JP7411874B2 - Tool change device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to connectors and tool exchange devices.

Robot arms used in industrial equipment such as factories carry out production work by attaching various tools (end effectors) such as welding tools to their tips. There is a tool exchange device as a device for facilitating the exchange of such tools. This tool exchange device consists of a master plate attached to the tip of a robot arm, and a plurality of tool plates each equipped with various tools. Each tool plate is formed to be able to fit into the master plate, and by exchanging the tool plates, the tools of the robot arm can be easily exchanged.

Depending on the form of the above-mentioned tools, there are some that require the exchange of electrical signals with the robot arm. For such a tool, the electrical signal line of the robot arm is connected to the master plate, and electrical signals are exchanged with the tool via the master plate and the tool plate. At this time, a connector consisting of a male terminal and a female terminal is generally used for electrical connection between the master plate and the tool plate.

In a tool changing device that requires the transmission and reception of such electrical signals, for example, intrusion of liquid such as water may cause a short circuit between adjacent terminals, causing malfunctions or failures. For this reason, a sealing material is provided at the outer edge of the area where the master plate and tool plate contact each other when they are fitted (fitting area) to prevent liquid from entering from the outside (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2,694,299). .

However, with such a configuration in which a sealing material is provided at the outer edge of the mating area, although it is possible to prevent liquid from entering after mating, if liquid remains on the surface of the plate before mating, this may occur. It is not possible to sufficiently prevent short circuits between adjacent terminals due to liquid.

Patent No. 2694299

The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a connector and a tool exchange device that can prevent electrical short-circuiting between adjacent terminals due to the intrusion of liquid.

The connector of the present invention includes a male terminal having a columnar pedestal and a cylindrical convex portion protruding from the top surface of the pedestal, and a cylindrical male terminal having an opening in the top surface and a recess that can fit into the convex portion. a female terminal having a socket, the male terminal having a sealing material surrounding the convex portion while being in contact with the pedestal, and the sealing material covering the opening when the male terminal and the female terminal are fitted together. It touches the top surface of the socket so as to surround it.

The connector has a sealing material that surrounds the convex portion while the male terminal is in contact with the pedestal, and when the male terminal and the female terminal are engaged, the sealing material is in contact with the top surface of the socket so as to surround the opening of the female terminal. . Therefore, the connector can prevent liquid from entering each connector when the male terminal and the female terminal are fitted together. Therefore, even if there is another adjacent connector, the connector can effectively prevent a short circuit between the terminals of the connector.

It is preferable that the male terminal has a flange portion that protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the pedestal and whose top surface is flush with the top surface of the pedestal, and that the sealing material covers the top surface of the flange portion. By providing the flange portion on the male terminal in this way and arranging the sealing material so as to cover the top surface of the flange portion, the area in contact with the sealing material can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent liquid from entering.

The Shore A hardness of the sealing material is preferably 70° or less. By setting the Shore A hardness of the sealing material below the upper limit above, it is possible to maintain the mating state of the mating parts of the male and female terminals while increasing their adhesion, making the transmission and reception of electrical signals unstable when mated. It is possible to more reliably prevent liquid infiltration while preventing this from occurring.

The tool exchange device of the present invention includes a master plate attached to a robot arm, a tool plate detachably attached to the master plate to which a tool is attached, and a connector of the present invention, the master plate and the tool plate The female terminal of the connector is arranged on one plate, the female terminal of the connector is arranged on the other plate, and the socket of the female terminal has its bottom buried in the one plate. , and its top protrudes from the one plate, the pedestal of the male terminal is embedded in the other plate, and the convex part of the male terminal is configured to be able to fit into the socket of the female terminal. There is.

Since the tool exchange device includes the connector of the present invention, it is possible to effectively prevent a ground fault between the connector and the plate and a short circuit between terminals when adjacent connectors are present.

The female terminal protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the bottom part embedded in the one plate of the socket and surrounds the socket, and a second sealing material surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the socket while being in contact with the collar. and a region of the second seal material that faces the flange and surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the socket is in contact with the one plate. By providing the second sealing material on the female terminal in this way, it is also possible to prevent liquid from penetrating around the socket of the female terminal, making it even more difficult for ground faults and short circuits to occur.

In addition, the "top" refers to the part that becomes the tip side when the male and female terminals are mated, and the "bottom" refers to the part on the opposite side, that is, the part where the male and female terminals are mated. In this case, each refers to the part on the rear end side. Moreover, the "top surface" refers to the surface located on the tip side when the male terminal and the female terminal are fitted together. "Shore A hardness" refers to hardness measured in accordance with durometer Type A described in JIS-K-6253-3:2012.

