JPS5915797B2 - Support device for arm mechanism in load handling robots, etc. - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 5 The present invention relates to a support device for an arm mechanism in a load handling robot or the like using an arm mechanism formed by pantograph-like parallel links.

Recently, various load handling devices or load handling robots that utilize arm mechanisms formed by pantograph-like parallel links have been proposed, and some of these have been put into practical use.

What is shown in FIG. 1 is a skeleton diagram showing an example of the above-mentioned conventional load handling device, in which the upper end of a vertical second arm 2 is pivoted P1 to the distal end 5 of a horizontal first arm 1, and the first arm 1, the tip of the third arm 3 parallel to the second arm 2, the upper end of the fourth arm 4 parallel to the second arm 2, the upper end of the fourth arm 4 parallel to the first arm 1, A lower end is pivotally connected to the rear end of the third "o arm 3 P2,"
P3, P4, and the lower end 2a of the second arm and the third
The pivot point P3 between the arm and the fourth arm and the rear end 1a of the first arm are arranged in a straight line or substantially in a straight line, and a load supporting part W is provided at the lower end of the second arm 2, so that the pan "5" This arm mechanism A is connected to a vertical guide 6 fixedly provided on a bracket 5 with the rear end 1a of the first arm 1, and a pivot point between the third arm and the fourth arm. The mounting portion P3 is slidably and rollably supported by a horizontal guide T fixedly provided on the bracket 5, while a motor 8 is attached at least to the rear end 1a side of the first link in the vertical guide 6. etc. is applied via the chain 9, etc., so that the load supporting portion W of the lower end 2a of the second arm moves up and down, and the members such as the vertical guides 6, 15, the horizontal guide T, the motor 8, etc. It can be attached to and supported by a bracket 5, and if necessary, the bracket 5 can be rotated and placed on a support P, or the bracket 5 can be suspended and supported from a ceiling or the like to form a load handling device. There is.

Therefore, in the above conventional device, the arm mechanism A uses the pivot point P3 of the third arm 3 and the fourth arm 4 as a fulcrum, and the first
Since it is a movable type in which the rear end 1a of the link is the point of force and is supported in a sliding and rolling manner by the vertical guide 6 and the horizontal guide 7, there is an advantage that the movable range of the load bearing part w can draw a rectangular shape in a plane. On the other hand, during operation, the load bearing part w
If the arm mechanism A is supported by a load and is held stationary in the air, it may move slightly into the fulcrum guide 7 and take time to come to rest, or if the arm mechanism A is rotated on the support P, the arm There is a problem in that the portions supported by the guides 6 and 7 are twisted when subjected to a lateral load due to inertia generated as the mechanism A rotates.

・The conventional load handling device has a first load handling device as shown in Figure 2.
The second arm 2 of the above-mentioned arm mechanism shown in the figure is located at the upper position, and the direction of the entire arm mechanism is changed so that it is oriented horizontally. As shown in FIG. Auxiliary arms V, γ and connecting links 11, 21, 22 parallel to the arms that constitute the arm mechanism of each load handling device
It has been proposed and put into practical use that the load support part w is always maintained in a constant direction regardless of the posture of the arm mechanism, but in any case, the first Not only does the device shown in the figure have the same drawbacks as pointed out, but also the vertical guide 6
Since the position of the horizontal guide 7 in the bracket 5 changes, the type of bracket 5 depending on the direction of the arm mechanism is changed.
It was extremely uneconomical, as it was necessary to produce the same before dying.

In addition, some of the above-mentioned conventional devices are configured in a load handling robot such that the operation of the fulcrum P3 is moved by a driving source and the bracket 5 is rotated around the support column P using the driving force. Robots also have the same drawbacks as mentioned above.

On the other hand, the inventor of the present invention proposed a load handling device constructed for the purpose of solving the above-mentioned difficulties (Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-1
No. 4039, No. 55-36600), but it is difficult to say that it is perfect when put into practice.

