JPS5890491A - Flexible arm - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a flexible arm used in industrial robots and the like.

A support is rotatably attached to a support base, an arm is attached to one end of the support to allow rotation (oscillation), and a painting nozzle, for example, is attached to the tip of the arm. 2. Description of the Related Art Robots are known that perform painting operations by automatically setting nozzles at arbitrary positions.

It is relatively difficult to set the arm to an arbitrary position, and a robot having such an arm is not very versatile as it can only be applied to workpieces with a simple shape.

On the other hand, recently, various types of flexible arms that can bend freely have been proposed, but all of them have complicated structures, and if the arms are relatively long, they will bend due to the weight of the arm itself It is difficult to set the nozzle in the same direction, and if this problem were to be solved, a member with extremely high rigidity would have to be used, which would be impractical.

Furthermore, in the conventionally proposed flexible arms, it is difficult to obtain a sufficient amount of deformation relative to the amount of actuation caused by the actuating device, and it is difficult to make maximum use of the effect of bendability.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a flexible arm having favorable bending performance.

Next, a preferred specific example of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings.

Note that FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the principle, and the following explanation will be easier to understand by referring to FIG.

In the figure, this specific example has four rigid body sections 1 to 4, and each rigid body section has the same structure and is connected in the same way. and 2 will be explained. The rigid body sections 1 and 2 have cylindrical frames 5 and 6, respectively, and a shaft 7 is attached to the frame 5 so as to be rotatable in the A direction and the B direction. A,
A sliding member 8 is attached so as to be freely rotatable in the directions C8 and DI, that is, slidably. A mounting member 11 is rotatably mounted on the sliding member 8 with a washer 9 and a retaining ring 10, and a link member 13 is rotatably connected to the sliding member 8 via an R shaft 12.

A pin 14 is provided on the frame 5 parallel to the shaft 7, and a connecting member 15 is fixed to the pin 14.
A pin 16 perpendicular to the pin 14 is attached to the frame 5, and the pin 16 is supported by the frame 5 at both ends. A link member 17 is rotatably connected to the pin 16, and a link member 13 is rotatably connected approximately in the middle of the link member 17 via a shaft 18. The other end of the link member 17 is rotatably connected to a mounting member 20 via a shaft 19. For installation, the member 20 is rotatably attached to the sliding member 23 by a washer 21 and a retaining ring 22.
The sliding member 23 has a member 1 used for connection with the rigid body section 3.
In the mounting corresponding to No. 1, the member 24 is rotatably mounted. A sliding member 23 corresponding to the member 8 is slidably mounted on a shaft 25 parallel to the shaft 7 similarly to the member 8.
The shaft 25, like the shaft 7, is connected to the frame 6 at both ends by A, direction and B.
, and is rotatably supported in the directions. The shaft 26, which is orthogonal to the axis 254C, has an enlarged portion 27& in the center of #1, and the shafts 26 and 25 are connected at the enlarged portion 27m.

A sliding member 27b is slidably attached to the shaft 26, and the sliding member 27bK is attached with a washer 28 and a retaining ring 29, like the members 8 and 23, so that the members 30 and 31 can rotate freely. If it is installed, the shaft 3 is attached to the member 31.
A link member 33 is rotatably connected via 2. A link member 34 is rotatably connected to the pin 14, and one end of a link member 33 is rotatably connected to the middle of the link member 34 via a shaft 35. The link member 34 is rotatably connected to a member 36 via a shaft 37 at one end, and the member 36 is rotatably attached to the sliding member 40 by a washer 38 and a retaining ring 39. has been done.

The sliding member 40, like members 8.23 and 27b,
The shaft 41 is slidably attached to the shaft 41, and an enlarged portion 42 is formed approximately in the center of the shaft 41.
A shaft 7 perpendicular to the shaft 41 is connected. The shaft 41 is
It is rotatably supported by a cylindrical base frame 44 & having side plates 43 at both ends, and the @J part 43 is fixed to a spline shaft 44b approximately at the center. The bin 45 supported by the base frame 44m parallel to the axis 41 is orthogonal to the bin 46, and is supported at both ends by the base frame 44& which constitutes the rigid body section of the front plate of the pin 46Fi rigid body section 1.