As described above, the connector and tool exchange device of the present invention can prevent electrical short circuits between adjacent terminals due to intrusion of liquid.

FIG. 1 is a schematic bottom view showing a master plate of a tool changing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view showing a tool plate of a tool exchange device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic partial sectional view showing a fitted state of a male terminal and a female terminal when the tool plate shown in FIG. 2 is attached to the master plate of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the male terminal of the tool plate shown in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the female terminal of the master plate shown in FIG. 3.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

[Tool changing device]
The tool exchange device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a master plate 1 attached to a robot arm, a tool plate 2 detachably attached to the master plate 1 and to which tools are attached, and a plurality of embodiments of the present invention. (a male terminal 10 and a female terminal 20). In this tool exchange device, the master plate 1 and the tool plate 2 are attached and detached by operation, so that various tools can be exchanged and attached to the robot arm. Such a tool exchange device is used, for example, as an end effector automatic exchange device.

The attachment/detachment structure of the tool exchange device is not particularly limited, but for example, the tool plate 2 may have an insertion recess on its upper surface, and the master plate 1 may have a cylindrical portion that can be inserted into the insertion recess.

The master plate 1 includes a master unit main body 3, an external connection portion 4, and a female terminal 20. Further, the tool plate 2 includes a tool unit main body 5, an external connection portion 6, and a male terminal 10. That is, between the master plate 1 and the tool plate 2, the female terminal 20 of the connector is arranged on one plate, the master plate 1, and the male terminal 10 of the connector is arranged on the other plate, the tool plate 2. There is.

The master unit main body 3 and the tool unit main body 5 are bases on which components of a tool realized by the combination thereof are mounted. The master unit main body 3 and the tool unit main body 5 can be made of metal or resin, but resin is preferable from the viewpoint of weight reduction.

The external connection portion 4 of the master plate 1 projects vertically from the side surface of the master unit main body 3. The external connection part 4 has a cylindrical shape, for example, and has a plurality of external connection terminals inside. The plurality of external connection terminals are connected one-to-one to the plurality of female terminals 20 inside the master unit main body 3.

The external connection portion 6 of the tool plate 2 is provided to protrude perpendicularly from the side surface of the tool unit main body 5. The external connection part 6 has a cylindrical shape, for example, and has a plurality of external connection terminals inside. The plurality of external connection terminals are connected one-to-one to the plurality of male terminals 10 inside the tool unit main body 5.

This tool exchange device connects a cable or the like for exchanging electrical signals with the robot arm to the external connection part 4 of the master plate 1, and connects a cable or the like to the external connection part 6 of the tool plate 2 for exchanging electrical signals with the tool. By connecting the master plate 1 and the tool plate 2 as shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to exchange electrical signals between the robot arm and the tool. In other words, by connecting the master plate 1 and the tool plate 2 so that the plurality of female terminals 20 of the master plate 1 fit into the plurality of male terminals 10 of the tool plate 2, the robot arm and the tool can be connected. A communication circuit for a plurality of electrical signals is formed.

[connector]
Hereinafter, the connector of the present invention will be explained in detail. A connector according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a male terminal 10 shown in FIG. 4 and a female terminal 20 shown in FIG. 5.

<Male terminal>
As shown in FIG. 4, the male terminal 10 includes a pedestal 11, a convex portion 12, a flange portion 13, and a first sealing material 14.

(pedestal)
The pedestal 11 has a columnar shape, for example, a columnar shape. Furthermore, the pedestal 11 has conductivity and is electrically connected to the convex portion 12 .

Although the size of the pedestal 11 is not particularly limited, for example, if the pedestal 11 is cylindrical, its diameter can be 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and the axial length can be 1 mm or more and 12 mm or less.

Note that it is preferable that the end of the base 11 on the side opposite to the side on which the convex portion 12 is arranged is tapered to facilitate fitting with the tool plate 2, as shown in FIG. .

(Protrusion)
The convex portion 12 protrudes from the top surface of the pedestal 11 and has a cylindrical shape. Further, the convex portion 12 has conductivity. The convex portion 12 may be integrally molded with the base 11 or may be a separate body.

Preferably, the convex portion 12 has a tapered shape whose diameter gradually decreases toward the distal end. By making the convex portion 12 tapered in this manner, it can be made easier to fit into the female terminal 20 described later.

