End effector changing device

Abstract

Provided is an end effector exchange device in which a sliding portion (18) of a first adapter (12) is fitted into a groove portion (42) of a second adapter (34), and a ball (32) is disposed between a cam member (22) supported by the sliding portion and an opening edge portion (36b) that forms the groove portion. The ball is able to advance toward or retreat from an engagement groove (44) of the opening edge portion by movement of the cam member. By performing an operation of a release button (24) that is integral with the cam member and sliding the first adapter and the second adapter relative to each other, the ball retreats, and the first adapter and the second adapter are separated.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an end effector changer for manually changing an end effector, such as a tool, a gripper, a chuck, a gripper, and the like (hereinafter referred to as "end effector") mounted to a robot arm, a conveyance device, and the like (hereinafter referred to as "robot arm and the like"). BACKGROUND

[0002] Conventionally, a technology is known in which an end effector is detachably mounted to a tip end of a robot arm, and various end effectors are mounted to the tip end of the robot arm according to an operation performed by an industrial robot.

[0003] For example, International Publication No. 2019 / 114895 describes a connector that connects a first part connected to a robot and a second part connected to a gripper with a hinge in a detachable manner, and is provided with a press button that releases engagement of the first part and the second part.

[0004] In such an end effector changer, when the end effector is manually removed from the robot arm and the like, the end effector can be unexpectedly detached. In particular, in a case where the end effector is heavy, the safety of the operator needs to be considered. SUMMARY

[0005] An object of the present application is to solve the above-described technical problem.

[0006] The end effector changer of the present application is provided with a first adapter and a second adapter, one of which is mounted to a robot arm and the like, and the other of which is mounted to an end effector. A sliding portion of the first adapter is fitted into a groove portion of the second adapter. A ball is disposed between a cam member supported by the sliding portion and an opening edge portion that constitutes the groove portion. The ball can enter or retreat toward an engagement groove of the opening edge portion by movement of the cam member. By performing an operation of a release button integral with the cam member and sliding the first adapter and the second adapter relative to each other, the ball retreats, and the first adapter and the second adapter are separated.

[0007] According to the above-described end effector changer, the first adapter and the second adapter can be separated by performing an operation of the release button and then sliding the first adapter and the second adapter relative to each other. The first adapter and the second adapter cannot be separated by only pressing the release button. Therefore, the adapter to which the end effector is mounted does not unexpectedly detach, and the safety of the operator is improved.

[0008] The end effector replacement device of the present application is a structure that enables the first adapter and the second adapter to be separated by performing an operation of a release button and sliding the first adapter with respect to the second adapter. Therefore, the adapter installed with the end effector does not unexpectedly come off, improving the safety of the operator.

[0009] The above objects, features and advantages will be more apparent from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is an appearance view of an end effector replacement device of the first embodiment of the present application.

[0011] Figure 2 is a view showing a use example of the end effector replacement device of Figure 1 .

[0012] Figure 3 is an appearance view of the first adapter of the end effector replacement device of Figure 1 .

[0013] Figure 4 is an appearance view of the second adapter of the end effector replacement device of Figure 1 .

[0014] Figure 5 is a plan view of the end effector replacement device of Figure 1 .

[0015] Figure 6 is a sectional view along the line I-I of Figure 5 .

[0016] Figure 7 is a sectional view along the line II-II of Figure 5 .

[0017] Figure 8 is a sectional view along the line III-III of Figure 7 .

[0018] Figure 9 is an enlarged view of the portion A of Figure 8 .

[0019] Figure 10 is an enlarged view of the portion B of Figure 7 .

[0020] Figure 11 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV of Figure 10 .

[0021] Figure 12 is a view corresponding to Figure 8 when an operation release button is performed.

[0022] Figure 13 is a state in which the second adapter is separated from the first adapter. Figure 2 is a view of a state in which the second adapter is separated from the first adapter in a use example of the end effector exchange device.

