JP6812287B2 - Articulated arm - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an articulated arm that is suitably used for an articulated arm of an industrial robot.

Conventionally, in industrial robots, the base end of an articulated arm is attached to a support column portion rotatably erected on the ground, and an end effector is attached to the tip of the articulated arm. .. The articulated arm has an articulated structure in which at least two articulated arms are rotatably articulated, and the articulated arms are relatively rotated by a servomotor or the like.

As a connecting arm used for such an articulated arm, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes the following connecting arm. This articulated arm includes an arm body, a first articulated portion connected to the base end of the articulated arm, and a second articulated portion connected to the tip end side of the articulated arm on the other end side of the arm body. It has. The first and second connecting portions are integrally formed with the arm body and the fiber reinforced resin. According to this articulated arm, since the material is made of fiber reinforced resin, the weight of the articulated arm can be reduced and its rigidity can be ensured.

JP-A-2009-190149

However, the articulated arm of Patent Document 1 is rotatably articulated as an articulated arm, and the articulated arm may vibrate at the timing of rotation and stop at the joint portion of the articulated arm. is there.

In particular, the vibration generated on the proximal end side of the articulated arm tends to be large on the distal end side, and therefore this vibration may be transmitted to the end effector attached to the distal end of the articulated arm. As a result, if the generated vibration is not settled to some extent, the articulated arm cannot move to the next operation, so that the operability of the articulated arm may be impaired.

The present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to improve the operability of an articulated arm by suppressing vibration generated when the articulated arm rotates. The purpose is to provide an arm for articulation that can be used.

In view of the above problems, the articulated arm according to the present invention is an articulated arm that is a part of an articulated arm of an industrial robot, and the articulated arm is an arm body and one end side of the arm body. The first connecting portion rotatably connected to the base end side of the articulated arm and the second connecting portion rotatably connected to the tip end side of the articulated arm at the other end side of the arm body. The first connecting portion is made of a fiber reinforced resin, and the arm body and the second connecting portion are a core material made of a foamed resin and a fiber reinforced resin covering the core material. It is characterized by having an outer skin made of.

According to the present invention, the first connecting portion is made of a fiber reinforced resin, and the arm body and the second connecting portion are provided with an exodermis made of a fiber reinforced resin covering the core material, so that the rigidity of the connecting arm is increased. Can be secured.

Further, since the arm body and the second connecting portion are provided with a core material made of foamed resin, not only can the weight of the connecting arm be further reduced, but also the connecting that occurs when the connecting arm rotates The vibration of the arm can be absorbed by the foamed resin of the core material.

Further, since the second connecting portion is rotatably connected to the tip end side of the articulated arm on the other end side of the arm body, the foamed resin core material of the second connecting portion is used to connect to the tip of the articulated arm. The vibration to the attached end effector can be suitably absorbed. In addition to this, the vibration generated in the first articulated portion is absorbed by the core material made of foamed resin constituting the arm body, so that the vibration of the first articulated portion is difficult to be transmitted to the second articulated portion.

As a result, by suppressing the vibration transmitted to the end effector attached to the tip of the articulated arm, the next operation of the articulated arm can be executed at an early stage, and the operability of the articulated arm can be improved. Can be done.

In a more preferred embodiment, the arm body and the core material of the second connecting portion are continuously formed. According to this aspect, since the arm body and the second connecting portion are continuous core materials, the vibration generated in the first connecting portion can be efficiently absorbed by one core material made of foamed resin. Can be done.

Further, as a preferred embodiment, a metal ring member for connecting to the tip end side of the articulated arm is attached to the second connecting portion, and the core material is attached to the second connecting portion. By forming the stepped portion and covering the stepped portion with the outer skin, a storage recess for accommodating the ring member is formed so that the ring member is seated on the outer skin covering the stepped portion. ing.

According to this aspect, the ring member is seated on the exodermis covering the stepped portion of the core material while accommodating the ring member for connecting to the tip end side of the articulated arm in the accommodating recess of the second connecting portion. As a result, the foamed resin of the stepped portion can be arranged at the opposite positions of the surface on which the ring member is seated and the outer peripheral surface thereof via the outer skin.

