JP2714696B2 - Tool holder for automatic tool changer - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tool holder for an automatic tool changer, and more particularly, to a remote tool such as a robot while exchanging tools using an automatic tool changer. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tool holder for an automatic tool changing device that holds an unused tool so that a robot can smoothly change a tool when performing an operation by a control device.

[Conventional technology]

Various types of tool holders for an automatic tool changer have been conventionally known. One example is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 8, a tool holder (1) is provided with an engaging portion (3) by cutting out the upper end of a flat plate-shaped main body (2) in a U-shape, and an engaging portion (1) on one side of the main body (2). Three engagement pieces (4) are attached along the periphery of 3). The tool holder (1) is fixed to an appropriate place in an upright state as shown in the figure. The tool unit (5) mounted on the tool holder (1) is formed by providing a tool mounting unit (7) and an adapter plate (8) on a tool side unit (6) of a known automatic tool changer. An arbitrary tool is attached to the tip of the tool attachment portion (7) by bolting or the like.

When placing the tool unit (5) on the tool holder (1), the tool unit (5) fixed to the robot arm is lowered from above the tool holder (1), and the adapter plate (8) is connected to each of the members. The tool side unit (6) is engaged with the engaging portion (3) while being inserted into the gap between the mating piece (4) and the main body (2). Then, the adapter plate (8) is locked and held by the engagement piece (4) and the main body (2), and the robot tool is separated from the tool unit (5) by operating the automatic tool changer there. It is.

When the tool unit (6) is reconnected to the robot arm, the robot side unit (not shown) of the automatic tool changer is connected to the tool side unit (6) from the lateral direction by the reverse process. If it is lifted upward as it is, it can be easily taken out from the tool holder (1).

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional tool holder (1), the adapter plate (8) is inserted into the gap between the main body (2) and the engagement piece (4). Is set slightly larger than the thickness of the adapter plate (8), and a so-called clearance is provided.
Therefore, the adapter plate (8) inserted into the gap does not adhere to both surfaces of the main body (2) and the engagement piece (4),
The tool unit (5) can swing up and down around the adapter plate (8) as a fulcrum, so that the position of the tool side unit (6) of the automatic tool changer is easily displaced. As a result, the position of the tool unit (5), especially the tool side unit (6) of the automatic tool changer, deviates from the teaching point of the robot, and when connecting with the robot arm, each unit of the automatic tool changer is changed. Connection parts may be damaged or connection may not be successful.

To avoid such a situation, the clearance may be reduced, but it is actually difficult because there is always an error in robot position control.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to set a large clearance so that there is no possibility that an error may occur in the operation of mounting the tool unit, and it is easy to teach the robot, and the mounted tool unit can be moved to a predetermined position without displacement. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool holder for an automatic tool changer, which can securely hold a tool and can accurately reconnect to an operation arm of a remote control device such as a robot.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tool holder for an automatic tool changer which does not require an actuator such as a cylinder and has a very simple structure.

[Means for solving the problem]

The technical measures taken by the present invention to achieve the above object are as follows.

A tool unit (30) comprising a tool (33) attached to a tool-side unit (31a) of an automatic tool changer via an adapter (32) is detachably held by an operation arm (34) of a remote control device. Holder for an automatic tool changer for a tool unit, comprising: a table (12); and an adapter (32) of the tool unit (30) provided on the table (12) so as to face each other and to be openable and closable. A pair of holding arms (14), and holding arm urging means (18) for urging the pair of holding arms (14) in a direction to open the pair of holding arms (14). The adapter (32) is closed by applying the weight of the tool unit (30) in the open state to close the holding arm (14) against the urging force of the holding arm urging means (18). Are configured to be clamped And it is characterized in and.

A base (11) on which the table (12) is placed can be provided, and the table (12) can be placed on the base (11) via a buffer spring (13).

The holding arm urging means has one end connected to the table (1
2) and a spring (18) having the other end connected to the holding arm (14). A weight is attached to the holding arm (14), and the weight is applied to the holding arm (14). The arm (14) may be configured to be biased.

The adapter (32) includes the holding arm (1).
A positioning projection (35) that engages with the holding arm (14) when held by (4) can be provided.

