JPH04105783A - Articulated robot for laser beam processing - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To minimize the reflecting mirrors to be disposed in a robot and to allow the easy adjustment of an optical axis by providing an external optical system which moves in follow up to the forward arm axis of the robot on the outside part of the perpendicular articulated robot and making a laser beam incident on the internal optical system of the robot from this external optical system. CONSTITUTION:The incident laser beam on the front arm axis 8 is refracted by the 3rd reflecting mirror 11 and 4th reflecting mirror 14 respectively of a wrist axis 20 and is then condensed to a lens 13, from which the laser beam is projected and used for processing. The external optical system of this case is pulled by the forward arm axis 8 to move in follow up to the arbitrary movements of the robot body 1 as the 1st and 2nd reflectors 16, 18 can turn respectively in two ways and a light guide 17 has 6 degrees of freedom to allow expansion, contraction and rotation. The laser beam is thus made incident always on the axial center of the forward arm shaft 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a robot for laser processing, and particularly to an articulated robot for laser processing using vertical articulated arm means.

[Prior Art] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a laser beam path of a conventional articulated robot for laser processing disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 82-13078111. In the figure, (41) is the robot base, (42) is a fork member rotatably supported by the base (41), (43) is a rotatable arm jointly connected to the fork member (42), (44) (45) is a case spanning the fork member (42) and the arm (43);
(4B) is a rotatable forearm jointed to the other end of the arm (43), and (4B) is attached to a non-articulated joint of the forearm (45) and rotates around an axis parallel to the forearm (45). A wrist assembly is movable and has an end pivotable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis.

(47) to (56) are ducts arranged inside each part of the robot for passing laser light, and (57) to (65) are reflecting mirrors for changing the direction of the laser light.

The articulated robot for laser processing with the above configuration has five degrees of freedom of movement, and has ducts (47) to (
5B) and reflecting mirrors (57) to (65>), the laser beam is freely irradiated onto the processing position.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional configuration as described above, there is a problem that it is very difficult to adjust the optical axis because the number of reflecting mirrors increases inside the robot.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide an articulated robot for laser processing in which the number of reflectors disposed inside the robot can be minimized and the optical axis can be easily adjusted. do.

[Means for Solving the Problems] An articulated robot for laser processing according to the present invention includes a pivot shaft for rotating the robot, a brachial shaft that is connected to a fulcrum of the pivot shaft and swings, and a fulcrum at the other end of the brachial shaft. An articulated robot equipped with a forearm shaft that is connected to and swings, a wrist shaft that is connected to the end of this forearm shaft and can rotate independently of the forearm, and a robot that is connected to a predetermined position that guides the laser beam output from an oscillator. A fixed first duct, a second duct that is fixed to the forearm of the robot and guides the laser beam into the robot, and a first reflecting mirror that refracts the incident light by a pair of reflecting mirrors arranged opposite each other. The first and second reflecting devices house a second reflecting mirror that emits light rotatably and perpendicular to the center of the light, and have two degrees of freedom of rotation. It is equipped with a light guide that accommodates a rolling bearing and is rotatable and expandable, and includes a first duct, a first reflecting device, this first reflecting device and a light guide, this light guide and a second reflecting device, and this light guide. It is composed of an external optical system that connects a second reflection device and a second duct, and an internal optical system of the robot that is connected to this external optical system.

[Function] In the present invention, laser light travels as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. In FIG. 4, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 indicate the same or corresponding parts. That is, the light passes through the first duct, the first reflection device, the light guide, the second reflection device, and the second duct in order, and enters the internal optical system from the forearm axis of the robot.
The light is irradiated through the robot's wrist axis and used for processing.

In this case, the external optical system operates to follow the movement of the forearm axis of the robot by the rotation of the first reflection device and the second reflection device and the rotation and expansion and contraction of the light guide, and the external optical system always emits laser light. is incident on the axis of the forearm axis.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, (I) is the robot body, (2) is the base that stops and fixes the robot body (1) in a predetermined position, and (3) is the drive source (not shown) mounted on the base (2). By arrow A
(4) is an upper arm shaft that is connected to the first fulcrum (5) of the rotation axis (3) and swings in the direction of arrow B about the first fulcrum (5); (8) is connected to the second fulcrum (6) of the upper arm shaft (4), synchronized with the vertical movement of the link (7), and
It is a hollow forearm ring that swings in the direction of arrow C around a fulcrum (6). (20) is the wrist axis, swing axis (9) and twist (
10), the swing shaft (9) is connected to one end of the forearm (8) with the same axis and rotates about this axis in the direction indicated by the arrow, and the twist shaft (10) is the swing shaft. The end of the swing shaft (9) rotates in the direction of arrow E about an axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the swing shaft (9). Although not shown in this embodiment, an end effector having a structure specific to laser processing is fixed to the twist shaft (10).

(11) is a third reflecting mirror installed in the swing axis (9), which converts the laser beam incident from the forearm axis (8) into the twist axis (10).
) is placed at an angle that reflects the axis of rotation.

(12) is a fourth reflecting mirror provided in the twist shaft (10), and is arranged at an angle to reflect the incident laser light in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the twist shaft (10).

(13) is a lens (1
3).

(14) is a first duct that guides a laser beam output from an oscillator (not shown), and (15) is a first duct (1
(19) is a second duct fixed to the other end of the robot's forearm shaft (8) with the same axis, and (16) is a hollow support base that fixedly supports the end of the robot (19). 15) a first reflector device connected to (14) via a first duct);
(18) is a second reflection device connected to the second duct (19), (17) is a light guide that can be expanded, contracted and rotated, and its both ends are connected to the first reflection device (16) and the second reflection device (19), respectively. 2 reflection device (18).

