An operating device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an operating device configured to perform operations in a workspace, comprising: a robotic arm comprising a series of arm elements, which are rotatably mounted to each other around respective rotation axes, and the robotic arm carries an operating unit at its end; and at least one presence sensor, which is used to detect the presence of an operator; the device comprises a positioning system, which comprises a support, through which at least one presence sensor is carried, and the support is mounted on the arm element of the robotic arm according to a preset orientation and in a manner that enables the support to be orientable relative to the arm element; and wherein the positioning system also comprises a positioning unit, which is pre-configured to rotate the support relative to the arm element through movement of the robotic arm, thereby keeping the support unchanged in the preset orientation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an operating device which is provided for operation in a working area accessible to an operator. Background Art

[0002] In this context, there are known technical solutions for ensuring the safety of operators or other operators, which envisage monitoring the area around the operating device and bringing the device to a stop or into a slow operating mode when the device detects that an operator is approaching the device.

[0003] The solutions discussed generally envisage placing a plurality of presence sensors in a plurality of locations around the device to provide one or more monitoring zones.

[0004] On the other hand, operating devices specially designed for overall safe and continuous human-machine interaction are also known in the art, usually referred to as "collaborative robots", which have various types of sensor systems integrated inside (for example, force sensors, proximity sensors, contact sensors or a combination thereof) for detecting and identifying device commands issued by the operator through actions directly applied to the robot.

[0005] The first category of known solutions mentioned above has the disadvantage of being non-universal, since new tasks to be assigned to the operating devices may often require repositioning and reprogramming of the presence sensors in order to reconfigure the monitoring.

[0006] On the other hand, collaborative robotic solutions have the disadvantage of presenting high complexity and correspondingly high costs due to the necessary means to enable the robot to interact directly and instantly with the operator. However, such solutions have not yet proven to be able to meet the needs of industrial production lines operating in cycles with high production volumes.

[0007] Finally, document WO 2018 / 145990 A1 discloses a monitoring system for a robot arm, which combines the solution of providing a plurality of presence sensors around the robot arm to define a given monitoring area with the solution of providing presence sensors on the operating unit of the robot arm itself to define a mobile monitoring area fixed relative to the operating unit. This solution also presents the disadvantage of being non-universal for the same reasons mentioned above for the first category of known solutions discussed above. Moreover, the monitoring actions performed by the mobile sensors and the operating unit of the robot prove to be far from effective in terms of the purpose of ensuring a high level of safety for the operator.

[0008] In this context, an object of the present invention is to provide an operating device capable of overcoming the above-mentioned disadvantages.

[0009] The above purpose is achieved through an operating device having the characteristics described in Technical Solution 1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

[0011] - Figure 1 An axonometric view showing an example of an operating device of the type described in the present application;

[0012] - Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top view of the operating device;

[0013] - Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Detailed view of the operating equipment;

[0014] - Figure 4 yes Figure 1 a front view of the equipment and the area surrounding the workspace in which the equipment operates;

[0015] - Figure 5A and 5B yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the operating device under two different operating conditions;

[0016] - Figure 6 Another example of an operating device described in the present application is shown; and

[0017] - Figure 7 A further example of an operating device described in the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In the following, various specific details are shown to provide a deeper understanding of the embodiments. The embodiments may be obtained without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, or materials, etc. In some cases, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail so that various aspects of the embodiments are not obscured.

[0019] The reference numerals used in this application are for convenience only and therefore do not limit the scope of protection or the scope of the embodiments.

[0020] As foreseen at the outset, the invention relates to an operating device which is provided for operation in a working area accessible to an operating personnel.

[0021] The present invention is particularly referred to in the field of production and packaging of food industry. However, the same teachings provided in the following content can be applied to any other industrial field.

[0022] Usually, reference Figures 1 to 4 The operating device described in the present application includes a robot arm 10, which carries an operating unit 12 at its end.

[0023] The robot arm 10 includes a series of arm elements 10i (arm elements represented by 10I, 10II and 10III in this example), which are mounted on each other in a rotatable manner around respective rotation axes Xi (rotation axes represented by X1, X2 and X3 in this example); and the series of arm elements 10i are driven individually or multiple elements simultaneously to move the operating unit 12 in space.

