Material or article handling – Vertically swinging load support – Grab
Patent
1984-01-31
1985-11-12
Wayner, William E.
Material or article handling
Vertically swinging load support
Grab
74640, 901 15, F16H 3300
Patent
active
045525048
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention primarily relates to a multi-joint robot for industrial use applicable to operations of assembling and adjustment of machine parts.
2. Background Art
The conventional type multi-joint robot has been subject to limitation as to the spatial range of operation since the arms thereof are driven by actuators disposed near the base through rings or the like, and has difficulties in operation in a narrow space because of actuators and other elements extending into the space outside the joints.
A joint part or a joint part connected to an arm part has been a solid structure and incapable of meeting the requirements of wider range of operation. Also, when required to carry a heavier load, the robot of this type has had the a problem of insufficient output and of being incapable of easily satisfying the requirement for increasing the work transfer speed. As described above, the conventional type multi-joint industrial robot has had drawbacks such as incapability of corresponding to variation in operation space, limitations on the weight of the work, and work transfer speed.
As a device for eliminating the above-described drawbacks, there is, for example, a robot constructed of the so-called building block system composed of standarized units each having interchangeability with the others and combined for use like building blocks.
This type of robot includes a plurality of standardized units each comprising a base, components movable relatively to the base, driving means for driving these components, and sensing means for sensing relative positions of the base and the movable components and differing from the others in driving power, spatial operation range, etc., and suitably combined with the other according to the use thereof, thereby being characterized by adaptability to varieties of operation.
However, such structure as above permits no more than selective combination of units with the aid of standarized shapes and sizes of parts of the base and movable components, and each unit lacks versatility and adaptability to variation in operation space, moving speed, and driving power. Therefore, when, for example, driving power is desired to be varied while the operation space is kept the same, the unit itself must be replaced by another one, thereby preventing performance helpful to cost saving or operation.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a structure particularly suitable for the joint-type robot and adaptable to a variety of operational conditions including operation space, loading capacity, work transfer speed, and so on, to overcome the problems as described above and to provide a structural and mounting arrangement of joint parts, arms, and driving means, wherein an actuator incorporated into the arm and reduction gears disposed in the joint part make it possible to provide slim arms and small-sized joint parts, greatly contributing to automation of assemblage and adjustment operation, which type of apparatus is in strong demand these days.
The present invention is characterized by a structure to achieve the above object which is provided with a base unit turntable around a vertical axis and a plurality of arm units to be connected to each other in series and disposed on the turning base, each arm unit comprising driving units of a plurality of kinds corresponding to the variety of driving power transmitting capacity, and arms incorporating driving units thereinto, capable of being connected to joint units at both ends thereof, and of a plurality of kinds for corresponding to the variety of operation space and loading capacity, which are all selectively combined and connected to each other. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the driving unit is detachably connected to the joint unit which is also detachably connected to the arm through a key. Still further, the present invention is characterized by a driving unit comprising a motor provided with a driving power transmitting member on the out
REFERENCES:
patent: 4044274 (1977-08-01), Ohm
patent: 4090766 (1978-06-01), Pardo et al.
patent: 4399718 (1983-08-01), Zimmer
Doi Makoto
Inoue Toshitugu
Nakada Akiyoshi
Shinki Kiyoshi
Tada Haruo
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Wayner William E.
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