Electric tool and tool system including the same

Abstract

To provide an electric tool which enables reduction of a possibility that work is conducted at an improper attitude relative to a work object, and to provide a tool system including the electric tool.SOLUTION: An electric tool 10 includes a tool body, an output shaft, a tip tool, a detection part 111, a determination part 112, and a notification part 113. The tool body is held by a robot arm. The output shaft is rotatably supported by the tool body. The output shaft rotates according to rotation of a motor. The tip tool can be attached to the output shaft. The detection part 111 detects a direction of the output shaft in a state that the output shaft is moved to a work position by the robot arm being moved. The determination part 112 determines an inclined angle of a direction of the output shaft detected by the detection part 111 relative to a set direction at the work position. The notification part 113 notifies a determination result of the determination part 112.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power tool and a tool system including the same. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a power tool held by a robot arm and a tool system including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic hole punching device that includes an end effector for punching holes and an industrial robot having the end effector held on its arm. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 4-51315 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When teaching the industrial robot described in Patent Document 1, there is a method called direct teaching, in which an operator teaches the industrial robot by holding and moving the arm of the industrial robot with his / her hand. If the orientation of the end effector held by the arm of the industrial robot is tilted from the direction of drilling during the teaching operation, teaching may not be performed correctly. Also, if the orientation of the end effector is tilted from the direction of drilling during the teaching operation, the robot may be working in an inappropriate posture with respect to the work object.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a power tool that can reduce the possibility of performing work in an inappropriate posture relative to a work target, and a tool system including the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An electric power tool according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a tool body, an output shaft, a tool tip, a detection unit, a determination unit, and a notification unit. The tool body is held by a robot arm. The output shaft is rotatably supported by the tool body and rotates in response to rotation of a motor. The tool tip is attachable to the output shaft. The detection unit detects the orientation of the output shaft when the output shaft is moved to a work position by moving the robot arm. The determination unit determines the inclination angle of the orientation of the output shaft detected by the detection unit with respect to a set direction at the work position. The notification unit notifies the determination result of the determination unit.

[0007] A tool system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes the power tool and a robot having a multi-joint robot arm. The power tool is held by the robot arm.

[0008] An electric power tool according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a tool body, an output shaft, a tool tip, a detection unit, a determination unit, and a notification unit. The output shaft is rotatably supported by the tool body and rotates in response to rotation of a motor. The tool tip is attachable to the output shaft. The detection unit detects the orientation of the output shaft when the tool tip is located at a work position. The determination unit determines the inclination angle of the orientation of the output shaft detected by the detection unit with respect to a set direction at the work position. The notification unit notifies the user of the determination result of the determination unit. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a power tool that can reduce the possibility of performing work in an inappropriate posture relative to a work target, and a tool system including the power tool. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a tool system including a power tool according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of the robot to which the electric power tool is attached. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the tool system. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the attitude of the power tool when direct teaching is performed in the tool system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a side view showing an operating state of the tool system of the comparative example. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view showing the attitude of the power tool when direct teaching is performed in the tool system. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a side view showing the attitude of the power tool when direct teaching is performed in the tool system. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view showing a working posture using a power tool according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a side view showing a working posture when using the power tool. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, the power tools and tool systems according to the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the figures described in the following embodiments are schematic diagrams, and the dimensional ratios of the sizes of the components do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios. Furthermore, the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely examples of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as the effects of the present disclosure can be achieved.

[0012] (Embodiment 1) (1) Overview Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a tool system 100 including a power tool 10 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is an external perspective view showing an installation state of a robot 50 that holds the power tool 10.

[0013] The power tool 10 includes a tool body 21, an output shaft 22, a tool tip 23 (see FIG. 5), a detection unit 111, a determination unit 112, and a notification unit 113.

[0014] The tool body 21 is held by a robot arm 51 .

[0015] The output shaft 22 is rotatably supported by the tool body 21. The output shaft 22 rotates in response to the rotation of a motor M1 (see FIG. 4).

[0016] The tool tip 23 can be attached to the output shaft 22 .

[0017] The detector 111 detects the orientation of the output shaft 22 when the output shaft 22 is moved to a working position by the movement of the robot arm 51.

[0018] The determination unit 112 determines the inclination angle of the orientation of the output shaft 22 detected by the detection unit 111 with respect to the set direction at the work position.

[0019] The notification unit 113 notifies the determination result of the determination unit 112 .

[0020] Here, the working position is the position of the output shaft 22 in a state where the tip tool 23 attached to the output shaft 22 can perform work on the work target. The working position is not limited to the position of the output shaft 22 in a state where the tip tool 23 is in contact with the work target, and may include the position of the output shaft 22 in a state where the tip tool 23 can perform work by moving it slightly toward the work target. The state where the output shaft 22 is moved to the working position by moving the robot arm 51 is a state where the output shaft 22 is moved to the working position by moving the robot arm 51 by hand, for example, when performing a teaching operation on the robot 50 having the robot arm 51. Note that the direct teaching operation is performed in a state where the tip tool 23 is attached to the output shaft 22, but may be performed in a state where the tip tool 23 is not attached to the output shaft 22. In addition, the direction of the output shaft 22 refers to the direction along the axial direction of the output shaft 22, and the direction in which the tip of the output shaft 22 is facing. In addition, the teaching operation may be performed by remote operation such as coordinate specification by the operation unit 57.

[0021] In the power tool 10 of this embodiment, the detection unit 111 detects the orientation of the output shaft 22 in a state where the output shaft 22 is moved to a working position by moving the robot arm 51, and the determination unit 112 determines the inclination angle of the orientation of the output shaft 22 with respect to the set direction. Then, the notification unit 113 performs processing to notify the determination result of the determination unit 112, so that it is possible to reduce the possibility that the output shaft 22 of the power tool 10 held by the robot arm 51 will deviate from the set direction when performing a teaching operation. Therefore, it is possible to provide a power tool 10 that can reduce the possibility that an inappropriate posture is taught to the robot 50 during a teaching operation and reduce the possibility that work is performed in an inappropriate posture with respect to a work target.

