JP5892765B2 - Replacement claw module for robot hand - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an exchange claw module for a robot hand, and more particularly to an exchange claw module for a robot hand that is detachably attached to a finger member mounted on a hand body of the robot hand.

  Conventionally, in a manufacturing factory or the like, a robot hand attached to the wrist at the tip of an arm such as a vertical articulated robot or a horizontal articulated robot has been put to practical use. In order to move a workpiece of multiple types or postures from one place to another, only a plurality of finger members mounted on the hand body according to the workpiece as in Patent Documents 1 and 2. Those that can be replaced have been put to practical use.

  The robot apparatus (robot hand) of Patent Document 1 includes a hand main body (gripping means) provided at the tip of a robot arm and a plurality of gripping claws (finger members) that can be attached to and detached from the hand main body. When attaching a gripping claw to the hand body, hold the gripping claw on a holding base (jig), move the robot arm in the horizontal direction, and in a pair of engagement grooves formed on the upper end of the gripping claw, By engaging a pair of gripping claw mounting parts of the hand main body and engaging a lock pin provided on the upper end of the gripping claw with a recess formed in the lower end of the hand main body, a plurality of grips are held on the hand main body. The nail is detachably attached.

  The robot hand of Patent Document 2 includes a common base as a hand body attached to the tip of a robot arm, and a finger unit having a plurality of fingers (finger members) that can be attached to and detached from the common base. ing. When mounting the finger unit on the common base, install the finger unit on a predetermined jig, bring the robot arm closer from above the finger unit, and install a pair of locating pins provided in a protruding shape on the upper end of the finger unit. The finger unit is attached to the common base by fitting into a pair of locate holes formed at the lower end of the common base and engaging the lock pin with the locate pin.

JP 2010-120140 A JP 2007-222971 A

  In the robot hands of Patent Literatures 1 and 2, after the current finger member is once removed, another finger member is newly attached. When returning to the original finger member again, similarly, after the other finger member is removed, the original finger member is attached, and it is necessary to perform the detachment work twice. Therefore, it takes time and effort to attach and detach, and the work efficiency deteriorates. Further, in the robot hand of Patent Document 2, since each finger unit includes an opening / closing drive source for opening / closing a plurality of finger members, the manufacturing cost is high.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an exchange claw module for a robot hand that is detachably attached to a finger member, and to provide an exchange claw module for a robot hand that can improve the work efficiency and reduce the production cost. Providing an exchange claw module for a robot hand capable of gripping a workpiece of a plurality of types and postures;

An exchange claw module for a robot hand according to claim 1 is an exchange claw module that is detachably attached to a robot hand having a finger member, and is attachable to and detachable from the finger member and interlocks with an opening / closing operation of the finger member. A claw member to be opened and closed , a claw support member having an insertion hole into which the finger member can be inserted and having the claw member, and a guide mechanism for guiding the claw support member to be movable in the opening and closing direction of the corresponding finger member; And a frame member that supports the claw support member via the guide mechanism .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the robot hand replacement nail module according to the first aspect , wherein the finger member can be released from the nail support member when the finger member is inserted into the insertion hole of the nail support member in a predetermined state. A lock mechanism for locking is provided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the robot hand replacement claw module according to the second aspect of the invention, the lock mechanism is attached to the claw support member, a lateral groove formed in the finger member perpendicular to the length direction, and It is characterized by comprising a ball plunger that can be engaged with and disengaged from the lateral groove portion.

The robot hand replacement claw module according to claim 4 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the claw support members are elastically biased in the opening direction between the claw support members and the frame members. An elastic member is provided.

The replacement claw module for a robot hand according to claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the claw support members are elastically biased in the closing direction between the claw support members and the frame members. An elastic member is provided.

The robot hand replacement nail module according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 2 to 5 , wherein the finger member is inserted into the insertion hole and the finger member is extracted from the insertion hole. The open / close driving motor in the hand body is servo-off.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the robot hand replacement claw module according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, when the finger member is removed from the insertion hole of the claw support member, the replacement claw module is preliminarily set to a predetermined value. It is characterized in that it is extracted after being set on a storage jig and positioned in a predetermined state.

The replacement claw module for a robot hand according to claim 8 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the claw member is attached to the claw support member via a mechanism having a deceleration or speed increasing function. It is characterized by.

  According to the invention of claim 1 (robot hand replacement claw module), the robot hand having a finger member is replaced with a claw member that can be attached to and detached from the finger member and that is opened and closed in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the finger member. Since the nail module is detachably mounted, the finger member is configured in the most frequently used shape, applied to the work of taking out workpieces with different shapes, and only when taking out a work that cannot be gripped by the finger member. The replacement claw module is attached to the finger member, and the workpiece is taken out by the claw member. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove the finger member from the robot hand, and the number of times of attaching / detaching the claw member can be reduced, so that the work efficiency can be improved.

  Moreover, by preparing a plurality of replacement claw modules, a plurality of types of workpieces can be held, and versatility can be improved. Since it is not necessary to newly provide an opening / closing drive source for each replacement claw module, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Further , a claw support member having an insertion hole into which a finger member can be inserted and having the claw member, a guide mechanism for guiding the claw support member so as to be movable in the opening / closing direction of the corresponding finger member, and via the guide mechanism And a frame member that supports the nail support member, so that the movement of the finger member in the opening and closing direction can be smoothly and accurately transmitted to the nail member, and the replacement nail module is compact as a whole. The work can be taken out from a narrow space such as the back or corner of the storage case.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the lock mechanism is provided for locking the finger member so as to be releasable with respect to the nail support member when the finger member is inserted into the insertion hole of the nail support member in a predetermined state. By the mechanism, the replacement claw module can be easily attached to the finger member.