[0024] In the example shown, the robot arm 10 is an articulated robot arm with six axes of rotation. In any case, the robot arm shown is provided only by way of example. In practice, the operating device described in the present application may envisage some other type of robot arm, such as a humanoid robot, a SCARA robot, etc., which may or may not have a seventh translation axis for moving the robot between different workstations.

[0025] Referring again to the illustrated example, the robotic arm 10 is pre-configured to operate in a workspace L to perform one or more tasks.

[0026] As mentioned above, the solution described in the present application has been designed with particular reference to the production and packaging fields in the food industry. In this regard, the tasks described above may, for example, relate to the handling and / or manipulation and / or positioning of products and / or parts thereof, and / or packaging and / or parts thereof, and / or production methods and / or packaging methods.

[0027] The handling equipment may also be operably associated with other equipment or machines to perform the tasks involved, such as transport equipment such as conveyor belts, pallets, carts, workbenches, etc., or other handling equipment.

[0028] For example, the handling devices described in this application can be used for picking up and putting down products.

[0029] It should generally be noted that the use of the handling device described in this application is not limited to the field of the food industry, but any other field is conceivable.

[0030] The operating device described in the present application also includes at least one presence sensor 14 for detecting the presence of a person or an object. As will be seen in more detail below, one or more sensors 14 are used to determine a surveillance volume.

[0031] Compared to the prior art, the operating device described in the present application is characterized in that at least one presence sensor is carried by the robot arm itself through a positioning system, which is able to maintain the presence sensor in a preset orientation in a constant manner despite the movement of the robot arm 10 in the workspace L to perform its tasks.

[0032] Typically, the positioning system involved comprises: a support on which at least one presence sensor 14 is supported, the support being mounted in an orientable manner on an element 10i of a robotic arm; and a positioning unit which is pre-configured to rotate the support relative to the arm element 10i on which the support is mounted, through movement of the robotic arm, thereby keeping the orientation of the support unchanged.

[0033] With particular reference to the example shown, the positioning system comprises a support 22 on which are arranged a plurality of sensors 14 arranged in two parallel rows. In particular, the support 22 is constituted by a plate bent into a U-shape having a base 22A and two side portions 22B opposite each other and orthogonal to the base 22A. The two rows of sensors are mounted on the two side portions 22B of the plate.

[0034] In the embodiment shown, the positioning unit comprises a four-bar linkage 24 which is defined to the robot arm 10 and carries the support 22. The mechanism 24 operates to maintain the support 22 and therefore the sensors 14 arranged thereon in a preset orientation so that the two rows of sensors 14 extend in respective vertical directions Z1, Z2 which are spaced apart in the horizontal direction Y by a certain distance ( Figure 2 The sensors 14 define monitoring volumes S1, S2 which are symmetrical with respect to the direction Y and extend on opposite sides of the robot 10 so as to cover the area extending from the edge of the workspace L next to the robot ( Figure 4 ).

[0035] In particular, refer to Figure 3 , the four-bar linkage mechanism 24 includes a first rod 24I, which is installed at the connection interface between the arm element 10I and the arm element 10II, and the first rod 24I is fixed to the arm element 10I according to the horizontal orientation. The mechanism 24 also includes a second rod 24II, which is installed at the connection interface between the arm element 10II and the arm element 10III and can rotate around the rotation axis X3 relative to both arm elements. At the second rod 24II, the arm element 10III is rotatably mounted on the arm element 10II. Finally, the mechanism 24 includes a third rod 24III, which is rotatably connected to the ends of the two rods 24I and 24II at its opposite ends.

[0036] The rod 24II has an eccentric portion 24IIA to which the support 22 is fixed. The support 22 is oriented with its base 22A arranged horizontally so as to hold the two rows of sensors 14 in respective vertical directions Z1, Z2.

[0037] In view of the foregoing, those skilled in the art will understand that the mechanism 24 is pre-configured so that, by movement of the arm element 10II about the rotation axis X2, the mechanism 24 changes the configuration of its lever so that the support 22 remains in a horizontal orientation.

[0038] in this regard, Figure 5A and Figure 5B The robot arm 10 is shown in a first state and a second state, respectively. In the first state, the arm element 10II is set at an angle of about 20° relative to the vertical direction. In the second state, the arm element 10II is set at an angle of about 45° relative to the vertical direction. It is clear from these figures that the change in position of the arm element 10II causes a configuration change in the mechanism 24, so that the support 22 rotates relative to the arm element 10II so as to remain in a horizontal state.