[0022] The tool system 100 also includes the power tool 10 and a robot 50 having a multi-joint type robot arm 51, and the power tool 10 is held by the robot arm 51.

[0023] Since the tool system 100 includes the above-mentioned power tool 10, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the output shaft 22 of the power tool 10 held by the robot arm 51 will deviate from the set direction when teaching the robot 50. Therefore, it is possible to provide the tool system 100 that can reduce the possibility that the work is performed in an inappropriate posture relative to the work target.

[0024] (2) Details Hereinafter, the power tool 10 and the tool system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0025] (2.1) Structure As described above, the tool system 100 includes the power tool 10 and the robot 50. The tool system 100 of the present embodiment further includes a receiver 30, a centralized management unit 40, and a control device 60.

[0026] Here, the robot 50 is, for example, an industrial robot installed in a factory. The power tool 10 is held by a robot arm 51 of the robot 50. The power tool 10 is, for example, a tool that performs a tightening operation to tighten a fastening member such as a bolt on a work object. Since the power tool 10 is held by the multi-joint type robot arm 51, the tightening operation can be performed on the work object from any direction.

[0027] The power tool 10, the robot 50, the receiver 30, the centralized control unit 40, and the control device 60 included in the tool system 100 will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0028] (2.1.1) Robots The robot 50 is, for example, an industrial robot that performs a fastening operation of fastening a fastening member such as a bolt to a workpiece W1 that is a work target (see FIG. 2).

[0029] As shown in Fig. 2, the robot 50 is installed on a workbench 500, and performs a fastening operation on a workpiece W1 placed on the upper surface of the workbench 500. The robot 50 has a multi-joint robot arm 51. The robot arm 51 has, for example, six degrees of freedom. The robot arm 51 has six arms 511 to 516, which are rotatably connected via joints. A motor is incorporated in the joints, and the arms 511 to 516 are configured to rotate individually by rotating the motor.

[0030] 1, the robot 50 includes a control unit 52, a communication unit 53, a posture detection unit 54, a load detection unit 55, and an arm driving unit 56. The robot 50 also includes an operation unit 57.

[0031] The control unit 52 mainly comprises a computer system having one or more processors and a memory. The functions of the control unit 52 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

[0032] The communication unit 53 is capable of communicating with the second communication unit 16 of the power tool 10 in a wired communication manner or a wireless communication manner.

[0033] The attitude detection unit 54 includes, for example, a plurality of rotary encoders that detect the rotation angles of the arms 511 to 516 of the robot arm 51, and a plurality of angular velocity sensors that detect the angular velocities of the arms 511 to 516. The attitude detection unit 54 detects the position, orientation, etc. of the arm 516 at the tip based on the detection results of the plurality of rotary encoders and the detection results of the plurality of angular velocity sensors, for example.

[0034] Load detection unit 55 includes, for example, a force sensor attached to tip arm 516 and detects the magnitude of the load applied to tip arm 516 or the impact force applied to tip arm 516 .

[0035] The arm driving unit 56 includes a plurality of motors for rotating the arms 511 to 516, respectively, and a plurality of driver circuits for driving the plurality of motors, respectively. The arm driving unit 56 rotates the plurality of motors based on a control command input from the control unit 52, thereby moving the arm 516 at the tip to a position specified by the control command.

[0036] The operation unit 57 includes an interface device such as an operation button or a touch panel provided on the robot 50. The operation unit 57 receives operation information input by a user and outputs it to the control unit 52.

[0037] (2.1.2) Control equipment The control device 60 controls the operation of the robot 50. The control device 60 is installed, for example, in a factory where the robot 50 to be controlled is installed.

[0038] The control device 60 includes a control unit 61, a communication unit 62, and a storage unit 63.

[0039] The communication unit 62 is capable of communicating with the communication unit 53 of the robot 50 and the communication unit 42 of the centralized control unit 40 via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0040] The storage unit 63 stores a work position where the robot 50 works on a work target, and posture information related to the posture of the robot arm 51 at the work position, etc. The posture information related to the posture of the robot arm 51 includes, for example, information such as the position and orientation of the arm 516 to which the power tool 10 is attached. When there are multiple work positions for the workpiece on which the robot 50 works, the storage unit 63 stores posture information related to the posture of the robot arm 51 at each of the multiple work positions. When the robot 50 works on multiple types of workpieces W1, posture information related to the posture of the robot arm 51 may be stored for each of the multiple types of workpieces W1.

[0041] The control unit 61 controls the operation of the robot 50 to cause the power tool 10 held by the robot 50 to perform a task on a work object. Based on the task position and the posture information of the robot arm 51 at the task position stored in the memory unit 63, the control unit 61 moves the power tool 10 to the task position and causes the power tool 10 to perform a task on a work object.

[0042] (2.1.3) Power tools The power tool 10 includes a processing unit 11, an inclination sensor 12, a torque sensor 13, a tool driving unit 14, a first communication unit 15, a second communication unit 16, an alarm unit 17, and a power supply unit 18, and the tool driving unit 14 includes a motor M1.

[0043] The electric power tool 10 includes a tool body 21 that houses a processing unit 11, an inclination sensor 12, a torque sensor 13, a tool driving unit 14, a first communication unit 15, a second communication unit 16, an alarm unit 17, and a power supply unit 18. The tool body 21 is formed in a long and narrow rectangular tube shape. The tool body 21 is attached to an arm 516 at the tip of a robot arm 51 of a robot 50. An output shaft 22 protrudes from one end face in the longitudinal direction of the tool body 21. The output shaft 22 is held in a rotatable state relative to the tool body 21.

