robot

Abstract

Robot (1), comprising: a base (2) installed on the ground; and a movable section (4) comprising a rotating drum (3) mounted to rotate about a vertical axis with respect to the base (2), wherein the base (2) is provided with an opening portion (10) through which cable elements (9, 12) are inserted into the base (2) from the outside, wherein the base (2) and the rotating drum (3) are provided, at a position including the axis, with a hollow section (A) in which the cable elements (9, 12) inserted into the base (2) are guided into the rotating drum (3) along the axis, wherein the robot (1) further comprises a distribution board element (13) detachably attached to the base (2) near the opening portion (10), wherein the distribution board element (13) is provided with a fixing portion (14) fixed to the base (2) and with a relay portion (15) arranged on the outside of the opening portion (10) with a gap therebetween when the fixing portion (14) is fixed to the base (2), wherein the fastening portion (14) is provided with an opening (16) arranged at a position corresponding to the opening portion (10), wherein the forwarding section (15) comprises a passage opening (18) with a larger area than the opening section (10) and the opening (16), and wherein a connector (19) which passes on at least some of the cable elements (12) is mounted, thereby closing a portion of the passage opening (18).

Description

The present invention relates to a robot.In the related art, for example, JP 2017-185 580 A discloses a robot including: a base installed on the floor; and a movable portion including a rotating drum supported to be rotatable about a vertical axis with respect to the base.In the robot according to JP 2017-185 580 A, the rotating drum is provided around the vertical axis with a hollow portion that connects a space inside the base to an internal space of the rotating drum. By guiding cable members introduced from the outside into the ground into the rotating drum through the hollow portion, it is possible to prevent a large load from being applied to the cable members when the rotating drum rotates with respect to the ground.DE 10 2017 205 541 A1 describes a linear object handling structure of a robot which enables simple switching of only a linear object for a peripheral device without having to remove a linear object for controlling a motor for operating a robot.Document DE 10 2014 004 567 A1 describes a robot having a plurality of lines with corresponding connecting sections which are connected at end sections to an external device, and at least one line distributor to which the connecting sections of the plurality of lines are connected.EP 3 208 050 A1 describes a multiaxial industrial robot in which the base structure is designed to allow the robot to be installed on an external support structure.The document EP 1 752 265 B1 describes a robot with a manipulator base which has a connection housing for the production of a cable connection to an external device.US 2013 / 0 047 771 A1 describes a robot having a first shaft housing, a second shaft housing rotatably connected to the first shaft housing, a drive, a cable assembly, a transmission mechanism and a cable feedthrough assembly.Document JP 2007-044 767 A describes a robot having a housing with a cable connection fastened to its base.In general, one possible method of achieving a compact configuration by reducing the overall height of a robot while achieving a large range of motion is to reduce the height of a base.However, among the cable members to be inserted into the base from the outside of the base, a cable member connecting the robot and a control device is passed via a connector on a distribution board member fixed to the base; thus, when the height of the base is decreased, there is a problem that it becomes impossible to obtain a space required for mounting the connector.An object of the present invention is to provide a robot with which it is possible to obtain a sufficient range of movement therefor and achieve size reduction by reducing its overall height while achieving a space required for mounting a connector.This object is achieved by a robot having the features of claim 1.An aspect of the present invention is a robot including: a base installed on the ground; and a movable portion including a rotating drum rotatably supported about a vertical axis with respect to the base, the base being provided with an opening portion through which cable members are inserted into the base from the outside, the base and the rotating drum being provided with a hollow portion at a position including the axis in which the cable members inserted into the base are guided into the rotating drum along the axis, the robot further including a distribution board member detachably attached to the base near the opening portion, the distribution board member being provided with an attachment portion attached to the base and a forwarding portion, which is disposed on the outside of the opening portion with a gap therebetween when the fixing portion is fixed to the base, wherein the fixing portion is provided with an opening disposed at a position coincident with the opening portion, and wherein the relay portion includes a passage hole having a larger area than the opening portion and the opening, and wherein a connector that relays at least