WO2012152559A1

WO2012152559A1 - Device for moving and positioning an object in space

Info

Publication number: WO2012152559A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/057172
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michel Huser; Matthias Tschudi; David Keiffer; Alain Teklits; Mohamed Bouri; Reymond Clavel; Marc-Olivier Demaurex
Original assignee: Robert Bosch Gmbh
Priority date: 2011-05-06
Filing date: 2012-04-19
Publication date: 2012-11-15
Also published as: DE102011075418A1; EP2704883A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (10) for moving and positioning an object in space, comprising a base platform (11) on which in particular three drive units (15) equipped with servo motors (16) are arranged, which cooperate via lever-shaped transmission elements (24) having two arms (31, 32) respectively, said arms being connected to a carrier element (40) on the side facing away from the transmission element (24), to which carrier element an apparatus (42) for handling the object is attached. According to the invention, the output shafts (21) of the servo motors (16) are coupled directly, that is without the use of gearboxes connected to the servo motors (16), to the respective two arms (31, 32) via the transmission elements (24), and mechanical vibration damping elements (100; 100a to 100f) for damping vibrations generated by the servo motors (16) are arranged in the region of the transmission elements (24) and/or of the arms (31, 32) and/or of the carrier element (40).

Description

Description title

Device for moving and positioning an object in space

State of the art

The invention relates to a device for moving and positioning an object in the space according to the preamble of claim 1. Such, known from US 4,976,582 device is used in particular, objects in a more or less disorderly arrangement on a feed device, for example a conveyor belt be taken over and stored, for example, at the designated position in a package. In practice, such an application is, for example, the packaging of on a conveyor conveyed chunky food, such as

Cookies, in receiving compartments of a blister pack. For this purpose, the known device has a base platform, are arranged in the drive units for moving arms, wherein the drive units opposite end portions of the arms are connected to a support member which is freely movable in space by a corresponding control of the drive units. On the support element, in turn, for example, a gripper, for example in the form of a suction gripper is arranged, which keeps the individual objects gently and promotes between positions in the room. In addition, in particular, a camera system is provided which detects the objects and serves to control the carrier element. Furthermore, it can be provided that by means of an additional transmission element, the holding device connected to the carrier element is rotatably arranged in a fourth axis in order to take over or deposit the article in the desired position. Such known from the prior art devices usually have drive units whose servomotors is connected via a coupled to the respective servo motor gearbox with the arm mentioned. The disadvantage here is that during operation of the servomotors, if this immedi bar, that is without the interposition of a transmission with the appropriate

Arm is connected, vibrations are generated by the servo motor, which are transmitted via the output shaft of the servo motor in the arms of the device into the support element and thus also up to the object. These vibrations are expressed on the one hand in a discernible, for a next to the device observer disturbing noise, and on the other, thereby the components of the device additionally claimed and possibly even damaged the objects, especially for example shock or vibration sensitive food. Another aspect of such a device relates to the requirement that these, especially if they are to be used in the food industry, can be easily cleaned and should have a very simple (closed) design, which additionally avoids that in the device Used lubricants, such as those found in the use of transmissions in the range of servomotors, can be flushed out during cleaning.

Disclosure of the invention

Based on the illustrated prior art, the invention has the object, a device for moving and positioning an object in space according to the preamble of claim 1 such that the disadvantages described above are overcome. In particular, a mechanically simplified structure is to be achieved by eliminating a gear connected to the servo motor, which also improves the mentioned cleanability of the device in addition to a cost reduction, at the same time the generation or transmission of vibrations or vibrations should be at least largely prevented. This object is achieved in a device for moving and positioning an object in the room with the features of claim 1 according to the invention in that the output shafts of the Drive units via the transmission elements directly, that is coupled without the use of gear connected to the servomotor, with the respective arms, and that in the region of the transmission elements and / or the arms and / or the support member mechanical vibration damping elements for damping by the servomotor generated

Vibrations are arranged.

Advantageous developments of the device according to the invention for moving and positioning an object in space are specified in the subclaims. All combinations of at least two of the features disclosed in the claims, the description and / or the figures fall within the scope of the invention.

In a first structural embodiment of the invention it is proposed that the vibration damping elements facing the arms

End regions of the transmission elements are arranged and comprise a damping medium arranged in a damping mass. As a result of the damping mass arranged in the damping medium, the vibrations introduced via the output shafts of the servo motor are effectively damped, with a liquid being used as the damping medium, which can be selected with regard to the mentioned cleanability in terms of its composition.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the first constructive solution is proposed that the damping mass is positioned by means of at least one spring element in the damping medium. As a result, the safe function of the damping element is ensured.