[0044] The first communication unit 15 is capable of communicating with a first communication unit 32 of the receiver 30 via wireless communication.

[0045] The second communication unit 16 is capable of communicating with the communication unit 53 of the robot 50 via a wired communication method or a wireless communication method.

[0046] The processing unit 11 mainly comprises a computer system having one or more processors and a memory. The functions of the processing unit 11 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

[0047] The processing unit 11 has the functions of the above-mentioned detection unit 111, determination unit 112, and notification unit 113. The processing unit 11 further has the functions of a torque calculation unit 114 and a tool control unit 115. Note that the detection unit 111, the determination unit 112, the notification unit 113, the torque calculation unit 114, and the tool control unit 115 merely indicate functions realized by the processing unit 11, and do not necessarily indicate actual configurations.

[0048] The tilt sensor 12 includes, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor housed inside the tool body 21. The tilt sensor 12 detects the gravitational acceleration acting on the tool body 21, thereby being able to detect the tilt angle of the tool body 21 with respect to the direction of gravity.

[0049] For example, the detection unit 111 detects the orientation of the output shaft 22 based on the detection result of the tilt sensor 12 in a state in which the output shaft 22 is moved to a working position by moving the robot arm 51 .

[0050] The determination unit 112 compares the orientation of the output shaft 22 detected by the detection unit 111 with the set direction of the output shaft 22 at the work position to obtain an inclination angle θ1 with respect to the set direction of the orientation of the output shaft 22, and determines whether or not the magnitude of the inclination angle θ1 is equal to or smaller than the allowable angle. That is, the determination unit 112 determines whether or not the magnitude of the inclination angle θ1 is equal to or smaller than the allowable angle. The allowable angle is, for example, a value (e.g., 3 degrees) that can be regarded as an error, but the value of the allowable angle can be changed as appropriate.

[0051] The notification unit 113 performs a process of notifying the determination result of the determination unit 112. The notification unit 113 outputs an alarm command according to the determination result of the determination unit 112 to the alarm unit 17, and causes the alarm unit 17 to perform an alarm operation.

[0052] The alarm unit 17 performs an alarm operation by sound or light in response to an alarm command from the notification unit 113. The alarm unit 17 includes, for example, a buzzer 171 housed inside the tool body 21 and an indicator light 172 arranged in a visible state on the surface of the tool body 21. The indicator light 172 includes, for example, an LED capable of emitting two colors, red and green. The notification unit 113 changes the manner of the sound emitted by the buzzer 171 and the light color of the indicator light 172 depending on, for example, whether the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1 is equal to or smaller than the allowable angle or whether the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1 exceeds the allowable angle.

[0053] For example, when the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1 is equal to or less than the allowable angle, the notification unit 113 shortens the time interval at which the buzzer 171 continuously emits a sound, compared to when the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1 exceeds the allowable angle. Here, the notification unit 113 may stepwise shorten the time interval at which the buzzer 171 emits a sound as the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1 increases, and the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1 can be determined from the time interval of the sound emitted by the buzzer 171. In this way, in this embodiment, the notification unit 113 notifies the determination result of the determination unit 112 by sound, and the operator can grasp the determination result of the determination unit 112 by hearing. In addition, the notification unit 113 changes the mode of the sound to be output according to the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1, and the operator can grasp the magnitude of the tilt angle from the mode of the sound. Note that the mode of the sound to be output is, for example, the time interval of the sound generated continuously, but may also be the tone or volume of the sound.

[0054] Further, the notification unit 113, for example, lights the indicator light 172 in green when the tilt angle θ1 is equal to or smaller than the allowable angle, and lights the indicator light 172 in red when the tilt angle θ1 exceeds the allowable angle. In this way, the notification unit 113 notifies the determination result of the determination unit 112 with light, and the operator can visually grasp the determination result of the determination unit 112. Note that the notification unit 113 may change the manner of the light output according to the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1. For example, the notification unit 113 may change the time interval at which the indicator light 172 blinks according to the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1, and may shorten the time interval at which the indicator light 172 blinks when the tilt angle θ1 exceeds the allowable angle compared to when the tilt angle θ1 is equal to or smaller than the allowable angle. Note that the notification unit 113 may gradually shorten the time interval at which the indicator light 172 blinks as the tilt angle θ1 increases, and the operator can determine the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1 from the time interval at which the indicator light 172 blinks.

[0055] The torque sensor 13 detects the torque applied to the output shaft 22, for example, when the power tool 10 is used to perform a tightening operation on a tightening member.

[0056] The torque calculation unit 114 calculates the fastening torque of the fastening member by the tool bit 23 based on the detection result of the torque sensor 13.

[0057] Based on the calculation result of the fastening torque by the torque calculation unit 114, the tool control unit 115 generates a control command to control the rotation of the motor M1 so that the fastening torque of the fastening member becomes a set torque, and outputs the generated control command to the tool driving unit 14.

[0058] The tool driving unit 14 includes a motor M1 (see FIG. 4) housed in the tool body 21, a driving circuit for driving the motor M1, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotational force of the motor M1 to the output shaft 22. The tool driving unit 14 rotates the motor M1 in response to a control command from the tool control unit 115, thereby rotating the tool tip 23 attached to the output shaft 22.

[0059] The power supply unit 18 receives power from an external power supply 90 such as a commercial AC power supply, and generates an operating voltage for the power tool 10 .

[0060] (2.1.4) Receiver The receiver 30 is installed in a location where wireless communication with the first communication unit 15 of the power tool 10 is possible. The receiver 30 has a function of relaying communication between the power tool 10 and the centralized control unit 40.

