WO2019111369A1

WO2019111369A1 - Mechanical chuck, industrial robot, and workpiece moving device

Info

Publication number: WO2019111369A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/043957
Authority: WO
Inventors: 識西山
Original assignee: 株式会社Ｆｕｊｉ
Priority date: 2017-12-07
Filing date: 2017-12-07
Publication date: 2019-06-13
Also published as: JP6993427B2; JPWO2019111369A1

Abstract

The mechanical chuck according to the present disclosure is provided with: a body portion; first and second grip members each of which is at least partially projected from the body portion, in the thickness direction of the body portion; a first piston which has an axial direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, which moves in first and second directions extending along the axial direction, and which, in association with such movement, moves the first grip member in the axial direction; a second piston which is provided to the body portion so as to have an axial direction in parallel with that of the first piston and to move in the first and second directions, and which, in association with such movement, moves the second grip member in the axial direction; a link mechanism which links movement of the first piston with movement of the second piston such that a first state and a second state in which, compared to the first state, the first piston has moved further in the second direction and the second piston has moved further in the first direction are switched; a pressure supply path for switching from the first state to the second state; and an elastic member for switching from the second state to the first state.

Description

Mechanical chuck, industrial robot and work transfer device

The present disclosure relates to a mechanical chuck, an industrial robot, and a work moving device.

BACKGROUND Conventionally, a mechanical chuck provided with a pair of gripping claws that grip components is known (for example, Patent Document 1). The mechanical chuck described in Patent Document 1 includes a vacuum hole, a piston that reciprocates up and down in the vacuum hole, a pair of sliders, and a compression spring. In this mechanical chuck, when the vacuum hole is in the vacuum OFF state, the force from the compression spring releases the gripping of the component by the gripping claws. Further, in this mechanical chuck, when the vacuum hole is in the vacuum ON state, the piston ascends to move the slider, whereby the gripping claw grips the component. The mechanical chuck is attached to a mounting head movable in the X and Y directions.

JP 2012-199315

However, in the mechanical chuck described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the thickness of the mechanical chuck in the vertical direction tends to be large because the piston reciprocates in the vertical direction while the gripping claws move in the horizontal direction. The When the thickness in the vertical direction of the mechanical chuck is large, for example, the mechanical chuck may contact another object when moving the mechanical chuck.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has as its main object to provide a mechanical chuck that can be thinned.

The present disclosure takes the following measures in order to achieve the above-described main objects.

The mechanical chuck of the present disclosure is
Body part,
First and second gripping members in which at least a portion of each of the main body protrudes in the thickness direction of the main body;
An axial direction is perpendicular to the thickness direction, and is disposed on the main body so as to move in a first direction along the axial direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction, along with the movement A first piston for moving the first grip in the axial direction;
The first piston is disposed in the main body so that the axial direction is parallel to the first piston and moved in the first and second directions, and the second grip is moved in the axial direction according to the movement. With 2 pistons,
The movement of the first and second pistons is interlocked so that the first and second pistons move in opposite directions along the axial direction, and the first state and the first state are compared with each other. An interlocking mechanism that switches between a second state in which the piston moves in the second direction and the second piston moves in the first direction;
A pressure supply passage provided in the main body for causing an externally supplied pressure to act on at least the first piston to switch from the first state to the second state;
An elastic member that biases at least one of the first piston and the second piston in a direction to switch from the second state to the first state by an elastic force;
Is provided.

In this mechanical chuck, when pressure is supplied to the pressure supply path from the outside, this pressure acts on at least the first piston. The pressure causes the first piston to move in the second direction, and the interlocking mechanism causes the second piston to move in the opposite first direction to switch from the first state to the second state. Further, in the state in which the mechanical chuck does not supply pressure for switching to the second state, the first and second pistons are moved by the elastic force of the elastic member and the interlocking mechanism to cut the second state into the first state. change. Since the first and second holding members move in the axial direction along with the movement of the first and second pistons, the first and second holding members are in the approaching state in one of the first state and the second state, and in the other It will be in the separated state. Therefore, the mechanical chuck can grip the workpiece in one of the approaching state and the separated state, and can release the gripping in the other state. In this mechanical chuck, the moving directions, ie, axial directions, of the first and second pistons are perpendicular to the thickness direction of the main body, ie, the projecting direction of the first and second holding members. Therefore, the moving distance of the first and second pistons hardly affects the thickness of the mechanical chuck. Therefore, compared with, for example, the case where the moving directions of the first and second pistons are along the thickness direction, the mechanical chuck can be made thinner. Here, the "pressure" may be a positive pressure or a negative pressure. "Vertical" includes substantially vertical cases. "Parallel" includes substantially parallel cases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of a robot 10; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical connection in the work moving apparatus 100. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a mechanical chuck 50. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a mechanical chuck 50. FIG. 7 is a top view of a drive mechanism 70 of the mechanical chuck 50. FIG. 7 is a front view of a grip portion 60 of the mechanical chuck 50 and a drive mechanism 70. AA sectional drawing of FIG.

Embodiments of the work transfer apparatus of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of a work moving apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory view of the robot 10. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical connection relationship in the work transfer apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. The left-right direction (X-axis), the front-rear direction (Y-axis), and the up-down direction (Z-axis) of the workpiece moving device 100 are as shown in FIG. Also, the robot 10 is movable in all directions, and there is no specific direction fixed, but for the convenience of description, the left-right direction (X axis), the front-rear direction (Y axis) and the up-down direction shown in FIG. It demonstrates using Z axis | shaft).

