Teaching end and welding robot equipped with same

Abstract

The invention relates to a teaching end head and a welding robot equipped with the teaching end head. It is assumed that during teaching of a welding robot, a welding wire and a spiral spring are likely to make contact with a workpiece, and therefore the surface of the workpiece can be damaged. The teaching tip (30) is detachably attached to the tip portion (22c) of the power supply tip (22), and is an elastic body comprising an insulating resin or rubber. A tip portion (22c) of the power supply tip (22) is inserted into the base end of the teaching tip (30). A tip housing recess (34) that is attachable to and detachable from the power supply tip (22) is formed. An abutting surface (34a) which abuts against the front end surface (22b) of the power supply terminal (22) is formed in the terminal accommodating recess (34). The distance (L2) in the longitudinal direction from the contact surface (34a) to the tip (32b) of the teaching tip (30) is set to a predetermined length (L1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a teaching pendant and a welding robot equipped with the teaching pendant. Background Technology

[0002] In this technology, the welding robot is taught by moving the welding wire along the welding line of the workpiece welding area while the welding wire protrudes from the front end of the power supply end to a length that meets the welding conditions (a specified length).

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a teaching pendant that has a pendant body identical to that of a power supply pendant, and a helical spring mounted on the pendant body through which a welding wire protruding from the pendant body passes. During the teaching of a welding robot, the power supply pendant is replaced with the teaching pendant, causing the tip of the welding wire to slightly protrude from the helical spring. In this state, the teaching pendant is used to operate the welding robot, moving the tip of the welding wire towards a target position along the welding line.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-231066 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] However, when installing the teaching terminal shown in Patent Document 1, the power supply terminal must be removed from the welding torch. After the welding robot has been taught, the power supply terminal must be reinstalled on the welding torch before welding. Furthermore, it is conceivable that during the teaching of the welding robot, the welding wire and the helical spring may come into contact with the workpiece, thereby causing damage to the surface of the workpiece.

[0009] The present invention was made in view of the following circumstances, and its object is to provide a teaching end and a welding robot equipped with the teaching end, which can suppress damage to the surface of the workpiece through simple operation during the teaching of the welding robot.

[0010] Solution for solving the problem

[0011] In view of the aforementioned issues, the present invention relates to a teaching pendant for teaching a target position to a welding robot, the target position being consistent with the tip of a welding wire extending a predetermined length from the front end face of the power supply end of the welding torch provided on the welding robot during welding. The teaching pendant is detachably mounted to the front end portion of the power supply end and is an elastomer made of insulating resin or rubber. A pendant receiving recess is formed at the base end of the teaching pendant for inserting the front end portion of the power supply end. An abutment surface is formed in the end receiving recess that abuts against the front end face of the power supply end. The distance along the length direction from the abutment surface to the front end of the teaching pendant is set to the predetermined length.

[0012] According to the present invention, by inserting the front end portion of the power supply terminal into the end receiving recess of the teaching terminal, the teaching terminal can be assembled to the front end portion of the power supply terminal. Thus, the teaching terminal can be installed on the welding torch without removing the power supply terminal. Furthermore, when the front end face of the power supply terminal abuts against the contact surface formed in the end receiving recess, the distance along the length direction from the front end face of the power supply terminal to the front end of the teaching terminal can be set to a predetermined length of the welding wire during welding. As a result, the welding robot's (operations) can be taught based on the front end position of the teaching terminal, in a manner consistent with the target position of the welding wire tip along the welding line, without extending the welding wire a predetermined length from the front end face of the power supply terminal. Here, the teaching terminal is an elastomer made of insulating resin or rubber; therefore, during the teaching of the welding robot, even if the front end of the teaching terminal contacts the workpiece, damage to the workpiece surface by the front end of the teaching terminal can be avoided.

[0013] As a more preferred embodiment, the welding wire receiving recess that receives the front end portion of the welding wire extending from the front end face of the power supply terminal is formed in a recessed manner from the abutment surface.

[0014] According to this scheme, by providing a wire-receiving recess at the teaching end, the welding robot can be taught while the tip of the welding wire extends from the front face of the power supply end. Therefore, before starting welding, by further feeding the welding wire to a predetermined length from the front face of the power supply end, the tip of the welding wire can be moved, thus enabling smooth initiation of wire-based welding.