[0061] The receiver 30 includes a control unit 31, a first communication unit 32, and a second communication unit 33.

[0062] The first communication unit 32 is capable of communicating with the first communication unit 15 of the power tool 10 via wireless communication.

[0063] The second communication unit 33 is capable of communicating with the communication unit 42 of the centralized control unit 40 via a network NT such as the Internet or a LAN.

[0064] The control unit 31 mainly comprises a computer system having one or more processors and a memory. The functions of the control unit 31 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

[0065] When the first communication unit 32 receives a signal from the power tool 10, the control unit 31 causes the second communication unit 33 to transmit the signal from the power tool 10 to the centralized management unit 40. When the second communication unit 33 receives a signal from the centralized management unit 40, the control unit 31 causes the first communication unit 32 to transmit the signal from the centralized management unit 40 to the power tool 10.

[0066] (2.1.5) Centralized management department The centralized management unit 40 manages the power tool 10. Here, the management of the power tool 10 includes at least one of managing the work content of the work using the power tool 10 and managing the operating state of the power tool 10. The management of the work content includes at least one of setting a tightening torque setting value for the power tool 10 and acquiring work result information related to the work result of the work performed by the power tool 10 on the work target (e.g., the actual tightening torque value, the number of rotations during the tightening work, etc.). The management of the operating state of the power tool 10 includes at least one of measuring the operating time of the power tool 10, notifying the power tool 10 of the time for maintenance, and accumulating an error signal output by the power tool 10 to notify of an abnormality.

[0067] The centralized management unit 40 includes a control unit 41 , a communication unit 42 , and a storage unit 43 .

[0068] The communication unit 42 is configured to be able to communicate with the second communication unit 33 of the receiver 30 and the communication unit 62 of the control device 60 by wired communication or wireless communication.

[0069] The storage unit 43 includes an internal memory such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM) or an electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and an external storage device such as a hard disk drive or an SSD. The storage unit 43 stores setting information such as a setting value of the fastening torque to be set in the power tool 10, work result information obtained from the power tool 10, error signals obtained from the power tool 10, and the like.

[0070] The control unit 41 mainly comprises a computer system having one or more processors and a memory. The functions of the control unit 41 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

[0071] The control unit 41 causes the communication unit 42 to transmit the setting information stored in the storage unit 43 to the power tool 10 via the receiver 30, and sets the setting information in the power tool 10. In addition, when the communication unit 42 receives work result information from the power tool 10, the control unit 41 causes the storage unit 43 to store the work result information received by the communication unit 42.

[0072] (2.2) Operation Description The operation of the tool system 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 7 and the like. The sequence diagram of Fig. 3 shows an operation in which an operator OP1 of the tool system 100 teaches the robot 50 to perform a fastening operation for fastening a fastening member, and then causes the robot 50 to perform the fastening operation. Note that the operation of the tool system 100 shown in the sequence diagram of Fig. 3 is an example, and the order of the processes may be changed as appropriate, and processes may be added or omitted as appropriate. Also, although the illustration of the tip tool 23 is omitted in Figs. 2, 4, 6, and 7, the operator OP1 teaches the robot 50 with the tip tool 23 attached to the output shaft 22. Note that the operator OP1 may teach the robot 50 with the tip tool 23 not attached to the output shaft 22.

[0073] First, the operator OP1 operates the operation unit 57 provided on the robot 50 to input a start command to start the power tool 10 attached to the robot 50 (step ST1). When the start command is input from the operation unit 57, the control unit 52 executes a start process (step ST2) and transmits the start command from the communication unit 53 to the power tool 10 (step ST3).

[0074] When the second communication unit 16 of the power tool 10 receives the start command from the robot 50, the processing unit 11 performs a start process in response to the start command (step ST4). When the start process is completed, the processing unit 11 causes the first communication unit 15 to transmit a start notification signal indicating the completion of the start to the centralized control unit 40 via the receiver 30 (step ST5).

[0075] When the communication unit 42 of the centralized management unit 40 receives the start-up notification signal via the receiver 30, the control unit 41 causes the communication unit 42 to transmit a reception completion signal, notifying the power tool 10 that reception of the start-up notification signal has been completed, via the receiver 30 (step ST6).

[0076] Thereafter, when the operator OP1 operates the operating unit 57 provided on the robot 50 to instruct the start of the teaching work (step ST7), the control unit 52 of the robot 50 changes the operation mode of the robot 50 to the teaching mode (step ST8), stops the arm driving unit 56, and makes the robot arm 51 available for operation by hand by the operator OP1.

[0077] Also, when the operator OP1 operates the operation unit 57 to input a mode switching instruction to switch the operation mode of the power tool 10 to the attitude notification mode (step ST9), the control unit 52 causes the communication unit 53 to transmit a mode switching instruction to the attitude notification mode to the power tool 10. When the second communication unit 16 of the power tool 10 receives a mode switching instruction to the attitude notification mode from the robot 50, the processing unit 11 switches the operation mode to the attitude notification mode (step ST10). Here, the processing unit 11 switches to either the attitude notification mode in which the notification unit 113 performs notification or the non-notification mode in which the notification by the notification unit 113 is stopped based on a switching signal input from the outside, and can switch to the non-notification mode when notification by the notification unit 113 is not required. Note that the switching signal input from the outside is, for example, a mode switching instruction input by the operator OP1 using the operation unit 57, but the switching signal may be a signal input from the robot 50 or the centralized management unit 40.

[0078] Next, the processing unit 11 causes the first communication unit 15 to transmit a transmission request requesting transmission of the set direction of the output shaft 22 to the receiver 30, and this transmission request is transmitted from the receiver 30 to the centralized management unit 40 (step ST11). When the communication unit 42 of the centralized management unit 40 receives the transmission request from the power tool 10, the control unit 41 causes the communication unit 42 to transmit setting information regarding the set direction at the work position to the receiver 30, and this setting information is transmitted from the receiver 30 to the power tool 10 (step ST12).