When the convex portion 12 is tapered, it is preferable that the diameter reduction rate in the axial direction is constant, that is, the peripheral edge in a cross section of the convex portion 12 passing through the axis is formed in a straight line. The lower limit of the taper angle of the convex portion 12 is preferably 1°, more preferably 2°, and even more preferably 4°. On the other hand, the upper limit of the taper angle of the convex portion 12 is preferably 10°, more preferably 8°, and even more preferably 6°. If the taper angle of the convex portion 12 is less than the above-mentioned lower limit, there is a possibility that the fitting and removing properties (easiness of fitting and removing) of the male terminal 10 will be insufficient. On the other hand, if the taper angle of the convex portion 12 exceeds the above upper limit, the contact area with the female terminal 20 may decrease and the reliability of the electrical connection may deteriorate.

The diameter (maximum diameter) at the root portion of the convex portion 12 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less. Furthermore, the length of the convex portion 12 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

Further, it is preferable that the tip edge of the convex portion 12 is rounded. The lower limit of the diameter of this circular arc is preferably 0.1 mm, more preferably 0.3 mm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the diameter of the circular arc is preferably 2 mm, more preferably 1 mm. If the diameter of the arc is less than the lower limit, there is a risk of damaging the female terminal 20. Conversely, if the diameter of the arc exceeds the upper limit, the fit of the male terminal 10 may be insufficient.

(flange part)
As shown in FIG. 4, the flange portion 13 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the pedestal 11, and its top surface is flush with the top surface of the pedestal 11. The flange portion 13 can have a disk shape, for example. Further, the flange portion 13 may have conductivity and be electrically connected to the pedestal 11, or may not have conductivity. When the flange portion 13 has conductivity, it may be integrally molded with the base 11 or may be a separate body. If the flange portion 13 does not have conductivity, it is separated. In addition, from the viewpoint of preventing a short circuit between the terminals, it is preferable that the pedestal 11, the convex part 12, and the flange part 13 are integrally molded, and in this case, the flange part 13 has conductivity.

The top surface of the flange portion 13 is made larger than the cross section of the root portion of the convex portion 12, and the periphery of the top surface of the flange portion 13 is configured to be located outside the periphery of the root portion of the convex portion 12. As mentioned above, the size of the flange portion 13 is not particularly limited as long as the top surface of the flange portion 13 is larger than the cross section of the root portion of the convex portion 12. For example, if the flange portion 13 is disc-shaped, the diameter can be 2 mm or more and 12 mm or less. Further, the axial length of the flange portion 13 can be 0.1 mm or more and 3 mm or less.

(First sealing material)
The first sealing material 14 surrounds the convex portion 12 while being in contact with the pedestal 11 . The first sealing material 14 has a plate shape with a through hole in the center.

The first sealing material 14 preferably covers the top surface of the flange portion 13. By arranging the first sealing material 14 so as to cover the top surface of the flange portion 13 in this manner, the area that the first sealing material 14 comes into contact with can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent liquid from entering.

Further, when the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are in the fitted state, as shown in FIG. 3, the first sealing material 14 contacts the top surface of the socket 21 so as to surround an opening 20a of the female terminal 20, which will be described later.

The first sealing material 14 may be in contact with the convex portion 12, but as long as the first sealing material 14 is in contact with the top surface of the socket 21 so as to surround the opening 20a of the female terminal 20 in the fitted state of the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20, the convex portion 12 may be in contact with the convex portion 12. There may be a gap between the part 12 and the part 12.

Further, the top surface of the first sealing material 14 is made larger than the top surface of the socket 21 of the female terminal 20, and when the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are fitted, the outer edge of the first sealing material 14 is made larger than the top surface of the socket 21 of the female terminal 20. It is preferable that the socket 21 is located outside the outer edge of the top surface of the socket 21. By configuring the outer edge of the first sealing material 14 to be located outside the outer edge of the socket 21 of the female terminal 20 in this way, the first sealing material 14 comes into contact with the top surface of the socket 21 of the female terminal 20. The area can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent liquid from entering.

The material of the first sealing material 14 preferably has no conductivity and appropriate elasticity, and various rubbers and resins can be used. Among these, nitrile rubber is preferred because it has high sealing properties and can enhance the effect of preventing short circuits between terminals.

