JPH0445832Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a suction system using an electromagnet as a gripper for handling hard and brittle objects such as molded precision castings.

[Conventional technology]

As this type of device, a mechanical opening/closing type gripper or a suction method using an electromagnet and air have been commonly used.

A mechanical opening/closing gripper has two gripping members that open and close to the left and right around a pivot, and handle objects with both gripping members.

An electromagnetic attraction means applies magnetic force to a magnetic object to attract it, and releases the magnetic object by dissipating the magnetic force.

In the suction method using air, a suction cup is pressed against the surface of an object, the air inside is removed, the object is handled by the suction cup, and air is sent into the suction cup as necessary to release the object.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, the mechanical opening/closing type gripper has a complicated opening/closing mechanism and has disadvantages in terms of cost and maintenance.

The suction method is unreasonable in terms of weight for objects other than thin plate-like objects.

By the way, the adsorption method using electromagnets has not yet reached the level of practical use. The reasons for this are drawbacks such as damage due to collisions during adsorption, damage due to variations in the contact surface, and lifting and falling due to residual magnetism when released.

Here, the present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the conventional example by providing a non-magnetic cushion material between the object to be handled (hereinafter referred to as "work") and the electromagnet, and attaching the electromagnet to the work via the cushion material. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electromagnetic gripper configured to apply, attract, and release.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention has an electromagnet that attracts a workpiece, an electromagnet drive section that drives the electromagnet up and down, and is held via an elastic member on the upper end surface of a guide that supports and surrounds the electromagnet and the electromagnet drive section. A floating mechanism is provided, and a cushion material made of a non-magnetic material is provided below the surface of the electromagnet that faces the work, through a guide rod that loosely fits and passes through the electromagnet from the lower part of the floating mechanism, and This is an electromagnetic gripper that is attached to the robot's wrist and has a cylindrical guide that wraps around the workpiece with its lower end open.

[Effect]

In the present invention, a non-magnetic cushion material is inserted between the electromagnet and the workpiece that is attracted to it, so that the collision of the electromagnet against the workpiece surface is alleviated.
It protects the surface of the workpiece, makes it easy to remove the workpiece, and ensures flexibility in handling even when the workpiece table on which the workpiece is placed is tilted or bent.

〔Example〕

A cross-sectional side view of one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.

A gripper 10 according to the present invention is attached to the wrist 1 of a transport robot or the like.

The gripper 10 has a structure mainly including an electromagnet 2 that attracts a workpiece 5, a cushion material 3 made of a non-magnetic material for protecting the workpiece, and a drive section 4 for the electromagnet.

The electromagnet 2 is driven up and down by an electromagnet drive unit 4 via a rod 8, and the cushion material 3 is supported by a floating mechanism 6 with a U-shaped cross section via a guide rod 9. When the electromagnet 2 moves up and down, the cushion material 3 is is loosely fitted into a hole drilled in the electromagnet 2 so as to slide in it, and the floating mechanism 6 is attached to a guide 7 surrounding the gripper 10 via its helical spring, and the guide 7 is attached to the screwing means 11. It is screwed onto the robot's wrist.

FIG. 1 shows the state before the workpiece 5 is attracted and when the workpiece 5 is released, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the state in which the workpiece 5 is attracted.

First, the robot wrist 1 is positioned on the workpiece 5 placed on the worktable 12.

Next, only the cushion material 3 is brought into contact with the workpiece 5 by vertically descending movement of the gripper 10.

Then, the electromagnet drive unit 4 using an air cylinder or the like as a drive source is operated to lower the electromagnet 2,
It is applied to the workpiece 5 through the cushion material 3.

In this state shown in FIG. 2, the electromagnet 2 is excited to attract the workpiece 5 and handle it.

When releasing the workpiece 5, the operation is the reverse of the suction operation.

By interposing the cushion material 3, delicate irregularities of the workpiece 5 are protected, and furthermore, collisions between hard objects such as the electromagnet 2 and the workpiece 5 are eliminated.

Further, the fall of the workpiece 5 after being lifted up due to residual magnetism when the workpiece 5 is released can be resolved by first releasing and separating the electromagnet 2 while the cushion material 3 is in contact with the workpiece.

When the work table 12 is tilted or bent, the relative position of the work 5 and the gripper 10 changes in the horizontal direction, vertical direction, inclination, etc.

In such a case, according to the present invention, there is no problem in positioning the robot wrist on the work table 12 in the horizontal direction, but in the vertical direction, that is, in the workpiece 5.
Changes in the height direction on the work table 12 are handled by providing the gripper 10 with a floating mechanism 6. Regarding the inclination, if the work table 12 is not a rigid body, the slope can be corrected by correcting the inclined surface to a flat surface using the guide 7 and performing the above-mentioned operation.

[Effect of idea]

Thus, according to the present invention, subtle irregularities on the surface of the workpiece to be attracted can be protected from handling operations,
It alleviates collisions between the electromagnet and the workpiece, makes it easy and reliable to remove the workpiece after handling, and handles the workpiece freely and reliably even when the workpiece table is tilted or bent, making it reliable as an electromagnetic gripper. This improves performance and reduces costs, and further promotes automation using robots and the like.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention (state diagram before suction and in open state), and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the suctioned state. 1... Robot wrist, 2... Electromagnet, 3... Cushion material (non-magnetic material), 4... Electromagnet drive unit,
5... Workpiece, 6... Floating mechanism, 7...
... Guide, 8 ... Rod, 9 ... Guide rod, 10
...Gritzpa, 11...Screwing means, 12...Work table.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] An electromagnet that attracts a workpiece, an electromagnet drive section that drives the electromagnet up and down, and a guide that supports and surrounds the electromagnet and the electromagnet drive section. A floating mechanism is held, a cushion material made of a non-magnetic material is disposed below the surface of the electromagnet facing the work, and an upper part is connected to the floating mechanism through a guide rod that loosely fits and penetrates the electromagnet from the lower part of the floating mechanism. An electromagnetic adsorption type gripper consisting of a cylindrical guide whose end face is attached to the robot wrist and whose lower end face is open to wrap around the workpiece.