JPH0531691A - Tool holding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform reliable operation to exchange a tool in addition to a simple exchange process of a tool by reliably protruding a plurality of lock pins by means of a cam. CONSTITUTION:A lock device 14 wherein a plurality of lock pins 21 are arranged movably forward and backward in a radial direction is located in the device body 6 of a tool holding device 3. A member 7 to be adhered is arranged outside the lock device and the member 7 to be adhered is fixed to the device body 6 by bringing the outer end part of each lock pin 21 into abutment with the inner peripheral side of the member 7 to be adhered. A conical cam 22 having a cam surface 22d inclined so that it may approach the central line of a piston as transfer of a position 16 toward a tip is coupled to the end part of the piston 16 loosely movably in a direction in which the lock pin 21 is moved forward and backward. The cam surface 22d is brought into contact with the inner end part of each lock pin 21 so that each lock pin 21 may be driven in its protrusion.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tool holding device for holding a tool in an industrial robot or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a production line or the like, an industrial robot uses a tool held at the tip of its operating arm to perform a required production operation such as machining or work. In such a production line or the like, it may be necessary for the industrial robot to replace the held tool with another tool for production work. Therefore, conventionally, tool holding devices having various structures have been proposed.

[0003]

By the way, in this type of tool holding device, since the tool exchange time directly affects the production efficiency in the production line, the tool exchange of the industrial robot can be performed quickly and surely. It is required to be able to do it.

In consideration of such circumstances, a single cam, for example, is used as an attaching / detaching mechanism for detachably attaching an adhered member equipped with a tool to the main body of the apparatus provided at the tip of the operating arm of the industrial robot. If a plurality of lock pins are projected in the radial direction, it is considered that the tool can be attached and detached quickly.

However, when a structure for projecting a plurality of lock pins in a radial direction by a single cam is applied to a tool holding device of this type, manufacturing of a cam or lock pin shape error or misalignment due to assembly of the device. Due to the error, it is difficult to evenly contact a single cam to multiple radially arranged lock pins at the same time, resulting in an equal amount of displacement. In some cases, the reliability of the mounting operation cannot be ensured due to a defect.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and by reliably advancing a plurality of lock pins in the radial direction by a cam, the tool can be easily replaced while the tool is reliably replaced. An object of the present invention is to provide a simple tool holding device.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 is a tool holder for detachably mounting an adhered member having a tool to an apparatus body provided at a tip of an operating arm. In the device, the device body is provided with a locking device in which a plurality of locking pins capable of advancing and retracting in the radial direction are arranged, and the adhered member is formed in a ring shape surrounding the outside of the locking device, By engaging the outer end portion of each lock pin with a member so that the adhered member can be mounted on the main body of the apparatus, the piston driven forward and backward in the direction perpendicular to each lock pin is A cam having a cam surface inclined so as to come closer to the piston center line as it goes to the tip at the end of the piston, and is movably connected in the direction in which the lock pin advances and retracts, It said the serial cam surface in contact with the inner end of the lock pin is characterized in that advance drive the respective locking pin.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the cam for advancing and driving each lock pin has a cam surface inclined at the end of the piston so as to approach the piston center line as it goes to the tip.
Moreover, this cam is connected to the piston so as to be movable in the direction in which the lock pin advances and retracts. Therefore, when a part of the lock pins comes into contact with the cam and the other lock pins do not come into contact with the cam, the cam can be displaced in the direction in which the lock pin advances and retracts due to the reaction force from the contacting lock pin. As a result, it is possible to uniformly contact all the locking pins arranged radially.

As a result, in this tool holding device, all the lock pins radially installed are effectively operated, and the attaching operation of the adhered member provided with the tool is surely performed.

[0010]

Embodiments of the tool holding device of the present invention will be described below. 1 is an explanatory view of a state of use in an industrial robot, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a tool holding device in a locked state, FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a tool holding device in an unlocked state, and FIG. 4 is IV in FIG.
5 is a sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG.

In FIG. 1, a tool holding device 3 is provided at the tip of an operating arm 2 of an industrial vertical articulated robot 1, and a tool 4 is attached to the tool holding device 3. The tool 4 provided in the tool holding device 3 is a work tool for performing pick and place work of the work W. That is, the tool 4 has a hand, and by grasping the work W with this hand, machining is performed by the drill D of the machining machine 5.

By placing various tools 4 used in the industrial robot 1 on a tool holder in advance, the tools 4 mounted on the tool holding device 3 can be exchanged and installed as needed, and new tools can be installed. The required production work is performed by using the various tools 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tool holding device 3 of this embodiment comprises a device body 6 and an adherend member 7.

The apparatus body 6 includes a substrate 11 and the substrate 11
A cylinder member 12 fixed to the cylinder member 1 and the cylinder member 1
Holding member 13 attached to the lower end of 2, and this holding member 1
3 has a locking device 14 attached to it.

