TWI402439B - Bumper device - Google Patents

Description

Buffer device

The present invention relates to a cushioning device, and more particularly to a cushioning device capable of absorbing an impact generated by a collision to provide protection.

With the development of the industry, automation equipment has been widely used in various production fields, such as robots capable of grasping and handling, which can be moved according to the set motion trajectory to realize automatic loading and unloading. However, when the manipulator performs a revolving or other action in a limited space, the robot is likely to collide with the surrounding equipment due to the limitation of the movement accuracy of the manipulator itself and the inertial force generated by the manipulator, or by the mounting accuracy of the peripheral device. This can cause damage to the robot or peripheral equipment, and even cause a safety accident in severe cases. This type of equipment damage caused by rigid collisions often occurs in other automated operations.

One existing method for avoiding the above rigid collision is to sense the contact between the robot and the peripheral device by installing a sensing device such as a force sensor on the robot, when the robot collides with the peripheral device, The sensor generates a signal and transmits the signal to the control device of the robot. The control device issues a control command according to the signal to change the movement track of the robot, so that the robot avoids the peripheral device to protect the device. After the robot has avoided the peripheral equipment, the control device issues a control command to return the robot to the originally set working path for subsequent work.

However, the sensing device is configured on an automated device such as a robot and the corresponding The control system increases the complexity of the structure, increases the cost, and requires maintenance by personnel with higher professional skills.

In view of the above, it is necessary to provide a buffer device which is simple in structure, capable of absorbing the impact of collision, and capable of realizing automatic reset.

A cushioning device includes a base, a connecting arm, a support, a flange, and a reset mechanism. The base and the flange are respectively fixedly connected to the support. The connecting arm has a rotating portion that is rotatably disposed between the support member and the flange. The reset mechanism includes a resisting member slidable relative to the support member and an elastic member for pushing the rotating portion of the resisting member and the connecting arm to be close to each other. One of the rotating portions of the resisting member and the connecting arm is provided with a recess, and the other is provided with a protrusion that abuts against the recess.

The connecting arm of the buffer device can swing when it is subjected to a collision, and is in flexible contact with the collision object, and the reset mechanism can also absorb the impact generated by the collision by the deformation of the elastic member, and can reduce the damage caused by the collision between the connecting arm and the collision object. At the same time, by providing protrusions in one of the rotating parts of the resisting member and the connecting arm, the other one is provided with a recess which abuts against the protrusion, and after the connecting arm is separated from the collision object, the elastic member applies the resisting member. The thrust can be automatically restored to the state before the collision by the moment generated by the abutting force between the protrusion and the pit. The above buffer device also has the advantages of simple structure and convenient use.

The buffer device of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

The cushioning device of the present invention can be applied to equipment such as industrial robots and numerically controlled machine tools. This embodiment is described by taking a buffer device applied to a robot of an industrial robot as an example.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the cushioning device 100 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a base 11, a support member 12, a flange 13, a connecting arm 14, and a reset mechanism 15.

The base 11 is substantially disk-shaped, and a plurality of through holes 112 are defined in an edge portion of the outer circumference for fixed connection with a main shaft (not shown) that drives the movement of the buffer mechanism 100. A middle portion of one end of the base 11 protrudes in the axial direction to form a cylindrical positioning portion 113. The base 11 is also provided with a plurality of mounting holes 114 surrounding the positioning portion 113.

The support member 12 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and has a blind hole 122 at one end and a mounting portion 124 at the opposite end. The blind hole 122 is for mating with the positioning portion 113 of the base 11. The mounting portion 124 is substantially a semi-spherical concave surface, and the mounting portion 124 communicates with the blind hole 122 through the communication hole 123. The opposite ends of the support member 12 are respectively provided with a plurality of threaded holes 126, 127.