[0023] Figure 14 is a view corresponding to the end effector exchange device for explaining the second embodiment of the present application. Figure 8

[0024] Figure 15 is a view corresponding to the engagement groove of the end effector exchange device for explaining the second embodiment of the present application. Figure 14 Figure 10

[0025] Figure 16 is a sectional view along the V-V line of Figure 15 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In the following description, when words relating to the upward and downward directions are used, for convenience, they refer to the directions in the drawings, and do not limit the actual arrangement of the components and the like.

[0027] (First Embodiment)

[0028] With reference to Figures 1 to 13 , an end effector exchange device 10 of the first embodiment of the present application will be described. As shown in Figure 1 , the end effector exchange device 10 is provided with a first adapter 12 and a second adapter 34 which have the same disc shape in plan view. As shown in Figure 2 , the end effector exchange device 10 is used, for example, in a manner in which the second adapter 34 on which a desired end effector 48 is mounted is connected to the first adapter 12 mounted to a robot arm 46.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3 , the first adapter 12 is provided with a disc-shaped main body portion 14 and a slide portion 18 which protrudes downward from the main body portion 14. The slide portion 18 has a T-shaped cross section and extends in a direction along the diameter of the main body portion 14. As shown in Figure 6 and Figure 8 , a guide rod 20 is arranged inside the slide portion 18. One end portion and the other end portion of the guide rod 20 are arranged in a first guide groove 18a and a second guide groove 18b inside the slide portion 18, respectively. Thus, the guide rod 20 is supported so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the slide portion 18.

[0030] ​​​​In the center of the guide rod 20, the cam member 22 is coupled by a first screw 26a. At the end of the guide rod 20, the release button 24 is coupled by a second screw 26b. The first adapter 12 is provided with a concave surface 12a which is formed by cutting a portion of the outer circumference of the first adapter 12 in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the sliding portion 18. The release button 24 is exposed to the outside from the concave surface 12a.

[0031] The end of the cam member 22 is erected upward, and constitutes a spring receiving portion 22c which extends inside the main body portion 14. A coil spring 28 is disposed between the spring receiving portion 22c of the cam member 22 and a spring seat 30 which is disposed inside the main body portion 14. The cam member 22, the guide rod 20, and the release button 24 which are coupled to each other as one body are subjected to the force of the coil spring 28. Thus, the release button 24 is forced in the direction of protruding to the outside from the concave surface 12a.

[0032] The both side surfaces of the cam member 22 are provided with a cam portion 22a and a ball housing groove 22b which is located closer to the release button 24 than the cam portion 22a. The cam portion 22a is constituted by an inclined portion 22al which is inclined at an angle a with respect to the moving direction (X direction) of the guide rod 20, and a parallel portion 22a2 which is parallel to the moving direction of the guide rod 20. The parallel portion 22a2 is located between the inclined portion 22al and the ball housing groove 22b (refer to Figure 9 ). The sliding portion 18 is provided with a pair of ball grooves 18c at a position adjacent to the cam member 22. A ball (steel ball) 32 is disposed in each of the ball grooves 18c.

[0033] The upper portion of the main body portion 14 is provided with a circular fitting portion 14a. The guide rod 20, the cam member 22, and the circular cover member 16 which covers the upper portion of the coil spring 28 are fitted to the fitting portion 14a. The fitting portion 14a functions as a positioning portion when the first adapter 12 is fitted to the robot arm 46. Further, the reference symbol 14b indicates a bolt insertion hole for fitting the first adapter 12 to the robot arm 46.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4 , the second adapter 34 is provided with an upper plate portion 36 having an opening portion 36a, and a lower plate portion 38 having a circular hole portion 38a. U-shaped opening edge portions 36b of the upper plate portion 36 are connected to the lower plate portion 38 via vertical wall portions 40. These opening edge portions 36b, the vertical wall portions 40, and the lower plate portion 38 constitute a T-shaped groove portion 42.

[0035] By engaging the sliding portion 18 of the first adapter 12 with the slot 42 of the second adapter 34, the second adapter 34 is supported so as to be able to slide horizontally relative to the first adapter 12. At this time, the upper surface of the upper plate portion 36 of the second adapter 34 is parallel to the lower surface of the main body portion 14 of the first adapter 12. The upper and lower surfaces are separated by a small gap or are in contact with each other. Furthermore, reference numeral 34a shows a bolt through-hole for mounting the end effector 48 to the second adapter 34.