That is, the arm mechanism in the load handling device proposed above improves the drawbacks of the conventional device mentioned above in that one part of the arm mechanism itself is fixedly pivoted and supported by the bracket. This is because although the desired effects can be obtained, there are still some insufficiencies in the guide mechanism for operating the arm mechanism.

The present invention has been made for the purpose of providing a load handling device as described above, or a support device for an arm mechanism that does not have the disadvantages caused by the support structure of the arm mechanism in a load handling robot, and the structure thereof is as follows. , A load point that supports the load, a fulcrum that supports the entire arm mechanism, and a force corresponding to the load of the load point applied to the fulcrum on the link that constitutes the arm mechanism with a Patgraph-like link using parallel links. A fixed pivot portion of the fulcrum in the arm mechanism, which forms a force point, is formed on the machine casing by a bracket or the like so that its position can be changed in the vertical direction, and at least the fixed pivot portion is located near the fixed pivot portion. A horizontal guide extending rearward from the part is formed by attaching a protruding strip member or the like to the machine casing, and the horizontal guide is provided with a vertical guide that intersects near the middle of the upper and lower rotations, and the vertical guide A vertical guide mechanism having intermediate chain rings on both sides of the lower end is mounted on the horizontal guide so as to be rotatable along the horizontal guide, and the force point of the arm mechanism is placed on the vertical guide mechanism along the vertical guide. On the other hand, the tip is fixed to one end of the machine casing in the longitudinal direction, and after the fixed part, it is connected to the force point of the arm mechanism via the intermediate chain ring of the vertical guide. The machine is characterized in that a hoisting mechanism equipped with a chain to be hung is provided on the machine casing.

Next, an example of implementation of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

It should be noted that the arm mechanism in the following embodiment has the same structure as that of the previous conventional example, so the same reference numerals will be used and ``u'' will be omitted. In FIG. 4, 51 is a bracket formed of a steel plate or the like as a machine casing, and 71 is a horizontal guide formed on the side wall of the bracket 51. Here, a rod-shaped member with a rectangular cross section and a rack 718 provided on the upper surface is shown. It is attached and formed.

Note that the horizontal guide 71 is a screw rod or a bracket 51.
It may also be formed by a horizontal groove formed in the side wall of the. Reference numeral 61 denotes a vertical guide mechanism whose overall side surface shape is approximately a letter shape, and a pinion 618 and a roller 61b for holding the horizontal guide 71 from above and below are provided in the horizontal part, and the horizontal guide 71 is provided in the vertical part. A groove-shaped vertical guide 61c having a length intersecting the length of the guide 61c is formed, and chain rings 61d are provided on both sides of the lower end of the guide 61c.

Further, 528 is a hole for fixing the arm mechanism provided in the side wall of the bracket 51, and in this embodiment, there are 4 holes in the vertical direction.
The force formed by the pinion 618 is not limited to this. Therefore, the guide mechanism 61 has the pinion 618 formed by the rack 71 of the horizontal guide 71. The roller 61b is brought into contact with the lower surface of the horizontal guide 71 and is movably mounted on the horizontal guide 71, so that, for example, the arm mechanism A
The hole 52 formed in the side wall of the bracket 51 at the pivot point P3 between the third arm 3 and the fourth arm 4
If the rear end 18 of the first arm 1 is supported in the vertical guide 61c via the roller 1b provided at the end, the rear end 1a of the arm can be fixedly pivoted 52 to the guides 71, 6.
It can be moved arbitrarily within the secondary plane formed by 1c.

81 is a vertical guide 61c in the bracket 51.
Behind the intermediate chain ring 61 at the lower end and the horizontal guide 71
A hoisting mechanism 818 is provided at the outer end of the bracket 51, that is, at the lower rear of the bracket 51. A chain 818 is a chain that is fed out from the hoisting mechanism 81. It is fixedly fixed 81b, and the intermediate portion is hung around a chain ring 81c pivotally attached to the rear end 18 of the first arm 1 via the intermediate chain ring 61d.

