Manipulator and component supply system provided with same

Abstract

This robot hand (6) is provided with: a pair of claws (46) that move in the opening / closing direction so as to grip or release a workpiece (W); and a clamping part (38) which enables the claw part (46) to move in the opening and closing direction. The claw part (46) is supported by the clamping part (38) at the base end part so as to be movable in the opening and closing direction, extends in the longitudinal direction from the clamping part (38), and has a clamping surface (52) for clamping the workpiece (W) at the front end part thereof. The clamping surface (52) has a first inclined surface (54) and a second inclined surface (56), and the tip-side angle (alpha) is set to be smaller than the base-side angle (beta).

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-145893, filed on September 8, 2023, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-042355, filed on March 18, 2024, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to a parts supply system comprising a parts supply device for supplying workpieces such as mechanical parts and electronic parts to a transport table, and a robot for picking up workpieces on the transport table and supplying them to the next process, and more particularly to a robotic arm having a clamping part for clamping or releasing workpieces. Background Technology

[0004] There exists a device that uses claws at the front end of a robotic arm to grip workpieces such as bolts and electronic components (e.g., Patent Documents 1 and 2). In the device of Patent Document 1, the workpiece gripping surface of the claw is flat. In the device of Patent Document 2, notches matching the shape of the workpiece are provided on the gripping surface of the claw. Claws matching various workpiece shapes are rotatably configured at the front end of the robotic arm, and by rotating the claws themselves, various workpieces can be picked up and transported.

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-283268

[0008] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 5408186 Summary of the Invention

[0009] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0010] However, with a gripper like the one in Patent Document 1, where the gripping surface is flat, the workpiece is prone to sliding and falling off when gripping cylindrical or cylindrical workpieces such as bolts and pins. Therefore, it is often impossible to pick up the workpiece, or the workpiece may fall during transport. For the gripper in Patent Document 2, the number of parts increases and the structure becomes more complex because a rotating mechanism is required on the robotic arm to rotate the gripper. Furthermore, when the workpiece is supplied in an inclined position, it is necessary to detect the workpiece's posture and control the rotation angle, requiring sensors and controllers, further complicating the structure.

[0011] The purpose of this invention is to provide a robotic arm and a parts supply system equipped with the robotic arm, wherein the robotic arm is capable of stably picking up cylindrical workpieces of different diameters that are slightly inclined relative to the transport table with a simple structure.

[0012] Solution for solving the problem

[0013] The robotic arm of the present invention comprises: a claw portion for gripping or releasing a workpiece; and a gripping portion for moving the claw portion in a gripping direction for gripping the workpiece and in a releasing direction for releasing the workpiece. The claw portion is supported at its base end by the gripping portion to be movable in the gripping direction and the releasing direction, extends longitudinally from the gripping portion, and has a gripping surface at its front end for gripping the workpiece. The gripping surface has: a first inclined surface extending obliquely from the base end end of the gripping surface in the longitudinal direction toward the front end end in the longitudinal direction toward the releasing direction; and a second inclined surface extending obliquely from the front end end of the gripping surface in the longitudinal direction toward the base end end in the longitudinal direction toward the releasing direction and connected to the first inclined surface. Viewed from a vertical direction perpendicular to the length direction, the clamping direction, and the releasing direction, the front-side angle α formed by the imaginary line extending the second inclined surface to the front-side and the horizontal transport surface of the transport table is set to be less than the base-side angle β (α < β) formed by the imaginary line extending the first inclined surface to the base-side and a parallel line parallel to the transport surface.

[0014] According to this structure, by reducing the front end angle α, it is easy to pick up workpieces that are slightly tilted relative to the transport table. Furthermore, by increasing the base end angle β, the tilt angle γ between the first and second tilted surfaces becomes larger. As a result, the tangents of the four tilted surfaces of the claw to the cylindrical workpiece are close to the junction of the first and second tilted surfaces. Therefore, even if the diameter of the cylindrical workpiece increases, it can be picked up with all four surfaces as tangent planes. Thus, even cylindrical workpieces of different diameters can be picked up stably. In this way, not only can cylindrical workpieces placed horizontally relative to the transport table be picked up stably, but also cylindrical workpieces that are slightly tilted relative to the transport table and cylindrical workpieces of different diameters can be picked up stably. Furthermore, since there is no need for a rotating mechanism for detecting the claw or a sensor for detecting the workpiece's posture, the structure is also simple.

[0015] In this configuration, the front end angle α can be set to 25° or higher and 30° or lower, and the base end angle β can be set to 50° or higher and 60° or lower. That is, it can be 25° ≤ α ≤ 30°, and 50° < β < 60°. If the front end angle α is less than 25°, the front end becomes thinner, reducing rigidity. Furthermore, if the front end angle α exceeds 30°, it becomes difficult to pick up workpieces that are slightly tilted relative to the transport table. The base end angle β is set such that the tilt angle γ matches the outer diameter of the cylindrical workpiece. Simulations confirm that by setting the base end angle β to 50° or higher and 60°, cylindrical workpieces with the desired outer diameter can be stably picked up.

[0016] In this invention, the coefficient of friction of at least one of the first and second inclined surfaces can be set to 0.2 or less. This allows the workpiece to move easily along the inclined surfaces, enabling the clamping of a cylindrical workpiece slightly inclined relative to the transport table at a stable position with four tangential surfaces.

[0017] In this invention, a rotary transfer mechanism may be further provided, which rotates the workpiece held by the claw about a rotation axis parallel to the clamping direction and the releasing direction. According to this structure, since the rotary transfer mechanism rotates the workpiece held by the claw about a rotation axis parallel to the clamping direction and the releasing direction, the workpiece can be moved and placed stably regardless of its orientation during pickup.

[0018] In this invention, the rotary transmission mechanism may also include: a rotating part disposed at the front end of the claw, capable of rotating relative to the claw about a rotation axis parallel to the opening and closing direction; and a second drive source that drives the rotating part to rotate about the rotation axis, the clamping surface being formed on the rotating part. According to this structure, the workpiece can rotate about a rotation axis parallel to the opening and closing direction via the rotating part, thus allowing the workpiece's posture to be changed while it is being clamped. This reduces operation time.

[0019] In this case, the rotary transmission mechanism can also be integrated with the claw to form a sub-assembly, which is mounted on the clamping part. According to this structure, the claw with the rotary transmission mechanism can be adapted to existing clamping parts. In particular, it has high versatility because it easily accommodates the size of the clamping mechanism and the length of the claw.

[0020] In the case of the rotating part and the second drive source, the rotation transmission mechanism may further include: a power transmission mechanism connected to at least one of the rotating parts, moving together with the rotating parts in the clamping and releasing directions, and transmitting power from the second drive source to the rotating part; and a telescopic rotation mechanism capable of telescopically extending and retracting in the clamping and releasing directions, and transmitting rotation from the second drive source to the power transmission mechanism.

[0021] According to this structure, a rotating part of a rotary transmission mechanism is separately provided at the front end of the jaws mounted on the clamping part. This rotating part causes the workpiece to rotate about a rotation axis parallel to the clamping and releasing directions of the jaws. The rotating part is powered by a second drive source independent of the power supply to the opening and closing jaws. Therefore, even when the height of the workpiece to be clamped changes during process adjustments, only the jaws and the rotary transmission mechanism supported by them need to be replaced; the clamping part itself does not need to be altered. Consequently, the length from the root of the jaws to the rotation axis can be easily changed.

[0022] Furthermore, the second drive source does not move together with the gripper in the clamping and releasing directions. Therefore, because the load acting in the clamping and releasing directions is reduced, the gripper can achieve high-speed operation. Moreover, since only the rotating part, rather than the entire clamping part, rotates, the rotating objects are only the workpiece and the rotating part, reducing the weight and moment of inertia of the rotating objects. As a result, high-speed rotation of the rotating part and low torque of the second drive source can be achieved, enabling miniaturization and weight reduction of the second drive source.

[0023] When a power transmission mechanism and a telescopic rotation mechanism are provided, the telescopic rotation mechanism may have: a first rotating shaft connected to the output shaft of the second drive source; a second rotating shaft connected to the inlet rotating body of the power transmission mechanism; and a telescopic rotation structure that transmits the rotation of the first rotating shaft to the second rotating shaft and supports the second rotating shaft relative to the first rotating shaft so that it can move in the clamping direction and the releasing direction.

[0024] In this configuration, the telescopic rotating structure may include: a cylindrical outer component disposed at the end of one of the first and second rotating shafts; an inner component disposed at the end of the other of the first and second rotating shafts, extending through a hollow hole in the outer component; and a rolling element sandwiched between the outer and inner components, transmitting rotation of the outer component to the inner component and supporting the component on the second rotating shaft relative to the component on the first rotating shaft, enabling movement in both the clamping and releasing directions. According to this structure, rotational torque can be reliably transmitted in the rotational direction, with low resistance in the telescopic direction, allowing for smooth movement.

[0025] Alternatively, the telescopic rotating structure may include: a first gear disposed on one of the first and second rotating shafts, the axial dimension of which is larger than the opening and closing width of the clamping mechanism; and a second gear disposed on the other of the first and second rotating shafts, meshing with the first gear, transmitting the rotation of the first gear, and being movable relative to the first gear in the clamping and releasing directions. According to this structure, rotational torque can be reliably transmitted in the rotational direction with a smaller number of parts, and movement is possible in the telescopic direction.

[0026] The parts supply system of the present invention comprises: a parts supply device that supplies the workpiece to a transport table; a robot that transports the workpiece from a first area where the transport table is located to a second area different from the first area; and a robotic arm of the present invention, which is mounted on the front end of the arm of the robot, picks up the workpiece on the transport table in the first area, and places the workpiece in the second area.

[0027] According to this structure, because the gripper of the robot can change its posture, contact between the robot and other workpieces and / or equipment can be avoided when picking up workpieces from the transport table. As a result, malfunctions of the robot and / or other equipment can be prevented, and work efficiency is improved.

[0028] In the parts supply system of the present invention, it may further include: a workpiece detection mechanism that detects the position and orientation of the workpiece on the transport table; and a control device that synchronously controls the parts supply device, the robot, and the manipulator, wherein the control device moves the arm of the robot to the position detected by the workpiece detection mechanism, and the manipulator clamps the workpiece at an angle corresponding to the orientation detected by the workpiece detection mechanism.

