Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Multiple controlling elements for single controlled element
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-29
2001-06-26
Bucci, David A. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Multiple controlling elements for single controlled element
C414S918000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250174
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the structure of an improved industrial robot associated with cables used for supplying electric power or transmitting electrical signals, and with ducts and other pipelines used for conveying air, coolants, or other fluids.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, industrial robots (hereinafter referred to as robots) are equipped with motors to drive the robot axis, electrical cables for supplying electric power to or sending and receiving electrical signals to and from machining tools and, small cameras mounted on the robots, and ducts or other pipelines for conveying air, coolants, or other fluids.
As robots ordinarily move in conjunction with such actions as turning, extending, or retracting, in installing the cables and ducts (hereinafter both cables and ducts are referred to as “cable(s)”), care must be taken so that the installed cables do not inhibit robot movement, and so that the cables are not subjected to excessive tension, twisting, or tangling by the movement of the robot. In particular, when the range of a robot's turning movement is made large (360° for example), cables tend to get wrapped up and damaged by excessive tension. In many cases, therefore, it becomes inevitable to limit the range of a robot's turning movement with reluctance.
In order to avoid such limitations, there is a known technique with which through-holes are opened in the centers of the speed reducers with which the drive units of robot axis are equipped, and cables are run through those through-holes (see Japanese Patent Application, Laid-Open H7-108485).
When such a cable installation technique is employed in each robot axis, one naturally would expect that cable interference with robot axis movements, particularly with turning movements, would be reduced, and that limitations on the range of movement of robot axis, particularly the range of turning movement, would be greatly relaxed.
There is a problem, however, in that the structure of the speed reducer mechanism where through-holes are provided in the center becomes complex because of the unavoidable necessity of providing a bearing mechanism for mechanical input and output at the periphery thereof, away from the center thereof. For this reason, if such a bearing mechanism is employed in all of the robot axes in order to avoid cable interference when the robot axis make a turning movement, the entire structure becomes complex, and the overall cost rises.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a robot structure wherewith overall robot costs can be kept from escalating, while retaining the advantages of the cable installation technique noted above using a hollow structure as described above.
In order to achieve the above object, the robot structure according to the present invention comprises: a robot stationary base; a first speed reducer mechanism attachment base that is attached to said robot stationary base and to which is attached a first axis speed reducer mechanism and a second axis speed reducer mechanism linked to one end of a first arm; and cables and/or pipelines from said robot stationary base; wherein a hollow part is formed in the center of said first speed reducer mechanism for passing said cables and/or pipelines from said robot stationary base; and said cables and/or pipelines coming out from said hollow part are installed so as to wind around the outside of said second speed reducer mechanism and, after arriving in the vicinity of said one end of said first arm, follow said first arm and extend in the direction of the other end of said first arm.
Preferably, on one side surface of the first arm, a channel of sufficient width and depth to accommodate the cables and/or pipelines is formed longitudinally in the arm.
Preferably, also, in the vicinity of the one end and the other end of the arm, on the side thereof where the channel is formed, fasteners are attached for holding the cables and/or pipelines inside the channel.
According to the robot structure of the present invention, overall robot costs can be kept from escalating while exploiting the advantage of the cable installation technique using speed reducers having a hollow structure, that is, that the pipelines and the robot turning movements do not interfere with one another.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5006035 (1991-04-01), Nakashima et al.
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patent: 5293107 (1994-03-01), Akeel
patent: 5606235 (1997-02-01), Mauletti
patent: 0 658 405 (1995-06-01), None
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patent: 2-198781 (1990-08-01), None
patent: 5-318378 (1993-12-01), None
patent: 6-315879 (1994-11-01), None
Terada Akihiro
Yamashiro Hikaru
Bucci David A.
Fanuc Ltd.
Hansen Colby
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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