JPH0343024B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a working robot device, and more specifically, it is a machine for grinding the main body of a self-propelled robot used for the purpose of finishing polishing a press mold, for example. This invention relates to a polishing robot device in which a cutting head and a tool changing device are connected to each other in an integrated structure.

2. Description of the Related Art It is well known that various unmanned devices such as automatic welding robots are used in automobile body assembly lines and the like. In order to improve productivity and save labor on the manufacturing line while maintaining product quality at a good level, the introduction of work robots as described above is an essential requirement, but due to the type of work and the characteristics of the work, There are many industrial fields where the use of work robots is restricted.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention For example, after a press mold is rough-finished using a cutting tool such as a ball end mill, the pits remaining on the free-form surface of the press mold are removed manually using a manual grinder. The final product is finished by removing the Kufid marks (cutting grooves), but this type of finishing has traditionally been done manually by skilled workers, and press molds Significant constraints have been recognized in efforts to reduce manufacturing costs and improve dimensional accuracy.

In other words, even if an existing work robot is used to finish polishing a press mold or an injection mold (hereinafter referred to as a workpiece) that has a pick-feed mark on a free-form surface, the grinding wheel or grinding wheel will not work properly. Since automatic drive head exchange devices are subject to various constraints in terms of operating system or design, it is desirable to quickly and accurately select and supply a grinding wheel and its drive head that are adapted to the surface characteristics of the mold to a work robot. was extremely difficult.

Furthermore, in conventional work robots, only the main body of the robot is placed on the work station so that it can move freely, and tools such as cutting tools, polishing tools, inspection tools such as length measurement sensors, or nut runners etc. Practically no self-propelled means are provided for assembly work tools. For this reason, the main body of the robot must frequently move back and forth between the tool changer and the work position, which are separately placed in the work station, which poses a major obstacle to improving work efficiency.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an automatic tool change function that can overcome the above-mentioned practical limitations observed in conventional automatic working robots, for example, robot devices for polishing and finishing workpieces having free-form surfaces. An object of the present invention is to provide a working robot device with improved performance.

Another main object of the present invention is to provide a workpiece machining robot device comprising an articulated polishing robot having a simple structure and excellent operational stability, and a tool exchange device thereof.

Means for Solving the Problems In view of the above object, the present invention provides a work station that is disposed via a movable frame having a self-propelled function,
It has a torso member that is rotatably supported by a base on the movable frame, and has a plurality of arm members each connected by an articulated structure, and is connected to the tip of the most advanced arm member by an articulated structure. A self-propelled articulated robot having a wrist member and a fingertip member, and a first joint member attached to the tip of the fingertip member, an automatic chuck mechanism for a tool, a drive mechanism for the tool, and the first joint member.
A plurality of tool heads each having a second joint member that can be engaged with and disengaged from the joint member of the robot are disposed in a part of the movable frame of the robot together with an engagement and disengagement mechanism via a support frame of the tool head, and a tool head exchange station in which one of the tool heads can be selectively exchanged between the tool head support frame and the fingertip member of the robot by the operation of the tool head; A tool is disposed on a part of the movable frame of the robot together with a tool exchange mechanism via a tool support frame, and the automatic chuck mechanism of the tool head mounted on the robot and the tool exchange mechanism are arranged through a tool support frame on a part of the movable frame of the robot. A tool exchange station that allows one of the tools to be selectively exchanged between the robot and the support frame, and a tool head exchange station and a tool exchange station that perform operations necessary for tool head exchange, tool exchange, and workpiece machining. The gist of the present invention is a work robot device characterized in that it is equipped with a computer that issues program commands to an exchange station.

Operation The operating procedure of the device of the present invention will be explained in the case of a work robot device for machining a workpiece, for example. By engaging with the second joint member 15, a specific tool head 4 selected according to the workpiece machining program is clamped, and in this state, the tool 6 is rotated to the exchange station 7, and the tool head 4 is rotated to the exchange station 7 of the tool 6. A specific tool 6 selected according to the workpiece machining program is clamped by a chuck mechanism 40 attached to the tip, and the standard process of workpiece machining is completed.