The lower limit of the Shore A hardness of the first sealing material 14 is preferably 15°, more preferably 30°, and even more preferably 40°. On the other hand, the upper limit of the Shore A hardness of the first sealing material 14 is preferably 70°, more preferably 60°. If the Shore A hardness of the first sealing material 14 is less than the above lower limit, the cushioning properties will be too high, and the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 will likely be misaligned in the mated state, and the male terminal 10 and the female terminal There is a possibility that the electrical connection with 20 may become unstable. On the other hand, if the Shore A hardness of the first sealing material 14 exceeds the above upper limit, the adhesion between the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 may be insufficient, and the effect of preventing liquid intrusion may be insufficient. Otherwise, it becomes difficult for the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 to fit together, and there is a possibility that the transmission and reception of electric signals at the time of fitting becomes unstable.

The lower limit of the crushing amount of the first sealing material 14 is preferably 8%, more preferably 10%, and even more preferably 20%. On the other hand, the upper limit of the amount of collapse of the first sealing material 14 is preferably 40%, more preferably 35%, and even more preferably 30%. If the amount of collapse of the first sealing material 14 is less than the above lower limit, the adhesion between the mating portion of the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 will be insufficient. , the effect of inhibiting liquid infiltration may be insufficient. Conversely, if the amount of collapse of the first sealing material 14 exceeds the above upper limit, there is a risk that the first sealing material 14 will undergo compression cracking. Note that the "collapse allowance" is determined by measuring the average thickness d (mm) of the sealing material in accordance with the O-ring thickness (diameter) measurement of JIS-B-2401-2:2012, and determining the depth of the housing. When the gap between the flange portion 13 of the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 in the fitted state is D (mm), the amount is expressed as (d-D)/d×100(%).

The lower limit of the average thickness of the first sealing member 14 is preferably 1 mm, more preferably 1.5 mm, and even more preferably 1.8 mm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the average thickness of the first seal member 14 is preferably 3 mm, more preferably 2.5 mm, and even more preferably 2.2 mm. If the average thickness of the first seal member 14 is less than the above lower limit, the adhesion between the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 may be insufficient, and the effect of inhibiting liquid infiltration may be insufficient. . Conversely, if the average thickness of the first seal member 14 exceeds the above upper limit, the repulsive force of the first seal member 14 becomes too large, causing misalignment between the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 in the fitted state. Therefore, the electrical connection between the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 may become unstable, or the connector may become unnecessarily large. Note that the "average thickness" refers to the average value of thicknesses measured at ten arbitrary points.

The lower limit of the minimum width of the first seal member 14 is preferably 0.5 mm, more preferably 1 mm, and even more preferably 1.5 mm. If the minimum width of the first seal member 14 is less than the above lower limit, there is a possibility that the effect of inhibiting liquid infiltration may be insufficient. On the other hand, the upper limit of the minimum width of the first seal member 14 is not particularly limited as long as the male terminal 10 can be accommodated in the tool unit main body 5. Note that the "minimum width of the sealing member" refers to the distance between a point on the inner edge (periphery of the through hole) of the sealing member and a point on the outer edge of the sealing member at the closest position.

<Male terminal built into tool plate>
As shown in FIG. 4, the tool unit main body 5 has a through hole 5a that penetrates from the top surface to the bottom surface and fits into the master plate 1, and the male terminal 10 has a male terminal support portion 30 in the through hole 5a. Built in via. Further, the male terminal 10 is arranged such that the pedestal 11 is embedded in the tool unit main body 5 and the convex portion 12 faces the top surface side of the tool unit main body 5. The through hole 5a of the tool unit main body 5 is configured such that the top side thereof can be fitted into the socket 21 of the female terminal 20. With this configuration, the pedestal 11 of the male terminal 10 is embedded in the tool plate 2, which is the other plate, and the convex portion 12 of the male terminal 10 is configured to be able to fit into the socket 21 of the female terminal 20.

(through hole)
The shape of the through hole 5a is not particularly limited as long as it can contain the male terminal 10 and the male terminal support part 30 and can fit into the socket 21 of the female terminal 20, but it can be, for example, cylindrical. Further, the shape of the through hole 5a is selected such that when the male terminal 10 and the male terminal support portion 30 are housed therein, the gap is reduced.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tip of the through hole 5a on the top surface side of the tool unit main body 5 preferably has a tapered shape whose diameter increases toward the top surface. By tapering the tip of the through hole 5a in this way, the ease of fitting into and removing the female terminal 20 can be improved.