The work transfer apparatus 100 is configured as an apparatus that performs a predetermined work including movement on an article to be worked (here, the work W). The work transfer apparatus 100 includes a robot 10, a base 101, a work transfer apparatus 102, a pallet transfer apparatus 103, a pressure supply source 106, and a control unit 90 (see FIG. 3) for controlling the entire apparatus. ing. A camera 40 and a mechanical chuck 50 are attached to the robot 10. The base 101 arranges and fixes the robot 10, the work transfer device 102 and the pallet transfer device 103. The work transfer device 102 and the pallet transfer device 103 are each configured as a belt conveyor. The work transfer apparatus 102 transfers a plurality of works W supplied to the front of the apparatus by a work supply unit or a worker (not shown) to the vicinity of the rear pallet transfer apparatus 103. The pallet conveyance device 103 conveys the pallet 105 in the right direction to carry in and out the pallet 105. The pressure source 106 supplies pressure to a tool (here, the mechanical chuck 50) attached to the robot 10.

The robot 10 is configured as an industrial robot that performs predetermined work including movement on the workpiece W. The workpiece W is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include various parts such as mechanical parts, electrical parts, electronic parts, and chemical parts, as well as food, bio and biological related articles. In the present embodiment, the robot 10 picks up and moves a plurality of workpieces W configured as chip-like electronic components from the workpiece conveyance device 102 and places the workpieces W in the plurality of concave portions on the pallet 105. .

The robot 10 is a multi-axis robot configured as a vertical articulated robot, and includes an arm unit 20, a third support unit 23, a pedestal unit 24, and a tip unit 30. The arm unit 20 has a plurality of arms, and in the present embodiment, has first and

second arms

21 and 22. The robot 10 also includes first to fifth rotation mechanisms 26a to 26e (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The first to fifth rotation mechanisms 26a to 26e each have a rotation shaft, a gear mechanism, and the like. Each of the first to fifth rotation mechanisms 26a to 26e is rotated by a motor (not shown) that the robot 10 has. Further, the robot 10 is provided with a plurality of encoders (not shown) for detecting the rotational position of the motor corresponding to each of the first to fifth rotation mechanisms 26a to 26e. In FIG. 2, the rotation directions of the first to fifth rotation mechanisms 26a to 26e are indicated by thick arrows.

As shown in FIG. 2, the end of the first arm 21 is connected to the tip 30 through the first rotation mechanism 26 a. The first rotation mechanism 26 a rotates the tip 30 with respect to the first arm 21. The end of the first arm 21 opposite to the tip end 30 is connected to the second arm 22 via the second rotation mechanism 26 b. The second rotation mechanism 26 b rotates the first arm 21 with respect to the second arm 22. An end of the second arm 22 opposite to the first arm 21 is connected to the third support 23 via a third rotation mechanism 26c. The third rotation mechanism 26 c rotates the second arm 22 with respect to the third support portion 23. The third support 23 is connected to the pedestal 24 via the fourth rotation mechanism 26 d and supported by the pedestal 24. The fourth rotation mechanism 26 d horizontally pivots the third support 23 with respect to the pedestal 24.

The distal end portion 30 includes a mounting portion 32 to which various tools (also referred to as end effectors) for performing work on the workpiece W can be mounted at the lower end. The mounting portion 32 is disposed on the lower surface of the tip portion 30 main body. In the present embodiment, a mechanical chuck 50 is attached to the lower end of the mounting portion 32 as a tool. The fifth rotation mechanism 26e is disposed in the distal end portion 30, and rotates (rotations) the mounting portion 32 about an axis extending in the vertical direction. Thereby, the mechanical chuck 50 is also rotated (rotated) together with the mounting portion 32. On the side surface near the lower end of the mounting portion 32, a pressure supply nozzle 33 projecting rightward is disposed. The pressure supply nozzle 33 is connected to the pressure inlet member 59 of the mechanical chuck 50 by a pipe 34. The pipe 34 is made of, for example, a flexible material such as resin. The pressure from the pressure supply source 106 reaches the pressure supply nozzle 33 through a pipe (not shown) or a hole provided in the inside of the distal end portion 30, and is supplied from the pressure supply nozzle 33 to the mechanical chuck 50 through the piping 34. Be done. The mechanical chuck 50 grips and releases the workpiece W using the pressure from the pressure supply source 106.

The camera 40 is attached to the lower surface of the distal end portion 30 and disposed in front of the mounting portion 32. The camera 40 moves with the mechanical chuck 50 by the movement of the tip end portion 30. The camera 40 includes an irradiation unit 41 and an imaging unit 42. The irradiation unit 41 is illumination arranged in a circular shape on the outer periphery of the imaging unit 42, and irradiates light to the lower imaging target. The imaging unit 42 is a unit capable of capturing an image, and captures an image of an object by capturing the lower side of FIG. 2. The imaging unit 42 includes an optical system such as a lens, and an imaging device that generates an electric charge by receiving light and outputs the generated electric charge. The camera 40 generates image data based on the charge output from the imaging unit 42, and outputs the generated image data to the control unit 90.