[0029] Any combination of at least two structures disclosed in the claims and / or description and / or drawings is included in this invention. In particular, any combination of two or more of the claims in the claims is included in this invention. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The present invention can be more clearly understood through the description of the following preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments and drawings are for illustration and description only and should not be used to limit the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims. In the drawings, the same part numbers in multiple figures denote the same or corresponding parts.

[0031] Figure 1This is a top view showing a parts supply system of a robotic arm according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a side view showing the part supply system.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional diagram showing the supply system for this part.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view showing the slot, which is one of the attitude stabilization units of the part supply system.

[0035] Figure 5A This is an enlarged front view showing the robot arm of the part supply system.

[0036] Figure 5B Viewed from the direction of arrow VB Figure 5A A side view of the robotic arm.

[0037] Figure 6A It means and Figure 5A Front view of a robotic arm in different poses.

[0038] Figure 6B Observing from the direction of arrow VIB Figure 6A A side view of the robotic arm.

[0039] Figure 7A This is a front view showing the state before the robot arm picks up the bolt-shaped workpiece.

[0040] Figure 7B Viewed from the direction of arrow VIIB Figure 7A A side view of the robotic arm.

[0041] Figure 7C Viewed from the direction of arrow VIIC Figure 7B Rear view of the robotic arm.

[0042] Figure 8A This is a front view showing the state of the workpiece after the robot has picked up the bolt-shaped workpiece.

[0043] Figure 8B Viewed from the direction of arrow VIIIB Figure 8A A side view of the robotic arm.

[0044] Figure 8C Viewed from the direction of arrow VIIIC Figure 8B Rear view of the robotic arm.

[0045] Figure 9 This is a front view showing the claw of the robotic arm.

[0046] Figure 10AThis is the front view showing a modified example of the robot.

[0047] Figure 10B This is a 3D representation of the robotic arm.

[0048] Figure 11A This is a front view showing the robotic arm according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 11B Observing from the direction of arrow XIB Figure 11A A side view of the robotic arm.

[0050] Figure 12 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the robot.

[0051] Figure 13A This is a three-dimensional view showing the telescopic and rotating mechanism of the robotic arm.

[0052] Figure 13B This is a side view showing the telescopic rotary mechanism.

[0053] Figure 13C It is along Figure 13B A cross-sectional view of the XIIIC-XIIIC line.

[0054] Figure 14 This is a front view showing a modified example of the telescopic and rotating mechanism of the robot.

[0055] Figure 15 This is the front view showing a modified example of the robot.

[0056] Figure 16A This is a front view showing another variation of the robot.

[0057] Figure 16B Viewed from the direction of arrow XVIB Figure 16A A side view of the robotic arm.

[0058] Figure 17A This is the front view of the robot arm, representing a reference example.

[0059] Figure 17B yes Figure 17A An enlarged view of part XVIIB.

[0060] Figure 18A This is a front view showing the state before the robot arm picks up the bolt-shaped workpiece.

[0061] Figure 18B Observed from the direction of arrow XVIIIB Figure 18A A side view of the robotic arm. Detailed Implementation

[0062] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1-3 These are cross-sectional views, side views, and perspective views of the parts supply system SY according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the "upstream" and "downstream" of the workpiece flow direction.

[0063] [System as a whole]

[0064] like Figure 1 As shown, the parts supply system SY utilizes robot 4 and robotic arm 6 ( Figure 2 The parts supply system SY comprises: a parts supply device 2 that supplies workpieces W to a transport table 8; a robot 4 that transports workpieces W from a first area A1 equipped with the transport table 8 to a second area A2 different from the first area A1; and a robotic arm 6 mounted on the front end of the arm 10 of the robot 4. Figure 2 ).

[0065] In this embodiment, the workpiece W is a cylindrical component such as a bolt. However, the workpiece W is not limited to this; for example, it can also be a mechanical part, an electronic part, a plastic part, a pharmaceutical product, a medical supply, food, or a general merchandise item.

[0066] The parts supply device 2, robot 4, and robotic arm 6 are synchronously controlled by control device 12. Specifically, the position and orientation of workpiece W on the transfer table 8 are detected by workpiece detection mechanism 14. The arm 10 of robot 4 moves to the position detected by workpiece detection mechanism 14, and robotic arm 6 clamps workpiece W at an angle corresponding to the orientation detected by workpiece detection mechanism 14. Then, the arm 10 of robot 4 moves to the second area A2, and robotic arm 6 releases workpiece W. This action is then repeated.

[0067] In this embodiment, the workpiece inspection mechanism 14 is a camera-like imaging mechanism. However, the workpiece inspection mechanism 14 is not limited to a camera; for example, it could be a distance sensor and / or a contact-type workpiece inspection mechanism. The camera can be configured specifically for detecting the position and orientation of the workpiece W, or it can be used for other purposes. Furthermore, the camera can be fixed or mounted on the arm of the robot 4.

[0068] [Parts supply device]

[0069] The parts supply device 2 includes: a vibrating hopper feeder 16, which arranges the contained workpieces W by vibration; and a transfer table 8, which transports the workpieces W supplied from the vibrating hopper feeder 16 in an arranged state. The transfer table 8 is arranged along the outer periphery of the vibrating hopper feeder 16 to surround the outer periphery of the vibrating hopper feeder 16.

[0070] The vibrating hopper feeder 16 includes: a bowl-shaped hopper 18 having a transport path 18a on its inner circumferential surface; and a vibrator (not shown) for vibrating the hopper 18. The workpieces W housed in the hopper 18 are arranged and sequentially transported along the transport path 18a to the workpiece discharge section 18b located at the uppermost part of the transport path 18a by the vibration of the vibrator.

[0071] In this embodiment, the parts supply device 2 has a vertical wall 20 that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the transport table 8 along the entire circumference between the vibrating hopper feeder 16 and the transport table 8. That is, the vertical wall 20 is located radially outside the vibrating hopper feeder 16 and radially inside the transport table 8.

[0072] The workpiece discharge section 18b and the workpiece recovery section 32 (described later) are openings penetrating the vertical wall 20. However, the structure of the parts supply device 2 is not limited to this; a portion or all of the circumferential area between the vibrating hopper feeder 16 and the transport table 8 may be formed without the vertical wall 20. In this case, the workpiece discharge section 18b and the workpiece recovery section 32 (described later) may also be formed in the circumferential area of ​​the transport table 8 without the vertical wall 20.

[0073] The bowl-shaped hopper 18 has a bottom 18c for receiving the workpiece W, and a conveying path 18a extending spirally upward from the outer diameter side of the bottom 18c. A workpiece discharge section 18b is formed at the uppermost part of the conveying path 18a, penetrating the vertical wall 20.

[0074] The workpieces W that are fed into the bottom 18c of the hopper 18 are arranged from bottom to top along the conveying path 18a on the inner circumference of the hopper 18 by the vibration of the hopper 18 and are discharged from the uppermost workpiece discharge section 18b.

[0075] The transport table 8 is arranged in a ring around the outer periphery of the vibrating hopper feeder 16. The transport table 8 has a rotating disk 22 with an annular transport surface 22a forming the workpiece W on its upper surface. The transport surface 22a and the workpiece discharge section 18b are adjusted to approximately the same height. This rotating disk 22 is driven to rotate by a rotary drive device (not shown). The rotary drive device is, for example, an electric motor, but is not limited to this. Furthermore, an encoder (not shown) is connected to the drive shaft of the drive motor, enabling the detection of the phase position of the rotating disk 22.

[0076] On the transport surface 22a of the upper surface of the rotating disk 22, a workpiece supply area 24, a detection area 26, a pickup area 28, and a workpiece recycling area 30 are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction. The workpiece supply area 24 is the area where workpieces W are supplied from the workpiece discharge section 18b.

[0077] The detection area 26 is located downstream of the workpiece flow direction in the workpiece supply area 24. Within the detection area 26, the position and orientation of the workpiece W are detected by the aforementioned workpiece detection mechanism 14.

[0078] Pick-up area 28 is located downstream of the workpiece flow direction in detection area 26. In pick-up area 28, workpiece W is picked up by robot 4 and manipulator 6.

[0079] The workpiece recovery area 30 is located downstream of the workpiece flow direction of the pickup area 28. In the workpiece recovery area 30, workpieces W that were not picked up in the pickup area 28 are returned to the hopper 18. Specifically, workpieces W are returned to the hopper 18 from the transport table 8 via the workpiece recovery section 32 disposed in the workpiece recovery area 30. As described above, in this embodiment, the workpiece recovery section 32 is an opening penetrating the vertical wall 20.

[0080] An attitude stabilization unit 34 is provided on the transport surface 22a of the transport table 8. The attitude stabilization unit 34 suppresses changes in the position and attitude of the workpiece W during transport on the transport table 8. Specifically, the attitude stabilization unit 34 suppresses changes in the attitude of the workpiece W between the detection area 26 and the pickup area 28. In this embodiment, the attitude stabilization unit 34 is provided around the entire circumference of the transport surface 22a.

[0081] In this embodiment, the attitude stabilization unit 34 is a groove 34 formed on the transport surface 22a and extending in the circumferential direction of the transport table 8. However, the attitude stabilization unit 34 is not limited to a groove. For example, the attitude stabilization unit 34 may be configured to have a different coefficient of friction with the transport surface 22a of the rotating disk 22, or to be made of a different material than the rotating disk 22. Specifically, the attitude stabilization unit 34 may, for example, be an elastomer such as fibrous felt or rubber mounted on the transport surface 22a of the metal rotating disk 22.

[0082] like Figure 4 As shown, due to the presence of the groove 34, even if the rotating disk 22 rotates, the workpiece W is difficult to roll, and the position and orientation of the workpiece W are stable. The groove 34 is particularly effective in constraining cylindrical workpieces W, such as bolts, which have poor stability, into a certain orientation.

[0083] In this embodiment, the radially inner wall surface 34a of the groove 34 slopes upward towards the radially inner side. On the other hand, the radially outer wall surface 34b of the groove 34 extends substantially in the vertical direction. That is, the angle θo of the radially outer wall surface 34b relative to the bottom wall 34c of the horizontally extending groove 34 is approximately 90°, and the angle θi of the radially inner wall surface 34a relative to the bottom wall 34c is greater than 90°. The angle θi of the radially inner wall surface 34a relative to the bottom wall 34c is preferably 90° to 150°, more preferably 135° to 150°. However, the angles θo and θi are not limited to these.