A further structural embodiment of the invention provides that the vibration damping elements in the region of a connecting element for

Connecting the transmission element are arranged with the two arms, and that the vibration damping elements comprise an elastic damping mass, in particular made of rubber. Such a solution has the advantage of a particularly simple and inexpensive construction and also avoids the fact that no (liquid) foreign substances are used for damping, easy cleanability. Furthermore, it should be regarded as an advantage that this solution is relatively compact and thus occupies little additional space on the device. Due to the precise dimensioning (in particular modulus of elasticity and geometric dimensions) of the vibration damping element, moreover, the vibration damping element can be adapted relatively easily to the respective specific requirements.

A further structural embodiment of the invention provides that an output shaft of the servomotor connected to the transmission element has an extension section on which a vibration damping element, in particular a Lanchester damper, is arranged. This solution has the advantage that a standardized vibration damping element can be used, which can be relatively easily connected to the servo motor.

It is particularly preferred for easy installation of the vibration damping element, it is when the vibration damping element is arranged on the side facing away from the servo motor side of the transmission element.

A further constructive alternative to the design of the vibration damping element provides that this is designed as a coupling element made of elastic material, which connects two sections of an arm together. This design has the advantage that it can also be implemented relatively easily in terms of design and manufacturing technology and moreover requires relatively little installation space on the device.

Alternatively or additionally, it is also conceivable that the Schwingungsdämp- tion elements are designed as a connecting spring which connects the two arms of a drive unit associated with each other, wherein in the region of the connecting spring, a damping mass, in particular of elastic material is arranged.

In this embodiment, the vibration damping element can also be relatively easily adapted to the respective requirements, for example by a suitable choice of the material or the geometry of the connecting spring or the damping mass a relatively simple adaptation to the vibration behavior of the servo motor is made possible. Moreover, the connecting springs may be arranged such that they For example, it is relatively easy to remove from the arms for cleaning the device or simply to attach to these after cleaning.

Finally, a structural design of the vibration damping elements is proposed, in which the arms are connected to the carrier element via connecting elements, wherein between the connecting elements and the carrier element at least one consisting of elastic material vibration damping element is arranged.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and from the drawing.

This shows in:

1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention for moving and positioning an object in space,

2 components of a drive unit with a servomotor, as used in the apparatus according to FIG. 1, in exploded view,

Fig. 3a

and 3b representations of a first arrangement according to the invention and design of the vibration damping elements in a perspective partial view and in a sectional view,

Fig. 4a

to 4c, a second structural design of the vibration damping elements in a perspective view and in longitudinal section,

Fig. 5a

and FIG. 5b shows a third structural embodiment of the vibration damping elements in the region of an arm in longitudinal section and in perspective, Fig. 6a

and FIG. 6b shows a fourth structural embodiment of the vibration damping elements in a perspective view or in a sectional view,

Fig. 7 shows a fifth structural design of a vibration damping element in the form of a two arms connecting spring with an elastic material disposed therein in a sectional view and

8 shows a fifth constructive embodiment of the vibration damping elements in the region of the carrier element in a perspective view.

The same components or components with the same function are provided in the figures with the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows a device 10 according to the invention for moving and positioning an object (not shown) in space. Such a device 10 finds use, for example, for picking up a lumpy food such as a biscuit from a feed belt (also not shown) and for depositing the article into, for example, the receptacle of a packaging container, for example a blister pack.

The mounted on a frame or a pillar device 10 has a base platform 1 1, at the three support plates 12, for example, three drive units 15 are arranged or fixed, which are each formed identically. Preferably, the three drive units 15 are arranged at uniform angular intervals, that is, at an angular distance of 120 ° to each other. Each of the drive units 15 comprises a servo motor 16 with a rotary encoder 17, which is actuated by the control device 20 of the device 10 via a respective line 18. The servo motor 16 is connected to a front side with the support plate 12, in particular screwed, and has an output shaft 21 which is rotatable according to the double arrow 22 (Figure 2). The output shaft 21 penetrates a hole 23 in the support plate 12 and is directly, that is, without using a gear coupled to the servo motor 16, connected to a lever 24 which is disposed on the servomotor 16 opposite side of the support plate 12. On the lever 24, a joint 25 with two joint balls 26, 27 is arranged on the opposite side of the output shaft 21, which are coupled to corresponding joint cups 28, 29. Each of the sockets 28, 29 is coupled to one end of an arm 31, 32, wherein the two arms 31, 32 are arranged parallel to each other and have the same length. The end regions of the arms 31, 32 opposite the joint sockets 28, 29 are, in turn, coupled to other joint balls 33, 34 of a rod-shaped connecting element 35 via further joint sockets, not shown, as can be seen in particular with reference to FIG.