According to the invention of claim 3 , the lock mechanism is composed of a lateral groove portion formed perpendicular to the length direction of the finger member, and a ball plunger which is attached to the claw support member and can be engaged with and disengaged from the lateral groove portion. Therefore, by engaging the ball plunger ball with the lateral groove portion of the finger member, the replacement claw module can be securely fixed to the finger member, and by disengaging the ball plunger from the lateral groove portion of the ball, The replacement nail module can be easily removed from the finger member.

According to the invention of claim 4 , since the elastic member for elastically urging the claw support member in the opening direction is provided between each claw support member and the frame member, when gripping the inner surface of the workpiece, the finger member By adding the elastic biasing force of the elastic member to the gripping force, it is possible to improve the gripping force of the claw member and prevent an increase in the size of the robot hand.

According to the invention of claim 5 , since the elastic member that elastically urges the claw support member in the closing direction is provided between each claw support member and the frame member, when gripping the outer surface of the workpiece, a plurality of By adding the elastic biasing force of the elastic member to the gripping force of the finger member, it is possible to improve the gripping force of the claw member and prevent an increase in the size of the robot hand.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the finger member is inserted into the insertion hole and when the finger member is removed from the insertion hole, the open / close drive drive motor in the robot hand is servo-off. It is possible to attach and detach the replacement claw module in a free state where no extra load is applied to any of the above.

According to the invention of claim 7 , when the finger member is extracted from the insertion hole of the nail support member, the replacement nail module is set in a predetermined storage jig in advance and positioned in a predetermined state, and then extracted. When attaching the replacement claw module to the finger member, the finger member can be smoothly inserted and securely inserted into the insertion hole of the replacement claw module, and a sensor system for positioning is not required, thus reducing manufacturing costs. be able to.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the claw member is attached to the claw support member via a mechanism having a deceleration or speed increasing function, the gripping force of the claw member on the workpiece by the mechanism having the speed reducing or speed increasing function is Can be adjusted.

1 is a front view of a robot hand according to Embodiment 1 and a robot hand replacement claw module equipped in the robot hand. FIG. It is a perspective view from the upper part of the exchange claw module for robot hands with which the finger member was equipped. It is a perspective view from the lower part of the exchange claw module for robot hands with which the finger member was equipped. It is a top view of the exchange claw module for robot hands. It is a reverse view of the exchange claw module for robot hands. It is a perspective view of a finger member, a nail support member, and a nail member. It is a perspective view of a finger member, a nail support member, and a nail member. It is sectional drawing of a finger member, a nail | claw support member, and a claw member. It is a perspective view of a finger member. It is a perspective view of the exchange claw module for robot hands set to the storage jig and the storage jig. It is a top view of the exchange claw module for robot hands concerning Example 2. FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view of a robot hand replacement claw module according to a third embodiment. It is a front view of the exchange claw module for robot hands concerning Example 4. It is a reverse view of a pair of link member and a claw member.

  Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described based on examples.

First, the robot hand 1 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the robot hand 1 is provided on a robot arm A such as a vertical articulated robot or a horizontal articulated robot. The robot hand 1 includes a hand main body 2 attached to the tip of a robot arm A via a wrist A1 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis S, and an existing standard that can be opened and closed provided in the hand main body 2. And three highly versatile finger members 3. An exchange claw module 5 described later is detachably attached to the three finger members 3 of the robot hand 1. Below, the robot hand 1 demonstrates as an example the case where it is set as the vertical reference | standard attitude | position.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the hand main body 2 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface, and is fixed with a plurality of bolts while being positioned with positioning pins on the attachment surface F of the wrist A1 at the tip of the robot arm A. . A hand drive mechanism is provided in the hand body 2, and the three finger members 3 are driven to open and close by an open / close drive drive motor M of the hand drive mechanism.

  The three finger members 3 are provided at intervals of 120 degrees in the circumferential direction at the lower end portion of the hand main body 2 and configured to releasably hold a work (not shown). Note that the number of finger members 3 is not limited to three, and may be one, two, or four or more. Below, the one finger member 3 is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 6 to 9, the finger member 3 is configured in an L shape in a side view, and a fixing portion 7 formed on the upper end portion of the finger member 3 and an axis of the fixing portion 7. It is integrally formed from a finger portion 8 that extends downward in a vertical direction from about ¼ portion on the inner end side on the S side.

  The fixing part 7 is formed in a rectangular plate shape elongated in the radial direction. The fixing portion 7 is formed with two bolt insertion holes 7a and an upwardly open pin hole 7b, and is positioned by the pin member at the output portion of the hand drive mechanism in the hand main body 2 and a plurality of bolts. It is fixed and opens and closes in the radial direction (radial direction) about the axis S. The inner end portion of the fixed portion 7 has a shape in which a flat surface is provided at an end portion of a tapered shape having an opening angle of about 120 degrees.

The finger part 8 has a width of about 1/3 of the circumferential width of the fixed part 7. The inner end portion of the finger portion 8 has a shape in which a flat surface is provided at the tapered end portion having an opening angle of about 120 degrees, like the fixed portion 7.
At the inner end portion of the finger member 3, a gripping surface 8a is formed which extends in a direction parallel to the axis S (vertical direction) and can grip a workpiece (FIGS. 2, 3, and 7). FIG. 8).

  On the outer surface of the finger portion 8, a vertical surface 8 b parallel to the axis S and a tapered surface 8 c that is continuous with the lower end of the vertical surface 8 b and is inclined downward toward the axis S are formed. A lateral groove 8d having a V-shaped cross section of the lock mechanism 14 described later is formed below the vertical surface 8b of the middle step in the length direction of the finger 8.