[0084] Since the outer diameter side wall 34b extends vertically, it can suppress the workpiece from moving radially outward due to the centrifugal force of the rotating disk 22. In addition, since the inner diameter side wall 34a is inclined, uncollected workpieces W can easily return to the radially inner hopper 18.

[0085] [robot]

[0086] Figure 1 The robot 4 shown is a horizontal multi-joint robot with multiple arms 10, the arms 10 moving in the horizontal direction. Robot 4 rotates between a first area A1 equipped with a transport table 8 and a second area A2 for the next process step. Figure 3 As shown, the robot 4 of this embodiment has a base 36 fixed to the ground and three first to third arms 10A, 10B, and 10C.

[0087] The first arm 10A is a horizontally extending cylindrical component, and its base end 10Aa is connected to the upper surface of the base portion 36 in a manner that allows it to rotate about a first vertical rotation axis AX1. The second arm 10B is a horizontally extending cylindrical component, and its base end 10Ba is connected to the front end 10Ab of the first arm 10A in a manner that allows it to rotate about a second vertical rotation axis AX2.

[0088] The third arm 10C is a cylindrical shaft component extending vertically and inserted into the front end 10Bb of the second arm 10B. The third arm 10C is movable vertically along the front end 10Bb of the second arm 10B and can rotate about a third vertical axis of rotation AX3. The robotic arm 6 is mounted on the lower end 10Ca of the third arm 10C.

[0089] Each arm 10A, 10B, and 10C is driven by an actuator (not shown). The actuator is, for example, an electric motor, but is not limited to this. In this embodiment, robot 4 is fixed to the ground, but it may not be fixed. Furthermore, robot 4 is not limited to the structure of this embodiment, and any type of work robot can be used.

[0090] [Robotic arm]

[0091] Robotic arm 6 in the first area A1 ( Figure 1 Pick up workpiece W from transport table 8 and place it in the second area A2 ( Figure 1 Place workpiece W. Figure 5A This is an enlarged view of the main view of robotic arm 6. Figure 5B This is its side view. For example... Figure 5B As shown, the robot arm 6 has: a claw 46 for gripping or releasing a workpiece W; a gripping part 38 for moving the claw 46; and an actuator 40 with one or more degrees of freedom for changing the orientation of the gripping part 38. In this embodiment, the actuator 40 uses a fluid such as compressed air, for example.

[0092] The robotic arm 6 is mounted on the lower end 10Ca of the third arm 10C in a manner that allows it to rotate around the third rotation axis AX3. The third arm 10C of the robot 4 is connected to the robotic arm 6 via an L-shaped bracket 42. Specifically, the lower end 10Ca of the third arm 10C is connected to the upper surface of the horizontal portion 42a of the bracket 42, and the actuator 40 of the robotic arm 6 is bolted to the vertical portion 42b of the bracket 42. In this embodiment, the robotic arm 6 is mounted on the inner surface of the vertical portion 42b of the bracket 42, i.e., the surface on the side of the third rotation axis AX3. However, the shape of the bracket 42 and the configuration of the robotic arm 6 are not limited to this.

[0093] The actuator 40 has a fourth rotation axis AX4 extending horizontally. The clamping part 38 is connected to the actuator 40 via a connecting member 44. The connecting member 44 is a plate-shaped strip member, with its base end 44a rotatably connected to the actuator 40 about the fourth rotation axis AX4, and the clamping part 38 bolted to its front end 44b. Figure 5B Rotate the arrow AR direction by 90° so that the clamping part 38 reaches Figure 6B The position. In this example, the fourth rotation axis AX4 intersects with the third rotation axis AX3, and the clamping part 38 is arranged circumferentially on the actuator 40 along the fourth rotation axis AX4.

[0094] Figure 6A , Figure 6B respectively, actuator 40 along arrow AR ( Figure 5B The front view and side view when rotated 90° in the direction. Figure 5A , Figure 5B This indicates that the robotic arm 6 is facing down. Figure 6A , Figure 6B This indicates that the robotic arm 6 is in a horizontal position. In this way, the support 42 rotates around the third rotation axis AX3, thereby changing the gripping part 38 to any position; the connecting part 44 rotates around the fourth rotation axis AX4, thereby changing the gripping part 38 to any posture.

[0095] Figure 5A and Figure 5B The first embodiment of the robotic arm 6 is a chuck device having multiple claws 46 that can be opened and closed. In this embodiment, the robotic arm 6 has two claws 46, but it may also have three or more claws 46. Details of the claws 46 will be explained later. Alternatively, the robotic arm 6 may also be an adsorption pad. In this embodiment, the third rotation axis AX3 of the third arm 10C of the robot 4 coincides with the fifth axis AX5 of the gripping part 38. The fifth axis AX5 is the gripping center of the gripping part 38. However, the third rotation axis AX3 and the fifth axis AX5 may not coincide. That is, the fifth axis AX5 may be offset from the third rotation axis AX3 in the horizontal direction.

[0096] [action]

[0097] The operation of the parts supply system SY, including parts supply device 2, will be described next. (Input / Output) Figure 1 The workpieces W in the hopper 18 shown are transported in an arranged state along the spiral transport path 18a by vibration to the workpiece discharge section 18b at the top of the hopper 18. The workpieces W in the arranged state are supplied from the workpiece discharge section 18b to the workpiece supply area 24.

[0098] The workpiece W supplied to the workpiece supply area 24 is inspected for its position and orientation by the workpiece inspection mechanism 14 in the downstream inspection area 26. Specifically, the control device 12 determines whether the workpiece W can be picked up based on the signal from the workpiece inspection mechanism 14; if it can be picked up, the robot arm 6 is set to a certain position and orientation.

[0099] In the pickup area 28 downstream of the detection area 26, based on the determination result of the control device 12 based on the signal from the workpiece detection mechanism 14, the position of the robot arm 6 is set by moving the arm 10 of the robot 4, and the posture of the robot arm 6 is set by driving the actuator 40. The robot arm 6 picks up the workpiece W in the set position and posture.

[0100] If the position and orientation of the workpiece W detected by the detection area 26 are different from the actual position and orientation of the workpiece W in the pickup area 28, the robot arm 6 may be unable to pick it up. In this embodiment, since the position and orientation of the workpiece W during transport can be suppressed by the orientation stabilization unit 34 composed of grooves, the robot arm 6 can pick up the workpiece W stably.

[0101] After the workpiece W is picked up, the arm 10 of the robot 4 moves to move the manipulator 6 to the second area A2, and the actuator 40 is driven to set the posture of the manipulator 6. The manipulator 6 then releases the workpiece W.

[0102] Workpieces W that are not picked up in the pickup area 28 are returned to the hopper 18 from the downstream workpiece recovery area 30. At this time, because the radially inner wall 34a of the trough 34 slopes upwards towards the radially inner side, it is easy to return workpieces W from the workpiece recovery area 30 to the hopper 18. Workpieces W returned to the hopper 18 will be transported again along the transport path 18a by vibration, and the same action will be repeated thereafter.

[0103] [Structure of the claw part of the robotic arm]

[0104] Combination Figures 7A to 10B The structure of the claw 46 of the robotic arm 6 in this embodiment will be explained. Figures 7A to 7C This indicates the state before the robot arm 6 picks up the bolt-shaped workpiece W. Figures 8A to 8C This indicates the state after the robot arm 6 picks up the bolt-shaped workpiece W.

[0105] like Figure 7A As shown, a pair of claws 46, 46 are provided at one end of the clamping part 38 in the length direction D1. In this embodiment, the vertical direction corresponds to the length direction, and a pair of claws 46, 46 are provided at the lower end of the clamping part 38. The pair of claws 46 of the clamping part 38 are configured to be parallel or to be able to open and close around any fulcrum. The claws 46 are positioned along the opening and closing direction D2 ( Figure 7A Move the device in the left or right direction to clamp or release the workpiece W.

[0106] In the following description, the direction in which the clamping part 38 and the claw part 46 extend is defined as "length direction D1", and the direction in which the claw part 46 opens and closes is defined as "opening and closing direction D2". Furthermore, the direction in which the workpiece W is clamped is defined as the "clamping direction", and the direction in which the workpiece W is released is defined as the "releasing direction". In this example, the closing direction DR1 of the opening and closing direction D2 is the clamping direction, and the opening direction DR2 is the releasing direction. Further, the direction perpendicular to both the length direction D1 and the opening and closing direction D2 ( Figure 7B The left and right directions are defined as "vertical direction D3".

[0107] The claw portion 46 is supported at the base end portion 46a by the clamping portion 38 so that it can move in the opening and closing direction D2. The claw portion 46 extends from the clamping portion 38 in the length direction (below in this example), and its front end portion 46b has a clamping surface 52 for clamping the workpiece W.

[0108] Specifically, such as Figure 9 As shown, the clamping surface 52 has: a first inclined surface 54, which extends from the base end side of the length direction D1 of the clamping surface 52 ( Figure 9 The end 52a of the upper side) faces the front end side of the length direction D1 ( Figure 9 The lower side) extends obliquely in the opening direction; and the second oblique surface 56, which extends from the front end side of the clamping surface 52 in the length direction D1 ( Figure 9 The lower end 52b, facing the base end side in the length direction D1 ( Figure 9 The upper side of the first inclined surface 54 extends obliquely in the opening direction. The front end of the first inclined surface 54 is connected to the base end of the second inclined surface 56 via a connecting part 55.

[0109] That is, such as Figure 9 As shown, viewed from the vertical direction D3, the end edge (vertical end edge) of the clamping surface 52 is a V-shape that is concave towards the opening direction. The four surfaces 54, 54, 56, 56 of this pair of claw portions 46, 46 form a tangential plane that contacts the cylindrical workpiece W, which is the object to be clamped. Furthermore, in the following description, the end portion 52a on the base end side is sometimes referred to as "base end side corner 52a", and the end portion 52b on the front end side is sometimes referred to as "front end side corner 52b".