Embodiment Figure 1 shows an articulated robot 3 and a tool head 4.
2 is a front view illustrating the overall structure of the apparatus of the present invention, in which an exchange station 5 for the tool 6 and an exchange station 7 for the tool 6 are mounted on a common movable frame 2. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged front view of the exchange station 5 of the tool head 4, for example the grinding head 4, and FIGS. 3 to 6 show the state in which the exchange station 5 and the operating arm of the articulated robot 3 cooperate FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating the overall structure of the tool exchange station 7. As shown in FIG.

In these drawings, the articulated robot 3 includes a body member 9 rotatably supported along a horizontal plane on a base 8, and a body member 9 rotatably supported along a vertical plane on the upper side of the body member. It is composed of an upper arm member 10, a lower arm member 11 rotatably supported around the end attached to the upper arm member as a rotation center, and a wrist member 12 with a fingertip member 13 attached to the tip of the lower arm member. There is. The wrist member 12 is the lower arm member 11
It is rotatably supported around the tip of the lower arm member 11 as a center of rotation, and is pivotably supported so as to be able to swing on the same plane with respect to the axis of the lower arm member 11.
Furthermore, a fingertip member 13 attached to the wrist member 12
is configured to be able to rotate left and right about the axis of the fingertip member 13 as a center of rotation in cooperation with the rocking movement of the lower arm member 11.

In the above embodiment, the articulated robot 3 is
Although the operating arm is constituted by a rotating member having six degrees of freedom and a swinging arm member, the structure of the articulated robot 3 should not be interpreted as limited by such illustrative explanation, and the tool head Any type of articulated robot having degrees of freedom other than six can be used as long as it can selectively change a plurality of tool heads 4 arranged at four tool changing stations 5. However, in any multi-joint robot, a first joint member 14 is attached to the fingertip member 13, which detachably engages with a second joint member 15 attached to the tool head 4. Correspondingly, the exchange station 5 of the tool head 4 has an engagement/detachment mechanism for causing the first joint member 14 and the second joint member 15 to work together in a removable manner according to the machining program of the workpiece. A mechanism 16 is provided. 2 to 6 are explanatory diagrams illustrating the structures and operating states of the first joint member 14, the second joint member 15, and the engagement/detachment mechanism 16 for these joint members. As seen in these drawings, the first joint member 14 attached to the fingertip member 13 of the multi-joint robot 3 has a pressurizing spring 17 inside and a pressure spring 17 for completing the fixing operation to the second joint member 15. A proximity switch or phototube device 18 is incorporated for detection, and the pressure spring 1
The lock pin 19 is vertically movably supported with its axis aligned with that of the lock pin 7. The lower end of the lock pin is
The first joint member 14 is biased by the pressure spring 17 and protrudes from the lower surface of the main body, and the second joint member 15
It forms an engagement portion with a fitting hole 20 bored in the hole 20 . On the front surface of the first joint member 14, two fitting protrusions 21, 21 are fixed in parallel with each other with their axes oriented in a substantially horizontal direction as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. (Only one is shown)
Correspondingly, the second joint member 15, which is fixed to the end measuring surface of the tool head 4 so as to be able to face the first joint member 14, includes the fitting protrusion 21,
21 fitting holes 22, 22 are provided.

The tool head 4 exchange station 5 utilizes the engagement/disengagement motion between the first joint member 14 and the second joint member 15 to replace the tool head 4, for example, the gliding head, with the operating arm of the articulated robot 3. It is a device for transferring tools, and basically has a lock pin 19 supported so as to be movable up and down under the force of the pressure spring 17, and a press piece 23 attached to the lock pin 19 to cause vertical displacement for attaching and detaching the tool head 4. Piston rod 24 and cylinder 25
a hydraulic cylinder mechanism 26, for example an air cylinder mechanism, and a guide block 2 having a flat upper surface 27 which functions as a guide member for the lock pin 19 in synchronization with the air cylinder mechanism;
It consists of 8. In addition, in FIG. 2, the fluid pressure cylinder mechanism 26 and the guide block 28
Although one each of these components is shown in the drawings, in reality, these components can each transmit the attachment/detachment operation of the articulated robot 3 to the operating arm to a plurality of tool heads 4 disposed in the exchange station 5. A plurality of sets are arranged on the support frame 29 at predetermined intervals.

