JPS5929396B2 - Load handling robot - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a load system used in various operations such as loading, unloading, or moving articles in warehouses, etc., and supporting and moving various heavy objects and tools. This is related to handling robots.

The load-handling robots mentioned above have been proposed many times in the past from the perspective of labor-saving work, and have also been put into practical use, but they generally have complex structures and are expensive, and the load-bearing parts are The range of motion is relatively narrow, so it lacks versatility, and most conventional products are so-called special-purpose machines with a specific structure for specific work purposes. However, it has disadvantages such as low productivity and low economic efficiency, and has not yet been widely used in various industrial fields.

In view of the drawbacks of conventional robots as described above, the present invention has a simple structure and a large movable range of the load support part. Therefore, by changing the structure of the load support part, it is possible to handle various loads over a relatively wide range. The purpose of this robot is to provide a highly versatile load-handling robot that can perform various tasks, and its configuration normally consists of a first link facing vertically, a third link horizontal to the first link, and a third link horizontal to the first link. , includes a vertically elongated parallelogram link formed by pivotally connecting an upper second link facing in the horizontal direction and a lower fourth link parallel thereto, and at least the tip of the second link. When the side and the lower end side of the first link are respectively extended, the extended outer end of the extended link is on an imaginary line segment that passes through the pivot points of the outer end and the third link and the fourth link and descends obliquely. An arm mechanism with the length of each link determined so that the length of the third link and the fourth link
In addition to being fixedly pivotally connected to the link at the pivot point, a groove-shaped body or a rod-shaped body is provided below the fixed pivot point of the machine casing and near the extended lower end of the first link in the arm mechanism. A horizontal guide such as a body is provided, and a sliding member such as a roll or the like that slides and rolls along the horizontal guide, and a groove-shaped body, a rod-shaped body, etc. whose effective length extends downward from the fixed pivot part, etc. A sliding and rolling mechanism having a vertical guide and an intermediate chain ring disposed outside the lower end of the guide is installed to support the extended lower end of the first link on the vertical guide, while the horizontal A drive source having a chain at its output end is provided at a portion located at the outer end of the guide, and the chain of the drive source is hung around the lower end of the first link via the intermediate chain ring of the vertical guide, and the tip of the chain is is fixed to the machine casing on the side opposite to the drive source, so that the second link of the arm mechanism can be moved up and down in a horizontal direction for positioning, and the sliding and rolling mechanism having the vertical guide, The second link is connected to an output end of a driving source that exerts a driving force for horizontally moving and positioning the second link in a horizontal direction by moving the mechanism along the horizontal guide, and This is characterized in that a rotatable load support portion is provided at the extended end of the link.

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

1 is a vertical first link which is placed along the vertical direction in a normal state, and 2 is a vertical first link whose rear end is pivoted P1 to the upper end of the first link 1, and which is placed along a horizontal direction in a normal state. The horizontal second link 3 placed in the posture is parallel to the first link 1 and has its upper end pivoted P3 to the second link 2.

4 is parallel to the second link 2, and its front and rear ends are pivoted P3 and P4 to the third link 3 and first link 1, respectively, and the pivot points P1 to P4 form a vertically elongated parallelogram. and the extended lower end portion 1a of the first link 1 and the second link 2
The length of each link is arranged so that the virtual line segment connecting the extended tip 2a of the link 3 and the extended tip 2a passes through the pivot point P3 of the third link 3 and the fourth link 4, thereby forming a Patgraph-like arm mechanism.

In the arm mechanism described above, the extended tip portion 2a of the second link 2 may be formed longer or shorter than that of this embodiment. Reference numeral 5 denotes a machine casing formed by a bracket or the like in which the arm mechanism is fixedly pivoted 51 at a pivot point P3 between the third link 3 and the fourth link 4. Here, a short support 7, etc. is mounted on a cart 6. It is rotatably installed through the

Reference numeral 8 denotes a horizontal guide provided horizontally below the fixed pivot joint 51 in the machine casing 5. Here, a bar with a rectangular cross-sectional shape is used; Channel members, screw rods, etc. may also be used.

Incidentally, a rack 81 is formed on the upper surface of the guide 8. Reference numeral 9 denotes a sliding and rolling mechanism that moves while being supported and guided by the guide 8, which includes a pinion 91a and a roller 91 that roll while holding the guide 8 from above and below, and a vertical guide 92 that is formed in a direction perpendicular to the guide 8. and the chain 10a that is hung around.
and a roller 92a provided at the lower end 1a of the first link 1 is housed in the vertical guide 92 to guide the first link in the arm mechanism.
The lower end portion 1a of the link is supported in a vertically movable manner.

