JPH0276640A - Insert/drawout mechanism for four-fingered pin - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To insert and draw off a pin with high reliability without causing interference with the adjoining pin even though there is a locational error by furnishing four fingers, capable of opening and shutting, at a holding part resiliently supported up and down, left and right, and from behind in a movable part, which is guided and moved fore and aft. CONSTITUTION:An insert and drawoff mechanism 5 is put in the position of a micro-pin with the aid of a Y-X guide mechanism, and an actuator 12 is rotated in regular direction to advance a movable part 11 along a guide 10, and four fingers 14 are opened and a pressing part 13b is put in contact with the pin 2 to cause deformation of a resilient member 20, and the pressing force is sensed by a sensor 23, and when pressing is made at a certain specified magnitude, the actuator 12 is stopped, and the fingers 14 are shut by another actuator 16 to grasp the pin 2 and the actuator 12 is rotated reversely and drawn off. Even though the axis is dislocated, the fingers 14 can be shut by the grasping force working against the frictional force and grasping be accomplished. The pin 2 grasped through the Y-X guide mechanism is aligned with an object hole 1a, and the actuator 12 is rotated regularly to cause insertion in the hole 1a, and the fingers 14 are opened upon pressing with a specified force. In case the axis is dislocated and the pin 2 inserted while gliding on the side surface of the hole 1a, a condition is obtained in which resilient members 18, 19, 20 are balanced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an automated mechanism for inserting and extracting microscopic pins into and out of holes provided in a large number at high density on a vertical wall surface, and in particular, the present invention relates to an automated mechanism for inserting and extracting microscopic pins into and from holes provided in a large number at high density on a vertical wall surface. Compliance mechanism during insertion/extraction operation,
This relates to a mechanism that provides insertion/extraction force control and vibration damping functions.

[Background of the invention]

An example of a device for inserting and removing minute pins is a pinboard matrix type high-density wiring switching device. This device is configured to switch wiring by horizontally inserting and extracting fine conductive pins into and from a large number of holes (wiring intersection positions) provided on a vertical substrate surface.

Figure 5 shows hole 1 formed in matrix type substrate l.
A and the micro pins 2 inserted into these holes 1a are shown, and the vertical conducting wire (not shown) and the horizontal conducting wire (not shown) are separated by a small space and intersect at the position of the hole 1a. ing. Then, when inserting the fine pin 2, which is a conductor, into the hole 1a,
A predetermined vertical conducting wire and a horizontal conducting wire intersecting at the hole 1a are connected. Note that only one horizontal conducting wire is connected to the vertical conducting wire. Therefore, the arrangement in which the fine pins 2 that play the role of conduction are most concentrated is when they are arranged diagonally as shown in the figure.

Inserting and extracting the fine pin 2 into the hole 1a in the horizontal direction in this manner requires the device to be highly efficient and to be compact and lightweight. In particular, even if there is a relative position error between the axis of the insertion/extraction mechanism and the axis of the hole, the insertion/extraction operation can be performed without any problem, and a large insertion/extraction force is required from the viewpoint of contact reliability of the fine pin inserted into the hole. Furthermore, it is required to prevent fatal failures by detecting excessive insertion/extraction force caused by defects between minute pins and holes. Further, from the viewpoint of equipment space limitations, power saving, etc., a smaller size and lighter weight is desired.

On the other hand, since the fine pins are mounted and arranged in a high density manner, if the insertion/extraction mechanism contacts (interferes with) the inserted fine pins due to vibration during insertion/extraction operation, it may cause a short circuit or deformation of the fine pins, causing the wiring switching device to There was a risk that it would cause a failure of the entire system.

From the above, the conditions required for this type of device are: ■ High reliability of the horizontal insertion/extraction operation of fine pins ■ Miniaturization and weight reduction of the fine pin insertion/extraction mechanism ■ Ensuring allocability of the fine pin insertion/extraction mechanism etc.

As a conventional technique for inserting and extracting such fine pins into holes, there is a method using an industrial robot.

Inserting a fine pin into a hole requires highly accurate positioning, so a compliance mechanism is required that uses spring deformation or the like to absorb positional errors. Therefore, by fixing a compliance mechanism to the wrist at the tip of the industrial robot, and installing a hand mechanism at the end of the compliance mechanism, it is possible to teach the predetermined hole position and insertion amount for each operation of the industrial robot, and to perform positioning control operations. The insertion/extraction work was performed.