The through hole 5a has a first step 5b whose inner diameter decreases from the bottom to the top of the tool unit main body 5, and this first step 5b prevents the male terminal 10 from coming out toward the top. are doing. Therefore, the inner diameter on the top side of the first step 5b is smaller than the diameter of the flange portion 13 of the male terminal 10, and the inner diameter on the bottom side of the first step 5b is larger than the diameter of the flange portion 13 of the male terminal 10.

The male terminal 10 is preferably arranged such that the first sealing material 14 contacts the first step 5b from the bottom side. By arranging the male terminal 10 such that the first sealing material 14 contacts the first step 5b from the bottom side, liquid flows from the opening on the top side of the through hole 5a to the bottom side of the first step 5b. Since it is possible to prevent the infiltration of the terminals, short circuits between the terminals are even less likely to occur.

Similarly, the through hole 5a has a second step 5c whose inner diameter decreases from the bottom surface to the top surface, and this second step 5c prevents the male terminal support portion 30 from coming out toward the bottom surface. It is prevented.

The first step 5b is closer to the top surface than the second step 5c. The tip position of the convex portion 12 of the male terminal 10 is determined by the distance between the first step 5b and the top surface of the tool unit main body 5, but the distance between the first step 5b and the top surface of the tool unit main body 5 is , it is preferable to set the distance such that the tip position of the convex portion 12 of the male terminal 10 is flush with the top surface of the tool unit main body 5. With such a distance, the tip of the protrusion 12 of the male terminal 10 does not protrude from the top surface, so that the protrusion 12 of the male terminal 10 can be protected. Further, since the convex portion 12 is not located at a position recessed from the top surface of the tool unit main body 5, it is possible to prevent the ease of fitting and removing the female terminal 20 from decreasing.

The distance between the first step 5b and the second step 5c is set to be just the right distance to accommodate the male terminal 10 and the male terminal support portion 30.

(Male terminal support part)
The male terminal support portion 30 includes a male terminal connector 31, a connection socket 32, and a retaining ring 33.

The male terminal connection body 31 has a columnar shape, and can be made into a columnar shape, for example. As shown in FIG. 4, the male terminal connector 31 has a recessed portion on one surface into which the pedestal 11 of the male terminal 10 can be fitted. The male terminal 10 is fixed in position by fitting into this recess. Note that a space is formed between the bottom surface of the recess and the pedestal 11 to provide play for positioning the male terminal 10.

The male terminal connector 31 has conductivity and can transmit an electrical signal from the male terminal 10 to a connection socket 32, which will be described later.

The connection socket 32 is provided on the other surface of the male terminal connector 31 (the surface opposite to the surface having the recess). The connection socket 32 may be separate from the male terminal connection body 31, but it is preferable that they are integrally molded.

The connection socket 32 has conductivity and is connected to a terminal for transmitting and receiving electrical signals and the like.

The retaining ring 33 fixes the male terminal connecting body 31 into which the male terminal 10 is fitted into the through hole 5a of the tool unit main body 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the retaining ring 33 is provided on the outside of the bottom surface of the tool unit main body 5 so as to be in contact with the bottom surface. As the retaining ring 33, a known retaining ring such as a C type or an E type can be used.

It is preferable that the male terminal connecting body 31 is fixed by the retaining ring 33 so that the male terminal 10 comes into contact with the first step 5b. By adjusting the fitting position of the retaining ring 33 with the male terminal connector 31 and the amount of play when fitting the male terminal 10 into the recess of the male terminal connector 31, the male terminal 10 can be brought into contact with the first step 5b. The male terminal connecting body 31 can be fixed so as to be in contact with each other. By fixing the male terminal connector 31 with the retaining ring 33 in this manner, it is possible to mainly prevent the male terminal 10 from shaking in the axial direction of the through hole 5a.

Note that the method for fixing the male terminal connector 31 into which the male terminal 10 is fitted into the through hole 5a of the tool unit main body 5 is not limited to using a retaining ring, and other methods may be used.

<Female terminal>
As shown in FIG. 5, the female terminal 20 includes a socket 21, a raised portion 22, a collar portion 23, and a second sealing material 24. In addition, in order to match the direction with FIG. 4, FIG. 5 is drawn so that the top (top surface) is on the lower side and the bottom (bottom surface) is on the upper side.