[0015] As a more preferred embodiment, when the teaching terminal is not assembled relative to the power supply terminal, the inner diameter of the terminal receiving recess is set to be smaller than the inner diameter of the front end portion of the power supply terminal. As a result, when the teaching terminal is assembled to the power supply terminal, the sidewall portion of the terminal receiving recess undergoes elastic deformation.

[0016] According to this design, when the teach pendant is attached to the power supply terminal, the sidewall portion forming the terminal receiving recess undergoes elastic deformation. Therefore, the teach pendant can be easily fixed to the power supply terminal by the elastic force accompanying this deformation. Furthermore, since the teach pendant is fixed to the power supply terminal by this elastic force, it can be easily detached from the power supply terminal by pulling it along its axial direction.

[0017] As a more preferred embodiment, the diameter of the front end of the teaching terminal is less than the inner diameter of the through hole of the power supply terminal through which the welding wire passes.

[0018] According to this scheme, by setting the diameter of the front end of the teaching pendant to such a size, it is possible to visually confirm the front end of the teaching pendant while using the front end of the teaching pendant as a reference to teach the action of the welding robot that is consistent with the target position of the welding wire tip with high precision.

[0019] As a further preferred embodiment, the teaching tip has a pointed portion whose diameter decreases as it moves toward the front end of the teaching tip, and the length of the pointed portion is set to the predetermined length.

[0020] According to this scheme, by setting a pointed section of a specified length, the specified length can be identified while visually confirming the front end of the teaching end, thus improving the teaching operability of the welding robot.

[0021] The welding robot of the present invention has a multi-jointed robot body and a welding torch installed at the front end of the robot body, wherein the aforementioned teaching terminal is assembled at the power supply terminal of the welding torch.

[0022] According to this scheme, with the aforementioned teaching end head assembled on the power supply end head of the welding torch, the welding robot can be taught while the multi-jointed robot body is working.

[0023] As a more preferred embodiment, the welding robot also has a teaching handle, which, when held by the operator, teaches the robot body to move in a manner corresponding to the position of the front end of the teaching end by means of an external force applied by the operator to the front end of the robot body.

[0024] According to this scheme, when the robot body moves, an external force is applied to the front end of the robot body from the teaching handle held by the operator. Even if the front end of the teaching pendant moves unexpectedly due to this external force and comes into contact with the operator, the operator's safety can be ensured because the teaching pendant is an elastic body.

[0025] Effects of the Invention

[0026] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress damage to the surface of the workpiece during the teaching of the welding robot. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view obtained from the frontal view of a welding robot in which the teaching end of an embodiment of the present invention is assembled on a welding torch.

[0028] Figure 2 (A) is during welding Figure 1 The image shows a cross-sectional view of the welding torch of the welding robot. Figure 2 (B) is a cross-sectional view of the welding torch during the assembly of the teaching end during the teaching process.

[0029] Figure 3 (A) is a schematic three-dimensional diagram obtained from an observation of the teaching end from above. Figure 3 (B) is from below. Figure 3 The three-dimensional diagram obtained by observing the teaching end shown in (A).

[0030] Figure 4 (A) is an enlarged sectional view of the state with the teaching pendant installed. Figure 4 (B) is from Figure 4 The state shown in (A) is a cross-sectional view of the teaching tip being removed from the welding torch.

[0031] Figure 5 (A) is an enlarged sectional view of the state in which the teaching end of the modified example is assembled. Figure 5 (B) is from above. Figure 5 A schematic three-dimensional diagram obtained by observing the teaching end shown in (A).