  By driving the opening / closing drive drive motor M of the hand drive mechanism in the hand body 2 in the forward rotation direction or the reverse rotation direction, and driving the three finger members 3 in the approaching direction (closed direction), the three gripping surfaces 8a. The outer surface of the workpiece can be gripped in between, and the gripping of the workpiece can be released by driving the three finger members 3 in the separating direction (opening direction). Contrary to the above, the inner surface of the hole of the workpiece can be gripped or released.

Next, the replacement claw module 5 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the replacement claw module 5 includes a frame member 11, three claw support members 12 arranged on the inner side of the frame member 11 every 120 degrees in the circumferential direction, and these three claw supports. Three claw members 13 fixed to the lower ends of the members 12, three lock mechanisms 14 for locking the replacement claw module 5 to the three finger members 3, and the three claw support members 12 move in the radial direction. Are provided with three guide mechanisms 15 for guiding each of the three finger members 3 of the robot hand 1 and three sets of spring members 16 for elastically urging the three claw support members 12 in the closing direction. It is to be attached to.

Next, the frame member 11 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the frame member 11 has a regular hexagonal outer shape centered on the axis S of the robot hand 1, and three sets of claw support members 12 and 3 via three guide mechanisms 15. Each of the claw members 13 is supported. The frame member 11 is connected to the inner surface of the center part of each of the six side forming parts 11a forming the six sides and every other side forming part 11a, and extends in the axis S direction so as to be integrated in the central part. It is integrally formed with three radiation frame portions 11b that are connected and have a Y shape in plan view.

  The frame member 11 is formed with three openings 18 formed inside the side forming portion 11a between two adjacent radiation frame portions 11b. Concave portions 11 c are respectively formed at the inner end portions on the axis S side of these openings 18. Each opening 18 is provided with a pair of claw support member 12, lock mechanism 14, guide mechanism 15, and a pair of spring members 16. A claw member 13 is fixed to the lower surface of each claw support member 12.

Next, although the several nail | claw support member 12 is demonstrated, since these are the same structures, the one nail | claw support member 12 is demonstrated.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the claw support member 12 is formed in a convex shape in plan view having a convex portion protruding radially inward, and moves in the radial direction via a pair of guide rods 26. The frame member 11 is provided as possible. The claw support member 12 includes a rectangular parallelepiped main body portion 12a, a C-shaped convex portion 12b protruding inward from the main body portion 12a, and a flat plate portion 12c extending from the lower portion of the main body portion 12a toward the side forming portion 11a. And have.

  The nail support member 12 includes an insertion hole 12d into which the finger member 3 can be inserted, a mounting hole 12e into which a ball plunger 23 described later is mounted, and a pair of rod insertion holes 12f into which a pair of guide rods 26 are inserted. It has. The insertion hole 12d is formed in the convex portion 12b so as to penetrate in the vertical direction parallel to the axis S. The mounting hole 12e is formed in a penetrating shape horizontally from the center in the circumferential direction of the main body 12a toward the insertion hole 12d. The pair of rod insertion holes 12f are respectively formed with low-friction flanged bearings 12g mounted on both side portions sandwiching the mounting hole 12e of the main body 12a.

  The main body portion 12 a and the convex portion 12 b of the claw support member 12 are formed thicker in the vertical direction than the frame member 11. A lower open pin hole 12h into which a positioning pin is inserted is formed in the lower part of the main body 12a, and two bolt holes 12i for fixing the claw member 13 are formed in the flat plate 12c.

  When the claw support member 12 is in the closed position maximally closed by the pair of spring members 16, the projection 12b of the claw support member 12 engages with the recess 11c of the radiation frame portion 11b with a slight gap, and the main body portion Of the inner end surface of 12a, both side portions of the convex portion 12b are received in surface contact with the receiving surfaces 11d on both sides of the concave portion 11c of the radiation frame portion 11b.

Next, although the several nail | claw member 13 is demonstrated, since these are all the same structures, one claw member 13 is demonstrated.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 5 to 8, the claw member 13 is L-shaped in a side view and is driven to open and close by the finger member 3. The claw member 13 is integrally formed from a fixing portion 21 formed at the upper end portion and a claw portion 22 extending vertically downward from an approximately 1/3 portion on the inner end side of the fixing portion 21 on the axis S side. ing. The claw member 13 has a length of about ½ of the entire length of the finger member 3 in the vertical direction.

  The fixing portion 21 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that is elongated in the radial direction. The fixing portion 21 is formed with two bolt insertion holes 21a and a pin hole 21b that is open upward. The fixing portion 21 is fixed by two bolts 21 d in a state where the fixing portion 21 is positioned by the pin member 21 c with respect to the flat plate portion 12 c of the claw support member 12. When the finger member 3 is inserted into the insertion hole 12 d of the nail support member 12 and locked by the lock mechanism 14, the nail portion 22 of the finger member 3 is located in the vicinity of the inside of the nail member 13, and the nail portion of the nail member 13 22 protrudes downward from the lower end of the finger member 3, and the lower end of the finger member 3 is located in the middle step of the claw portion 22. For this reason, the claw member 13 can grip a workpiece larger than the finger member 3. This “gripping” includes a case where the outer surface of the workpiece is gripped and a case where the inner surface of the workpiece is pressed from the inside and gripped.

  The claw portion 22 has the same width as the width direction of the fixed portion 21. In the tip side portion of the claw member 13 on the axis S side, most of the inner end side surfaces excluding the fixed portion 21 and the lower end portion of the claw portion 22 are bent surfaces including a pair of tapered surfaces and a central plane. A gripping surface 22 a that is a vertical gripping surface 22 a that is perpendicular to the radial direction and that can grip the workpiece W is formed at the lower end of the claw portion 22. A vertical surface 22 b perpendicular to the radial direction is formed on the radially outer surface of the claw portion 22.

