Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J19/00—Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with manipulators
  • B25J19/0008—Balancing devices
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J19/00—Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with manipulators
  • B25J19/0004—Braking devices
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J9/00—Programme-controlled manipulators
  • B25J9/02—Programme-controlled manipulators characterised by movement of the arms, e.g. cartesian coordinate type
  • B25J9/04—Programme-controlled manipulators characterised by movement of the arms, e.g. cartesian coordinate type by rotating at least one arm, excluding the head movement itself, e.g. cylindrical coordinate type or polar coordinate type
  • B25J9/046—Revolute coordinate type
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S414/00—Material or article handling
  • Y10S414/13—Handlers utilizing parallel links
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T74/00—Machine element or mechanism
  • Y10T74/20—Control lever and linkage systems
  • Y10T74/20207—Multiple controlling elements for single controlled element
  • Y10T74/20305—Robotic arm
  • Y10T74/20317—Robotic arm including electric motor
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T74/00—Machine element or mechanism
  • Y10T74/20—Control lever and linkage systems
  • Y10T74/20207—Multiple controlling elements for single controlled element
  • Y10T74/20305—Robotic arm
  • Y10T74/20329—Joint between elements

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an industrial robot compri ⁇ sing a stand arranged on a foot and being rotatable about a first axis, the stand comprising a supporting plate with at least one supporting element which supports a first robot arm which is rotatable about a second axis.
• a manipulator for example an industrial robot, has a stand which is rotatably arranged on a foot fixed to a base plate and which supports a first robot arm which is rotatable in relation to the stand.
• a second robot arm is rotatably journalled.
• This second arm is rotat ⁇ able about its own longitudinal axis and supports, at its outer end, a robot, hand which is provided with a tool a ach- ment and which is rotatable in two degrees of freedom relative to the second arm.
• a drive means is arranged at each axis.
• Each such drive means comprises a motor and a reduction gear with a high gear ratio.
• An industrial robot of the above-mentioned kind has an opera ⁇ ting range which is limited by the physical extent of the arms of the robot as well as the mobility around the axes.
• An industrial robot fixed to a base plate therefore has a given operating range within which the workpieces to be machined by the industrial robot must be introduced.
• an indus ⁇ trial robot may be used for a wide variety of tasks, and for this reason demands are sometimes made for a changed accessi ⁇ bility or a changed operating range.
• the operating range By moving the industrial robot to a new attachment point, the operating range may be moved, but in order to change the operating range, it is also required that the structure of the industrial robot be changed. This can be achieved by replacing parts of the robot, for example the stand or some of the robot arms.
• an industrial robot in which the operating range can be increased by extending the second arm. This is achieved by providing the second arm with an extension module.
• the operating range can also be changed by so-called shelf mounting, in which case an angular module is joined to the stand. This module gives the robot a changed operating range allowing it to work in front of and under itself.
• One problem with the described methods of increasing the flexi- Dility of the robot by reconstructing it is that a production loss arises during the mounting time.
• An additional problem is that the reconstruction entails new cabling, which results in additional costs.
• a robot configuration changed in this way also entails a reprogrammmg of the control equipment of the robot.
• the object of the invention is to achieve an industrial robot, tne operating range of which may be adapted to different production purposes without any costs for rebuilding or production loss arising.
• Such an industrial robot is to be capable of being adjusted, simply and in a short time, to different types of operating ranges and different work opera ⁇ tions.
• the stand comprises adjustable supporting elements for the first arm, allowing the robot to tilt forwards or backwards.
• the supporting elements are rota ⁇ table around a horizontal axis parallel to the axis of the first arm and capable of being fixed to a supporting plate comprised m the stand.
• the supporting elements are arranged mutually parallel and are fixed to the supporting plate with friction joints in fixed angular steps known to the control equipment.
• the robot can be rapidly reconfigured to operating ranges of the "under' body” type, in which the robot is working from below towards an object above itself. It can also be rapidly adjusted to an operating range of the "shelf- mounted” type, in which the robot is working in front of and under itself as if it were placed on a shelf. The change can be carried out without having to replace the cabling of the robot.
• the robot By introducing the rotatably attachable supporting elements, the robot can be adjusted in a very short time to a new production purpose.
• Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional view of an industrial robot according to the invention
• Figure 2 shows a side view of an industrial robot according to the invention with examples of a few types of working ranges which may by achieved.
• the industrial robot shown in Figure 1 has a stand 2 which is rotatably journalled in a cylindrical robot foot 1 which is secured to a mounting base, the stand being capable of pivo ⁇ ting about a vertical axis A.