An example of a compliance mechanism is the
There is a remote centering mechanism 3 provided by 531.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an outline of the mechanism. The mechanism 3 sets the actual rotation center a at a position near the end of the insertion member 2° corresponding to the fine pin, or at a position at the end thereof,
A rotational motion generating mechanism 31 and a translational motion generating mechanism 32 connected to the inserting member 2'' are provided to generate force and rotational moment as the inserting member 2° is gently brought into the hole. In this device, the hole is searched by a translational movement, and then the axis of the insertion member 2° is rotated to coincide with the axis of the hole by a separate and independent rotational movement.

Therefore, even if there was a relative positioning error between the axis of the fine pin that is the insertion member 2' and the axis of the hole, the insertion was possible as long as the tip of the insertion member 21 entered the hole even slightly.

On the other hand, as a hand mechanism for grasping a fine pin, there has been a structure in which the mechanism is simplified by using a two-finger structure opposed to each other, and the mechanism is grasped by utilizing the contact friction force between the fingers and the workpiece.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, industrial robots that combine such a compliance mechanism and a hand mechanism generally have problems with horizontal insertion/extraction operation reliability, compactness and weight reduction, and allocation performance. That is, .

(a) When gripping with two fingers, if a relative positioning error occurs in the direction perpendicular to the opposing fingers, the pin cannot be inserted and removed reliably, making it impossible to satisfy the above requirement (2).

(b) In order to increase the insertion/extraction force, the output of the finger opening/closing actuator must be made thicker, making it impossible to satisfy the above requirement (2).

(C) A compliance mechanism and a hand mechanism are connected to the tip of an industrial robot, which is an articulated link mechanism.
An insertion/extraction load is applied to the tip, and heavy servo motors are placed at the joint for the number of degrees of freedom, so attempting to achieve high precision positioning and allocation requires a large and heavy mechanism. It becomes impossible to satisfy the above requirement (■).

(d) If an attempt is made to reduce the weight of the 0 mechanism, the rigidity will decrease, and the vibration amplitude of the hand mechanism attached to the tip of the mechanism will exceed the allowable range, causing interference between the hand mechanism and the inserted adjacent fine pin. The above requirement (■) cannot be satisfied.

(e) In response to insertion/extraction operations in the horizontal direction, a compliance mechanism such as this type of remote centering mechanism is displaced by rotational movement and translational movement in the direction of gravity due to its own weight and the weight of the hand mechanism. The axis of the member (fine pin) will no longer match the axis of the hole, making insertion and removal operations difficult, or applying an excessive load to the fine pin, causing damage, making it impossible to satisfy the above requirement (2).

In addition, as a method to solve the problem of (al (bl) mentioned above, it is conceivable to grasp the pin 2 with three fingers 4 as shown in FIG. 7. However, as is clear from the figure, The fine pin 2A interferes with the finger 4A, making it impossible to grip it.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is capable of performing horizontal insertion/extraction operations with high reliability even if there is a relative positioning error without interfering with inserted adjacent fine pins, and during the insertion/extraction operations. To provide a compact and lightweight four-finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism that easily controls excessive insertion/extraction force and has vibration damping properties.

[Means to solve the problem]

For this reason, the present invention provides an insertion/extraction mechanism for inserting/extracting fine pins into holes arranged in a high-density matrix, which includes: an insertion/extraction movable part that can be guided in the front and rear directions within the gripping outer frame by an insertion/extraction actuator; up and down,
A finger mechanism holding part that is elastically supported from the left and right and from the rear and has a fine pin pressing part formed at the front end; and a finger mechanism holding part that is provided in the insertion/extraction movable part and is pressed against the finger mechanism holding part from the rear. a rocking bearing part to which a part is pressed, and a swing bearing part that is pivoted to the front part of the finger mechanism holding part so as to be opened and closed by an opening/closing actuator so as to face inward at an interval of 90 degrees, and a concave groove with a fine pin in the gripping surface. and four fingers having convex portions that engage with the fingers.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, a four-finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The gist of the four-finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism of this example is that multiple fingers with convex portions on their gripping surfaces are placed in positions where they do not interfere with inserted adjacent pins. This structure integrates the drive and guide mechanisms that were previously connected individually into one mechanism, and satisfies the three functions of horizontal compliance mechanism, insertion/extraction force control, and allocation at the same time.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a system to which the four-finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism of this example is applied. In the cough diagram, 5 is the 4-finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism;
Reference numeral 6 indicates the front surface of the substrate 1 in which holes corresponding to electrical contacts arranged in a high density matrix are formed, and the four-finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism opening moves vertically and horizontally along the plane of the front surface 1. ing.

