JP2838928B2 - Operation display of manipulator - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a manipulator operation display device for displaying an operation state of a manipulator provided in a robot or the like for performing various operations such as welding operations on a workpiece.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, when assembling an automobile body as a workpiece using a robot, a plurality of robots and dedicated machines are arranged on a welding stage, and a welding gun provided on each manipulator is operated. I try to make it. Each manipulator operates by drawing a complicated movement trajectory in the three-dimensional direction, and each movement trajectory is stored in the control unit by using a teaching pendant or a teaching pendant. . When performing welding work in accordance with the data of the movement locus stored in this way,
Each manipulator will move.

[0003] In order to facilitate this teaching work, conventionally, an indicator lamp is attached to each manipulator,
By manipulating the teaching pendant, an indicator light corresponding to the manipulator in an operable state is turned on. Therefore, conventionally, any one of a large number of manipulators is selected by the teaching pendant, and unless it becomes operable, the indicator light of the corresponding manipulator does not light.

[0004]

For this reason, conventionally,
Unless the manipulator is set to a state in which it can be actually operated among a large number of manipulators, the indicator light of the selected predetermined manipulator does not light up, so that the teaching operation is not easy and the operation requires skill. In addition, when the teaching operation is performed, if the manipulator is in an abnormal state, it is difficult for the operator to easily determine whether the teaching operation is not appropriate or the manipulator is not normal. was there.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and can easily perform a teaching operation, and when a manipulator becomes abnormal, an operator can easily determine the abnormality. The purpose is to get.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plurality of manipulators for performing operations such as welding operations, a movement control unit for controlling the movement trajectories of the respective manipulators, A device for displaying an operation state of a manipulator having a teaching pendant for teaching a movement trajectory, wherein an operation display member provided on each of the manipulators, and an arbitrary manipulator provided on the pendant and among the plurality of manipulators and a selection switch for selecting, Manipi
During the teaching operation of the manipulator, the operation display member corresponding to the predetermined manipulator selected by the selection switch is displayed.
Set to the first display state, when teaching manipulator
When checking other manipulators at
Corresponding to the other manipulator selected by the switch.
A second table different from the first display state.
And a control means for setting the operation display member corresponding to the manipulator in the abnormal state to the second display state when the manipulator is in the abnormal state.

[0007]

When a teaching pendant is operated to select a predetermined manipulator when teaching the movement trajectory of the manipulator, it corresponds to the selected predetermined manipulator.
The operated display member is brought into the first display state by the control means.
Is set. During the teaching operation of the manipulator,
When checking the calculator, operate the teaching pendant.
When the other manipulator is selected, the selected
The operation display member corresponding to the other manipulator is controlled by
A second display state different from the first display state by means
Is set to As a result, the operator can display the first display state.
Distinguishing the operation display member from the operation display member in the second display state
To identify a specific manipulator
Can be. On the other hand, if an abnormality occurs in the manipulator, the display member corresponding to the manipulator in which the abnormality has occurred is activated, and the operator can determine which manipulator has become abnormal. Therefore, the teaching operation can be performed safely and easily, and the operator can easily determine the manipulator in the abnormal state.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on one embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which an automobile body W is assembled using a robot. A welding gun 11 is attached to a manipulator 10 of the robot, and the body W is assembled by these welding guns 11. Further, each of the manipulators 10 is provided with an indicator light 12 for displaying an operation state. Although only two manipulators 10 are shown in FIG. 1, many manipulators are actually arranged on one welding stage. FIG. 1 shows a manipulator 10 for welding the vehicle body W. However, the present invention can be applied to a manipulator or the like for assembling various panel materials to the vehicle body W. . Further, the present invention can be applied to a manipulator provided in a dedicated machine instead of a robot.

FIG. 2 shows three manipulators 10a to 10a.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a control circuit for c, and the basic configuration is the same regardless of the number of manipulators. Each of the manipulators 10a to 10c is operated by a control signal sent from the unit controller 21a to 21c via an amplifier, and further, the unit controller sends an indicator light 12a to a corresponding one of the manipulators. A control signal is sent to 12c. Manipulators 10a-1
A predetermined number of motors M are built in 0c, and the rotation of the motor M is detected by the encoder E and a feedback signal is sent to the unit controller.

Each of the unit controllers 21a to 21a
A control signal is sent from the CPU 22 for the sub controller to the CPU 21c. An input signal from the teaching pendant 23 is sent to the CPU 22 and the CPU 22 sends a sequence signal via the input / output port 24. It is connected to the controller 25. The teaching pendant 23 has a selection switch 2 including a numeric keypad or the like for designating a specific one of a large number of manipulators.
6 are provided.

Therefore, each manipulator 1
To store the data of the movement trajectories 0a to 10c, the specific manipulator selected by the selection switch 26 thereof is operated using the teaching pendant 23, and if the operation position is set, the specific manipulator is set. The position data is stored in a storage medium provided in the sequence controller 25. When operating each manipulator according to the taught data, the CPU 22 calls the stored data in the sequence controller 25 and sends a control signal to each of the controllers 21a to 21c. Thus, the operation control of each manipulator is performed by the CPU 22.