[0110] Viewed from the vertical direction D3, the second inclined surface 56 is directed towards the front end ( Figure 9 The angle between the imaginary front-end line V1 obtained by extending the first inclined surface 54 (to the lower side) and the horizontal transport surface 22a of the transport table 8 is defined as the "front-end angle α". Furthermore, viewed from the vertical direction D3, the angle between the first inclined surface 54 and the base end side ( Figure 9 The angle between the imaginary line V2 (extended from the upper side of the surface) and the parallel line LN parallel to the transport surface 22a is defined as the "base end side angle β". Further, the angle between the first inclined surface 54 and the second inclined surface 56 is defined as the "inclination angle γ". In this embodiment, the front end side angle α is set to be less than the base end side angle β, i.e., α < β.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front end angle α is set to be greater than 25° and less than 30° (25°≤α≤30°), and the base end angle β is set to be greater than 50° and less than 60° (50°<β<60°).

[0112] The base end portion 52a and the front end portion 52b of the claw portion 46, that is, the base end portion and the front end portion 52a, 52b of the claw portion 46, have rounded corners. In other words, the base end portion and the front end portion 52a, 52b of the claw portion 46 have an R-shape (rounded corner shape). This prevents the workpiece W from being scratched by the corners 52a, 52b of the claw portion 46. In this embodiment, both the base end portion 52a and the front end portion 52b have an R-shape, but it is also possible that only the front end portion 52b has an R-shape.

[0113] In addition, the surface 58 that forms the front end corner portion 52b and does not contact the workpiece W ( Figure 9The lower surface 58 of the middle claw portion 46 is configured to be parallel to the transport surface 22a when the length direction D1 of the clamping portion 38 is perpendicular to the horizontal transport surface 22a of the transport table 8. Alternatively, the lower surface 58 of the claw portion 46 can be tilted so that the front end side corner portion 52b is the lower end relative to the transport surface 22a. This prevents interference between the lower surface 58 of the claw portion 46 and the transport table 8.

[0114] Figure 10A and Figure 10B A modified example of the claw portion 46 of this embodiment is shown in the figure. Figure 10A and Figure 10B In the example, a sliding member 60 is mounted on the first inclined surface 54 and the second inclined surface 56 of the claw portion 46. The sliding member 60 is made of a material with high sliding properties and a hardness lower than that of the workpiece W. In this embodiment, in order to obtain high sliding properties, the surface friction coefficient of the sliding member 60 is set to 0.2 or less. The material of the sliding member 60 is, for example, polyoxymethylene (POM) or monomer-cast nylon (MC nylon). However, the material of the sliding member 60 is not limited to these.

[0115] By providing the sliding component 60, scratches on the workpiece W can be prevented. Furthermore, by setting the coefficient of friction to below 0.2, the workpiece W can move more easily along the inclined surfaces 54 and 56, thereby enabling the clamping of a cylindrical workpiece W that is slightly inclined relative to the transport table 8 at a stable position with the four surfaces 54 and 56 as tangential planes.

[0116] Figure 10A and Figure 10B In the example, sliding components 60 are installed on both the first and second inclined surfaces 54 and 56, but it is also possible to install the sliding component 60 on only one of the inclined surfaces 54 and 56. In this case, the sliding component 60 may also be installed only on the second inclined surface 56, which is prone to scratching the workpiece. Furthermore, the sliding component 60 may be detachably installed on the inclined surfaces 54 and 56. For example, a meshing groove may be provided on the inclined surfaces 54 and 56, and the sliding component 60 may be detachably installed in the meshing groove. However, the installation method of the sliding component 60 is not limited to this. By making only the sliding component 60 replaceable, the cost is lower than replacing the entire claw 46, and maintenance costs can be controlled.

[0117] In this embodiment, to obtain high sliding performance, the surface friction coefficient of the sliding member 60 is set to 0.2 or less. For example, the surface friction coefficient of the sliding member 60 may also be set to be less than the friction coefficient of the surfaces on the claw portion 46 other than the inclined surfaces 54 and 56. Alternatively, instead of installing the sliding member 60, the friction coefficient may be reduced by performing surface treatments such as coating or grinding on each inclined surface 54 and 56.

[0118] In the parts supply system SY of this embodiment, due to changes in product models on the production line, there may be situations where workpieces W with different shapes than those before the change are fed into the system, and / or workpieces W with different shapes are fed into the parts supply device 2 simultaneously. Workpieces W with different shapes are mostly similar in shape, such as bolts and / or pins with the same thread diameter but different lengths, which are fed into the system during process switching, or are fed into the system simultaneously.

[0119] Since the outer diameter of the bolt head is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft, it is placed at a slight inclination relative to the horizontal handling surface 22a. However, the actuator 40 using compressed air or the like cannot automatically adjust the operating angle, and manual adjustment is time-consuming; if an electric actuator is used, the operating angle can be adjusted, but in addition to increased cost, control becomes more complex. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to pick up both the inclined workpiece W and the horizontal workpiece W without changing the operating angle of the actuator 40.

[0120] In this regard, when picking up a cylindrical workpiece W radially, for example, Figure 17A and Figure 17B As shown in the reference example, there is a case in which a pair of claws 200 with inclined surfaces 202 having equal front end angle α and base end angle β are used to pick up a cylindrical workpiece W by contacting the four inclined surfaces 202.

[0121] However, for example, Figure 18A and Figure 18B As shown, the angle at which the workpiece W is picked up is fixed to a direction perpendicular to the transport surface 22a. Figure 18A When the workpiece W is slightly tilted (like a bolt) in the vertical direction, it is difficult for it to conform to the four inclined surfaces 202 of the claw, making it difficult to maintain a stable posture after being picked up. Therefore, the picked-up workpiece W is placed in the second area A2 ( Figure 1 When this happens, the positional error of workpiece W increases.

[0122] Thus, as Figures 17A-18B As shown in the reference example, the claw 200, which has four inclined surfaces 202 with the front end angle α and the base end angle β equal, cannot stably pick up all cylindrical workpieces W that are slightly inclined relative to the transport table 8, horizontally placed cylindrical workpieces W, and cylindrical workpieces W of different diameters.

[0123] Alternatively, increasing the clamping force of the clamping part 38 can be considered to make the workpiece W conform to the inclined surface 202. However, this would result in the clamping part 38 becoming larger and heavier, and the interference area with the workpiece W and the parts supply device 2 would also increase. Furthermore, the robot 4 ( Figure 1 The workpiece's transportable weight will decrease. In addition, the cost of the claw 200 increases because the rigidity of the claw 200 needs to be increased according to the clamping force of the clamping part 38.

[0124] In this regard, the gripper 6 in this embodiment, such as Figure 7A , Figure 7B as well as Figure 7C As shown, when picking up a bolt-shaped workpiece W that is placed at an angle relative to the transport surface 22a from above in a radial direction, the workpiece W is picked up while the corner 52b on the front end side of the claw 46 is used to scoop it up. At this time, since the angle α on the front end side is small, even a workpiece W that is inclined relative to the transport surface 22a can be picked up easily.

[0125] In addition, since the base-side angle β is set to an appropriate size, such as Figure 8C As shown, the cylindrical workpiece W readily conforms to the four inclined surfaces 54 and 56. The result is as follows: Figure 8B As shown, it can pick up workpiece W in a horizontal and stable posture.

[0126] [Effects]

[0127] Based on the above structure, through Figure 1 The attitude stabilization unit 34 shown can suppress changes in the position and attitude of the workpiece W being transported on the transporter 8. As a result, the workpiece W picking operation performed by the robot 4 is stabilized. Consequently, work efficiency is improved.

[0128] Specifically, the position and orientation of workpiece W are detected in sensing area 26, and the workpiece W with the detected position and orientation is picked up in pickup area 28. If the position and orientation of workpiece W detected in sensing area 26 changes to its position and orientation in pickup area 28, workpiece W cannot be picked up, resulting in decreased work efficiency. In the above structure, since the orientation stabilization unit 34 suppresses changes in the position and orientation of workpiece W, the position and orientation of workpiece W do not change between sensing area 26 and pickup area 28. Therefore, workpiece W is picked up stably, and work efficiency is improved.

[0129] Since the attitude stabilization unit 34 is a groove formed on the conveying surface 22a, the structure of the attitude stabilization unit 34 is simple and easy to implement. In addition, since the radially inner wall 34a of the groove 34 is inclined upward towards the radially inner side, it is easy to return unpicked workpieces W from the workpiece recovery area 30 to the hopper 18.

[0130] Furthermore, because the position and orientation of the gripping part 38 of the robotic arm 6 can be changed, contact between the robotic arm 6 and other workpieces W and / or equipment can be avoided when picking up workpieces W from the transport table 8. As a result, malfunctions of the robotic arm 6 and / or other equipment can be prevented, and work efficiency is improved.

[0131] As described above, in this embodiment, the gripping portion 38 of the robotic arm 6 can approach the workpiece W at various angles, i.e., in an optimal position and orientation. For example, it can be as follows: Figure 5A and Figure 5B Pick up workpiece W with it facing downwards, and then... Figure 6A and Figure 6B The workpiece W is now positioned laterally, as shown. Alternatively, it can be positioned as follows: Figure 6A and Figure 6B Pick up workpiece W horizontally as shown, and then... Figure 5A and Figure 5B The workpiece W is placed in a downward orientation, as shown. Alternatively, the picking and placing orientations are the same, i.e., both downward or both horizontal. In this way, because the orientation can be freely changed, interference between the robot arm 6 and surrounding equipment and / or other workpieces can be avoided.

[0132] In the parts supply device 2 with a disc-shaped transport table 8, space saving can be achieved compared with a device with a linear transport table. However, on the other hand, the robot arm is prone to contact with a part of the parts supply device 2. According to this structure, since the position and orientation of the gripping part 38 of the robot arm 6 can be changed, contact between the robot arm 6 and a part of the parts supply device 2 can be avoided.

[0133] In this embodiment, the parts supply device 2 has a vertical wall 20 that protrudes upwards from the transport table 8 between the vibrating hopper feeder 16 and the transport table 8, raising concerns about the robot arm 6 coming into contact with this vertical wall 20. According to the above structure, because the position and orientation of the gripping part 38 of the robot arm 6 can be changed, contact between the robot arm 6 and the vertical wall 20 of the parts supply device 2 can be avoided when picking up the workpiece W from the transport table 8.