In addition, the exchange station 5 for the tool head 4 is provided with an auxiliary fixing and positioning device for the tool head 4, which performs clamping and opening operations around a pivot 31 fixed to the support frame 29 under the bias of a pressure spring 30. Two clamping members 3
A clamper mechanism 33 consisting of 2 and 32 is provided. When replacing the tool head 4, hold the clamping member 3
A positioning pin 35 fixed to the main body of the tool head 4 is fitted into the notch groove 34 formed at the upper end of the first joint member 14 .
When the engagement state between the joint member 15 and the second joint member 15 is released, the tool head 4 separated from the multi-joint robot 3 is firmly locked on the support frame 29.

A first joint member 14 having the above-described structure is attached to the fingertip member 13 of the multi-joint robot 3, and a second joint member is correspondingly attached to the tool head 4.
A joint member 15 is attached. When attaching a specific tool head 4 selected according to the workpiece machining program to the operating arm of the multi-joint robot 3, the lower end of the lock pin 19 is pressed against the upper surface 27 of the guide block 28, and the first joint member 1
4, the first joint member 14 is brought closer to the tool head 4 while the length of the lock pin protruding from the lower surface of the main body of the tool head 4 is reduced, and the lower end of the lock pin 19 is inserted into the fitting hole under the bias of the pressure spring 17. 2
0, and at the same time the fitting protrusions 21, 2
1 into the fitting holes 22, 22, the first joint member 14 and the second joint member 15 are connected to form an integral structure.

On the other hand, when removing the used tool head 4 from the articulated robot 3, the first joint member 14
It is necessary to release the engagement state between the second joint member 15 and the second joint member 15. Therefore, the lock pin 19 of the tool head 4 placed on the support frame 29 is pushed upward against the pressing force of the pressure spring 17 by the pressing piece 23 fixed to the tip of the piston rod 24, and the first By reducing the protruding length of the lock pin 19 from the lower surface of the main body of the joint member 14,
Release the engagement state between the lock pin 19 and the fitting hole 20, and in this state slide the lower end of the lock pin 19 along the flat upper surface 27 of the guide block 28. Release the engagement state with. The tool head 4 is thus separated from the operating arm of the articulated robot 3 and held on the support frame 29 of the exchange station 5. It should be noted that the first joint member 14 has a proximity sensor for detecting the completion of the fixing operation with the second joint member 15 or the state of locking of the second joint member 15 with respect to the first joint member 14. A switch or phototube device 18 is inserted into the locking pin 19, and correspondingly the locking pin 19 has a side body portion of the proximity switch or phototube device 18 and the locking pin 19 by varying the length of insertion into the fitting hole 20. Different diameter stepped portion 3 that changes the distance between
6 is formed.

On the other hand, the tool 6 exchange station 7 is the seventh
As illustrated in the figure, a plurality of tools 6, 6, selected according to the machining program of the workpiece...for example, grinding wheels 6, 6 with multiple shafts having different diameters,
It is composed of a support frame 37 for holding the tools 6 in alignment, and double-acting cylinder devices 38 and 39 disposed at one end of the support frame and functioning as an exchange device for the tool 6. The double-acting cylinder device includes an idle sleeve 41 and a tapered portion 42 of a known automatic chuck 40 installed at the tip of the tool head 4.
It is provided with chuck claws 43 and 44 for selectively driving the shafted grindstone 6 to the fastening side or the loosening side. When attaching the tool 6 to the tool head 4, the tool head 4 fixed to the operating arm of the articulated robot 3 is attached to the tool to be used placed on the support frame 37 based on a command from a computer (not shown). After moving the shafted grindstone 6 close to the shafted grindstone 6 having predetermined dimensional characteristics and inserting the shaft portion 6a of the shafted grindstone 6 into the chuck pawl (not shown) of the automatic chuck mechanism 40, the chuck pawl is set in a relaxed state. While maintaining the position, move the tool head to the vicinity of the double-acting cylinder devices 38 and 39,
Check the idle sleeve 41 and the tapered part 42 with the chuck claw 4.
3 and 44, and in this state, using the back and forth movement or rotational movement of the automatic chuck mechanism 40, the shafted grindstone 6 is firmly fixed to the tool head, that is, the gliding head 4.

