JPH0513444Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] A. Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a tool attachment/detachment device, and is suitable for use in a device for automatically attaching/detaching a tool for a work robot to/from a robot hand.

B. Summary of the invention The present invention provides a device for automatically attaching and detaching a tool, which includes a first piston for clamping the tool and a second piston for removing the tool.
By sliding the first piston within the piston guide and engaging the ball with the groove provided on the inner circumferential surface of the fitting hole recessed in the mounting shank of the tool holder, the tool holder can be attached to and removed from the mounting shank. While clamping to the tool mounting hole in the device body, when unclamping, the first piston is slid to release the engagement of the ball with the groove, and the second piston is moved to attach the tool to the mounting shank with its tip. By pushing the tool out of the mounting hole, it is possible to easily attach and detach the tool.

C. Conventional technology Currently, work robots are widely used in factories, etc., and work such as welding and deburring of castings, which used to rely on the skill and hard labor of workers, is now performed by work robots. It's coming. When one work robot performs multiple types of work, it is necessary to attach tools corresponding to each work to its hand.

D. Problems that the invention aims to solve Conventionally, when attaching various work tools to the hand part of a work robot, the work was done manually by the worker, so it took time to replace the tools, which caused problems with the work robot's performance. The problem was that it not only led to a decrease in operating efficiency, but also hindered autonomous driving. In particular, when the work robot performs highly precise work, the worker needs to mount the tool with high accuracy, so he or she must perform tasks such as driving in dowel pins for alignment. As a result, a considerable amount of time and effort was spent on tool replacement.

The present invention is intended to solve these problems, and aims to provide a tool attachment/detachment device that can automatically attach and detach work tools with high precision and is suitable for use in a work robot.

E. Means for Solving the Problem To achieve this objective, the tool attachment/detachment device according to the present invention has a structure that is fixed to the hand portion at the tip of the robot arm and into which the attachment shank of the tool holder that holds the tool is fitted. A tool attaching/detaching device main body having a recessed tool mounting hole, and a cylindrical portion fixed to the main body, protruding into the tool mounting hole, and capable of fitting into a fitting hole recessed in the mounting shank are formed. a piston guide; a ball that is loosely fitted into a hole bored in a cylindrical portion of the piston guide so as to protrude in an outer circumferential direction thereof, and that can be engaged with a groove provided on an inner circumferential surface of the fitting hole; The mounting shank is inserted into the cylinder chamber formed in the main body, and its shaft portion is slidably inserted into the cylindrical portion of the piston guide, and the shaft portion presses the ball into the groove. a hollow first piston that is clamped in the tool mounting hole; and a hollow first piston that is inserted into a cylinder chamber formed in the main body and whose shaft portion is slidably inserted into the hollow portion of the first piston. and a second piston that pushes out the mounting shank from the tool mounting hole by pressing the bottom of the fitting hole with the tip of the shaft.

F Function The main body of the tool attachment/detachment device is attached in advance to, for example, the mechanical device side of the hand portion of the work robot. When installing a tool, insert the mounting shank of the tool holder into the tool mounting hole, fit the cylindrical part of the piston guide into the fitting hole, and when the first piston is actuated, the ball will fit into the fitting hole. The mounting shank is clamped into the tool mounting hole by being pressed against the provided groove. On the other hand, when removing the tool, the first piston is actuated in the opposite direction to release the engagement of the ball with the groove, and when the second piston is actuated, the mounting shank at the tip of the second piston attaches the tool. pushed out of the hole.

G. Example Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a tool attaching/detaching device for a working robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the entire working robot.

As shown in FIG. 2, a hand portion 13 is rotatably provided at the tip of a robot arm 12 of a work robot 11, and a tool attaching/detaching device 14 according to the present invention is attached to the hand portion 13. For example, a tool such as a deburring grinder 15 is attached and detached via the.