  In the replacement claw module 5, by driving the three finger members 3 in the approaching direction (closing direction), the three claw members 13 are moved in the approaching direction via the three claw support members 12, and the three claw portions 22 are moved. The workpiece W can be gripped by the above, and the gripping of the workpiece W can be released by driving in reverse to the above.

On the other hand, when gripping the inner surface of the workpiece, by driving the three finger members 3 in the separation direction (opening direction), the three claw members 13 are moved in the separation direction via the three claw support members 12, The inner surface of the workpiece W can be gripped by the three claw portions 22, and the gripping of the workpiece W can be released by driving in reverse to the above.
The shape of the claw member 13 is merely an example, and various shapes can be employed according to the shape or posture of the workpiece to be grasped.

Next, a plurality of locking mechanisms 14 will be described. Since these are all the same configuration, only one locking mechanism 14 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 6, 8, and 9, the lock mechanism 14 is attached to the claw support member 12 and the above-described lateral groove portion 8 d that is formed in the finger portion 8 of the finger member 3 so as to be orthogonal to the length direction. The ball plunger 23 is detachable from the lateral groove 8d. The lock mechanism 14 is configured to releasably lock the finger member 3 with respect to the nail support member 12 when the finger portion 8 of the finger member 3 is inserted into the insertion hole 12d of the nail support member 12 in a predetermined state.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the ball plunger 23 includes a cylindrical body 23a, a compression spring 23b mounted in the cylindrical body 23a, and is held movably inside the inner end portion of the cylindrical body 23a and is compressed by the compression spring 23b. And a ball 23c that is elastically biased and can be engaged with and disengaged from the lateral groove 8d. A compression spring 23b and a ball 23c are accommodated in the accommodation hole of the cylindrical body 23a. The compression spring 23b is mounted in a compression manner in the accommodation hole, and elastically biases the ball 23c toward the insertion hole 12d via the spring receiving plate 23d.

  A male screw is formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical body 23a, and this cylindrical body 23a is screwed into the mounting hole 12e so that the ball 23c protrudes into the insertion hole 12d. The cylindrical body 23 a is fixed to the main body 12 a of the claw support member 12 by a lock nut 24. Therefore, the position of the tip (ball 23c) can be adjusted by rotating the cylindrical body 23a of the ball plunger 23.

  When the replacement nail module 5 is mounted on the three finger members 3 and the finger members 3 are locked to the nail support members 12, the finger portions 8 of the three finger members 3 are respectively inserted into the three insertion holes 12d from above. The ball 23c is pressed radially outward against the urging force of the compression spring 23b by the taper surface 8c of the finger 8 and retreats into the cylindrical body 23a, and the lateral groove 8d of the finger 8 is in contact with the ball 23c. When the position is reached, the ball 23a advances by the elastic biasing force of the compression spring 23b, engages with the lateral groove 8d, and is locked.

  When releasing the lock, when the finger member 3 is pulled upward, the ball 23c is pressed radially outward against the urging force of the compression spring 23b by the lower slope of the lateral groove 8d and retracts into the cylinder 23a. The finger member 3 is unlocked. The state where the lateral groove 8d reaches the position of the ball 23c corresponds to a predetermined state.

Next, although the several guide mechanism 15 is demonstrated, since these are all the same structures, one guide mechanism 15 is demonstrated.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the guide mechanism 15 has a pair of guide rods 26 extending in a direction orthogonal to the side forming portion 11 a, and the nail in the opening / closing direction of the finger member 3 corresponding to the nail support member 12. The support member 12 is guided so as to be movable. The pair of guide rods 26 are arranged orthogonal to the side forming portion 11a and in parallel with a predetermined interval, and are attached to the frame member 11 so as to penetrate the claw support member 12.

  The pair of guide rods 26 are respectively inserted into the pair of insertion holes of the side forming portion 11a, and the horizontal rod insertion formed in the pair of hooked bearings 12g of the claw support member 12 across the opening 18 is performed. Through the hole 12f, the inner end is screwed into a screw hole opened in the receiving surface 11d of the radiating frame portion 11b. A head portion 26a is formed at the radially outer end of the pair of guide rods 26, and the head portion 26a is locked to the outer surface of the side forming portion 11a.

  In the side forming portion 11a, a through hole 11e is formed between the pair of head portions 26a. When the claw support member 12 moves radially outward by the through hole 11e, the outer end portion of the ball plunger 23 can be released without contacting the inner side surface of the side forming portion 11a. Moreover, when adjusting the position of the ball plunger 23, a tool can be engaged with the hexagonal hole 23e of the cylinder 23a through this through-hole 11e.

Next, a plurality of pairs of spring members 16 will be described. Since all of them have the same configuration, the pair of spring members 16 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, a pair of spring members 16 (corresponding to elastic members) are provided between each claw support member 12 and the side forming portion 11a, and the claw support member 12 is moved in the closing direction. It is elastically biased. The pair of spring members 16 are externally compressed on the pair of guide rods 26. The flanged bearing provided with the radially outer end of each spring member 16 in contact with the inner surface of the side forming portion 11 a and the radially inner end of each spring member 16 provided on the main body 12 a of the claw support member 12. It is in contact with the outer flange of 12g.

Here, the storage jig 30 accommodated when the replacement claw module 5 of the present invention is removed from the finger member 3 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 10, the storage jig 30 includes a storage portion forming member 32 that forms a storage portion for storing the replacement claw module 5 in a predetermined positioning state, for example, at the upper end of the base member 31. It is assembled. The storage jig 30 will be described with the front and rear, left and right in FIG.