The connecting arm 14 includes a main body 141 and a rotating portion 142 provided at one end of the main body 141. The main body 141 is a cylinder, the rotating portion 142 is substantially a sphere, and the axis of the main body 141 passes through the center O _{1 of the} rotating portion 142. The bottom of the rotating portion 142 is formed with a dimple 143 which is substantially hemispherical and whose center falls on the axis of the main body 141. In this embodiment, the connecting arm 14 is a mechanical arm of the robot, and one end of the main body 141 opposite to the rotating portion 142 can directly connect tools such as a suction cup and a jaw.

The flange 13 includes a connecting portion 131 and a fitting portion 133 provided on the connecting portion 131. The connecting portion 131 is annular, and a plurality of mounting holes 1314 are provided near the outer circumferential edge portion thereof. The engaging portion 133 is formed on the inner periphery of the connecting portion 131 and has a mating surface 1331 that can cooperate with the rotating portion 142 of the connecting arm 14. The mating surface 1331 is substantially hemispherical. A circular opening 1334 is formed in the top of the engaging portion 133 for the body 141 of the connecting arm 14 to pass through and can be used to limit the swinging range of the main body 141 of the connecting arm 14.

The reset mechanism 15 includes a resisting member 151 and an elastic member 152. The resisting member 151 includes a cylindrical sliding portion 1511. One end of the sliding portion 1511 extends to form a columnar supporting portion 1513, and the other end of the sliding portion 1511 is provided with a protrusion 1515. The sliding portion 1511 can cooperate with the blind hole 122 of the support member 12 and slide axially along the blind hole 122. The protrusion 1515 is substantially hemispherical and is for resisting the recess 143 of the rotating portion 142 of the connecting arm 14, and the radius of the protrusion 1515 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the recess 143. The elastic member 152 is a spiral compression spring which can be sleeved on the supporting portion 1513 of the resisting member 151 for applying an elastic force to abut the resisting member 151 with the connecting arm 14. Of course, the elastic member 152 can also be other elastic bodies such as a spring piece, a disc spring, a rubber piece, and the like.

In the assembly, the resisting member 151 of the resetting mechanism 15 is first inserted into the blind hole 122 of the support member 12, and then the elastic member 152 is sleeved on the supporting portion 1513 of the resisting member 151. By the positioning portion 113 of the base 11 and the blind hole 122 of the support member 12, the matching position of the base 11 and the support member 12 is quickly aligned, the support member 12 is placed corresponding to the base 11, and the screw 118 is placed. The mounting hole 114 in the base 11 is screwed with the threaded hole 127 at the bottom end of the support member 12 to fix the base 11 to the support member 12. At this time, the elastic member The two ends of the 152 are respectively abutted against the base 11 and the resisting member 151. At the same time, the protrusion 1515 of the resisting member 151 extends into the mounting portion 124 through the communication hole 123 of the support member 12.

Then, the rotating portion 142 of the connecting arm 14 is mounted into the mounting portion 124 of the support member 12, and the recess 143 is abutted against the projection 1515 of the resisting member 151. The flange 13 is sleeved on the connecting arm 14, and the mounting hole 1314 of the screw 136 penetrating the connecting portion 131 of the flange 13 is screwed with the threaded hole 126 of the upper end of the supporting member 12, so that the rotating portion 142 of the connecting arm 14 can be rotated universally. The center of rotation of the connecting arm 14 is the center O _{1 of the} rotating portion 142 in the space defined by the mating surface 1331 of the engaging portion 142 of the flange 13 and the mounting portion 124 of the support member 12. The degree of tightness of the contact between the rotating portion 142 and the mating surface 1331 and the mounting portion 124 can be adjusted by adjusting the screw 136.

