JP2640781B2 - Industrial robot tool holder - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a tool holder for an industrial robot capable of position and attitude control.

2. Description of the Related Art With the expanding use of industrial robots, the types and shapes of tools attached to the end of the robot have also increased, and holders for holding those tools are required to be adjustable in position and orientation. I have.

FIG. 3 shows an example of such a conventional tool holder. In FIG. 3, 1 is a robot tip axis, 2
Is a fixed shaft attached to the robot tip shaft 1, and 3 is the first
Reference numeral 4 denotes a second link, reference numeral 5 denotes a tool mount, and reference numeral 6 denotes a welding torch as a tool.

The first link 3 has a mounting hole 7 formed at one end thereof rotatably fitted to the fixed shaft 2.
Is fixed by One end of the second link 4 is rotatably fitted in a mounting hole 9 formed in the other end of the first link 3, and is fixed by a bolt 10 after position adjustment. The other end of the second link 4 is rotatably fitted in a mounting hole 11 formed in one end of the tool mounting base, and is fixed by a bolt 12 after position adjustment. The welding torch 6 is fixed after position adjustment by bakelite blocks 13 and 14 provided at the other end of the tool mount 5.

As described above, the conventional tool holder forms a link with a plurality of components, and joints the joints of the links so as to be able to rotate and / or go straight, thereby enabling the position and posture adjustment of the tool, and after the position and posture adjustment. In this case, the joint of each link is fixed to each joint by bolts.

However, in such a conventional tool holder,
Since fixing is performed for each joint, the position often shifts during fixing, and since there are a plurality of fixing portions, there is a problem that it takes time to adjust and fix. Further, in the conventional tool holder, it is necessary to use a large fixing bolt in order to perform robust fixing, so that the holding tool itself becomes large and a large force is required for fastening the fixing bolt.

An object of the present invention is to solve such a conventional problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tool holder that can easily, accurately and quickly fix and fix a tool.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tool holder that can hold a rigid tool with a relatively small force by reducing the size of the holder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a fluid closed passage provided in communication with each other inside a plurality of links having a rotatable or slidable joint, in order to achieve the above object, A fixing cylinder provided in communication with the closed passage and containing a fixing piston for pressing and fixing the joint, and a pressurizing fluid provided in the closed passage provided in communication with the closed passage. And a fixing cylinder containing the pressurizing piston.
The effective cross-sectional area of the pressurizing piston is smaller than the effective cross-sectional area of the fixing piston.

Operation Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, when the pressurizing piston is operated to pressurize the fluid in the closed passage, the fixing piston presses the joint portion via the fluid, and the joint portion is formed at once. Fixed in a short time. Further, since the effective cross-sectional area of the fixing piston is larger than the effective cross-sectional area of the pressurizing piston, the joint can be reliably fixed with a relatively small force.

Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an entire configuration of a tool holder according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 11 is a robot tip shaft, 12 is a first fixed shaft attached to the robot tip shaft 11, 13 is a first link, 14 is a second link, 15 is a tool mount, and 16 is a welding tool. It is a torch.

The first link 13 has a mounting hole 17 formed at one end thereof rotatably fitted to the first fixed shaft 12.
A second fixed shaft 18 is attached to the other end of the shaft. A mounting hole 19 formed at one end of the second link 14 is rotatably fitted to the second fixed shaft 18. A third fixed shaft 20 is attached to the other end of the second link 14, and a mounting hole 21 formed at one end of the tool fixing base 15 is rotatably fitted to the third fixed shaft 20. doing. The welding torch 16 is sandwiched and fixed by bakelite blocks 22 and 23 provided at the other end of the tool mount 15.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. First link
A first closed passage 24 is formed in 13, and a second closed passage 25 is formed in the second link 14. The two closed passages 24 and 25 communicate with each other by a communication passage 26 formed at the center of the fixed shaft 18 connecting the first link 13 and the second link 14, and the inside is filled with an incompressible fluid. .

The first closed passage 24 in the first link 13 communicates with a first fixing cylinder 27 formed so that the other end is opened to the mounting hole 17 for the first fixed shaft 12. In the first fixing cylinder 27, a first fixing piston 28 for pressing the first fixed shaft 12 is slidably accommodated. 1st closed passage
A pressurizing cylinder 29 having a smaller diameter than the first fixing cylinder 27 communicates with the pressurizing cylinder 27, and a pressurizing piston 30 is slidably accommodated in the pressurizing cylinder 29. The other end of the pressurizing piston 30 can be pressed from outside by a set bolt 31.

