Material or article handling – Horizontally swinging load support – Swinging about pivot
Patent
1988-09-09
1990-11-13
Bucci, David A.
Material or article handling
Horizontally swinging load support
Swinging about pivot
414918, 901 50, B25J 1900
Patent
active
049697951
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a cable extending means for an industrial robot and, more specifically, to an industrial robot equipped with a cable extending means comprising a cable guide member for protectively holding a plurality of cables extending from the lower end of the cylindrical fixed body of the industrial robot through swivel robot components toward the robot arm mechanism of the industrial robot, capable of protecting and extending the lifetime of the cables by suppressing the swing motion of the cables, resulting from the swivel motion of the swivel robot components, to the least possible extent.
BACKGROUND ART
The multiaxial articulated robot, among various industrial robots, comprises structural components including a fixed body serving as a supporting structure, a swivel body mounted on the fixed body for swivel motion, and a robot arm mechanism including a robot arm, a robot wrist, a robot hand, and end effectors such as welding tools, and pivotally joined to the swivel body. In most cases, electric motors are used as drive motors for driving the structural components for swiveI motion or swing motion. Accordingly, cables must be extended internally and externally of the robot assembly to supply power through a robot controller to the drive motors of the multiaxial articulated robot and to exchange control signals between the robot controller and detectors for positioning control. To extend the cables for such purposes, cable extending means have been proposed, but rubbing, twisting or bending of the cables when the swivel body and the robot arm mechanism are driven for swivel motion or swing motion damages the cable sheaths and may possibly break the conductors of the cables. Therefore, it is a necessary structural condition that the cable extending means are capable of preventing this rubbing, twisting and bending of the cables.
Accordingly, the cable extending means which have hitherto been proposed and provided are designed to guide the cables properly according to the intrinsic structure and mode of operation of the associated industrial robots. Nevertheless, it is difficult to provide a cable extending means universally applicable to various industrial robots; particularly, a cable extending means for a multiaxial articulated robot having a construction simplified to the utmost degree and designed for manufacture at a reduced cost must have a simple construction and must be manufactured at a reduced cost.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cable extending means for an industrial robot, capable of meeting the foregoing requisite conditions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multiaxial articulated industrial robot incorporating a cable extending means.
The present invention provides an industrial robot comprising: a cylindrical fixed robot body; a swivel body mounted on the cylindrical fixed robot body; a robot arm mechanism pivotally joined to the swivel body; and cable extending means for collectively and protectively guiding cables extended from the lower end of the cylindrical fixed robot body toward the robot arm mechanism; wherein the cable extending means has a cable guide means extended vertically along and outside the cylindrical fixed robot body and having an upper end pivotally joined to the swivel body on the axis of swivel motion of the swivel body by an upper bearing member, and a lower end pivotally joined to the cylindrical fixed robot body on the axis of swivel motion of the swivel body by a lower bearing member. The cable extending means protectively holds cables extending from the lower end of the cylindrical fixed robot body through the central hole of the lower bearing member and guides the cables so that the cables extend from the upper end of the cable guide means through a cable clamping position on the swivel body. The cable guide means is constructed so as to be disposed outside the robot structure, to simplify the construction and to reduce costs.
BRIEF
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Iwasaki Kyozi
Miyawaki Masano
Mizuno Hitoshi
Torii Nobutoshi
Toyoda Kenichi
Bucci David A.
Fanuc Ltd.
Heinz William M.
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