The indicator lamps 12a to 12c attached to the manipulators 10a to 10c are operated as follows by the CPU 22 as the control means. First, in order to teach the movement trajectory of each manipulator, a specific manipulator is selected using the teaching pendant 23 and set to the teaching state. The indicator lamp corresponding to the manipulator specified in this manner and in the teachable state is turned on (first display state) . On the other hand, when the operator is not in the teachable state, but wants to visually confirm the manipulator to be taught next, the specific manipulator is operated by operating the selection switch 26 of the teaching pendant 23. When specified, the indicator light corresponding to the specified manipulator blinks (second display state) . Thus, the operator can easily determine the position of the manipulator to be taught. That is, the operator can determine the currently manipulable manipulator by turning on the indicator light, and if the operator wants to confirm the position of another manipulator, if he or she designates it, the indicator light will blink. Therefore, a specific manipulator can be easily confirmed by distinguishing between the indicator lamp in the lighting state and the indicator lamp in the blinking state.

The teaching data is stored by the steps described above. After the data is stored, when each manipulator is operated with a predetermined movement trajectory, each manipulator is operated by a signal from the sequence controller 25. Is controlled for movement. The indicator corresponding to the manipulator in the moving state is C
The light is turned on by a signal from the PU 22. On the other hand, when a failure or an abnormal state occurs in any of the manipulators due to disconnection of the motor or the like, the indicator lamp corresponding to the manipulator repeats blinking. This display is also the same at the time of teaching, and when an abnormality is detected at the time of teaching, the indicator lamp corresponding to the manipulator blinks.

The indicator light is turned on or off in the manner described above, and this is shown in FIG. 3 by a sequence circuit. This figure is a diagram showing one of a large number of manipulators provided on one stage, for example, a display control unit of a display lamp 12a corresponding to the manipulator 10a, and the same applies to other manipulators. That is, if the manipulator 10a can teach, the teach enable switch 31 is turned on, and the indicator light 12a is turned on via the normally closed switch 32. Similarly, when the manipulator is operating, the in-operation switch 33 for detecting the operation is turned on, and the indicator light is turned on via the normally closed switch 34.

On the other hand, when the switch 35 for detecting the abnormality of the manipulator is turned on, the flicker switch 36 is repeatedly turned on and off, and the indicator light is in a blinking state. Furthermore, in order for the operator to confirm the position of the manipulator 10a, the selection switch 26 provided on the teaching pendant 23 is operated, and when this manipulator 10a is selected, the confirmation switch 37 is turned on. At the same time, the flicker switch 38 is repeatedly turned on and off, and the indicator light is in a blinking state. Then, when the abnormality detection switch 35 is turned on, the normally closed switches 32 and 34 are turned off, and even if the teaching is possible,
Alternatively, even during the operation, the indicator lamp is not in the lighting state but in the blinking state, so that the operator can easily detect the abnormal state. However, each manipulator is provided with two types of indicator lights, for example, red and blue indicator lights, and turns on the blue indicator light when corresponding to the lighting state described above.
(A first display state) , and a red indicator light may be turned on (a second display state) in a case corresponding to a blinking state.

FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing control of lighting and blinking of the indicator lamp in the above-described mode.
Actually, a program corresponding to this circuit is stored in the sequence controller 25.

As described above, in the illustrated apparatus, when a teaching operation is being performed, the fact that the manipulator is being taught is illuminated. When a certain manipulator is being taught and another manipulator is checked in advance, by operating the selection switch of the teaching pendant, it can be checked by blinking the indicator light. When the manipulator is operating, the corresponding indicator light is turned on, and when an abnormality occurs in the manipulator, it is blinked by the indicator light. Thus, the teaching operation becomes easy and safe, and when an abnormality occurs, the operator can easily determine which manipulator the abnormality is. When a single robot is provided with a plurality of arms and manipulators, the above-described operation display device may be provided on each arm or the like.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, the teaching operation can be performed safely, and if an abnormality occurs in any of the manipulators, it is easy to determine which manipulator it is. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a state in which an automobile body is being assembled using a manipulator.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing an operation display device of the manipulator of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a sequence control circuit of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 10a to 10c: manipulator, 12, 12a
-12c ... indicator light, 22 ... CPU, 23 ... teaching pendant, 25 ... sequence controller, 26 ... selection switch.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An operating state of a manipulator having a plurality of manipulators each performing a work such as a welding operation, a movement control unit for controlling a movement locus of each manipulator, and a teaching pendant for teaching a movement locus of the manipulator is provided. An operation display member provided on each of the manipulators; a selection switch provided on the pendant, for selecting an arbitrary manipulator among the plurality of manipulators; and the selection switch at the time of teaching operation of the manipulator. Setting the operation display member corresponding to the predetermined manipulator selected in the first display state, and teaching the manipulator
When checking other manipulators during operation,
To the other manipulator selected by the selection switch
A corresponding operation display member is set to a different one from the first display state.
2. An operation display device for a manipulator, comprising: control means for setting an operation display member corresponding to the second display state to the second display state when the manipulator is in an abnormal state.