On the other hand, a second fixed shaft is provided in the second closed passage 25 of the second link 14.
A second fixing cylinder 32 formed such that one end thereof is open to the mounting hole 19 for 18 communicates with the second fixing cylinder 32 for pressing the second fixed shaft 18. The second fixing piston 33 is slidably accommodated. Second
The closed passage 25 is also connected to the second link 14 via the third fixed shaft 20.
For pressing the tool mount 15 attached to the tool
The fixing cylinder 34 is in communication, and a third fixing piston 35 is slidably accommodated in the third fixing cylinder 34. Both the second and third fixing cylinders 32 and 34 are formed to have a larger diameter than the pressurizing cylinder 29, and therefore the second and third fixing pistons 33 and 35 are also formed to have a larger diameter than the pressurizing piston 30. ing.

Next, the operation of the tool holder will be described. The first, second, and third fixed shafts 12, 18, and 20 have respective mounting holes.
Since it is rotatably fitted to 17, 19 and 21, each link 1
By appropriately adjusting the mutual angular relationship between 3, 14 and the tool mount 15, it is possible to adjust the position and posture suitable for welding using the welding torch 16. When this adjustment is completed, turning the set bolt 31 to press the pressurizing piston 30 causes the closed passage 24 via the communication passage 26,
The incompressible fluid in 25 is pressurized to press the first fixing piston 28, the second fixing piston 33, and the third fixing piston 35, respectively. As a result, the first fixing piston 28
Presses the first fixed shaft 12 to fix the first link 13 to the first fixed shaft 12 of the robot distal end shaft 11, and the second fixing piston 33
Presses the second fixed shaft 18 to connect the second link 14 to the first link
13 and the third fixing piston 35 is attached to the tool mount 15
To fix the tool mount 15 to the second link 14.

Thus, according to this embodiment, only the set bolt
By simply turning 31, all the link joints are fixed in a short time at once. Further, since the effective sectional area of each of the first, second, and third fixing pistons 28, 33, and 35 is larger than the effective sectional area of the pressurizing piston 30, turning the set bolt 31 causes A pressing force that is twice the area ratio of the first, second, and third fixing pistons 28, 33, and 35 with respect to 30 is obtained.
Each link joint can be firmly fixed with a relatively small force.

In the above-described embodiment, the opposite corners are used for each link joint. However, this may be a straight-ahead corner or a cylindrical-a-corner that can go straight while rotating. The same operation and effect as described above can be obtained.

Advantageous Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, a closed passage for fluid provided in communication with each other inside a plurality of links having a rotatable or slidable joint, A fixing cylinder containing a fixing piston provided in communication with the closed passage and pressing and fixing the joint, and a pressurizing fluid provided in the closed passage provided in communication with the closed passage. Since a pressurizing cylinder containing a pressurizing piston is provided, when the pressurizing piston is actuated to pressurize the fluid in the closed passage, the fixing piston is pressurized at the joint via this fluid, and the joint is pressurized. The part can be fixed easily and accurately in a short time. Further, by making the effective sectional area of the pressurizing piston smaller than the effective sectional area of the fixing piston, the joint can be firmly fixed with a relatively small force.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is a front view of a tool holder of an industrial robot showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing an example of a tool holder of a conventional industrial robot. 11 ... Robot tip axis, 12 ... First fixed axis, 13 ... First
Link, 14… Second link, 15… Tool mounting base, 16…
... welding torch (tool), 17, 19, 21 ... mounting holes, 18 ...
... Second fixed shaft, 20 ... Third fixed shaft, 22, 23 ... Bakelite block, 24 ... First closed passage, 25 ... Second closed passage,
26 communication passage, 27 first fixing cylinder, 28 first
Fixing piston, 29 ... Pressurizing cylinder, 30 ... Pressurizing piston, 31 ... Set bolt, 32 ... Second fixing cylinder, 33 ... Second fixing piston, 34 ... Third fixing cylinder , 35 ... The third fixing piston.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A closed passage for fluid provided in communication with a plurality of links having a joint portion rotatable and / or rectilinear, and a joint provided in communication with the closed passage to connect the fluid to the closed passage. A fixing cylinder containing a fixing piston for pressing and fixing, and a pressurizing cylinder containing a pressurizing piston that is provided in communication with the closed passage and pressurizes a fluid filled in the closed passage. Tool holder for industrial robots equipped with. 2. The tool holder for an industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein the effective sectional area of the fixing piston is larger than the effective sectional area of the pressurizing piston.