As a result, the vibration from the first connecting portion toward the ring member can be absorbed by the foamed resin of the stepped portion of the core material, and the vibration toward the ring member can be absorbed from the ring member through the outer skin of the core material. It can be absorbed by the foamed resin of the stepped part of.

According to the present invention, the operability of the articulated arm can be improved by suppressing the vibration generated when the articulated arm rotates.

It is a schematic perspective view which looked at the articulation arm which concerns on embodiment of this invention from one side. It is a schematic perspective view which looked at the articulation arm shown in FIG. 1 from the other side. It is a top view of the articulation arm shown in FIG. It is a schematic perspective view for demonstrating the position of the core material arranged in the articulation arm shown in FIG. (A) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 3, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 3, and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. It is a figure. It is sectional drawing in the DD line of FIG.

The following arm for connecting according to the present embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

The articulated arm 1 according to the present embodiment is an articulated arm that is a part of an articulated arm (not shown) of an industrial robot. The base end of the articulated arm is attached to a support column (not shown) that supports it and is rotatable in the horizontal direction, and an end effector (not shown) is attached to the tip of the joint arm. Has been done.

As shown in FIG. 1, the articulated arm 1 includes an arm body 20, a first articulated portion 30 that is rotatably connected to the base end side of an articulated arm at one end side of the arm body 20, and an arm body. On the other end side of 20, a second connecting portion 40 that is rotatably connected to the tip end side of the articulated arm is provided.

As will be described later, the arm body 20 and the first and second connecting portions 30 and 40 are integrally molded with a fiber reinforced resin, and as shown in FIG. 2, one side of the connecting arm 1 is A lightening portion 51 is formed. Further, the connecting arm 1 is rotated around the edge of the connecting arm 1 on the side where the lightening portion 51 is formed so as to connect the arm body 20 and the first and second connecting portions 30 and 40. As described above, the collar portion 52 made of fiber reinforced resin is formed. By forming such a flange portion 52, the rigidity of the connecting arm 1 can be increased.

In addition, in FIGS. 1 and 2, for convenience, a boundary line is drawn between the arm body 20 and the first connecting portion 30, but these are seamlessly formed by a fiber reinforced resin prepreg described later. Further, in the cross-sectional views shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the first connecting portion 30 and the flange portion 52 are drawn as if they were one member, but these are formed by laminating a plurality of individual prepregs. Will be done.

The arm body 20 has a base material portion 21 extending to the first and second connecting portions 30 and 40 in a direction orthogonal to the rotating rotation axes L1 and L2 of the connecting arm 1, and a base material portion 21. A pair of side wall portions 22, 22 extending from both sides of the wall toward the flange portion 52 are formed.

The first connecting portion 30 is continuously and integrally formed with the base material portion 21 and the pair of side wall portions 22, 22 on one side of the arm main body 20. The first connecting portion 30 is formed with a first supporting portion 31 made of a fiber reinforced resin that rotatably supports a component (not shown) on the base end side of the articulated arm.

The first support portion 31 is formed with a first receiving hole 32 for receiving a component of the articulated arm. In the first receiving hole 32, a receiving portion 33 made of fiber reinforced resin, which is integrally formed with the first supporting portion 31, is arranged.

A through hole 34 communicating with the first receiving hole 32 is formed in the receiving portion 33, and a metal first ring member 36 for connecting the components on the base end side of the articulated arm is formed through the through hole. It is attached so as to surround the 34.

The first ring member 36 is made of a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel, and is attached to the flange portion 52 side of the connecting arm 1 with an adhesive rather than the second ring member 43 described later. .. Here, the first ring member 36 is adhered to the receiving portion 33 via an adhesive, but for example, the first ring member 36 may be joined to the receiving portion 33 by insert molding.

The second connecting portion 40 is continuously and integrally formed with the base material portion 21 and the pair of side wall portions 22, 22 on the other side of the arm main body 20. The second connecting portion 40 is formed with a second supporting portion 41 that rotatably supports a component (not shown) on the tip end side of the articulated arm.

