Robot

Abstract

To provide a robot which can improve workability without damaging a cable during a work of removing a panel from a base.SOLUTION: A robot 100 including a base 102, and a movable part 103 supported by the base includes: an opening 118 provided on one surface 116 of the base; a panel 120 sealing the opening; a connector 122 that is provided on the panel, and to which a cable 114 wired to inside the base is electrically connected; outer rails 124 and 126 provided on inner side faces 132 and 134 of the opening; and inner rails 128 and 130 which are provided on upper side faces 142 and 146 of the panel and are guided to the outer rails.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot in which cables are wired inside a base. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example, a vertical articulated robot (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a "robot"), which is an industrial robot, is used for general-purpose purposes. The robot comprises a base that is placed on the floor or the like, and a movable part supported by the base. The movable part includes a body that rotates horizontally relative to the base, and an arm that rotates vertically relative to the body. The body also contains various motors that rotate the body and arms. For this reason, cables that send signals and power to each motor are wired inside the base.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a cable connection structure for a robot that includes a base and a movable part. This cable connection structure includes a first opening formed on a side surface of the base, a first cover (panel) that can be attached to the first opening, a movable part cable connected to the movable part, and a movable part connector provided at the tip of the movable part cable.

[0004] The movable part connector can be exposed to the outside from the first opening of the base, and can be electrically connected to an introduction part provided in the first lid. The first lid is detachably fixed to the first opening of the board by a screw. Therefore, in the cable connection structure, the movable part cable inserted inside the base is detachably attached to the first lid, which is detachable from the first opening of the base, via the movable part connector. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-81126 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the cable connection structure of Patent Document 1, the first cover is fixed to the first opening of the base with a screw, so that the screw must be removed when removing the first cover from the first opening. This causes a problem that the position of the first cover, which is a heavy object, shifts during the process of removing the screw, making it difficult to turn the screw, resulting in poor workability. In addition, when the first cover is pulled, the cable may be pulled out more than necessary, which may cause the cable to be damaged.

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention has an object to provide a robot that can improve workability without damaging cables when removing a panel from a base. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of a robot according to the present invention is a robot comprising a base and a movable part supported by the base, and is characterized in that it comprises an opening provided on one side of the base, a panel that seals the opening, a connector provided on the panel and to which a cable wired inside the base is electrically connected, an outer rail provided on the inner side of the opening, and an inner rail provided on the side of the panel and guided by the outer rail.

[0009] It is preferable that the rail has a ball plunger arranged on one of the outer rail or inner rail and a recess arranged on the other of the outer rail or inner rail, and that the ball plunger and the recess engage at a position where the panel is pulled out a predetermined amount from the opening.

[0010] It is preferable that the panel has a claw provided on one side of the opening or the panel, and a step provided on the other side of the opening or the panel for engaging with the claw, and that the claw and the step engage at a position where the panel is pulled out a predetermined amount from the opening. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a robot that can improve workability without damaging cables during the operation of removing a panel from a base. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a part of the overall configuration of a robot according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the base of the robot of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a main part of the robot in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the robot in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a main part of a robot according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the robot in FIG. 5 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in the embodiment are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are given the same reference numerals to avoid repeated explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of the overall configuration of a robot 100 in a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the robot 100 is shown as seen from diagonally above. The robot 100 is a vertical articulated robot that is an industrial robot, and is used for general-purpose purposes such as workpiece transportation. The robot 100 includes a base 102 and a movable part 103 supported by the base 102. The movable part 103 has a body 104 and a lower arm 106. The base 102 is placed on an installation surface 108, such as a factory floor.

[0015] In the robot 100, a first axis 110 supported by the base 102 is an axis perpendicular to the installation surface 108. The torso 104 rotates in a direction parallel to the installation surface 108 by the first axis 110. In addition, a second axis 112 is supported by the torso 104 in a direction perpendicular to the first axis 110. The lower arm 106 rotates in the vertical direction by the second axis 112 supported by the torso 104.

[0016] 1 shows a five-axis or six-axis robot from its base 102 to its lower arm 106. However, in reality, a five-axis or six-axis robot can be created by appropriately arranging the upper arm (not shown) to the end effector.

[0017] Further, each motor (not shown) that rotates the body 104 and the lower arm 106 is housed inside the body 104. For this reason, cables 114 (see FIG. 3) that send signals and power to each motor are wired inside the base 102.

[0018] Furthermore, an opening 118 shown in Fig. 3 is provided on one surface 116 of the base 102. This opening 118 is sealed by a panel 120. The panel 120 is fixed to the one surface 116 of the base 102 with screws or the like. Furthermore, a connector 122 is provided on the panel 120. An end 114a of a cable 114 that is drawn through the inside of the base 102 to the opening 118 as shown in Fig. 3 is electrically connected to the connector 122.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a side view of the base 102 of the robot 100 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a main part of the robot 100 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a part of the robot 100 of Fig. 3.

[0020] Since the floor of a factory or the like is not necessarily flat, a gap A is provided between the panel 120 and the installation surface 108 as shown in Fig. 2. In other words, the panel 120 is screwed to one surface 116 of the base 102 at a high position slightly separated from the installation surface 108.