(socket)
The socket 21 is cylindrical and has a recess into which the projection 12 of the male terminal 10 can fit. As shown in FIG. 5, the socket 21 includes a conductive socket body 21a and an insulating cover 21b that covers the socket body 21a.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cover 21b is provided with an opening 20a for the female terminal 20, and the cover 21b has a tapered through hole whose diameter decreases from the opening 20a. Further, a recessed portion is provided in the socket main body 21a continuous to this through hole. The recessed portion of the socket 21 is constituted by a through hole of the cover 21b whose diameter is reduced in a tapered shape, and a recessed portion of the socket body 21a that is continuous with this through hole.

The diameter of the concave portion of the socket body 21 a is larger than the diameter of the convex portion 12 of the male terminal 10 , and the length of the concave portion of the socket body 21 a is made greater than the length of the convex portion 12 of the male terminal 10 .

(ridge)
The raised portion 22 has a cylindrical shape and is disposed within the recessed portion of the socket main body 21a, and comes into contact with the raised portion 12 of the male terminal 10 from the inside when the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are fitted together. Electrical connection between the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 is mainly performed by this protrusion 22 .

Specifically, the raised portion 22 is composed of a plurality of band-shaped members whose central portions are curved inward. The longitudinal direction of this band-shaped member coincides with the fitting direction of the male terminal 10, and the central axis of the cylindrical raised portion 22 coincides with the fitting direction of the male terminal 10.

Preferably, this band-like member has elasticity. Since the band-shaped member has elasticity in this manner, it is possible to further improve the fitting/removability and connection reliability between the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20.

The length of the raised portion 22 in the axial direction (the direction in which the male terminal 10 is fitted) is preferably smaller than the length of the convex portion 12 of the male terminal 10 . Specifically, the lower limit of the axial length of the raised portion 22 is preferably 70%, more preferably 75%, and even more preferably 80%. On the other hand, the upper limit of the axial length of the raised portion 22 is preferably 100%, more preferably 95%, and even more preferably 90%. If the axial length of the raised portion 22 is less than the above-mentioned lower limit, there is a possibility that a sufficient contact surface between the raised portion 22 and the convex portion 12 cannot be secured. On the other hand, if the axial length of the raised portion 22 exceeds the above upper limit, the diameter of the central portion may become too thin due to the curvature of the band-like member, which may reduce the ease of fitting and removing the male terminal 10, or conversely, the diameter of the central portion may become too thin. If the curvature of the strip member is made small in order to secure the diameter, there is a risk that the connection reliability will be reduced.

The lower limit of the height of the raised portion 22 is preferably 0.1 mm, more preferably 0.3 mm, and even more preferably 0.5 mm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the height of the raised portion 22 is preferably 1 mm, more preferably 0.9 mm. If the height of the raised portion 22 is less than the above lower limit, the contact area with the raised portion 12 may decrease and the reliability of the electrical connection may deteriorate. On the other hand, if the height of the raised portion 22 exceeds the above upper limit, there is a possibility that the ease of fitting and removing the male terminal 10 may be reduced. Note that the height of the raised portion 22 is a value obtained by subtracting the minimum inner diameter of the raised portion 22 from the maximum inner diameter of the raised portion 22 .

(Tsubabe)
The collar portion 23 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the bottom of the socket 21 and surrounds the socket 21. In the female terminal 20 of FIG. 5, the flange portion 23 is integrally molded with the socket body 21a, and constitutes the bottom surface of the socket body 21a. Note that the configuration of the flange portion 23 is not limited to this, and may be integrally molded with the socket body 21a. Further, it is not necessary to configure the bottom surface of the socket main body 21a.

The size of the flange portion 23 is not particularly limited, but may be the same as the flange portion 13 of the male terminal 10, for example.

(Second sealing material)
The second sealing material 24 surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the socket 21 while being in contact with the collar portion 23 . Although the second sealing material 24 does not need to be in contact with the socket 21, it is preferable that it be in contact with the socket 21. By arranging the second sealing material 24 so as to be in contact with the socket 21 in this manner, the position of the second sealing material 24 becomes difficult to shift, so that infiltration of liquid can be more reliably suppressed.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the second sealing material 24 be disposed so as to be in contact with the top surface side of the flange portion 23 . Since liquid enters from the top side, by disposing the second sealing material 24 on the top side of the flange 23, it is possible to more reliably prevent liquid from entering.

Other than the above-mentioned configuration, the second sealing material 24 can be configured in the same manner as the first sealing material 14 of the male terminal 10, so detailed explanation will be omitted.