[0079] When the processing unit 11 of the power tool 10 switches the operation mode to the attitude notification mode, for example, the processing unit 11 outputs a notification command for notifying that the operation mode has been switched to the attitude notification mode from the notification unit 113 to the notification unit 17. The notification unit 17 notifies that the operation mode has been switched to the attitude notification mode by, for example, making the buzzer 171 output a sound corresponding to the notification command or by making the indicator light 172 blink in a blinking pattern corresponding to the notification command.

[0080] When the operator OP1 confirms that the power tool 10 has switched to the attitude notification mode, he or she moves the output shaft 22 of the power tool 10 attached to the arm 516 to a working position by manually moving the robot arm 51, thereby performing a teaching operation to teach the robot 50 about the working position (step ST13). In the attitude notification mode, the detection unit 111 of the power tool 10 detects the orientation of the output shaft 22. Then, the determination unit 112 obtains the inclination angle θ1 of the orientation of the output shaft 22 detected by the detection unit 111 with respect to the set direction, and determines whether or not the magnitude of the inclination angle θ1 is equal to or smaller than the allowable angle. Then, the notification unit 113 performs a notification process to notify the determination result of the determination unit 112.

[0081] 4 and 6 show a state in which a work position P1 for performing a fastening operation to fasten a fastening member B1 to a workpiece W1 is being taught to the robot 50. The set direction DR1 at this work position P1 is vertically downward. Fig. 4 shows a state in which the inclination angle θ1 of the direction DR2, which is the direction of the output shaft 22, with respect to the set direction DR1 exceeds the allowable angle, and Fig. 6 shows a state in which the direction DR2, which is the direction of the output shaft 22, coincides with the set direction DR1, that is, the inclination angle θ1 is zero.

[0082] The detection unit 111 detects the direction DR2, which is the orientation of the output shaft 22, based on the detection result of the tilt sensor 12, and the determination unit 112 determines the tilt angle θ1 of the direction DR2 of the output shaft 22 with respect to the set direction DR1. The determination unit 112 determines, for example, whether or not the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1 is equal to or smaller than an allowable angle (e.g., 3 degrees), and the notification unit 113 outputs an alert command to the notification unit 17 according to the determination result of the determination unit 112.

[0083] When the determination unit 112 determines that the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1 exceeds the allowable angle, the notification unit 113 outputs a notification command to the notification unit 17 to notify that the posture of the power tool 10 is poor. At this time, the buzzer 171 sounds continuously, for example, with a period T1, and the indicator light 172 lights up, for example, in red.

[0084] On the other hand, when the determination unit 112 determines that the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1 is equal to or smaller than the allowable angle, the notification unit 113 outputs a notification command to the notification unit 17 to notify that the posture of the power tool 10 is good. At this time, the buzzer 171 sounds continuously with a period T2 longer than the period T1, and the indicator light 172 lights up in green, for example.

[0085] Based on the buzzer sound emitted by the buzzer 171 and the light color of the indicator light 172, the operator OP1 can determine whether the posture of the power tool 10 at the working position P1 is good or bad, and can adjust the orientation of the arm 516 of the robot arm 51 so that the posture of the power tool 10 is determined to be good.

[0086] If the posture of the power tool 10 when the robot 50 is taught the work position P1 is not good, when the robot 50 actually works at the work position P1, the work is performed in a state where the inclination angle θ1 of the direction DR2 of the output shaft 22 with respect to the set direction DR1 exceeds the allowable angle (see FIG. 5). In the example of FIG. 5, a holder 24 is attached to the output shaft 22 of the power tool 10, and a tip tool 23 such as a socket is attached to the holder 24 via a coil spring 25. If the inclination angle θ1 of the direction DR2 of the output shaft 22 with respect to the set direction DR1 exceeds the allowable angle, when the robot arm 51 tries to move the power tool 10 upward after performing the tightening work on the tightening member B1, the tip tool 23 gets caught on the tightening member B1, generating an excessive reaction force, and the robot 50 may detect the excessive reaction force and stop.

[0087] In the tool system 100 of this embodiment, the orientation of the power tool 10 can be adjusted so that the inclination angle θ1 of the direction DR2 of the output shaft 22 relative to the set direction DR1 is equal to or smaller than the allowable angle at the work position P1. Therefore, after performing the fastening work on the fastening member B1, the robot arm 51 moves the power tool 10 upward, so that the tool tip 23 can be smoothly removed from the fastening member B1. This reduces the possibility that the robot 50 will stop due to the generation of an excessive reaction force when removing the tool tip 23 from the fastening member B1.

[0088] When the determination unit 112 determines that the magnitude of the tilt angle θ1 has become equal to or smaller than the allowable angle as a result of the operator OP1 manually moving the robot arm 51 at the work position P1, the operator OP1 operates the operation unit 57 to input that the teaching work at this work position P1 has been completed. As a result, notification information notifying that the teaching work at the work position P1 has been completed is input from the operation unit 57 to the control unit 52 (step ST14), and the control unit 52 outputs posture information indicating the posture of the robot arm 51 at this time (for example, information on the position and orientation of the arm 516) from the communication unit 53 to the control device 60 and the power tool 10 (step ST15).

[0089] When the communication unit 62 of the control device 60 receives posture information of the robot arm 51 at the work position P1 from the robot 50, the control unit 61 stores the received posture information in the memory unit 63. As a result, when the robot 50 performs work on a work object at the work position P1, the control device 60 controls the posture of the robot arm 51 at the work position based on the posture information stored in the memory unit 63, so that the robot 50 can perform work on the work object in an appropriate posture.