The second support portion 41 is formed with a second receiving hole 42 for receiving a component on the tip end side of the articulated arm. A metal second ring member 43 for connecting the components on the tip end side of the articulated arm is attached to the second receiving hole 42 so as to surround the second receiving hole 42. The second ring member 43 is made of a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel, and is attached to the base material portion 21 side of the arm body 20 with respect to the first ring member 36.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the first ring member 36 and the second ring member 43 are parallel rotation shafts L1 and L2 of the first and second connecting portions 30 and 40 on both sides of the arm body 20. It will be attached to the articulating arm 1 on a different plane orthogonal to.

As a result, not only the vibration from one of the first ring member 36 and the second ring member 43 is suppressed from being transmitted to the other side, but also the arm main body 20 and the second connecting portion 40, which will be described later, are arranged. The core materials 25 and 45 made of foamed resin can efficiently absorb this vibration.

Here, in the present embodiment, as described above, the first articulated portion 30 is made of fiber reinforced resin as shown in FIG. 5A, and a plurality of fiber reinforced resin layers are laminated along the shape thereof. , Is formed.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, the arm body 20 includes a core material 25 made of foamed resin and an exodermis 26 made of fiber reinforced resin covering the core material 25. The core material 25 of the arm body 20 is continuously formed inside the base material portion 21 of the arm body 20 and the pair of side wall portions 22, 22. The outer skin 26 covers the surface of the core material 25 so as to sandwich the core material 25, and the outer skin 26 is continuously formed on the first connecting portion 30.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5C, the second articulated portion 40 includes a core material 45 made of a foamed resin and an outer skin 46 made of a fiber reinforced resin coated on the core material 45. The exodermis 46 covers the surface of the core material 45 so as to sandwich the core material 45.

As shown in FIG. 4, the core material 25 of the arm body 20 and the core material 45 of the second connecting portion 40 are continuously formed and are made of one foamed resin. As a result, the vibration generated in the first connecting portion 30 can be efficiently absorbed by one continuous foamed resin of the arm main body 20 and the second connecting portion 40.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the exodermis 26 of the arm body 20 and the exodermis 46 of the second connecting portion 40 are continuously formed. Further, the outer skin 26 of the arm body 20 and the outer skin 46 of the second connecting portion 40 are also continuously formed on the collar portion 52. As a result, the end faces of the continuous core materials 25 and 45 can be covered with the flange portion 52 made of the fiber reinforced resin.

In the present embodiment, the end faces of the core members 25 and 45 are covered by the collar portion 52, but when the collar portion 52 is not provided on the connecting arm 1, the outer skin 26 of the arm body 20 and the second connecting portion are provided. The outer skin 46 of 40 may cover the end faces of the core materials 25 and 45.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, in the second articulated portion 40, a stepped portion 48 is formed on the core material 45. The stepped portion 48 is covered with an exodermis 46 as shown in FIGS. 5C and 6. A housing recess 49 for accommodating the second ring member 43 is formed in the portion of the outer skin 46 covering the stepped portion 48 so that the second ring member 43 can be seated.

In the present embodiment, the one-side surface and the outer peripheral surface of the second ring member 43 are adhered to the outer skin 46 covering the stepped portion 48 via an adhesive. However, for example, similarly to the first ring member 36, the second ring member 43 may be joined to the outer skin 46 by insert molding.

The fiber-reinforced resin reinforcing fibers constituting the first connecting portion 30, the outer skin 26 of the arm body 20, the outer skin 46 of the second connecting portion 40, etc. include glass fibers, carbon fibers, silicon carbide fibers, alumina fibers, and tyranno fibers. , Inorganic fibers such as genbuiwa fibers, ceramics fibers; metal fibers such as stainless steel fibers and steel fibers; organic fibers such as aramid fibers, polyethylene fibers, polyparaphenylene benzoxador (PBO) fibers; or boron fibers. The reinforcing fibers may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among them, carbon fiber, glass fiber, or aramid fiber is preferable, and carbon fiber is more preferable. Despite being lightweight, these reinforcing fibers have excellent mechanical strength.