some of the cable members is mounted, thereby closing a portion of the passage hole.In this aspect, the cable members that lead from the outside of the robot to the inside of the robot enter the opening portion of the base via the relay portion of the distribution board member that is fixed to the base via the fixing portion, and are guided into the rotating drum along the vertical axis, from the inside of the base through the hollow portion provided in the base and the rotating drum. Since the hollow portion is formed at the position including the axis, the cable members passing through the hollow portion are not subjected to a large load even when the rotating drum rotates with respect to the ground, whereby it is possible to keep the cable members in a permanent and solid state.In this case, some of the cable elements are routed via the connector at the routing section. Even if it is impossible to obtain, at the opening portion, a sufficient area for mounting the connector by reducing the height of the base, because the mounting area having a larger area than the opening portion is fixed to the relay portion disposed on the outside of the opening portion with a gap therebetween, it is possible to mount the connector to the relay portion. In this way, it is possible to obtain a sufficient range of movement for the robot and achieve a reduction in size by reducing the overall height of the robot while achieving a space required for mounting the connector.In the above aspect, the manifold panel member may be formed in a box shape; the opening may be formed on one surface of the manifold panel member and disposed at a position corresponding to the opening portion, and the fixing portion may be provided with one or more fixing holes for fixing the fixing portion, in the periphery of the opening, to the base; and the relay portion may be formed on another surface of the manifold panel member, the surface facing the above-mentioned one surface, and in a state where the fixing portion is fixed to the base, the through hole may be disposed in a state where the through hole extends in at least one of a vertical and a horizontal direction with respect to the opening portion.With this configuration, it is possible to fix the box-shaped distribution panel member to the base by aligning the opening of the fixing portion with the opening portion of the base and using the fixing holes provided in the periphery of the opening. By aligning the opening of the fixing portion with the opening portion of the base, it is possible to fix the distribution board member without reducing the area of the opening portion. In this state, the mounting area of the relay portion is arranged in a state in which the mounting area extends in at least one of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction with respect to the opening portion, whereby the area of the mounting area becomes larger than the area of the opening portion by an amount equal to the area of the expanded portion, whereby it is possible to obtain a space required for mounting the connector.In the above aspect, the distribution panel member may be provided with an inclined surface inclined in a direction in which the distribution panel member gradually expands from the attachment portion to the forwarding portion.With this configuration, the inclined surface enables the space requirement of the box-shaped distribution panel member to be minimized. In other words, since the distribution board member fixed to the base is disposed at a position near the rotating drum rotatably supported by the base, by providing the inclined surface inclined in a direction in which the distribution board member tapers from the forwarding portion toward the base, it is possible to reduce unnecessary protrusion and obtain a large distance from the rotating drum.In the above aspect, the distribution panel member may be formed in a rectangular box shape.With this configuration, it is possible to configure the distribution panel member easily.In the above aspect, a portion of the passage opening other than the closed portion may allow other cable members to pass therethrough without being passed.With this configuration, for example, in a case where cable members are to be guided to a tool attached to the distal end of the robot, and it is preferable that the cable members are guided without being routed to the tool, the cable members can be guided from the outside of the base through the through hole and the opening portion of the base and inserted directly into the base.In the above aspect, the base may be provided with a groove having a shape from which a portion of a peripheral edge of the opening portion is cut out, the peripheral edge being disposed in a direction in which the routing portion extends; the groove may be capable of receiving the cable members that are routed through the routing portion.With this configuration, by fixing the connector to the relay portion on the side widened with respect to the opening portion, it is possible to accommodate the cable members guided from the connector into the base in the groove and to obtain a large space for other cable members and wirings therefor.The present invention has an advantage that it is possible to obtain a sufficient range of movement for a robot and achieve a reduction in size by reducing its overall height