(I/Margin) A connecting member 47 is fixed to approximately the center of 1, and a bottle 45 is attached to the connecting member 47.

A link member 48 is rotatably attached to the bin 46, and the link member 4B is rotatably connected to a link member 50 via a shaft 49, and the link member 50 is attached to a pile via a shaft 501. is rotatably connected to the member 51. Regarding attachment, the member 51 is rotatably attached to the sliding member 40 in the same manner as the member 36. The link member 48 is rotatably connected to a link member 53 via a shaft 52t, and the link member 53 is rotatably connected to a link member 55 via a shaft 54. The sliding member 55 is attached to a sliding member 57 by bolts 56, and the sliding member 57 is composed of a cylindrical member s9 having seven flanges 58t, and a running annular member 60 screwed onto the cylindrical member 59. , the cylindrical member 59 meshes with the spline shaft 44b and is similarly rotated when the spline shaft 44b is rotated about the centerline 61', while the spline shaft)
It is slidable in the E direction and F direction relative to 44b. A circular IIA member 62 is attached to the sliding member 57, and the circular member 62, the seven langes 58, and the circular member 60
Needle bearings 63 and 64 are provided between the annular member 62 and the cylindrical member 59.
It is rotatable around 1f. One end of a piston rod 66 is screwed onto a protrusion 65 protruding from the annular member 62, and the other end of the rod 66 is connected to a piston of a hydraulic ring (not shown). A link member 69 is rotatably connected to the member 67 via a shaft 68, and the link member 69 is rotatably attached to the sliding member 8 in the same way as the member 11. is rotatably connected to. The bin 46, which is parallel to the axis γ, is supported at both ends by the base frame 44&.

A link member 71 is rotatably connected to approximately the middle of the link member 69 via a shaft 70t.
1 is rotatably connected to a link member 73 via a shaft 72. The sliding member 73 is attached at one end to the sliding member 75 via a bolt 74, and the sliding member 75 is formed in the same manner as the member 57. The needle bearing 7 is placed between the annular member 78 and the annular member 78.
9 and 80t, the nine-ring ring member 81 has a protrusion 82t, one end of a piston rod 83 is screwed into the protrusion 82, and the other end of the rod 83 is connected to another hydraulic pressure. It is connected to a piston of a cylinder (not shown). The cylindrical member 76 meshed with the spline shaft 144b is rotated along with the rotation about the center line 61t of the spline shaft 44b.
It is slidable in the E direction and the F direction with respect to the main body. The annular member 81 is rotatable with respect to the sliding member 75, and even if the sliding member 75 is rotated, the annular member 81 is not rotated. The tin line 7 shaft 44b is connected to a rotary actuator 84, and when oil pressure is supplied to the rotary actuator 84, the spline shaft 44b moves along the center line 61.
Rotated about the t-center in the hour hand direction or counterclockwise direction.

