JP3921890B2 - Industrial robot with harness set - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a harness set which is a bundle of wires and pipes to each axis and end effector of an industrial robot.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The drive control of the electric industrial robot is performed by a position detector such as an electric motor of each joint, an absolute encoder, a brake, and a limit switch. Further, the hand has an end effector, and for example, an electric drill, a limit switch, a wiring for a solenoid valve, and a pneumatic pipe controlled by the solenoid valve are routed as necessary.
[0003]
As an example of a conventional industrial robot, as shown in FIG. 5, a turning axis (first axis) 3 can be turned by a single-axis motor 2 with respect to a base 1, and a second axis 5 can be turned by a two-axis motor 4. However, the third shaft 7 is rotated by the three-axis motor 6, and the wrist shaft (fourth shaft) of the distal end portion 9 is driven by the four-axis motor (wrist motor) 8. In the shaft 3, a collective portion 10 including a terminal block, a printed board, a connector and the like for supplying power by wiring control signal lines and power lines is disposed.
[0004]
Here, the terminal block is wired from the collecting portion 10 to the single-axis motor 2, the terminal block of the single-axis motor 2 is wired to the terminal block of the two-axis motor 4, and the two-axis motor 4 to the three-axis motor 6. And the terminal blocks from the 3-axis motor 6 to the 4-axis motor (wrist motor) 24 are respectively wired. This means that when the harness 11 that is a bundle of wires is divided and connected between the terminal blocks, and the wiring at the movable portion between the fixed unit is disconnected, the harness at that portion is replaced. In other words, there is an advantage that the harness of the other part may be left as it is.
[0005]
On the other hand, to the end effector (not shown) attached to the tip of the wrist shaft 12 of the tip 9, as shown in FIG. 6, the wiring 13 and the pipe 13 to the end effector are routed along with the rotation of the wrist shaft 12. In this case, since the wrist shaft 12 can be rotated about ± 360 ° for convenience, (a) a vertical winding method such as a coil, (b) a spiral winding between the flanges 14 as shown in FIG. An outward winding method, (c) a vertical winding method using the support plate 15, and the like are conceivable, and the structure of the wiring and the pipe 13 can cope with rotation of ± 360 °.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the robot shown in FIG. 5 described above, in order to connect the plurality of divided harnesses 11 with a printed board or a terminal block, a printed board or a terminal block that inevitably becomes a relay portion is necessary, and a mounting bracket. This also necessitates assembly steps and high costs.
In addition, mistakes of the assembly operator such as forgetting screwing of the relay portion and poor insertion of the connector occur, and quality problems occur.
Furthermore, there is a risk that vibrations, impacts, heat, etc. are generated during the robot operation, and the connection portion of the screw or the connector is loosened. From this point, there is a problem in quality.
[0007]
Further, the rotation angle of the tip end portion 9 of the wrist shaft 12 is ± 360 °, but in order to enable the rotation of ± 360 °, the wiring 13 on the structure shown in FIG. Whether it is outward winding or the vertical winding method using the support plate 15, a large space is required and the cost is inevitably complicated.
[0008]
In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has the problems of the divided harness, that is, it takes an assembly man-hour, there may be an assembly error, the cost is increased, and a quality problem may occur. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide an industrial robot having a harness set that alleviates the problem that a large space is required for the wrist, which is expensive and complicated.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An industrial robot having the harness set of the present invention that achieves the above object , Wiring and piping from the main body base control unit to the input means and output means of each axis and end effector, and routing with one harness set, this harness set along the robot arm,
As the above wiring, each individual wiring from the main body base control unit to the input means and output means is gathered in a flexible tube, and the robot arm is a connector which is a fixture having a take-out opening at the take-out port of each flexible tube. To be fixed to,
The locking connector of the flexible tube in the end effector and swinging structure in accordance with the movement of the end effector, a constant angle over the entire circumference on the fixing connector wrist flange of the flexible tube in the end effector in the circumferential direction It is characterized by being attached to a fixing tap provided for each.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Here, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a robot having a configuration substantially similar to that of FIG. 5, and a turning axis (first axis) 32 can be turned by a single-axis motor 31 with respect to a base 40, and a second axis 34 can be turned by a two-axis motor 33. The third shaft 36 is rotated by the three-axis motor 35, and the tip 39 is driven by a four-axis motor (wrist motor) 37. And the harness routed to each axis and the end effector in this robot is composed of one harness set 21 as shown in FIG.
[0013]
That is, as shown in FIG. 3, wiring 42, 43, 44, 45 is connected from the main body base control unit 20 shown in FIG. 1 to each axis motor 35, 37, position detector such as an encoder, brake, limit switch, end effector. , 46 are routed by a single line connected without relay, and air pipes 47, 48 are routed by a pipe connected without relay, and these wirings 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and piping A single harness set 21 is formed by passing 47 and 48 as a bundle into the flexible tube 41.
[0014]
