JP5445664B2 - Wiring device for robot rotary joint - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is used for wiring between two members connected by a rotary joint of a robot, and particularly relates to a wiring device for a rotary joint of a robot using a flexible printed wiring board.

  An industrial robot is configured by sequentially connecting a plurality of arms to a base by a rotary joint, and an end effector such as a hand is usually attached to a wrist which is a tip of the arm. In such an industrial robot, a cable for supplying power to a motor serving as a drive source such as an arm or an end effector, or transmitting / receiving a control signal between the motor and the robot controller is wired. As a wiring method in this case, there are an internal wiring method in which a cable is passed through the inside of the base and the arm, and an external wiring method in which wiring is performed along the outer surface of the robot.

  Regardless of which of the above two wiring methods is adopted, the rotating joint portion does not hinder the relative rotation of the two members (base and arm, arm and arm, arm and wrist, etc.) that rotate relative to each other. It is necessary to.

  Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose a wiring structure of a rotary joint portion when an internal wiring system is adopted. This is a configuration in which the cable is passed through the rotation center of the rotary joint and the relative rotation of the two members is absorbed by the twist of the cable.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a wiring structure of a rotary joint portion when an external wiring system is adopted. In this patent document 3, a flexible sheet in which a wiring pattern is formed is used, and the flexible sheet is fixed in a state of being loosened in an arc shape so as to straddle between two relatively rotating members. The relative rotation is absorbed by the arc-shaped slack portion of the flexible sheet.

  Although not a rotary joint portion of a robot, Patent Document 4 discloses a spiral cable device for electrically connecting a steering wheel side and a vehicle body side of an automobile. This spiral cable device includes a long strip-like flexible flat cable inside a case having a cylindrical outer tube and an inner tube provided inside the outer tube so as to be rotatable relative to the outer tube. The flexible flat cable has one end connected to the inner cylinder and the other end connected to the outer cylinder.

JP-A-6-143186 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-34588 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-153290 JP 2003-324835 A

  In Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, since the relative rotation of the two members is absorbed by the twist of the cable, if the portion through which the rotation center of the rotary joint passes is short, the amount of twist per unit length of the cable is large. Therefore, it becomes easy to cause disconnection etc. at an early stage. For this reason, a portion passing through the rotation center of the rotary joint must be lengthened, and a space required for cable wiring must be widened in the direction of the rotary axis of the rotary joint. This is very disadvantageous, especially in a small robot in which many parts are closely arranged, resulting in an increase in the size of the rotary joint.

  In Patent Document 3, when the two members rotate relative to each other, the flexible sheet bends and stretches. However, since the bend and stretch is local, the bend and stretch part of the flexible sheet may be fatigued and damaged early.

  Since the spiral cable device disclosed in Patent Document 4 has a structure that absorbs the rotation of the steering wheel by winding and unwinding the inner tube of the flexible flat cable, the rotation axis of the device is compared with a structure that uses twisting of the cable. Since the thickness in the direction can be reduced, and there is no local bending or stretching, the life of the flexible flat cable (hereinafter referred to as a flexible printed wiring board) is also prolonged. However, since the steering wheel of an automobile is rotated by a person, the rotation speed is slow and the rotation operation time is not long. On the other hand, the robot arm rotates at a high speed, and the rotation speed is not a ratio of the steering wheel. Moreover, the operation time of the industrial robot is long, and it may be operated continuously for 24 hours. The spiral cable device of Patent Document 4 is for absorbing the rotation of the steering wheel of an automobile, and does not expect high-speed rotation and long-time rotation. For this reason, it is predicted that the flexible printed wiring board will be worn out at an early stage, and cannot be used as it is for a robot.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is a structure for preventing early wear of a flexible printed wiring board when a wiring device for a rotary joint of a robot is configured using the flexible printed wiring board. It is an object to provide a wiring device for a rotary joint of a robot that can be used for a long period of time by adopting the above.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, wiring is performed between one member and the other member of the robot that rotate relative to each other, and the casing is formed in a cylindrical shape and both sides in the axial direction are open, and the casing A circular core member disposed at the center of the body and two lid plates disposed so as to cover both sides of the casing in the axial direction and integrated with each other by the core member. A wiring case in which one and the other of the casing and the reel are coupled to the one member and the other member that rotate relative to each other, and the inside of the wiring case. A sliding plate provided with a rotating plate rotatably arranged around the core member, and a plurality of rollers arranged rotatably on the rotating plate so as to surround the core member, and a plurality of conductive members A long strip with wire insulation The one end side is connected to the core member, the other end side is connected to the housing, and the portion located inside the sliding assist device is wound along the inner periphery of the sliding assist device and the sliding A flexible printed wiring board having a portion led out of the auxiliary device wound around the outside of the sliding auxiliary device so as to be reversely wound from the inner side of the sliding auxiliary device, and the housing and the reel With the relative rotation, the flexible printed wiring board is wound around the core member and the sliding aid while being in contact with the roller of the sliding aid, and in the sliding aid, Of the rotating plate of the sliding aid, the flexible printed wiring board is provided at a portion between two adjacent rollers in a portion located inside the portion that is folded back in an arc shape to reverse the winding direction. Et And a driving film plate superimposed on a side surface which is an inner side of a portion where the flexible printed wiring board of the flexible printed wiring board is folded in an arc shape to reverse the winding direction. Of the two rollers, one roller located near the arcuate folded portion of the flexible printed wiring board is a first roller, the other roller is a second roller, and the plurality of rollers A roller facing the first roller across the arc-shaped folded portion of the flexible printed wiring board is a third roller, and the arc-shaped folded portion of the driving film plate is the driving protrusion and the first The driving film plate is not in contact with the second roller of the sliding aid due to relative rotation between the casing and the reel. The core member and the sliding aid are wound and unwound, and an arcuate folded portion of the flexible printed wiring board is disposed outside the first roller , and the housing and the reel And before the flexible printed wiring board winds around the first roller of the sliding assist device as the flexible printed wiring board rotates relative to the sliding assist device in the direction of winding. A driving film plate is configured to wrap around the second roller of the sliding assist device, and the casing and the reel are arranged in a direction in which the flexible printed wiring board is rewound with respect to the sliding assist device. with the possible relative rotation to the prior its folded portion is returned flexible printed wiring board is wound is in contact with the third roller, the driving film plate for the drive Configured so as to contact the force.

  According to this configuration, when one member and the other member of the robot rotate relative to each other, the flexible printed wiring board contacts the roller of the sliding assist device and rotates the roller while rotating the roller. On the other hand, because it operates so that it can be wound and unwound, it can operate sufficiently following the high-speed relative rotation of the two members of the robot, and it can operate for a long time without tangling or premature wear. Can withstand enough. And according to the said structure, since a flexible printed wiring board does not wind around the roller of a sliding assistance device, abrasion of a flexible printed wiring board can be prevented. At the same time, according to the above configuration, slidability can also be reproduced.