[0039] Due to the above operating mode of the positioning system of the sensor 14 , the monitoring volumes S1 , S2 are always maintained according to the working space L.

[0040] It should now be noted that the described positioning unit consisting of a four-bar linkage 24 is provided only as an example.

[0041] In practice, the function of maintaining the orientation of the sensor 14 unchanged may be achieved according to other configurations.

[0042] For example, according to Figure 6 In the alternative embodiment shown, the positioning unit is constituted by a gyroscopic system 44 comprising a rotor 44I mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation I and a movable frame 44II. The movable frame 44II carries the rotor 44I and defines one or two oscillation axes, about which the axis of rotation I can be oriented in space around the movable frame 44II. The support 22 is fixedly mounted to the module of the movable frame carrying the rotor 44I.

[0043] According to a characteristic operating mode of the gyroscopic system, despite the movements of the robot 10 in order to perform the tasks assigned to it, the axis of rotation I and therefore the support 22 remain in a preset orientation thanks to the angular momentum generated by the continuous rotation of the rotor 44I about the axis of rotation I.

[0044] According to another variant (in Figure 7), the positioning unit includes an actuator 54 and a control unit (not shown). The actuator 54 is used to move the support 22 relative to the arm element on which the support 22 is mounted, and the control unit is configured to control the actuator 54 according to a signal indicating the position of the arm element in space to keep the support 22 in a preset orientation.

[0045] In view of the foregoing, it will be understood that, in general, the aforementioned preset orientation of the support 22 and the sensor 14 will preferably be a "horizontal" orientation, so that the positioning unit will be pre-set in order to maintain the aforementioned orientation without being changed by any movement of the arm element carrying the support 22 about a generally non-vertical axis (by the way, "horizontal orientation" here means that the support and / or the sensor are not necessarily horizontally placed, but are referenced to a horizontal plane, and it is assumed that the distance between any point of the support and the sensor and this plane will be fixed). On the other hand, the positioning unit will not intervene during the movement of the arm element about a vertical axis or during a linear movement, that is, during a movement that cannot change the aforementioned preset orientation.

[0046] In any case, embodiments are envisaged in which the preset orientation of the support 22 and sensor 14 may be of another type, and the positioning unit would be preset to maintain that other orientation in the manner discussed above.

[0047] It will now be noted that the support 22 is advantageously mounted to the top of the robot 10 operating in the workspace L. This makes it possible to determine a surveillance volume S1 , S2 by means of the sensor 14 , which allows a relatively large area to be reconnoitred at a considerable distance from the workspace L.

[0048] Generally, the solution described in this application envisages determining at least one surveillance volume, which is defined by at least one presence sensor carried by the above-mentioned positioning system. The number, shape and size of the surveillance volumes may vary depending on the specific application.

[0049] The monitoring volumes S1, S2 of the example shown are generally shaped like sectors of a sphere ( Figure 4 ). They are each formed by a set of sectors ( S1I, S1II, S1III and S2I, S2II, S2III), each sector being determined by a single sensor 14.

[0050] With specific reference to the monitoring volume S1, it includes a first part S1I, a second part S1II and a third part S1III, which respectively have the geometric shape of a cone and are oriented with their own geometric axes according to a specific angle. The specific angle gradually increases from the first part to the third part relative to the horizontal plane defined by the base plate. The first part S1I is preset to identify the possible presence of an operator in close proximity to the workspace L. The second part S1II defines an area A1 entering the monitored area, which is the farthest from the workspace L, through which it can be detected that the operator is approaching the workspace. The third part S1III facing upwards is preset for detecting any overhead objects approaching the workspace L (for example, on an overhead conveying system, such as an overhead crane or a suspended conveyor line).

[0051] The monitoring volume S2 is formed in the same way by the parts S2I, S2II, S2III.

[0052] In view of the foregoing, it is apparent that a surveillance volume of any shape may be provided by putting together a corresponding number of sections determined by a given number of presence sensors 14. On the other hand, a surveillance volume formed by a single section determined by a single presence sensor 14 may also be provided.