[0090] When the second communication unit 16 of the power tool 10 receives the posture information, the processing unit 11 transmits the posture information from the first communication unit 15 to the centralized management unit 40 via the receiver 30 (step ST16). When the communication unit 42 of the centralized management unit 40 receives the posture information from the power tool 10, the control unit 41 stores the received posture information in the memory unit 43 in association with the information of the work position P1 (step ST17). Since the posture information at the work position P1 is stored in the memory unit 43 of the centralized management unit 40, when the robot 50 performs work on a work target at the work position P1, the orientation of the output shaft 22 of the power tool 10 detected by the detection unit 111 is compared with the posture information at the work position P1 stored in the memory unit 43, so that it is possible to determine whether the posture of the power tool 10 when performing actual work is good or bad.

[0091] Here, when the operator OP1 performs a teaching operation at another work position, the operator OP1 uses the operation unit 57 to instruct the start of the teaching operation at the other work position. When the instruction to start the teaching operation at the other work position is input, the control unit 52 of the robot 50 outputs a start notification notifying the start of the teaching operation at the other work position from the communication unit 53 to the power tool 10. When the processing unit 11 of the power tool 10 receives the start notification via the second communication unit 16, it acquires the set direction of the output shaft 22 at the other work position from the centralized management unit 40 (the processing of steps ST11 and ST12 described above).

[0092] Then, when the operator OP1 manually moves the robot arm 51 to another work position and adjusts the orientation of the output shaft 22 of the power tool 10, the detection unit 111 detects the orientation of the output shaft 22, the determination unit 112 determines the inclination angle θ1 of the orientation of the output shaft 22 with respect to the set direction, and the notification unit 113 notifies the determination result. Based on the notification operation of the notification unit 17, the operator OP1 adjusts the orientation of the power tool 10 so that the magnitude of the inclination angle θ1 is equal to or smaller than the allowable angle even at the other work position (the processing of step ST13 described above).

[0093] When the teaching work at the other work position is completed, the operator OP1 operates the operation unit 57 to input that the teaching work at the other work position is completed. As a result, notification information notifying that the teaching work at the other work position is completed is input from the operation unit 57 to the control unit 52, and the control unit 52 outputs posture information indicating the posture of the robot arm 51 at this time from the communication unit 53 to the control device 60 and the power tool 10. When the communication unit 62 of the control device 60 receives the posture information of the robot arm 51 at the other work position from the robot 50, the control unit 61 stores the received posture information in the storage unit 63. In addition, when the second communication unit 16 of the power tool 10 receives the posture information, the processing unit 11 causes the first communication unit 15 to transmit the posture information to the centralized management unit 40 via the receiver 30, and the control unit 41 of the centralized management unit 40 stores the received posture information in the storage unit 43 in association with the information on the work position.

[0094] Then, when the teaching work at all the work positions is completed, the operator OP1 operates the operation unit 57 to input the fact that the teaching work at all the work positions is completed. As a result, notification information notifying that teaching at all the work positions is completed is input from the operation unit 57 to the control unit 52 (step ST18), and the control unit 52 ends the teaching mode (step ST19).

[0095] Next, when the operator operates the operation unit 57 to input an end of the attitude notification mode, operation information instructing the end of the attitude notification mode is input from the operation unit 57 to the control unit 52 (step ST20). When the operation information instructing the end of the attitude notification mode is input from the operation unit 57, the control unit 52 transmits an end command instructing the end of the attitude notification mode from the communication unit 53 to the power tool 10 (step ST21). When the second communication unit 16 of the power tool 10 receives the end command from the robot 50, the processing unit 11 switches from the attitude notification mode to the non-notification mode (step ST22), and the process in which the notifying unit 113 notifies the determination result of the determining unit 112 is ended.

[0096] When the teaching mode is ended and a task is to be performed on a work object at one or more work positions, the operator OP1 operates the operation unit 57 to input task information related to a task to be performed by the robot 50 (step ST23). When the task information is input from the operation unit 57 to the control unit 52 of the robot 50, the task information related to the task to be performed is set in the memory (step ST24).

[0097] Thereafter, when the operator operates the operation unit 57 to input an execution command instructing execution of the task, the operation unit 57 inputs the execution command of the task to the control unit 52 of the robot 50 (step ST25). The control unit 52 controls the robot arm 51 based on the execution command of the task to move the output shaft 22 of the power tool 10 to a work position (step ST26), and then causes the communication unit 53 to transmit a work command instructing the power tool 10 to perform a fastening operation (step ST27). When the second communication unit 16 of the power tool 10 receives the work command from the robot 50, the tool control unit 115 controls the tool driving unit 14 based on the work command to perform the fastening operation of the work object (step ST28). When the power tool 10 performs the fastening operation of the work object, the torque calculation unit 114 calculates the fastening torque, and the detection unit 111 detects the posture information of the power tool 10 during the fastening operation. Then, the processing unit 11 causes the first communication unit 15 to transmit the tightening torque calculation result and the posture information to the centralized management unit 40 via the receiver 30 (step ST29). When the communication unit 42 of the centralized management unit 40 receives the tightening torque calculation result and the posture information from the power tool 10 via the receiver 30, the control unit 41 stores the received tightening torque calculation result and posture information in the memory unit 43 (step S30) and can manage the history of work performed by the robot 50 equipped with the power tool 10.

[0098] (3) Modifications The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design and the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved.

[0099] Modifications of the above embodiment are listed below. The modifications described below can be combined as appropriate and applied. Hereinafter, the above embodiment may also be referred to as a basic configuration.