Incidentally, a chain wheel 92 is disposed coaxially with the roller 92a of the first link 1.
b is attached. Reference numeral 10 denotes a hoisting device provided on the machine casing 5 located at the outer end in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal guide 8, in this case outside the tip, and a chain 10a connected to the output end is connected to the hoisting device 10 through the intermediate chain lines 93, 93. The chain 10a is hung around a chain wheel 92b at the lower end of the first link 1, and the tip of the chain 10a is fixed 10b outside the rear end of the horizontal guide 8 in the machine casing 5.

Thus, by the hoisting and lowering operations of the hoisting device 10,
By changing the length of the chain 10a between the chain wheel 92b and the intermediate chain wheel 93, the position of the lower end portion 1a of the first link 1 within the vertical guide 92 is raised or lowered. The sliding and rolling mechanism 9 itself equipped with 92 is connected to the chain 10a.
It is possible to move along the horizontal guide 8 without being affected by this.

In the above example, in order to expand and contract the length of the chain 10a between the chain wheel 92b and the intermediate chain wheel 93, a fluid pressure cylinder may be used instead of the hoisting device.

In this case, the chain 10a would be connected to the rod of the cylinder. Reference numeral 11 denotes an electric motor that serves as a driving source for moving the sliding and rolling mechanism 9, which is attached to a part of the mechanism 9 itself and whose output shaft is connected to the pinion 9.
1a, and is rotated in both directions by the reversible rotation of the electric motor 11, the pinion 91a is connected to the rack 8.
By rolling on a, this sliding and rolling mechanism 9 can move back and forth along the horizontal guide 8.

The operation method of the sliding and rolling mechanism 9 is not limited to the rack and pinion configuration described above, but may be related to, for example, the rotation of a chain by a chain winding transmission mechanism, or the forward and backward movement of a piston rod of a fluid pressure cylinder. You may also do so.

Further, the related structure of the rack and pinion is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, a rack parallel to the horizontal guide 8 may be formed on the sliding and rolling mechanism 9 side, and the output of the electric motor provided on the machine casing 5 side may be connected to the pinion. The information may be transmitted to the rack via the rack. Reference numeral 12 denotes an electric motor attached to the lower surface of the machine casing 5 as a turning and driving source for the machine casing 5. The pinion 12a of its output shaft is meshed with an annular rack 13b provided around the upper end of the column 7. When the electric motor 12 rotates, the machine casing supporting the arm mechanism rotates.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a load support part attached to the tip end 2a of the second link 2 so as to be able to freely turn and move at least slightly in the vertical or front-back direction, and is formed by, for example, a gripping device of an arbitrary structure.

In the figure, 2'' is an auxiliary link parallel to the second link, 3'' is an auxiliary link parallel to the third link 3'', and both auxiliary links 2
The rear ends and upper ends of I and 3' are connected via a connecting link J at a pivot point P2, and the tip of the auxiliary link 2' is connected to the tip 2a of the second link 2. The auxiliary link 3'' has its lower end fixedly pivoted 51I near the fixed pivot joint 51 of the machine casing 5, and moves together with the second link 2 and the third link 3, respectively. While reinforcing the load, it also maintains the posture of the load support part 13 in a constant direction regardless of the posture of the arm mechanism.The operation mode of the load handling robot configured as described above is as follows. It is.

Thus, the arm mechanism uses the tip 2a of the second link 2 as a load point, the fixed pivot point 51 at the pivot point P between the third link 3 and the fourth link 4 as a fulcrum, and the lower end 1a of the first link as a fulcrum. Since it is formed in the form of a constant ratio virtual ramrod with these three points connected by imaginary line segments as points of force, or a constant ratio imaginary ramrod similar to this, the load of moving equipment or cargo can be applied to the support part 13 as appropriate. By supporting the load and balancing the hoisting torque of the hoisting mechanism 10 with the load, this load is supported in the air in a so-called motionless state.

When the load is supported in the above state, the load can be moved up and down with a slight change in the hoisting torque, and if the load is kept stationary in the up-down direction, the load is unwound from the hoisting mechanism 10. Since the length of the chain 10a is constant and the tension applied to the chain 10a is also constant, the vertical guide 92
The sliding and rolling mechanism 9 can be moved along the horizontal guide 8 with a constant extremely small force. Furthermore, the machine casing 5 supporting the arm mechanism that operates as described above is rotated about the support 7, so that the load is transferred to the second link in three-dimensional space. The distal end portion 2a of 2 can be arbitrarily positioned at a movable location.

In the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention, the arm mechanism used was one in which vertically long parallelogram links were formed in the shape of a pad graph. The pivot point P3 with the fourth link 4 serves as a fulcrum, and the tip end 2a of the second link 2 serves as a load point, and these three points form a constant ratio imaginary rod located on an imaginary line segment on a straight line. Because it does.

Therefore, the arm mechanism in the shape of a puttgraph using vertically long parallelogram links forming a virtual constant ratio rod as in the above embodiment can be formed even if it becomes a link mechanism as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Therefore, these will be explained in relation to what is shown in FIG.