The control unit 90 is configured as a microprocessor centering on a CPU, and controls the entire work moving apparatus 100. The control unit 90 outputs a drive signal to the above-described motor to drive the first to fifth rotation mechanisms 26a to 26e, or receives a signal from the above-described encoder, and thereby the position and mechanism of the tip portion 30. The direction of the chuck 50 is controlled. The control unit 90 outputs control signals to the camera 40, the work transfer device 102, and the pallet transfer device 103, and inputs image data from the camera 40. The control unit 90 outputs a control signal to the pressure supply source 106 to control the presence or absence of the pressure (here, positive pressure) supplied by the pressure supply source 106, thereby controlling the gripping and releasing of the mechanical chuck 50. Do.

The mechanical chuck 50 will be described in detail. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the mechanical chuck 50. FIG. FIG. 6 is a top view of the drive mechanism 70 of the mechanical chuck 50. As shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a front view of the grip portion 60 of the mechanical chuck 50 and the drive mechanism 70. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 6 and 7 virtually show the inside of the mechanical chuck 50 through the main body 51 virtually. 4 to 6, 7A and 8A show a first state of the mechanical chuck 50, and FIGS. 7B and 8B show a second state of the mechanical chuck 50. In the present embodiment, the first state is a state in which the mechanical chuck 50 does not grip the workpiece W (grip release), and the second state is a state in which the mechanical chuck 50 grips the workpiece W. Similarly to the robot 10, the mechanical chuck 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8 using the directions shown in FIG.

The mechanical chuck 50 includes a main body 51, a grip 60 (see FIG. 5), and a drive mechanism 70 (see FIG. 6). The main body 51 is a substantially rectangular metal member and serves as a housing of the mechanical chuck 50. The main body portion 51 has the smallest length in the thickness direction (here, the vertical direction) among the lengths of the three sides of the rectangular parallelepiped. The drive mechanism 70 is disposed inside the main body 51.

The main body 51 includes an attaching portion 52 for attaching the mechanical chuck 50 to the attaching portion 32, and a pressure supply passage 58 to which pressure is supplied from the outside (see FIG. 4). A guide hole 54 and first and second

upper side holes

55a and 55b are formed in the upper portion of the main body 51. In the main body portion, first and second

horizontal holes

56a and 56b, which are through holes parallel in the axial direction to the left and right direction, are formed (see FIGS. 4 and 8). First and second lower holes 53a and 53b are formed in the lower part of the main body 51 (see FIG. 5).

The mounting portion 52 is provided on the upper surface of the main body portion 51, and includes a plurality of (here, four) bolt holes 52a. The mechanical chuck 50 is attached to the lower surface of the mounting portion 32 using the bolt holes 52 a and a bolt (not shown). The guide holes 54 are rectangular holes with rounded corners whose longitudinal direction extends in the left-right direction. In the guide hole 54, first and

second guide members

64a and 64b which are a part of the grip portion 60 are disposed movably in the left-right direction. The guide hole 54 has a step surface facing upward, and the main body 51 supports the first and

second guide members

64a and 64b on the step surface.

The pressure supply path 58 causes pressure supplied from the outside (here, the pressure supply source 106) to act on at least the first piston 71a of the drive mechanism 70 to switch the pressure from the first state to the second state. It is a route. The pressure supply passage 58 has a pressure inlet member 59 which protrudes and opens in a direction (herein, forward) perpendicular to the thickness direction with respect to the main body 51. The pressure inlet member 59 is a nozzle for attaching the pipe 34, and serves as an inlet for externally supplied pressure. The pressure inlet member 59 opens into the space 57a in the first horizontal hole 56a (see FIG. 8), and the pressure from the pressure inlet member 59 is supplied into the space 57a and acts on the first piston 71a. Therefore, the space 57 a also constitutes a part of the pressure supply passage 58.

The gripping portion 60 includes first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b, first and

second base members

62a and 62b,

bolts

63a and 63b, and first and

second guide members

64a and 64b. (See Figures 5-7). The first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b are a pair of members arranged along the left-right direction, and in the present embodiment, are claw-like members (gripping claws). The first and second

gripping members

61 a and 61 b grip the workpiece W below the main body 51 by approaching each other along the left-right direction. At least a part of each of the first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b protrudes from the main body 51 in the thickness direction (here, downward direction) of the main body. In the present embodiment, the entire first and second

gripping members

61 a and 61 b protrude downward from the main body 51, that is, the whole is disposed outside the main body 51. Here, the thickness direction of the main body 51 described above is a direction parallel to the direction in which the first and

second holding members

61a and 61b protrude from the main body 51 (here, downward direction) (the downward direction) Here, it is defined as vertical direction). The first and

second base members

62a and 62b are block-like members each having a shape in which rectangular parallelepipeds having different sizes are vertically stacked (see FIG. 5). The first base member 62a is disposed in the first lower hole 53a of the main body 51, and is movable laterally in the first lower hole 53a. The second base member 62b is disposed in the second lower hole 53b of the main body 51, and is movable laterally in the second lower hole 53b. The first holding member 61a is fixed to the lower surface of the first base member 62a via two bolts 63a. The second holding member 61b is fixed to the lower surface of the second base member 62b via two bolts 63b. The first and

second guide members

64a and 64b are members for guiding the lateral movement of the first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b. The first and

second guide members

64a and 64b have a shaft-shaped male screw portion and a disk-shaped head integrally formed on the upper portion of the male screw portion. The first guide member 64a is attached to the upper side of the first base member 62a by inserting the male screw portion into the female screw portion formed on the upper portion of the first base member 62a and screwing it with the female screw portion. Similarly, the second guide member 64b is attached above the second base member 62b. The head portions of the first and

second guide members

64a and 64b are supported by the step surface of the guide hole 54 as described above, and can move laterally along the guide hole 54. As a result, the first gripping member 61a, the first base member 62a, and the first guide member 64a move integrally to the left and right, and the second gripping member 61b, the second base member 62b, and the second guide member 64b are integrated. Move left and right.