[0134] like Figure 9 As shown, by reducing the front end angle α of the claw 46, it is easier to pick up the workpiece W, which is slightly inclined relative to the transport table 8. Furthermore, by increasing the base end angle β, the inclination angle γ between the first inclined surface 54 and the second inclined surface 56 becomes larger. Consequently, the tangents of the four inclined surfaces 54 and 56 of the claw 46 to the cylindrical workpiece W are closer to the connection portion 55 between the first inclined surface 54 and the second inclined surface 56. Therefore, even if the diameter of the cylindrical workpiece W increases, it can still be picked up with the four inclined surfaces 54 and 56 as tangent planes. Therefore, even cylindrical workpieces W of different diameters can be picked up stably. Thus, not only cylindrical workpieces W placed horizontally relative to the transport table 8, but also cylindrical workpieces W slightly inclined relative to the transport table 8 and cylindrical workpieces W of different diameters can be picked up stably.

[0135] In this embodiment, the front end angle α is set to be 25° or more and 30° or less, and the base end angle β is set to be greater than 50° or less than 60°. That is, it is set to 25°≤α≤30° and 50°<β<60°. If the front end angle α is less than 25°, the front end corner portion 52b becomes thinner, and the rigidity of the front end portion of the claw portion 46 decreases. In addition, if the front end angle α exceeds 30°, it becomes difficult to pick up the workpiece W, which is slightly tilted relative to the transport table 8. The base end angle β is set so that the tilt angle γ is adapted to the outer diameter of the cylindrical workpiece W. Simulation confirms that by setting the base end angle β to be greater than 50° or less than 60°, it is possible to stably pick up the cylindrical workpiece W with the desired outer diameter. In other words, by setting it to 50°<β<60°, it is possible to stably pick up cylindrical workpieces W with various outer diameters.

[0136] In this embodiment, the base corner 52a and front corner 52b of the claw portion 46 have an R-shape. This structure prevents the workpiece W from being scratched by the corners 52a and 52b. Alternatively, the R-shape can be provided only in the front corner 52b, which is more likely to come into contact with the workpiece W.

[0137] In this embodiment, the lower surface 58 of the claw portion 46 extends parallel to the transport surface 22a of the transport table 8. This structure prevents interference between the claw portion 46 and the transport table 8. Alternatively, the lower surface 58 of the claw portion 46 can be tilted so that the front end corner 52b of the claw portion 46 is at its lowest point during pickup. This also prevents interference between the claw portion 46 and the transport table 8.

[0138] In this embodiment, such as Figure 10A and Figure 10B As shown, a sliding member 60 can also be installed on the inclined surfaces 54 and 56 of the jaw 46. This structure prevents scratching of the workpiece W during pickup due to contact with the jaw 46. In this case, the sliding member 60 can also be detachably installed on the inclined surfaces 54 and 56 of the jaw 46. Therefore, since it is not necessary to replace the entire jaw 46, only the sliding member 60 needs to be replaced, maintenance becomes easier and maintenance costs can be reduced.

[0139] use Figures 11A to 13C The structure of the claw 46 of the robotic arm 6A according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, structures identical to those in the first embodiment are labeled with the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions are omitted. Figure 11A As shown, the robot 6A has: a plurality of claws 46 for gripping or releasing workpiece W; and a gripping part 38 that moves the claws 46 in a gripping direction DR1 for gripping workpiece W and a releasing direction DR2 for releasing workpiece W.

[0140] The clamping part 38 includes: a clamping mechanism 66 on which a claw part 46 is mounted and moves in the clamping direction DR1 and the releasing direction DR2; and a first drive source 68 for moving the clamping mechanism 66 in the clamping direction DR1 and the releasing direction DR2. Specifically, the clamping part 38 has a box-shaped clamping part body 69, and the first drive source 68 is housed inside the clamping part body 69.

[0141] The clamping mechanism 66 is configured to protrude from the clamping part body 69 and move relative to the clamping part body 69 in the clamping direction DR1 and the releasing direction DR2 by the power of the first drive source 68. In this embodiment, two clamping mechanisms 66 are provided. The number of clamping mechanisms 66 is not limited to this, for example, there may be three or more.

[0142] Similar to the first embodiment, in this embodiment, the workpiece W is clamped by the jaws 46 when the clamping mechanism 66 closes (moves in the closing direction). That is, in this embodiment, the clamping direction DR1 for clamping the workpiece W is the closing direction, and the releasing direction DR2 for releasing the workpiece W is the opening direction.

[0143] The first drive source 68 is, for example, a cylinder driven by compressed air. However, the first drive source 68 is not limited to this and may also be a hydraulic actuator, an electric motor, etc. In this embodiment, two clamping mechanisms 66 are driven by one first drive source 68. However, a first drive source 68 may also be provided for each clamping mechanism 66.

[0144] The robot arm 6 also includes a rotation transmission mechanism 70 for rotating the workpiece W. The rotation transmission mechanism 70 rotates the workpiece W held by the gripper 46 about a rotation axis X1 parallel to the opening and closing direction. The rotation transmission mechanism 70 includes: a rotating part 72 that enables the gripper 46 to rotate about the rotation axis X1; and a second drive source 74 that drives the rotating part 72 to rotate about the rotation axis X1.

[0145] The rotation transmission mechanism 70 further includes: a power transmission mechanism 75 that transmits power from the second drive source 74 to the rotating part 72; and a telescopic rotation mechanism 76 that transmits rotation from the second drive source 74 to the power transmission mechanism 75. In other words, the rotation of the second drive source 74 is transmitted to the rotating part 72 via the telescopic rotation mechanism 76 and the power transmission mechanism 75.

[0146] In this embodiment, the second drive source 74 is a motor. The second drive source 74 is not limited to a motor; for example, a structure utilizing spring-driven mechanical rotation, a structure utilizing pneumatic pressure like a cylinder, or a structure utilizing hydraulic pressure like a hydraulic actuator can be used. When a motor is used as the second drive source 74, compared to pneumatic and / or hydraulic pressure, the orientation of the workpiece W can be easily changed to any tilt angle.

[0147] Furthermore, the structures of the first drive source 68 and the second drive source 74 can be different. For example, the first drive source 68 can be a structure utilizing air pressure, and the second drive source 74 can be a structure utilizing electricity, or they can be the same structure. In addition, in this embodiment, the power of the second drive source 74 is supplied to only one of the two claws 46, but it can also be supplied to both.

[0148] The second drive source 74 is fixed to the clamping body 69 of the clamping part 38 and does not move along the opening and closing direction with the clamping mechanism 66. Furthermore, since the second drive source 74 does not move along the opening and closing direction with the clamping mechanism 66 of the clamping part 38, the load in the opening and closing direction is reduced. Therefore, the clamping mechanism 66 can operate at high speed. Moreover, since the objects rotated by the power of the second drive source 74 are only the workpiece W and the rotating part 72, the moment of inertia is small, enabling high-speed rotation.

[0149] A rotating part 72 is mounted on each of the plurality of claw parts 46 and moves together with the claw parts 46 in the opening and closing direction. In this embodiment, the rotating part 72 is disposed at the front end of the claw part 46. Figure 12 As shown, the rotating part 72 has a disc-shaped rotating part body 78 and a shaft 80 extending from one end face of the rotating part body 78 in the opening direction. The center line of the rotating part body 78 is aligned with the center axis of the shaft 80. In addition, the center axes of the pair of rotating parts 72, 72 in this embodiment are aligned.

[0150] The rotating part 72 in this embodiment is made of metal. However, the material of the rotating part 72 is not limited to this; for example, it can also be made of resin. In addition, a rubber sheet or rubber protrusions can be provided on the clamping surface 52 facing the closing direction of the rotating part body 78 of the rotating part 72. As a result, when clamping the workpiece W or when rotating the clamped workpiece W, slippage of the workpiece W can be prevented.

[0151] like Figure 12 As shown, a through hole 46c facing the opening / closing direction is provided at the front end of the claw portion 46. In this embodiment, the shaft 80 of the rotating portion 72 is inserted into the through hole 46c via a rolling bearing 88. Thus, the rotating portion 72 is rotatably supported on the claw portion 46. The axis of the through hole 46c coincides with the central axis of the rotating portion 72. That is, the axis of the through hole 46c coincides with the rotation axis X1 of the rotating portion 72. In this embodiment, a rolling bearing 88 is used, but bearings other than rolling bearings, or sliding bearings, can also be used.

[0152] like Figure 11AAs shown, the power transmission mechanism 75 is connected to the front end of the shaft 80 of one of the rotating parts 72. The power transmission mechanism 75 is connected to the rotating part 72 and moves together with the rotating part 72 in the clamping direction DR1 and the releasing direction DR2. An anti-disengagement component 89 is installed at the front end of the shaft 80 of the other rotating part 72 that is not connected to the second drive source 74. The anti-disengagement component 89 is, for example, a nut. In this embodiment, the power transmission mechanism 75 is connected to one of the rotating parts 72, but the power transmission mechanism 75 can be connected to at least one rotating part 72, or it can be connected to multiple rotating parts 72.

[0153] In this embodiment, a belt-shaped annular power transmission component 90 is used as the power transmission mechanism 75, specifically a synchronous belt. The annular power transmission component 90 may also be a drive chain.

[0154] A synchronous belt 90 is disposed between the telescopic rotating mechanism 76 and the rotating part 72. Primary pulleys 92a and secondary pulleys 92b are disposed on the outer surface of the claw portion 46 facing the opening / closing direction. The synchronous belt 90 is mounted on these primary pulleys 92a and secondary pulleys 92b. The secondary pulleys 92b are coaxially disposed with the rotating shaft X1 of the rotating part 72 and connected to the shaft body 80 of the rotating part 72.

[0155] The primary pulley 92a is connected to the telescopic rotation mechanism 76. The telescopic rotation mechanism 76 is disposed between the second drive source 74 and the power transmission mechanism 75, and can extend and retract in the clamping direction DR1 and the releasing direction DR2. That is, the telescopic rotation mechanism 76 transmits the rotation of the second drive source 74 to the power transmission mechanism 75, and moves relative to the second drive source 74 in the clamping direction DR1 and the releasing direction DR2.

