JPS60186389A - Sheet gripping hand for industrial robot - 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 (1) Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to a seat gripping hand for an industrial robot, and in particular to an industrial robot used to automate the seat loading process, which is one of the assembly lines of automobiles. The present invention relates to a sheet gripping hand.

(2) Prior Art and Problems With the recent automation of automobile assembly lines, automation of the seat mounting process using robots is also being actively promoted.

Points to keep in mind when implementing this automation are that the sheet is bulky and
In addition, since it is a heavy object, when conveying it at high speed with a robot, it is necessary to securely grasp the sheet with the sheet gripping hand attached to the tip of the robot and maintain a stable conveyance posture to prevent the load from collapsing. be.

Therefore, in consideration of this point, the conventional sheet gripping hand is designed to handle the sheet S as shown in FIGS.
There is known a device that grips both the seat back sb and the seat cushion Sc, respectively, so that the seat S can be conveyed in a stable posture.

This seat gripping hand H1 has a seat back gripping mechanism B1 and a seat cushion gripping mechanism C1 arranged at the upper and lower parts of a hand body 1 formed in an abbreviated shape by a vertical rod 2 and a base plate 3, respectively. An arm connecting portion 4 fixed to the vertical rod 2 is connected to a robot arm (not shown) via a bracket 5.

The seat back gripping mechanism Bl is composed of an air cylinder 6 disposed at two ends of the vertical rod 2, and a clamp arm 7 that holds the back of the seat back sb by the operation of the air cylinder 6. The seat cushion gripping mechanism 01 includes an air cylinder 8 disposed at the tip of the base plate 3, a clamp arm 9 that grips the lower surface of the front end of the seat cushion Sc by the operation of the air cylinder 8, and a seating surface of the seat cushion Sc. and a cushion pressing section 10 that presses down by the action of spring elasticity.

In addition, the reference numeral R in the figure indicates a slide rail, among the slide rails 12a and 12b arranged on both sides of the seat cushion Sc, on which the outer rail 14 is slidable relative to the inner rail 13 fixed to the seat cushion Sc. 12a (the other slide rail 12b is restrained because it is provided with a locking device).

When loading the seat S, the sheet gripping hand is first placed in front of the seat S on the pallet based on the robot's teaching information, and the vertical rod 2 of the hand body 1 comes into surface contact with the front surface of the seat back sb. , the cushion suppressing portion 10 elastically presses the seat surface of the seat cushion Sc. Then, based on the next teaching information, the seat back gripping mechanism 81 and the seat cushion gripping mechanism 0
Each air cylinder 8.8 of 1 is operated, and the clamp arm 7
．． 8 rotates around the back surface of the seat back sb and the lower surface of the front end of the seat cushion Sc, and presses the back surface of the seat back Sb with one clamp arm 7 and the vertical rod 2.
The seat cushion Sc is held between the pressing part 10 and the other clamp arm 9 which holds the lower surface side of the front end of the seat cushion Sc.
The slide rail gripping mechanism R operates to grip one slide rail 12a. After gripping the seat back sb and the seat cushion Sc with the seat gripping hand in this way, the sheet gripping hand moves upward based on the next teaching information, conveys the sheet S at high speed to the assembly line, and then moves it to a predetermined position. be installed on.

However, the cushion suppressing section 10 in the conventional seat cushion gripping mechanism C1 is limited to the seat cushion Sc.
It consists of a pressing plate 15 that presses the seat surface of the press plate 15, and an elastic mechanism 1B that applies a pressing force to the suppressing plate 15, and the elastic mechanism 16 includes a support lever 17 erected at both ends of the pressing plate 15, A coil spring 18 around which the support lever 17 is wound, and a cylindrical body 1 that is erected on the base plate 3 and that guides the support lever 17 through it, and that a stopper 20 for the coil spring 18 is formed on the inner peripheral edge.
8, when the pressing plate 15 presses the seat surface of the seat cushion Sc, the coil spring 18 contracts, and the spring force causes the seat cushion Sc to
It was designed to elastically press and support. A nut 21 is attached to the upper end of the support lever 17 to prevent it from being removed. Therefore, when a robot mounts various seats of different car models, the spring force changes due to the difference in the thickness of each seat cushion. Especially when gripping a thin-walled seat cushion, the coil spring 18 The spring force was weak and it was not possible to grip it securely. As a result, the posture of the sheet tends to become unstable during conveyance, and there is a risk that the load may collapse.

:3) Purpose of the Invention The present invention has been made by focusing on the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to reliably handle seat cushions with different thicknesses depending on the type of seat in the automation of the seat mounting process. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a seat gripping hand for an industrial robot that is capable of gripping the seat in a stable posture and conveying the seat in a stable posture. In a seat gripping hand for an industrial robot that has a seat back gripping mechanism for gripping and a seat cushion gripping mechanism for gripping a seat cushion, the seat cushion gripping mechanism is attached to an air cylinder and a rod end of the air cylinder to hold the seat back. The gist of the present invention is that it is composed of a cushion pressing section having a suppressing plate that presses the seat surface of the cushion, and a cushion holding section that holds the lower surface of the seat cushion and holds the seat cushion between the cushion suppressing section and the cushion pressing section.