[0036] When the sliding part 18 of the first adapter 12 is inserted deep into the groove 42 of the second adapter 34, the central axis of the second adapter 34 is aligned with the central axis of the first adapter 12, and the side surface of the second adapter 34 is flush with the side surface of the first adapter 12 (see reference). Figure 2 When the sliding part 18 is completely disengaged from the groove 42, the second adapter 34 separates from the first adapter 12 (see reference). Figure 13 ).

[0037] like Figure 8 As shown, the ball 32, located in the ball groove 18c of the sliding portion 18 of the first adapter 12, is situated between the cam member 22 disposed in the sliding portion 18 and the opening edge 36b of the upper plate portion 36 of the second adapter 34. The opening edge 36b has a locking groove 44, which has a wall surface that allows the ball 32 to abut against. When the sliding portion 18 of the first adapter 12 is inserted deep into the groove 42 of the second adapter 34, the ball 32 is aligned with the locking groove 44.

[0038] like Figure 7 and Figure 10 As shown, the line (valley line 44a) connecting the deepest point of the engagement groove 44 moves further downwards and further away from the opening 36a. When viewed from the direction of movement along the cam member 22, the valley line 44a is inclined at an angle β relative to the upper surface of the upper plate portion 36. In other words, the valley line 44a of the engagement groove 44 is inclined at an angle β relative to the entry / retraction direction (Y direction) of the ball 32.

[0039] Figure 11 The diagram shows the outline of the engagement groove 44 when it is cut by a plane containing the center of the ball 32 and perpendicular to the valley line 44a, with the ball 32 in contact with the wall of the engagement groove 44. This outline is formed by a symmetrical combination of two arcs 44b and 44c, each having a radius larger than that of the ball 32.

[0040] Specifically, the wall surface shape of the engagement groove 44 is such that two identical cylindrical surfaces cut out in a range of a central angle θ of less than 90 degrees are spliced to each other at their generatrixes, and the splicing line becomes the valley line 44a of the engagement groove 44. The ball 32 abuts against the wall surface of the engagement groove 44 composed of the two cylindrical surfaces at two points, the point PI and the point P2. Further, the point indicated by reference symbol Ol is the center of the circle that constitutes the circular arc 44b, and the point indicated by reference symbol 02 is the center of the circle that constitutes the circular arc 44c.

[0041] The end effector changer 10 of the present embodiment is configured as described above, and the action thereof will be described below. The slide portion 18 of the first adapter 12 is inserted into the depth of the groove portion 42 of the second adapter 34, and the state in which the release button 24 protrudes from the concave surface 12a of the first adapter 12 is taken as an initial state (see FIG. 6). Figure 8 ).

[0042] In the above initial state, the cam member 22 presses the ball 32 through the inclined portion 22al thereof by the action of the coil spring 28. The ball 32 protrudes from the ball groove 18c of the slide portion 18 and abuts against the wall surface of the engagement groove 44. Therefore, the second adapter 34 is in a state in which it is engaged with the slide portion 18 of the first adapter 12 via the ball 32 in the engagement groove 44, and thus the second adapter 34 cannot be slid with respect to the first adapter 12.

[0043] In this case, the ball 32 abuts against the wall surface of the engagement groove 44 that is inclined by an angle β with respect to the advancing / receding direction of the ball 32. Therefore, a force that brings the upper surface of the second adapter 34 into close contact with the lower surface of the main body portion 14 of the first adapter 12 acts, and thus the second adapter 34 is supported to the first adapter 12 without play. In addition, the ball 32 abuts against the wall surface of the engagement groove 44 composed of the cylindrical surfaces at two points, the point PI and the point P2. Therefore, compared with the case in which the ball 32 abuts against the wall surface of the engagement groove 44 composed of the flat surfaces, the surface pressure can be moderated, and even if a large external force is applied to the second adapter 34, play does not occur.