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0033] 1: Welding robot, 2: Welding torch, 10: Robot body, 22: Power supply end, 22b: Front end face, 22c: Front end part, 22d: Through hole, 30: Teaching end, 31b: Side wall part, 32: Tip part, 32b: Front end, 34: End receiving recess, 34a: Abutting surface, 35: Welding wire receiving recess, 44: Teaching handle, W: Welding wire, Wa: Front end part. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The following is for reference Figures 1-5 The welding robot 1 according to this embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0035] 1. About welding robots

[0036] like Figure 1As shown, the welding robot 1 includes: a multi-jointed robot body 10, a welding torch 2 mounted on a support arm 14 of the robot body 10 via a first bracket 41, and a teaching handle 44 mounted on the first bracket 41 via a second bracket 43. The welding torch 2 is equivalent to the end effector of the robot body 10. It should be noted that, in Figure 1 In the process, a teaching tip 30 is assembled at the front end of the welding torch 2.

[0037] In this embodiment, the welding robot 1 is configured as a collaborative robot that operates near the operator. Specifically, the welding robot 1 has a direct teaching function for the operator to teach welding operations. Specifically, the direct teaching function is as follows: while the operator holds the teaching pendant 44, the external force (operating force) from the operator is directly applied to the front end of the robot body 10 via the teaching pendant 44, thereby changing the posture of the robot body 10 and teaching the welding action to the robot body 10. Furthermore, the welding robot 1 also has a function that allows the operator to perform manual welding using the teaching pendant 44 before formal welding is performed by the welding robot 1.

[0038] 2. Regarding the main body of the robot 10

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the robot body 10 has a base 11, which rotates about a first axis J1 by means of a built-in first motor (not shown). The robot body 10 has: a lower arm 12 pivotally connected to the base 11 via a joint 15A, an upper arm 13 pivotally connected to the front end of the lower arm 12 via a joint 15B, and a support arm 14 pivotally connected to the front end of the upper arm 13.

[0040] The lower arm 12 is connected to the base 11 via a second motor (not shown) built into the joint 15A, and is pivotally connected to the base 11 in a manner that allows it to rotate freely about the second axis J2. The upper arm 13 is connected to the lower arm 12 via a third and a fourth motor (not shown) built into the joint 15B. The upper arm 13 is pivotally connected to the lower arm 12 in a manner that allows it to rotate freely about the third axis J3 and a fourth axis J4 orthogonal to it. In this way, the base 11, the lower arm 12, and the upper arm 13 can be rotated about the first to fourth axes J1 to J4 by means of the power of the first to fourth motors. A reducer is installed on the output shaft of each of the first to fourth motors, and a first to fourth torque sensor is installed on the output shaft of the reducer to detect the torque about the first axis J1 to the fourth axis J4.

[0041] The front end of the upper arm 13 is equivalent to the wrist of the robot body 10, and a support arm 14 is mounted thereon to support the welding torch 2. Specifically, the support arm 14 is pivotally connected to the front end of the upper arm 13 in such a way that it can rotate freely about a fifth axis J5 orthogonal to the fourth axis J4, and can rotate freely about a sixth axis J6 along the length direction.

[0042] A fifth motor (not shown) is built into the upper arm 13, which pivots the support arm 14 relative to the upper arm 13. The fifth motor is connected to the support arm 14 via a power transmission belt or the like built into the upper arm 13. The power of the fifth motor is transmitted to the power transmission belt built into the upper arm 13, causing the support arm 14 to rotate (oscillate) relative to the upper arm 13 along the fifth axis J5. Furthermore, a sixth motor (not shown) is built into the upper arm 13, and the sixth motor is connected to the support arm 14 via a power transmission belt and a bevel gear (not shown). Thus, the front end (main body) of the support arm 14 can be rotated about an axis (specifically, the sixth axis J6) by the drive of the sixth motor. Here, for the welding robot 1, the torque around the fifth axis J5 and the torque around the sixth axis J6 can be measured by a torque sensor, but the torque can also be estimated based on the current flowing through the fifth and sixth motors using a control device (not shown).