  The base member 31 is formed in a U-shape in plan view as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 10, but is not particularly limited to this shape, and various shapes can be used as long as the housing portion forming member 32 can be fixed. Can be adopted. Further, the base member 31 may be omitted as long as the accommodating portion forming member 32 can be fixed in some place.

  The accommodating portion forming member 32 includes a restricting member 41 that forms the receiving groove 41a and a pair of left and right restricting members 42 that form the guide groove 42a. These restricting members 41 and 42 are each configured to have the same outer shape of an L shape in side view. The restricting member 41 is fixed to the base member 31 via a plurality of bolts 43 so that the receiving groove 41a opens forward, and the pair of restricting members 42 includes a plurality of guide grooves 42a facing each other. Each is fixed to the base member 31 via a bolt 43, and a receiving portion is formed by the receiving groove 41a and the guide groove 42a. The space between the opposing guide groove portions 42 a is slightly larger than the diameter of the hexagonal circumscribed circle of the replacement claw module 5.

  In the storage jig 30, the replacement claw module 5 mounted on the robot hand 1 is inserted from the front between the guide groove portions 42 a of the housing portion as the robot arm A moves, and one side forming portion of the frame member 11 is inserted. 11b is brought into contact with the inner wall surface of the receiving groove 41a, and is placed in a predetermined positioning state by a plurality of finger members 3 of the robot hand 1 so as to be housed in the housing portion.

Next, the operation and effect of the replacement claw module 5 of the present invention will be described.
For example, when a workpiece is taken out from a storage case storing workpieces of various shapes and moved from one place to another by using three existing standard highly versatile finger members 3, robot control (not shown) The robot arm A is driven and controlled by the unit, and the robot hand 1 is moved above the storage case.

  Next, the robot hand 1 is moved downward toward the workpiece to be grasped, the three finger members 3 are controlled by the hand control unit, and the workpiece is grasped and taken out. Then, the robot hand 1 is moved to place the workpiece on the pallet at the target position, and the robot hand 1 is moved again above the storage case to take out the next workpiece. The picking operation is continuously performed, and a plurality of workpieces are arranged on the pallet. However, the three finger members 3 may include a workpiece W that cannot be exceptionally gripped. Therefore, in order to take out the workpiece W from the storage case, the replacement claw module 5 is attached to three finger members.

  First, the robot arm A is driven and controlled by the robot control unit, and the robot hand 1 is moved above the replacement claw module 5 set in the storage jig 30. Next, the robot hand 1 is moved downward (vertical direction), and the three finger members 3 are respectively inserted into the corresponding insertion holes 12d of the replacement claw module 5 from above, and the lateral groove portions 8d of the three finger members 3 are inserted. The balls 23c of the locking mechanism 14 are engaged with each other to bring them into a locked state. When the plurality of finger members 3 are inserted into the plurality of insertion holes 12d, the opening / closing drive drive motor M in the hand body 2 is servo-off and executed in a free state.

  Next, the robot arm A is driven and controlled, the robot hand 1 with the replacement claw module 5 attached is moved in the horizontal direction, the replacement claw module 5 is extracted from the storage portion of the storage jig 30, and is placed above the storage case. The robot hand 1 is moved. Next, the robot hand 1 is moved downward toward the workpiece W to be gripped, and the three claw members 13 are controlled via the three finger members 3 by the hand control unit to grip and take out the workpiece W. . At this time, since the spring member 16 of the replacement claw module 5 is elastically biased in the closing direction, the gripping force of the workpiece W can be improved. Then, the robot hand 1 is moved to place the workpiece W on the pallet at the target position.

  Next, when returning to the gripping operation by the three finger members 3, the robot arm A is driven and controlled, the robot hand 1 is moved in the horizontal direction with respect to the storage portion of the storage jig 30, and the replacement claw module 5 is moved. Insert into the receiving part. When the robot hand 1 is moved upward after the replacement claw module 5 is accommodated in the storage jig 30, the replacement claw module 5 is locked to the storage jig 30, and the lock mechanism 14 locks the lateral groove 8d. The replacement claw module 5 can be removed from the robot hand 1 after being released. Then, the work of taking out the workpiece is continued by using the three finger members 3 again.

  When the three finger members 3 are extracted from the three insertion holes 12d, the open / close drive drive motor M in the hand body 2 is servo-off, but the three finger members 3 are inserted into the three nail support member 12 insertion holes. When extracting from 12d, the replacement claw module 5 is set in a predetermined storage jig 30 in advance and positioned in a predetermined state where the three finger members 3 can be smoothly inserted into the corresponding three insertion holes 12d at the next mounting. Then, it is controlled so that it is extracted. In this positioning, the center of the replacement claw module 5 and the center of the three insertion holes 12d coincide with each other, so that the claw member 13 of the replacement claw module 5 is gripped (closed) by the three finger members 3. Can be positioned.

  According to the replacement claw module 5, the hand main body 2 attached to the tip of the robot arm A via the wrist A1 so as to be rotationally driven, and the three existing finger members that can be opened and closed provided on the hand main body 2 Since the replacement claw module 5 having the three claw members 13 that are opened and closed in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the three finger members 3 is detachably mounted on the robot hand 1 having the three finger members 3, The three finger members are exceptionally only when the member 3 is configured in the most frequently used shape and is applied to the work of taking out workpieces having various shapes, and the workpiece W that cannot be gripped by the three finger members 3 is taken out. 3, the replacement claw module 5 is mounted, and the workpiece W is taken out by the three claw members 13. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove the finger member 3 from the hand main body 2, and the number of times of attaching / detaching the claw member can be reduced, so that the work efficiency can be improved.