Since three drive units 15 with corresponding servomotors 16, levers 24 and two arms 31, 32 are provided in the exemplary embodiment, the above statements naturally apply analogously to all three drive units 15.

The respective end regions of the arms 31, 32 lying opposite the lever 24 are thus connected via a total of three connecting elements 35 to a carrier element 40, which is designed as a receiving plate and has a through-hole 41 in a middle region. With the underside of the support member 40 in Fig. 1 only symbolically represented manipulator 42 is connected, which is suitable for gripping the addressed objects, and by way of example two in the direction of the double arrows 43 movable fingers 44, 45 summarized. In particular, it may be provided that the manipulator 42 is rotatably mounted about an additional, visible in FIG. 1 axis of rotation 46, including, for example, a further, not shown in the figures shaft, via an additional drive in the base platform 1 1 is rotatable, and with its the base platform 11 opposite end of the through hole 41 penetrates and is coupled to the manipulator 42.

Such a device 10 described so far is known per se with regard to the use of servomotors 16, levers 24 as well as arms 31, 32 and a carrier element 40. Due to the direct coupling of the servo motors 16 with the levers 24 and the arms 31, 32, without the use of an intermediate gearbox, the problem arises due to the servo Motors 16 generated vibrations that transmit over the addressed elements to the manipulator 42. To counteract this, the device 10 according to the invention individually or in combination on vibration damping elements 100, which are exemplified below:

In the first embodiment shown in Figs. 3a and 3b, a vibration damping element 100a is arranged in the region of the lever 24 on the output shaft 21 opposite side of the servomotor 16, which has a damping mass 103 in a tubular housing 102, which is approximately in the central region of the housing 102 is arranged. The two end faces of the damping mass 103 are each connected to a helical spring 104, 105, whose end facing away from the damping mass 103 is anchored in the end regions of the housing 102. Within the housing 102 is a damping fluid, not shown, for. As an oil, the kinetic energy or the vibration of the damping mass 103 is reduced or attenuated due to its relatively high viscosity at a vibration or a movement of the damping mass 103. For this purpose, it is essential that the vibration damping element 100a is arranged in operative connection with the lever 24, for example by the two ends of the housing 102 serve as an intermediate element in the lever 24.

FIGS. 4a to 4c show a second vibration damping element 100b. The vibration damping element 100b is formed in the region of the joint 25 in the form of two, for example annular, damping masses 107, 108, which consist in particular of rubber. By means of the damping masses 107, 108, the two rod-shaped hinge rods 109, 1 10, one end of which carries one of the joint balls 26, 27, connected to the lever 24 by the link rods 109, 1 10 with the damping masses 107, 108 a with the Form lever 24, for example, screw-fastening unit 11 1. By coupling the hinge rods 109, 110 over the

Damping masses 107, 108 with the fixing unit 1 1 1 are also attenuated via the lever 24 causally initiated by the servo motor 16 vibrations or vibrations and not transmitted to the articulated rods 109, 1 10 coupled arms 31, 32. FIGS. 5a and 5b show a further constructive embodiment of the invention. In this case, vibration damping elements 100c in the form of sleeve-shaped rubber elements 1 15 are provided as coupling elements, which are arranged integrated in the arms 31, 32. For this purpose, the two arms 31, 32 are also each sleeve-shaped or tubular and additionally divided.

By way of example, two arm sections 116, 117 are formed on the arm 31, which are connected via a tubular metallic connecting piece 118 and the rubber element 115 which radially surrounds the connecting piece 118, wherein the rubber element 15 has a diameter section in a central region 1 19, to prevent the two facing ends of the arm portions 16, 17 directly abut each other. The inner sides of the arm portions 1 16, 1 17 are connected to the rubber element 1 15 at its periphery. By means of such a design of the vibration damping element 100c, on the one hand, a certain rigidity of the arms 31, 32 is achieved and, on the other hand, an attenuation of introduced into the lever 24

Vibrations or vibrations in the direction of the carrier element 40 achieved.