Such reinforcing fibers may be either long fibers or short fibers, but are preferably used as a reinforcing fiber base material processed into a desired shape. The reinforcing fiber base material is a woven fabric base material using reinforcing fibers, a knitted base material, a non-woven fabric, or a face material obtained by binding (stitching) a fiber bundle (strand) in which reinforcing fibers are aligned in one direction with a thread. And so on. In the present embodiment, the reinforcing fiber base material is a woven fabric base material in which long fibers are woven, and examples of the weaving method of the woven fabric base material include plain weave, twill weave, and satin weave. As the fiber-reinforced base material, only one fiber-reinforced base material may be used without being laminated, or a plurality of fiber-reinforced base materials may be laminated and used as a laminated fiber-reinforced base material.

The synthetic resin is a resin that is impregnated with reinforcing fibers to bond the reinforcing fibers to each other. The impregnated synthetic resin allows the reinforcing fibers to be bound and integrated. The synthetic resin to be impregnated with the reinforcing fibers may be either a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin, but a thermosetting resin is more preferable.

The thermosetting resin is not particularly limited, and for example, epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester resin, phenol resin, melamine resin, polyurethane resin, silicon resin, maleimide resin, vinyl ester resin, cyanide. Examples thereof include acid ester-based resins and resins obtained by prepolymerizing maleimide-based resins and cyanate-based resins. The thermosetting resin may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Of these, epoxy resins or vinyl ester resins are preferable. According to these synthetic resins, a fiber reinforced resin having excellent elasticity can be formed, and the impact resistance of the obtained articulated arm 1 can be improved. Further, the thermosetting resin may contain additives such as a curing agent and a curing accelerator. The fiber reinforced resin may be molded by a sheet molding compound (SMC).

The content of the thermosetting resin in the fiber reinforced resin is preferably 20 to 80% by weight, more preferably 30 to 70% by weight. If the content of the thermosetting resin is too small, the binding property between the reinforcing fibers becomes insufficient, and the mechanical strength and impact resistance of the connecting arm 1 may not be sufficiently improved. Further, if the content of the thermosetting resin is too large, the mechanical strength of the connecting arm 1 may decrease, and the impact resistance thereof may not be sufficiently improved.

The core materials 25 and 45 contain a foamed synthetic resin as a material. The synthetic resin preferably has a polar group such as a cyano group, a hydroxy group (hydroxyl group), a carbonyl group, an amino group, an epoxy group, a halogen atom, an oxo group, or a phenyl group. By using a synthetic resin having a polar group, the core material 25 of the arm body 20 including this and the exodermis 26 are firmly integrated, and the core material 45 of the second connecting portion 40 and the exodermis 46 are combined. Can be firmly integrated. As a result, when an impact is applied to the connecting arm 1, the peeling of the outer skins 26 and 46 from the core materials 25 and 45 can be reduced, and the impact resistance of the connecting arm 1 can be further improved.

Specific examples of the synthetic resin used for the core materials 25 and 45 include polycarbonate-based resin, acrylic-based resin, thermoplastic polyester-based resin, polymethacrylicimide-based resin, polystyrene-based resin, polyamide-based resin, and polypropylene-based resin. Can be mentioned. The synthetic resin may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among them, a thermoplastic polyester resin or a polyamide resin is preferable, and a thermoplastic polyester resin is more preferable, because the core material 25 (45) and the outer skin 26 (46) can be more firmly integrated.

Such a connecting arm 1 can be manufactured by molding by pressurization and heating in a pair of molding dies (not shown). Specifically, in the molded state, a cavity corresponding to the shape of the connecting arm 1 is formed in the pair of molding molds, and the collar portion is first formed in one molding mold when the mold is opened. A prepreg in which, for example, an uncured thermosetting resin is impregnated in a base material of a reinforcing fiber is laminated on a shape corresponding to 52 to shape a collar portion 52.

Next, the above-mentioned prepreg is laminated on the shapes corresponding to the first support portion 31 and the receiving portion 33, and the first connecting portion 30 is shaped. Next, the pre-foamed foamed resin corresponding to the shapes of the core materials 25 and 45 is prepared, the prepreg corresponding to the outer skins 26 and 46 is coated, and the arm body 20 and the second connecting portion 40 are shaped. It is arranged on the flange portion 52 arranged in one of the molding molds.