[0021] For this reason, when removing the screws in the operation of removing the panel 120 from the surface 116 of the base 102, the panel 120, which is a heavy object, falls and shifts position, making it difficult to turn the screws, resulting in a problem of poor workability. Also, when pulling the panel 120, the cable 114 may be pulled out more than necessary, which may result in damage to the cable 114. Therefore, the robot 100 in this embodiment employs a configuration that can improve workability without damaging the cable 114 during the operation of removing the panel 120 from the base 102.

[0022] That is, the robot 100 includes a pair of outer rails 124, 126 and a pair of inner rails 128, 130 as shown in FIGS.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 4, the outer rail 124 has a pair of rail members 124a, 124b. The rail members 124a, 124b are provided on an inner side surface 132 on the right side of the opening 118 in the figure, and extend horizontally while being spaced apart from each other vertically. The rail members 124a, 124b also have a convex shape that protrudes from the inner side surface 132. Therefore, a groove 136 is formed between the rail members 124a, 124b. A ball plunger 138 is disposed in this groove 136.

[0024] The outer rail 126 has a pair of rail members 126a, 126b as shown in Fig. 4. The rail members 126a, 126b are provided on an inner side surface 134 on the left side of the opening 118 in the figure, and extend horizontally while being spaced apart from each other vertically.

[0025] Moreover, the rail members 126a, 126b have a convex shape that protrudes from the inner side surface 134. Therefore, a groove 140 is formed between the rail members 126a, 126b. A ball plunger (not shown) is disposed in this groove 140.

[0026] The inner rail 128 is a bar material that is provided horizontally from the upper side surface 142 of the panel 120 toward the inside of the device. The inner rail 128 is guided in a groove 136 between the rail members 124a, 124b of the outer rail 124. The inner rail 128 is further formed with a plurality of (here, two) recesses 144a, 144b that are spaced apart in the horizontal direction. The recesses 144a, 144b fit with a ball plunger 138 that is arranged in the groove 136 of the outer rail 124.

[0027] The inner rail 130 is a bar material provided horizontally from the upper side surface 146 of the panel 120 toward the inside of the device. The inner rail 130 is guided to a groove 140 between the rail members 126a, 126b of the outer rail 126. The inner rail 130 is further formed with a plurality of (here, two) recesses 148a, 148b spaced apart in the horizontal direction. The recesses 148a, 148b fit with ball plungers (not shown) arranged in the groove 140 of the outer rail 126. The end 114a of the cable 114 is fixed to a bottom plate 150 of the panel 120 via a metal fitting 152.

[0028] In this way, the robot 100 electrically connects the cable 114 wired inside the base 102 to a connector 122 provided on a panel 120 that seals the opening 118, and further provides outer rails 124, 126 on the inner sides 132, 134 of the opening 118, and inner rails 128, 130 guided by the outer rails 124, 126 on the upper sides 142, 146 of the panel 120.

[0029] Therefore, in the robot 100, when the panel 120 is attached to the opening 118 of the base 102, the panel 120 is held by the inner rails 128, 130 and the outer rails 124, 126. Therefore, the panel 120 is held on the base 102 with its vertical position stable.

[0030] Here, the operation of the robot 100 to remove the panel 120 that is screwed to one surface 116 of the base 102 and pull out the panel 120 from the opening 118 of the base 102 will be described.

[0031] First, the worker removes the screws that fastened the panel 120 to one surface 116 of the base 102. At this time, since the inner rails 128, 130 of the panel 120 are held by the outer rails 124, 126 of the base 102, respectively, the panel 120 will not fall or become misaligned.

[0032] Next, the worker pulls out the panel 120 from one surface 116 of the base 102. At this time, the panel 120 is pulled out from the opening 118 of the base 102 while the inner rails 128, 130 are guided by the outer rails 124, 126 of the base 102. In addition, in the state in which the panel 120 has been pulled out from the opening 118 of the base 102, the panel 120 is not separated from the base 102 and is held by the base 102.

[0033] Therefore, when the robot 100 pulls out the panel 120 from the opening 118 of the base 102, the position of the panel 120, which is a heavy object, does not shift, and no shear load is applied to the screws. Therefore, the screws do not become difficult to turn, improving workability.

[0034] Furthermore, in robot 100, when panel 120 is pulled out a predetermined amount from opening 118 of base 102, ball plunger 138 disposed in groove 136 of outer rail 124 fits into recesses 144a, 144b of inner rail 128. Similarly, ball plunger disposed in groove 140 of outer rail 126 fits into recesses 148a, 148b of inner rail 130.

[0035] This allows the robot 100 to notify the worker of the amount of pulling by a tactile sensation (click feeling), so that the worker will not pull out the panel 120 more than necessary from the opening 118 of the base 102, and damage to the cable 114 can be reliably prevented.

[0036] In the above robot 100, the ball plungers are arranged on the outer rails 124, 126, and the recesses are arranged on the inner rails 128, 130, but this is not limiting. As an example, the ball plungers may be arranged on the inner rails 128, 130, and the recesses may be arranged on the outer rails 124, 126.