  Further, by preparing a plurality of replacement claw modules 5, a plurality of types of workpieces can be held, and versatility can be improved. Since it is not necessary to newly provide an opening / closing drive source for opening / closing the claw member 13 in each replacement claw module 5, the cost can be reduced.

  Three nail support members 12 each having insertion holes 12d into which the three finger members 3 can be inserted and three nail members 13 are provided, and the opening and closing directions of the corresponding finger members 3 with these three nail support members 12 Since the three guide mechanisms 15 for movably guiding each other and the frame members 11 for supporting the three claw support members 12 via these three guide mechanisms 15, respectively, the three finger members 3 are opened and closed. Can be transmitted smoothly to the three claw members 13 with high accuracy, and the replacement claw module 5 can be configured compactly as a whole, so that the work from a narrow space such as the back or corner of the storage case can be performed. Can be taken out.

  Since the three finger members 3 are provided with the three locking mechanisms 14 for releasably locking the finger member 3 with respect to the nail support member 12 when each finger member 3 is inserted into the insertion hole 12d of the nail support member 12 in a predetermined state. These three lock mechanisms 14 can easily attach the replacement claw module 5 to the three finger members 3.

  Since the locking mechanism 14 is composed of a lateral groove portion 8d formed perpendicular to the length direction of the finger member 3, and a ball plunger 23 attached to the claw support member 12 and capable of being engaged with and disengaged from the lateral groove portion 8d. By engaging the ball 23c of the ball plunger 23 with the lateral groove 8d of the finger member 3, the replacement claw module 5 can be securely fixed to the finger member 3, and the engagement of the ball plunger 23 with respect to the lateral groove 8d of the ball 23c. By releasing the match, the replacement claw module 5 can be easily detached from the finger member 3.

  Since the spring member 16 that elastically biases the claw support member 12 in the closing direction is provided between each claw support member 12 and the frame member 11, when the outer surface of the workpiece is gripped, the three finger members 3 are gripped. By applying the elastic biasing force of the spring member 16 to the force, the gripping force of the claw member 13 can be improved and the robot hand 1 can be prevented from being enlarged.

  When the finger member 3 is inserted into the insertion hole 12d and when the finger member 3 is removed from the insertion hole 12d, the open / close drive drive motor M in the hand body 2 is servo-off, so that the finger member 3 and the replacement claw module 5 The replacement claw module 5 can be attached and detached in a free state where no extra load is applied.

  When the three finger members 3 are extracted from the insertion holes 12d of the three claw support members 12, the replacement claw module 5 is set in a predetermined storage jig 30 in advance and positioned in a predetermined state. When the replacement claw module 5 is attached to the three finger members 3, the finger member 3 can be smoothly inserted and securely inserted into the insertion hole 12d of the replacement claw module 5, and a sensor system for positioning is not required. Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  Next, a description will be given of a second embodiment in which the replacement claw module 5 of the first embodiment is partially changed. The same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the first embodiment, and the description will be omitted. Only the components will be described. As shown in FIG. 11, the replacement claw module 5A is provided with a pair of spring members 16A that elastically urge the claw support members 12 in the opening direction between the claw support members 12 and the frame members 11. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 11, a pair of spring members 16 </ b> A (corresponding to elastic members) is provided between each claw support member 12 and the radiation frame portion 11 b of the frame member 11, and opens the claw support member 12 in the opening direction. Is elastically biased. The pair of spring members 16A are externally fitted to the pair of guide rods 26 in a compressed manner. The radially outer end of each spring member 16A is in contact with the main body 12a of the claw support member 12, and the radially inner end of each spring member 16A is in contact with the radiation frame 11b.

  As described above, since the spring member 16A that elastically urges the claw support member 12 in the opening direction is provided between each claw support member 12 and the frame member 11, when gripping the inner surface of the workpiece, a plurality of spring members 16A are provided. By applying the elastic biasing force of the spring member 16A to the gripping force of the finger member 3, the gripping force of the claw member 13 can be improved, and the robot hand 1 can be prevented from being enlarged.

  Next, a third embodiment in which the replacement claw module 5 of the first embodiment is partially changed will be described. However, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the first embodiment, and the description will be omitted and different. Only the components will be described. As shown in FIG. 12, the replacement claw module 5B has two claw support members 12 and 12B having different shapes for supporting the two claw members 13, and two finger members are provided on one claw support member 12B. An elongated oblong insertion hole 51 into which 3 can be inserted is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the replacement claw module 5 </ b> B includes an insertion hole 12 d into which one finger member 3 can be inserted and a claw support member 12 equipped with one claw member 13 and two finger members 3 inserted therein. A claw support member 12B having a larger size than the claw support member 12 having a possible insertion hole 51 and equipped with one claw member 13, and the opening and closing direction of the finger member 3 corresponding to the two claw support members 12 and 12B Two guide mechanisms 15 and 15B for movably guiding each other, a frame member 11B for supporting the two nail support members 12 and 12B via these two guide mechanisms 15 and 15B, and a finger member 3 for nail support A lock mechanism 14 that releasably locks the member 12 and a spring member 16 that elastically biases the claw support members 12 and 12B in the closing direction are provided.

  The frame member 11B has a regular hexagonal shape centered on the axis S of the robot hand 1, and supports two sets of claw support members 12, 12B and claw members 13 via two guide mechanisms 15, 15B, respectively. To do. The frame member 11B is connected to the inner surfaces of the six side forming portions 11Ba that form six sides, the opposing corner portions, and the side forming portions 11Bb on both sides of the corner portions, and extends in the direction of the axial center S. Are integrally formed from two radiation frame portions 11Bb which are integrally connected and have a wide linear shape.

