JPH07100783A - Hand changing device for robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To carry out the change of a hand of a robot only at a prescribed position by positioning the hand at a storage place of a hand storage board and teleasing the clamp of a clamping means by transmitting a driving force to a clamp releasing means. CONSTITUTION:When a mounting/demounting part 4 is set on the upper surface to a hand holding board, a controller stops the lowering of a hand shaft 11, and connects the air introducing passage of a hand holder 2 and a pneumatic pressure source, and supplies the compressed air to the space formed from the upper surface of a nozzle 21 and the undersurface of a cock 24. A piston 71 is pushed up by the compressed air, and a clamp pin 32 is pushed up, and then pushed into a sleeve 31. Accordingly, a clamp ball 33 is nipped by the small diameter part of the clamp pin 32 and the sleeve 31, and lock is released, and an unclamped state is held. Then, the hand shaft 11 is raised, and the sleeve 31 of a clamping means is pulled out from a fitting hole 41 in the mounting/demounting part 4, and after the clamp ball 33 is pulled out from the fitting hole 41 of the mounting/demounting part 4, a clamp releasing means 7 is returned to the lower position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hand exchanging device for automatically exchanging a robot hand.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-166 discloses an example of a device for automatically replacing a hand attached to a robot arm.
The materials described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 486 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-189489 can be cited. That is, in any of the devices, the attachment / detachment part of the hand attached to the arm or the manipulator has an actuator for performing the attachment / detachment operation, and the actuator is driven by the hand exchange command to remove the hand from the attachment / detachment part. They are detached, or the hand is attached to the detachable part.

[0003]

In such a hand exchanging device, if the detaching / moving actuator is accidentally driven during various operations while the hand is attached, the device may be dropped. Risk of damage.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hand exchanging device which has a mechanism in which a hand can be exchanged only at a predetermined place, and which does not accidentally drop the hand during robot automatic operation, teaching operation, or robot inspection. And

[0004]

In the hand exchanging device according to the present invention, a hand having a detachable portion with the hand holder at one end is detachably attached to the hand holder of the robot arm,
The hand holder is provided with a clamp means that is fitted to the attachment / detachment portion of the hand to hold the hand in the hand holder, and a clamp release means that engages with the clamp means and unclamps the clamp means to the attachment / detachment portion of the hand. Set up. Then, a hand storage table for storing a plurality of hands is arranged beside the robot, and a power relay path for transmitting the power for the clamp releasing means supplied from the hand holder to the hand storage table is provided in the attachment / detachment part of the hand, A power transmission path that is connected to the power relay path and provides a driving force for engaging the clamp releasing means with the clamp means is provided for each hand storage location of the hand storage base. At the time of attaching and detaching the hand, the hand is positioned at the storage location of the hand storage base, the driving force is transmitted to the clamp releasing means to cause the clamp means to release the clamp, and the hand holder is moved to attach or detach the hand.

Further, in the hand exchanging device of the present invention, the clamp means is inserted into a clamp pin axially sliding in a sleeve fixed to the hand holder, and is inserted between the sleeve and the clamp pin, and the clamp pin is axially moved. It consists of a clamp ball that moves to the position to clamp or unclamp the hand by movement, and an urging means that constantly urges the crank pin in a specific direction to hold the clamp ball at the clamp position. A piston for moving in the axial direction, a cylinder portion for reciprocating the piston toward a clamp pin, and a power relay passage and a power transmission passage for a fluid passage to the cylinder portion, using the power for the clamp releasing means as a fluid pressure source. To do.