• the stand 2 comprises an inter ⁇ mediate part 5, which supports a first robot arm 8.
• the first robot arm 8 is pivotally journalled in the intermediate part 5 about a horizontal axis B.
• a second robot arm 11 is pivotally journalled about a horizontal axis C which is parallel to axis B.
• the second robot arm 11 consists of a rear part 11a, which is capable of pivoting about the axis C, and a tubular front part lib journalled in the rear part and being rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the arm 11.
• the outer end portion of the front arm part consists of a wrist 12, which comprises a wrist part 13 rotatable about an axis, normally the longitudinal ax s of the second arm, and a tool attachment in the form of a turning disc 14, which is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the wrist part 13.
• the stand 2 has a U-shaped cross section, in which a first vertically projecting part 3a and a second vertically projec ⁇ ting part 3b are fixed to a lower supporting plate 4 which is rotatable around the vertical axis A.
• the intermediate part 5 is rotatably attach ⁇ able around a horizontal axis B' parallel to axis B.
• the intermediate part 5 comprises a first supporting element 6a and a second supporting element 6b which is parallel to the first element, between which a space 16 is created in which the first robot arm can be pivoted.
• the supporting elements 6 are attached to the projecting parts 3 of the stand by means of a friction joint 17.
• the supporting elements 6 are box- shaped with an upper and a lower semicylmdrical portion. To ensure that the supporting elements 6 always move mutually parallel, they are rigidly connected to a horizontal cross bar 7.
• the first robot arm 8 is pivotally journalled in the upper ends of the supporting elements 6.
• the movement of the first robot arm around the horizontal axis B is balanced by a first equalizer spring 9a and a second equalizer spring 9b, which are articulately fixed between the upper end of the first robot arm 8 and the respective suppor ⁇ ting elements 6a, 6b.
• the lower end of the first robot arm 8 is connected to a drive means which is fixed to the first supporting element 6a and which comprises a motor 10a and a reduction gear housed in the first supporting element 6a.
• the pivoting of the second robot arm 11 is performed over a parallel rod, the lower end of which is connected to a crank rotatable about the axis B.
• the extended crank arm supports a counterweight 15 for balancing the second robot arm 11, and its crankshaft is connected to a drive means which is attached to the second supporting element and which comprises a motor 10b and a reduction gear housed in the second supporting element 6b.
• Figure 2 shows how an industrial robot according to the invention may be configured to different types of operating ranges.
• Figure 2a shows a normal operating range 20 whereas Figure 2b shows how the robot can be given an operating range
• Figure 2c shows how the robot can be given an operating range
• the described industrial robot according to the invention is not limited to comprising an industrial robot with a stand having two projecting parts 3.
• the intermediate part 5, which may comprise only one supporting element, can advantageously be fixed to a stand with only one projecting part.
• the invention limited to being applied to a robot with a counter ⁇ weight and a parallel rod, but may also be applied to a robot without such means.
• the pivoting of the intermediate part 5 is suitably carried out by a drive means connected between the supporting plate and one of the supporting elements 6 and comprising a motor and a reduction gear.
• This drive means may be of a simpler kind than the drive means of the robot and may be housed in the supporting element.
• the operating range is set with the drive means whereupon the supporting element is fixed to the supporting plate by means of the friction joint.
• the intermediate part 5 is fixed to the supporting plate 4 so as to form a stand 2 with a stable shape.
• the robot functions as an ordinary industrial robot with six degrees of freedom. This facilitates the programming of the control equipment.
• the friction joint 17 is detached, allowing the intermediate part to be rotated and adjusted into the desired position, whereupon the intermediate part 5 is again locked with the friction joint 17.
• the new fixed position may be known to the control equipment in advance or be sensed by means of a calibration process. Such a calibration process may be performed such that the robot in its new position is brought to sense a number of known positions, the coordinates of which are fed into the control system.
• the locking member for fixing the intermediate part is not limited to being a friction joint but may arbitrarily consist of a member which fixes the intermediate part to the supporting plate so that the loading torque of the robot can be transferred to the supporting plate.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Robotics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Manipulator (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (23)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1995
  • 1995-03-30 SE SE9501139A patent/SE515119C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1996
  • 1996-03-28 JP JP8529275A patent/JPH11503672A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 1996-03-28 WO PCT/SE1996/000404 patent/WO1996030168A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1996-03-28 US US08/913,421 patent/US5901613A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1996-03-28 EP EP96909437A patent/EP0969950A1/en not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (3)

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