[0043] The welding robot 1 also includes a feed device (not shown), a control device, and a welding machine. The control device controls the movement of the welding robot 1 by controlling the drive of the first to sixth motors. The control device controls the welding robot 1 by performing (1) controlling the welding action of the robot body 10, (2) controlling the feed speed of the feed device that feeds the welding wire W to the welding torch 2, (3) controlling the welding voltage applied to the welding torch 2, and (4) controlling the timing of the supply of shielding gas to the welding torch 2. More specifically, as the control of the welding robot 1, the control device performs manual welding control for the welding robot 1 to perform temporary welding or other welding based on the operator using the teach pendant 44, teaching control for the welding robot 1 to perform teaching based on the teach pendant 44 using external operation (operation based on external force), and automatic welding control for the welding robot 1 corresponding to the taught action.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the welding torch 2 is mounted on the front end 14a of the support arm 14 of the robot body 10 via the first bracket 41. The base end 41a of the first bracket 41 is fixed to the support arm 14 by screws or other fasteners. The welding torch 2 and a single-wire power cable (welding torch cable) 42 are supported at the front end 41b of the first bracket 41. The welding wire W (see reference...) Figure 2(A) is guided from the feeder and fed to the welding torch 2 by the power cable 42 (i.e., the welding torch cable). Power is supplied from the welding machine to the welding torch 2 via the power cable 42, and protective gas is supplied from the gas cylinder to the welding torch 2 via the power cable.

[0045] The teach pendant 44 is mounted to the front end 51b of the first bracket 41 via the second bracket 43. The teach pendant 44 is a component that, when held by an operator, teaches the robot body 10 to move using an external force applied from the operator to the front end of the robot body 10. One end 43a of the second bracket 43 is fixed to the front end 51b of the first bracket 41 by screws or other fasteners; during automatic welding, the second bracket 43 is detached from the first bracket 41. The teach pendant 44 is fixed to the other end 43b of the second bracket 43 in an upward-extending manner. An operating switch 45 is provided on the teach pendant 44.

[0046] The operation switch 45 is a switch that allows the robot body 10 to move due to external forces relative to the restricted movement of the robot body 10. The robot body 10 is equipped with the first to sixth motors described above. In the state where the operation switch 46 is not pressed (off state), the first to sixth motors are mechanically locked or electrically locked. In the state where the operation switch 45 is pressed (on state), the mechanical or electrical locks of the first to sixth motors are released. Here, the release of the lock can be set to be continuous by pressing the operation switch 45, or it can be set to switch between locking and unlocking by pressing the operation switch 45 once. In this way, the restriction (lock) on the movement of the robot body 10 is released, thereby allowing the robot body 10 to move.

[0047] 3. Regarding welding torch 2

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown in (A), a tip body 21 is assembled on the welding torch body 20 of the welding torch 2. A power supply tip 22 is assembled on the front end 21a of the tip body 21. The power supply tip 22 is generally cylindrical and has an external thread 22a formed at its base end. The power supply tip 22 is screwed into the internal thread hole 21b of the front end 21a of the tip body 21 in a manner that allows for easy attachment and detachment.

[0049] A circular insertion hole 22d is formed in the central axis portion of the power supply terminal 22 for the welding wire W to pass through. The welding wire W passing through the insertion hole 22d is connected to the power supply terminal 22 to supply power from the welding machine to the welding wire W, thereby applying voltage between the welding wire W and the workpiece (not shown). An insulating bushing 25 is fitted around the central portion of the terminal body 21.

[0050] A throttling orifice 24 is installed at the front end 21a of the end body 21, arranged to substantially cover the front peripheral surface of the power supply end 22 and the end body 21. A nozzle 23 is installed on the insulating bushing 25 surrounding the power supply end 22 and the throttling orifice 24. The flange surface of the upper end of the throttling orifice 24 abuts against the stepped portion of the inner surface of the nozzle 23.

[0051] The shielding gas supplied from the gas cylinder passes through the respective through holes of the welding torch body 20 and the end body 21, which also serve as gas passages for the welding wire, and is ejected into the nozzle 23 through the ejection hole formed by the throttling orifice 24 located at the front end of the end body 21. The gas ejected from the throttling orifice 24 passes through the outer peripheral surface of the power supply end 22 and the inner peripheral surface of the nozzle 23, and is ejected from the front opening of the nozzle 23, isolating the electric arc, the molten pool, and its surroundings from nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere.