That is, the Y guide mechanism 7 moves the four-finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism 5 up and down, and the X guide mechanism 7 moves the Y guide mechanism 7 in the left-right direction.
A guide mechanism 8 is provided. Therefore, the four-finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism 5 can move up and down with respect to the Y guide mechanism 7 and
By moving left and right with respect to the X guide mechanism 8, it is possible to move to any position (hole) on the entire surface of the substrate 1. and,
By the operation of the four-finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism 5, a fine pin insertion/extraction operation in the horizontal direction is performed. In this way, the mechanism for inserting and extracting the fine pins and the mechanism for positioning the substrate 1 on the XY plane are independent mechanisms.

Note that the X guide mechanism 8 and the Y guide mechanism 7 include a ball screw,
Mechanisms such as a shift pinion, a linear motor, and a belt/pulley may be used, but any mechanism may be used. Further, even if the guide mechanism is an orthogonal coordinate system or a cylindrical coordinate system, the structure of the four-finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism 5 is not affected. Also,
The three requirements described in the Background of the Invention section are required for any mechanism or coordinate system.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the four-finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism 5, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view thereof. In these figures, 9 is a gripping outer frame part;
As shown in Fig. 3, there is a highly accurate linear guide section 10 inside.
An insertion/extraction movable part 11 is provided which is guided and moved in the insertion/extraction direction by. Reference numeral 12 denotes an insertion/extraction actuator consisting of a motor or the like attached to the back surface of the gripping outer frame 9, and its rotary threaded portion 12a is screwed to the rear surface of the insertion/extraction movable section 11.
The insertion/removal movable part 11 reciprocates within the gripping outer frame part 9 by the forward and reverse rotation.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a finger mechanism holding section provided within the movable insertion/extraction section 11, the head 13a of which protrudes forward from the movable insertion/extraction section 11, and a fine pin pressing section 13b formed in a convex shape at its tip. Four fingers 14 are pivotably mounted on the head 13a about a shaft 15 at symmetrical positions vertically and horizontally, that is, at angular intervals of 90 degrees when viewed from the front. A convex portion 14a is formed on the gripping surface of the index finger 14. Note that the width of the gripping surface of the fingers 14 needs to be less than or equal to the diameter of the fine pin so that it does not interfere with the inserted adjacent fine pin even if there is a relative position error.

Reference numeral 16 denotes an opening/closing actuator such as a solenoid installed in the finger mechanism holding section 13, and 17 denotes a drive transmission mechanism section provided in the opening/closing actuator 16. The action section 14b of the famous finger 14 is attached to this drive transmission mechanism section 17. When engaged, the linear driving force of the opening/closing actuator 16 is converted into rotational force to open and close the four index fingers 14 at the same time. Like this 4
The fingers 14 are opened and closed by one opening/closing actuator 16 and grip the fine pin 2 from all sides.

18 is an upper elastic body, 19 is a lower elastic body, 2o is a rear elastic body, and these elastic bodies 18, 19, 2o are the finger mechanism holding part 1
3 and the insertion/extraction movable part 11, the upper elastic body 18
The finger mechanism holding portion 13 resists the upward load when the pin is inserted and removed.
is supported on its upper surface, and the lower elastic body 19 resists the downward load and the gravitational component of the finger mechanism holder 13 to support the finger mechanism holder 13.
The rear elastic body 20 elastically supports the finger mechanism holding portion 13 on its back surface against the load in the insertion/extraction direction. Reference numeral 21 denotes left and right elastic bodies (see Figure 2) provided on the left and right sides of the movable insertion/extraction part 11, which elastically support the load on the left and right sides of the finger mechanism holding part 13 during pin insertion/extraction. .

Reference numeral 22 denotes a swing bearing part formed on the front edge of the movable insertion/extraction part 11, which is engaged with a recess 13c formed in the neck of the finger mechanism holding part 13, and is pressed forward by the spring force of the rear elastic body 20. The finger mechanism holding portion 13 is contacted and supported by frictional force. 23
The insertion/extraction movable part 1 is used to detect the insertion/extraction force applied to the finger 14.
This is a position detection sensor attached to the inner surface of 1.

Now, in order to grasp and select the fine pin 2 inserted into the hole 1a of the board 1 with the four-finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism 5 of this example, first,
The insertion/extraction mechanism 5 is operated by driving the Y guide mechanism 7 and the X guide mechanism 8.
to the desired position of fine pin 2. Then, the insertion/extraction actuator 12 is rotated in the normal direction to advance the insertion/extraction movable part 11 accurately along the linear guide part 10, and while the four fingers 14 are kept open, the fine pin pressing part 13b is pressed against the fine pin 2.
press against. If the insertion/extraction actuator 12 continues to rotate forward, the insertion/extraction movable part 11 moves forward, but the finger mechanism holding part 13 does not move, so the rear elastic body 20 is compressed and deformed accordingly. Based on the force/displacement characteristics of the rear elastic body 20, the position detection sensor 23 detects the displacement of the rear elastic body 20, thereby detecting the force pressing the fine pin pressing portion 13bIJ (m fine pin 2). Can be done.

