JP3883535B2 - Robot transport auxiliary equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an auxiliary device for transporting an industrial robot, and more particularly to an auxiliary device for transport used when transporting an industrial robot with a poor balance that is difficult to stand alone in a transport posture.

  Forklifts are frequently used to transport industrial robots (hereinafter simply referred to as “robots”). When a robot is transported using a forklift, a removable claw receiving member is attached to the mechanism of the robot and transported in a state where the claw held by the forklift is inserted into the nail receiving member. A robot that is transported in this manner is a robot that can stand by itself in the transport posture, where the perpendicular foot that is lowered from the center of gravity of the robot to the floor is in the area where the fixed base and the floor contact. In the case of a “self-supporting robot”), it is possible to easily select the direction in which the forklift is inserted by attaching a fork claw receiving member (hereinafter also simply referred to as “claw receiving member”) to the turning base. Can do. This is because if the swivel base is swung in advance according to the approach direction of the forklift and the installation location of the robot, the forklift can be inserted into the fixed base from an arbitrary direction.

  On the other hand, for example, as in a robot for shelving, the vertical legs that are lowered from the center of gravity of the robot to the floor in the transport posture are outside the area where the fixed base and the floor are in contact, and the robot alone cannot stand on its own. The above method cannot be used for a robot with a poor balance (hereinafter also referred to as “a robot that is difficult to stand by”). This is because if the claw receiving member is attached to the turning base and turned together with the turning base, the robot loses its balance and falls.

  Therefore, the measures illustrated in FIG. 1 are taken. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a robot that is difficult to stand by, and has a fixed base 2 that is fixed to the floor surface during installation, and a turning base 3 is provided on the fixed base 2. The center of gravity G of the robot 1 is at the position shown in the figure. In the transport posture, the leg of the perpendicular line dropped from there to the floor is outside the area in contact with the fixed base 2 and the floor (horizontal plane). Therefore, in order to carry the vehicle by a forklift while maintaining a posture so that the robot does not fall down, the fork claw receiving member 11 is attached to the fixed base 2, and the forklift 10 is inserted into an engagement hole (not shown) of the claw receiving member 11. It is transported in a state where the nail 12 is stabbed. That is, the claw receiving member 11 attached to the fixed base 2 serves not only a claw receiving function of the fork claw but also a support member that prevents the robot from falling.

  However, this approach has some inconveniences. That is, as described above, the nail support member 11 is attached to the fixed base 2 and cannot turn, unlike the case of a self-supporting robot in which the nail of the forklift can be inserted from a free direction by attaching the nail support member to the revolving drum. Therefore, the pawl 12 of the forklift 10 can be inserted only from a specific direction (in the example of FIG. 1, the direction from the left to the right or the direction from the right to the left in the drawing) with respect to the fixed base 2. There is no known document that discloses technical means for solving such inconvenience.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a robot that is difficult to stand on its own (a balance in which the vertical foot that is lowered from the center of gravity of the robot to the floor surface in the transport posture is outside the area where the fixed base and the floor surface are in contact, and the robot alone cannot stand alone. In order to transport a forklift with a forklift, the forklift can be inserted into the fixed base of the robot from an arbitrary direction.

  In the present invention, for a robot with poor balance that cannot stand by itself in the transport posture, the claw support portion is attached to the turning base, while the robot support member is attached to the turning base so that the robot does not fall over even if the turning base turns. Solve the problem.

More specifically, according to the present invention, there is provided a swivel base that swivels about a vertical axis with respect to the robot fixed base, and a vertical leg that is lowered from the center of gravity to the floor surface when in a transport posture. Provided is a robot transport auxiliary device that is attached to the robot mechanism when the robot mechanism in a form outside the area where the fixed base contacts the floor is transported by a forklift. A claw receiving member that forms an engagement hole, a support member that is interposed between the robot mechanism portion in a transporting posture and the floor surface, and prevents the robot mechanism portion from overturning; the claw receiving member and the support member; And detachably fastened to the turning base of the robot. The support member is provided with a rolling member that can move the support member relative to the floor surface when the turning base is turned.