[0044] In addition, the inclined portion 22al of the cam member 22 is connected to the ball housing groove 22b via the parallel portion 22a2. Therefore, in a state in which the release button 24 is not pressed, even if an external force in the direction in which the second adapter 34 is to be slid acts on the second adapter, the ball 32 stays at the parallel portion 22a2 and does not move to the ball housing groove 22b. Therefore, the second adapter 34 cannot be slid as long as the release button 24 is not operated.

[0045] When the operator presses the release button 24, the guide rod 20 and the cam member 22 that are integrated with the release button 24 move against the force of the coil spring 28. Thus, the ball 32 can retreat from the engagement groove 44 toward the ball housing groove 22b. Also, when the operator applies a force to the second adapter 34 in a direction in which the sliding portion 18 of the first adapter 12 is pulled out of the groove portion 42 of the second adapter 34, the ball 32 falls into the ball housing groove 22b and retreats to a position where it does not protrude from the sliding portion 18 (see FIG. 6). Figure 12 Thus, the operator can slide the second adapter 34 to separate the second adapter 34 from the first adapter 12 (see FIG. 7). Figure 13

[0046] After replacing the end effector 48 mounted on the separated second adapter 34 with another end effector, when the second adapter 34 is coupled to the first adapter 12, the following procedure can be performed, for example, in the following order.

[0047] First, the operator supports the second adapter 34 with both hands while fitting the sliding portion 18 of the first adapter 12 into the groove portion 42 of the second adapter 34. Then, the second adapter 34 is slid with respect to the first adapter 12 until the opening edge portion 36b at the entrance of the groove portion 42 abuts against the ball 32 protruding from the sliding portion 18. After this state is achieved, since the sliding portion 18 is fitted into the groove portion 42 by a prescribed length, the second adapter 34 does not fall even if the operator releases his hands from the second adapter 34.

[0048] Next, the operator presses the release button 24 with one hand while sliding the second adapter 34 with the other hand until the sliding portion 18 of the first adapter 12 is inserted deep into the groove portion 42 of the second adapter 34. Then, the hands are released from the release button 24, and the ball 32 abuts against the wall surface of the engagement groove 44 by the force of the coil spring 28, thereby returning to the initial state.

[0049] According to the end effector replacement device 10 of the present embodiment, a structure is achieved in which the first adapter 12 and the second adapter 34 can be separated by sliding the first adapter 12 with respect to the second adapter 34 while performing the operation of the release button 24. Thus, the second adapter 34 on which the end effector 48 is mounted does not fall by accidentally coming off, and the safety of the operator is improved.

[0050] In the present embodiment, a device in which the first adapter 12 is mounted on the robot arm 46 and the end effector 48 is mounted on the second adapter 34 is described. The second adapter 34 can be mounted on the robot arm 46 and the end effector 48 can be mounted on the first adapter 12.

[0051] (Second Embodiment)​

[0052] Next, refer to Figures 14 to 16 The end effector changing device 50 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the shape of the engaging groove is different from that in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to denote structures identical to those in the end effector changing device 10 described above, and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0053] like Figure 14 As shown, the ball 32, disposed in the ball groove 18c of the sliding portion 18 of the first adapter 12, is located between the cam member 22 supported on the sliding portion 18 and the opening edge 36b of the upper plate portion 36 of the second adapter 34. The opening edge 36b has a locking groove 52, which has a wall surface that allows the ball 32 to abut. Figure 15 As shown, the valley line 52a of the engaging groove 52 is inclined at an angle β relative to the entry / retraction direction (Y direction) of the ball 32 in a manner that the lower the groove moves further away from the opening 36a.

[0054] Figure 16 The diagram shows the outline of the engagement groove 52 when it is cut by a plane perpendicular to the valley line 52a, including the center of the ball 32, with the ball 32 in contact with the wall of the engagement groove 52. This outline is a V-shape including two straight sections 52b and 52c. The wall shape of the engagement groove 52 is such that the two planes intersect at approximately 90 degrees, and a rounded corner is applied to their intersection. The valley line 52a of the engagement groove 52 is the line passing through the deepest part of this rounded corner. The ball 32 abuts against the wall of the engagement groove 52, which includes the two planes, at points P3 and P4. In this embodiment, the two planes constituting the wall shape of the engagement groove 52 intersect at approximately 90 degrees, but they can intersect at an angle greater than 90 degrees or less than 90 degrees.