[0156] Specifically, such as Figure 13A As shown, the telescopic rotation mechanism 76 includes: a first rotation shaft 94 connected to the output shaft 74a of the second drive source 74; a second rotation shaft 96 connected to the primary side pulley 92a of the power transmission mechanism 75; and a telescopic rotation structure 98 disposed between the first rotation shaft 94 and the second rotation shaft 96. In other words, in this embodiment, the primary side pulley 92a of the power transmission mechanism 75 constitutes the inlet rotating body of the power transmission mechanism 75 connected to the second rotation shaft 96.

[0157] like Figure 13B As shown, the telescopic rotating structure 98 transmits the rotation of the first rotating shaft 94 to the second rotating shaft 96, and supports the second rotating shaft 96 relative to the first rotating shaft 94 so that it can move in the clamping direction DR1 and the releasing direction DR2.

[0158] Specifically, such as Figure 13AAs shown, the telescopic rotating structure 98 has a cylindrical outer component 104, an inner component 106 inserted into a hollow hole 104c in the outer component 104, and rolling elements 108 sandwiched between the outer component 104 and the inner component 106. In this embodiment, the rolling elements 108 are eight balls arranged in the circumferential direction. However, the shape and number of rolling elements 108 are not limited to this.

[0159] In this embodiment, the outer component 104 is one end side ( Figure 13C The first rotating shaft 94 is a bottomed cylindrical part that is closed at one end and open at the other. The shaft end of the first rotating shaft 94 is connected to the bottom 104a at one end. In this embodiment, the first rotating shaft 94 and the outer component 104 are integrally formed together. In other words, the outer component 104 is provided at the shaft end of the first rotating shaft 94. That is, one end of the first rotating shaft 94 is connected to the output shaft 74a of the second drive source 74, and the other end is connected to the outer component 104. Therefore, the outer component 104 can be positioned relative to the clamping part 38 ( Figure 11A It rotates around the axis X2 of the output shaft 74a of the second drive source 74.

[0160] like Figure 13C As shown, an axially extending groove 104b is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the outer component 104. Multiple grooves 104b are arranged in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the number of grooves 104b is the same as the number of rolling elements 108, i.e., eight.

[0161] like Figure 13A As shown, in this embodiment, the inner component 106 is cylindrical, and the shaft end of the second rotating shaft 96 is connected to one end face ( Figure 13C The second rotating shaft 96 is connected to the right end face of the second rotating shaft 96. In this embodiment, the second rotating shaft 96 and the inner component 106 are integrally formed together. In other words, the inner component 106 is provided at the shaft end of the second rotating shaft 96. A circumferential groove 106a extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the outer diameter surface of the axial middle portion of the inner component 106.

[0162] like Figure 13C As shown, the outer diameter of the inner component 106 is set to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the outer component 104 and larger than the outer diameter of the second rotating shaft 96. A rolling element 108 is disposed between the inner diameter surface of the outer component 104 and the outer diameter surface of the inner component 106. That is, rotation of the outer component 104 is transmitted to the inner component 106 via the rolling element 108. In other words, the inner component 106 is rotatably connected to the outer component 104 via the rolling element 108.

[0163] Specifically, the rolling element 108 is disposed between the circumferential groove 106a of the inner member 106 and the groove 104b of the outer member 104. The rolling element 108 is movable axially (in the opening and closing direction) along each groove 104b of the outer member 104. That is, the inner member 106 is movable relative to the clamping portion 38 ( Figure 11A It can rotate around the axis X2 of the output shaft 74a of the second drive source 74 and can move in a direction parallel to the opening and closing direction.

[0164] The other end of the second rotating shaft 96 is connected to the power transmission mechanism 75 of the rotating transmission mechanism 70. That is, one end of the second rotating shaft 96 is connected to the inner component 106, and the other end is connected to the inlet rotating body (primary side pulley) 92a of the power transmission mechanism 75 of the rotating transmission mechanism 70.

[0165] The first rotating shaft 94 and the second rotating shaft 96, the outer component 104, and the inner component 106 can be made of metal or resin. Alternatively, a lubricant such as grease can be sealed in the gap between the outer component 104 and the inner component 106. In this case, a sealing member can be provided at the open end of the outer component 104 to prevent grease leakage.

[0166] By setting such a telescopic and rotating mechanism 76, in Figure 13C In this configuration, the first rotating shaft 94 and the outer component 104 rotate about the axis X2 of the output rotating shaft 74a of the second drive source 74, while the second rotating shaft 96 and the inner component 106 rotate via the rolling element 108. Furthermore, the second rotating shaft 96 and the inner component 106... Figure 11A The clamping mechanism 66 opens and closes, moving in a direction parallel to the opening and closing direction of the clamping mechanism 66. Thus, even when the clamping mechanism 66 is open or closed, rotational power can be transmitted to the rotating part 72 at the front end of the claw part 46.

[0167] In this embodiment, an outer component 104 is provided at the end of the first rotating shaft 94 and an inner component 106 is provided at the end of the second rotating shaft 96. However, it is also possible to provide an inner component 106 at the end of the first rotating shaft 94 and an outer component 104 at the end of the second rotating shaft 96.

[0168] In this embodiment, the rotary transmission mechanism 70 and the claw portion 46 are integrated to form a sub-assembly. Specifically, the rotating part 72, the claw portion 46, the power transmission mechanism 75, the telescopic rotary mechanism 76, and the second drive source 74 are integrated. This integrated sub-assembly is mounted on the clamping part 38. Therefore, the claw portion 46 having the rotary transmission mechanism 70 of this embodiment can also be applied to existing clamping parts. In particular, it has high versatility because it easily accommodates the size of the clamping mechanism 66 and the length of the claw portion 46.

[0169] In other words, in this embodiment, the rotary transmission mechanism 70 and the claw portion 46 form an integrated module. Specifically, the rotating part 72, the claw portion 46, the timing belt 90, the pulleys 92a and 92b, the first rotating shaft 94 and the second rotating shaft 96, the outer component 104, the inner component 106, the rolling element 108, and the second drive source 74 are modularized.

[0170] When the robot arm 6A grips the workpiece W, the first drive source 68 is driven, causing the gripping mechanism 66 and the claw portion 46 fixed thereon to move in the gripping direction DR1. At this time, the second drive source 74 fixed to the gripping part body 69, and the first rotation shaft 94 and the outer component 104 of the telescopic rotation mechanism 76 connected to the second drive source 74 do not move in the gripping direction DR1.

[0171] On the other hand, in the telescopic rotation mechanism 76, the inner member 106, which is connected to the outer member 104 via the rolling element 108 in a manner movable in the opening and closing direction, moves in the clamping direction DR1. Furthermore, the rotation transmission mechanism 70 connected to the second rotation shaft 96 and the rotating part 72 connected to the rotation transmission mechanism 70 also move in the clamping direction DR1.

[0172] When the robot arm 6A is holding the workpiece W, the second drive source 74 is driven. Figure 13C The first rotating shaft 94 and the outer component 104 rotate. When the outer component 104 rotates, the inner component 106 and the second rotating shaft 96 rotate via the rolling element 108.

[0173] When the second rotating axis 96 rotates Figure 11A The upstream pulley 92a rotates, and this rotation is transmitted to the downstream pulley 92b via the synchronous belt 90, causing the downstream pulley 92b to rotate as well. When the downstream pulley 92b rotates, one of its connected rotating parts 72 rotates, and this rotation is also transmitted to the other rotating part 72 via the workpiece W, causing the other rotating part 72 to rotate as well. That is, the workpiece W rotates around the rotation axis X1. This allows the orientation of the workpiece W to be changed.

[0174] When the robot arm 6A releases the workpiece W, the first drive source 68 is driven, causing the clamping mechanism 66 and the claw portion 46 fixed thereon to move in the release direction DR2. At this time, similar to when clamping the workpiece W, the second drive source 74, the first rotating shaft 94 of the telescopic rotating mechanism 76, and the outer component 104 do not move in the release direction DR2, while the inner component 106, the second rotating shaft 96, and the rotating part 72 of the telescopic rotating mechanism 76 move in the release direction DR2.

[0175] [Structure of the clamping surface]

[0176] like Figure 11AAs shown, the claw portion 46 is supported at its base end portion 46a by the clamping portion 38 so that it can move in the opening and closing direction D2. The claw portion 46 extends from the clamping portion 38 along the length direction D1 (upward in the illustrated example) and has a clamping surface 52 for clamping the workpiece W at its front end portion 46b. Specifically, the clamping surface of the rotating portion 72 constitutes the clamping surface 52 of the claw portion 46.

[0177] The structure, shape, front end angle α, and base end angle β of the clamping surface 52 in this embodiment are related to... Figure 9 The clamping surface 52 is the same as that in the first embodiment described herein. Alternatively, it can be like... Figure 10A and Figure 10B As shown in the variation of the first embodiment, in this embodiment, a sliding member 60 is mounted on the first inclined surface 54 and the second inclined surface 56 of the claw portion 46. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first inclined surface 54 and the second inclined surface 56 have... Figures 17A-18B The first embodiment, illustrated in the reference example, has the same effect as the one shown.

[0178] [Effects]

[0179] The robotic arm 6A of the second embodiment achieves the same effect as the robotic arm 6 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, due to the... Figure 12 The rotating part 72 shown allows the workpiece W, which is held by the claw part 46, to rotate around the rotation axis X1, which is parallel to the opening and closing direction D2. Therefore, regardless of the posture of the workpiece W when it is picked up, the robot arm 6A of the second embodiment can move or place the workpiece W stably.

[0180] In addition, generally speaking, a robot arm 6 with two claws 46 needs to change the size of the clamping part 38, the opening and closing stroke, the length of the claws 46, etc., according to the size of the workpiece W being clamped.

[0181] According to the robotic arm 6A of the second embodiment, such as Figure 11A As shown, a rotating part 72 of a rotation transmission mechanism 70 is separately provided at the front end of the jaw portion 46 of the clamping mechanism 66 mounted on the clamping part 38. The rotating part 72 causes the workpiece W to rotate about a rotation axis X1 parallel to the clamping direction DR1 and the releasing direction DR2 of the jaw portion 46. The clamping mechanism 66 is moved by the power of the first drive source 68, and the rotating part 72 is rotated by the power of the second drive source 74. That is, the clamping mechanism 66 and the rotating part 72 are provided independently. Therefore, even if the height of the workpiece W to be clamped is different when changing specifications, only the jaw portion 46 and the rotation transmission mechanism 70 supported by it need to be replaced, without changing the clamping part 38. As a result, the length of the rotation axis from the root of the jaw portion 46 to the second drive source 74 can be easily changed.