[0006]

When the hand arrives at the storage location of the hand storage table, the driving force is transmitted to the clamp releasing means via the power transmission path of the hand storage table, the clamp means releases the clamp of the hand, and The hand is attached and detached by the movement.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an example in which the robot hand exchange device of the present invention is applied to a horizontal articulated robot 1, FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing the configuration of the hand exchange device, and FIG. Similarly, it is the top view. The hand exchanging device includes a hand holder 2, a clamp means 3 provided on the hand holder, a hand 5 having an attaching / detaching portion 4, an air relay path 6 and a unclamping means 7 provided on the attaching / detaching portion, a hand storage stand 8, and a hand storage stand. The air transmission path 9 is provided.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a hand shaft which is rotatably supported on the arm 10 of the robot 1 and can be moved up and down. A joint 111 is fixed to the tip of the hand shaft.
Are keyed together. The hand holder 2 has a flange shape centering on the shaft 20, and the hand holder 2 sandwiches the shaft 20 with 180
The pair of clamp means 3 is held downward at the opposite positions as shown in FIG. Reference numeral 21 denotes an air supply nozzle for supplying air to the attachment / detachment portion 4 of the hand, which is slidably fitted in an axial hole 22 formed in the hand holder 2 and has a small diameter portion 2
11 projects to the lower surface of the hand holder 2. Reference numeral 212 denotes an air supply passage that penetrates the nozzle 21 in the axial direction, and a compression coil spring 23 is fitted between a stepped portion provided in the middle of the supply passage and a plug 24 that closes the upper portion of the hole 22. Nozzle 21
Is always urged downward by the compression coil spring 23. The space formed by the upper surface of the nozzle 21 and the lower surface of the stopper 24 is opened to the side surface of the hand holder 2 by an air introduction path (not shown), and the air pipe from the robot arm is connected to this. Therefore, if the nozzle 21 is connected to the air pressure source of the robot, the nozzle 21 is further urged downward by the air pressure in addition to the spring pressure of the compression coil spring, and the compressed air is blown out from the tip portion.

The pair of clamp means 3 are respectively fixed to a pair of stepped through holes bored in the axial direction of the hand holder, but since they have the same structure, only one side thereof will be described. Reference numeral 31 denotes a sleeve fitted in the through hole, and the upper end portion is screwed to the plug 30 that closes the upper portion of the through hole so that the lower portion protrudes from the lower surface of the hand holder 2, and the inner diameter is reduced at the lower end. It has a collar-shaped step portion 311. Reference numeral 32 denotes a clamp pin that slides in the sleeve 31 in the axial direction. The clamp pin 32 has a stepped shape in which the lower diameter corresponds to the inner diameter of the step portion 311, and the upper diameter corresponds to the inner diameter of the sleeve 31. Is projected from the lower end of the sleeve. Also, the step portion 311
A plurality of taper holes are bored around the sleeve located immediately above, and a plurality of clamp balls 33 are fitted between the taper holes and the clamp pins 32. Clamp ball 33
Is movable in the radial direction, a part of the clamp pin 32 is pushed out from the outer circumference of the sleeve 31 by the large diameter part (clamped state), and a small diameter part allows it to be retracted from the outer circumference of the sleeve 31 (unclamped). Status). 34
Is a compression coil spring that constantly urges the clamp pin 32 downward as shown in FIG. 2, and is inserted between the upper surface of the clamp pin 32 and the lower surface of the plug 30. Due to the downward urging of the clamp pin, the plurality of clamp balls 33 are always held in the clamped state.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a detachable portion of the hand 5, which is a hand holder 2.
It has a cylindrical shape with the same diameter as the flange portion of the hand holder, is detachably attached to the lower surface of the hand holder 2, and the axis of the hand 5 is aligned with the axis of the hand shaft 11. The small diameter portion 211 is provided at a position of the attachment / detachment portion 4 facing the nozzle 21 of the hand holder 2.
A counterbore is formed corresponding to the outer diameter of, and an axial through hole 6 is bored in the center thereof to form an air relay path. A lower end portion of the air relay path 6 has a recess 61 into which a head of an attachment 91 attached to a hand storage base 8 described later enters.
And is opened on the lower surface of the attaching / detaching part 4.