In the case of the vibration damping element 100d illustrated in FIGS. 6a and 6b, the latter is designed as a disk-shaped unit 120, which is coupled via a shaft coupling 121 to an extended section of the output shaft 21 on the side of the servomotor 16 opposite the lever 24. The unit 120 comprises a housing 123, in which a damping mass 124 and a damping means 125 are arranged. Vibrations generated by the servomotor 16 are thus introduced via the (extended) output shaft 21 and the shaft coupling 121 into the unit 120 and damped there, and thus in particular not transmitted to the lever 24. The unit 120 or the vibration damping element 100d may in particular be a so-called "Lancaster damper", which is offered as a standard component in various sizes.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the vibration damping element 100e is designed as a connecting spring 130, which connects the two arms 31, 32 to one another via U-shaped fasteners 131, 132. It is preferably provided that the vibration damping elements 100e are arranged on the side of the arms 31, 32 facing the carrier element 40, as can be seen in particular with reference to FIG. The Ver- binding spring 130 is advantageously via pin-shaped elements 133 which engage in corresponding holes in the arms 31, 32, easily removable from the arms 31, 32 and there again mounted, as is particularly necessary when the arms 31, 32 and the device 10 is to be cleaned. According to the invention, the vibration damping element 100e comprises a, in the region of the form of a helical spring 134 formed as a connecting spring 130, for example, cylindrically shaped damping mass 135, z. B. in the form of a rubber element.

Finally, another vibration damping element 10Of is shown in FIG. 8, which connects the connecting element 35 to the carrier element 40 in the form of a plate-shaped intermediate element 137, for which purpose the intermediate element 137 has through holes 138 in order to fix the connecting element 35 to the carrier element 40 by means of screws 139 to enable. The intermediate element 137 is preferably also formed of damping, elastic material and consists for example also of rubber.

The device 10 described so far as well as the vibration damping elements 100, 100a to 100f can be modified or modified in many different ways without deviating from the idea of the invention. This is to provide mechanically acting vibration damping elements 100, 100a to 10Of to dampen vibrations generated by the servo motor 16 when it is directly, i. H. without the use of an intermediate gear, with a lever 24 and with arms 31, 32 is coupled. In particular, it may be provided that not only one of the vibration damping elements 100, 100a to 10Of is used, but a combination of a plurality of vibration damping elements 100, 100a to 10Of. It may also be provided that not all of the vibration damping elements 100a to 100f are used in all drive units 15, but, for example, only one or / and other of the vibration damping elements 100a to 100f in one or the other drive unit 15.

Claims

claims

1. Device (10) for moving and positioning an object in space, with a base platform (1 1), on which in particular three, with servomotors (16) equipped drive units (15) are arranged, which via lever-shaped transmission elements (24) cooperate with two arms (31, 32), respectively, which are connected on the side facing away from the transmission element (24) with a carrier element (40) to which a device (42) for handling the object is attached, characterized in that the output shafts (21) of the servomotors (16) are coupled to the respective two arms (31, 32) via the transmission elements (24) directly, that is without the use of gears connected to the servomotors (16), and that in the region of the transmission elements ( 24) and / or the arms (31, 32) and / or the support member (40) mechanical vibration damping elements (100, 100a to 10Of) arrange for damping vibrations generated by the servo motors (16) et are.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1,

characterized,

in that the vibration damping elements (100a) are arranged on the end regions of the transmission elements (24) facing the arms (31, 32) and comprise a damping mass (103) arranged in a damping medium.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2,

characterized,

in that the damping mass (103) is positioned in the damping medium by means of at least one spring element (104, 105).

Device according to one of claims 1 to 3,

characterized,

in that the vibration damping elements (100d) are arranged in the region of a connecting element for connecting the transmission element to the two arms, and in that the vibration damping elements comprise an elastic damping mass, in particular made of rubber.

Device according to one of claims 1 to 4,

characterized,

in that the output shaft (21) of the servomotor (16) connected to the transmission element (24) is designed to be longer, and in that a vibration damping element (100d), in particular a Lanchester damper, is arranged on the extended section.

Device according to claim 5,

characterized,

in that the vibration damping element (100d) is arranged on the side of the transmission element (24) facing away from the servomotor (16).

Device according to one of claims 1 to 6,

characterized,

in that the vibration damping element (100c) is designed as a coupling element (1 15) made of elastic material, which connects two sections (116, 17) of an arm (31, 32) to one another.

Device according to one of claims 1 to 7,

characterized,

in that the vibration damping element (100e) has a connecting spring (130) which connects the two arms (31, 32) associated with a drive unit (15), wherein a damping mass (135), in particular of elastic material, is arranged in the region of the connecting spring (130) is.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8,

characterized,

in that the connecting spring (130) is arranged on the side of the arms (31, 32) facing the carrier element (40).

10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9,

characterized,

in that the arms (31, 32) are connected to the carrier element (40) via connecting elements (35), and that at least one damping element (100f) consisting of elastic material is arranged between the connecting elements (35) and the carrier element (40).