And the connector 22 is provided in the branch part which is the wiring 42,43,44,45,46 of this harness set 21, and the outlet part of the piping 47,48, and the fixing part in the middle, The main body fixing metal fitting 23 shown in FIG. It is fixed. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the harness set 21 is fixed to the robot body (robot arm) by tightening the connector 22 to a U-shaped fixing bracket 23 attached to the robot arm.
In FIG. 1, the harness set 21 is provided outside along the arm without passing through the inside of the robot as much as possible, so that the trouble of exchanging cables and the like can be saved. Therefore, the maintenance is realized without changing from the conventional one shown in FIG.
[0015]
Further, the portion ahead of the pivot shaft 50 on the arm tip side has the configuration shown in FIGS. In other words, the tip 39 from the rotation shaft 50 has an L-shaped frame 24 as shown in FIG. 4, the wrist motor 25 is disposed on the L-shaped frame 24, and the speed reducer 26 is disposed on the lower side. The wrist flange 27 is configured to be rotatable at the distal end of the speed reducer 26 as the four-axis motor (wrist motor) 25 rotates, and the entire distal end portion rotates about the rotation shaft 50.
[0016]
Here, the wiring and piping to the end effector have a length that allows rotation of ± 180 °. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the end effector that rotates in the range of ± 360 ° in the past is actually sufficient in the range of ± 180 ° as the operating range, and the reference point O changes within the range of ± 180 °. It is necessary to follow what you do. In the conventional example of FIG. 6, ± 360 ° is set to compensate for the change of the reference point O. However, in this example, as shown in FIG. 4, for example, 15 ° along the circumferential direction of the flange 27. A fixing tap 28 is formed, and a fixing bracket 29 for fixing the connector 22 at the flexible tube end of wiring and piping can be fixed so that the reference point can be changed every 15 ° according to the operation range. That is, the actual operation range end is confirmed during the teaching test, and the fixing tap 28 of the wrist flange 27 is selected so as to fix the flexible tube end connector 22 on the end effector side at the center angle for fixing the flexible tube. The bracket 29 is fixed.
[0017]
For this reason, the flexible tube 41 to which the rotary connector 22 at the end is fixed to the wrist flange 27 may have a length that can withstand rotation of an angle of ± 180 °, and the front connector 22 fixed to the fixing bracket 23 may be used. The length of the cable from the connector 22 at the end of the flexible tube fixed to the fixing bracket 29 to the shortest cable length can be made shorter than before.
[0018]
The connector 22 is fixed by tightening the main body fixing bracket 23. The connector 22 at the distal end portion 9 (flexible tube end) is flexible in the vicinity of the ± 180 ° rotation end as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. The tube 41 has a so-called swinging connector rotation structure so that the flexible tube 41 and the connector 22 at the distal end portion 9 can move smoothly even when the tube 41 goes under the L-shaped frame 24. That is, in the illustrated example, the connector 22 at the end of the flexible tube is loosely fitted to the fixing bracket 29 so that the connector 22 at the end of the flexible tube rotates to about ± 180 ° together with the fixing bracket 29. At this time, since the connector 22 at the end of the flexible tube rotates as shown by an arrow E in FIG. 4, the flexible tube 41 is smoothly wound under the L-shaped frame 24.
[0019]
As a result, the wraparound height of the cable (flexible tube) can be minimized and the wrist and the hand can be brought close to each other.
[0020]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the harness is routed without dividing it without dividing it, the number of assembling steps can be reduced, assembly errors can be reduced, the cost can be reduced, and the screw during robot operation can be reduced. Troubles such as loosening are reduced and the quality is greatly improved.
Also, when wiring the end effector, it is possible to omit the cable routing to the extent that no operation is required, to make the shortest cable length equivalent to ± 180 °, to make the entire wrist compact, and to reduce the wrist load capacity. Increase and low cost can be achieved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall view showing an example of a robot according to the present invention.
2A is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. 1 as viewed in the direction of the arrow B, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of a portion C in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an overall view showing an example of a harness set.
4A is a configuration diagram of a tip portion of a robot arm, and FIG. 4B is a view in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 4A.
FIG. 5 is an overall view of a conventional robot.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the state of wiring and piping.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of an operation range of an end effector.
[Explanation of symbols]
20 Main body base control unit 21 Harness set 22 Connector 23 Main body fixing bracket 27 Wrist flange 28 Fixing tap 41 Flexible tubes 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 Wiring 47, 48 Air piping

Claims (1)

Wiring and piping from the main body base control unit to the input means and output means of each axis and end effector, and routing with one harness set, this harness set along the robot arm,
As the above wiring, each individual wiring from the main body base control unit to the input means and output means is collected in a flexible tube, and the robot arm is a connector which is a fixture having a take-out opening at the take-out port of each flexible tube. To be fixed to,
The fixed connector of the flexible tube in said end effector the swing structure in accordance with movement of the end effector, a constant angle over the entire circumference on the fixing connector wrist flange of the flexible tube at the end effector in the circumferential direction An industrial robot having a harness set which is attached to a fixing tap provided for each.

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