Thus, by changing the amount of feed of the chain 818 by operating the winding mechanism 81 and changing the length of the chain 818 along the vertical guide 61c, the guide 6
The vertical position of the rear end 1& of the first arm 1 within 1c can be changed arbitrarily.

91 is a horizontal pinion 6 in the vertical guide mechanism 61
An electric motor is installed near 1a, and its rotational output is transmitted to the pinion 61 & without or through a transmission mechanism as appropriate. Therefore, when the electric motor 91 operates, the 61. is horizontal guide 7
1 rack 71 & is rolled on the vertical guide mechanism 61
This ensures movement using its own driving force.

In addition, when the horizontal guide 71 is formed by a screw rod, a nut member is provided on the horizontal part of the vertical guide mechanism 61 to be screwed into the screw rod, and the electric motor 91 is connected to the bracket 5.
It is attached to the 1st side so that rotation can be transmitted to the screw rod.
92 is an electric motor provided on the lower surface side of the bracket 51;
A pinion 921 provided on the output shaft is engaged with an annular rack 92b provided on the upper part of the column P, and the bracket 51
It functions as a turning drive source using the driving force related to the support column P.

When the support device of the arm mechanism A is configured as described above, the arm mechanism itself has its fulcrum, the pivot point P3, fixedly pivoted to the bracket 51 52, while the rear end of the first arm, which is its point of force. 1& is the winding mechanism 8 within the vertical guide 61c.
1, and receives the output of the electric motor 91 along the vertical guide 71;
Alternatively, since it can be positioned at any position without receiving it, it is possible to move the load support part w formed at the lower end 2& of the second arm 2 of the arm mechanism A to a desired position within the movable range for positioning. can.

In addition, since the bracket 51 movably supporting the arm mechanism can rotate around the pillar P with or without the output of the electric motor 92, the movable range of the support portion W can be reduced in three dimensions. The range can be expanded. Therefore, the arm mechanism A supported by the support device of the present invention can be operated as a load handling robot in which the load supporting portion W can be freely positioned at any position in the three-dimensional space within its movable range. It can be done.

In addition, since the support part W for the load in the arm mechanism A can be provided on the second arm 2 at 1vr so as to be freely pivotable, and the degree of freedom of the support part W can be increased, the arm mechanism supported by the device of the present invention can be A will further increase its functionality as a load handling robot.

Although not specifically shown, the load supporting portion w may be any of various types. ;1A. It goes without saying that the shape and structure of the load to be handled, such as the fastening tool and suction tool, can be selected depending on the material and other factors. Furthermore, the above embodiment has been explained based on the framework diagram of FIG. 4, and is not intended to imply that the structure of the device of the present invention is as shown in the diagram of the embodiment.
When the constituent links of the arm mechanism are of a double-row configuration and support points P3 and force points 1& are formed in double rows, each guide member or It is sufficient to form a bracket. Conversely, when the constituent links of the arm mechanism are in a single row, it is sufficient to form the bracket and each guide member in accordance with the fulcrum and force point formed in the link row. Therefore, in the device of the present invention, the position of the fixed pivot portion 52 can be changed by providing a plurality of holes 528 for arm mechanism pivots in the bracket 51, so that the position of the fixed pivot portion 52 can be changed as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. As shown in FIG. 4', the arm mechanism B and C, which have a different configuration from the arm mechanism A, can be supported without any modification to the bracket 51. explain.

Incidentally, members that are the same as or correspond to those in the previous embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, in the steady state,
This is an example of a case where arm mechanism B in the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 is supported by the support device of the present invention, which has the appearance that arm mechanism A has been rotated 90 degrees clockwise.