  Two openings 18 and 18B are formed inside the frame member 11B so as to face each other with the two radiation frame portions 11Bb interposed therebetween. Concave portions 11c and 11Bc are formed at the inner ends of the openings 18 and 18B on the axis S side, respectively. The right opening 18 </ b> B has an opening area that occupies most of the right half of the frame member 11. A set of a claw support member 12B, a guide mechanism 15B, and a pair of spring members 16 is disposed in the right opening 18B. The left opening 18 is the same as in the first embodiment, and the claw support member 12, the lock mechanism 14, the guide mechanism 15 and the like disposed in the left opening 18 are the same as in the first embodiment. Therefore, explanation is omitted.

  The right claw support member 12B is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is provided on the frame member 11B so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the side forming portion 11Bb via a pair of guide rods 26B of the guide mechanism 15B. The claw support member 12B includes a rectangular parallelepiped main body portion 12Ba, a convex portion 12Bb slightly protruding inward from the main body portion 12Ba, and extends from the lower portion of the main body portion 12Ba toward the side forming portion 11Ba. And a flat plate portion 12Bc in contact with the lower surface. The nail support member 12B is formed with an oval insertion hole 51 into which the two finger members 3 can be inserted and a pair of rod insertion holes (not shown) through which the pair of guide rods 26 are inserted. .

  When the claw support member 12B is in the closed position maximally closed by the pair of spring members 16, the projection 12Bb of the claw support member 12B engages with the recess 11Bc of the radiation frame portion 11Bb with a slight gap, Of the inner end surface of 12Ba, both side portions of the convex portion 12Bb are received in surface contact with the receiving surfaces 11Bd on both sides of the concave portion 11Bc of the radiation frame portion 11Bb. When the nail support member 12 </ b> B is in the open position where it is maximally opened, the two finger members 3 abut against both ends of the insertion hole 51.

  The guide mechanism 15B has a pair of guide rods 26B extending in a direction orthogonal to the side forming portion 11Ba, and the pair of guide rods 26B is orthogonal to the side forming portion 11a and between the pair of guide rods 26. They are arranged in parallel with a wider interval than the interval.

  When the replacement nail module 5B is attached to the finger member 3, one finger member 3 is inserted into the insertion hole 12d of the nail support member 12, and the two finger members 3 are spaced from both ends of the insertion hole 51 of the nail support member 12B. The replacement nail module 5 </ b> B is attached to the three finger members 3. When the three finger members 3 are moved in the opening direction (radial direction) along with the opening drive by the hand control unit, the nail support member 12 moves outward in conjunction with the one finger member 3 as in the first embodiment. Is done. In the claw support member 12B, the two finger members 3 can move toward the both ends of the insertion hole 51 while moving the claw support member 12B to the outside, so that the replacement claw module 5B can be opened. At this time, the gripping force of the claw member 13 of the claw support member 12B exhibits the same gripping force as that of the claw member 13 of the claw support member 12 by combining the vectors of the two finger members 3.

  As described above, the robot hand 1 having the existing three finger members 3 is provided with two claw members 13 instead of the replacement claw module 5 having the three claw members 13 of the first embodiment. Since the replacement claw module 5B can be mounted, the versatility of the replacement claw module 5B can be enhanced. The shape of the claw member 13 may be the same as that of the first embodiment, or other shapes may be adopted.

  Next, a description will be given of a fourth embodiment in which the replacement claw module 5 of the first embodiment is partially changed. The same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the first embodiment, and the description will be omitted. Only the components will be described. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, in the replacement claw module 5C, the plurality of claw members 13C are respectively attached to the plurality of claw support members 12C via a pair of link members 55 and 56. In the fourth embodiment, two finger members 3 and three claw members 13C will be described as an example.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the replacement claw module 5C includes insertion holes (not shown) through which the two finger members 3 can be inserted, and the two claw members 13C include a pair of link members 55 and 56. Two claw support members 12C respectively provided via the two claw support members, two guide mechanisms (not shown) for guiding the two claw support members 12C so as to be movable in the opening and closing directions of the corresponding finger members 3, respectively. A frame member 11C that supports two claw support members 12C via a guide mechanism, a lock mechanism (not shown) that releasably locks the finger member 3 to the claw support member 12C, and a claw support member 12C are closed. A spring member (not shown) that elastically biases in the direction is provided. The frame member 11C, the claw support member 12C, the guide mechanism, the lock mechanism, the spring member, and the like are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The upper ends of the pair of link members 55 and 56 are rotatably supported via the pin members 57 at the lower ends of the claw support members 12C, respectively. On the lower side, a crossing portion (about リ ン ク portion from the lower side of the entire length) of the pair of link members 55 and 56 is rotatably connected by a pin member 58. The pair of link members 55 and 56 corresponds to a mechanism having a deceleration function.

  The two claw members 13C are formed in a rectangular shape, and are integrally attached to the distal end portions (lower end portions) of the pair of link members 55 and 56, respectively. The two claw members 13C are configured to be rotatable through a pair of link members 55 and 56 in an open state (see a solid line in FIG. 13) and a closed state (see a two-dot chain line in FIG. 13). Yes. Each of the two claw members 13C is formed with a gripping surface 59 that is a vertical surface in the closed state.