As shown in FIG. 1, a main body 16 of a tool attachment/detachment device 14 is fixed to the hand portion 13. As shown in FIG. A tapered tool mounting hole 19 into which a tapered mounting shank 18 of a tool holder 17 for holding a tool is fitted is recessed on the tip side of the main body 16, and a hole 2 in communication with the tool mounting hole 19 is provided inside the main body 16. Stage cylinder chamber 2
0 is formed. A piston guide 22 in which a hollow cylindrical portion 21 is formed is fixed to the main body 16 at the end of the cylinder chamber 20 on the tool mounting hole 19 side, and the cylindrical portion 21 protrudes into the tool mounting hole 19 . On the other hand, the mounting shank 18 of the tool holder 17
A fitting hole 23 is recessed in the tool mounting hole 23 so that when the mounting shank 18 is fitted into the tool mounting hole 19, the cylindrical portion 21 of the piston guide 22 is fitted into the fitting hole 23. A plurality of holes 24 are bored in the cylindrical portion 21 in the circumferential direction, and a ball 2 is inserted into each hole.
5 is loosely fitted so that it can freely protrude in the outer circumferential direction. This ball 25 has a mounting shank 18 and a tool mounting hole 19.
When inserted into the mounting shank 18, it engages with an annular groove 26 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the fitting hole 23 of the mounting shank 18.
Further, a collar 27 for preventing the ball 25 from falling is slidably fitted on the outer circumferential portion of the cylindrical portion 21, and the collar 27 is urged toward the tip side by a spring 28, and the inner circumferential surface of the collar 27 A protrusion 29 is slidably fitted into a guide groove 30 formed in the cylindrical portion 21. When the mounting shank 18 is inserted into the tool mounting hole 19, the collar 27 comes into contact with the tip of the mounting shank 18 and is pushed toward the proximal end against the spring 28, while when the mounting shank 18 is pulled out, the spring 28 , the protrusion 29 is moved to a position where it touches the end of the guide groove 30, covers the hole 24, and the ball 2
5 to prevent it from falling to the outside.

On the other hand, the cylinder chamber 20 has two chambers with different diameters, into which a first piston 31 and a second piston 32 are inserted, respectively. The first piston 31 is hollow, its shaft portion 33 is slidably inserted into the cylindrical portion 21 of the piston guide 22, and its tip portion extends to the ball 25.
A step is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip end of the shaft portion 33, and when the first piston 31 moves toward the tip side, the large diameter portion comes into contact with the ball 25 and the ball 25 protrudes in the outer circumferential direction, while when the first piston 31 moves toward the proximal end, its small diameter portion is located at the ball 25 and the ball 2
5 is retracted inside the cylindrical portion 21. Further, the shaft portion 34 of the second piston 32 is slidably inserted into the hollow portion of the first piston 31, and the tip of the shaft portion 34 is inserted into the hollow portion of the first piston 31.
1 and a fitting hole 23 therein.
A push metal 35 that can come into contact with the bottom of the is fixed. Furthermore, the main body 16 has first to third air supply/discharge passages 36, 3 that communicate the cylinder chamber 20 with the outside.
7 and 38 are bored, and these are rotatably attached to the outer circumference of the main body 16 and connected to the robot arm 12 by a detent 39. ,4
It is connected to 2,43. This first air supply/discharge passage 36 is connected to the second air supply/discharge passage 36 at the front part of the first piston 31.
The air supply/discharge passage 37 is located between the two pistons 31 and 32, and the third air supply/discharge passage 38 is located at the rear of the second piston 32.
It communicates with

Note that 44 is a positioning pin drilled in the tool holder 17, and 45 is a positioning hole recessed in the main body 16 into which the positioning pin 44 is inserted.