<Built-in female terminal in master plate>
As shown in FIG. 5, the master unit main body 3 has a through hole 3a that penetrates from the top surface (lower surface in FIG. 5) to the bottom surface (upper surface in FIG. 5) that fits with the tool plate 2. , the female terminal 20 is disposed in this through hole 3a via a female terminal support portion 40. Further, the bottom of the socket 21 of the female terminal 20 is buried in the master unit main body 3, and the top thereof protrudes from the master unit main body 3. That is, the socket 21 of the female terminal 20 has its bottom part buried in the master plate 1, which is one plate, and its top part protrudes from the master plate 1.

The socket 21 of this female terminal 20 is configured to be able to fit into the convex portion 12 of the corresponding male terminal 10. That is, the through hole 3a of the master unit body 3 communicates with the through hole 5a of the tool unit body 5 when the tool plate 2 is connected, and the convex portion 12 of the male terminal 10 connects with the socket 21 of the female terminal 20. They are configured so that they can be fitted together.

(through hole)
The shape of the through hole 3a is not particularly limited as long as it can accommodate the female terminal 20 and the female terminal support part 40, but it can be, for example, cylindrical. Further, the shape of the through hole 3a is selected such that when the female terminal 20 and the female terminal support portion 40 are incorporated therein, the gap is reduced.

The through hole 3a has a first step 3b whose inner diameter decreases from the bottom to the top of the master unit main body 3, and this first step 3b prevents the female terminal 20 from coming out toward the top. are doing. Therefore, the inner diameter on the top side of the first step 3b is smaller than the diameter of the flange 23 of the female terminal 20, and the inner diameter on the bottom side of the first step 3b is larger than the diameter of the flange 23 of the female terminal 20.

As shown in FIG. 5, the female terminal 20 is arranged such that the second sealing material 24 contacts the first step 3b from the bottom side. In other words, the flange 23 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the bottom of the female terminal 20 embedded in the master plate 1, faces the flange 23 of the second sealing material 24, and has a region surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the socket 21. , is in contact with the master plate 1. By providing the second sealing material 24 on the female terminal 20 in this way, it is also possible to prevent liquid from penetrating around the socket 21 of the female terminal 20, making it difficult for ground faults and short circuits to occur.

Similarly, the through hole 3a has a second step 3c whose inner diameter decreases from the bottom surface to the top surface, and this second step 3c prevents the female terminal support portion 40 from coming out toward the bottom surface. It is prevented.

The first step 3b is closer to the top surface than the second step 3c. The length of the socket 21 of the female terminal 20 is determined by the distance between the first step 3b and the top surface of the master unit main body 3. The protruding length of the socket 21 of the female terminal 20 is set to be just the right length to fit into the convex portion 12 of the male terminal 10. That is, when the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are fitted together, the first sealing material 14 can come into contact with the top surface of the socket 21 so as to surround the opening 20a of the female terminal 20, and the master plate 1 and the tool plate The length of the protrusion is such that the two can be connected.

The distance between the first step 3b and the second step 3c is set to be just the right distance to accommodate the female terminal 20 and the female terminal support portion 40.

(Female terminal support part)
The female terminal support portion 40 includes a female terminal connector 41, a connection socket 42, and a retaining ring 43.

The female terminal connector 41 extends from the socket body 21a of the female terminal 20. It is preferable that the female terminal connecting body 41 is integrally molded with the socket body 21a. The female terminal connecting body 41 has a columnar shape, and can be made into a columnar shape, for example.

The female terminal connector 41 has conductivity and can transmit the electrical signal of the female terminal 20 to the connection socket 42 .

The connection socket 42 and the retaining ring 43 are the same as the connecting socket 32 and the retaining ring 33 of the male terminal 10, respectively, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[advantage]
The connector has a first sealing material 14 that surrounds the convex portion 12 while the male terminal 10 is in contact with the pedestal 11. When the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are in a fitted state, the first sealing material 14 is in contact with the female terminal 20. It contacts the top surface of the socket 21 so as to surround the opening 20a. Therefore, the connector can prevent liquid from entering each connector when the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are fitted together. Therefore, even if there is another adjacent connector, the connector can effectively prevent short circuits between the terminals of the connector.

Moreover, since the tool exchange device has a plurality of connectors according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively prevent a ground fault between a connector and a plate and a short circuit between terminals of adjacent connectors.

[Other embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various modifications and improvements in addition to the embodiments described above.

