Boots – shoes – and leggings
Patent
1997-01-22
1998-10-20
Gordon, Paul P.
Boots, shoes, and leggings
36447431, 36447432, 36447434, G06F 1900, B25J 922
Patent
active
058256555
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 35 U.S.C. 371 of PCT/JP95/01521 filed Jul. 31, 1995.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a normal operating condition restoration device and more particularly to a self resetting technique well adapted for use in an industrial robot system, that enables restoration of the system's normal operating conditions by automatically replacing or repairing a tool when abnormal conditions occur within the tool being operated on the work line relative to a workpiece.
BACKGROUND ART
A known self resetting device is designed such that when abnormal conditions have occurred within a tool on a work line relative to a workpiece, the device repeatedly attempts to put the system in operation at the abnormality occurring point to resume the system's normal operating conditions and if the device succeeds, the system restarts its operation from the abnormality occurring point, regarding the abnormal conditions as having been eliminated.
Since the above device resets the system by trying to put the system in operation at the point where tool abnormalities have occurred, there are some cases in which the device cannot be reset by making such attempts, for example, when there arises a need to replace or repair the abnormal tool.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problem and therefore one of the objects of the invention is to provide a normal operating condition restoration device which enables an operating system to resume its normal operating conditions to restart operation from the abnormality occurring point, even when replacement or repairing of the abnormal tool is required.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The above object can be achieved by a normal operating condition restoration device according to the invention, which comprises:
(a) taught point memory means for storing successive taught points that constitute a work line on which a tool travels in relation to a workpiece and storing taught points for retraction which are among the taught points constituting the work line and to which the tool can be retracted from the workpiece;
(b) tool abnormality detecting means for detecting abnormal conditions which have occurred in the tool traveling on the work line relative to the workpiece; and
(c) controlling means for performing control such that upon detection of occurrence of abnormal conditions in the tool by the tool abnormality detecting means, the tool is shifted from an abnormality occurring point to the nearest taught point for retraction, following back a path on the work line which the tool has already passed, according to point information stored in the taught point memory means so that the abnormal tool is retracted from the workpiece, and such that a new tool or repaired tool is then brought to the abnormality occurring point by way of the above path on the work line to be installed thereat.
According to the invention, when occurrence of abnormal conditions in a tool has been detected, the abnormal tool can be retracted from the workpiece, by shifting it from the abnormality occurring point to the nearest taught point for retraction, following back the path on the work line which it has already passed. After that, the abnormal tool is replaced with new one by means of a known automatic tool exchanger or repaired by means of a known automatic tool repairing machine, and the new or repaired tool is then put back to the abnormality occurring point by way of the same path that the abnormal tool has followed back for retraction from the workpiece.
Accordingly, even if there arises a need to replace an abnormal tool with new one or to repair the abnormal tool, the invention enables tool replacement or tool repairing without the interference of the workpiece to restart operation from the position where abnormal conditions have occurred.
The tool may be a welding torch or grinding wheel. The normal operating condition restoration device of the invention is preferably incorporated in an industrial robot system.
The tool replacement may be carried out wi
REFERENCES:
patent: 3633011 (1972-01-01), Baderman et al.
patent: 3986010 (1976-10-01), Tankford et al.
patent: 4442493 (1984-04-01), Wakai et al.
patent: 4451892 (1984-05-01), McMurty
patent: 4468741 (1984-08-01), Simonton
patent: 4748570 (1988-05-01), Shochi et al.
patent: 5414633 (1995-05-01), Chung
Furukoshi Takayuki
Kondo Toshiaki
Nakagawa Hitoshi
Ogawa Tetsuya
Gordon Paul P.
Komatsu Ltd.
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