In use, a tool such as a suction cup or a jaw may be attached to the free end of the connecting arm 14, that is, opposite to the rotating portion 142, for grasping the workpiece, and the base 11 is fixed on the main shaft, and the main shaft is rotated or linearly moved. The connecting arm 14 is driven to move the connecting arm 14 to the set position. Figure 4 shows a schematic view of a buffer 100 in a normal operating state of the apparatus, when the holding member 151 abuts the protrusion 142 of the recesses 143 of the apex and the apex of the rotation portion 1515 in contact, the contact point a with the rotation of the center O ₁ 142 And the axis of the main body of the connecting arm 14 is collinear. At this time, the abutting force between the projection 1515 and the recess 143 due to the deformation of the elastic member 152 just passes through the rotation center O ₁ of the connecting arm 14, so that the connecting arm 14 does not swing.

Referring to FIG 5, when the main body portion 14 of the connecting arm 141 collides with the peripheral devices, the impact force will produce a turning moment M ₁ the connecting arm portion 14 is rotated about the center O ₁ of 142 oscillations can occur, so that the connecting arm 14 Flexible contact with the collision object. At this time, the contact point a' of the protrusion 1515 and the pit 143 is moved to one side of the vertex, and at the same time, the connecting arm 14 applies a thrust to the resisting member 151, and the elastic member 152 compresses and absorbs the impact generated upon the collision. Since the contact point a' of the protrusion 1515 and the recess 143 is offset from the axis of the main body 141 of the connecting arm 14, the resisting force of the resisting member 151 against the connecting arm 14 generates a resetting moment M _{2 to the} center of rotation O ₁ of the connecting arm 14. The resetting moment M ₂ is opposite to the direction of the rotational moment M ₁ generated by the collision force. Before the connecting arm 14 is disengaged from the external device, the connecting arm 14 can always maintain flexible contact with the colliding object. By the body 141 of the connecting arm 14 resisting the wall of the circular opening 1334 of the flange 13, the maximum pivoting angle of the connecting arm 14 can be limited, thereby preventing the protrusion 1515 from slipping out of the recess 143. When the device 14 is separated from the external connection arm, the rotational moment M ₁ disappear, holding force of the reset moment M ₂ acting on the contact of the contact holder 151 of the lower pair of connecting arms 14, 14 connected to the swing arm occurs, return to FIG. 4, the normal working state, at this time, because the abutting force between the protrusion 1515 and the recess 143 substantially passes through the rotation center O _{1 of the} connecting arm 14, the resetting moment M _{2 is} substantially zero, so that the connecting arm 14 can be maintained normally. Working status.

In order to prevent the rotating portion 142 from directly rubbing against the mating surface 1331 of the flange 13 during the swinging of the connecting arm 14, a wear pad 16 may be disposed between the rotating portion 142 and the mating surface 1331. The wear pad 16 has an outer surface 161 that fits the mating surface 1331 of the flange 13 and an inner surface 162 that fits the rotating portion 142 of the connecting arm 14. The wear-resistant gasket 16 is injection-molded from a POM (polyformaldehyde) material, which has a low friction coefficient and elasticity, and can avoid the rotating portion 142 and the method. The direct friction between the blue 13 reduces the wear of the component, and the elastic deformation can compensate for the matching gap caused by the shape error of the rotating portion 142, so that the rotation of the connecting arm 14 is smoother.

The connecting arm 14 of the buffer device 100 can swing in a universal direction when it is subjected to a collision, and is in flexible contact with the collision object, and can absorb the impact generated by the collision by the elastic member 152 of the reset mechanism 15, and can also rely on the reset after being separated from the collision object. The role of the mechanism 15 automatically returns to the state before the collision.

It can be understood that a protrusion can also be formed at the bottom of the rotating portion 142 of the connecting arm 14, and a recess can be formed on the resisting member 151 of the reset mechanism 15 to abut against the protrusion. At this time, when the connecting arm 14 is in the working state, the abutting force between the protrusion and the recess passes through the center of rotation of the connecting arm 14, and when the connecting arm 14 is oscillated by the collision, the protrusion and the pit are The abutting force generates a moment with respect to the center of rotation of the connecting arm 14, which moment returns the connecting arm 14 to the operating state when the connecting arm 14 is separated from the collision object.