  In Claim 2, since the roller of the sliding assist device has an outer diameter larger than the width of the rotating plate on which the roller is arranged and protrudes from the inner and outer peripheral edges of the rotating plate, the flexible printed wiring board is Wear due to sliding contact with the rotating plate can be prevented.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the side surface of the driving projection on the side where the arcuate folded portion of the driving film plate abuts is formed to be an arcuate concave shape, so that the driving film plate is folded back into an arcuate shape. The sliding assist device efficiently receives the pressing force of the driving film plate and smoothly moves around the core member when the portion that is in contact with the side surface of the arcuate concave shape of the driving projection presses the driving projection. It starts to rotate.

1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of a rotary joint wiring device shown together with a rotary joint structure Side view of the mounting frame when the outer cover is removed and viewed from the direction of the arrow in FIG. Exploded perspective view of wiring device for rotary joint Enlarged cross section of FPC board Sectional drawing which shows the overlapping form of several FPC board Partial perspective view of a plurality of stacked FPC boards Cross-sectional view of a rotating joint wiring device Longitudinal section of wiring device for rotary joint FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rotating joint wiring device alone in a state different from FIG. Enlarged sectional view for explaining the function of the protection pillar Perspective view of industrial robot FIG. 8 equivalent view showing the second embodiment of the present invention FIG. 8 equivalent view showing the third embodiment of the present invention. Longitudinal sectional view showing operation of wiring device for rotary joint FIG. 14 equivalent view showing the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. An industrial robot 1 shown in FIG. 11 is configured as, for example, a 6-axis vertical articulated type, and includes a base 2 installed on the floor, and a shoulder portion 3 supported by the base 2 so as to be able to turn in the horizontal direction. The lower arm 4 supported by the shoulder portion 3 so as to be pivotable in the vertical direction, the rear upper arm 5 supported by the lower arm 4 so as to be pivotable in the vertical direction, and the rear upper arm 5 being able to be twisted and rotated. The front upper arm 6 is supported, the wrist 7 is supported by the front upper arm 6 so as to be turnable in the vertical direction, and the flange 8 is supported by the wrist 7 so as to be able to rotate. An end effect (not shown) such as a hand is attached to the flange 8 which is the tip of the arm.

  As an end effector, in addition to a hand, a camera of a visual inspection device or the like can be considered. A visual inspection device is a device that captures a desired inspection point of a workpiece with a camera, transmits the captured image information to the robot controller, and displays the captured image signal received by the robot controller on the display. The quality of assembly and processing is inspected by visually checking the captured image.

  The shoulder 3 is the base 2, the lower arm 4 is the shoulder 3, the rear upper arm 5 is the lower arm 4, the front upper arm 6 is the rear upper arm 5, the wrist 7 is the front upper arm 6, and the flange. 8 are supported on the wrist 7 so as to be rotatable by rotary joints. FIG. 1 shows a rotary joint structure for the front upper arm 6 of the wrist 7 among the rotary joint structures of these parts. In FIG. 1, the front upper arm 6 is configured by covering an arm base frame 9 with a plurality of outer covers 10. A shaft hole 9 a is formed at the tip of the arm base frame 9 of the front upper arm 6. On the other hand, a cylindrical shaft portion 7a protrudes from the wrist 7 side. The shaft portion 7 a is fitted in the shaft hole 9 a of the arm base frame 9 of the front upper arm 6 and is supported by the cross roller bearing 11 so as to be relatively rotatable. The wrist 7 is supported by the front upper arm 6 so as to be able to turn in the vertical direction by such a rotary joint structure. However, the wrist 7, the lower arm 4, the rear upper arm 5, the front upper arm 6, and the flange 8 are used. The rotary joint of the robot element has a similar structure.

  The shoulder 3, lower arm 4, rear upper arm 5, front upper arm 6, wrist 7, and flange 8, which are robot elements that can turn or twist and rotate, are actuators such as servo motors (not shown). Is the driving source. In order to supply power to these servo motors, or to send a control signal from the robot controller to the servo motor drive circuit, or to send a rotation detection signal from the rotary encoder of the servo motor to the robot controller, A cable (not shown) is passed through the inside of the robot from the base 2 to the wrist 7 at the tip.

  If the end effector attached to the flange 8 is a hand, power is supplied to the servo motor that is the actuator of the hand, and control signals and rotation detection signals are transmitted and received between the servo motor of the hand and the robot controller. A cable is passed through the robot. When the end effector is a camera of a visual inspection apparatus, a cable for supplying power to the camera or transmitting a captured image signal of the camera to the robot controller is passed through the robot.

  The wiring device 12 for rotary joints shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is used for the wiring passing through the rotary joint portion of the wiring passing through the cable inside the robot. The rotary joint wiring device 12 of FIGS. 1 to 3 is of the wrist 7 rotary joint, but wiring devices used for other rotary joints have the same configuration. The rotary joint wiring device 12 includes a strip-like long flexible printed wiring board 14 housed in a wiring case 13. Hereinafter, the flexible printed wiring board 14 is referred to as an FPC board 14.

  The wiring case 13 of the rotating joint wiring device 12 includes a transparent plastic first cylindrical casing 15 having both sides opened and a transparent plastic first circle integrally formed with a circular core member 16 at the center. It consists of a plate 17 and a second disc 18 which is also made of transparent plastic. The first disc 17 and the second disc 18 are for closing open surfaces on both sides of the casing 15, and the first disc 17 is a circular fitting that fits inside the casing 15. The second disc 18 has a protrusion 17 a and an annular fitting rib 18 a that fits outside the housing 15. The second disk 18 is fixed to the core member 16 of the first disk 17 with a screw 19 shown in FIG. 7 and integrated with the first disk 17. The integrated first disk 17 and second disk 18 constitute a reel 20 having a core member 16 at the center.

  When the reel 20 is formed by integrating the first disc 17 and the second disc 18, the circular fitting protrusion 17 a is fitted inside the housing 15 and the annular fitting rib 18 a is arranged in the housing 15. The housing 15 is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the first disc 17 and the second disc 18 so as to be fitted to the outside of the disc. At this time, a slight gap is formed between the housing 15 and the first disk 17 and the second disk 18, so that the housing 15 and the reel 20 are relatively moved. The wiring case 13 is constructed so as to be rotatable.

  An arc-shaped holding groove 16a is formed in the core member 16 located at the center of the wiring case 13, and a stopper 21 is fitted in the holding groove 16a. On the other hand, a slit 15a is formed in the housing 15 so as to draw an arc from its inner peripheral surface to its outer peripheral surface. Further, the housing 15 is formed with a deep groove 15b extending from the slit 15a to the opposite side in one direction, and the distal end portion of the deep groove 15b has an outer peripheral side surface portion on the outer peripheral surface of the housing 15. In addition to being opened outward, the bottom surface portion is also opened outward at the end face of the housing 15.

  Two annular ribs 17b and 17c having different large and small diameters are formed concentrically with the core member 16 on the inner surface of the first disk 17 (the surface constituting the inner surface of the wiring case 13). An annular groove-like portion sandwiched between the annular ribs 17 b and 17 c is used as a guide path 22. A plurality of radial ribs 17 d extending radially from the core member 16 are formed on the inner surface of the first disc 17. The radial ribs 17d are not formed in the guide path 22.