The attachment / detachment portion 4 has a pair of fitting holes 41 at a position facing the pair of clamp means 3 of the hand holder 2 for receiving the tip end portion of the sleeve 31 of the clamp means, and is fitted as shown in FIG. The dowel hole 41 initially has an inner diameter corresponding to the outer shape of the sleeve 31, and has an inner diameter corresponding to the outer shape including the protrusion amount of the clamp ball when the clamp ball 33 is held at the clamp position midway. The boundary point of this step is set so that when the lower surface of the hand holder 2 contacts the upper surface of the attachment / detachment portion 4, the clamp ball 33 held by the sleeve is located at the rising portion of the large diameter portion. Then, the shaft 42 has the same axis as the pair of fitting holes 41, and the holes 42 for forming the clamp releasing means 7 are formed.
Are bored in the axial direction from the lower surface of the attachment / detachment portion, and the fitting hole 41 and the hole 42 are communicated with each other by holes having a smaller diameter than these. A piston rod 72 described later is fitted into this communication hole. Although not shown, a power supply unit for the hand is provided between the hand holder 2 and the attachment / detachment unit 4, and the power supply unit is connected together with the clamping operation.

The clamp releasing means 7 exists in a pair with each hole 42 as a cylinder portion, and is constituted by a piston 71 and a piston rod 72 thereof, and the tip of the piston rod 72 faces the tip of the clamp pin 32. Piston 7
1 is vertically slidable in the hole 42, and as shown in FIG. 2, the tip end portion of the piston rod 72 is always inserted into the fitting hole 41, and the retaining ring 73 is provided at a predetermined position of the insertion portion. It is fitted so that it will not fall under its own weight except when replacing hands. The piston rod 72 is at the position shown in FIG. 5 when the sleeve 31 of the clamp means is inserted into the fitting hole 41 of the attachment / detachment (from the position held by the retaining ring 73 (FIG. 2) (the clamp pin 32 is placed on the sleeve 31)).
It has a stroke to reach the position where the clamp ball 33 is unclamped by being pushed in.

The hand storage table 8 is a base 100 on which the robot 1 is installed so that the hand storage table 8 is arranged within the operation area of the hand shaft 11.
The robot hand can be accommodated in a plurality of robot hands.
As for the hand storage table 8, one block corresponds to one hand as shown in FIG. 3, the number of blocks is increased according to the number of hands accommodated, and the storage table is formed by the collection of these blocks. Here, one block will be described. Hand storage table 8
Has a U-shaped cross section, has a notch 81 for accommodating the hand 5 in the top plate, an air transmission path 9 is provided around the notch 81, and the lower surface of the attaching / detaching part 4 is placed. .

The air transmission path 9 is arranged on the hand storage base 8 in correspondence with the positional relationship between the air relay path 6 and each clamp releasing means 7 on the lower surface of the attaching / detaching part 4 of the hand 5, and the fitting 91, a pair of them. It is composed of a nozzle 92 and a piping hose 93 connecting them. The fitting 91 is fixed to the storage table 8 in accordance with the recess 61 of the attachment / detachment portion 4, the axial through hole 911 is used as an air passage, and the air leakage prevention ring 912 is mounted around the upper opening thereof. The lower opening is screwed into the air pipe joint 94. When the attachment / detachment portion 4 is seated on the storage table 8, the head of the fitting 91 enters the recess 61, and the air relay passage 6 and the air passage 911 communicate with each other. The nozzle 92 has a pair of holes 4 in the attachment / detachment section 4.
2 is fixed to the storage table 8 in accordance with No. 2, the through hole 921 in the axial direction is used as an air passage, the air leakage prevention ring 922 is attached to the outer periphery of itself, and the lower openings are respectively screwed into the air pipe joint 95. Be confused. The outer shape of the head of the nozzle 92 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the hole 42, and when the attaching / detaching part 4 is seated on the storage table 8, the head of the nozzle 92 enters the hole 42 and closes the lower opening of the hole 42. Each air passage 921 communicates with the space sandwiched between the piston 71 of the clamp releasing means 7 and the nozzle 92. Then, the air pipe joint 94 and each air pipe joint 95 are connected by a pipe hose 93 to connect the air relay passage 6 and each air transmission passage 9 to each other.