The drive mechanism 70 is a mechanism for moving the first and

second holding members

61a and 61b to the left and right to switch between the first state and the second state. The drive mechanism 70 includes first and

second pistons

71a and 71b,

bolts

77a and 77b, an elastic member 79, and an interlocking mechanism 80 (see FIG. 6).

The first and

second pistons

71a and 71b are arranged such that the axial directions are parallel to each other, and the axial directions are perpendicular to the thickness direction of the main body 51 (= parallel to the front and rear, right and left directions). In the present embodiment, the axial directions of the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b are both parallel to the left and right direction. The first and

second pistons

71a and 71b are disposed in the first and second

lateral holes

56a and 56b of the main body 51 (see FIG. 8). The first and

second pistons

71 a and 71 b are arranged in the front-rear direction which is a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the main body 51 and perpendicular to the axial direction. The first and

second pistons

71a and 71b have the same vertical position (arrangement height) in the main body 51 (see FIG. 7).

The first piston 71a is disposed in the first lateral hole 56a, and has a first direction (here, right direction) along the axial direction and a second direction (here, left direction) opposite to the first direction. It is movable to The first lateral hole 56a serves as a cylinder of the first piston 71a. The first piston 71a has a disk-shaped first flange portion 72a, a columnar first shaft portion 73a, and thin-

walled portions

74a and 75a. The first flange portion 72a is a portion of the first piston 71a that protrudes in the radial direction from the first shaft portion 73a. A stepped portion 56a1 is formed in the first horizontal hole 56a of the main body 51 (see FIG. 8), and the first piston 71a is brought into contact with the stepped portion 56a1 and the right side surface of the first flange portion 72a. The range of movement to the right is limited. A stepped portion 56a2 is formed on the right side of the stepped portion 56a1 in the first horizontal hole 56a. A portion of the first horizontal hole 56a from the step portion 56a2 to the right surface of the first flange portion 72a is a space 57a which is a part of the pressure supply path 58 described above. When the positive pressure is supplied to the space 57a, the positive pressure acts on the right surface of the first flange portion 72a, and the first piston 71a is pressed and moved leftward.

The

thin portions

74a and 75a are portions of the first shaft portion 73a, and the upper and lower portions are respectively chamfered (so-called two-chamfered) so that the thickness in the vertical direction is higher than the other portions of the first shaft portion 73a. It has become thinner (see Figures 6 and 7). The upper and lower surfaces of the

thin portions

74a and 75a are flat. The thin portion 74a is located on the right side of the first flange portion 72a, and the first base member 62a is attached to the lower surface. The thin portion 74a and the first base member 62a are connected and fixed via two bolts 77a inserted from the upper surface side of the thin portion 74a. Therefore, along with the movement of the first piston 71a in the left-right direction, the first base member 62a and the first gripping member 61a move in the left-right direction integrally with the first piston 71a. The bolt 77a is exposed in the first upper hole 55a of the main body 51 (see FIG. 4). The thin portion 75a is located at the left end of the first shaft portion 73a, and the front end side of the link member 81 of the interlocking mechanism 80 is attached to the top surface.

The second piston 71b is disposed in the second horizontal hole 56b, and is movable in first and second directions (here, left and right direction) along the axial direction, similarly to the first piston 71a. The second lateral hole 56b serves as a cylinder of the second piston 71b. The second piston 71b has a disk-shaped second flange portion 72b, a columnar second shaft portion 73b, a thin portion 75b, and a relief hole 76. The second flange portion 72b is a portion of the second piston 71b that protrudes in the radial direction from the second shaft portion 73b. A stepped portion 56b1 is formed in the second horizontal hole 56b of the main body 51 (see FIG. 8), and the second piston 71b is brought into contact with the stepped portion 56b1 and the right surface of the second flange portion 72b. The range of movement to the right is limited. A stepped portion 56b2 is formed on the right side of the stepped portion 56b1 in the second horizontal hole 56b. An elastic member 79 is disposed in a space 57b of the second horizontal hole 56b between the step 56b2 and the right surface of the second flange 72b. The escape hole 76 has a hole formed along the axial direction from the right end of the second shaft portion 73b, and a through hole communicated with the hole and formed radially outward of the second shaft portion 73b. ing. The escape hole 76 is a hole that allows the space 57 b to communicate with the outside of the main body 51, and maintains the inside of the space 57 b at the same pressure as the outside air pressure (usually atmospheric pressure). As a result, when the second flange portion 72b moves to the left and right, the relief hole 76 prevents the inside of the space 57b from changing to an air pressure different from the air pressure outside, and the second flange portion 72b can move smoothly. It is like that.