  A sliding aid 23 is disposed in the wiring case 13. The sliding assist device 23 is based on a plastic rotating plate 24 formed in an end ring shape. A projecting portion 24 a is projected on one surface of the front and back surfaces of the rotating plate 24. A plurality of support shafts 24b are erected on the other surface of the rotating plate 24 in a line along the arc of the rotating plate 24, and the roller 25 is rotatable on the supporting shaft 24b. It is supported. At this time, by setting the outer diameter of the roller 25 to be larger than the width of the rotating plate 24, the roller 25 protrudes outward from both inner and outer peripheral edges of the rotating plate 24.

  Further, a protective column 26 having an arc concave surface 26a on the surface facing the other end is erected near one end of the surface on which the support shaft 24b of the rotating plate 24 is erected. The width of the protective column 26 is narrower than the width of the rotating plate 24, and is provided at a position that is set to, for example, about half the width of the rotating plate 24 and is biased toward the outer peripheral edge of the rotating plate 24. Here, a roller 25 is located at the other end of the rotating plate 24 opposite to the one end where the protective column 26 is erected, and the roller 25 is located outward from the other end of the rotating plate 24. It protrudes.

  In this way, the sliding assist device 23 in which the plurality of rollers 25 are arranged on the rotating plate 24 is arranged so that the protrusion 24a of the rotating plate 24 is guided by the first disc 17 as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. It is accommodated in the wiring case 13 so as to be slidably fitted to the path 22. The protrusion 24 a of the rotating plate 24 is slidably fitted into the guide path 22, so that the sliding assist device 23 can rotate around the core member 16 around the core member 16. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of FPC boards 14 are stacked and accommodated in the wiring case 13. As shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), these FPC boards 14 are each made of a plastic film, for example, polyimide film 28, which is provided with a plurality of conductive wires 27, and a plastic film, for example, polyimide, for insulation coating. It has a basic structure in which a film 29 is bonded by an adhesive 30. The conductive line 27 is used as a power supply line or a signal line. In this case, the FPC board 14 includes a power FPC board 14-1 in which the conductive line 27 is used as the power line 27-1 as shown in FIG. 4A, and a signal as shown in FIG. 4B. Two types of signal FPC boards 14-2 are prepared as lines 27-2. The power supply line 27-1 and the signal line 27-2 are the same in thickness, and the signal line 27-2 is narrower than the power supply line 27-1 in terms of the line width.

  In the present embodiment, the power FPC board 14-1 is used to supply power to a servo motor that is an actuator (drive source) for the wrist 7 and the flange 8, and to supply power to the end effector. The signal FPC board 14-2 is used for transmitting and receiving signals between the servo motor and the robot controller, and for transmitting and receiving signals between the end effector and the robot controller.

  As the plurality of FPC boards 14, a required number of power FPC boards 14-1 and signal FPC boards 14-2 are used. When a plurality of FPC boards 14 are overlaid, the signal FPC boards 14-2 are overlaid so as to be sandwiched between the power supply FPC boards 14-1. As a form of this superposition, as shown in FIG. 5A, the signal FPC board 14-2 is sandwiched by the power FPC board 14-1 from both the front and back sides one by one, FIG. 5B and FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, various forms such as a configuration in which a plurality of signal FPC boards 14-2 are sandwiched between power supply FPC boards 14-1 are conceivable.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the power FPC board 14-1 and the signal FPC board 14-2 have different lengths, and the signal FPC board 14-2 is longer than the power FPC board 14-1. It is a scale. These two types of FPC boards 14-1 and 14-2 having different lengths are overlapped with one end thereof aligned. For this reason, the other end of the long signal FPC board 14-2 is in a state of extending further from the other end of the short power FPC board 14-1. The aligned one end portions of the two types of FPC boards 14-1 and 14-2 are bonded to each other, and the long side signal FPC is connected to the other end of the short side power supply FPC board 14-1. The part reaching the other end of the plate 14-2 is also bonded to each other. The adhesion of the FPC plates 14-1 and 14-2 is not always necessary.

  Both end portions of the plurality of FPC plates 14 are connected to the core member 16 and the housing 15. Specifically, one end portions of the FPC plates 14-1 and 14-2 aligned with each other are inserted and held in the insertion groove 21 a of the stopper 21 fitted to the core member 16. On the other hand, the portion from the other end of the short-side power FPC board 14-1 to the other end of the long-side signal FPC board 14-2 is within the slit 15a and the deep groove 15b continuous to the slit 15a. And is held by pressers 31 and 32 fixed to the housing 15 so as to close the opening on the outer periphery of the slit 15a and the opening on the outer periphery of the tip of the deep groove 15b.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the FPC plate 14 whose both ends are connected to the core member 16 and the casing 15 in this way has an intermediate portion with an opening between both ends of the sliding aid 23 as shown in FIG. 8. The portion located inside the sliding aid 23 is wound around the outer periphery of the core member 16 a required number of times, and the portion located outside the sliding aid 23 is located inside the sliding aid 23. It is wound as many times as necessary so that the winding direction is opposite to the winding direction. As described above, the FPC plates 14 having different winding directions on both the inner and outer sides of the sliding assist device 23 are folded in a U shape at the opening portions between both ends of the sliding assist device 23. And the roller 25 provided in the other end of the rotating plate 24 mentioned above is located inside the part T turned back in this U shape (henceforth the turned-up part T). The number of FPC plates 14 is drawn as five in FIGS. 5 and 6, but is drawn as three in FIGS. 3, 8, and 9 to avoid complication.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the FPC board 14 has extension parts 14a and 14b extending at right angles in opposite directions at both ends. A connection terminal 33 connected to the conductive wire 27 of the FPC board 14 is attached to the distal end portion of the extension part 14 a at one end connected to the core member 16 among the extension parts 14 a and 14 b of the FPC board 14. ing. Further, among the other end portions of the FPC plate 14 connected to the casing 15, the long length held at the other end portion of the short power FPC plate 14-1 held by the slit 15a and the tip portion of the deep groove 15b. Connection terminals 34 and 35 are attached to the extension 14b at the other end of the signal FPC board 14-2.

  The extension portion 14a of the FPC board 14 held by the core member 16 is led out of the wiring case 13 through a slit 18b formed linearly from the outer periphery to the center of the second disc 18. Yes. Further, the extended portion 14b of the short power FPC plate 14-1 held in the slit 15a of the housing 15 is outside the wiring case 13 through a portion of the slit 15a that is excluded from being closed by the first disc 17. The extended portion 14b of the long signal FPC plate 14 that is led out and held at the tip of the deep groove 15b is open on the bottom surface side (first disk 17 side) of the tip of the deep groove 15b. It is led out of the wiring case 13 from the mouth.

  Here, the plurality of FPC boards 14 are not bonded with respect to portions located in the wiring case 13 and are slidable with respect to each other. As shown in FIG. 8, the length of the non-bonded portion of the FPC board 14 is the FPC located outside the FPC board located inside the U-shaped folded portion T in the open part of the sliding aid 23. In order for the plates to be separated so that a gap is formed between them, the FPC plate positioned outward at the folded portion T is longer.