[0100] The subject of the operation of the power tool 10 and the tool system 100 in the present disclosure includes a computer system. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The processor executes a program recorded in the memory of the computer system, thereby realizing the function of the subject of the operation of the power tool 10 and the tool system 100 in the present disclosure (for example, the processing unit 11 or the control unit 52). The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through an electric communication line, or may be recorded and provided in a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive that can be read by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits such as IC or LSI are called by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the manufacture of an LSI, or a logic device that allows reconfiguration of the connection relationship within the LSI or reconfiguration of the circuit partition within the LSI, can also be employed as a processor. The electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip, or may be distributed among multiple chips. The chips may be integrated into one device, or may be distributed among multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Thus, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0101] Furthermore, it is not essential for the power tool 10 and the tool system 100 that multiple functions of the power tool 10 and the tool system 100 are concentrated in one housing, and at least one of the components of the power tool 10 and the tool system 100 may be distributed across multiple housings. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the power tool 10 and the tool system 100, for example, the function of the determination unit 112, may be realized by cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

[0102] The robot 50 is provided with a robot arm 51 having six degrees of freedom, but it is sufficient that the robot arm 51 is a multi-joint type having two or more joints.

[0103] One power tool 10 is attached to one robot 50, but multiple power tools 10 may be attached to one robot 50, in which case teaching work can be performed for each of the multiple power tools 10.

[0104] In the example of Figure 1, the tip tool 23 is a tool that performs fastening work by fastening a fastening member, but the type of tip tool 23 can be changed as appropriate, and the tip tool 23 may be a drill for performing hole drilling, etc.

[0105] In the example of FIG. 1, the tool system 100 has only one robot 50 with one power tool 10 attached thereto, but the tool system 100 may have multiple robots 50 with one or more power tools 10 each attached thereto.

[0106] In the above embodiment, the set direction DR1 of the orientation of the output shaft 22 at the work position is vertically downward, but the set direction DR1 can be changed as appropriate depending on the work at the work position. The set direction DR1 may be vertically upward, may be a direction along the horizontal direction, or may be diagonally upward at 45 degrees, and can be set in any direction. Fig. 7 shows a case where the tightening work of the tightening member B2 is performed at a work position P2 where the normal direction of the surface of the workpiece W1 is inclined at 45 degrees from the vertically downward direction, and in this case, the set direction DR1 of the orientation of the output shaft 22 is inclined at 45 degrees from the vertically upward direction.

[0107] In the determination of the tilt angle θ1 by the determination unit 112 of the power tool 10, "less than" may be "less than." In other words, whether or not the comparison of two values ​​includes a case where the two values ​​are equal can be arbitrarily changed depending on the setting of the reference value, etc., so there is no technical difference between "less than" and "less than." Similarly, "exceeding" may be "greater than or equal to."

[0108] In the power tool 10 of the first embodiment, the notification unit 113 notifies the determination result of the determination unit 112 by both sound and light, but the notification may be by either sound or light. The notification unit 113 may also notify the determination result of the determination unit 112 to an external device (for example, a mobile terminal or a wearable terminal carried by the operator, or the centralized management unit 40, etc.).

[0109] (Embodiment 2) A power tool 10A according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0110] The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the power tool 10A is a portable tool that can be held by the operator when used.

[0111] The electric power tool 10A of the second embodiment includes a tool body 21A, an output shaft 22, a tool tip 23, a detection unit 111, a determination unit 112, and a notification unit 113. The output shaft 22 is rotatably supported by the tool body 21A and rotates in response to the rotation of the motor M1. The tool tip 23 can be attached to the output shaft 22. The detection unit 111 detects the orientation of the output shaft 22 when the tool tip 23 is located at the working position. The determination unit 112 determines the inclination angle of the orientation of the output shaft 22 detected by the detection unit 111 with respect to the set direction at the working position. The notification unit 113 notifies the determination result of the determination unit 112.

[0112] The power tool 10A of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the tool body 21A is formed to a portable size and operates using a battery as a power source. In the power tool 10A of the second embodiment, components common to the power tool 10 described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

[0113] The tool body 21A of the power tool 10A has a cylindrical tubular portion 26 that houses the motor M1 and the like, a grip portion 27 that protrudes radially from the circumferential surface of the tubular portion 26, and an attachment portion 28 provided at the tip of the grip portion 27. A battery pack 29 equipped with a secondary battery is detachably attached to the attachment portion 28. The power tool 10A operates using power supplied from the battery pack 29.

[0114] A case will be described where an operator uses the power tool 10A to perform a fastening operation in which the fastening member B3 is fastened to the workpiece W2.

[0115] The power tool 10A acquires the set direction DR1 of the output shaft 22 when performing the tightening operation of the fastening member B3 from, for example, the centralized management unit 40. When performing the tightening operation of the fastening member B3, the detection unit 111 detects the orientation DR2 of the output shaft 22, and the determination unit 112 determines the inclination angle θ1 of the orientation DR2 of the output shaft 22 detected by the detection unit 111 with respect to the set direction DR1. In the example of Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the set direction DR1 when performing the tightening operation of the fastening member B3 is set to be vertically downward.

[0116] The determination unit 112 determines whether the magnitude of the inclination angle θ1 of the direction DR2 of the output shaft 22 detected by the detection unit 111 with respect to the set direction DR1 is equal to or smaller than an allowable angle (e.g., 3 degrees). FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a case where the magnitude of the inclination angle θ1 exceeds the allowable angle, and FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a case where the magnitude of the inclination angle θ1 is equal to or smaller than the allowable angle. If the determination unit 112 determines that the magnitude of the inclination angle θ1 is equal to or smaller than the allowable angle, the notification unit 113 notifies the user that the attitude of the power tool 10 is good. On the other hand, if the determination unit 112 determines that the magnitude of the inclination angle θ1 exceeds the allowable angle, the notification unit 113 notifies the user that the attitude of the power tool 10 is bad.