[0037] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a main part of a robot 100A in a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of the robot 100A in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 shows a state in which a panel 120A is being pulled out from an opening 118 in a base 102A of the robot 100A.

[0038] The robot 100A differs from the above-described robot 100 mainly in that the side edges of the bottom plate 150A of the panel 120A are used as a pair of inner rails 128A, 130A.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 5, the robot 100A includes a pair of outer rails 154, 156 and a spring member 158. The outer rails 154, 156 are provided on the inner side surfaces 132, 134 of the opening 118 of the base 102A, and guide the inner rails 128A, 130A which are the side edges of the bottom plate 150A of the panel 120A. For example, the outer rail 154 has rail members 154a, 154b which are spaced apart vertically and extend horizontally as shown in Fig. 6, and holds and guides the inner rail 128A between the rail members 154a, 154b.

[0040] 6, the spring material 158 has a base 158a fixed to the back surface 160 of the panel 120, and is further bent horizontally from the base 158a and extends toward the inside of the base 102A. A claw 162 is attached to a tip 158b of the spring material 158.

[0041] 6, a step 166 is formed on a top wall 164 of the base 102A, facing the claw 162. The top wall 164 is a wall that defines the opening 118 together with the inner side surfaces 132, 134.

[0042] Here, the operation of robot 100A to remove panel 120A that has been screwed to one surface 116 of base 102A and pull out panel 120A from opening 118 of base 102A will be described.

[0043] First, the worker removes the screws that fastened the panel 120A to one surface 116 of the base 102A. At this time, since the inner rails 128A and 130A of the panel 120A are held by the outer rails 154 and 156 of the base 102A, respectively, the panel 120A does not fall and does not become misaligned.

[0044] Next, the worker pulls out panel 120A from one surface 116 of base 102A. At this time, panel 120A is pulled out from opening 118 of base 102A while inner rails 128A, 130A are guided by outer rails 154, 156 of base 102A. In addition, in the state in which panel 120A has been pulled out from opening 118 of base 102A, panel 120A is not separated from base 102A and is held by base 102A.

[0045] Therefore, when the robot 100A pulls out the panel 120A from the opening 118 of the base 102A, the position of the panel 120A, which is a heavy object, does not shift, so that the screws do not become difficult to turn, improving workability.

[0046] Furthermore, in robot 100A, when panel 120A is pulled out a predetermined amount from opening 118 of base 102A, claw 162 attached to tip 158b of spring material 158 engages with step 166 formed on top wall 164 of base 102A. This allows robot 100A to regulate the amount by which panel 120A can be pulled out.

[0047] Therefore, the worker can reliably prevent the panel 120A from being pulled out more than necessary from the opening 118 of the base 102A, and can prevent damage to the cable 114. Note that in the robot 100A, if the worker presses the spring material 158 downward to release the engagement between the claw 162 and the step portion 166, the restriction on the amount by which the panel 120A can be pulled out can be released.

[0048] In the above robot 100A, the step 166 is formed in the top wall 164 that defines the opening 118 of the base 102A, and the claw 162 is attached to the spring material 158 attached to the panel 120A, but this is not limiting. As an example, a claw may be attached to the top wall 164 of the base 102A, a rod extending horizontally toward the base 102A may be attached to the panel 120A, and a step that can be engaged with the claw of the top wall 164 may be formed on the rod.

[0049] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an example. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can think of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0050] The present invention can be used as a robot in which cables are wired inside the base. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 100, 100A... robot, 102, 102A... base, 103... movable part, 104... body part, 106... lower arm, 108... mounting surface, 110... first axis, 112... second axis, 114... cable, 114a... end of cable, 116... one surface of base, 118... opening of base, 120, 120A... panel, 122... connector, 124, 126, 154, 156... outer rail, 124a, 124b, 126a, 126b, 154a, 154b... rail member , 128, 128A, 130, 130A... inner rail, 132, 134... inner side of opening, 136, 140... groove, 138... ball plunger, 142, 146... upper side of panel, 144a, 144b, 148a, 148b... recess, 150, 150A... bottom plate of panel, 152... metal fitting, 158... spring material, 158a... base of spring material, 158b... tip of spring material, 160... back surface of panel, 162... claw, 164... top wall of base, 166... ​​step of top wall

Claims

1. A robot including a base and a movable part supported by the base, An opening provided on one surface of the base; a panel that seals the opening; a connector provided on the panel and electrically connected to a cable wired inside the base; an outer rail provided on an inner side surface of the opening; an inner rail provided on a side of the panel and guided by the outer rail.

2. a ball plunger disposed on one of the outer rail or the inner rail; a recess disposed in the other of the outer rail or the inner rail, 2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the ball plunger and the recess are fitted together at a position where the panel is pulled out a predetermined distance from the opening.

3. a tab provided on one of the opening or the panel; a step portion provided on the other of the opening or the panel and adapted to engage with the claw; 2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the claw and the step engage with each other at a position where the panel is pulled out a predetermined distance from the opening.

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