and the second bracket 12 is formed at the other end of the rod body 10. The first bracket 11 and the second bracket 12 extend from the rod body 10 in the same direction. The first action section 7 is supported by the first bracket 11, and the second action section 8 is supported by the second bracket 12.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the rod member 6 includes the first and second brackets 11 and 12, so these brackets are used to perform the first and second actions on the rod member 6. The parts 7 and 8 can be easily attached. Moreover, since the first and second brackets 11 and 12 that support the first and second action parts 7 and 8, respectively, extend in the same direction from the rod body 10, the rotation of the rod member 6 The alignment of the first and second action parts 7, 8 to the object A can be performed more easily and reliably.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 5, the first bracket 11 and the second bracket 12 are formed at right angles to the rod body 10, and the first and second acting parts 7, 8 are located on the same axis X. Thereby, by rotating the rod member by 180 degrees, one of the first and second action parts 7 and 8 facing the object A can be always switched to the other. Therefore, the switching of the action parts 7, 8 and the alignment of the action parts 7, 8 to the object A can be performed even more easily and flexibly.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes a spindle part 13 as a first action part and a laser sensor part 14 as a second action part. The spindle section 13 has a known configuration per se, and rotates a tool (not shown) that performs a predetermined operation on the object A. Various types of tools can be attached to the output shaft 13a of the spindle portion 13 and used. In the example of FIG. 2, the spindle unit 13 includes a casing 13b that houses a rotation mechanism for the output shaft 13a, and a motor 13c that is fixed to the casing 13b and rotationally drives the output shaft 13a, and these are integrated. It is attached to the first bracket 11 in a state where it is held in place. The casing 13b and the output shaft drive motor 13c are located on the same axis X, and the first and second brackets 11, 12 are arranged so as to fit within the contours of the first and second brackets 11, 12. It is located between 12. Therefore, the robot hand member 3-2 becomes compact and contributes to smooth rotation of the rod member 6.

The laser sensor section 14 has a known configuration per se, is disposed on the outer surface of the second bracket 12, and is rotatable about the axis X on the second bracket 12. The laser sensor section 14 includes a laser optical axis 14a and a laser sensor 14b, and is rotatable on the second bracket 12 about the laser optical axis 14a located on the axis X. Note that in addition to the laser sensor section 14, a contact type probe (not shown) may be provided.

The motor 14d that rotationally drives the laser sensor section 14 is disposed between the first bracket 11 and the second bracket 12 so as to fit within the contours of the first bracket 11 and the second bracket 12. . Therefore, the arrangement of the laser sensor drive motor 14d becomes compact, which contributes to smooth rotation of the rod member 6. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the laser sensor section drive motor 14d is disposed between the rod body 10 and the spindle section 13. Although not shown in the drawings, a transmission section that drives and connects the laser sensor section drive motor 14d and the laser sensor section 13 is housed within the second bracket 12.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, information regarding the object A obtained by the laser sensor section 14 is obtained by performing work while rotating the rod member 6 and switching between the spindle section 13 and the laser sensor section 14 as appropriate. It is possible to proceed with the work using the spindle section 13 while taking advantage of the above.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 includes a spindle part 13 as a first action part as in FIG. 2, and a camera sensor part 15 as a second action part. The camera sensor section 15 has a known configuration per se, and is disposed on the outer surface of the second bracket 12. On the rod member 6, the spindle part 13 and the camera sensor part 15 are located on the same axis X.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 as well, by rotating the rod member 6 and performing work while appropriately switching between the spindle section 13 and the camera sensor section 15, information regarding the object A obtained by the camera sensor section 15 can be obtained. The work using the spindle unit 13 can be carried out while making the most of the work.

Note that in the embodiment of FIG. 3, unlike the embodiment of FIG. 2, a motor for rotationally driving the sensor section 15 is not required. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 3, the lengths of the first and second brackets 11 and 12 are formed shorter than those of FIG. 2.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 includes a gripper hand section 16 as a first action section, and a camera sensor section 15 similar to that shown in FIG. 3 as a second action section. The gripper hand section 16 has a known configuration and integrally includes a pair of fingers 16a and 16b for gripping the object A, and a motor 16c for driving the fingers. The pair of fingers is a fixed finger 16a and a movable finger 16b, and the movable finger 16b grips or releases the grip on the object A by moving toward and away from the fixed finger 16a. The gripper hand portion 16 is disposed on the outer surface of the first bracket 11.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the length of the rod body 10 of the rod member 6 is formed shorter than that of the other embodiments, but the length of the rod body 10 of the rod member 6 is shorter than that of the other embodiments. It is also possible to have one.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 includes a spindle part 13 similar to that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as a first action part, and a gripper hand part 16 similar to that shown in FIG. 4 as a second action part. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the work is performed while rotating the rod member 6 and switching between the spindle part 13 and the gripper hand part 16 as necessary, thereby processing the object A and working with the object A. It is possible to quickly switch between tasks such as grasping and moving objects.

3. Effects According to such an embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

(1) By rotating the rod member, one of the first and second action parts facing the object can be switched to the other, so switching of the action parts can be done flexibly with a simple mechanism; In addition, each action section can be easily and reliably aligned with the object.