The thin portion 75b is a part of the second shaft portion 73b, and the upper and lower portions are chamfered in the same manner as the thin portion 75a, so that the thickness in the vertical direction is thinner than the other portions of the second shaft portion 73b. (See Figures 6 and 7). The upper and lower surfaces of the thin portion 75b are flat. The thin portion 75b is located at the left end of the second shaft portion 73b. The second base member 62b is attached to the lower surface of the thin portion 75b. The thin portion 74b and the second base member 62b are connected and fixed via two bolts 77b inserted from the upper surface side of the thin portion 74b. Therefore, with the movement of the second piston 71b in the left-right direction, the second base member 62b and the second holding member 61b move in the left-right direction integrally with the second piston 71b. The bolt 77 b is exposed in the second upper side hole 55 b of the main body 51 (see FIG. 4). The rear end side of the link member 81 of the interlocking mechanism 80 is attached on the left side of the upper surface of the thin portion 75b with respect to the bolt 77b.

The elastic member 79 is disposed between the stepped portion 56b2 of the second horizontal hole 56b and the right surface of the second flange portion 72b as described above. The elastic member 79 is a compression coil spring in the present embodiment, and the second shaft portion 73 b is inserted inside. The elastic member 79 presses both members in a direction in which the step portion 56b2 and the second flange portion 72b are separated in the left and right direction by the elastic force. By this elastic force, the elastic member 79 biases the second piston 71b in the direction to switch from the second state to the first state (left direction in the present embodiment).

The interlocking mechanism 80 interlocks the movement of both pistons so that the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b move in opposite directions along the axial direction. The interlocking mechanism 80 includes a link member 81, a support member 83, and first and

second attachment members

84a and 84b (see FIGS. 6 and 8). The link member 81 is a member having a flat plate-like long shape. The link member 81 has its front end side connected to the left end side of the first piston 71a via the first mounting member 84a, and its rear end side connected to the left end side of the second piston 71b via the second mounting member 84b. There is. Thus, the link member 81 connects the first piston 71a and the second piston 71b. The first mounting member 84 a connects the two members while allowing the pivoting of the link member 81 with respect to the first piston 71 a (horizontal pivoting about the axis of the first mounting member 84 a). The first mounting member 84a is, for example, a shaft portion vertically passing through a long hole formed in the link member 81 and a hole formed in the thin portion 75a of the first piston 71a, and an upper portion of the shaft portion integrally with the shaft portion. And a detachment preventing member such as an E-shaped retaining ring provided at the lower part of the shaft to prevent the detachment of the shaft. The second mounting member 84b has the same configuration as the first mounting member 84a, and connects the two members while allowing the link member 81 to pivot relative to the second piston 71b. The support member 83 is disposed between the connection portions of the link member 81 with the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b (here, the portions where the first and

second attachment members

84a and 84b exist), and the link The member 81 is rotatably supported. The support member 83 connects both members while allowing the link member 81 to rotate with respect to the main body 51. The support member 83 includes a shaft portion, a head portion, and a slip-off preventing member as in the first and

second attachment members

84a and 84b, and the shaft portion vertically penetrates the link member 81. The link member 81 is supported by the main body 51 at an intermediate position of the connection portion with the first and

second pistons

71 a and 71 b by the support member 83. Therefore, when the first piston 71a moves leftward, the front end of the link member 81 moves leftward via the first attachment member 84a, and the link member 81 rotates clockwise in top view. As a result, the rear end portion of the link member 81 moves rightward, and moves the second piston 71b rightward via the second attachment member 84b. As described above, when one of the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b moves in the left-right direction, the interlocking mechanism 80 interlocks with this and moves the other piston in the opposite direction.

The link member 81 is preferably disposed so as not to protrude in the thickness direction with respect to the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b. In FIG. 7A, a range in the thickness direction (here, the vertical direction) in which at least one of the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b is present is shown as a region R. In the present embodiment, the upper and lower ends of the region R are at the same position as the upper and lower ends of the first and

second flange portions

72a and 72b. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A, the thickness and the arrangement are such that the link member 81 does not protrude from the region R. Since the link member 81 is connected to the

thin portions

75a and 75b, the link member 81 can be easily disposed so as not to protrude from the region R. In the present embodiment, the support member 83 and the first and

second attachment members

84a and 84b slightly protrude upward from the region R, but these may also not protrude from the region R. That is, the entire interlocking mechanism 80 may not protrude from the region R.

The operation of the mechanical chuck 50 configured in this way will be described. When the mechanical chuck 50 is in the first state (FIGS. 7A and 8A) and a positive pressure is supplied from the outside to the pressure supply passage 58, this positive pressure is supplied from the space 57a to the first flange portion 72a of the first piston 71a. Act on. The positive pressure causes the first piston 71a to move in the second direction (here, the left direction). At this time, the second piston 71b is moved by the interlocking mechanism 80 in a first direction (here, right direction) opposite to the first piston 71a. The elastic member 79 is compressed as the second piston 71b moves to the right. Then, the movement of the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b is stopped, and the first state is switched to the second state (FIGS. 7B and 8B). The second state is a state in which the first piston 71a has moved in the second direction and the second piston 71b has moved in the first direction, as compared to the first state. When the supply of positive pressure from the outside to switch to the second state is lost, the second piston 71b moves in the second direction (here, the left direction) by the elastic force of the elastic member 79. At this time, the first piston 71a is moved by the interlocking mechanism 80 in a first direction (here, right direction) opposite to the second piston 71b. When the first flange portion 72a of the first piston 71a contacts the step portion 56a1, the movement of the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b is stopped, and the second state is switched to the first state (FIGS. 7A and 8A). Since the first and