  The rotating joint wiring device 12 is configured as described above. Here, an example of an assembly procedure of the rotary joint wiring device 12 will be described. First, a plurality of FPC plates 14 are overlapped so that one end portions are aligned, and both end portions are bonded. And the connection terminals 33-35 are connected to the front-end | tip of extension part 14a, 14b, respectively.

  On the other hand, the first disk 17 is placed on the work table, and the casing 15 is placed on the first disk 17 so as to be fitted to the circular fitting protrusion 17a. Next, the sliding assist device 23 is accommodated in the housing 15 so that the protrusion 24 a of the rotating plate 24 of the sliding assist device 23 is fitted into the guide path 22 of the first disc 17.

  Thereafter, after inserting one end portions of the plurality of stacked FPC plates 14 into the insertion grooves 21 a of the stoppers 21, the stoppers 21 are fitted into the holding grooves 16 a of the core member 16. Next, the FPC plate 14 is loosely wound around the core member 16 a required number of times inside the sliding assisting device 23, and then the FPC plate 14 is passed through the openings between both ends of the sliding assisting device 23 to perform the sliding. The auxiliary device 23 is taken out from the inside to the outside, and then folded back and wound around the outside of the sliding auxiliary device 23 by reversing the inner side and the winding direction as many times as necessary.

  Next, of the FPC board 14, an extension 14b at the other end of the short power FPC board 14-1 is inserted into the slit 15a of the housing 15 from the outer peripheral side, and the long signal FPC board 14- 2 is inserted into the inner end of the deep groove 15b through the opening on the outer peripheral side of the housing 15, and is extended from the other end of the short power FPC board 14-1. A portion reaching the other end of the signal FPC board 14-2 is inserted into the slit 15a and the deep groove 15b from above. Thereby, the extended portions 14b of the short power FPC board 14-1 and the long signal FPC board 14-2 are led out to the first disc 17 side from the tip portions of the slit 15a and the deep groove 15b, respectively. To.

  Next, the second disk 18 is inserted on the housing 15 while inserting the extension portion 14a led upward from the core member 16 into the slit 18b from the outer peripheral side toward the center side. It arrange | positions and the cyclic | annular fitting rib 18a is fitted to the outer periphery of the housing | casing 15. FIG. Finally, the second disk 18 is fixed to the core member 16 with screws 19. As described above, the rotary joint wiring device 12 is assembled.

  Now, as shown in FIG. 1, the wiring case 13 containing the FPC board 14 has the casing 15 attached to a metal holding cylinder 36 and the center of relative rotation between the casing 15 and the reel 20 as the wrist. 7 and the front upper arm 6 are arranged at the rotary joint portion so as to coincide with the center of relative rotation. The flange 36 a of the holding cylinder 36 is fixed to the shaft portion 7 a of the wrist 7 with screws 37, for example. Accordingly, the housing 15 is fixed to the wrist 7 (one member that rotates relative to the robot) via the holding cylinder 36.

  The wiring case 13 in which the housing 15 is fixed to the shaft portion 7a of the wrist 7 is stored in a cylindrical storage portion 39a of a mounting frame 39 fixed to the arm base frame 9 of the front upper arm 6 by screws 38. . The cylindrical storage portion 39a is open at both ends, and a T-shaped connecting frame 39b is formed at one end, for example, and this connecting frame 39b is fixed to the core member 16 through the second disk 18 by screws 40. ing. As a result, the reel 20 is fixed to the front upper arm 6 (the other member that rotates relative to the robot) via the connecting frame 39b. The connecting frame 39b is formed with a slit 39c through which the extended portion 14a of the FPC plate 14 led out from the slit 18b of the second disk 18 passes. The outer cover 10 is fixed to the arm base frame 9 and the mounting frame 39 by a plurality of screws 41 so as to cover the mounting frame 39.

  The connection terminal 33 of one extension portion 14a of the FPC board 14 led out from the second disk 18 of the wiring case 13 is fixed to a predetermined portion in the front upper arm 6 and is connected to the connection terminals 34 and 35 in the front upper direction. A cable (not shown) wired in the arm 6 is connected via a connection terminal. Further, the connection terminals 34 and 35 of the two other extension portions 14 b led out from the housing 15 of the wiring case 13 to the first disk 17 side are fixed to predetermined portions in the wrist 7, and this connection terminal 33 A cable (not shown) wired in the wrist 7 is connected via a connection terminal.

As described above, the cable wired in the front upper arm 6 and the cable wired in the wrist 7 are connected via the rotating joint wiring device 12.
Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. First, when the wrist 7 does not rotate relative to the front upper arm 6 and stops, there is no relative rotation between the casing 15 and the reel 20, so the FPC board 14 is moved into the wiring case 13. As shown in FIG. 9, the inner part of the sliding assisting device 23 comes into contact with the sliding assisting device 23 in an attempt to return to the state before storage of the sliding assisting device, that is, the straight state. The outer portion comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the housing 15. In addition, since the folded portion T of the FPC plate 14 also tries to return to a straight state, the core member 16 is separated from the sliding assist device 23 at a portion of the folded portion T inside the sliding assist device 23. It will be in a state of touching.

  From this state, when the wrist 7 rotates relative to the front upper arm 6 and the casing 15 rotates relative to the reel 20 in the direction indicated by the arrow L in FIG. Since the rotation direction is the same as the direction from the folded portion T to the other end side (the connecting end portion side to the housing 15) of the portion of the FPC plate 14 outside the sliding assist device 23, the FPC plate A portion of 14 outside the sliding aid 23 is pulled in the direction of arrow L. Then, the FPC plate 14 is wound around the sliding aid 23 away from the inner surface of the housing 15 in the outer portion of the sliding assist device 23 and pulls the sliding assist device 23 at the folded portion T. Thus, the sliding aid 23 is rotated in the direction of arrow L.

  At this time, since the sliding assist device 23 rotates at approximately half the number of rotations of the housing 15, the FPC plate 14 is unwound from the core member 16 at a portion inside the sliding assist device 23. However, it gradually comes out to the outside of the sliding aid 23 and gradually moves away from the roller 25, and the portion outside the sliding aid 23 winds the portion drawn from the inside around the sliding aid 23. In other words, it rotates in the direction of the arrow L integrally with the casing 15 while rotating the roller 25 in contact with the roller 25.

  As described above, when the casing 15 rotates relative to the direction of the arrow L, the FPC plate 14 is rewound from the core member 16 on the inside of the sliding aid 23 and on the outside of the sliding aid 23. It operates so as to wind around the movement assisting device 23.

  On the other hand, when the wrist 7 rotates relative to the front upper arm 6 and the casing 15 rotates relative to the reel 20 in the direction indicated by the arrow M in FIG. Is the direction opposite to the direction from the folded portion T of the FPC plate 14 on the outer side of the sliding assisting device 23 toward the other end, and therefore on the outer side of the sliding assisting device 23 of the FPC plate 14. A certain part is pushed by the housing 15.