The substrate 11 is a member for attaching the apparatus main body 6 to the operating arm 2, and the substrate 11 is provided with a first air passage 15 extending from the first air supply port 19 to the cylinder 17. ing.

The cylinder member 12 is mounted on the lower surface of the base plate 11 and forms a cylinder 17 inside which a piston 16 described below can be moved up and down. In the following, the central axis O indicates the center line of the piston 16.

A piston 16 which is elastically urged downward by a coil spring 18 is arranged in the cylinder 17 so as to be able to move up and down, and the first air passage 15 is communicated above the piston 16. ing.

At the lower end of the piston 16, a separate conical cam 22 for advancing and driving a lock pin 21, which will be described later, is mounted via a spring pin 23 in a slightly movable state in the radial direction of the cylinder 17. There is.

The connecting portion between the conical cam 22 and the piston 16 is as shown in FIGS. That is, a protrusion 16b for connecting to the conical cam 22 is provided at the center of the lower surface of the piston 16, and an annular lower end surface 16a is concentrically formed on the outside of the protrusion 16b. On the other hand, in the center of the upper surface of the conical cam 22, there is formed a connecting recess 22b that fits with the projection 16b, and an upper end surface 22a is concentrically formed around the recess 22b.

The diameter of the projection 16b is slightly smaller than the diameter of the recess 22b, and a clearance C is formed between the projections 16b when they are fitted together.

The depth of the recess 22b is slightly larger than the height of the protrusion 16b. When the two are fitted together, the upper end surface 22a of the conical cam 22 and the lower end surface 16a of the piston 16 are separated from each other. The clearance C also comes into contact with the bottom surface of the concave portion 22b and the tip surface of the protrusion 16b.
Are formed.

The spring pin 23 connecting between the piston 16 and the conical cam 22 having such a shape is inserted into the support hole 16c formed in the projection 16b of the piston 16, and both ends of the spring pin 23 are inserted. Is fixed by being pressed into a locking hole 22c formed in the conical cam 22. The diameter of the support hole 16c of the piston 16 is slightly larger than the diameter of the spring pin 23.

Further, the conical cam 22 has a cam surface 22d, and the cam surface 22d is inclined at the end of the piston 16 so as to approach the piston center line as it goes to the tip. Lock pin 2 on piston 16
1 is movably connected in a forward and backward direction.

The conical cam 22 connected to the piston 16 with such a structure is slightly movable with respect to the piston 16 and operates as follows when the piston 16 is moved up and down.

That is, the conical cam 22 is
In the descending stroke of, the upper end surface 22 of the conical cam 22
The driving force of the piston 16 is transmitted by a contact between the a and the lower end surface 16a of the piston 16.

When only a part of the lock pins 21 comes into contact with the conical cam 22, the conical cam 22 can move in the direction orthogonal to the vertical direction of the piston 16,
Due to the reaction force, the conical cam 22 slides and is displaced in the radial direction, whereby the conical cam 22 comes into a state of uniformly contacting all the lock pins 21.

In the upward stroke of the piston 16, the pulling force is received from the piston 16 via the spring pin 23.

The holding member 13 mounted on the lower end of the cylinder member 12 has a through hole 13a formed in the center thereof so that the conical cam 22 can be projected and retracted downward.

Further, the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the holding member 13 serves as a seating surface 6a, and a mounting surface 7a formed on the upper end surface of an adherend member 7, which will be described later, comes into pressure contact with the rubber packing 6b, and Positioning hole 2 formed on the mounting surface 7a
A positioning pin 25 to be inserted into the No. 4 is installed.

Further, in this embodiment, in order to enhance the airtightness of the cylinder 17, a sleeve member 26 formed separately is mounted in the through hole 13a.

The lock device 14 mounted on the holding member 13 has three sets of lock pin devices 28, which are a set of a lock pin 21 and a lock cylinder 27, and the piston 16 is provided with the lock pin device 28.
It is configured by being installed in a radial direction that divides the circumference of the central axis O into three equal parts (FIG. 4). The lock cylinder 27 is fitted and held in a fitting hole 13d provided in the holding member 13.

The lock pin 21 is a lock cylinder 27.
The lock pin 21 is inserted so as to be able to move forward and backward, and the lock pin 21 is elastically urged in the retracting direction toward the central axis O side of the piston 16 by the coil spring 31. The piston 16 can advance and retreat in a direction extending outward from the central axis O.

Further, the compressed air supplied to the space below the piston 16 in the cylinder 17 from the second air supply port 32 formed in the side portion of the cylinder member 12 is a groove portion 34 on the outer surface of the sleeve member 26. Second air passage 33, etc.
And is supplied to the back of the head portion 21a of each lock pin 21 via.