The position detection sensor 23 may be any sensor that measures relative displacement, such as a photodetection method or an eddy current method. Further, it is also possible to use a device that can detect continuous displacement signals or a limit switch type device.

The principle of operation will be explained here using a light emitting light receiving type sensor as an example. A light emitting element is installed in the insertion/removal movable part 11, and a light receiving element is installed in the finger mechanism holding part 13. Finger mechanism holding part 13
When a force starts to act on the rear elastic body 20, the rear elastic body 20 is compressed and deformed as described above, and the displacement becomes a change in the amount of light and is detected by the light receiving element. Since the force/displacement characteristics of the rear elastic body 20 can be linearly designed, the force applied during the insertion/extraction operation can be measured continuously or at a limit point. The position detection sensor 23 may be installed at any position as long as the relative displacement between the insertion/removal movable part 11 and the finger mechanism holding part 13 can be measured.

Then, the relative displacement between the insertion/extraction movable part 11 and the finger mechanism holding part 13 is detected, and the insertion/extraction actuator 12 is stopped when the fine pin pressing part 13b presses the fine pin 2 with a predetermined force.

Next, the opening/closing actuator 16 is actuated, and the four fingers 14 are simultaneously rotated via the drive transmission mechanism 17 to close the opening/closing actuator 16 .
The micro pin 2 is gripped with the convex portion 14 of the finger 14 meshing with the concave groove 2a of the micro pin 2. Then, when the insertion/extraction actuator 12 is reversely rotated in this state, the fine pin 2 is pulled out through the hole 1a.

Note that when the fine pin pressing part 13b presses the head of the fine pin 2, even if the axis common to the four fingers 14 and the axis of the inserted fine pin 2 are misaligned, the fine pin pressing part 13b presses the head of the fine pin 2.
By closing the four bars 14 with a gripping force that resists the contact friction force between the head of the fine pin 2 and the head of the fine pin 2, the finger mechanism holder 13, which is freely elastically supported, undergoes a rocking motion, which is common to the four bars 14. It becomes possible to align the axis of the fine pin 2 with the axis of the fine pin 2 and grip it. In addition, the force when pulling out the fine pin 2 is
It acts as a shearing force on the four convex portions 14a, and does not depend on the gripping force of the four bars 14.

Next, in order to insert the pulled out fine pin 2 into another hole 1a, first drive the Y guide mechanism 7 and the X guide mechanism 8 to insert the fine pin 2 held by the insertion/extraction mechanism 5 into the target hole 1a. Align. Then, the insertion/extraction actuator 12 is rotated in the normal direction, and the fine pin 2 is inserted into the hole 1a while being pressed by the fine pin pressing part 13b. After pressing with a predetermined force, the opening/closing actuator 16 opens the four bars 14, and the insertion/extraction actuator 12 Reverse the direction to complete the insertion operation.

The axis of the gripped fine pin 2 and the axis of the hole 1a are misaligned,
When inserting the fine pin 2 while rubbing the side of the hole 1a,
Due to the reaction force received by the fine pins 2, the finger mechanism holding part 13 separates from the swing bearing part 22, and each elastic body 18 moves with the swing movement.
．． It will be in a state of balance with 19.20.21. That is,
Since the position and posture of the finger mechanism holder 13 changes in accordance with the change in the posture of the fine pin 2 during the insertion process, the insertion operation can be performed without applying excessive force to the side surface of the fine pin 2 and the hole 1a. . Similarly, if the fine pin 2 gets caught during insertion due to a machining error, etc., the rear elastic body 20
Due to the Kerr displacement characteristics of the finger mechanism holding part 13, excessive insertion/extraction force is
It can be detected from the relative displacement between the insertion and removal movable part 11.

Regardless of whether the fine pin 2 is pulled out or inserted, the four index fingers 14 are arranged at 90 degree intervals, and as shown in FIG. 4, when the index finger 14 is inserted There is no interference with the adjacent fine pins 2 that have been completed. Also, fine pin 2
Since the micro pin 2 can be gripped from four directions, even if a relative positioning error occurs in any direction, the pin can be gripped so that the axes of the fine pin 2 and the four fingers are aligned.

