JPH0794114B2 - Tool changing device for work robots - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tool changing device for a work robot used for high voltage power distribution work such as branch connection of a high voltage power distribution line.

(Prior art) When performing high-voltage distribution work such as branch connection of high-voltage distribution lines with a robot, in order to perform various operations such as stripping the wires, cutting and connecting the wires, and insulating the connection part You can attach various tools to a certain tool holder,
It needs to be removed. For this reason, a tool changing device is required for the tool holder of the robot. This tool is usually attached to the tool box, but it is difficult for the robot arm to accurately position the tool holder within the tool box without changing the tool holder position. It had the drawback of being time consuming.

(Object of the Invention) When the tool holder on the arm of the robot approaches the tool replacement position, the tool box automatically follows the tool replacement position so that the tool can be easily replaced. An object of the present invention is to provide a tool changing device for such a work robot.

(Structure of the Invention) A tool changing device for a work robot according to the present invention includes an arm composed of a plurality of articulated arm bodies, a wrist mechanism provided on the most advanced arm body of the arm, and a wrist mechanism. Targeting a working robot equipped with a tool holder having a pair of pawls attached to the tip of the tool for clamping and holding a tool, the robot being movable in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction against a spring X -A Y-table, a tool box having a tool holder mounted on the XY table for holding a tool, and an attachment having a pair of grooves mounted on the tool and into which a claw of a tool holder is loosely engaged. And a pair of claw guide members attached to the tool box and having a pair of guide surfaces for guiding the pair of claws of the tool holder into the pair of grooves of the attachment, and the pair of claws of the tool holder are attached. Is more pair of claws when entering engaged in the groove of a pair of cement is characterized in that it consists pawl stopper for preventing the movement.

In this way, the pair of claws of the tool holder are engaged with the pair of grooves of the attachment while being guided by the claw guide member, but in this case, the tool box is moved by the XY table against the spring to move on the horizontal plane. Since it can move freely in the X and Y directions, the attachment on the tool is 1.
It easily follows the pair of claws and accepts them, and these claws loosely engage the groove of the attachment, so they can move vertically (Z
(Direction) is absorbed, so that the tool holder can surely reach the tool exchange position. Tool is one of the tool holder
It is held in the tool holder by vertical clamping of the pair of pawls.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a work robot 12 using a tool changing device 10 according to the present invention, and the work robot 12 is articulated. An arm 16 including a plurality of arm bodies 14, a wrist mechanism 18 provided on the most advanced arm body 14A of the arm 16, and a tool holder 20 attached to the tip of the wrist mechanism 18. This tool holder 20 holds the tool by tightening it 1
It has a pair of claws 22, and these claws 22 are expanded and contracted by an actuator (not shown) to attach and detach the tool.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tool changing device 10 for a work robot according to the present invention includes an XY table 24 that can move in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction against a spring, and this XY table. A tool box 30 having a tool holder 28 which is mounted on the Y table 24 and on which a tool 26 is to be held, and a claw 22 of a tool holder 20 which is mounted on the tool 26 and is on the side of a robot arm are moved and loosely engaged 1 An attachment 34 having a pair of grooves 32, and a pair of taper guide surfaces 36 attached to the tool box 30 for guiding the pair of claws 22 of the tool holder 20 into the pair of grooves 32 of the attachment 34 ( When the pair of claws 22 of the tool holder 20 are engaged with the pair of grooves 32 of the attachment 34, a pair of claw guide members 38 having a pair of claws (see FIG. 6B) are provided.
It comprises a pawl stopper 40 which prevents the 22 from moving.

The XY table 24, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4,
The base 42 is slidably supported in the X-axis direction by a pair of guide rods 44, 44 ', and a spring 46 normally guides the guide rods 44, 4'.
X-axis movable table 4 which is urged to be located approximately in the middle of 4 '
8 and this X-axis movable base 48 with a pair of guide rods 50, 50 'for Y
It comprises a Y-axis movable base 54 which is supported slidably in the axial direction and is normally urged by a spring 52 so as to be positioned approximately in the middle of the pair of guide rods 50, 50 '.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the attachment 34 has a plurality of, for example, two rotation stopping pin insertion holes 56 into which a plurality of pins (not shown) of the tool holder 20 are inserted. . Further, the pawl stopper 40 is provided on the stepped portion of the pawl guide member 38, as shown in FIG. 6 (B). In FIG. 5, reference numeral 58 is a tool fixing bolt hole, and reference numeral 60 is an air supply hole.

