Material or article handling – Load carried along a horizontal linear path – Carried via magnetic floating
Patent
1984-01-11
1986-04-22
Wayner, William E.
Material or article handling
Load carried along a horizontal linear path
Carried via magnetic floating
901 16, 901 27, 403400, B66F 1100, B25J 1100
Patent
active
045839093
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF ART
The present invention relates to an industrial robot movable in a space defined by the orthogonal coordinates system and provides a device having a simple structure which ensures high positional accuracy as well as high interchangeability and which also permits easy alteration of its operation range.
BACKGROUND ART
Heretofore, orthogonal coordinates system robots have existed in large numbers and many proposals have been made.
However, since these devices have been built as devices for exclusive use for definite purposes, they lack flexibility for making them adaptable for other uses or for altering their operation ranges or operating positions, and large scale or complex operations such as moving the robot body itself or changing the operating position by altering the control program are required.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The industrial robot of this invention has a plurality of units each consisting of a unit body provided with a moving block having a mounting surface, a side placed parallel to the mounting surface, exposing parts of the mounting surface, a mounting bottom at a right angle to this side and a guide 10 which supports the aforementioned movable block, permitting its straight line movement over a definite range in a direction parallel to the mounting surface, a driving means affixed to this unit body for driving the aforementioned movable block and a control means. For controlling this driving means the aforementioned plurality of units are coupled through a mounting means having a first mounting surface mounted on the mounting surface of the movable unit of one of the units abovementioned and a second mounting surface which makes a right angle to this first mounting surface and on which is placed the mounting plane of the unit body of another unit in such a way that the directions of the straight line movement of the movable blocks of each two units make a right angle with each other; and a robot capable of varying movable ranges may be easily constructed by coupling a plurality of such units, the coupling between each two units being easy, with only a minimum surface of the movable block exposed for fitting the mounting means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an industrial robot embodying this invention;
FIG. 2 is a partly broken away perspective view of an X-axis unit thereof;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a tacho-generator of the X-axis unit thereof;
FIG. 4 is a partly broken away perspective view of a Y-axis unit thereof;
FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the X-axis unit and the Y-axis unit;
FIG. 6 is a partly broken away perspective view of a Z-axis unit;
FIG. 7 is a flow chart for showing the positioning method;
FIG. 8 is a flow chart for explanation of zero reset making; and
FIGS. 9.about.16 are perspective views of industrial robots formed by assembling the X-axis unit, Y-axis unit and the Z-axis unit.
THE MOST PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
In the following an embodiment of this invention is described with reference to FIGS. 1.about.8.
The numeral 1 denotes an X-axis unit, on which a first mounting means 2 is slidable in the x-direction as indicated by the arrow. The numeral 3 represent a Y-axis unit, which is affixed on the aforementioned first mounting means 2 and on which a second mounting means 4 is slidable in the y-direction perpendicular to the x-direction as indicated by the arrow. The numeral 5 designates a Z-axis unit, which is mounted on the second mounting means 4 and on which a plate 6 is slidable in the z-direction, as indicated by the arrow, perpendicular both to the x-direction and the y-direction.
In the following, respectively, the X-axis unit, Y-axis unit and Z-axis unit are described in detail:
The numeral 7 designates a movable block, on about the center of which a ball nut 8 is securely held, this ball nut 8 and a ball screw 9 being engageable. The numeral 10 indicates guides placed parallel to the axial direction of the ball screw 9 and at a specified distance on both sides of the ball screw 9. The
REFERENCES:
patent: 1806534 (1931-05-01), Hamilton
patent: 4132318 (1979-01-01), Wang et al.
patent: 4274801 (1981-06-01), Herb et al.
Saito Toshio
Takemoto Yoshiro
Yamashita Kazuichi
Zin Keiichi
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Wayner William E.
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