Note that a plurality of elastic bodies 18, 19, 20, and 21 may be arranged, or even one elastic body can operate, and even if the upper elastic body 18 is omitted, the finger mechanism holding portion 13 is elastically supported. It is possible.

Also; each elastic body 18, 19, 21 other than the rear elastic body 20
It goes without saying that by using a shape memory alloy with superelastic properties, a compliance mechanism can be realized with a constant force that does not depend much on displacement.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that by controlling the current flowing through the shape memory alloy, it is possible to realize a compliance mechanism with a predetermined force by taking advantage of the property that the length of the elastic body can be made variable.

Furthermore, by providing a conical taper on the contact surface between the finger mechanism holding part 13 and the swing bearing part 22, the center position of the finger mechanism holding part 13, that is, the main body 14 pressed by the rear elastic body 20, can be kept constant. can be retained. According to this, a force is generated in the insertion/extraction direction due to the axis misalignment (only thrust force does not exist), and the finger mechanism holding part 13 and the swing bearing part 22 are separated and displaced by the clearance.

With the above configuration, the insertion/extraction force and the gripping force can be designed independently, and the limit of the insertion/extraction force is the convex portion 14a of the finger 14.
and the material strength of the concave groove 12 of the fine pin 2, and the gripping force depends on the frictional force. When using metal or ceramic materials, you can choose materials with great strength;
Since the coefficient of friction can be reduced, a mechanism can be designed that has a large insertion/extraction force with a small gripping force. Therefore, by making the opening/closing actuator 16 smaller and having a lower capacity, the finger mechanism holding section 13 can be made smaller and lighter, and the entire gripping mechanism can be smaller and lighter. Furthermore, by making the finger mechanism holding section 13 smaller and lighter, the correction force of the gravitational component can be reduced, making it possible to design a vibration damping mechanism using a soft compliance mechanism and the rear elastic body 20 with a small spring force.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention has the following advantages.

■Since the four fingers are placed at 90 degree intervals, the fingers do not interfere with the inserted adjacent fine pins. Further, since the finger mechanism holding portion is supported by elastic bodies from three directions, insertion and removal operations in the horizontal direction can be performed flexibly. Furthermore, since the force/displacement characteristics of the rear elastic body are used, the insertion/extraction force can be easily controlled.

■Convex portions are provided on the four fingers to engage with the concave grooves of the micro pins, so a large insertion/extraction force can be achieved with a small gripping force. In addition, since one elastic body has three functions, the mechanism can be made smaller and lighter.

■Since the finger mechanism holding part is pressed against the swing bearing part by the rear elastic body, the allocation of the fingers (finger mechanism holding part) can be ensured except during insertion/extraction operations.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an insertion/extraction system to which a four-command post-mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the four-command post-mechanism.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the same mechanism, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the insertion and removal state of the four fingers of the microscopic pin of the same mechanism of this embodiment, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the hole in the board and the microscopic pin, Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional remote centering mechanism, and Figure 7 is a diagram of a prototype insertion/extraction mechanism.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which fine pins are fully inserted and removed. 1... Board, 1a... Hole, 2... Fine pin, 2a
...Concave groove, 5...Finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism, 6...Front surface, 7...Y guide mechanism, 8...X guide mechanism, 9...
- Gripping outer frame portion, 10... Linear guide portion, 11...
Insertion/extraction movable part, 12... Insertion/extraction actuator, 12a/
...Rotating screw part, 13...Finger mechanism holding part, 13a...
・Head, 13b... Fine pin pressing part, 13c... Concave part, 14... Finger, 14a... Convex part, 14b... Action part, 15... Shaft, 16... Opening/closing actuator,
17... Drive transmission mechanism section, 18... Upper elastic body, 1
9... Lower elastic body, 20... Backward elastic body, 21...
- Left and right elastic bodies, 22... Swing bearing section, 23... Displacement detection sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In an insertion/extraction mechanism for inserting/extracting fine pins into holes arranged in a matrix with high density, there is an insertion/extraction movable part that can be guided and moved in the front and back direction within the gripping outer frame by an insertion/extraction actuator, and an upper and lower part inside the insertion/extraction movable part. A finger mechanism holding part that is elastically supported from the left and right and from the rear and has a fine pin pressing part formed at the front end; and a finger mechanism holding part that is provided in the insertion/extraction movable part and is pressed against the finger mechanism holding part from the rear. A rocking bearing part to which a part is pressed, and a front part of the finger mechanism holding part that can be opened and closed by an opening/closing actuator 9
A four-finger pin insertion/extraction mechanism comprising four fingers pivoted so as to face inward at 0 degree intervals and having convex portions on the gripping surface that engage with concave grooves of the fine pins.