[0117] This allows the operator of the power tool 10 to know whether the posture of the power tool 10A when tightening the fastening member B3 is good or not, based on the notification content of the notification unit 17. Therefore, when the posture of the power tool 10A is determined to be bad as shown in Fig. 8, the operator can hold the power tool 10A again and tighten the fastening member B3 in a state where the posture of the power tool 10A is determined to be good as shown in Fig. 9, which has the advantage that the tightening work can be performed in a good posture, improving the work quality.

[0118] (summary) The above-described embodiments and the like disclose the following aspects.

[0119] The electric power tool (10) of the first embodiment includes a tool body (21), an output shaft (22), a tool tip (23), a detection unit (111), a determination unit (112), and a notification unit (113). The tool body (21) is held by a robot arm (51). The output shaft (22) is rotatably supported by the tool body (21) and rotates in response to the rotation of the motor (M1). The tool tip (23) can be attached to the output shaft (22). The detection unit (111) detects the orientation of the output shaft (22) when the output shaft (22) is moved to a work position by moving the robot arm (51). The determination unit (112) determines the inclination angle of the orientation of the output shaft (22) detected by the detection unit (111) with respect to the set direction at the work position. The notification unit (113) notifies the determination result of the determination unit (112).

[0120] According to this aspect, it is possible to provide a power tool (10) that can reduce the possibility of performing work in an inappropriate posture relative to a work target.

[0121] In the power tool (10) of the second aspect, in the first aspect, the determination unit (112) determines whether or not the tilt angle is within the allowable angle range.

[0122] According to this embodiment, the inclination angle of the output shaft (22) with respect to the set direction can be adjusted to fall within the allowable angle range.

[0123] In the power tool (10) of the third aspect, in the first or second aspect, the notification unit (113) notifies the user of the determination result of the determination unit (112) by sound.

[0124] According to this embodiment, the operator can auditorily grasp the result of the determination by the determining unit (112).

[0125] In the power tool (10) of the fourth aspect, in the third aspect, the notification section (113) changes the manner of the output sound depending on the magnitude of the tilt angle.

[0126] According to this aspect, the operator can grasp the magnitude of the tilt angle from the nature of the sound.

[0127] In the power tool (10) of the fifth aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the notification unit (113) notifies the user of the determination result of the determination unit (112) by light.

[0128] According to this embodiment, the operator can visually grasp the result of the determination by the determination unit (112).

[0129] The electric power tool (10) of the sixth aspect, in any of the first to fifth aspects, includes a processing unit (11) that switches between an attitude notification mode in which the notification unit (113) provides notification and a non-notification mode in which the notification unit (113) stops notifying, based on a switching signal input from outside.

[0130] According to this aspect, the processing unit (11) can switch from the notification mode to the non-notification mode to stop the notification by the notification unit (113).

[0131] A tool system (100) of a seventh aspect includes the power tool (10) of any one of the first to sixth aspects, and a robot (50) having a multi-joint robot arm (51). The power tool (10) is held by the robot arm (51).

[0132] According to this aspect, it is possible to provide a tool system (100) that can reduce the possibility of performing work in an inappropriate posture relative to a work target.

[0133] The electric power tool (10A) of the eighth aspect includes a tool body (21A), an output shaft (22), a tool tip (23), a detection unit (111), a determination unit (112), and a notification unit (113). The output shaft (22) is rotatably supported by the tool body (21A) and rotates in response to the rotation of the motor (M1). The tool tip (23) can be attached to the output shaft (22). The detection unit (111) detects the orientation of the output shaft (22) when the tool tip (23) is located at the work position. The determination unit (112) determines the inclination angle of the orientation of the output shaft (22) detected by the detection unit (111) with respect to the set direction at the work position. The notification unit (113) notifies the user of the determination result of the determination unit (112).

[0134] According to this aspect, it is possible to provide a power tool (10A) that can reduce the possibility of performing work in an inappropriate posture relative to a work target.

[0135] The configurations according to the second to sixth aspects are not essential to the power tool (10) and may be omitted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0136] 10,10A power tools 11 Processing section 21,21A Tool body 22 Output shaft 23 Tip tools 50 Robot 51 Robot Arm 100 Tool System 111 Detection unit 112 Judgment section 113 Notification Department M1 Motor

Claims

1. A tool body held by a robot arm; an output shaft that is rotatably supported by the tool body and rotates in response to rotation of a motor; A tool tip that can be attached to the output shaft; a detection unit that detects a direction of the output shaft when the output shaft is moved to a working position by the movement of the robot arm; a determination unit that determines an inclination angle of the orientation of the output shaft detected by the detection unit with respect to a set direction at the work position; A notification unit that notifies the determination result of the determination unit. Power tools.

2. The determination unit determines whether or not the magnitude of the tilt angle is equal to or smaller than an allowable angle. The power tool according to claim 1.

3. The notification unit notifies the determination result of the determination unit by sound. The power tool according to claim 1.

4. The notification unit changes the manner of the sound to be output depending on the magnitude of the tilt angle. The power tool according to claim 3.

5. The notification unit notifies the determination result of the determination unit by light. The power tool according to claim 1.

6. a processing unit that switches between a posture notification mode in which the notification unit issues a notification and a non-notification mode in which the notification unit stops notifying the user based on a switching signal input from an external device; The power tool according to claim 1.

7. An electric power tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A robot having a multi-joint type robot arm, The power tool is held by the robot arm. Tool system.

8. A tool body, an output shaft that is rotatably supported by the tool body and rotates in response to rotation of a motor; A tool tip that can be attached to the output shaft; a detection unit that detects a direction of the output shaft when the tool bit is located at a working position; a determination unit that determines an inclination angle of the orientation of the output shaft detected by the detection unit with respect to a set direction at the work position; A notification unit that notifies the determination result of the determination unit. Power tools.

Images