In the above embodiment, the master plate has the female terminal of the connector of the present invention and the tool plate has the male terminal of the connector of the present invention. However, the master plate has the male terminal of the connector of the present invention. , the tool plate may have a female terminal of the connector of the present invention. Note that when the master plate and the tool plate are located one above the other during tool exchange, it is preferable to provide a male terminal on the plate located on the lower side. Since the surface of the lower plate on which the connector is disposed faces upward, it is susceptible to intrusion of liquid remaining on the surface of the plate. Therefore, by disposing the male terminal on which the sealing material is disposed on the lower plate, it is possible to effectively prevent short circuits between the terminals with adjacent connectors.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the connector is arranged on the master unit main body and the tool unit main body, but the arrangement position of the connector is not limited to the master unit main body and the tool unit main body. It can also be arranged at the external connection of the plate or tool plate.

Further, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the tool exchange device includes a plurality of the connectors, but the present invention also contemplates a tool exchange device including a single connector. Even if there is only one connector, the tool exchange device can effectively prevent a ground fault between the connector and the plate.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the male terminal of the connector of the present invention has a flange portion, but the flange portion is not an essential component and can be omitted. In addition, when the above male terminal does not have a flange part, the top surface of the pedestal is made larger than the cross section of the root part of the protrusion, and the periphery of the top surface of the pedestal is made outward from the periphery of the root part of the protrusion. configured to be located.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the first sealing material and the second sealing material are plate-shaped, but the first sealing material and the second sealing material are not limited to the plate shape, and are, for example, O-ring shaped with a circular cross section. It may be.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the female terminal has the second sealing material, but the second sealing material is not an essential component and can be omitted. A connector without the second sealing material also exhibits the effects of the present invention. Note that if the female terminal does not have the second sealing material, the flange can also be omitted. However, since the flange has the effect of preventing the female terminal from falling off, the female terminal may have the flange even if it does not have the second sealing material.

The connector and tool exchange device of the present invention can prevent electrical short circuits between adjacent terminals due to intrusion of liquid.

1 Master plate 2 Tool plate 3 Master unit body 3a Through hole 3b First step 3c Second step 4 External connection part 5 Tool unit main body 5a Through hole 5b First step 5c Second step 6 External connection part 10 Male terminal 11 Pedestal 12 Convex portion 13 Flange portion 14 First sealing material 20 Female terminal 20a Opening 21 Socket 21a Socket body 21b Cover 22 Raised portion 23 Flange portion 24 Second sealing material 30 Male terminal support portion 31 Male terminal connection body 32 Connection socket 33 Retaining ring 40 Female terminal support part 41 Female terminal connection body 42 Connection socket 43 Stop ring

Claims (3)

a master plate attached to the robot arm;
a tool plate that is removably attached to the master plate and to which tools are attached;
Equipped with a connector and
The above connector is
a male terminal having a columnar pedestal and a cylindrical convex portion protruding from the top surface of the pedestal;
a female terminal having a cylindrical socket having an opening on the top surface and a recess capable of fitting with the convex part;
The above male terminal is
a sealing material surrounding the convex portion while being in contact with the pedestal;
a flange portion protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the pedestal, the top surface of which is flush with the top surface of the pedestal;
The sealing material covers the top surface of the flange portion and is in contact with the top surface of the socket so as to surround the opening when the male terminal and the female terminal are fitted,
Of the master plate and the tool plate, one plate is provided with a female terminal of the connector, and the other plate is provided with a male terminal of the connector,
The pedestal of the male terminal is embedded in the other plate,
The other plate has a through hole that penetrates from the top surface to the bottom surface that fits with the one plate and houses the male terminal,
The through hole has a first step whose inner diameter decreases from the bottom surface to the top surface of the other plate,
The inner diameter of the through hole on the top side of the first step is smaller than the diameter of the flange of the male terminal, and the inner diameter of the through hole on the bottom side of the first step is smaller than the diameter of the flange of the male terminal. bigger,
A tool exchange device, wherein the male terminal is arranged such that the sealing material contacts the first step from the bottom side. The tool changing device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material has a Shore A hardness of 70 degrees or less. The female terminal socket has a bottom part embedded in the one plate and a top part protruding from the one plate,
The above female terminal is
a flange that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the bottom embedded in the one plate of the socket and surrounds the socket;
a second sealing material surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the socket while being in contact with the flange;
3. The tool exchange device according to claim 1, wherein a region of the second seal material that faces the flange and surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the socket is in contact with the one plate.

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