second holding members

61a and 61b move in the left and right direction along with the movement of the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b, the first and

second holding members

61a and 61b are in the separated state in the first state It becomes an approach state (FIG. 7B) in a 2nd state, and it becomes FIG. 7A. Therefore, the mechanical chuck 50 can grip the workpiece W in the second state and can release the grip of the workpiece W in the first state.

Here, FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the mechanical chuck 50 in a state in which the workpiece W is not present. Therefore, in FIG. 8B, the movement of the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b is stopped by bringing the second flange portion 72b of the second piston 71b into contact with the step portion 56b1, and the second state is achieved. On the other hand, when the mechanical chuck 50 grips the workpiece W, the first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b grip the workpiece W before the second flange portion 72b contacts the step portion 56b1. The movement of the

second pistons

71a and 71b is stopped to be in the second state.

Next, the operation of the work moving apparatus 100 according to this embodiment configured as described above, in particular, the transfer processing for collecting the work W from the work conveying apparatus 102, moving it, and placing it in the recess on the pallet 105 will be described. In this transfer process, the control unit 90 first controls the work transfer device 102 to transfer the work W backward, and controls the pallet transfer device 103 to transfer the pallet 105 to the vicinity of the robot 10. Next, the control unit 90 controls the first to fourth rotation mechanisms 26 a to 26 d of the robot 10 to move the tip 30 above the workpiece conveyance device 102, and controls the camera 40 to obtain image data. The position and orientation of the work W on the work transfer apparatus 102 are detected based on the above. Then, the control unit 90 determines the workpiece W to be collected from the detected workpieces W, moves the tip 30 while appropriately rotating the mechanical chuck 50 by the fifth rotation mechanism 26e, and the first state The workpiece W to be collected is positioned between the first and

second holding members

61a and 61b of the mechanical chuck 50 as it is. Thereafter, the control unit 90 controls the pressure supply source 106 to supply a positive pressure to the mechanical chuck 50 to switch the mechanical chuck 50 from the first state to the second state. As a result, the first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b come close to each other and grip the workpiece W. Next, the control unit 90 moves the tip 30 on the pallet 105 while moving the mechanical chuck 50 in the second state to move it on the pallet 105, and controls the camera 40 on the pallet 105 based on the image data obtained. Detect the position of the recess of Then, the control unit 90 determines a recess for placing the work W out of the detected recesses, moves the tip 30 while appropriately rotating the mechanical chuck 50 by the fifth rotation mechanism 26e, and The work W is moved to the recess while keeping the 50 in the second state. Thereafter, the control unit 90 controls the pressure supply source 106 to stop the supply of positive pressure to the mechanical chuck 50. Thus, the pressure supply path 58 is opened to the atmosphere, for example (normal pressure is supplied), and the mechanical chuck 50 switches from the second state to the first state. As a result, the first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b are separated from each other to release the workpiece W, and the workpiece W is placed in the recess. The control unit 90 repeats such transfer processing, and places the plurality of works W on the pallet 105.

In the mechanical chuck 50 of the present embodiment described above, the moving direction of the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b, that is, the axial direction is the left and right direction, and the axial direction is the thickness direction of the main body 51, that is, the first and the first. The

second holding members

61a and 61b are perpendicular to the vertical direction, which is the protruding direction of the

second holding members

61a and 61b. Therefore, the moving distance of the first and

second pistons

71 a and 71 b hardly affects the thickness of the mechanical chuck 50. Therefore, compared with, for example, the case where the moving direction of the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b is along the thickness direction, the mechanical chuck 50 can be thinner. When the mechanical chuck 50 is thin, for example, when the control unit 90 moves the tip end portion 30 in the above-described transfer process, it can be suppressed that the mechanical chuck 50 contacts another object.

The first and

second pistons

71a and 71b are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction which is a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and perpendicular to the axial direction. Therefore, for example, the mechanical chuck 50 can be thinner than in the case where the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b are arranged in the thickness direction.

Furthermore, the main body portion 51 has a pressure inlet member 59 which is an inlet for pressure supplied from the outside and protrudes and opens in a direction (herein, forward) perpendicular to the thickness direction with respect to the main body portion 51 There is. Therefore, for example, the mechanical chuck 50 can be thinner than in the case where the pressure inlet member 59 protrudes in the thickness direction.

Furthermore, the interlocking mechanism 80 is located between the link member 81 connecting the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b and the connection portion of the link member 81 to the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b. And a support member 83 rotatably supporting the Therefore, the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b can be interlocked so as to move in the directions opposite to each other by the interlocking mechanism 80 having a relatively simple configuration.

The link member 81 is disposed so as to be contained in the region R, and is disposed so as not to protrude in the thickness direction with respect to the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b. Therefore, since the link member 81 hardly affects the thickness of the mechanical chuck 50, the mechanical chuck 50 can be thinner.