  As a result, the portion of the FPC plate 14 on the outside of the sliding assist device 23 is loosened and separated from the sliding assist device 23 so as to be in contact with the inner surface of the housing 15 and integrated with the housing 15. It rotates in the direction of arrow M. By this rotation, a portion of the FPC plate 14 outside the sliding assist device 23 is unwound from the stopped sliding assist device 23, and the folded portion T is at one end side of the sliding assist device 23. It comes apart from the roller 25 and comes into contact with the protective column 26 on the other end side. At this time, since the side surface of the protective column 26 with which the folded portion T is in contact is an arc concave surface 26a, the protective column 26 can be pushed efficiently without the folded portion T being detached from the protective column 26.

  When the protective column 26 receives a pressing force from the folded portion T, the sliding aid 23 rotates in the arrow M direction. At this time, the rotational speed of the sliding assist device 23 is almost half of the rotational speed of the housing 15, so that the FPC plate 14 is unwound from the sliding assist device 23 outside the sliding assist device 23. The rewinded portion is continuously pushed into the inside of the sliding assisting device 23, and the portion inserted from the outside inside the sliding assisting device 23 is the roller 25 of the sliding assisting device 23. It is wound around the core member 16 while rotating the roller 25 in contact therewith.

  As described above, when the casing 15 rotates relatively in the direction of the arrow M, the FPC plate 14 is wound around the core member 16 inside the sliding assisting device 23, and the sliding is performed outside the sliding assisting device 23. It operates so as to be rewound from the auxiliary device 23.

  As described above, according to the rotating joint wiring device 12 of the present embodiment, the FPC plate 14 is connected to the core member 16 and the sliding assisting device 23 between both ends connected to the core member 16 and the housing 15. By being bent so as to be wound and unwound, the relative rotation of the casing 15 and the reel 20 and thus the wrist 7 and the front upper arm 6 is absorbed. For this reason, the thickness dimension in the axial direction of the wiring case 13 may be relatively thin enough to accommodate the FPC board 14, and the FPC board 14 is also connected to the core member 16 and the sliding aid 23 in the radial direction. It can be installed in a narrow space and can be installed even in a small space, so that it does not cause an increase in size or a large robot. Even if it is accompanied by a change, it is only necessary to make it slightly larger.

  In particular, when a camera is selected as the end effector, conventionally, since a cable for transmitting an image signal of the camera is a shielded cable having a core wire surrounded by a mesh conductor, it is not easily twisted. As disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is difficult to employ a configuration in which a shield cable is disposed at the rotation center of a rotary joint and the relative rotation of the two members of the robot is absorbed by twisting. For this reason, when using a shielded cable, an external wiring method must be adopted, and even if the same operation is performed, an extra space is required for the shielded cable wired outside, and the same area size is required. Compared with a robot without an external cable, the operation area is limited (narrowed).

  In this regard, in this embodiment, the FPC plate 14 is configured to absorb the relative rotation of the two members by bending, so that an image signal of the camera is transmitted by using an FPC plate having a shield structure instead of the coaxial cable. As for the cable to be used, an internal wiring system can be adopted by placing it in the FPC board 14 of the rotary joint wiring device 12.

  In addition, since the sliding assist device 23 is disposed between the housing 15 and the core member 16 so as to be able to rotate, when the force that the FPC board 14 is pushed by relative rotation of the housing 15 is received, the housing The FPC plate 14 is supported by the body 15 and the sliding assist device 23 or the core member 16 and the sliding assist device 23 to prevent the FPC plate 14 from buckling. For this reason, the FPC board 14 can be effectively prevented from being entangled in the wiring case 13.

  In addition, when the casing 15 rotates relative to the reel 20, the FPC plate 14 operates so as to be wound and unwound while being in contact with the sliding aid 23. Therefore, rolling contact results in low friction and low wear. Therefore, the FPC plate 14 is wound and unwound while smoothly rotating the sliding aid 23.

  Thus, when the FPC plate 14 is wound and unwinded, the FPC plate 14 is not buckled and entangled due to the presence of the sliding aid 23, and the FPC plate 14 is a roller with respect to the sliding aid 23. Since the rolling assisting operation is performed while smoothly rotating the sliding aid 23 through the rolling contact with low friction and wear through 25, even if the wrist 7 swivels at a high speed with respect to the front upper arm 6, Even if the industrial robot 1 is continuously operated for a long time, it can be used for a long time while preventing the entanglement of the FPC plate 14 and the problem of early wear as much as possible.

  In addition, in this embodiment, since the width of the rotating plate 24 is made smaller than the diameter of the roller 25, there is no possibility that the FPC plate 14 contacts the rotating plate 24. Further, since the roller 25 is provided at the end located on the inner side of the folded portion T of both ends of the rotating plate 24, the folded portion T of the FPC plate 14 pulls the sliding aid 23. In this case, the folded portion T is in contact with the roller 25. In this way, the FPC plate 14 is designed to be wound and rewound while contacting the roller 25 of the sliding assist device 23 as much as possible. Therefore, the FPC plate 14 has a low friction (low wear) against the sliding assist device 23. ) Contact is achieved more reliably.

  In the present embodiment, since the protective column 26 is provided at a position biased toward the outer periphery of the rotating plate 24, the gap between the core member 16 and the protective column 26 is widened, and the folded portion T is within the gap. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation of being drawn in as much as possible. That is, when the casing 15 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow M shown in FIG. 9 and rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow L shown in FIG. 8, the sliding aid 23 also rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow L. The protective pillar 26 may push the folded portion T of the FPC board 14 in some cases. At this time, if the FPC board 14 is softened due to the temperature rising after a long time operation, or if the core member 16 or the FPC board 14 is coated with grease or the like to reduce the friction coefficient, the FPC board 14 becomes the core. The member 16 and the FPC plate 14 wound around the core member 16 are in close contact with each other. For this reason, the folded portion T is in the gap between the core member 16 and the protective column 26 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. May swell. At this time, if the protective column 26 is not erected on the outer peripheral edge of the rotating plate 24 and is erected over the entire width of the rotating plate 24, a gap between the core member 16 and the protective column 26 is formed. There is a possibility that a portion (hereinafter referred to as a bulging portion) t of the fold-back portion T bulged into the narrow gap is drawn into the gap between the protective column 26 and the core member 16. However, in this embodiment, since the gap between the core member 16 and the protective column 26 is wide, such a bulging portion t is drawn into the gap between the core member 16 and the protective column 26. It is possible to prevent such a situation.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the front and back of the FPC board 14 are made of plastic (made of polyamide) and have low friction, so that when the casing 15 rotates relative to the reel 20, a plurality of the stacked FPC boards 14 are connected to each other. Even if there is a situation where they rub against each other to some extent, oil may be applied during actual operation, and the wear progress is very slow and can withstand long-term use.