Here, as the rolling members, the use of a wheel provided in the floor portion that contacts the support member, the direction of rotation axis of the wheel, the front when the wheel is in contact with the floor surface it can be a serial swivel pivot axis and straight interlinking direction. Moreover, you may provide a caster in the part which touches the said floor surface of the said supporting member. Further, in any of these cases, it is possible to form a structure in which at least a part of the claw receiving member and the support member are integrated, and the structure can be detachably fixed to the turning base of the robot. is there. Further, eyebolts that engage with the hooks of the crane can be attached to the claw receiving members, respectively.

  Even in a poorly balanced robot that cannot stand by itself in a transport posture by a forklift, the forklift can be inserted into the fixed base from an arbitrary direction, thereby eliminating the inconvenience of the conventional technology. This facilitates transportation of the robot and subsequent installation work.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. First, referring to FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C, when transporting a robot that is difficult to stand by using a forklift, a state in which each member of the transport assisting device according to the present embodiment is mounted on the robot. It is shown in the figure seen from three directions. 2 (a), 2 (b), and 2 (c), FIG. 2 (b) is a front view seen from the front side of the fixed base of the robot, and FIG. 2 (a) is seen from the left in FIG. 2 (b). FIG. 2C corresponds to the side view seen from the right direction in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the transport assisting apparatus according to the embodiment, in which the arrangement of each member viewed from above the robot is depicted in each member mounting state shown in FIG.

  In these drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a robot that is difficult to stand on its own, such as a shelf-mounting robot, and the front surface of the fixed base 2 for installing the robot 1 faces vertically forward with respect to the paper surface in FIG. (See arrow in FIG. 3). As described above in relation to the conventional example shown in FIG. 1, the robot 1 is located outside the region where the fixed base 2 and the floor surface are in contact with the vertical line that is lowered from the center of gravity G of the robot 1 to the floor surface in the transport posture. Therefore, the robot alone cannot stand on its own.

  When transporting such an unbalanced robot 1 with a forklift, the nail for piercing the forklift nail into the swivel base 3 of the robot 1 so that the direction of the nail of the forklift need not be restricted to a specific direction. The receiving members 21 to 23 and the support member 24 for preventing overturning are detachably attached. Accordingly, the forklift can be stabbed from an arbitrary direction by turning the turning base 3 in advance according to the approach direction of the forklift and the situation of the installation location of the robot.

  At this time, the center of gravity G of the robot 1 also turns together with the turning base 3, but the support member 24 attached to the turning base 3 also turns in the same manner, so that the robot 1 does not fall down.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which the forklift is pierced at a position where the turning base 3 turns about 135 degrees with respect to the fixed base 2. In the present embodiment, a total of three claw receiving members, that is, a first claw receiving member 21, a second claw receiving member 22, and a third claw receiving member 23 are used. Each of the claw receiving members 21 to 23 is formed with engagement holes 31 to 33 through which the forklift claws 12a and 12b (illustrated by thick broken lines) pass. In addition, in FIG. 3, each engagement hole 31-33 is drawn with the oblique line for convenience of illustration.

Support member 24 of the anti-tip, when swiveling the swivel base 3 at its distal end, for movement smoothly relative to the support member 24 the floor, that features a rolling member (drive wheels or casters) 25 . Here, in the case of using a wheel whose rotation direction is fixed as the rolling member 25, the mounting direction of the wheel 25 is considered in consideration that the movement of the support member 24 becomes a revolving motion around the turning center axis of the turning base 3. is rotation axis of the wheel 25 shall be the pivot axis and the straight direction orthogonal to the turning base 3 when in contact with the wheel 25 floor surface. In addition, when the turnable wheel which can change a rotation direction as the rolling member 25, or the ball caster which does not have a restriction | limiting in a rotation direction, the consideration of such an attachment direction becomes unnecessary especially.