while achieving a space required for mounting a connector. FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view showing a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a base and a distribution panel member of the robot in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the relationship between an opening portion provided in the base and the manifold panel member of the robot in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a groove formed on an inner surface of the base in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modification of the distribution board member of the robot in FIG. 2.Next, a robot 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.The robot 1 according to this embodiment is, for example, a 6-axis articulated robot, and as illustrated in FIG. 1, includes: a base 2 installed on the ground; and a movable portion 4 including a rotating drum 3 that rotates about a vertical axis (axis) with respect to the base 2.The base 2 is formed in a box shape provided with: a bottom surface 5 for installing the robot 1 on the floor; side walls 6 extending upward from the bottom surface 5 in the vertical direction; and a top plate 8 provided with a center hole 7 at a position including the vertical axis. The side wall 6 arranged in a direction corresponding to a rear surface of the robot 1 is provided with an opening portion 10 that passes through the base 2 and serves to guide cable members 9 into the base 2 from the outside.The rotating drum 3 is also provided with a through hole (not shown) passing therethrough in the vertical direction at a position corresponding to the center hole 7 of the top plate 8 of the base 2, and as shown in FIG. 2, the center hole 7 of the base 2 and the through hole of the rotating drum 3 form a hollow portion A connecting an inner space of the base 2 and an inner space of the rotating drum 3 in a region including the vertical axis.The cable members 9 inserted from the outside into the base 2 through the opening portion 10 rise through the hollow portion A in the vertical direction and are guided from the inside into the base 2 into the rotating drum 3. Since the hollow portion A is formed in a region having a rotational axis of the rotating drum 3 with respect to the base 2, the cable members 9 rising vertically through the hollow portion A are not subjected to a large load even when the rotating drum 3 rotates with respect to the base 2.As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, on a lower surface of the top plate 8 of the base 2, a groove 11 is provided which connects the opening portion 10 and the center hole 7. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the groove 11 is formed in a shape from which a portion of an upper edge of the opening portion 10 is cut out, and has a size capable of accommodating cable members 12 different from the cable members 9.As illustrated in FIG. 1, the robot 1 according to this embodiment is provided with a distribution panel member 13 detachably attached in the vicinity of the opening portion 10 of the base 2. The distribution panel member 13 is formed using sheet metal in a box shape.As illustrated in FIG. 2, the distribution board member 13 is provided with: a mounting surface (mounting portion) 14 fixed to the side wall 6 in which the opening portion 10 is formed; and a routing surface (routing portion) 15 disposed parallel to the mounting surface 14 with a space therebetween.As illustrated in FIG. 3, the mounting surface 14 is provided with: an opening 16 having substantially the same size and shape as the opening portion 10 of the base 2; and a plurality of mounting holes provided in the periphery of the opening 16. The distribution board member 13 is detachably fixed to the side wall 6 of the base 2 by aligning the fixing holes of the fixing surface 14 with tapped holes provided in the side wall 6 of the base 2 and by screwing screws 17 passing through the fixing holes into the tapped holes. In a state where the mounting surface 14 is fixed to the side wall 6 of the base 2, the opening 16 of the mounting surface 14 and the opening portion 10 of the base 2 substantially coincide with each other. In this configuration, the attachment surface 14 has a shape in which the attachment surface 14 does not substantially reduce the opening area of the opening portion 10 when attached to the side wall 6 of the floor 2.As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the routing surface 15 is provided with: an opening (mounting portion) 18; and a plurality of tapped holes provided in the periphery of the opening 18. Moreover, a board 20 to which a connector 19 is attached is attached at a position where a portion of the opening 18 of the relay surface 15 is closed. The opening (through hole) 18 except for the portion closed by the plate 20 is in an open state. By using the opening 18 in this open area, it is possible to guide the cable elements 9, which are not passed on via the connector 19, from the outside into the base 2.As illustrated in FIG. 3, the opening 18 of the transfer surface 15 has a shape in which the opening 18 expands upward in the vertical direction with respect to the opening 16 of the mounting surface 14. Moreover, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the attachment surface 14 and the routing surface 15 in the distribution board member 13 are