  In addition, the plurality of FPC boards 14 are sandwiched between the power FPC boards 14-1 having the wide power lines 27-1 and the signal FPC boards 14-2 having the narrow signal lines 27-2. Therefore, even if the FPC plate 14 is damaged by being in contact with the roller 25, the casing 15, the core member 16, etc., it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a malfunction such as the early disconnection of the narrow signal line 27-2. it can. Therefore, even if the wrist 7 is relatively rotated at a high speed or is operated for a long time, the FPC plate 14 can be prevented from being damaged at an early stage and can have a long life.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the radial ribs 17d are formed on the inner surface of the first disc 17, the winding and unwinding operation of the FPC plate 14 is performed while slidingly contacting the radial ribs 17d. Compared with the case where the plate 14 is in sliding contact with the inner surface of the first disc 17, the FPC plate 14 can be reduced in wear. Incidentally, no radiation rib is provided on the inner surface of the second disk 18. This is because an extension part 14b is formed at an end part of the FPC board 14 on the side connected to the casing 15, and the FPC board 14 located in the wiring case 13 is located through the extension part 14b. This is because the FPC plate 14 is likely to come into contact with the inner surface of the first disc 17 and is less likely to come into contact with the inner surface of the second disc 18 because of being pulled toward the first disc 17 side. Of course, radiation ribs may also be provided on the inner surface of the second disk 18.

  And in this embodiment, since the housing | casing 15, the 1st disc 17, and the 2nd disc 18 which comprise the wiring case 13 are the products made from a transparent plastic, if the outer cover 10 is removed at the time of a regular inspection fold. The state of the FPC board 14 in the wiring cover 13 can be visually observed. For this reason, the entanglement and wear state of the FPC board 14 or the presence or absence of disconnection can be easily checked without removing the rotary joint wiring device 12 from the rotary joint portion.

The present invention is not limited to the first embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, but can be expanded or changed as follows.
The plastic film of the FPC board 14 is not limited to polyimide, and may be PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or the like.

The power FPC board 14-1 and the signal FPC board 14-2 do not need to have different lengths.
The guide path 22 of the sliding aid 23 may be formed on the second disk 18 side.

The protective column 26 may be formed with a width over the entire width of the rotating plate 24.
FIG. 12 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this 2nd Embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, among the FPC boards 14 piled up in multiple numbers, the FPC board 14 is on the inner side of the part that is folded back in an arc shape to reverse the winding direction. The inner peripheral side protective film plate 51 is disposed so as to be overlapped, and the outer peripheral side protective film plate 52 is disposed on the opposite side to the inner side of the FPC plate 14, that is, on the outer side of the portion folded in the arc shape. Are arranged to overlap.

  The inner peripheral protective film plate 51 is made of a plastic film, such as a polyimide film or a polyester film, and the thickness dimension thereof is substantially the same as the thickness dimension of the power supply FPC board 14-1 or signal FPC board 14-2. The same dimensions are set. The inner peripheral side protective film plate 51 has a tension approximately the same as the tension (that is, rigidity) of the power FPC board 14-1 or the signal FPC board 14-2. The outer peripheral side protective film plate 52 is also made of a plastic film, for example, a polyimide film or a polyester film, and the thickness dimension thereof is configured to be thicker than the thickness dimension of the inner peripheral side protective film plate 51. The outer peripheral protective film plate 52 has an appropriate tension stronger than that of the inner peripheral protective film plate 51.

  In the case of the above configuration, when the housing 15 rotates relative to the reel 20 in the direction indicated by the arrow L in FIG. 12, the portion of the FPC plate 14 that is outside the sliding aid 23 is pulled in the direction of the arrow L. Thus, the FPC plate 14 is wound around the sliding assisting device 23 away from the inner surface of the housing 15 in the outer portion of the sliding assisting device 23, and the inner peripheral side protective film plate 51 inside the FPC plate 14. The sliding assisting device 23 is pulled at the folded portion T, and the sliding assisting device 23 is rotated in the arrow L direction. According to this configuration, since the inner peripheral side protective film plate 51 is wound around the sliding assist device 23 and pulls the sliding assist device 23, the FPC plate 14 is not in direct contact with the sliding assist device 23. Thus, wear of the FPC plate 14 can be prevented.

  On the other hand, when the casing 15 rotates relative to the reel 20 in the direction opposite to the arrow L in FIG. 12, that is, the direction indicated by the arrow M, the portion of the FPC plate 14 that is outside the sliding aid 23 is the casing. 15 is pushed. As a result, the portion of the FPC plate 14 on the outside of the sliding assist device 23 is loosened and separated from the sliding assist device 23 so as to be in contact with the inner surface of the housing 15 and integrated with the housing 15. It rotates in the direction of arrow M. As a result of this rotation, the portion of the FPC plate 14 outside the sliding assist device 23 is unwound from the stopped sliding assist device 23 and the outer peripheral side protective film plate 52 outside the FPC plate 14. Is turned away from the roller 25 on one end side of the sliding assist device 23 and comes into contact with the protective column 26 on the other end side to push it. When the protective column 26 receives a pressing force from the folded portion T, the sliding aid 23 rotates in the arrow M direction. At this time, the FPC plate 14 is wound around the core member 16 inside the sliding assisting device 23 and operates so as to be rewound from the sliding assisting device 23 outside the sliding assisting device 23. According to the above configuration, the outer peripheral side protective film plate 52 is in contact with and presses the protective column 26 of the sliding assist device 23, so that the FPC plate 14 directly contacts the protective column 26 of the sliding assist device 23. Therefore, wear of the FPC board 14 can be prevented. If the tension (rigidity) of the outer peripheral side protective film plate 52 is weak, the folded portion T of the outer peripheral side protective film plate 52 abuts against the protective column 26 and then the folded portion T swells (that is, the folded portion T is The curved shape when contacting the protective pillar 26 cannot be maintained), and the bulging portion thereof is in the gap between the core member 16 and the roller 25 (or the gap between the roller 25 and the housing 15). There is a risk of being drawn. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the tension (rigidity) of the outer peripheral side protective film plate 52 itself is sufficiently strengthened so that the bulging portion that causes the pull-in is not formed.

  The configurations of the second embodiment other than those described above are the same as the configurations of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the second embodiment, substantially the same operational effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  Moreover, in the said 2nd Embodiment, although the inner peripheral side protective film board 51 and the outer peripheral side protective film board 52 were comprised with the plastic film, it is FPC board 14, for example, the FPC board 14-1 for power supplies, and the FPC board 14 for signals. 2, in this case, the conductive wire 27 of the power FPC board 14-1 and the signal FPC board 14-2 serving as the inner peripheral protective film plate 51 and the outer peripheral protective film plate 52. It is preferable to configure so that no current is passed through.

  13 and 14 show a third embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, one end of the rotating plate 24 of the sliding assisting device 23 (that is, the FPC plate 14 out of the both ends of the rotating plate 24 of the sliding assisting device 23 has a winding direction). In order to make it reverse, a substantially rectangular driving projection 53 projects from the portion between the two rollers 25 at the end located on the inner side of the portion that is folded back into an arc shape. The shape of the lower side surface of the driving projection 53 in FIG. 13 is an arc concave surface 53a. And in 3rd Embodiment, while the protection pillar 26 is not provided in the multi-end part of the rotation board 24, the length of the rotation board 24 is shortened by the part which does not provide the protection pillar 26, thereby, rotation It is comprised so that the distance between the one end part and the multi-end part of the board 24 may become long.