Next, referring to the use state of the tool changer, first, the tool holder 28 of the tool box 30 shows a predetermined tool, for example, a tool which is a nut fastener in the embodiment of FIG.
Holds 26. Before attaching the tool 26 to the tool holder 28, an attachment 34 is attached in advance as shown in the figure.
Then, the arm 16 of the work robot 12 shown in FIG. 1 is driven so that the tool holder 20 thereof faces the attachment 34 held by the tool changing device 10, and the wrist mechanism 18 rotates the tool holder 20 by 180 °. It is driven so as to face the attachment 34. In this way, the claws of the tool holder 20
22 is guided along the taper guide surface 36 of the pawl guide member 38 and is attached to the attachment 34 of the attachment 34 until it abuts the pawl stopper 40.
Engaged in the pair of grooves 32. At this time, the tool 26 is replaced by the tool holder 20.
If the position is not correct with respect to the position of, the tool holder 20 is followed while the position is corrected in both the X-axis and Y-axis directions against the springs 46 and 52. After that, when the claw 22 is tightened so as to be contracted as shown in FIG. 6 (A), the tool 20 is fixed to the tool holder 20 by the claw 22, so that the arm 16 is driven in the opposite direction so that the predetermined tool 26 Can be held. To remove this tool, reverse the above procedure.

(Effect of the invention) According to the present invention, as described above, the tool box is XY.
By table against spring against horizontal direction in X direction and Y
Since it can move freely in any direction, the attachment on the tool easily follows the pair of claws on the tool holder of the robot to receive the claws, and these claws loosely engage in the groove of the attachment so that the vertical direction Since the error in the (Z direction) is absorbed and therefore the tool holder can surely reach the tool exchange position, there is a merit that the tool can be automatically and accurately attached to the robot.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a work robot using the tool changing device according to the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective and side views of the tool changing device according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is used for the present invention. X
-A front view of the Y table, FIGS. 5 (A) and 5 (B) are top and front views of an attachment used in the present invention, and FIGS. 6 (A), (B) and (C) are operations of the present invention. It is an enlarged front sectional view, an upper sectional view, and a transverse sectional view of a part. 10 …… Work robot tool changer, 12 …… Work robot, 14 …… Arm body, 16 …… Arm, 18 …… Wrist mechanism, 20 …… Tool holder, 22 …… Pawl, 24 …… X -Y table,
26 …… Tool, 28 …… Tool holder, 30 …… Tool box, 32
...... Pair of grooves, 34 ...... Attachment, 36 ...... Guide surface, 38
...... Claw guide member, 40 …… Claw stopper, 46,52 …… Spring, 56…
… Stop holes.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Watanabe 6 Yawata Kaigan Dori, Ichihara City, Chiba Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. Chiba Electric Wire Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Jo Takeuchi 6 Hachiman Kaido Dori, Ichihara City, Chiba Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-59-73291 (JP, A) JP-A-58-137593 (JP, A)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An arm composed of a plurality of articulated arm bodies, a wrist mechanism provided on the most distal arm body of the arm, and a pair of claws attached to the tip of the wrist mechanism for tightening and holding a tool. In a tool changing device for a working robot, wherein a tool is mounted on the tool holder of a working robot having a tool holder having an XY, the XY can move in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction against a spring. A table,
A tool box having a tool holder mounted on the XY table for holding a tool; an attachment having a pair of grooves mounted on the tool and into which the claws of the tool holder are loosely engaged; Attached to the tool box, the pair of claws of the tool holder is attached to the one of the attachment.
A pawl guide member having a pair of guide surfaces for guiding so as to engage with the pair of grooves, and when the pair of pawls engages with the pair of grooves, the pair of pawls moves further A tool changing device for a work robot, which comprises a claw stopper that prevents 2. The tool changing device for a work robot according to claim 1, wherein the claw stopper is provided on the claw guide member. 3. The tool changing device for a working robot according to claim 1, wherein the attachment has a rotation-stop pin insertion hole into which a plurality of pins of the tool holder are inserted.