KR101667221B1

KR101667221B1 - Auto tool changer for multi-joint robot

Info

Publication number: KR101667221B1
Application number: KR1020160066378A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 이병칠
Original assignee: (주)중원기계
Priority date: 2016-05-30
Filing date: 2016-05-30
Publication date: 2016-10-18

Abstract

The present invention provides an automatic tool changer for a multi-joint robot, which can quickly change a tool. According to an aspect of the present invention, the automatic tool changer comprises: a fixing unit having a first body unit which has an internal space, a plurality of support balls which is inserted into the internal space and installed to protrude outward from the first body unit, and an operating member which is installed to slide in the internal space, and pushes the support balls; and a change unit having a second body unit which has a coupling groove into which the first body unit is inserted, and a fixing ring which is inserted into the coupling groove, and prevents the support balls from escaping.

Description

{AUTO TOOL CHANGER FOR MULTI-JOINT ROBOT}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an automatic tool changer capable of automatically and rapidly replacing various tools mounted on a hand tip of a multi-joint robot.

Assembly, welding, polishing and other tasks are simple and tedious. Most of the workers are avoided because of the long working time and poor working environment. In response to this tendency, the hand of the articulated robot operated by the robot controller By attaching tool adapters and tools at the tip, these evasive actions are automated unattended.

And, if the tool is worn or the tool specification changes, or if a different kind of tool is needed, it is accompanied by the task of replacing the tool and the work is interrupted and productivity is reduced during the replacement of these tools The tool needs to be replaced automatically and quickly.

However, if the pre-set tool is not replaced correctly, the wrong machining may occur. It is also very important to quickly replace the tool for efficiency of operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tool changer of a multi-joint robot capable of quickly changing a tool. Another object of the present invention is to provide a tool changer of a multi-joint robot capable of confirming whether or not the replacement of a tool has been accurately performed.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic tool changer comprising: a first body having an internal space; a plurality of support balls inserted in the internal space, the plurality of support balls protruding outward from the first body; And a second body portion having an engaging groove for engaging the first body portion, and a retaining ring inserted in the engaging groove and preventing the support ball from being separated from the retaining ring As shown in Fig.

Here, the movable member may include a rod portion and a head portion having a larger cross-section than the rod portion.

The head portion includes a first inclined portion extending from the rod portion and inclined at a first inclination angle with respect to the rod portion, and a second inclined portion extending from the first inclined portion and inclined at a second inclination angle with respect to the rod portion, And the first inclination angle may be larger than the second inclination angle.

The head portion may include a third inclined portion connected to the second inclined portion and inclined at a third inclination angle with respect to the bar portion, and the second inclination angle may be larger than the third inclination angle.

In addition, a passageway extending through the movable member in the longitudinal direction is formed in the movable member, and an extended space extending to the tip of the head portion may be connected to the passageway.

The fixing unit may further include a sensing sensor for determining whether the fixing unit is engaged with the replacement unit.

In addition, the detection sensor may further include an identification member for identifying a type of the tool to be replaced.

In addition, a sensor groove may be formed in the sensing sensor, and a sensor target inserted in the sensor groove may be included in the replacement portion.

The first body may be connected to a first injection port for injecting air into the fixing part.

A pneumatic cylinder for moving the movable member may be connected to the first body part.

The fixing ring may include a support surface formed to be inclined so as to gradually protrude toward the fixing portion and a guide surface formed in parallel with the second body portion.

The coupling groove may include a lead portion connected to the leading end of the replacement portion and a seating portion connected to the lead portion and having the fixing ring inserted therein and a connection portion connected to the seating portion and having a smaller inner diameter than the seating portion, The inner diameter of the lead-in portion may be formed smaller than the inner diameter of the connecting portion.

The coupling groove may include a guide portion connected to the coupling portion and formed to be inclined with respect to the inner surface of the coupling portion, and a bottom portion connected to the guide portion and having an inner surface formed to be in equilibrium with the inner surface of the coupling portion.

The second body part may be connected to a second injection port for injecting air into the second body part.

An automatic tool changer according to one aspect of the present invention includes a stationary portion having a movable member and a replacement portion having a stationary ring, so that the tool can be easily replaced.

1 is a view showing a multi-joint robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a top view illustrating a state in which the fixing unit and the replacement unit are combined according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a top view of the fixed part of the automatic tool changer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a side view of a fixed portion of an automatic tool changer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a top view of a replacement part of an automatic tool changer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a side view of a replacement part of an automatic tool changer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

The present invention can be variously modified and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Terms including ordinals, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component. And / or < / RTI > includes any combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art and are to be interpreted as either ideal or overly formal in the sense of the present application Do not.