connected via an inclined surface 21 rising from the attachment surface 14 to the routing surface 15.The operation of the robot 1 according to this embodiment thus configured will be described below.In the robot 1 according to this embodiment, the cable members 12 connecting a control device and the robot 1 are passed via the connector 19 attached to the board 20 of the passing surface 15. On the inside of the transfer surface 15, the cable members 12 connected to the connector 19 are guided to the central hole 7 of the tray 2 via the groove 11 formed by cutting out the upper edge of the opening portion 10 of the tray 2, then guided into the rotary drum 3 through the hollow portion A formed in the base 2 and the rotary drum 3, and connected to motors for respective shafts of the movable portion 4, the motors being disposed above the rotary drum 3.The one or more cable members 9 to be connected to a tool attached to the distal end of the robot 1 in a state where the cable members 9 are bundled in a flexible line pass through the open portion of the opening 18 of the routing surface 15 and are guided into the base 2 from the outside without being routed at the routing surface 15. Subsequently, the cable members 9 pass through the hollow portion A by being bent in the base 2 in the vertical direction, are guided into the rotating drum 3, and are connected to the tool at the distal end via the movable portion 4.As described above, since the cable members 9, 12 are guided from inside into the rotating drum 3 through the hollow portion A formed in the range of the vertical axis which is a rotational axis of the rotating drum 3, even when the rotating drum 3 rotates with respect to the base 2, moderate torque acts on the individual cable members 9, 12 with no large load applied. As a result, the cable elements 9, 12 are held in a permanent and trouble-free state.In a case where a cable member 12 is to be passed through the connector 19, the outer dimension of the connector 19 is larger than the outer dimension of the cross section of the cable member 12, that is, when the opening portion 10 for inserting the cable member 12 into the base 2 is reduced, the cable member 12 is allowed to pass through, but it becomes difficult to mount the connector 19 to the opening portion 10.In this embodiment, the box-shaped distribution board member 13 is fixed to the side wall 6 in which the opening portion 10 of the base 2 is provided, and the relay surface 15 including the opening 18 having a larger area than the opening 16 of the fixing surface 14 is provided on the outside of the fixing surface 14 fixed to the base 2; thus, even when the opening portion 10 of the side wall 6 of the base 2 is reduced, it is possible to obtain a space in which the connector 19 for relaying the cable members 12 can be mounted.In other words, although the area of the opening portion 10 becomes smaller as the height of the top plate 8 of the base 2 is reduced to reduce the overall height of the robot 1 by disposing, on the outside of the opening portion 10, the relay surface 15 that expands upward in the vertical direction with respect to the opening portion 10, it is possible to obtain a space in which the connector 19 for relaying the cable members 12 can be mounted. As a result, it is possible to achieve size reduction by reducing the overall height of the robot 1 without changing the movable range of the movable portion 4; and it is also possible to obtain a space in which the connector 19 that relays at least some of the cable members 12 can be mounted.In this embodiment, since the board 20 to which the connector 19 is attached is attached to the upper portion of the relay surface 15, it is possible to keep the lower portion of the relay surface 15 wide open. Thereby, there is an advantage that a large space can be obtained for the insertion of the cable members 9 that are not routed from the outside of the connector 19 into the base 2.Since the cable members 12 for driving the respective shafts of the robot 1 are accommodated in the groove 11 formed on the lower surface of the top plate 8 of the base 2, it is possible to reduce interference of the cable members 9 inserted into the base 2 from the outside without being passed through the connector 19. In other words, there are many cases where a user for a tool attaches the cable members 12 that are not passed through the connector 19, and since the cable members 9 required for driving the robot 1 do not interfere with this attachment, it is possible to facilitate the execution of the attachment. On the other hand, there is an advantage that the cable members 9 required for driving the robot 1 can be protected from the cable members 12 attached subsequently.In this embodiment, the distribution board member 13 protrudes beyond the top surface of the base 2 to form the opening 18 of the transfer surface 15 to be larger than the opening portion 10; however, the distribution board member 13 is provided with the inclined surface 21 rising from the mounting surface 14 toward the transfer surface 15, thereby reducing the amount of protrusion of the distribution board member 13 at the position near the rotating drum 3. In this way, it is possible to obtain a large space in the periphery of the rotating drum 3.Although a case where the distribution board member 13 has the inclined surface 21 between the attachment surface 14 and the transfer surface 15 has been exemplified in this embodiment, the inclined surface 21 does not need to be provided when the problem of interference or the like with the rotating drum 3 etc. does not occur. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the distribution board member 13 may be formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.In this way, it is possible to manufacture the distribution panel member 13 in a simpler shape.Although the opening 18 of the transfer surface 15 in the manifold board member 13 is provided in a shape in which the opening 18 expands vertically upward from the opening 16 of the mounting surface 14 in this embodiment, the shape is not limited thereto. The opening 18 may be widened leftward or rightward in the horizontal direction, or the opening 18 may be provided in a shape in which the opening 18 is widened both vertically upward and in the horizontal direction. As an alternative method of obtaining a space in which the connector 19 can be mounted, a method of expanding the width of the base 2 is not suitable because the bottom surface of the robot 1 needs to be expanded; however, by using the distribution board member 13, it is not necessary to expand the width of the base 2.Although a case where the mounting surface 14 and the relay surface 15 of the distribution board member 13 are parallel to each other has been exemplified in this embodiment, the mounting surface 14 and the relay surface 15 may be disposed at an angle to each other.The groove 11 provided on the lower surface of the upper plate 8 of the base 2 may not be provided when it is possible to obtain, in the opening portion 10, a space through which the passed cable members 12 pass.List of reference characters1 Robot 2 Base 3 Rotating drum 4 Moving portion 9, 12 Cable member 10 Opening portion 11 Groove 13 Distribution board member 14 Mounting surface (mounting portion) 15 Transfer surface (transfer portion) 16 Opening 18 Opening (mounting area, through hole) 19 Connector 21 Inclined surface A Hollow portion

Claims

A robot (1) comprising: a base (2) installed on the ground; and a movable portion (4) comprising a rotating drum (3) supported to be rotatable about a vertical axis with respect to the base (2), the base (2) being provided with an opening portion (10) through which cable members (9, 12) are introduced into the base (2) from outside, wherein the base (2) and the rotating drum (3) are provided, at a position including the axis, with a hollow portion (A) in which the cable members (9, 12) introduced into the base (2) are guided into the rotating drum (3) along the axis, wherein the robot (1) further comprises a distribution board member (13) detachably attached to the base (2) in the vicinity of the opening portion (10), wherein the distribution panel member (13) is provided with a fixing portion (14) fixed to the base (2) and a forwarding portion (15) disposed on the outside of the opening portion (10) with a gap therebetween when the fixing portion (14) is fixed to the base (2), wherein the fixing portion (14) is provided with an opening (16) disposed at a position corresponding to the opening portion (10), wherein the forwarding portion (15) comprises a through hole (18) having a larger area than the opening portion (10) and the opening (16), and wherein a connector (19) that forwards at least some of the cable members (12) is mounted, thereby closing a portion of the through hole (18).The robot (1) according to claim 1, wherein: the manifold panel member (13) is formed in a box shape; the opening (16) is formed on a surface of the manifold panel member (13) and is disposed at a position corresponding to the opening portion (10); the fixing portion (14) is provided with one or more fixing holes for fixing the fixing portion (14), in the periphery of the opening (16), to the base (2); and the relay portion (15) is formed on another surface of the distribution board member (13), the surface facing the aforementioned one surface, and in a state where the fixing portion (14) is fixed to the base (2), the through hole (18) is disposed in a state where the through hole (18) extends in at least one of a vertical and a horizontal direction with respect to the opening portion (10).The robot (1) according to claim 2, wherein the distribution panel member (13) is provided with an inclined surface (21) inclined in a direction in which the distribution panel member (13) gradually expands from the attachment portion (14) toward the forwarding portion (15).The robot (1) according to claim 2, wherein the distribution panel member (13) is formed in a rectangular box shape.The robot (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a portion of the passage opening (18) other than the closed portion allows other cable members (9) to pass therethrough without being passed.The robot (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: the base (2) is provided with a groove (11) having a shape from which a portion of a peripheral edge of the opening portion (10) is cut out, the peripheral edge being disposed in a direction in which the forwarding portion (15) expands; and the groove (11) is capable of accommodating the cable members (12) that are forwarded by the forwarding portion (15).

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