Reference numeral 12 shown in FIG. 1 is a control device for the robot 1, which controls the turning operation of each arm, the vertical movement of the hand shaft 11 and the θ rotation operation around the vertical movement axis, and the attachment / detachment operation of the hand.

The operation of this embodiment having such a configuration will be described. In FIG. 1, when the hand 5 finishes a predetermined assembling work or the like and performs the next work with a different hand, the control device 12 drives each arm to drive the hand shaft 11.
Are moved to an empty storage area of the hand storage table 8. Simultaneously with the movement, the hand shaft 11 is raised, and the θ rotation about the vertical movement axis thereof is rotated by a predetermined angle in correspondence with the position coordinate of each nozzle 92 in the storage place to be stored. When the hand shaft 11 arrives at the storage position of the hand storage table 8, the fitting 9 is provided just below the recess 61 of the attaching / detaching part 4.
1 is located, and the pair of nozzles 92 is located directly below the pair of holes 42. In this state, the control device 12
Lowers the hand shaft 11. (State of Figure 2)

When the attaching / detaching part 4 is seated on the upper surface of the hand storage base 8, the control device 12 stops the lowering of the hand shaft 11.
An air introduction path (not shown) of the hand holder 2 is connected to an air pressure source, and compressed air is supplied to a space formed by the upper surface of the nozzle 21 and the lower surface of the plug 24. The compressed air reaches each hole 42 via the air supply path 212, the air relay path 6, and the air transmission path 9, and pushes up each piston 71. (State of FIG. 4) When the piston 71 is pushed up against the compression coil spring 34, the piston rod 72 moves to the clamp pin 32.
Is pushed up, and eventually pushed into the sleeve 31. When the clamp pin 32 is pushed up, it is sandwiched between the large diameter portion of the clamp pin and the taper hole of the sleeve, and the clamp ball 33 that is in a state of clamping the attaching / detaching portion 4 is
It will be sandwiched by the small diameter part of the clamp pin, the lock will be released, and it will be held in the unclamped state.

After the clamp ball 33 is held in the unclamped state, the control device 12 raises the hand shaft 11 to pull out the tip end portion of the sleeve 31 of the clamp means from the fitting hole 41 of the attaching / detaching portion 4. (State of FIG. 5) At this time, since the piston rod 211 for air supply is urged downward by the compression coil spring 23 and the compressed air, the piston rod 211 descends along the hole 22 of the hand holder 2 and the attaching / detaching portion 4
Continue to send compressed air to the air relay path 6 of. When the clamp ball 33 comes out of the attachment / detachment section 4, the control device 12
Disconnects the air supply passage 212 from the air pressure source and returns the piston 71 of the clamp releasing means to the lower position. After that, when the hand shaft 11 is further raised, the attachment / detachment portion 4 of the hand 5 is detached from the hand holder 2.

After the hand holder 2 is freed, the control device 12 mounts the hand shaft 11 on the place where the hand storage table 8 in which the hand holder 2 is stored is mounted in order to mount the hand required for the next assembly. To move. After moving directly above the hand to be attached, the hand shaft 11 is lowered, and the hand is attached by proceeding in the reverse order of the above-mentioned hand removal. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when the tip of the air supply nozzle 21 of the hand holder 2 first reaches the air relay passage 6 of the attachment / detachment portion 4, the controller 12 connects the air supply passage 212 and the air pressure source. To do. Compressed air is air relay path 6, air transmission path 9
Via the piston rod 72 of the clamp releasing means.
To the rising end of the hole 42. In this state, the tip of each sleeve 31 begins to enter the fitting hole 41.
Since the piston rod 71 stands by at the rising end, the clamp pin 31 of the clamp means 3 is pushed back into the sleeve 31 by the lowering of the hand shaft 11. Therefore, the clamp ball 33 is held in the unclamped state, and the sleeve 31 is inserted into the fitting hole 41 of the attaching / detaching portion 4.

