Material or article handling – Vertically swinging load support
Patent
1988-01-25
1989-06-27
Spar, Robert J.
Material or article handling
Vertically swinging load support
74479, 901 15, 901 48, B25J 1800
Patent
active
048424749
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a vertical multi-articulated robot, and more particularly, to an improvement of a vertical multi-articulated robot comprising a base secured onto a plane of installation such as a surface of a floor, a turning body provided on the base and rotatable relative to a reference position of the base about a first axis perpendicular to the plane of installation within an angular range of nearly 90 degrees to the right and to the left, respectively, a body drive motor for driving and rotating the turning body relative to the base about the first axis, an upper arm having a base end and a tip and coupled at the base end thereof to the turning body so as to be rotatable relative to the turning body about a second horizontal axis from a nearly vertical attitude toward the front of the turning body, an upper arm drive motor for driving and rotating the upper arm relative to the turning body about the second axis, a forearm coupled to the tip of the upper arm so as to be rotatable relative to the upper arm about a third axis parallel to the second axis and provided at the front end thereof with a wrist assembly, and a forearm drive motor for driving and rotating the forearm relative to the upper arm about the third axis.
BACKGROUND ART
In conventional vertical multi-articulated robots having a turning body rotatable about a first rotational axis, an upper arm is arranged to rotate about a second rotational axis intersecting the first axis at a right angle, an upper arm drive motor is attached to the turning body, and a forearm drive motor is attached to the upper arm. These motors are arranged coaxially with the rotational axis of the upper arm and project laterally in opposite directions from an interconnecting portion between the upper arm and the turning body. Output shafts of the upper arm drive motor and the forearm drive motor are connected through reduction gears and power transmitting mechanisms to rotatable shafts of the upper arm and forearm, respectively.
In the above-mentioned robot, generally, a moment of force about the second axis due to gravity is increased, and accordingly, the load of the upper arm drive motor is increased, as the upper arm moves from a vertical attitude where the tip thereof is orientated immediately above to a horizontal attitude. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a high power motor as an upper arm drive motor. In order to decrease the load of the upper arm drive motor due to a moment of force, conventional vertical multi-articulated robots are provided with a counter-balancing mechanism using a force of a spring provided between the turning body and the upper arm. However, the use of the counter-balancing mechanism complicates the structure of the robots and increases manufacturing costs thereof.
In turn, the conventional vertical multi-articulated robot has a workable region which is defined, generally, within an angular range of 90 degrees to the right and to the left, respectively, relative to a reference position of the base about the first rotational axis of the turning body. However, in the conventional vertical multi-articulated robot, the upper arm drive motor and the forearm drive motor projecting laterally in opposite directions from the interconnecting portion between the upper arm and the turning body move into the workable region of the robot, as the turning body rotates. Accordingly, the workable region of the robot is considerably reduced due to the necessity of ensuring therein a space permitting these movements of the upper arm drive motor and the forearm drive motor.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a vertical multi-articulated robot which can reduce a load acting on an upper arm drive motor by means of a simple structure and effectively ensure maximum use of a workable region thereof.
According to the present invention, there is provided a vertical multi-articulated robot comprising a base secured onto a plane of insta
REFERENCES:
patent: 3241687 (1966-03-01), Orloff
patent: 4693663 (1987-09-01), Brenholt et al.
Iwasaki Kyoji
Mizuno Hitoshi
Torii Nobutoshi
Fanuc Ltd.
Spar Robert J.
Underwood Donald W.
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