In the tool attachment/detachment device having such a configuration, when attaching a tool, first the tool holder 1 is attached.
The mounting shank 18 of No. 7 is inserted into the tool mounting hole 19, and the cylindrical portion 21 of the piston guide 22 is fitted into the fitting hole 23. At this time, the positioning pin 44 fits into the positioning hole 45, so that the tool holder 17
are aligned in phase with respect to the main body 16. next,
The cylinder chamber 2 is exhausted from the first and third air supply/discharge ports 41 and 43 and from the second air supply/discharge port 42.
When air is supplied to the piston 0, the second piston 32 retracts toward the proximal end, and at the same time, the first piston 31 moves toward the distal end. Then, the large diameter portion of the shaft portion 33 of the first piston 31 engages with the ball 25 and pushes it outward, and the ball 25 is pressed against the annular groove 26 in the fitting hole 23 of the mounting shank 18 and is installed. Clamp the shank 18 into the tool mounting hole 19.

On the other hand, when removing the tool, first remove the second and third tools.
The air is exhausted from the air supply and exhaust ports 42 and 43 of the
Air is supplied to the cylinder chamber 20 from the air supply/discharge port 41 . Then, the first piston 31 moves toward the proximal end, the small diameter portion of the shaft portion 33 engages with the ball 25, and the clamping by the ball 25 is released.
Next, when air is exhausted from the first and second air supply/discharge ports 41 and 42 and air is supplied to the cylinder chamber 20 from the third air supply/discharge port 43, the second piston 32 moves toward the tip side, and the second piston 32 moves toward the tip side. The butt 35 attached to the tip of the shaft portion 34 is inserted into the fitting hole 2 of the mounting shank 18.
3 and push out the mounting shank 18 from the tool mounting hole 19. When the mounting shank 18 is pulled out from the tool mounting hole 19, the collar 27 moves toward the distal end due to the action of the spring 28, thereby preventing the ball 25 from falling off.

In this way, by operating the first piston 31, the ball 25 presses the mounting shank 18 from inside the fitting hole 23 of the mounting shank 18 into the tool mounting hole 19, and their tapered surfaces are joined and fixed. Therefore, a large fixing force can be obtained and it can withstand harsh working conditions. Also, when removing the tool, use the second piston to remove the mounting shank 18.
The tool holder 17 is pushed out to release the close contact between the tapered surfaces, so it can be easily removed, and therefore the tool holder 17 can be attached and detached automatically and accurately in a short time.

H. Effects of the invention As described above in detail with reference to one embodiment, according to the present invention, tools can be automatically attached and detached in a short time and with high precision.If this is used in a work robot, the robot While it can be mounted compactly on the hand part, it is also possible to shorten tool exchange time and improve tool attachment accuracy in the work robot. As a result, it becomes easy to perform multiple types of processing with one work robot, and it is possible to improve the operating efficiency of the work robot and save labor.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a tool attaching/detaching device for a working robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the entire working robot. In the drawing, 14 is a tool attaching/detaching device, 16 is a main body, 1
7 is a tool holder, 18 is a mounting shank, 19 is a tool mounting hole, 20 is a cylinder chamber, 21 is a cylindrical portion, 22
is a piston guide, 23 is a fitting hole, 24 is a hole, 2
5 is a ball, 26 is an annular groove, 31 is a first piston, 32 is a second piston, and 33 and 34 are shaft portions.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A tool attachment/detachment device body has a recessed tool attachment hole into which the attachment shank of a tool holder that is fixed to the hand portion at the tip of the robot arm and holds a tool is fitted; a piston guide formed with a cylindrical portion that can be fitted into a fitting hole recessed in the mounting shank; and a ball that can be engaged with a groove provided on the inner circumferential surface of the fitting hole, and a ball that is inserted into a cylinder chamber formed in the main body and whose shaft portion slides into the cylindrical portion of the piston guide. a hollow first piston that is movably inserted and clamps the mounting shank in the tool mounting hole by pressing the ball into the groove with the shaft; When the first piston is inserted, its shaft is slidably inserted into the hollow portion of the first piston, and the tip of the shaft presses the bottom of the fitting hole, thereby pushing out the mounting shank from the tool mounting hole. A tool attachment/detachment device comprising: two pistons.