Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Multiple controlling elements for single controlled element
Patent
1990-09-28
1992-05-26
Herrmann, Allan D.
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Multiple controlling elements for single controlled element
901 27, 901 28, G05G 1100, B25J 900
Patent
active
051156903
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a multi-articulated industrial robot provided with a robot body, a robot upper arm pivotally supported about a joint formed at the upper end of the robot body for a swing motion about a first horizontal axis, and a robot forearm pivotally supported about a joint formed at the extremity of the robot upper arm for an up-down turning motion about a second horizontal axis and, more particularly, to a multi-articulated industrial robot provided with an offset robot upper arm having a back side thereof extended along a straight line connecting the horizontal axis of the joint formed at the upper end of the robot body and the horizontal axis of the joint formed at the extremity of the upper arm, and formed in a structure such that it allows electric cable and pipes to be extended along and laid against the back side.
PRIOR ART
It is known that an industrial robot generally called a multi-articulated robot is provided with a robot body having a fixing base at the bottom thereof, a robot upper arm pivotally supported about a joint formed at the upper end of the body for a swing motion about a horizontal axis (a first horizontal axis), and a robot forearm pivotally supported about a joint formed at the extremity of the robot upper arm for an up-down turning motion about a horizontal axis (a second horizontal axis). The robot assembly of such a multi-articulated robot is provided with electric motors for driving the robot upper arm and the robot forearm, and rotation detectors, such as generally known encoders, for detecting the quantities of motions, such as swing motions and up-down turning motions, of the robot arms through the detection of the quantities of motions of the electric motors, and accordingly, cables are essential for wiring the electrical equipment. Generally, the robot assembly is provided with cables and wiring accessories for the electrical equipment and, if necessary, pipes and piping accessories to supply an auxiliary gas or the like to the robot wrist and end effectors attached to the robot wrist. In the conventional multi-articulated robot, the robot upper arm is constructed so that portions thereof are arranged on one and the other sides of a straight line connecting the center of a swing motion of the joint articulating the robot body and the robot upper arm about an axis generally designated as "the W-axis" and the center of an up-down turning motion of the joint articulating the robot upper arm and forearm about an axis designated as "the U-axis". Namely, the straight line extends substantially through the central portion of the robot upper arm. When the robot upper arm is thus constructed and the cables and, when necessary pipes, are arranged on the robot assembly, particularly when the cables are extended along the outer surface of the robot, the cables are liable to be damaged. If the cables are extended through the interior of the robot assembly, the cables are bent rapidly or stretched by the actions of the robot arms, and thus the cables may be damaged or cut, causing problems in the operation of the robot assembly. Therefore, in general the cables are extended along the center axis of the robot upper arm between the robot body and the robot forearm.
Nevertheless, the extension of the cables along the center axis of the robot upper arm requires cumbersome work when removing the cables from the robot assembly for maintenance, or for repairing the electric motors, and when extending the cables again through the interior of the robot assembly after completing the maintenance work or repair.
DISCLOSURE OR THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of the conventional multi-articulated industrial robot.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-articulated industrial robot having an offset arm structure, namely, a robot arm structure which enables work for installing cables essential to the robot assembly or pipes and piping accessories, and maintenance work, to
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patent: 4972731 (1990-11-01), Akutagawa et al.
patent: 5006035 (1991-04-01), Nakashima et al.
Miyawaki Masanao
Mizuno Hitoshi
Torii Nobutoshi
Fanuc Ltd.
Herrmann Allan D.
Laub David W.
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