At the lower center of the locking device 14, a separator 36 containing a coil spring 35 is built.
Is installed. This separator 36 is the holding member 13
The coil spring 35 is attached to a spring receiver 13e formed on the holding member 13 and urges the separator 36 in a direction away from the holding member 13 at all times.

As will be described later, the separator 36 compresses and deforms the coil spring 35 by the mounting plate 39 when the adhered member 7 is mounted, and thereafter, when the mounted adhered member 7 is detached from the apparatus main body 6. By pressing the mounting plate 39 by the elastic force of the coil spring 35, the adhered member 7 is smoothly separated from the apparatus main body 6.

The adhered member 7 mounted on the apparatus main body 6 constructed as described above is a member formed in a substantially ring shape as shown in FIG. 4, and protrudes inside the upper part over the entire circumference. A cam portion 37 is formed. Further, mounting plate mounting holes 95 for mounting the mounting plate 39 are formed at six positions on the adherend 7, air supply insertion holes 96 are further formed at six positions, and electrode contacts 97 and electrode terminals 98 are arranged at ten positions. It is provided in.

On the lower surface side of the cam portion 37, a cam surface 38 that cooperates with the lock pins 21 is formed, and on the upper surface of the cam portion 37, a mounting surface 7a of the adherend 7 is formed. (Fig. 2).

That is, the mounting surface 7a of the adherend member 7 is enlarged in size in the radial direction (radial direction in which the lock pin 21 advances and retreats) by installing the cam portion 37, and as a result, There is an advantage that the seal surface width when the adhered member 7 is mounted on the seating surface 6a of the apparatus main body 6 is wide, the connection rigidity of the adhered member 7 is high, and rattling of the tool 4 is suppressed.

A mounting plate 39 for integrally supporting the tool 4 is fixed to the lower surface of the adhered member 7 by a bolt or the like (not shown) to form a bottomed container. The mounting plate 39 may be formed integrally with the adherend member 7, or may not be formed.

Therefore, when the adhered member 7 is mounted on the apparatus main body 6, the locking device 14, the cam portion 37, etc. are stored in the space sealed by the holding member 13, the adhered member 7 and the mounting plate 39. It will be in the state of being.
As a result, even when the industrial robot 1 is used in a work space with a lot of dust and the like, the lock device 14 is used.
It is difficult for dust and the like to adhere to the cam surface 38 and the cam surface 38,
The operation of is less likely to be damaged by dust or the like, and the tool can be surely replaced smoothly.

As described above, since the mounting surface 7a is widened by the cam portion 37 and the wide rubber packing 6b is interposed between the seating surface 6a and the mounting surface 7a, the dustproof function and The waterproof function is extremely good.

In this way, the tool 4 is held by the tool holding device 3 by connecting the adherend 7 to the device body 6 and is attached to the tip of the operating arm 2 of the industrial robot 1. is there.

It is also possible to form a hole in the adherend 7 and insert the lock pin 21 into the hole.

The mounting of the tool 4 by the tool holding device 3 is performed as follows.

That is, first, the apparatus body 6 fixed to the tip of the operating arm 2 of the industrial robot 1 is moved to a position corresponding to the required tool 4 on the tool holder, and the operating arm 2 is integrated with the tool 4. The adherend 7 provided on the
(See middle and phantom lines), the adhered member 7 on the outside of the locking device
Fit together.

Thereafter, compressed air is supplied to the space above the piston 16 of the cylinder 17 through the first air supply port 19 formed in the substrate 11.

As a result, the piston 16 descends, and the conical cam 22 is inserted between the three lock pins 21 by cutting it.

At this time, when only a part of the lock pins 21 comes into contact with the conical cam 22, the conical cam 22 can move freely in the radial direction of the cylinder 17, that is, in the forward / backward direction of the lock pin 21 as described above. Therefore, the conical cam 22 slides and displaces due to the reaction force, which causes the conical cam 2 to move.
2 is in a state of being in uniform contact with all the lock pins 21.

As a result, the three lock pins 21 are surely and uniformly pushed outward in the radial direction, and the tips of the lock pins 21 abut against the cam surface 38 of the adhered member 7 located outside thereof. To do.

Due to the abutment of the lock pin 21 against the cam surface 38, the adhered member 7 receives a pressing force to the apparatus main body 6 side,
The upper surface of the mounting plate 39 abuts against the lowermost surface of the apparatus main body 6, and the state shown in FIG. 2 is obtained. Further, the rubber packing 6b is slightly elastically deformed to ensure the sealing between the apparatus body 6 and the adhered member 7.

As described above, since the adhered member 7 is fixed to the apparatus main body 6 separately from the lock pin 21 and the cam surface 38, the clearances associated with these connection drive structures are required for connecting the both. It is possible to closely connect both without affecting.