The arm mechanism shown in FIG. 2 uses a third link 3 whose lower end is extended 3' to have the same length as the first link 1, and the lower ends of both links 1 and 3 are extended 3' to the same length as the first link 1. It is constructed by pivoting P3l and P4l on both ends of a fourth link 41 that replaces the link, and the position of the pivoting point P3 in the one in FIG. 1 is the fulcrum, and the lower end 1a1 of the first link 1, that is, Pivot part P4
It is the same as that shown in Figure 1 in that l is the emphasis.

j The arm mechanism in FIG. 3 is constructed by extending the rear end side of the fourth link 41 by the length of the link 4 in the arm mechanism in FIG. A virtual line segment connecting the end portion 41a and the tip 2a of the second link 2 intersects the first link 1 at one point, in other words, the same point as the pivot point P4 in the arm mechanism of FIG. Therefore, each arm mechanism has a putt graph shape using vertically long parallelogram links, and the fulcrum of each arm mechanism is fixedly pivoted to the machine casing 5, and the point of force is When it is moved, the locus of movement of the force point appears expanded to the load point, and is mechanically equivalent, so it can be used as the arm mechanism of the robot of the present invention.

The load handling robot of the present invention is as described above, and the force point to which the output balanced with the actual load is transmitted is connected to the drive source, in the embodiment, the output shaft of the hoisting mechanism 10, via the chain 10a that is wound around the force point. Since the point of force is guided by the vertical guide 92, the guide 9 serves as the driving source.
As long as the length of the chain 10a2 in the chain 10a2 can be changed, it can be selected arbitrarily, and the range of choices for the mounting position of the drive source is also expanded, which is advantageous in terms of device design and manufacturing. By hanging the chain 10a, the output of the driving source is halved compared to when the chain is directly connected to the force point, and furthermore, the vertical movement of the force point is caused by the action of the chain 10a, which is expanded and contracted along the vertical guide 92. Since the arm mechanism is operated by the guide 92, it is possible to prevent the arm mechanism from swinging back and forth. Further, according to the present invention, since the part that serves as the fulcrum of the arm mechanism is fixedly and pivotally attached to the machine casing, the arm mechanism itself can be firmly supported by the machine casing.
Coupled with the above-described effect of preventing vibration of the arm mechanism, vibration of the arm mechanism during operation can be effectively prevented.

The present invention is as described above, and is extremely useful as a load handling robot used for handling loads in places where the distance between the top and bottom is relatively narrow.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side skeleton view of an example of the robot of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of another example, and FIG. 3 is a side view of another example. 1...First link, 2...Second link, 3...Third link, 4...Fourth link, P1 to P4... ... Pivot part of each link, 5.
...Machine housing, 51...Fixed pivot joint, 6...
...Dolly, 7... Support, 8... Horizontal guide, 8a... Rack, 9... Sliding and rolling member, 91... ... Laura, 91a...
・Pinion, 92...Vertical guide, 92b...
...Chain wheel, 93...Intermediate chain wheel, 10...
...Hoisting mechanism, 10a...Chain, 10b...
... fixed end, 11 ... electric motor, 12 ...
...Electric motor, 12a...Pinion, 12b...
...Annular rack, 13...Load support part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Under normal conditions, the first link is vertically oriented, the third link is horizontal to the first link, and the second link is horizontally oriented above the first link.
It includes a vertically elongated parallelogram link formed by pivotally connecting a link and a lower fourth link parallel to the link, and at least the tip side of the second link and the lower end side of the first link. When each link is extended, the length of each link is determined so that the extended outer end of the extended link is on an imaginary line segment that passes through the pivot points of the outer end and the third link and the fourth link and descends obliquely. The specified arm mechanism is fixedly and pivotally connected to a machine casing by a bracket or the like that is rotatably provided on a truck or the like at the pivot point of the third link and the fourth link, and A horizontal guide made of a groove-shaped body, a rod-shaped body, etc. is provided below the fixed pivot portion and near the lower end of the extension of the first link in the arm mechanism, and the slider slides along the horizontal guide. It has a sliding and rolling member made of rolls, etc. that moves, a vertical guide made of a groove-like body, a rod-like body, etc. whose effective length extends downward from the fixed pivot portion, and an intermediate chain ring disposed outside the lower end of the guide. A sliding and rolling mechanism is installed to support the extended lower end of the first link on the vertical guide, and a drive source having a chain at an output end is provided at a portion of the machine casing located at an outer end of the horizontal guide. , by hanging the chain of the drive source around the lower end of the first link via the intermediate chain ring of the vertical guide, and fixing the tip of the chain to the machine casing on the opposite side of the drive source, the arm mechanism is fixed. The second link can be moved up and down in a horizontal direction for positioning, and the sliding and rolling mechanism having the vertical guide is moved along the horizontal guide to move the second link horizontally. The output end of a drive source that exerts a driving force for horizontal movement and positioning is connected to the second link, and a rotatable load support part is provided at the extended end of the second link. Load handling robot.