When the arm mechanism B in this posture is supported by the device of the present invention,
In FIG. 4, the point of force located at the outer end 11 of the first arm 1 is normally located below the fixed pivot portion 52 (the vertical guide 61c of the device of the present invention crosses the horizontal guide 71). Moreover, since it is formed to be relatively long, the device of the present invention can support arm mechanisms B that have different postures in their normal state without making any modifications to the device. The arm mechanism C shown in FIG.
It can be supported as is without any modification.

The arm mechanism C shown in FIG. 6 is formed to have an appearance vertically symmetrical to that shown in FIG. 4 in a steady state. . As described above, the arm mechanism support device according to the present invention is provided with a fixed pivot portion for attaching the arm mechanism to the machine housing such as a bracket, which is movable in position, and a horizontal guide. Since the support device is configured by mounting a vertical guide mechanism that is movable and has a vertical guide that intersects with the guide, it is not necessary to make any modifications to the arm mechanism, which has a completely different posture in its normal state. Because it can be supported without requiring
It is possible to configure load-handling robots, etc. with different arm postures with one support device, and it is possible to standardize parts, which is advantageous in manufacturing and cost. If the direction of the arm is changed by changing the position of the arm, economical efficiency will be further improved, and the point of force of each arm mechanism can be connected via an intermediate chain ring provided at the lower end of the vertical guide. The chain is supported by a rotating chain, and the tip of the chain is fixed to a bracket, and the length of the part located along the vertical guide is changed by a winding mechanism or the like, thereby moving the point of force up and down. Even if the arm mechanism is of a type other than the above-mentioned embodiment which is mechanically equivalent, the component ring will not interfere with supporting the force point, and the output of the drive source will be half that of the type in which the output is directly connected to the force point. It has advantages such as extremely high versatility as a support device for an arm mechanism, and excellent economic efficiency. In addition, in the present invention, as shown in FIG.
1b is provided, and the output of the electric motor 91 attached to the bracket 51 located below the rack 71b is transmitted to the rack 71b via the pinion 628, thereby horizontally moving the guide mechanism 61. Good too.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 are side skeletal views showing examples of conventional devices, FIGS. 4 to 6 are side skeletal views showing embodiments of the device of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is another example of the device of the present invention. FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...1st arm, 2...2nd arm, 3...3rd arm, 4...4th arm, 18...1st arm rear end (point of force), 1b...roller , 2. ...Second arm tip, P1-P4...Each arm pivot joint, A-C.
...Each arm mechanism, W...Load support part, 51...
Bracket, 52... Fixed pivot portion, 61... Vertical guide mechanism, 61a... Pinion, 61b... Roller, 61c... Vertical guide, 61c... Intermediate chain ring, 71
... Horizontal guide (71. ... Ratsuku 81 ... Hoisting mechanism, 81. ... Sacrifice, 81b ... Chain fixing part, 81c
... Chain wheel of emphasis, 91... Electric body.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A load point that supports the load on the link that constitutes the arm mechanism using a pantograph-like link using parallel links,
The fixed pivot portion of the fulcrum in the arm mechanism, which has a fulcrum that supports the entire arm mechanism and a force point that applies a force corresponding to the load of the load point with respect to the fulcrum, is mounted vertically on the machine casing using a bracket or the like. A horizontal guide is formed so that its position can be changed freely, and is located near the fixed pivot part and extends at least rearward from the fixed pivot part by attaching a protruding strip or the like to the machine casing. A vertical guide mechanism is provided with a vertical guide that intersects the horizontal guide near the middle in the vertical direction, and has intermediate chain rings on both sides of the lower end of the vertical guide, and is mounted so as to be able to slide and roll along the horizontal guide. At the same time, the force point of the arm mechanism is supported by the vertical guide mechanism so as to be able to slide and roll along the vertical guide, and the other end is fixed to one end of the machine casing in the front and back direction, and the fixed part A load-handling robot, etc., characterized in that a hoisting mechanism is provided in the machine casing, the hoisting mechanism having a chain that is later hung around the force point of the arm mechanism via an intermediate chain ring of the vertical guide. Support device for arm mechanism in.