Next, by molding one molding die and the other molding die, the prepreg and the foamed resin arranged inside these are pressurized and heated to cure the thermosetting resin contained in the prepreg. At the same time, the foamed resin is further foamed. In this way, the articulated arm 1 can be manufactured.

According to the present embodiment, the first connecting portion 30 is made of a fiber reinforced resin, and the arm body 20 and the second connecting portion 40 are made of fiber reinforced resin coated on the core materials 25 and 45, and the outer skins 26 and 46 are formed. Since it is provided, the rigidity of the connecting arm 1 can be ensured.

Further, since the arm body 20 and the second connecting portion 40 include core members 25 and 45 made of foamed resin, the weight of the connecting arm 1 can be further reduced. In addition to this, the vibration of the connecting arm 1 generated when the connecting arm 1 rotates around the rotation shafts L1 and L2 can be absorbed by the core materials 25 and 45 made of foamed resin.

Further, since the second connecting portion 40 is rotatably connected to the tip end side of the articulated arm (not shown) on the other end side of the arm body 20, the foamed resin core material of the second connecting portion 40 is formed. According to 45, vibration to an end effector (not shown) attached to the tip of the articulated arm can be suitably absorbed. In addition to this, the vibration generated in the first connecting portion 30 is absorbed by the core material 25 made of foamed resin constituting the arm body 20, so that the vibration of the first connecting portion 30 is transmitted to the second connecting portion 40. hard.

In particular, in the accommodating recess 49, the second ring member 43 is seated on the outer skin 46 covering the stepped portion 48 of the core material 45, so that the surface on which the second ring member 43 is seated and the outer peripheral surface thereof face each other. The foamed resin of the stepped portion 48 can be arranged on the outer skin 46. As a result, the vibration from the first connecting portion 30 toward the second ring member 43 can be absorbed by the foamed resin of the stepped portion 48 of the core material 45, and the vibration toward the second ring member 43 can be absorbed by the core material 45. It can be absorbed by the foamed resin of the stepped portion 48 of.

As a result, by suppressing the vibration transmitted to the end effector attached to the tip of the articulated arm, the next operation of the articulated arm can be executed at an early stage, and the operability of the articulated arm can be improved. Can be done.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various embodiments are made without departing from the spirit of the present invention described in the claims. It is possible to change the design of.

For example, in the present embodiment, first and second receiving holes are formed in each of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion of the connecting arm so as to pivotally support the components of the articulated arm. As long as the articulated arm can be operated by connecting the articulating arm, the structure is not limited to this.

Further, in the present embodiment, the core material of the arm main body and the second connecting portion is one core material, but the core material is divided for each of the arm main body and the second connecting portion, and the exodermis forms each core material. It may be covered.

1: Articulated arm, 20: Arm body, 21: Base material, 22: Side wall, 25: Core material, 26: Exodermis, 30: 1st articulated part, 31: 1st support part, 32: 1st receiver Hole, 33: receiving part, 34: through hole, 36: first ring member, 40: second connecting part, 41: second supporting part, 42: second receiving hole, 43: second ring member, 45: core Material, 46: exodermis, 48: stepped part, 49 accommodating recess, 51: lightening part, 52: collar part, L1, L2: rotating shaft

Claims (2)

An articulated arm that is part of the articulated arm of an industrial robot
The articulated arm is the arm body, a first articulated portion rotatably connected to the base end side of the articulated arm at one end side of the arm body, and the other end side of the arm body. It is equipped with a second articulated part that is rotatably articulated on the tip side of the articulated arm.
The first connecting portion is made of fiber reinforced resin.
The arm body and the second connecting portion include a core material made of foamed resin and an outer skin made of fiber reinforced resin that coats the core material .
A metal ring member for connecting to the tip end side of the articulated arm is attached to the second connecting portion.
In the second connecting portion, a stepped portion is formed on the core material, and the stepped portion is covered with the outer skin so that the ring member is seated on the outer skin covering the stepped portion. , An articulating arm characterized in that an accommodating recess for accommodating the ring member is formed . The articulated arm according to claim 1, wherein the arm body and the core material of the second articulated portion are continuously formed.

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