In this state, the articulated robot 3 moves toward the workpiece based on a workpiece machining command sent from the computer, starts the motor built in the tool head 4, and performs finish polishing on the free-form surface of the workpiece. The used shafted grindstone 6 is returned to the double-acting cylinder devices 38 and 39 in the reverse order of operation to the above-mentioned order, and the sleeve 41 and the tapered part 4 are
2 and the chuck pawls 43 and 44, the fixed state of the shaft portion 6a by the automatic chuck mechanism 40 is released, and then the shaft portion 6a is held on the support frame 37.
By pulling it out from the automatic chuck mechanism 40, it is stored in a predetermined position on the support frame 37.

The embodiments of the present invention have been exemplified above based on a mold polishing robot device comprising a shafted grindstone, a gliding head exchange device, and an articulated robot having six degrees of freedom.
The scope of the present invention should not be construed as limited by such illustrative description. For example, using a robotic device consisting of an articulated robot with 4 degrees of freedom and 5 degrees of freedom, and a tool head containing a drill and its drive motor, the axis of the drill can be adjusted so as to form a normal to the free-form surface of the workpiece. It is also possible to carry out automatic drilling operations while controlling the direction.

Furthermore, the self-propelled method of the tool head exchange station and the main body of the work robot that is integrally constructed with the tool exchange station is not limited to the description of the above embodiments, but may also be a method using an unmanned cart having a self-propelled function. , a wireless guidance method, an infrared guidance method, a method using an unmanned trolley having a self-driving route determination function, etc. can be arbitrarily selected.

Effects of the Invention According to the apparatus of the present invention, the axis of rotation of the tool can be changed in any direction during machining, and a free-form surface of a workpiece can be efficiently machined in an optimal posture in a short time. Furthermore, when replacing tools or tool heads, there is no need to move the robot's movable stand, which saves work time and improves work efficiency. can be improved.

In addition, since the tool automatic chuck mechanism and tool drive mechanism are provided in each tool head, the structure on the fingertip member side of the robot can be simplified, and a simple joint structure can be adopted for both vertical and horizontal tool heads. .

Furthermore, since not only the tool but also the tool head can be replaced, the contents of machining operations can be diversified and versatile.

In addition, when replacing tools or tool heads, in order to move the body, arm, wrist, and fingertip members of the robot to the target position,
The structure of each magazine and the structure of the exchange device can be simplified.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 shows an articulated robot 3 and a tool head 4.
2 is a front view illustrating the overall structure of the apparatus of the present invention, in which an exchange station 5 for the tool 6 and an exchange station 7 for the tool 6 are mounted on a common movable frame 2. FIG. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged front view of a changing station 5 of a tool head 4, for example, a grinding head 4, and FIGS. It is a partial sectional view of each component explaining a state. FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating the overall structure of the tool exchange station 7. As shown in FIG. 3...Articulated robot, 4...Tool head,
5... Tool head exchange station, 6...
Tool, 7... Tool exchange station.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A work station is arranged via a movable frame with a self-propelled function, and has a torso member rotatably supported by a base on the movable frame, and a plurality of arms each connected to this torso member by a joint structure. Equipped with parts,
A self-propelled multi-joint robot having a wrist member and a fingertip member connected by a joint structure at the tip of the most advanced arm member, and a first joint member attached to the tip of the fingertip member, and an automatic chuck mechanism for a tool. and a tool drive mechanism, and a mechanism for engaging and disengaging a plurality of tool heads each having a second joint member that can be engaged with and disengaged from the first joint member, to a part of the movable frame of the robot via a support frame of the tool head. arranged with
and a tool head exchange station in which one of the tool heads can be selectively exchanged between the support frame of the tool head and the fingertip member of the robot by the operation of the robot, and an automatic chuck mechanism of the tool head for exchange attachment. A plurality of tools are disposed on a part of the movable frame of the robot together with a tool exchange mechanism via a tool support frame, and an automatic chuck of the tool head attached to the robot is provided by the operation of the robot. a tool exchange station that allows one of the tools to be selectively exchanged between the mechanism and the tool support frame;
A working robot device comprising: a computer for programming the robot, a tool head exchange station, and a tool exchange station to perform operations necessary for tool head exchange, tool exchange, and workpiece machining.