After the clamp means 3 is inserted into the attaching / detaching part 4 and the lower surface of the hand holder 2 reaches the upper surface of the attaching / detaching part 4,
The control device 12 disconnects the connection between the air supply passage and the air pressure source, and returns the piston rod 72 of the clamp releasing means 7 to the lower position. As a result, the clamp pin 31 is pushed down by the compression coil spring 34, and the clamp ball 33
Is sandwiched between the tapered hole of the sleeve 31 and the large diameter portion of the clamp pin 31, and is held in a clamped state. For this reason,
The clamp ball 33 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 31 comes into contact with the large inner diameter portion of the fitting hole 41 to prevent the sleeve 31 from coming out of the attaching / detaching portion 4, and the attaching / detaching portion 4 is attached to the hand holder 2. . After installation, control device 1
2 raises the hunt shaft 11 to execute an assembling work with a new hand.

In the present embodiment, the pneumatic driving system is adopted as the clamp releasing means and the power relay path and the power transmission path are used as the air paths. However, the electromagnetic force driving method is adopted and the power relay path and the power transmission path are adopted. It is also applicable to and as an electric circuit to the unclamping means. Although the example in which the power relay path is provided in the attachment / detachment portion of the hand has been shown, the power relay path may be directly extended to a mechanism for transmitting the power from the hand holder to the power transmission path of the storage base without performing the power relay at the attachment / detachment portion. Further, although the example in which the clamp releasing means is provided at the attaching / detaching portion of the hand has been shown, a mechanism which provides the same action by installing the clamp releasing means on the storage table side can also be developed. Further, although the hand holder is attached to the arm of the horizontal articulated robot in the present invention, it may be attached to the Cartesian robot or the articulated robot.

[0022]

According to the present invention, the hand lock mechanism of the hand holder cannot be released unless the hand holder reaches a predetermined position of the hand storage table, and the hand is attached and detached only at that position. Therefore, there is no risk of accidentally dropping the hand while performing various operations or inspections with the hand attached, damaging the work or equipment,
The safety can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a robot using a hand exchange device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing the configuration of a hand exchange device.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway plan view showing a configuration of a hand exchange device.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway front view illustrating an operating state of the hand exchanging device.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway front view for explaining another operation state of the hand exchanging device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Robot 11 Hand Shaft 12 Control Device 2 Hand Holder 3 Clamping Means 4 Hand Attaching / Detaching Part 5 Hands 6 Air Relay Path (Power Relay Path) 7 Clamp Release Means 8 Hand Storage Base 9 Air Transmission Path (Power Transmission Path)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A hand exchanging device for a robot, comprising: a hand detachably attached to a hand holder supported at a tip of a robot arm; Clamping means for fitting the attaching / detaching part of the hand to hold the hand on the hand holder, and unclamping provided on the attaching / detaching part of the hand for engaging the clamping means to unclamp the clamping means. Means, a hand storage table located beside the robot for storing a plurality of the hands, and a clamp release means power provided from the hand holder, which is provided in the attaching / detaching part of the hand, is transmitted to the hand storage table. A power relay path and a hand storage base are provided for each hand storage location. And a power transmission path for giving a driving force to be engaged with the step, when the hand is attached or detached, after positioning the hand at a storage place of the hand storage table, the driving force is transmitted to the clamp releasing means to the clamping means. A hand exchanging device, wherein a clamp is released and a hand is attached and detached by moving a hand holder. 2. A clamp pin that slides the clamp means in an axial direction in a sleeve fixed to the hand holder, and is inserted between the sleeve and the clamp pin, and moves the clamp pin in the axial direction to secure the hand. A clamp ball that moves to a position for clamping or unclamping, and a biasing unit that constantly biases the crank pin in a specific direction to hold the clamp ball at the clamp position. It is composed of a piston that moves in the axial direction and a cylinder part that reciprocates the piston toward a clamp pin, and uses the power for the clamp release means as a fluid pressure source to connect the power relay path and the power transmission path to the cylinder part. The hand exchanging device according to claim 1, wherein the hand exchanging device is a fluid passage.