  Furthermore, in the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, among the multiple FPC plates 14 that are stacked, there is a drive inside the portion where the FPC plate 14 is folded back in an arc shape to reverse the winding direction. The film plate 54 is disposed so as to overlap. The driving film plate 54 is made of a plastic film such as a polyimide film or a polyester film, and the thickness dimension thereof is substantially the same as the thickness dimension of the power supply FPC board 14-1 or the signal FPC board 14-2. Is set to The driving film plate 54 has a tension substantially equal to the tension (rigidity) of the power FPC board 14-1 or the signal FPC board 14-2. Note that the thickness dimension of the driving film plate 53 may be made thicker than the thickness dimension of the power FPC board 14-1 or the signal FPC board 14-2 so as to have a strong appropriate tension.

  When the FPC board 14 is accommodated in the wiring case 13, as shown in FIG. 13, the FPC board 14 excluding the driving film board 54 is accommodated in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the driving film board. The folded portion U of 54 is configured so as to be positioned and accommodated between the second roller 25 and the driving protrusion 53 from one end side of the sliding assist device 23. In this case, the FPC plate 14 and the driving film plate 54 are arranged so that the driving film plate 54 is shorter than the FPC plate 14 so that the FPC plate 14 and the driving film plate 54 are accommodated in the above-described accommodation form. Each length dimension is set.

  In the case of the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 14A, the casing 15 is in relation to the reel 20 with respect to the reel 20 in a state where the driving film plate 54 is wound around the roller 25 of the sliding aid 23. When the relative rotation is performed in the direction indicated by the arrow M in a), the portion of the FPC plate 14 outside the sliding assist device 23 is pushed by the housing 15. As a result, the portion of the FPC plate 14 on the outside of the sliding assist device 23 is loosened and separated from the sliding assist device 23 so as to be in contact with the inner surface of the housing 15 and integrated with the housing 15. It rotates in the direction of arrow M. By this rotation, the portion of the FPC plate 14 outside the sliding assist device 23 is unwound from the stopped sliding assist device 23 and the driving film plate 54 inside the FPC plate 14 is unwound. The folded portion U is separated from the second roller 25 from one end side of the sliding aid 23 (see FIG. 14B). Thereafter, when the casing 15 further rotates relative to the reel 20 in the direction indicated by the arrow M, the folded portion U of the driving film plate 54 inside the FPC plate 14 becomes the driving projection 53 of the sliding aid 23. It comes into contact with and presses the arcuate concave surface 53a. When the driving projection 53 receives a pressing force from the folded portion U of the driving film plate 54, the sliding assist device 23 rotates in the arrow M direction. At this time, the FPC plate 14 is wound around the core member 16 inside the sliding assisting device 23 and operates so as to be rewound from the sliding assisting device 23 outside the sliding assisting device 23. According to the above configuration, the driving film plate 54 comes into contact with and pushes the driving protrusion 53 of the sliding assist device 23, so that the FPC plate 14 is the roller 25 at the other end of the sliding assist device 23. Therefore, the FPC plate 14 can be prevented from being worn. In addition, since the driving film plate 54 is configured to abut against and push the driving protrusion 53, the driving film plate 54 may be worn, but the driving film plate 54 is a film plate dedicated to driving, There is no problem because no signal or power is supplied. Further, since there is no need to energize the driving film plate 54 with a signal or a power source, the insulating property is not required as the film plate, and the material and thickness dimensions of the film plate can be freely set. For this reason, a film plate that is resistant to wear is used as the driving film plate 54 by increasing the thickness dimension of the film plate or by making the material of the film plate a material with high wear resistance and low cost. Is also possible.

  If the tension (rigidity) of the driving film plate 54 is weak (or if the relative rotational speed between the housing 15 and the reel 20 is high), the folded portion U of the driving film plate 54 contacts the driving protrusion 53. After the contact, the folded portion U may bulge (that is, the curved shape of the folded portion U when the folded portion U abuts against the driving projection 53 cannot be maintained). 15 (or a gap between the core member 16 and the roller 25). In contrast, in the present embodiment, the tension (rigidity) of the driving film plate 54 is increased (for example, set to the same level as or higher than the tension of the FPC plate 14), so that the above-described pull-in occurs. The bulge portion is not formed. In this case, the strength of the tension of the driving film plate 54 depends on the material and the thickness dimension of the driving film plate 54 (that is, the tension becomes stronger as the thickness increases). The material and thickness dimension of the driving film plate 54 may be adjusted as described.

  On the other hand, in a state where the driving film plate 54 is in contact with the driving protrusion 53 of the sliding assist device 23 (see FIG. 14C), the housing 15 is in the direction of the arrow M opposite to the reel 20, that is, When the relative rotation is performed in the direction of the arrow L, a portion of the FPC plate 14 that is outside the sliding assist device 23 is pulled in the direction of the arrow L, and the FPC plate 14 is The folded portion U of the driving film plate 54 inside the plate 14 is separated from the arc concave surface 53a of the driving projection 53 (see FIG. 14B). Thereafter, when the casing 15 further rotates in the direction of arrow L with respect to the reel 20, the folded portion U of the driving film plate 54 is wound around the second roller 25 from one end of the sliding aid 23, and Then, the roller 25 and thus the sliding aid 23 are pulled by the folded portion U of the driving film plate 54, and the sliding aid 23 is rotated in the direction of the arrow L (see FIG. 14A). According to this configuration, since the driving film plate 54 is wound around the roller 25 of the sliding assist device 23 and pulls the roller 25, that is, the sliding assist device 23, the FPC plate 14 is attached to the sliding assist device 23. Since there is no direct contact with the roller 25, wear of the FPC plate 14 can be prevented. Since the driving film plate 54 is wound around the roller 25 and pulled, there is a possibility that the driving film plate 54 is worn. However, the driving film plate 54 is a film plate dedicated to driving, and is used as a signal or power source. Since there is no energization, there is no problem. Further, since there is no need to energize the driving film plate 54 with a signal or a power source, the insulating property is not required as the film plate, and the material and thickness of the film plate can be freely set. For this reason, a film plate that is resistant to wear is used as the driving film plate 54 by increasing the thickness dimension of the film plate or by making the material of the film plate a material with high wear resistance and low cost. Is also possible.

  In the third embodiment, the protective plate 26 is not provided on the rotating plate 24 of the sliding assist device 23, and the length of the other end of the rotating plate 24 is shortened. Since the distance between the one end and the other end is increased, the number of stacked FPC boards 14 (that is, the number of stacked FPC boards for power 14-14 and signal FPC boards 14-2) is set. A lot can be done.

  The configuration of the third embodiment other than the above is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the third embodiment, substantially the same operational effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In the third embodiment, the driving film plate 54 is formed of a plastic film. However, the driving film plate 54 may be formed of an FPC plate 14, for example, a power FPC plate 14-1 or a signal FPC plate 14-2. When configured as described above, it is preferable that current is not passed through the conductive wires 27 of the power supply FPC plate 14-1 and the signal FPC plate 14-2 used as the driving film plate 54.

  FIG. 15 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15A, two small-diameter protective rollers 55, 56 are provided at the other end of the rotating plate 24 of the sliding assist device 23 instead of the protective column 26. Is rotatably arranged via shafts 24c and 24c. The two protective rollers 55 and 56 are arranged so as to be aligned along the width direction (that is, the inner and outer directions) of the rotating plate 24.