[0052] However, when welding using the welding robot 1, as a welding condition, the welding wire W is maintained at a state where it extends a predetermined length L1 from the front end face 22b of the power supply end 22 of the welding torch 2 provided on the welding robot 1. While satisfying this welding condition, the welding robot 1 moves the welding wire W towards the target position along the welding line of the workpiece welding area, and while melting the tip of the welding wire W, feeds a consumed portion of the welding wire W to the welding torch 2 via the feeding device. Therefore, when teaching the operation of the welding robot 1, the position at a predetermined length L1 from the front end face 22b of the power supply end 22 is used as a reference position, and while maintaining this reference position, the operation of the welding robot 1 corresponding to the target position of the tip of the welding wire W during welding is taught.

[0053] Based on this, in this embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown in (B), the welding robot 1 includes a teaching pendant 30. The teaching pendant 30 is a component used to teach a target position to the welding robot 1. This target position corresponds to the tip of the welding wire W, which extends for a predetermined length L1 from the front end face 22b of the power supply end 22 of the welding torch 2 provided on the welding robot 1 during welding. Hereinafter, refer to... Figures 2-5 The teaching terminal 30 is explained.

[0054] The teaching pendant 30 is a component that is detachably mounted to the front end portion 22c of the power supply terminal 22. The teaching pendant 30 is an elastomer made of insulating resin or rubber. The teaching pendant 30 completely covers the front end face 22b of the power supply terminal 22. Therefore, the front end portion Wa of the welding wire W protruding from the power supply terminal 22 will not be exposed from the teaching pendant 30. Examples of insulating resins include, for example, polystyrene resin, polyurethane resin, nylon resin, or polycarbonate resin. Examples of insulating rubbers include, for example, natural rubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, silicone rubber, urethane rubber, or fluororubber.

[0055] like Figure 3 As shown in (A) and (B), the teaching pendant 30 has: a mounting portion 31 for assembling the front end portion 22c of the power supply pendant 22, and a pointed portion 32 whose diameter decreases as it moves from the mounting portion 31 toward the front end 32b of the teaching pendant 30. An end-receiving recess 34 is formed at the base end (mounting portion 31) of the teaching pendant 30, into which the front end portion 22c of the power supply pendant 22 is inserted, and which is freely detachable from the power supply pendant 22. Figure 2 (B) and Figure 4 As shown in (A), an abutment surface 34a is formed in the end receiving recess 34 to abut against the front end face 22b of the power supply terminal 22. The end receiving recess 34 is formed according to the shape of the front end portion 22c of the power supply terminal 22. Therefore, the end receiving recess 34 is an inverted frustum-shaped recess, and the central axis of the end receiving recess 34 coincides with the axis of the power supply terminal 22 (the center line of the through hole 22d). When the teaching terminal 30 is assembled, the outer peripheral surface of the front end portion 22c of the power supply terminal 22 abuts against the inner peripheral surface 34c of the end receiving recess 34.

[0056] Furthermore, for the teaching pendant 30, the distance L2 along the length direction from the contact surface 34a to the front end 32b of the teaching pendant 30 is set to a predetermined length L1. Therefore, during teaching, with the teaching pendant 30 assembled on the front end portion 22c of the power supply terminal 22, the position of the front end 32b of the teaching pendant 30 relative to the front end face 22b of the power supply terminal 22 can be aligned with the reference position of the front end of the welding wire W during welding. It should be noted that the "reference position" referred to here refers to the position of the front end of the welding wire W extending a predetermined length L1 from the front end face 22b of the power supply terminal 22 under welding conditions. The aforementioned "target position" refers to the position of the front end of the welding wire W relative to the welding line of the workpiece during welding, and multiple target positions are set during teaching.

[0057] In this embodiment, the wire receiving recess 35, which accommodates the tip portion Wa of the welding wire W extending from the front end face 22b of the power supply terminal 22, is formed recessed from the abutment surface 34a. The wire receiving recess 35 is a cylindrical recess formed in the center of the abutment surface 34a. The diameter (inner diameter) of the wire receiving recess 35 is larger than the diameter of the welding wire W. Therefore, even if the tip portion Wa of the welding wire W becomes a spherical shape larger than the diameter of the welding wire W after welding, the tip portion Wa can still be accommodated.