(2) Since the rod member includes a rod body that extends linearly, the overall maneuverability is further improved.

(3) Since the rod member includes the first and second brackets, the first and second action parts can be easily attached to the rod member using these brackets. Furthermore, since the first and second brackets that respectively support the first and second acting portions extend in the same direction with respect to the rod body, the first and second brackets that support the first and second acting portions, respectively, extend in the same direction with respect to the rod body. The positioning of the second action section can be performed more easily and reliably.

(4) By rotating the rod member 180 degrees, one of the first and second acting parts facing the object can be switched to the other at any time, so switching of the acting part and the effect of the acting part on the object Positioning can be performed more easily and flexibly.

(5) The drive source can be arranged in a compact manner, contributing to smooth rotation of the rod member.

(6) By rotating the rod member and switching between the first action part and the second action part as appropriate, the work can proceed while making use of the information about the object obtained by the sensor part. can.

(7) By attaching to the robot arm using the attachment part, the same effects as in (1) above can be achieved.

(8) By arranging the first action part and the second action part on the same axis, control points for operating the robot in the two end effectors can be located on the same axis. That is, the relationship between the positions and postures of the first action section and the second action section is minimized, and the coordinate transformation of the robot control point is facilitated. As a result, the orbit coordinate point of the first action part can be converted to the orbit coordinate point of the second action part. In addition, it is possible to reduce errors in position and orientation due to switching of control points and improve accuracy.

4. Conclusion In other words, the present invention includes a rod member, a first action part, and a second action part, and the rod member is configured to be able to displace its position and/or attitude within a predetermined space. The first action section is provided at one end of the rod member and is configured to be able to apply a first action to the object, and the second action section is provided at the other end of the rod member. and is configured to be able to apply a second action different from the first action to the object, and when the rod member rotates, the first and second actions facing the object are A robot configured to be able to switch one of the second action parts to the other is provided.

The robot arm also includes an attachment part to the robot arm, a rod member, a first action part, and a second action part, and the rod member is configured to be rotatable with respect to the attachment part, and the rod member is configured to be rotatable with respect to the attachment part, and The first action part is provided at one end of the rod member and is configured to be able to apply a first action to the object, and the second action part is provided at the other end of the rod member. and is configured to be capable of applying a second action different from the first action to the object, and the rotation of the rod member causes the first and second actions facing the object to be applied to the object. A robot hand member is provided that is configured to be able to switch one of the two acting parts to the other.

Finally, although various embodiments according to the present invention have been described, these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The new embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The embodiment and its modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, and are included within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

1 : Robot 2 : Robot arm 2a : Tip part 3 : Robot hand member 3-2 : Robot hand member 4 : Control device 5 : Mounting part 5a : Base part 6 : Rod member 7 : First action part 8 : First part 2 action part 9 : Motor 9a : Output shaft 10 : Rod body 10a : One end 10b : Other end 11 : First bracket 12 : Second bracket 13 : Spindle part 13a : Output shaft 13b : Casing 13c : Output shaft drive Motor 14: Laser sensor section 14a: Laser optical axis 14b: Laser sensor 14d: Laser sensor section drive motor 15: Sensor section 16: Gripper hand section 16a: Fixed finger 16b: Movable finger 16c: Motor

Claims (7)

Being a robot,
comprising a rod member, a first action part, and a second action part,
The rod member is configured to be able to change its position and/or attitude within a predetermined space,
The first acting part is
provided at one end of the rod member, and
configured to be able to apply a first action to the object,
The second action part is
provided at the other end of the rod member, and
configured to be able to apply a second action different from the first action to the object,
The rod member is configured to be able to switch one of the first and second acting parts facing the object to the other by rotating the rod member.
robot. The robot according to claim 1,
the rod member includes a linearly extending rod body;
robot. The robot according to claim 2,
The rod member further includes a first bracket and a second bracket,
the first bracket is formed at one end of the rod body;
The second bracket is formed at the other end of the rod body so as to extend from the rod body in the same direction as the first bracket,
the first action part is supported by the first bracket,
the second action part is supported by the second bracket;
robot. The robot according to claim 3,
The first bracket and the second bracket are formed perpendicularly to the rod body, and the first acting part and the second acting part are located on the same axis.
robot. The robot according to claim 3 or 4,
The first bracket and the second bracket are connected so that the driving source of the first action part and/or the second action part is within the contours of the first bracket and the second bracket. placed between
robot. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
Either the first action section or the second action section is a sensor section for acquiring information regarding the object;
robot. A hand member for a robot,
comprising an attachment part to the robot arm, a rod member, a first action part, and a second action part,
The rod member is configured to be rotatable with respect to the mounting portion,
The first acting part is
provided at one end of the rod member, and
configured to be able to apply a first action to the object,
The second action part is
provided at the other end of the rod member, and
configured to be able to apply a second action different from the first action to the object,
The rod member is configured to be able to switch one of the first and second acting parts facing the object to the other by rotating the rod member.
Hand parts for robots.