[0182] Furthermore, the second drive source 74 does not move along the opening and closing direction with the clamping mechanism 66 of the clamping part 38. Therefore, because the load in the opening and closing direction is reduced, the clamping mechanism 66 can operate at high speed. Moreover, since only the rotating part 72 rotates and not the entire clamping part 38 rotates, the rotating objects are only the workpiece W and the rotating part 72, and the weight and moment of inertia of the rotating objects are reduced. As a result, high-speed rotation of the rotating part 72 and low torque of the second drive source 74 can be achieved, and the second drive source 74 can be miniaturized and lightened.

[0183] According to the above structure, after clamping the workpiece W, the rotating part 72 rotates the workpiece W, thereby reversing the inside and outside of the workpiece W without re-clamping it. This shortens the handling time. Furthermore, a temporary placement stage for changing the orientation of the workpiece W is not required, thus saving space.

[0184] Furthermore, due to the passage Figure 11A The rotating part 72 provided at the front end of the claw 46 shown causes the workpiece W to rotate, thus the moment of inertia is smaller compared to rotating the entire claw 46 including the clamping mechanism 66. Therefore, the workpiece W can be rotated at a higher speed.

[0185] In this embodiment, the rotation transmission mechanism 70 and the claw portion 46 are integrated into a sub-assembly, which is mounted on the clamping portion 38. Specifically, the rotating portion 72, the claw portion 46, the power transmission mechanism 75, the telescopic rotation mechanism 76, and the second drive source 74 are integrated. According to this structure, the claw portion 46 with the rotation transmission mechanism 70 can be applied to existing clamping portions. In particular, it has high versatility because it easily accommodates the size of the clamping mechanism 66 and the length of the claw portion 46.

[0186] In this embodiment, the telescopic rotation mechanism 76 includes: a first rotation shaft 94 connected to the output shaft 74a of the second drive source 74; a second rotation shaft 96 connected to the inlet rotating body 92a of the power transmission mechanism 75; and a telescopic rotation structure 98 that transmits the rotation of the first rotation shaft 94 to the second rotation shaft 96. The telescopic rotation structure 98 supports the second rotation shaft 96 so that it can move relative to the first rotation shaft 94 in the opening and closing direction.

[0187] Specifically, the telescopic rotating structure 98 includes: a cylindrical outer component 104 disposed at the end of a first rotating shaft 94; an inner component 106 disposed at the end of a second rotating shaft 96 and inserted into a hollow hole in the outer component 104; and a rolling element 108 sandwiched between the outer component 104 and the inner component 106. The rolling element 108 transmits the rotation of the outer component 104 to the inner component 106 and supports the inner component 106 so that it can move relative to the outer component 104 in the opening and closing direction. According to this structure, rotational torque in the rotational direction can be reliably transmitted, while resistance in the telescopic direction is low and smooth movement is possible.

[0188] In this embodiment, the second drive source 74 is an electric motor. By using an electric motor as the second drive source 74, the orientation of the workpiece W can be easily changed to any tilt angle. Since not only can the inside and outside of the workpiece W be reversed, but the tilt angle of the workpiece W can also be freely changed, it is possible to accommodate situations where the workpiece W is not flat but is being transported at an angle, and / or where the angle of the jaws 46, which has a notch for clamping, is preferably tilted at a predetermined angle relative to the workpiece W. Furthermore, it is easy to accommodate situations where the workpiece W must be positioned at a predetermined angle after clamping it.

[0189] In this embodiment, the power transmission mechanism 75 has a synchronous belt 90. With this structure, the configuration freedom of the second drive source 74 is increased because the length from the second drive source 74 to the rotating part 72 can be easily changed.

[0190] Figure 11A In the example, the second drive source 74 is fixed to the clamping part body 69, but the second drive source 74 can also be provided to the claw part 46. In this case, the load in the opening and closing direction will increase by a corresponding amount to the second drive source 74, but since the second drive source 74 can be directly connected to the rotating part 72, the telescopic rotating mechanism 76 and the power transmission mechanism 75 can be omitted.

[0191] Figure 14 A modified example of the telescopic rotating structure 98A of the telescopic rotating mechanism 76A is shown. Figure 14 The telescopic rotating structure 98A of the telescopic rotating mechanism 76A shown has: a first gear 110, which has a longer axial dimension on the first rotating shaft 94; and a second gear 112, which has a shorter axial dimension on the second rotating shaft 96 than the first gear 110.

[0192] The axial dimension of the first gear 110 is set to be greater than that of the clamping mechanism 66. Figure 11AThe opening and closing width, that is, the amount of movement in the opening and closing direction, is long. The first rotating shaft 94 and the first gear 110 can be relative to the clamping body 69 ( Figure 11A It rotates about the rotation axis of the second drive source 74. In addition, the first rotation axis 94 and the first gear 110 do not move in the opening and closing direction.

[0193] The second gear 112 meshes with the first gear 110, thereby transmitting the rotation of the first gear 110 to the second gear 112 and the second rotating shaft 96, and the second gear 112 and the second rotating shaft 96 can move in the opening and closing direction (axial direction).

[0194] According to this structure, the first rotating shaft 94 and the first gear 110 rotate around the rotating shaft due to the rotation of the second drive source 74. Through the meshing of the two gears 110 and 112, the second gear 112 and the second rotating shaft 96 rotate. Furthermore, the second gear 112 and the second rotating shaft 96 are accompanied by… Figure 11A The clamping mechanism 66 opens and closes via the meshing of the first gear 110 and the second gear 112, moving in a direction parallel to the opening and closing direction. Therefore, even when the clamping mechanism 66 is opening or closing, rotational power can be transmitted to the rotating part 72 at the front end of the claw 46. Thus, according to... Figure 14 A modified example is capable of reliably transmitting rotational torque in the rotational direction with fewer parts and is capable of moving in the extension / retraction direction.

[0195] Figure 14 In this configuration, a first gear 110 with a longer axial dimension is provided on the first rotating shaft 94, and a second gear 112 is provided on the second rotating shaft 96. Alternatively, a first gear 110 with a longer axial dimension can be provided on the second rotating shaft 96, and a second gear 112 can be provided on the first rotating shaft 94.

[0196] Figure 15 The clamping device (manipulator) 6B involved in a variation of this embodiment is shown. Figure 15 In a modified example, the power transmission mechanism 75 has a rod 115 with bevel gears 114 at both ends. The bevel gears 114 can be either straight bevel gears or helical bevel gears.

[0197] The rod 115 extends between the rotation axis X2 of the second drive source 74 and the rotation axis X1 of the rotating part 72 in a direction perpendicular to the two axes X1 and X2. The bevel gear 114 has a primary bevel gear 114a on the side of the second drive source 74 and a secondary bevel gear 114b on the side of the rotating part 72.

[0198] A drive-side bevel gear 116 is provided at the front end of the second rotating shaft 96 of the telescopic rotating mechanism 76, and the drive-side bevel gear 116 meshes with the primary-side bevel gear 114a. The drive-side bevel gear 116 is coaxially configured with the rotating shaft X2 of the second drive source 74, and the rotation of the second drive source 74 is transmitted via the telescopic rotating mechanism 76. That is to say, Figure 15 In a modified example, the primary bevel gear 114a constitutes the inlet rotating body of the power transmission mechanism 75, which is connected to the second rotating shaft 96 of the telescopic rotating mechanism 76.

[0199] A driven bevel gear 118 is provided at the front end of the shaft 80 of the rotating part 72, and the driven bevel gear 118 meshes with the secondary bevel gear 114b. The driven bevel gear 118 is coaxially configured with the rotating shaft X1 of the rotating part 72, and the rotation of the second drive source 74 is transmitted via the rotation transmission mechanism 70. Thus, the power of the second drive source 74 is transmitted to the rotating part 72.

[0200] Figure 15 In the modified example, since the length from the second drive source 74 to the rotating part 72 can be easily changed by using a rod 115 with bevel gears 114 at both ends as the power transmission mechanism 75, the configuration freedom of the second drive source 74 is increased.

[0201] Figure 16A and Figure 16B The clamping device (manipulator) 6C involved in another variation of this embodiment is shown. Figure 11A and Figure 11B In the example, the output shaft 74a of the second drive source 74 is directly connected to the first rotation shaft 94 of the telescopic rotation mechanism 76, and the telescopic rotation mechanism 76 is coaxially configured with the rotation axis X2 of the second drive source 74, but Figure 16A and Figure 16B In a modified example, the output shaft 74a of the second drive source 74 is connected to the first rotation shaft 94 of the telescopic rotation mechanism 76 via a belt 120 and a pair of pulleys 122, 122. That is, the rotation axis X2 of the second drive source 74 is not the same as the rotation axis X3 of the telescopic rotation mechanism 76.

[0202] Specifically, one pulley 122 is located on the output shaft 74a of the second drive source 74, and the other pulley 122 is located on the first rotating shaft 94 of the telescopic rotating mechanism 76. A belt 120 is mounted on the two pulleys 122. Thus, the rotation of the second drive source 74 is transmitted to the telescopic rotating mechanism 76. Other structures are similar to... Figure 11A and Figure 11B The examples are the same.

[0203] according to Figure 16A and Figure 16B Variations, such as Figure 11A and Figure 11B Compared to a structure in which the telescopic rotation mechanism 76 is coaxially arranged with the second drive source 74, the size of the clamping part body 69 of the clamping part 38 in the opening and closing direction can be reduced. This helps to suppress interference between the robot arm 6B and surrounding objects. Figure 16A and Figure 16B In a modified example, the second drive source 74 and the telescopic rotation mechanism 76 are connected by a combination of pulley 122 and belt 120, but it can also be a combination of sprocket and chain, or a structure combining multiple gears.

[0204] 75 serves as a power transmission mechanism. Figure 11A and Figure 11B Examples and Figure 16A , Figure 16B The example uses a structure combining a belt 90 and a pulley 92. Figure 15 The example uses a structure combining bevel gear 114 and rod 115, but a structure combining multiple flat gears can also be used as the power transmission mechanism 75.