[0058] In this way, by providing a wire receiving recess 35 at the teaching end 30, the welding robot 1 can be taught with the leading edge portion Wa of the welding wire W extending from the front end face 22b of the power supply end 22. Therefore, before starting welding, the welding robot 1 can be taught with the leading edge portion Wa of the welding wire W extending from the front end face 22b of the power supply end 22. Figure 2 The state of (B) becomes Figure 2 In the manner of (A), the welding wire W is further supplied until it reaches a specified length L1 from the front end face 22b of the power supply end 22, so that the front end portion Wa of the welding wire W can be moved, thus enabling welding based on the welding wire W to begin smoothly.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as Figure 4 As shown in (B), when the teaching terminal 30 is not assembled relative to the power supply terminal 22, the inner diameter Da (Db) of the terminal receiving recess 34 is set to be smaller than the inner diameter DA (DB) of the front end portion 22c of the power supply terminal 22. Specifically, the inner diameter (diameter) Da of the opening 31a of the terminal receiving recess 34 is smaller than the diameter DA of the base end side of the front end portion 22c of the power supply terminal 22, and the inner diameter (diameter) Db of the abutment surface 34a of the terminal receiving recess 34 is smaller than the diameter DB of the front end surface 22b of the power supply terminal 22. These diameters change proportionally (inclined) along the axial direction of the power supply terminal 22 and the front end side of the teaching terminal 30. As a result, when the teaching terminal 30 is assembled to the power supply terminal 22, the sidewall portion 31b forming the terminal receiving recess 34 undergoes elastic deformation.

[0060] As a result, due to the elastic force accompanying this elastic deformation, the front end portion 22c of the power supply terminal 22 is securely fixed to the side wall portion 31b, thereby making it easy to fix the teaching terminal 30 to the power supply terminal 22 (see reference). Figure 4 (A)). Furthermore, since the teaching pendant 30 is held in place by this elastic force to the power supply terminal 22, the teaching pendant 30 can be easily removed from the power supply terminal 22 by pulling it along the axial direction of the power supply terminal 22 (see [reference]). Figure 4 (B)

[0061] like Figure 4As shown in (A), the diameter d2 of the front end 32b of the teaching terminal 30 is less than or equal to the inner diameter d1 of the through hole 22d through which the solder wire W passes in the power supply terminal 22. As described above, the teaching terminal 30 has a pointed portion 32 whose diameter decreases towards the front end 32b of the teaching terminal 30, and the outer peripheral surface 32a of the pointed portion 32 is a conical surface. Furthermore, the length of the pointed portion 32 is set to a predetermined length L1.

[0062] By setting the diameter d2 of the front end 32b of the teaching pendant 30 to such a size, the welding robot 1 can be taught with high precision using the position of the front end 32b of the teaching pendant 30 as a reference while visually confirming the front end 32b. In particular, by providing a pointed portion 32 set to a predetermined length L1, the predetermined length L1 can be identified while visually confirming the front end 32b of the teaching pendant 30, thus improving the teachability of the welding robot 1.

[0063] Given this, for example, it could also be Figure 5 (A) and Figure 5 The teaching pendant 30 involved in the variation shown in (B) is an example where the frustum-shaped mounting portion 31 and the pointed portion 32 are integrated via a step portion 36. The step portion 36 is formed by making the diameter of the base end of the pointed portion 32 smaller than the diameter of the end face 36a on the front end side of the mounting portion 31. According to this teaching pendant 30, the diameter is smaller than... Figure 3 (A) and Figure 4 The pointed portion 32 is shown in (A). Therefore, the front end 32b of the teaching end 30 can be easily confirmed by visual inspection, which results in the welding robot 1 being able to further improve the teachability.

[0064] 4. Teaching about Welding Robot 1

[0065] The following describes the teaching process and its effects in automatic welding using welding robot 1. In this embodiment, the teaching pendant 30 is assembled to the front end portion 22c of the power supply terminal 22 by inserting the front end receiving recess 34 of the teaching pendant 30. Therefore, the teaching pendant 30 can be easily installed on the welding torch 2 without removing the power supply terminal 22. When the front end face 22b of the power supply terminal 22 abuts against the contact surface 34a formed in the end receiving recess 34, the distance L2 along the length direction from the front end face 22b of the power supply terminal 22 to the front end 32b of the teaching pendant 30 can be set to the predetermined length L1 of the welding wire W during welding. As a result, the motion of the welding robot 1 (specifically the robot body 10) can be taught with reference to the position of the front end 32b of the teaching end 30, in a manner consistent with the target position of the front end of the welding wire W along the welding line, without having to extend the welding wire W of a specified length L1 from the front end face 22b of the power supply end 22.