In summary, the present invention has indeed met the requirements of the invention patent, and has filed a patent application according to law. However, the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and it is not possible to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention. Equivalent modifications or variations made by persons skilled in the art in light of the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Buffer device ‧‧100

Pedestal ‧‧11

Through hole ‧‧112

Positioning Department ‧‧‧113

Mounting holes ‧‧‧114, 1314

Support ‧‧12

Blind hole ‧‧122

Connecting hole ‧‧‧123

Installation Department ‧‧‧124

Threaded hole ‧‧‧126, 127

Flange‧‧13

Connection Department ‧‧‧131

Coordination Department ‧ ‧ 133

Coordinating face ‧‧‧1331

Round opening ‧‧1 1334

Connecting arm ‧‧14

Main body ‧ ‧ 141

Rotation Department ‧‧‧142

Pit ‧‧143

Reset mechanism ‧‧15

Responsible ‧‧‧151

Sliding section ‧‧1511

Support Department ‧‧1513

Prominence ‧‧1515

Elastic parts ‧‧‧152

Wear-resistant gasket ‧‧16

Outer surface ‧‧‧161

Inner surface ‧‧‧162

Screw ‧‧‧118,136

1 is a perspective view of a cushioning device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a perspective exploded view of the buffer device shown in FIG. 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the connecting arm of the cushioning device shown in Figure 2.

Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the connecting arm of the shock absorber shown in Fig. 1 without swinging.

Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the connecting arm of the shock absorber shown in Fig. 1 when it is swung.

Buffer device ‧‧100

Pedestal ‧‧11

Support ‧‧12

Flange‧‧13

Connecting arm ‧‧14

Claims (10)

A buffer device comprising a base and a connecting arm, the improvement device comprising: a support member, a flange and a resetting mechanism, wherein the base and the flange are respectively fixedly connected with the support member, the connecting arm has a rotating portion, The rotating portion is rotatably disposed between the support member and the flange, and the resetting mechanism includes a resisting member slidable relative to the supporting member and an elastic member for pushing the rotating portion of the resisting member and the connecting arm to be close to each other The resisting member and the rotating portion of the connecting arm are provided with a recess, and the other is provided with a protrusion that abuts the recess. The cushioning device of claim 1, wherein the base and the flange are respectively disposed at two ends of the support member, and the elastic member is disposed between the resisting member and the base. The cushioning device of claim 2, wherein the flange comprises a hemispherical mating surface, the support member comprises a mounting seat for receiving a rotating portion of the connecting arm, the mounting seat is a hemispherical concave surface, the connection The rotating portion of the arm is a ball, and the rotating portion is rotatably disposed between the mating surface and the mounting seat. The cushioning device of claim 3, wherein a wear-resistant gasket is disposed between the mating surface of the flange and the rotating portion of the connecting arm, and the wear-resistant gasket includes an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface is adapted to the pivoting portion of the connecting arm, the outer surface being adapted to the mating surface of the flange. The cushioning device of claim 4, wherein the wear resistant gasket is injection molded from a polyoxymethylene material. The damper device of claim 3, wherein the connecting arm further comprises a main body, the rotating portion is disposed at one end of the main body, and a through hole is formed on the mating surface of the flange, and the main body of the connecting arm is disposed The through hole and by the The hole wall of the through hole resists the range of rotation of the connecting arm. The cushioning device of claim 2, wherein the support member is provided with a blind hole, and the resisting member and the elastic member are received in the blind hole. The cushioning device of claim 7, wherein the base is provided with a positioning portion, and the positioning portion cooperates with the blind hole. The cushioning device of claim 1, wherein the elastic member of the reset mechanism is a helical compression spring. The cushioning device of claim 1, wherein the protrusion and the pit are both hemispherical, and the diameter of the protrusion is smaller than the diameter of the pit.