[0205] In this embodiment, the front end angle α is set to be less than the base end angle β (α < β). However, depending on the shape of the workpiece, the front end angle α and the base end angle β can also be set to be the same (α = β), or the front end angle α can be set to be greater than the base end angle β (α > β).

[0206] Figures 11A to 16B The implementation methods include the following schemes 1 to 10.

[0207] [Option 1]

[0208] A robotic arm that possesses:

[0209] Multiple claws for gripping or releasing workpieces;

[0210] A clamping portion that allows the jaws to move in a clamping direction for clamping the workpiece and in a releasing direction for releasing the workpiece; and

[0211] A rotary transfer mechanism that causes the workpiece held by the jaws to rotate about a rotation axis parallel to the clamping direction and the releasing direction, wherein...

[0212] The claw portion is supported at its base end by the clamping portion to be movable in the clamping direction and the releasing direction, and has a clamping surface at its front end for clamping the workpiece, extending from the base end end to the front end end in an extending direction.

[0213] The clamping surface has:

[0214] A first inclined surface extends inclinedly from an end on the base side of the extending direction toward the front end side of the extending direction along the releasing direction; and

[0215] The second inclined surface extends obliquely from the end of the front end side of the extending direction toward the base end side of the extending direction along the releasing direction.

[0216] [Option 2]

[0217] According to the robotic arm described in Scheme 1, when viewed from a vertical direction perpendicular to the extension direction and the opening / closing direction, the front-side angle α formed by the imaginary front-side line obtained by extending the second inclined surface to the front-side and the horizontal transport surface of the transport table is set to be less than the base-side angle β formed by the imaginary base-side line obtained by extending the first inclined surface to the base-side and a parallel line parallel to the transport surface.

[0218] [Option 3]

[0219] According to the robotic arm described in Scheme 1, when viewed from a vertical direction perpendicular to the extension direction and the opening / closing direction, the front-side angle α formed by the imaginary front-side line obtained by extending the second inclined surface to the front-side and the horizontal transport surface of the transport table is set to be greater than the base-side angle β formed by the imaginary base-side line obtained by extending the first inclined surface to the base-side and the parallel line parallel to the transport surface.

[0220] [Option 4]

[0221] According to any one of Schemes 1 to 3, the coefficient of friction of at least one of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface is set to be 0.2 or less.

[0222] [Option 5]

[0223] The robotic arm according to any one of schemes 1 to 4, wherein the rotary transmission mechanism has:

[0224] A rotating part, located at the front end of the claw, is capable of rotating the claw about a rotation axis parallel to the opening and closing direction; and

[0225] A second drive source drives the rotating part to rotate about the rotation axis.

[0226] The clamping surface is formed on the rotating part.

[0227] [Option 6]

[0228] According to the robotic arm described in Scheme 5, the rotary transmission mechanism and the claw are integrated to form a sub-assembly.

[0229] The sub-component is mounted on the gripping part.

[0230] [Option 7]

[0231] According to the robotic arm described in scheme 5 or 6, the rotary transmission mechanism further comprises:

[0232] A power transmission mechanism connected to at least one of the rotating parts, moving together with the rotating parts in a clamping and releasing direction, transmitting power from the second drive source to the rotating parts; and

[0233] A telescopic rotating mechanism that can extend and retract in the clamping and releasing directions, and transmits the rotation of the second drive source to the power transmission mechanism.

[0234] [Option 8]

[0235] According to the robotic arm described in Scheme 7, the telescopic rotation mechanism has:

[0236] A first rotating shaft is connected to the output shaft of the second drive source;

[0237] A second rotating shaft, which is connected to the inlet rotating body of the power transmission mechanism; and

[0238] A telescopic rotating structure that transmits rotation of the first rotating shaft to the second rotating shaft and supports the second rotating shaft relative to the first rotating shaft so that it can move in the clamping and releasing directions.

[0239] [Option 9]

[0240] According to the robotic arm described in Scheme 8, the telescopic rotating structure has:

[0241] A cylindrical outer component is disposed at the shaft end of one of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft;

[0242] An inner component, disposed at the end of the shaft of the other of the first and second rotating shafts, and inserted into the hollow hole of the outer component; and

[0243] A rolling element, which is sandwiched between the outer component and the inner component, transmits the rotation of the outer component to the inner component and supports the component located on the second rotation axis relative to the component located on the first rotation axis so that it can move in the clamping direction and the releasing direction.

[0244] [Option 10]

[0245] According to the robotic arm described in Scheme 8, the telescopic rotating structure has:

[0246] A first gear, disposed on one of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, has an axial dimension greater than the opening and closing width of the clamping mechanism; and

[0247] The second gear is located on the other side of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, meshes with the first gear, transmits the rotation of the first gear, and is movable relative to the first gear in the clamping direction and the releasing direction.

[0248] This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various additions, modifications, or deletions can be made without departing from the spirit of this invention. Therefore, such methods are also included within the scope of this invention.

[0249] Symbol Explanation

[0250] 2: Parts supply device; 4: Robot; 6, 6A, 6B, 6C: Robotic arm; 8: Transfer table; 10: Arm; 16: Vibrating hopper feeder; 18: Hopper; 18a: Transfer path; 20: Vertical wall; 22: Rotating disk; 22a: Transfer surface; 38: Clamping part; 40: Brake; 44: Connecting part; 46: Claw; 48: Weak part; 52: Clamping surface; 54: First inclined surface; 56: Second inclined surface; 70: Rotary transmission mechanism; 72: Rotating part; 74: Second drive source; 75: Power transmission mechanism; 76: Telescopic rotation mechanism; 94: First rotating shaft; 96: Second rotating shaft; 98: Telescopic rotation structure; 104: Outer component; 106: Inner component; 108: Rolling element; 110: First gear; 112: Second gear; α: Front end side angle; β: Base end side angle; A1: First region; A2: Second region; D1: Length direction; D2: Opening and closing direction; D3: Vertical direction; SY: Parts supply system; W: Workpiece.

Claims

1. A robotic arm, comprising: The claw portion, used for gripping or releasing the workpiece; and The clamping part causes the jaws to move in a clamping direction for clamping the workpiece and in a releasing direction for releasing the workpiece, wherein... The claw portion is supported at its base end by the clamping portion, enabling it to move in the clamping direction and the releasing direction. It extends longitudinally from the clamping portion and has a clamping surface at its front end for clamping the workpiece. The clamping surface has: A first inclined surface extends inclinedly from the end of the clamping surface at the base end in the length direction toward the front end in the length direction toward the release direction. as well as A second inclined surface extends obliquely from the front end of the clamping surface along its length direction toward the base end along its length direction toward the release direction and is connected to the first inclined surface. Viewed from a vertical direction perpendicular to the length direction, the clamping direction, and the releasing direction, the front-side angle α formed by the imaginary line extending the second inclined surface to the front-side and the horizontal transport surface of the transport table is set to be less than the base-side angle β formed by the imaginary line extending the first inclined surface to the base-side and a parallel line parallel to the transport surface.

2. The robotic arm according to claim 1, wherein, The front end angle α is set to be greater than 25° and less than 30°. The base-side angle β is set to be greater than 50° and less than 60°.

3. The robotic arm according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The coefficient of friction of at least one of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface is set to be less than 0.

2.

4. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a rotational transmission mechanism that causes the workpiece held by the claw to rotate about a rotational axis parallel to the clamping direction and the releasing direction.

5. The robotic arm according to claim 4, wherein, The rotary transmission mechanism has: A rotating part, disposed at the front end of the claw, capable of rotating relative to the claw about a rotation axis parallel to the opening and closing direction; and A second drive source drives the rotating part to rotate about the rotation axis. The clamping surface is formed on the rotating part.

6. The robotic arm according to claim 5, wherein, The rotary transmission mechanism is integrated with the claw portion to form a sub-assembly. The sub-component is mounted on the clamping part.

7. The robotic arm according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The rotary transmission mechanism further comprises: A power transmission mechanism connected to at least one of the rotating parts, moving together with the rotating parts in a clamping direction and a releasing direction, and transmitting power from the second drive source to the rotating parts; as well as A telescopic rotating mechanism that can extend and retract in the clamping and releasing directions, and transmits the rotation of the second drive source to the power transmission mechanism.

8. The robotic arm according to claim 7, wherein, The telescopic rotation mechanism has: A first rotating shaft is connected to the output shaft of the second drive source; A second rotating shaft, which is connected to the inlet rotating body of the power transmission mechanism; and A telescopic rotating structure that transmits rotation of the first rotating shaft to the second rotating shaft and supports the second rotating shaft relative to the first rotating shaft so that it can move in the clamping and releasing directions.

9. The robotic arm according to claim 8, wherein, The telescopic rotating structure has: A cylindrical outer component is disposed at the shaft end of one of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft; An inner component, disposed at the end of the shaft of the other of the first and second rotating shafts, and inserted into the hollow hole of the outer component; and A rolling element, which is sandwiched between the outer component and the inner component, transmits the rotation of the outer component to the inner component and supports the component located on the second rotation axis relative to the component located on the first rotation axis so that it can move in the clamping direction and the releasing direction.

10. The robotic arm according to claim 8, wherein, The telescopic rotating structure has: A first gear is disposed on one of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, and its axial dimension is greater than the opening and closing width of the clamping part. as well as The second gear is located on the other side of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, meshes with the first gear, transmits the rotation of the first gear, and is movable relative to the first gear in the clamping direction and the releasing direction.

11. A parts supply system, comprising: A parts supply device that supplies the workpiece to a transport table; A robot that transports the workpiece from a first area equipped with the transfer table to a second area different from the first area; and The robotic arm according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is mounted on the front end of the arm of the robot, picks up the workpiece on the transport table in the first region, and places the workpiece in the second region.

12. The parts supply system according to claim 11, further comprising: A workpiece inspection mechanism that detects the position and orientation of the workpiece on the transport table; and A control device that synchronously controls the parts supply device, the robot, and the robotic arm. The control device moves the robot's arm to a position detected by the workpiece inspection mechanism, causing the robotic arm to grip the workpiece at an angle corresponding to the posture detected by the workpiece inspection mechanism.

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