(5) Embodiments of the invention Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a seat loading system to which the seat gripping hand H2 according to the present invention is applied, in which a car 22 moves while being placed on a conveyor, and when it reaches the seat loading position, it is positioned. It is now possible to do so.

Further, a robot 23 having a multi-joint arm 24 is installed in a work area close to the sheet mounting position, and a sheet gripping hand H2 is connected to the tip of the robot arm 24.

On the other hand, the sheet S is conveyed in an orderly manner on the pallet 25, directly gripped on the pallet 25 by the sheet gripping hand H2 that operates based on the teaching information of the robot 23, and then conveyed to a predetermined position, and is then conveyed to the interior 26 of the automobile 22. will be installed on.

In this embodiment, the sheet gripping hand H2 is the fourth
As shown in FIGS. 8 to 8, the hand body 1 is formed into an abbreviated shape by the vertical rod 2 and the base plate 3a, as in the conventional case.
A seat back gripping mechanism 82 and a seat cushion gripping mechanism C2 are arranged at the upper and lower parts of the seat, respectively, and a connecting arm 4a fixed to the center of the vertical rod 2 is connected to the tip of the robot arm 24. Back gripping mechanism B
2 is a clamp mechanism 28 similar to the conventional one, which is composed of an air cylinder 8 disposed at the upper end of the vertical rod 2 and a rear clamp arm 7 that holds the seatback sb from the back side by the operation of the air cylinder 8. It has a front clamp arm 28 that comes into contact with the front surface of the seat back sb.

A pair of front clamp arms 28 are provided on the left and right sides of the vertical rod 2 via fixing brackets 30 at a position near the upper end of the connecting arm 4a, and a threaded groove is provided on the outer periphery of the insertion hole 31 opened in the fixing bracket 30. 33a, 33b'Y1
It was awarded a. In this embodiment, the tip of the spherical buffer member 34 attached to the tip of the front clamp arm 29 is made to protrude slightly forward of the front surface of the vertical rod 2, so that the buffer member 34 directly contacts the front surface of the seat back sb. It is adjusted to Note that if the thickness or inclination angle of the seat back sb differs depending on the type of the seat back sb, an appropriate gripping state can be ensured by appropriately adjusting the mounting position of the front clamp arm 28. A pair of air cylinders 6 of the clamp mechanism 28 are provided via brackets 36 at both ends of a fixed plate 35 horizontally attached to the upper end of the vertical rod 2. A curved clamp arm 7 is attached to the tip via a connecting member 37. One end of the connecting member 37 is pivotally supported by the tip of the piston rod 6a, and the other end is pivotally supported by a rotation support bracket 38 on the fixed plate 35. Therefore, the connecting member 37 rotates around the pivot point due to the expansion and contraction movement of the Vislon rod 6a, and the rear clamp arm 7 rotates within a predetermined range to hug the back surface of the seat back sb. grasp. Furthermore, a spherical buffer member 34 is also provided at the tip of the rear clan firm 7 to prevent damage to the skin of the contact area when gripping the seat back Sb.
is provided.

On the other hand, the seat cushion gripping mechanism C2 is composed of a base plate 3a, a cushion holding part 38 provided at the tip part, and a cushion suppressing part 40 provided in the middle part, as in the conventional case. 40 has a structure in which an elastic action is applied by air pressure, unlike the conventional one, and includes an air cylinder 41 erected in the center of the base brake 3a, and a bracket 42 at the tip of the piston rod 41a of this air cylinder 41. A suppression plate 43 extending in the seat width direction is fixed via a guide lever 44 erected at both left and right ends of the suppression plate 43, and a guide lever 44 provided on both sides of the base brake 3a. It is composed of a circle 1 that guides the vertical movement of the seat cushion Sc, and a cylindrical body 45, and by having a structure that allows the seat surface of the seat cushion Sc to be pressed with constant air pressure from the air cylinder 41, it is possible to prevent changes in the thickness of the seat cushion Sc. We are ready to respond. In other words, the type of seat installed changes depending on the vehicle model, and the thickness of the seat cushion changes accordingly, but by operating the air cylinder 41 at a constant pressure, the seating surface of the seat cushion Sc is always suppressed and supported with a predetermined force. That will happen. Note that a reinforcing member 48 is disposed on the upper surface of the suppression plate 43 in the longitudinal direction, and a reinforcing member 48 is provided on the upper surface of the suppression plate 43.
A nut 47 for preventing removal is screwed into the upper end of the holder.

Further, unlike the conventional case, the base plate 3 is formed with a stepped portion 27 that dips forward, and the air cylinder 8 of the cushion holding portion 38 is disposed at the position of the stepped portion 27 via a fixing bracket 48. In addition, a generally dogleg-shaped clamp arm 8 is attached to the tip of the piston rod 8a of the air cylinder 8 via a connecting member 49. Both ends of the connecting member 49 are rotatably supported by the tip of the piston rod 8a and a rotation support bracket 50 fixed to the tip of the base plate, and the shaft rotates as the piston rod 8a expands and contracts. The clamp arm 8 is rotated around a point to the lower surface of the front end of the seat cushion Sc.