Further, a claw (24) is provided on one of the holding arm (14) and the adapter (32), and a hole (25) for engaging the claw (24) is provided on the other, so that the adapter (3) is provided.
When 2) is clamped by the holding arm (14), the claw (24) can be engaged with the hole (25) to position the adapter (32).

[Action]

As a result of taking the above measures, the adapter (32) of the tool unit (30) is brought into contact with the pair of holding arms (14) in an open state, and the weight of the adapter (32) is applied to the holding arm (14). ) Is closed and held, so that the clearance is very large, so that the tool unit (30) can be securely mounted on the holding arm (14), and there is no risk of error. Also, since the clearance is very large, teaching of the robot is easy.

After being separated from the robot arm (34), the entire weight of the tool unit (30) is added to the holding arm (14), so that the adapter (32) overcomes the urging force of the holding arm urging means and holds the holding arm. (14) firmly clamped. Therefore, the tool unit (30) can be reliably held at the predetermined position.

Also, since the adapter (32) is clamped by its own weight of the tool unit (30), the adapter (32) is automatically pressed just by placing the tool unit (30). Therefore, it is necessary to separately provide an actuator such as a cylinder. And the structure is extremely simple since no complicated components are required.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention, and a tool holder (10) for an automatic tool changer according to the present invention.
Is mounted on the base (11), which does not tip over due to the weight of the tool unit (30) held,
A table (12) is provided via 3). Table (1
2) is almost in the horizontal plane.

On the table (12), a pair of holding arm supports (16) are provided at intervals, and each holding arm support (16) is provided with a substantially V-shaped holding arm (14). It is attached to be able to swing opposite. In FIG. 1, the pair of holding arms (14) are in an open state in which the arc-shaped portions (14c) are directed obliquely upward, but if they are swung inward, the arc-shaped portions (14c) are substantially in the horizontal direction. Orientation and closure.

In this embodiment, the holding arm support (16) includes two support plates (16a) (16b) fixed to the table (12) at an interval in an upright state, and one support plate (16b) And a reinforcing plate (16c) fixed to the table (12). Each holding arm (14) is inserted into a gap between the two support plates (16a) (16b), and a support pin bridged between the two support plates (16a) (16b) in the vicinity of the bent portion. Supported by (15). Holding arm (14)
A bearing (22) is provided between the support plates (16a) (16b) and the support pin (15) in order to make the swinging motion of the device smooth.

A projection (14b) is provided downward near the bent portion of the holding arm (14), and one end of a tension spring (18) is connected to the projection (14b). Extension spring (18)
Is fixed to a projection (19) fixed to the table (12), and thus urges the holding arm (14) in a direction to always open. A stopper (17) is provided between the support plates (16a) and (16b) of each holding arm support (16), and the engaging portion (14a) of the holding arm (14) is provided on the stopper (17). Engagement prevents the holding arm (14) from swinging further outward than shown to open excessively.

A roller (20) is rotatably mounted on one (upper) end of the arc-shaped portion (14c) of each holding arm (14), and a chucking / fixing device is provided on the other (lower) end. Pad (21) is attached. The roller (20) abuts the adapter (32) of the tool unit (30) when holding the tool unit (30), and smoothly rotates the holder (14) without damaging the adapter (32). The chucking pad (21) is for chucking the adapter (32) held by both holding arms (14). To this end, the roller (20) is provided so as to protrude beyond the arc-shaped portion (14c), and the same applies to the chucking pad (21). Therefore, the adapter (3
2) is held by the roller (20) and the chucking pad (21), and the adapter (32) does not directly touch the arc-shaped portion (14c).

In view of its function, it is preferable that the chucking pad (21) is formed of a material having a large friction coefficient and a strong material.

Next, the configuration of the tool unit (30) will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 5, (31) is an automatic tool changer including two units (31a) and (31b) that are dividably coupled along a division surface (31c), and one unit (31a).
A substantially cylindrical adapter (32) is attached to the other unit, and a robot arm (34) is connected to the other unit (31b). The automatic tool changer (31) can be combined and divided by a predetermined electric or pneumatic signal sent from the robot. A spot welder (33) as a tool is attached to the adapter (32) via a mounting flange (36) with a bolt (37).