Hereinafter, the present invention and its preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a view showing a multi-joint robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the articulated robot 100 may be formed of a robot that can be arranged in a line on a support 110, and a workpiece placed on the mount 130 is processed, And a robot capable of performing different types of machining. The control panel 120 standing upright with respect to the ground can be attached to the vertically erected support 110.

2 is a top view of an automatic tool changer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, the automatic tool changer 110 according to the present embodiment includes a fixed portion 101 attached to the articulated robot 100 and a tool 101 fixed to the tool and detachably coupled to the fixed portion 101 As shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a fixed portion of an automatic tool changer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a side view of a fixed portion of the automatic tool changer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 and 4, the fixing part 101 includes a first body part 10 having an internal space 12, a second body part 10 inserted into the internal space 12, And a movable member 20 slidably installed in the inner space 12 and pushing the support ball 13.

The first body part 10 has a cylindrical shape and the inner space 12 is formed to penetrate the first body part 10 in a longitudinal direction of the first body part 10. The movable member 20 is coaxial with the first body 10 and is inserted into the first body 10 and slidably installed in the longitudinal direction of the inner space 12. [

The movable member 20 includes a rod portion 21 and a head portion 23 having a larger cross section than the rod portion 21. [ The rod portion 21 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a longitudinal direction and the head portion 23 is connected to the longitudinal end portion of the rod portion 21.

The head portion 23 includes a first inclined portion 231 extending from the bar portion 21 and inclined at a first inclination angle with respect to the bar portion 21 and a second inclined portion 231 extending from the first inclined portion 231, And a second inclined portion 233 inclined at a second inclination angle with respect to the second inclined portion 233. Here, the first inclination angle is formed larger than the second inclination angle.

The head portion 23 includes a third inclined portion 234 extending from the second inclined portion 233 and formed to be inclined at a third inclination angle with respect to the bar portion 21 and the second inclination angle is greater than the third inclination angle Can be formed larger. The third inclined portion 234 is connected to the longitudinal end portion of the head portion 23 and the second inclined portion 233 is positioned between the first inclined portion 231 and the third inclined portion 234. [ The first inclined portion 231, the second inclined portion 233, and the third inclined portion 234 form the outer surface of the head portion 23.

When a plurality of inclined portions are formed on the head portion 23 and the inclination angle becomes smaller toward the front end of the movable member as described above, the movable member 20 pushes the support ball 13 step by step and the impact is applied by the support ball 13 .

A passage 25 is formed in the movable member 20 so as to pass through the movable member 20 in the longitudinal direction and an extended space 26 extending to the tip of the head portion is connected to the passage 25. A shaft for moving the movable member 20 can be inserted into the passage 25 in the movable member 20. [

The first body part 10 is formed with a guide hole 18 into which the support ball 13 is inserted and the guide hole 18 is connected to the inner space 12 and extends to the outer surface of the first body part 10. The guide hole 18 may be formed with a step for preventing the support ball 13 from coming off.

The fixing part 101 may further include a pneumatic cylinder 31 installed on the first body part 10 and moving the movable member 20. [ The movable member 20 can be moved in the first body part 10 by the pneumatic cylinder 31. [

The fixing unit 101 further includes a detection sensor 50 for determining whether or not the detection unit 50 is engaged with the replacement unit 102. The detection sensor 50 is fixed to the outer surface of the first body unit 10. [ A sensor groove 52 into which the sensor target 85 installed in the replacement part 102 is inserted is formed in the detection sensor 50. The sensor target 85 is used to determine whether or not the fixing part 101 is engaged. Further, the detection sensor 50 may further include an identification member that identifies the type of the replaced tool, so that the detection sensor 50 confirms that the tool has been replaced with the correct tool, Can be prevented.

The first body part 10 is connected to a first injection port 42 for injecting air into the fixing part 101. Air may be injected into or discharged from the first injection port 42. When the air is injected into the first injection port 42, the movable member 20 and the support ball 13 may be fixed to prevent movement due to pressure.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a replacement portion of an automatic tool changer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a side view of a replacement portion of the automatic tool changer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 and 6, the replacement portion 102 according to the present embodiment includes a second body portion 60 having a coupling groove 65 for fitting the first body portion 10, 65 and a retaining ring 80 which prevents the release of the support ball 13. [

The second body portion 60 is formed in a column shape that can be attached to and detached from the first body portion 10. The engaging groove 65 is connected to an inlet portion 67 connected to the front end of the replacement portion 102 and a seating portion 68 connected to the introduction portion 67 and into which the stationary ring 80 is inserted and a seating portion 68 And a connecting portion 63 having an inner diameter smaller than that of the seating portion 68. Here, the inner diameter of the lead-in portion 67 is formed to be smaller than the inner diameter of the connecting portion 63.