Also, the mechanical chuck 50 is not provided with a guide rail that is attached to the main body 51 and guides the movement of the first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b in the left-right direction. When such a guide rail is attached to the lower surface of the main body 51, for example, the mechanical chuck 50 is likely to be thicker by the amount of the guide rail. The mechanical chuck 50 can be made thinner by not providing the guide rails.

The robot 10 further includes a camera 40 which moves with the mechanical chuck 50 and picks up an object located below in the direction along the thickness direction of the mechanical chuck 50. In the case where the robot 10 includes such a camera 40, when the thickness of the mechanical chuck 50 is large, for example, when the camera 40 is brought close to an object (here, the workpiece W or the pallet 105) for imaging, the mechanical chuck 50 may come in contact with an object or another object. Since the mechanical chuck 50 of the present embodiment can be thinned, at least one of the effects of suppressing the contact between the mechanical chuck 50 and an object and the effect of allowing the camera 40 to be closer to the object is obtained. Be

It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment at all, and can be implemented in various modes within the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b approach in the second state and separate in the first state, but may approach in the first state and separate in the second state . Moreover, although 1st, 2nd holding

member

61a, 61b hold | gripped the workpiece | work W in the approach state, you may hold a workpiece | work in a separated state. For example, the workpiece may be gripped by inserting the first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b into the recess formed in the workpiece and separating the first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b.

In the embodiment described above, the mechanical chuck 50 is supplied with a positive pressure as the pressure from the outside, and the first state is switched to the second state by the positive pressure, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, negative pressure may be supplied to the mechanical chuck 50 from the outside, and the first state may be switched to the second state by the negative pressure.

In the embodiment described above, the elastic member 79 applies an elastic force to the second piston 71b, but the invention is not limited to this, at least one of the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b in the direction of switching from the second state to the first state. You can turn on the For example, an elastic force may be applied so that the elastic member 79 presses the first flange portion 72a in the right direction. Also, the elastic member 79 may exert an elastic force on both the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b. The elastic member 79 is a compression coil spring, but may be a tension coil spring or an elastic body other than a spring.

In the embodiment described above, the interlocking mechanism 80 includes the flat link member 81, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the interlocking mechanism 80 may include a rack and pinion. For example, the interlocking mechanism 80 does not include the link member 81 and the first and

second attachment members

84a and 84b, and integrally integrates with a first rack that moves axially integrally with the first piston 71a and with the second piston 71b. A second rack moving in the axial direction, a pinion meshing with the first and second racks, and a support member 83 rotatably supporting the pinion. The first rack may be a part of the first piston 71a, such as being formed on the rear surface near the left end of the first piston 71a. The same applies to the second rack. In the interlocking mechanism 80 of this modification, a pinion connects the first piston 71a and the second piston 71b, and the pinion corresponds to a link member. As described above, even in the interlocking mechanism using the rack and pinion, the movement of both pistons can be interlocked so that the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b move in opposite directions along the axial direction.

In the embodiment described above, the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b have the same vertical position (arrangement height) in the main body 51, but the arrangement heights of the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b are not the same. May be However, it is preferable that the range in the thickness direction in which the first piston 71 a exists and the range in the thickness direction in which the second piston 71 b exist at least partially overlap. It is easy to make the mechanical chuck 50 thinner as there are many overlapping parts.

In the embodiment described above, the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b are arranged in the front-rear direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and perpendicular to the axial direction, but not limited thereto. And you may arrange in order the left-right direction which is a direction parallel to an axial direction. However, in this case, since the size in the left-right direction of the mechanical chuck 50 tends to be large, it is preferable that the first and

second pistons

71a and 71b be arranged in the front-rear direction. More specifically, it is preferable that the range in the left-right direction in which the first piston 71a exists and the range in the left-right direction in which the second piston 71b exist at least partially overlap. It is easier to reduce the size of the mechanical chuck 50 in the left-right direction as the number of overlapping portions increases.

Although the first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b are gripping claws in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, as long as the workpiece can be gripped and released. For example, the first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b may be rectangular parallelepiped members.

In the embodiment described above, the mechanical chuck 50 is not provided with a guide rail that is attached to the main body 51 and guides the movement of the first and second

gripping members

61a and 61b in the left-right direction. It is also good. However, as described above, since the mechanical chuck 50 can be made thinner, it is preferable that the mechanical chuck 50 does not have a guide rail (formed of a separate member from the main body 51) attached to the main body 51.

In the embodiment described above, the robot 10 is a vertical articulated robot among industrial robots, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the robot 10 may be a horizontal articulated robot or an XY robot.

The mechanical chuck, the industrial robot, and the work moving device of the present disclosure may be configured as follows.

In the mechanical chuck of the present disclosure, the first and second pistons may be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and perpendicular to the axial direction. By so doing, the mechanical chuck can be made thinner compared to, for example, the case where the first and second pistons are arranged along the thickness direction.

In the mechanical chuck of the present disclosure, the main body portion has a pressure inlet member which is an inlet for the pressure supplied from the outside, and which protrudes perpendicularly to the thickness direction with respect to the main body portion. It is also good. By so doing, the mechanical chuck can be made thinner compared to, for example, the case where the pressure inlet member protrudes in the thickness direction. In this case, the pressure inlet member may project in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and perpendicular to the axial direction.