  In the case of this configuration, as shown in FIG. 15A, when the casing 15 rotates relative to the reel 20 in the direction indicated by the arrow M, the portion of the FPC plate 14 that is outside the sliding aid 23 is The casing 15 is pushed. As a result, the portion of the FPC plate 14 on the outside of the sliding assist device 23 is loosened and separated from the sliding assist device 23 so as to be in contact with the inner surface of the housing 15 and integrated with the housing 15. It rotates in the direction of arrow M. By this rotation, the portion of the FPC plate 14 outside the sliding assist device 23 is unwound from the stopped sliding assist device 23, and the folded portion U of the FPC plate 14 is moved back to the sliding assist device. The rotating plate 24 of 23 is separated from the roller 25 at one end of the rotating plate 24 and is first brought into contact with the protective roller 55 on the outer peripheral side of the two protective rollers 55 and 56 at the other end, as shown in FIG. It is urged to flow downward (inner circumference side). This makes it difficult for the folded portion U of the FPC plate 14 to enter the gap between the protective roller 55 and the housing 15. Further, when the folded portion U of the FPC plate 14 abuts against and presses the protective roller 55, the protective roller 55 rotates in the direction of the arrow N1 in FIG. The sliding resistance between U and the protective roller 55 is reduced.

  Subsequently, when the casing 15 is further relatively rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow M, the folded portion U of the FPC plate 14 is moved out of the two protective rollers 55 and 56 as shown in FIG. It also comes into contact with and presses the protective roller 56 on the inner peripheral side. At this time, since the protective roller 56 rotates in the direction of the arrow N2 in FIG. 15B, the sliding resistance between the folded portion U of the FPC plate 14 and the protective roller 56 is reduced. In this case, when the folded portion U of the FPC plate 14 comes into contact with the two protective rollers 55 and 56, after contacting the outer protective roller 55 first, there is a slight time lag between the inner protective roller 56 and the inner protective roller 56. Two protective rollers 55 and 56 are arranged so as to contact each other. Then, the two protection rollers 55 and 56 receive a pressing force from the folded portion U, and the sliding aid 23 rotates in the direction of arrow M.

  According to the above configuration, the folded portion U of the FPC plate 14 is configured to abut against and press the two protective rollers 55 and 56 of the sliding aid 23, so that the FPC plate 14 The sliding resistance between the FPC plate 14 and the protective rollers 55 and 56 is reduced by the amount of free rotation of the protective rollers 55 and 56 as compared with the configuration in contact with the protective column 26 (that is, low friction). Further, wear and the like of the FPC plate 14 can be further prevented. In particular, in the fourth embodiment, when the folded portion U of the FPC plate 14 comes into contact with the two protective rollers 55 and 56, there is a time difference after the first contact with the outer protective roller 55. The inner protection roller 56 is in contact with the inner side. In this configuration, when the folded portion U of the FPC plate 14 first comes into contact with the protective roller 55 on the outer peripheral side first, the folded portion U of the FPC plate 14 is urged to flow downward in FIG. It is. This makes it difficult for the folded portion U of the FPC plate 14 to enter the gap between the protective roller 55 and the housing 15. Thereby, it can prevent that the said folding | returning part U goes into the said clearance gap.

  The configuration of the fourth embodiment other than the above is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment. Therefore, also in the fourth embodiment, substantially the same operational effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In the drawing, 6 is a front upper arm, 7 is a wrist, 9 is an arm base frame, 10 is an outer cover, 12 is a wiring device for a rotary joint, 13 is a wiring case, 14 is a flexible printed wiring board, 15 is a housing, 16 Is a core member, 17 is a first disk, 18 is a second disk, 20 is a reel, 22 is a guide path, 23 is a sliding aid, 24 is a rotating plate, 25 is a roller, 26 is a protective column, 26a is an arc concave surface, 33 to 35 are connection terminals, 51 is an outer peripheral side protective film plate, 52 is an inner peripheral side protective film plate, 53 is a driving projection, 54 is a driving film plate, and 55 and 56 are protective rollers. .

Claims (3)

Wiring between one member and the other member of the relative rotation of the robot,
A casing formed in a cylindrical shape with both axial sides open, a circular core member disposed at the center of the casing, and a core member disposed so as to close both axial surfaces of the casing A reel comprising two lid plates integrated with each other and rotatable relative to the casing, wherein one and the other of the casing and the reel rotate relative to the robot. A wiring case connected to the member and the other member;
A sliding assist device comprising: a rotating plate rotatably disposed around the core member in the wiring case; and a plurality of rollers arranged rotatably around the core member on the rotating plate; ,
A long belt-like shape in which a plurality of conductive wires are insulatively coated, one end side is connected to the core member and the other end side is connected to the housing, and a portion located inside the sliding auxiliary device is the sliding auxiliary device And a flexible print wound around the inner periphery of the sliding assist device so that a portion led out of the sliding assist device is wound on the outer side of the sliding assist device in a direction opposite to the inner side of the sliding assist device. A wiring board, and
Along with the relative rotation of the housing and the reel, the flexible printed wiring board is wound around the core member and the sliding aid while being in contact with the roller of the sliding aid, and is rewound.
In the sliding assist device, adjacent two of the rotating plates of the sliding assist device that are adjacent to each other located inside the portion where the flexible printed wiring board is folded in an arc shape to reverse the winding direction. Driving protrusions provided at a portion between the rollers,
A driving film board overlaid on a side surface that is inside a portion of the flexible printed wiring board that is folded back in an arc shape so as to reverse the winding direction of the flexible printed wiring board;
Of the two rollers, one roller located close to the arcuate folded portion of the flexible printed wiring board is a first roller, the other roller is a second roller, and among the plurality of rollers A roller facing the first roller across the arcuate folded portion of the flexible printed wiring board is a third roller,
An arcuate folded portion of the driving film plate is disposed between the driving protrusion and the second roller, and the driving film plate is moved along with the relative rotation of the casing and the reel. It is configured to be wound and unwound around the core member and the sliding assisting device while being in contact with the second roller of the sliding assisting device,
An arcuate folded portion of the flexible printed wiring board is disposed outside the first roller ,
As the casing and the reel rotate relative to each other in a direction in which the flexible printed wiring board wraps around the sliding assist device, the flexible printed wiring board moves to the first roller of the sliding assist device. Before winding, the driving film plate is configured to wind around the second roller of the sliding aid,
As the casing and the reel rotate relative to each other in the direction in which the flexible printed wiring board is rewound with respect to the sliding assist device, the flexible printed wiring board is rewound and its folded portion is A wiring device for a rotary joint of a robot, wherein the driving film plate is in contact with the driving protrusion before contacting the third roller .   The rotation of the robot according to claim 1, wherein the roller has an outer diameter larger than a width of the rotating plate and protrudes from an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge of the rotating plate. Wiring device for joints. The rotation of the robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a side surface of the driving projection on a side where the arcuate folded portion of the driving film plate contacts is formed in an arcuate concave shape. Wiring device for joints.

Images