In this embodiment, the adapter (32) is configured by connecting a disc-shaped flange (32b) to both sides of a cylindrical main body (32a), and the adapter (32) is attached to a side surface of the main body (32a). Further, a pair of positioning projections (35) for preventing rotation of the tool unit (30) for positioning are provided.

Operating condition When the tool unit (30) is placed and held on the tool holder (10) having the above configuration, the robot is operated and the tool unit (30) attached to the robot arm (34) is operated.
Is positioned directly above or obliquely above the tool holder (10). At this time, the positioning projections (35) of the adapter (32)
The attitude of the tool unit (30) is controlled so that the tool comes to the position shown in FIG. 2 and the adapter (32) is in a substantially vertical state.

Next, from that position, the tool unit (30) is gradually lowered between the two holding arms (14). In this tool holder (10), since the upper end of the holding arm (14) is widely open, sufficient Clearance can be obtained, and there is no risk of a mistake in the holding operation.

When the tool unit (30) is successively lowered, as shown in FIG. 3, the main body (32) of the adapter (32) is eventually formed.
a) The lower surface contacts the pair of rollers (20). The adapter (32) contacts only the roller (20) and does not contact other parts of the holding arm (14).

Against the pulling force of the spring (18), the tool unit (3
When the arm is further lowered, the holding arms (1
4) swings inward with the support pin (15) as a fulcrum. In addition, since the roller (20) rotates at the time of swinging, there is no danger of damaging the side surface of the adapter (32).

As described above, since the table (12) is fixed to the base (11) through the buffer spring (13), the adapter (3
2) It is possible to reduce the impact when the holding arm (14) comes into contact with the holding arm (14). Even if the adapter (32) does not come into contact with the holding arm (14) from directly above due to a teaching error, the misalignment of Has the advantage that it can be absorbed and held without hindrance.

Due to the swing of the holding arm (14), as shown in FIG. 4, the chucking pad (21) attached to the upper end comes into contact with the side surface of the main body (32a) of the adapter (32). Since the holding arm (14) cannot swing, the lowering of the tool unit (30) is stopped at this position. The shock at this time is also reduced by the buffer spring (13). Thus, the adapter (32) is held by the two rollers (20) and the two chucking pads (21).

Therefore, both units (31) of the automatic tool changer (31)
a) When the tool unit (30) is separated from the robot arm (34) by separating (31b) and the entire weight of the tool unit (30) is added to the holding arm (14), the spring (18) is pulled. The chucking pad (21) presses the adapter (32) with a strong force against the force. Therefore, even if no external force is applied, the adapter (32) can be held as it is.

When the tool unit (30) is separated from the robot arm (34), the entire weight of the tool unit (30) is suddenly applied to the holding arm (14), so that a considerable impact is applied via the holding arm (14). And join the table (12). However, this impact is absorbed by the buffer spring (13) and is greatly reduced.

Thus, when separated from the robot arm (34), the adapter (32) is firmly held and fixed by the two rollers (20) and the two chucking pads (21). Both positioning projections (35) of (32) abut or approach the upper ends of the holding arms (14) to prevent rotational movement about the long axis of the adapter (32). In this way, the adapter (32) can be reliably held at a predetermined position in a predetermined posture, and the connection operation can be reliably performed even when the adapter (32) is reconnected to the robot arm (34).

In this embodiment, since the flanges (32b) are provided at both ends of the adapter (32), even if an external force acts in the longitudinal direction for some reason while being held by the holding arm (14), the holding is performed. There is an advantage that there is no risk of falling off the arm (14).

FIG. 6 shows another example of the means for urging the holding arm (14) in the opening direction. This is done by attaching a weight (23) near the bent part of the holding arm (14),
3) The holding arm (14) is swung around the support pin (15) by the gravity acting on 3), and there is no need to use a tension spring (18). There is an advantage that can be further simplified.

FIG. 7 shows that the hook (2) is attached to the chucking pad (21) in order to more surely position the adapter (32).
4), and a hole (25) into which the claw (24) fits is provided on the side surface of the adapter (32). In this way, when the adapter (32) is clamped, the chucking pad (21)
The claw (24) of the adapter fits and locks into the hole (25) of the adapter (32), so the adapter (32) cannot move in the circumferential direction or the long axis direction. Can be. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the flanges (32b) at both ends of the adapter (32).