Note that a slide rail gripping mechanism R for clamping one slide rail 12a is provided on one side of the base plate 3, as in the conventional case, and the slide rail gripping mechanism R holds the outer rail 14 of the slide rail 12a from the side. Clamp arm 51 having a gripping part 52 for gripping
and an air cylinder 53 that operates this clamp arm 51.

Next, to explain the operation of the sheet gripping hand H2 having the above configuration, the sheet gripping hand H2 attached to the tip of the robot arm 24 is placed at a position in front of the sheet S on the pallet based on teaching information from the robot 23. and the vertical rod 2 and base plate 3a of the hand body 1
are brought close to the surfaces of the seat back sb and the seat cushion Sc, and the buffer member 34 at the tip of the front clamp arm 28 of the seat back gripping mechanism sb is brought into contact with the center of the front surface of the seat back sb, and the seat cushion gripping mechanism C2 is The pressing plate 43 elastically presses the seating surface of the seat cushion Sc with a predetermined force.

Then, based on the next teaching information, the air cylinders 8, 8 of the seat back gripping mechanism 82 and the seat cushion gripping mechanism 02 are operated, and the clamp arms 7.8 are moved to the back side of the seat back sb and the lower front end side of the seat cushion Sc. Rotate them so that they are hugging each other. Then, the buffer member 34 at the tip of one clamp arm 7 is brought into contact with the back surface, and the seat back sb is locally pressed and clamped between the rear clamp arm 7 and the opposing front clamp arm 29, so that each clamp arm 7.28 The pressing force from the seat back sb is concentrated on one point and bites into each skin of the back and front surfaces of the seat back sb to ensure grip.

Further, the front end horizontal portion 9a of the other clamp arm 8, which rotates toward the lower surface of the front end of the seat cushion Sc, abuts and holds the frame on the lower surface of the seat cushion Sc, and the clamp arm 9 and the pressing plate 43 act on the seat cushion. S
Hold c. In this case, since the pressing plate 43 presses the seating surface of the seat cushion Sc with a predetermined force, it can be securely clamped between the pressing plate 43 and the clamp arm 51. Further, the air cylinder 53 of the slide rail gripping mechanism R is operated to rotate the clamp arm 51,
The outer rail 14 of the slide rail 12a is fixed.

In this state, the seat s is held by the seat back sb and the seat cushion Sc by each gripping mechanism B2. Each sheet is securely gripped by C2, and lifted from pallet 25 by sheet gripping hand H2, which moves upward based on the next teaching information. The sheet is then conveyed at high speed to the automobile assembly line while being held by the sheet gripping hand H2, and after the robot arm 24 enters the interior 28 of the automobile 22, the air cylinders 8, 8.53 of each gripping mechanism are activated at predetermined positions. Does the clamp arm work? ,
11. The grip state of 51 is released and it is mounted at a predetermined position. After the sheet gripping hand H2 mounts the sheet S at a predetermined position, it exits from the interior 26 and returns to its original position in preparation for the next sheet mounting process.

The air cylinder 41 of the cushion suppressing section 40 may be either a single-acting type or a double-acting type, and the number of air cylinders 41 installed is not limited to one as in the above embodiment.

(6) As described in detail of the invention, according to the seat gripping hand according to the present invention, the seat cushion can be gripped more reliably than the conventional hand, and the sheet can be conveyed in a stable posture.

Therefore, it becomes possible to convey the sheet at high speed, which increases work efficiency, and also improves the accuracy of the mounting position 5 and reduces the work required for positioning the sheet after it is mounted.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of a conventional sheet gripping hand;
FIG. 2 is a rear view thereof, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a sheet loading process system to which the sheet gripping hand according to the present invention is applied, and FIG. 4 is a side view showing an embodiment of the sheet gripping hand.
FIG. 5 is a rear view thereof, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of essential parts of the sheet gripping hand. 24... Robot arm 38... Cushion gripping part 40... Cushion pressing part 41... Air cylinder 41a... Piston rod 43... Pressing plate Hl, H2... Seat gripping hand 81, B2 ...Seat back gripping mechanism C1, C2...
- Seat cushion gripping mechanism 6 sb... Seat back Sc... Seat cushion patent applicant Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. JP-A-Sho GO-186389 (6)

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a seat gripping hand for an industrial robot that is attached to the tip of a robot arm and has a seatback gripping mechanism that grips a seatback and a seat cushion gripping mechanism that grips a seat cushion, the seat cushion gripping mechanism is an air cylinder. and a cushion suppressing part having a suppressing plate attached to the tip of the rod of the air cylinder to press the seat surface of the seat cushion, and a cushion holding the lower surface of the seat cushion and sandwiching the seat cushion between the cushion suppressing part and the cushion suppressing part. A sheet gripping hand for an industrial robot, characterized by comprising a gripping section.