[0055] When the release button 24 is not activated, the cam component 22 is pressed by the force of the coil spring 28 through its inclined portion 22a1, thereby causing the ball 32 to abut against the wall of the engagement groove 52. Therefore, the engagement groove 52 of the second adapter 34 engages with the sliding portion 18 of the first adapter 12 via the ball 32, thus preventing the second adapter 34 from sliding relative to the first adapter 12.

[0056] On the other hand, when the operator presses the release button 24, the cam member 22 moves against the force of the coil spring 28, so the ball 32 can retreat from the engagement groove 52 toward the ball housing groove 22b. Then, when the operator applies a force of a prescribed direction to the second adapter 34, the ball 32 retreats to a position where it does not protrude from the slide portion 18. The operator can slide the second adapter 34 to separate the second adapter 34 from the first adapter 12. Thus, the second adapter 34 with the end effector 48 mounted thereon does not fall down by accidentally coming off, so the safety of the operator is improved.

[0057] The ball 32 abuts against the wall surface of the engagement groove 52 that is inclined by an angle β with respect to the advance / retreat direction of the ball 32. Thus, a force that brings the upper surface of the second adapter 34 into close contact with the lower surface of the main body portion 14 of the first adapter 12 acts, so the second adapter 34 is supported to the first adapter 12 without play. In addition, the ball 32 abuts against the wall surface of the engagement groove 52 that includes two planes at two points P3 and P4, so even if a large external force acts on the second adapter 34, play does not occur. In addition, the two planes are combined as the wall surface shape of the engagement groove 52, so the engagement groove 52 is easy to machine.

[0058] The present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various structures can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present application.

Claims

1. An end effector exchange device provided with a first adapter (12) and a second adapter (34), one of the first adapter and the second adapter being attached to a robot arm (46) or a transfer device, the other of the first adapter and the second adapter being attached with an end effector (48), the end effector exchange device (10, 50) being characterized in that a sliding portion (18) of the first adapter is fitted in a groove portion (42) of the second adapter, a ball (32) is disposed between a cam member (22) supported by the sliding portion and an opening edge portion (36b) constituting the groove portion, the ball is able to enter or retreat toward an engagement groove (44, 52) of the opening edge portion by movement of the cam member, and the first adapter and the second adapter are separated by performing operation of a release button (24) integral with the cam member and sliding the first adapter and the second adapter relative to each other so that the ball retreats.

2. The end effector exchange device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sliding portion having a T-shaped cross section is fitted in the groove portion having a T shape.

3. The end effector exchange device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cam member is linked with a guide rod (20) supported so as to be able to move in a longitudinal direction of the sliding portion.

4. The end effector exchange device according to claim 3, characterized in that the cam member is provided with a cam portion (22a) and a ball receiving groove (22b), the cam portion is constituted by an inclined portion (22al) inclined with respect to a moving direction of the guide rod and a parallel portion (22a2) parallel to the moving direction of the guide rod, and the parallel portion is located between the inclined portion and the ball receiving groove.

5. The end effector exchange device according to claim 1, characterized in that a wall surface shape of the engagement groove is a shape in which two cylindrical surfaces cut out within a prescribed central angle are spliced to each other at generatrices of the two cylindrical surfaces and a splicing line of the generatrices common to the two cylindrical surfaces is made into a valley line.

6. The end effector exchange device according to claim 1, characterized in that a wall surface shape of the engagement groove is a shape in which two planes are intersected and a rounded corner is applied to an intersection portion of the two planes to each other, and a line passing through a deepest portion in the rounded corner is a valley line of the engagement groove.

7. The end effector exchange device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the valley line of the engagement groove is inclined with respect to an entering and retreating direction of the ball. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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