In the mechanical chuck of the present disclosure, the interlocking mechanism is located between a link member connecting the first piston and the second piston and a connection portion of the link member to the first and second pistons. And a support member rotatably supporting the link member. By so doing, it is possible to interlock the first and second pistons to move in opposite directions with a relatively simple configuration.

In this case, the link member may be disposed so as not to protrude in the thickness direction with respect to the first piston and the second piston. In this case, the mechanical chuck can be made thinner because the link member hardly affects the thickness of the mechanical chuck.

The mechanical chuck of the present disclosure may not include a guide rail attached to the main body and guiding the movement of the first and second gripping members in the axial direction. When such a guide rail is attached to the main body, the mechanical chuck is likely to be thicker by the amount of the guide rail. The mechanical chuck can be made thinner by not providing the guide rails.

The industrial robot of the present disclosure is provided with the mechanical chuck of any aspect described above. Therefore, this industrial robot has the same effect as the above-described mechanical chuck of the present disclosure, for example, an effect that enables thinning of the mechanical chuck. In this case, the industrial robot may be an articulated robot or an XY robot.

The industrial robot of the present disclosure may include a camera that moves together with the mechanical chuck and images an object located in a direction along the thickness direction of the mechanical chuck. When the industrial robot is equipped with such a camera, if the thickness of the mechanical chuck is large, the mechanical chuck may contact the target or another object when, for example, the camera is brought close to the target. Since the mechanical chuck of the present disclosure can be thinned, at least one of the effects of suppressing the contact between the mechanical chuck and the object and the effect of allowing the camera to be closer to the object can be obtained. Here, the “target object” captured by the camera may be a workpiece held by the mechanical chuck, or may be another object.

The work transfer apparatus according to the present disclosure includes the industrial robot according to any one of the aspects described above. Therefore, this work moving device can obtain the same effect as the above-described mechanical chuck of the present disclosure, for example, an effect that enables thinning of the mechanical chuck.

The present invention is applicable to various industries that perform work of moving workpieces such as parts.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 robot, 20 arm part, 21, 22 1st, 2nd arm, 23 3rd support part, 24 pedestal part, 26a-26e 1st-5th rotation mechanism, 30 tip part, 32 mounting part, 33 pressure supply nozzle , 34 piping, 40 camera, 41 irradiation unit, 42 imaging unit, 50 mechanical chuck, 51 main body, 52 mounting unit, 52a bolt hole, 53a, 53b first and second lower holes, 54 guide hole, 55a, 55b First and second upper holes 56a and 56b First and second lateral holes 56a1 and 56a2 and 56b1 and 56b2 stepped portion 57a and 57b space 58 pressure supply passage 59 pressure inlet member 60 grip portion 61a and 61b first and second holding members 62a and 62b first and second base members 63a and 63b bolts 64a and 64b first and second gears 70, drive mechanism 71a, 71b first and second pistons 72a and 72b first and second flanges 73a and 73b first and second shafts 74a, 75a and 75b thin wall 76 escape hole , 77a, 77b bolt, 79 elastic member, 80 interlocking mechanism, 81 link member, 83 support member, 84a, 84b first and second mounting members, 90 control unit, 100 work moving device, 101 base, 102 work transfer device , 103 pallet transfer device, 105 pallet, 106 pressure source, W work.

Claims

Body part,
First and second gripping members in which at least a portion of each of the main body protrudes in the thickness direction of the main body;
An axial direction is perpendicular to the thickness direction, and is disposed on the main body so as to move in a first direction along the axial direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction, along with the movement A first piston for moving the first grip in the axial direction;
The first piston is disposed in the main body so that the axial direction is parallel to the first piston and moved in the first and second directions, and the second grip is moved in the axial direction according to the movement. With 2 pistons,
The movement of the first and second pistons is interlocked so that the first and second pistons move in opposite directions along the axial direction, and the first state and the first state are compared with each other. An interlocking mechanism that switches between a second state in which the piston moves in the second direction and the second piston moves in the first direction;
A pressure supply passage provided in the main body for causing an externally supplied pressure to act on at least the first piston to switch from the first state to the second state;
An elastic member that biases at least one of the first piston and the second piston in a direction to switch from the second state to the first state by an elastic force;
Mechanical chuck with
The first and second pistons are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and perpendicular to the axial direction.
The mechanical chuck according to claim 1.
The main body portion has a pressure inlet member which is an inlet for the pressure supplied from the outside, and which protrudes and opens perpendicularly to the thickness direction with respect to the main body portion.
The mechanical chuck according to claim 1.
The interlocking mechanism is located between a link member connecting the first piston and the second piston, and a connection portion of the link member to the first and second pistons, and the link member can be pivoted. And a supporting member to support the
The mechanical chuck according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The link member is disposed so as not to protrude in the thickness direction with respect to the first piston and the second piston.
The mechanical chuck according to claim 4.
There is no guide rail attached to the main body and guiding the axial movement of the first and second gripping members.
The mechanical chuck according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
An industrial robot comprising the mechanical chuck according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The industrial robot according to claim 7, wherein
A camera which moves together with the mechanical chuck and picks up an object located in a direction along the thickness direction of the mechanical chuck;
Industrial robot equipped with
A work moving apparatus comprising the industrial robot according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the mechanical chuck holds and moves a work.