The operation of the Kucho flexible arm configured in this way will be explained. Hydraulic pressure is supplied to the actuator 84 (shirt) 44b.
When the is rotated about the center line 61, the base frame 44a is rotated, which rotates the rigid body section 1 via the universal joint consisting of the shafts 7 and 41, and then the rigid body sections 2, 3 and 4 in turn. is rotated by °C about the center line 61. If, for example, a paint injection nozzle is attached to the tip of the rigid section 4, the nozzle is rotated together with the rigid section 4. When oil pressure is supplied to one of the hydraulic cylinders and the roller 6 is moved in the E direction, the sliding member 57 is moved in the E direction along the shaft 44b, and the link member 55 is also moved in the E direction. With the movement of the link member in the E direction, the link member 5
3, the link member 48 is rotated in the At direction,
The sliding member 40 is moved in the C8 direction via the link member 50. The movement of the sliding member 40 in the C3 direction applies a force in the C8 direction to the bottle 14 via the link member 34, thereby rotating the frame 5 in the direction C8 about the axis 7't-. As the frame 5 rotates in the A direction, the link member 34 is rotated in the A direction about the shaft 37, and as a result, the link member 33 is moved in the G direction and the sliding member 27b is moved in the C1 direction. With the movement of the sliding member 27 in the C8 direction, the frame 6 is rotated in the A direction about the shaft 25 in the same manner as described above. As a result of the frames of the rigid body segments 3 and 4 being rotated in the following directions one after another, the flexible arm is bent upward as a whole in FIG. Therefore, when the nozzle is attached to the tip of the rigid section 4, the nozzle is set in a bent position. Conversely, when the rod 66 is moved in the direction F, the sliding member 40 is moved in the direction B, and as a result, the frame 5 is rotated in the direction B around the axis 7, so that the other frames are also moved in the direction B. Rotated, the flexible arm is folded downwardly as a whole in FIG. When hydraulic pressure is supplied to the other hydraulic cylinder and the rod 83 is moved in the E direction, the sliding member 75
is moved in the E direction along the shaft 44, and the link member 73 is also moved in the E direction. With the movement of the link member 73 in the E direction, the link member 69 is rotated in the B1 direction about the axis 45t through the link member 71, and as a result, the D! of the sliding member 8! Axis 41 to axis 7 with force direction movement
A rotational force is applied in the direction B1 about the axis 41t, thereby rotating the frame 5 in the direction B about the axis 41t. Frame 5
As a result of the rotation of the link member 13 in the B1 direction, the link member 17 is moved in the B1 direction with the center of the bin 16i.
It is rotated in one direction, and the sliding member 23 is moved in the B1 direction. As the sliding member 23 moves in the direction of the DI force, the frame 6 is rotated in the direction B about the axis 26i in the same manner as described above.

Thereafter, the frames of the rigid body sections 3 and 4 are successively rotated in the direction 81, so that the flexible arm as a whole is bent downward in FIG. Conversely, when the rod 83 is moved in the F direction,
As the shaft 7 rotates in the A1 direction around the axis 41, the sliding member 8 is moved in the 01 direction, and the frame 5 is rotated around the axis 411 in the A1 direction, so that the other frames also move in the A, direction. 7 and the flexible arm is bent upwardly as a whole in FIG.

Although the specific example described above is configured with four rigid body nodes, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be configured with - or a plurality of rigid body nodes. - When a flexible arm is constructed of rigid body joints, the base frame is regarded as one rigid body joint. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to applications for painting, and can be applied to, for example, welding robots, as well as magic hands other than robots.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the arm is bendable, it is possible to provide a robot that can be applied to a workpiece having a complicated shape and to increase its versatility. Furthermore, without using a member with such excellent rigidity, the same effect as using an equivalent member with excellent rigidity can be obtained with a simple configuration, and the tip can be accurately positioned at a predetermined position without bending. It is possible. In addition, since a sufficient amount of bending can be obtained with a small amount of actuation of the actuating device, the effect of bending can be utilized to the maximum. Moreover, since it can be a reversible mechanism, a so-called teaching operation can also be performed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows a schematic principle Ii of a specific example of the present invention! Mingzu, 2nd
3 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 1--2 shown in FIG. 1, 2.3.4.5... Rigid body section, 7.41... Axis,
8.40...Sliding member, 13.17.33.34...
・Link parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A first rigid body segment and a second rigid body segment are connected by a universal joint, and a sliding member on one axis of the universal joint supported by the second rigid body segment and a sliding member on one axis of the universal joint are connected. The first rigid body joint is connected by a link at a fulcrum parallel to the other axis of the universal joint supported by the first rigid body joint, and further, (2. Claim (1)) The flexible arm as described above, which is connected to the rod at another fulcrum parallel to the axis on the link, and connected to the link at another fulcrum parallel to the axis on the link. ) The flexible arm according to claim (1) or (2), wherein the first rigid section and the sliding member on the axis are linked at a fulcrum parallel to the axis. Concatenate and further jI
′? ii The four body segments and the sliding member are connected by a link at a fulcrum parallel to the axis, and the other fulcrum of the link and the rod are connected to each other by a fulcrum parallel to the axis. A flexible arm.