The coupling groove 65 is connected to the coupling portion 63 and is connected to the guide portion 62 formed to be inclined with respect to the inner surface of the coupling portion 63 and to the inner surface of the coupling portion 63, And a bottom portion 61 having a bottom surface 61a.

The second body portion 60 includes a first portion 60a and a second portion 60b fixed to the longitudinal end of the first portion 60a and communicating with the first portion 60a, The fixing ring 80 is inserted into the seating portion 68 formed between the first portion 60a and the second portion 60b. The fixing ring 80 is formed in a circular ring shape and includes a support surface 82 inclined to gradually protrude toward the fixing portion 101 and a guide surface 83 formed parallel to the second body portion 60 . The support surface 82 is formed to be inclined with respect to the central axis of the second body portion 60 and the support surface 82 and the guide surface 83 form the inner peripheral surface of the stationary ring 80.

The second body part 60 may be connected to a second injection port 821 for injecting air into the second body part 60. The second body portion 60 is provided with a protruding sensor target 85. The sensor target 85 may be inserted into the sensor groove 52 formed in the detection sensor 50. On the other hand, the sensor target 85 may include information indicating the type of the tool.

2, when the movable member 20 is moved away from the replaceable portion 102 in a state where the fixed portion 101 is inserted into the replacement portion 102, the support ball 13 is positioned outside the fixed portion 101 And is caught by the stationary ring 80. In this state, when the air is injected into the first injection port 42, the fixing part 101 and the replacement part 102 are stably fixed by the air pressure. When air is discharged from the first injection port 42 and the movable part moves toward the replacement part 102, the support ball 13 moves to the inside of the fixed part 101 and is not caught by the fixed ring 80 The replacement portion 102 can be separated from the fixing portion 101.

As described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in the present specification and drawings, and although specific terms have been used, they have been used only in a general sense to easily describe the technical contents of the present invention and to facilitate understanding of the invention , And are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It is to be understood by those skilled in the art that other modifications based on the technical idea of the present invention are possible in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

100: articulated robot
110: Tool change device
101:
102:
10: first body part
12: Interior space
13: Support ball
18: Guide hole
20: movable member
21:
23:
231: first inclined portion
233: second inclined portion
234: third inclined portion
25: passage
26: Extended space
31: Pneumatic cylinder
50: Detection sensor
52: Sensor home
60: second body part
60a: first part
60b: second part
61:
62:
63: Connection
65: coupling groove
67:
68:
80: Retaining ring
82: Support surface
83: Guide face
85: Sensor target

Claims

A plurality of support balls inserted in the inner space and protruding outward from the first body part, a movable member slidably installed in the inner space and pushing the support ball, the first body part having an inner space, Fixed government; And
A second body portion having an engagement groove for holding the first body portion, and a replacement ring inserted into the engagement groove and including a retaining ring for preventing the release of the support ball,
Wherein the engaging groove includes a lead portion connected to a leading end of the replacement portion and a seating portion connected to the lead portion and having the fixing ring inserted therein and a connection portion connected to the seating portion and having a smaller inner diameter than the seating portion, Wherein the inner diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the connecting portion.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the movable member includes a rod portion and a head portion having a larger cross-section than the rod portion.

3. The method of claim 2,
The head portion includes a first inclined portion extending from the rod portion and inclined at a first inclination angle with respect to the rod portion and a second inclined portion extending from the first inclined portion and inclined at a second inclination angle with respect to the rod portion And the first inclination angle is larger than the second inclination angle.

The method of claim 3,
Wherein the head portion includes a third inclined portion extending from the second inclined portion and inclined at a third inclination angle with respect to the bar portion, and the second inclination angle is larger than the third inclination angle.

The method of claim 3,
Wherein a passage is formed in the movable member so as to pass through the movable member in the longitudinal direction and an extended space extending to the tip of the head unit is connected to the passage.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the fixing unit further comprises a sensing sensor for determining whether the fixing unit is engaged with the replacement unit.

The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the detection sensor further comprises an identification member for identifying a type of the tool to be replaced.

The method according to claim 6,
Wherein a sensor groove is formed in the detection sensor and a sensor target is inserted in the sensor groove in the replacement portion.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first body part is connected to a first injection port for injecting air into the fixing part.

The method according to claim 1,
And a pneumatic cylinder for moving the movable member is connected to the first body part.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the fixing ring includes a support surface formed to be inclined so as to gradually protrude toward the fixing portion and a guide surface formed parallel to the second body portion.

delete

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the coupling groove includes a guide portion connected to the connection portion and formed to be inclined with respect to an inner surface of the connection portion, and a bottom portion connected to the guide portion and having an inner surface formed to be flat with the inner surface of the connection portion, .

The method according to claim 1,
And a second injection port for injecting air into the second body part is connected to the second body part.