[0066] In this embodiment, during teaching, continuously pressing the operation switch 45 continuously releases the mechanical or electrical locks of the first to sixth motors. This allows the operator to move the front end 32b of the teaching pendant 30 along the welding line while simultaneously holding the teaching pendant handle 44 and coordinating with the welding action, changing the posture of the robot body 10 using external force (operating force) from the teaching pendant handle 44. Specifically, as described above, the control device controls the drive of the first to sixth motors of the robot body 10 using external force from the teaching pendant handle 44 and signals detected by the torque sensor or force sensor, etc. At this time, the rotational positions of the first to sixth motors are calculated using the detection signals from the encoders (not shown) of the first to sixth motors. This allows for teaching welding actions of the robot body 10 performed by the operator.

[0067] Here, the teaching pendant 30 is an elastomer made of insulating resin or rubber. Therefore, during the teaching of the welding robot 1, even if the tip 32b of the teaching pendant 30 comes into contact with the workpiece, the tip 32b of the teaching pendant 30 will elastically deform. Thus, damage to the surface of the workpiece by the tip 32b of the teaching pendant 30 can be avoided. Furthermore, even if the tip of the teaching pendant 30 moves unintentionally due to an external force applied from the teaching handle 44 held by the operator to the front end of the robot body 10, and the tip of the teaching pendant 30 comes into contact with the operator, the operator's safety can be ensured because the teaching pendant 30 is an elastomer.

[0068] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described therein, and various design changes can be made within the scope of the spirit of the present invention as described in the technical solution.

[0069] In this embodiment, the welding robot is a welding robot that teaches welding actions to the robot body via a teaching pendant. However, for example, as long as the teaching pendant can be attached to the welding torch, the welding robot can also be a welding robot that teaches welding actions to the robot body via a teaching pendant. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front end of the teaching pendant is a flat end face, but for example, the front end can also be pointed, or the front end can also have rounded corners.

Claims

1. A teaching pendant for teaching a target position to a welding robot, said target position being consistent with the tip of a welding wire extending for a predetermined length from the front end face of a power supply end of a welding torch disposed on the welding robot during welding, characterized in that... The teaching terminal is detachably mounted to the front end of the power supply terminal and is an elastomer made of insulating resin or rubber. A terminal receiving recess is formed at the base of the teaching terminal for inserting the front end portion of the power supply terminal. The end receiving recess has a contact surface that abuts against the front end face of the power supply end. The distance along the length direction from the contact surface to the front end of the teaching end is set as the specified length.

2. The teaching terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that, A wire receiving recess that receives the front end portion of the welding wire extending from the front end face of the power supply terminal is formed in a recessed manner from the abutment surface.

3. The teaching terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the teaching terminal is not assembled relative to the power supply terminal, the inner diameter of the terminal receiving recess is set to be smaller than the inner diameter of the front end portion of the power supply terminal. As a result, when the teaching terminal is assembled to the power supply terminal, the side wall portion of the terminal receiving recess undergoes elastic deformation.

4. The teaching terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the front end of the teaching terminal is less than the inner diameter of the through hole of the power supply terminal through which the welding wire passes.

5. The teaching terminal according to claim 4, characterized in that, The teaching tip has a pointed portion whose diameter decreases as it moves toward the front end of the teaching tip. The length of the pointed portion is set to the specified length.

6. A welding robot comprising a multi-jointed robot body and a welding torch mounted at the front end of the robot body, wherein, The power supply terminal of the welding torch is equipped with the teaching terminal as described in claim 1.

7. The welding robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The welding robot also has a teaching handle, which, when held by the operator, teaches the robot body to move in a manner corresponding to the position of the front end of the teaching end by means of an external force applied by the operator to the front end of the robot body.

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