In consideration of the case where adapters (32) having different sizes (diameters) are used, the chucking pad (21) is used so that the tool unit (30) is balanced when the adapter is held by the holding arm (14). Is preferably mounted so as to be position-adjustable.

〔The invention's effect〕

As is clear from the above description, in the tool holder (10) of the present invention, the pair of holding arms (14) is largely open, and the clearance is set large when the tool unit (30) is placed. In addition, since the tool unit (30) is automatically held simply by descending onto the holding arm (14), there is no risk of an error in mounting the tool unit (30), and teaching of the robot is easy. is there. In addition, the tool unit (30) is firmly held via the adapter (32) by the pair of holding arms (14) which are pressed by its own weight, so that the mounted tool unit (30) is displaced. Without such an arrangement, it is possible to reliably hold the robot at a predetermined position and to accurately reconnect to an operation arm of a remote control device such as a robot arm (34).

In addition, since the weight of the tool unit (30) is used as the force for pressing and holding the tool unit (30), an actuator such as a cylinder is not required, and the structure can be extremely simplified. is there.

When the table (12) is provided on the base (11) via the buffer spring (13), the shock generated during use can be absorbed and reduced, and the durability of the tool holder (10) can be improved.

Also, as a holding arm biasing means, a spring (18) is provided to bias the holding arm (14) by its elastic force,
When the weight (23) is attached to the holding arm (14) so as to be urged by gravity acting on the weight (23), there is an advantage that the means can have a very simple configuration.

Further, a positioning projection (35) is provided on the adapter (32) so that it can be engaged with the tip when being held by the holding arm (14). If one of them is provided with a claw (24) and the other is provided with a hole (25) into which this claw (24) fits, and when the two are locked by the holding arm (14), There is an effect that the displacement of the tool unit (30) can be more reliably eliminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 to 5 show an embodiment of a tool holder for an automatic tool changer according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire structure of the tool holder, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a partial explanatory view showing a state where the tool unit has begun to descend on the holding arm of the tool holder, FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a state in which the adapter of the tool unit is in contact with the holding arm, FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a state where the adapter of the tool unit is lowered and held by the holding arm, and FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state where the tool unit is held by the tool holder. . FIG. 6 is a drawing showing another example of the holding arm urging means. FIG. 7 is a partial plan view showing another example of the positioning means of the adapter. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a conventional tool holder. (10) Tool holder, (11) Base (12) Table, (13) Buffer spring (14) Holding arm, (14a) Engagement part (14b) ... Projection, (14c) ... Arc-shaped part (15) ... Support pin, (16) ... Holding arm support (17) ... Stopper, (18) ... Tension spring (19) ... Projection, ( 20) Roller (21) Chucking pad (23) Weight, (24) Claw (25) Hole, (30) Tool unit (31) Automatic tool changer (31a) (31b) ... Unit of automatic tool changer (31c) ... Split surface, (32) ... Adapter (32a) ... Main body, (32b) ... Flange (33) ... Welding gun, (34) Robot arm (35) Positioning protrusion

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A tool unit comprising a tool attached to a tool side unit of an automatic tool changer via an adapter,
What is claimed is: 1. A tool holder for an automatic tool changer, which is removably held by an operation arm of a remote control device, comprising: a table; And a holding arm urging means for urging the pair of holding arms in a direction in which the pair of holding arms are opened. The weight of the tool unit acts on the pair of holding arms in an open state. A tool holder for an automatic tool changer, wherein the adapter is clamped by closing the holding arm against the urging force of the holding arm urging means. . 2. The tool holder according to claim 1, further comprising a base on which the table is mounted, wherein the table is attached to the base via a buffer spring. 3. The tool holder according to claim 1, wherein said holding arm urging means comprises a spring having one end fixed to said table and the other end connected to said holding arm. 4. The holding arm biasing means includes a weight attached to the holding arm, and is configured to bias the holding arm by gravity acting on the weight. 4. The tool holder according to claim 1. 5. The tool holder according to claim 1, wherein said adapter has a positioning projection which engages with said holding arm when held by said holding arm. 6. A claw is provided on one of the holding arm and the adapter, and a hole for engaging the claw is provided on the other, and when the adapter is clamped by the holding arm, the claw is provided. The tool holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a pawl is engaged with the hole to position the adapter.