  When the two finger members 3 are moved in the direction approaching the horizontal direction in accordance with the closing drive of the robot hand 1 with the replacement finger module 5C attached to the two finger members 3, as shown in FIG. While the one claw member 13C moves downward, each gripping surface 59 is decelerated to an opening / closing speed slower than the opening / closing speed of the finger member 3 (opening / closing speed about 1/2 to 1/3 times the opening / closing speed of the finger member 3). Move in the approaching direction and close. When gripping a workpiece, the claw member 13C is driven to close via the pair of link members 55, 56, so that the gripping force of the claw member 13C is reduced by the decelerating function of the pair of link members 55, 56. Compared with the gripping force of the member 3, the force is increased by about 2 to 3 times.

  As described above, since each claw member 13C is attached to the claw support member 12C via a pair of link members 55, 56, the gripping force by the plurality of claw members 13C is applied to the pair of link members 55, 56. The force can be increased by (a mechanism having a deceleration function). Note that the mechanism having the deceleration function that is the pair of link members 55 and 56 of the fourth embodiment is merely an example, and it is possible to employ mechanisms having the deceleration function of various structures. Moreover, it is also possible to employ | adopt the mechanism of the various structure which replaces with a deceleration function and has a speed increasing function. The gripping force can be adjusted by the mechanism having the deceleration or acceleration function.

Next, a mode in which the above embodiment is partially changed will be described.
[1] In the first and second embodiments, the robot hand 1 includes the three finger members 3, the replacement claw modules 5 and 5A include the three claw members 13, and in the third embodiment, the robot hand 1 Three finger members 3 are provided, the replacement claw module 5B is provided with two claw members 13, and in the fourth embodiment, the robot hand 1 is provided with two finger members 3, and the replacement claw module 5C is provided with two claw members 13C. However, it is not necessary to limit to the number of them. The robot hand 1 includes one, two, or four or more finger members 3, and the replacement claw module 5 includes one, two, or four claw members 13. It is possible to adopt a configuration including at least one, and it is possible to adopt various combinations as long as one or more finger members 3 are equipped with the replacement claw module 5 and the one or more claw members 13 can be opened and closed. is there.

[2] The frame members 11, 11B, 11C and the claw support members 12, 12B, 12C in the replacement claw modules 5, 5A, 5B, 5C of the first to fourth embodiments are merely examples, and have various structures. It is possible to employ a frame member or a claw support member, and the frame members 11, 11B, 11C and the claw support members 12, 12B, 12C may be made of steel, may be made of a light alloy, and are made of synthetic resin. It may be made of steel.

[3] The lock mechanism 14 of the first to fourth embodiments employs a structure in which the ball 23c of the ball plunger 23 is engaged with the lateral groove 8d of the finger member 3 and locked. It does not need to be limited and may be locked by other various locking means.

[4] The shape of the plurality of finger members 3 of the first to fourth embodiments is merely an example. If the lateral groove 8d is formed in the insertion hole 12d and the lateral groove 8d is formed, the shape of the workpiece to be grasped is determined. Various shapes can be adopted depending on the shape or posture.

[5] In the replacement claw modules 5, 5A and 5B of the first to third embodiments, the claw support members 12 and 12B and the claw member 13 are configured separately. However, it is not necessary to limit to the separate configurations. The claw support members 12, 12B and the claw member 13 may be integrally formed.

[6] In the first to third embodiments, the spring members 16 and 16A are employed as the elastic members. However, it is not particularly limited to the spring members 16 and 16A, and other claw support members such as rubber members are made elastic. Various devices can be used as long as they are suitable.

[7] In addition, those skilled in the art can implement the present invention by adding various modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention includes such modifications. is there.

A Robot arm A1 Wrist part F Mounting surface W Work 1 Robot hand 2 Hand body 3 Finger member 5, 5A, 5B, 5C Replacement claw module 8d Lateral groove 11, 11B, 11C Frame member 12, 12B, 12C Claw support member 12d, 51 Insertion holes 13, 13C Claw member 14 Lock mechanism 15, 15B Guide mechanism 16, 16A Spring member 23 Ball plunger 30 Storage jig 55, 56 A pair of link members (mechanism having a deceleration or speed increasing function)

Claims (8)

An exchange claw module detachably attached to a robot hand having a finger member,
A claw member that is attachable to and detachable from the finger member and that is opened and closed in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the finger member, a claw support member that has an insertion hole into which the finger member can be inserted and has the claw member, and the claw support An exchange claw module for a robot hand , comprising: a guide mechanism that guides a member so as to be movable in an opening / closing direction of a corresponding finger member; and a frame member that supports the claw support member via the guide mechanism . The robot according to claim 1, further comprising: a lock mechanism that releasably locks the finger member with respect to the nail support member when the finger member is inserted into the insertion hole of the nail support member in a predetermined state. Replacement nail module for hands. The locking mechanism includes a lateral groove portion formed orthogonal to the length direction of the finger member, and a ball plunger attached to the claw support member and detachable from the lateral groove portion. The replacement claw module for a robot hand according to claim 2. The robot hand according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an elastic member that elastically biases the claw support member in an opening direction is provided between each claw support member and the frame member. Replacement nail module. The robot hand according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein an elastic member that elastically biases the claw support member in a closing direction is provided between each claw support member and the frame member. Replacement nail module. When withdrawing the finger member and the case of inserting the finger members to the insertion hole from the insertion hole, any claim 2-5, characterized in that the servo-off closing driving motor in the robot hand The replacement claw module for a robot hand according to claim 1. When withdrawing the finger member from the insertion hole of the pawl support member, according to claim 2-5, characterized in that withdrawn from the pre-positioned and said switching pawl module in a predetermined storage jig set to and a predetermined state The replacement claw module for a robot hand according to any one of the above. The robot hand replacement claw module according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the claw member is attached to the claw support member via a mechanism having a deceleration or speed increasing function .

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