  As described above, by using the transport auxiliary device of the present invention, the forklift can be stabbed from an arbitrary direction by turning the turning base in advance according to the direction of the forklift entering and the situation of the installation location of the robot. Is possible. For this reason, transportation and installation work can be easily performed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the claw receiving member and the supporting member attached to the revolving drum are independent members. However, the claw receiving member and the supporting member are integrated into a structure, and the structure is used as the turning base of the robot. You may make it attach to removably. Furthermore, one or a plurality of eyebolts may be attached to some or all of the claw receiving members so that the robot 1 can be lifted by a crane or the like. FIG. 4 shows an example in which such integration and eyebolt installation are performed.

  FIG. 4 shows a front view of the robot 1 with the transportation auxiliary device attached, similar to FIG. In the example shown here, instead of the first claw receiving member 21 and the supporting member 24 which are separate structures in the above-described embodiment, the claw receiving member 41 and the supporting member 42 are integrated to form a supporting member / claw receiving unit. The member 40 is used. The other claw receiving members are not shown. The eyebolts are attached to two places on the claw receiving member 41 and are indicated by reference numerals 36 and 37.

  These eyebolts are well-known ones that engage with hooks provided on the crane side when the robot is lifted by a crane. If these eyebolts are equipped, for example, before and after transporting with a forklift, a claw support member Without removing the robot, the robot can be quickly transported with a crane. It goes without saying that the same eyebolt may be mounted on a claw receiving member other than the claw receiving member 41.

Furthermore, the tip of the support member 42 of the anti-tip in this embodiment, the rolling member (drive wheels or casters) 35 is provided in a manner similar to the support member 24. The function of the rolling member 35 is the same as the function of the rolling member 25 in the above-described embodiment. Further, the mounting direction when using a wheel whose rotation direction is fixed as the rolling member 35 may be the same as that of the rolling member 25.

It is a figure explaining the example which applied the prior art when transporting the robot which is hard to stand independently using a forklift. It is a figure explaining the example using the transportation auxiliary device concerning the embodiment of the present invention when transporting a robot which is difficult to stand by using a forklift, and sees the state where each member of the transportation auxiliary device is attached to the robot from three directions. The figures (a), (b) and (c) are shown. In the schematic diagram which showed the outline of the structure of the transport assistance apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, arrangement | positioning of each member seen from the robot upper direction is drawn. It is a figure which shows the example which integrated the nail | claw receiving member and the support member, and equip | installed the eyebolt.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Robot 2 Fixed base 3 Turning base 10 Forklift 11 Claw receiving member 12 Forklift claw 21, 41 First claw receiving member 22 Second claw receiving member 23 Third claw receiving member 24, 42 Support members 25, 35 Roll Moving member (wheel or caster)
31a, 31b, 32, 33 Engagement hole 34a Claw receiving member 34b Support member 36, 37 Eye bolt 40 Support member / claw receiving member

Claims (5)

The robot has a turning base that turns about a vertical axis with respect to the fixed base of the robot, and a perpendicular foot that is lowered from the center of gravity to the floor surface when in the transportation posture is outside the region where the fixed base and the floor surface are in contact with each other. When transporting the robot mechanism part of the form by a forklift, it is a robot transport auxiliary device attached to the robot mechanism part,
A claw receiving member that forms an engagement hole of a transport fork claw;
A support member that is interposed between the robot mechanism portion and the floor surface in a transport posture to prevent the robot mechanism portion from falling down;
Said claw receiving the member and the support member and a means to removably fasten the swivel base of the robot,
The robot transport auxiliary device , wherein the support member is provided with a rolling member that allows the support member to move relative to the floor surface when the turning base is turned . The rolling member is a wheel that is provided on the floor surface in contact with portions of said support member,
The auxiliary device for robot transportation according to claim 1, wherein the direction of the rotation axis of the wheel is a direction orthogonal to a turning center axis of the turning base when the wheel is in contact with the floor surface . The rolling member is a caster provided on a portion in contact with the floor surface of the support member, the robot transport aid of claim 1. The structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least a part of the claw receiving member and the support member are integrated into a structure, and the structure is detachably fixed to a turning base of the robot. The robot transport auxiliary device according to any one of the preceding claims. The auxiliary device for transporting a robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an eyebolt that engages with a hook of a crane is attached to each of the claw receiving members.

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