Therefore, the apparatus main body 6 and the adherend member 7 can be reliably connected in a loose state, and the looseness of the mounted tool 4 can be reliably reduced.

Next, when the attached tool 4 is removed, the operation is performed as follows.

That is, when the required work with the attached tool 4 is completed, the operating arm 2 of the industrial robot 1
Is moved to a predetermined position of the tool holder to stop the supply of compressed air to the first air supply port 19 of the tool holding device 3 in the state of FIG. 2 and to compress the compressed air to the second air supply port 32. Supply.

Along with this, the piston 16 of the cylinder 17
Compressed air is supplied to the space below, and the piston 16 starts to move upward, and compressed air is also supplied to the back of each lock pin 21 via the second air passage 33 such as the groove 34. The lock pin 21 retreats toward the central axis O, and the tip of the lock pin 21 is separated from the cam surface 38, whereby the adherend 7 is released from the restraint of the apparatus body 6.

At the same time, the separator 36
When the coil spring 35 in the compressed state expands, the mounting surface 7a and the seating surface 6a are separated from each other, and the two can be smoothly separated.

As a result, the tool 4 can be stored in a predetermined position on the tool holder from the tip of the operating arm 2 of the industrial robot 1.

Then, when a work is to be carried out by another tool 4 following this, the operation arm 2 is placed at the position of the tool 4.
After moving, the required tool 4 may be mounted in the same manner as described above.

Thus, the tool holding device 3 of this embodiment
According to the above, the conical cam 22 is provided by supplying compressed air.
By moving back and forth and operating the lock pin 21, the tool 4 can be quickly attached and detached via the cam surface 38 of the adherend 7, and the setup time associated with the tool change of the industrial robot 1 can be shortened. Therefore, the production efficiency in the production line can be improved.

In addition, the operation of the single conical cam 22 causes the plurality of lock pins 21 to operate, thereby pressing the lowermost surface of the apparatus main body 6 against the upper surface of the mounting plate 39 to connect them, so that the tool 4 is connected. It is possible to quickly and surely mount the apparatus body 6 without play.

Further, the lock pin 21 of this embodiment may be restored and stored only by the pressure of compressed air, and the coil spring 31 may be omitted. The number of these lock pins 21 is not limited to three, but may be central. The same operation can be performed as long as a plurality of pieces are installed around the axis O.
When the number of lock pins 21 is three or more, it is preferable to use the conical cam as described above. However, in the case of two lock pins, for example, a cam surface that applies a pressing force in the axial direction of the lock pins 21. As long as it has

Further, in this embodiment, the mounting surface 7a
The seating surface 6a and the seating surface 6a formed in a continuous annular shape over the entire circumference have been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the locking device 14 is not limited thereto.
It may be intermittently formed in a scattered manner at appropriate intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0063]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the lock pin advances and retreats the cam having the cam surface inclined at the end of the piston so as to approach the piston center line as it goes to the tip. Since some of the lock pins come into contact with the cam and the rest of the lock pins do not come into contact with each other, the cam is displaced in the forward / backward direction of the lock pin due to the reaction force from the contacted lock pin. The result is even contact with all radially arranged locking pins.

As a result, in this tool holding device, all of the radially arranged lock pins effectively operate, and the attaching operation of the adhered member provided with the tool is reliably performed. Further, since this tool holding device operates a plurality of radially arranged lock pins with a cam, there is also an advantage that the attaching / detaching operation is quick.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a usage state of an industrial robot.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the tool holding device in a locked state.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the tool holding device in an unlocked state.

4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Industrial Robot 2 Working Arm 3 Tool Holding Device 4 Tool 6 Device Main Body 6a Seating Surface 7 Adhered Member 7a Mounting Surface 14 Lock Device 16 Piston 17 Cylinder 21 Lock Pin 21a Head (Inner End) 22 Conical Cam 37 Cam Part 38 Cam surface

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A device main body provided at the tip of an operating arm,
A tool holding device for removably mounting an adhered member equipped with a tool, wherein the device body is provided with a locking device having a plurality of lock pins capable of advancing and retracting in a radial direction, and the adhered member is locked by the lock device. The device is formed in a ring shape that surrounds the outside of the device, and the adhered members can be attached to the device body by engaging the adhered members with the outer ends of the lock pins.
A piston that is driven to move back and forth in a direction perpendicular to each of the lock pins is arranged at a radial center of each of the lock pins, and the piston approaches the piston center line as it goes to the tip of the end of the piston. A cam having an inclined cam surface is movably connected in a direction in which the lock pin moves forward and backward, and the cam surface is brought into contact with an inner end portion of each lock pin to drive each lock pin to advance. Tool holding device.