[0053] The sensor 14 may be of any known type suitable for the above-mentioned purpose. For example, the sensor in question may be a module for emitting and receiving electromagnetic waves, which is pre-configured to determine the position and / or speed of an object by analyzing one or more characteristics of the signals received of electromagnetic waves emitted by the module and reflected by the object itself back to the same module. The waves in question may be, for example, radio waves or microwaves. Safety radar sensors sold by the company LEUZE represents one type of sensor available on the market that is suitable for the above mentioned purposes. Another type consists of position and displacement laser sensors.

[0054] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the (above) parts of the surveillance volume are determined by the electromagnetic beams emitted by the transmitter and receiver modules. Therefore, the size and geometry of these parts of the surveillance volume will depend on the type of sensor used.

[0055] In a manner known per se, during operation, the surveillance volume provided by the device is used to establish safety conditions for operating personnel who may approach or enter the working space L.

[0056] In particular, the control unit 100 of the device may be configured to control different operating states of the robot arm 10 according to the signals from the sensor 14. The criteria and manner of intervention in the operation of the robot arm 10 may be established according to the standards currently valid in various countries and various fields of activity.

[0057] For example, refer to Figures 1 to 4 In the application shown, the control unit 100 of the device can control the operation of the robot arm 10 according to the low-speed displacement mode when the sensor 14 detects that the operator enters the area A1; then when the sensor 14 detects the presence of the operator in the working area close to the workspace L (the monitoring volume S1I is intercepted), the control unit 100 issues an instruction to stop the robot arm 10 completely.

[0058] Of course, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the specific configuration and details of the embodiments may vary, even significantly, with respect to what is shown here purely by way of non-limiting example, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

1. An operating device configured to operate in a workspace (L), comprising: - a robot arm (10) comprising a series of arm elements (10i) including a first arm element (10I), a second arm element (10II) and a third arm element (10III) mounted rotatably relative to one another about respective rotation axes (Xi), and the robot arm (10) carrying an operating unit (12) at its end; and - at least one presence sensor (14) which is pre-configured to detect the presence of an operator; The device is characterized in that the device includes a positioning system, which includes a support (22), through which at least one presence sensor (14) is carried, and the support (22) is installed on one of the first arm element, the second arm element and the third arm element of the series of arm elements (10i) of the robot arm according to a preset orientation and in a manner that enables the support (22) to be orientable relative to one of the first arm element, the second arm element and the third arm element of the series of arm elements (10i); and wherein the positioning system also includes a positioning unit (24, 44, 54), which is pre-configured to rotate the support (22) relative to the one arm element through the movement of the robot arm, thereby keeping the preset orientation of the support (22) unchanged.

2. The operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that The support (22) is mounted on the second arm element (10II) of the series of arm elements of the robot arm.

3. The operating device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The robot arm is an articulated robot arm with six rotation axes, and wherein the support (22) is mounted on a second arm element (10II), and the second arm element (10II) starts from a base on which the robot arm is mounted.

4. The operating device according to claim 3, wherein: The at least one presence sensor (14) defines a surveillance volume (S1, S2) which is oriented transversely with respect to the robot arm (10) and defines an entry area (A1) for detecting an operator approaching a workspace (L).

5. The operating device according to claim 4, comprising a plurality of presence sensors (14) which are arranged with one another to form at least one monitoring volume (S1, S2) having given dimensions and geometry.

6. The operating device according to claim 4, wherein the presence sensor (14) is a module for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves.

7. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein: The positioning unit comprises a four-bar linkage mechanism (24), which is connected to the support (22) and to the one arm element on which the support is mounted. Due to the movement of the one arm element around the corresponding rotation axis, the support (22) is rotated relative to the one arm element through the operation of the four-bar linkage mechanism (24), so that the support (22) is maintained in a preset orientation.

8. The operating device according to claim 4, wherein: The positioning unit comprises a gyroscopic system (44) which carries the support (22) and maintains the support (22) in a preset orientation by the operation of the gyroscopic system (44) due to the movement of the robot arm (10).

9. The operating device according to claim 4, wherein: The positioning unit comprises an actuator (54) and a control unit, wherein the actuator (54) is used to move the support (22) relative to an arm element on which the support (22) is mounted, and the control unit is configured to control the actuator (54) according to the position of the positioning arm element to keep the support in a preset orientation.

10. The operating device according to claim 4, comprising a control unit (100) configured to drive the robot arm (10) to a safe state depending on a signal from the at least one presence sensor (14).

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