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an example of a first reflecting device (16) and a second reflecting device (18). In the figure, (2
0) is a block, and (21) is a mirror table (
22) and housed in the block (20). (23) is a first cylindrical portion machined so that its axis is perpendicular to the axis of the block (20), and (25) is a first cylindrical portion whose axis is aligned with the outer periphery of the first cylindrical portion (23). This is the first flange that is assembled into the first flange. (24) are a plurality of first bearings housed between the first cylindrical portion (23) and the first flange (25). (2B) is the end of the block (20), (30) is a reflector tube consisting of a second cylindrical part (28) and a second flange (29), and the second cylindrical part (28) has a plurality of The end of the block (2
6) is incorporated into the inner periphery. The reflecting tube (30) is hollow, and a second reflecting mirror (21a), which is the same as the first reflecting mirror, is fixed to and stored in the mirror stand (22a) at one end of the second cylindrical portion (28). ing. Therefore, the first flange (2
5) and the second flange (29), they constitute a reflecting device that is rotatable in two directions, that is, has two degrees of freedom.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an example of a light guide (17) constituting the present invention. In the figure, (31) is a first cylinder, one end of which is machined with a groove into which either the flanges (25) or (29) can be attached, and the other end is provided with a plurality of third bearings (33). is stored. (34) is a second cylinder, one end of which is incorporated inside the third bearing (33) so that only rotation is allowed. (35) is a third cylinder, one end of which has a groove into which either the flange (25) or (29) can be attached, and the inside of the other end has a third cylinder (35).
The second cylinder (34) is incorporated through a plurality of fourth bearings (37) that allow only linear movement of the cylinder.

Next, the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be explained.

The laser light output from the oscillator enters the first duct (14) through the necessary path and enters the first reflection device (16) via the support (15). That is, it enters from the axis of the first flange (25), is refracted by the first reflecting mirror (21), is transmitted to the second reflecting mirror (21a), and is further refracted by the second reflecting mirror (21a). and is guided into the light guide (17) through the axis of the second flange (29).

The laser light entering the light guide (17) is directed to the first cylinder (3).
1), passes through the second cylinder (34) and the third cylinder (35) and enters the second reflection device (18). Second reflector (1
8) has the same structure as the first reflecting device (16), but here, the laser beam is taken in from the second flange (29), and the laser beam is passed from the first flange (25) to the second duct ( 19). The laser beam then enters the robot's forearm shaft (8) from the second duct (19).

The laser beam incident on the forearm axis (8) is refracted by the third reflector (11) and fourth reflector (14) of the wrist axis (20), respectively, and then focused on the lens (13) and irradiated. and processed.

In this case, the external optical system includes the first and second reflection devices (1
6) and (18) can each rotate in two directions, and the light guide (17) has six degrees of freedom, allowing it to extend, contract, and rotate. Bangles (
8), and the laser beam is always directed towards the forearm (8).
).

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, an external optical system that moves to follow the forearm axis of the robot is provided outside the vertically articulated robot, and a laser beam is made to enter the internal optical system of the robot from this external optical system. As a result, the number of reflectors stored inside the robot is two on the wrist axis of the robot, and only one condensing system optical member (lens, etc.) is required, and the optical path of the external optical system can be adjusted using the external optical system. Since it can be done independently, adjusting the optical axis of the laser beam becomes extremely simple.

Moreover, since the external optical system is pulled by the robot's forearm and follows the movement, no power is required to move it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an example of the first and second reflecting devices constituting the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an example of a guide, FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an optical path system of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a laser beam path of a conventional multi-articulated laser processing robot. In the figure, (1) is the robot body, (3) is the rotation axis,
(4) is the upper arm axis, (5) is the first fulcrum, (6) is the second fulcrum, (8) is the forearm axis, (11) is the third reflector, (12)
is the fourth reflecting mirror, (13) is the condenser lens, (14) is the first duct, (16) is the first reflecting device, (17) is the light guide, and (18) is the second reflecting device. , (19) is the second duct, (20) is the wrist axis, (21) is the first reflector,
(21a) is the second reflecting mirror, (33) is the third bearing, (
35) is the fourth bearing. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A rotation axis for rotating the robot, an upper arm shaft that is connected to a fulcrum of the rotation axis and swings, a forearm shaft that is connected to the other end fulcrum of the upper arm shaft and swings, and an end of the forearm shaft that swings. A vertically articulated robot with a wrist axis that is connected and rotatable independently of the forearm axis; a first duct that is fixed at a predetermined position that guides a laser beam output from an oscillator; and a first duct that is fixed to the forearm axis of the robot. A second duct guides the laser beam into the robot, and a second duct that emits a pair of reflecting mirrors facing each other and rotatably perpendicular to the center of the light refracted by the first reflecting mirror that refracts the incident light. The first and second reflecting devices house two reflecting mirrors and have two degrees of freedom of rotation, and a pair of cylindrical structures house a linear sliding bearing and a rolling bearing to enable rotation and expansion/contraction. a guide, the first duct and the first reflecting device, the first reflecting device and the light guide, the light guide and the second reflecting device, and the second reflecting device and the second duct, respectively; An articulated robot for laser processing, comprising a connected external optical system and an internal optical system of the robot connected to the external optical system.