Robot and actuator unit

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of visualizing a display of a display device from the outside even when the display device for displaying information on an actuator is covered with a cover.SOLUTION: A robot has a joint into which an actuator is built-in, and includes a body member 14 and a cover 16 the covers the body member 14. The body member 14 is provided with display devices 50A and 50B that display information on the actuators 22, being covered with the cover 16, and whose display being configured to be visible from the outside of the cover 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a robot and an actuator unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an actuator that is incorporated into a joint of a robot. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-97430 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An actuator may be provided with a display that displays information about the actuator. Also, a cover that covers the actuator may be provided. Covering the actuator and the display with a cover poses a problem in that even if a display is provided, the display on the display cannot be seen from the outside. This problem is also common when a display is provided on a main body member, such as an actuator, that constitutes a robot, and the display is covered with a cover.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique that allows the display of a display that displays information about an actuator to be visualized from the outside even when the display is covered with a cover. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The robot disclosed herein is a robot having a joint portion incorporating an actuator, and comprises a main body member and a cover that covers the main body member. The main body member is provided with a display that displays information about the actuator and is covered by the cover, and the display on the display is configured to be visible from outside the cover.

[0007] The actuator unit of the present disclosure is an actuator unit comprising an actuator and a cover that covers the actuator, wherein the actuator is provided with a display that displays information about the actuator and is covered by the cover, and the display on the display is configured to be visible from outside the cover. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing a robot according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing the actuator unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a cover of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to an actuator of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5(A) is a partial cross-sectional view that schematically shows an actuator unit of the second embodiment, and FIG. 5(B) is a schematic view of the actuator unit of FIG. 5(A) as seen from the anti-load side. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(A) is a partial cross-sectional view that schematically shows an actuator unit of a third embodiment, and FIG. 6(B) is a schematic view of the actuator unit of FIG. 6(A) as seen from the anti-load side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments for implementing the robot and actuator unit of the present disclosure will be described. Identical or equivalent elements will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. In each drawing, for the sake of convenience, components will be omitted, enlarged, or reduced as appropriate. The drawings should be viewed in accordance with the orientation of the reference numerals.

[0010] (First embodiment) Refer to FIG. 1. The robot 10 is an industrial robot, a service robot, or the like. The robot 10 may be a collaborative robot that works in collaboration with humans. The robot 10 includes a robot body 12 and a cover 16 that covers a body member 14 that constitutes the robot body 12.

[0011] The robot body 12 includes at least one joint 18 and a plurality of link members 20 connected by the joint 18. The robot body 12 of this embodiment is an articulated robot with three joints, and the plurality of link members 20 are connected in series by the plurality of joints 18. There are no particular limitations on the number of joints, and it may be one, two, four or more.

[0012] An actuator 22 is incorporated into the joint 18. The actuator 22 connects adjacent link members 20 and is operable to rotate them relative to one another.

[0013] The multiple link members 20 in this embodiment are long arm members. The link member 20 on the base end side is connected to a base member 24 as a pedestal placed on the floor. An attachment 26 such as a gripper is detachably mounted on the link member 20 on the tip end side. Specific examples of the link member 20 are not particularly limited, and may be the base member 24 or the like.

[0014] The robot body 12 is composed of a plurality of body members 14. The plurality of body members 14 are actuators 22 for each of a plurality of joints 18, each of a plurality of link members 20, and a base member 24.

[0015] The cover 16 covers the actuator 22. The cover 16 is provided individually corresponding to each of the multiple actuators 22 and covers the corresponding actuator 22. The cover 16 may cover any of the multiple main body members 14. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which only the actuator 22 as the main body member 14 is covered by the corresponding cover 16. Alternatively, only the link member 20 as the main body member 14 may be covered by the corresponding cover 16, or the actuator 22 and the link member 20 may each be covered by the corresponding cover 16. Furthermore, only some of the multiple actuators 22 may be covered by the corresponding cover 16, or only some of the multiple link members 20 may be covered by the corresponding cover 16.

[0016] Please refer to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view that schematically shows the joint portion 18 of Figure 1. The corresponding cover 16 and actuator 22 constitute an actuator unit 30. The actuator 22 includes a motor 32, a speed reducer 34 that reduces the rotation input from the motor 32 and outputs the reduced rotation to a driven member 40, and a controller unit 36 ​​that is provided on the anti-load side of the motor 32. In this specification, the side of the speed reducer 34 in the axial direction of the motor 32 is referred to as the load side, and the side opposite in the axial direction is referred to as the anti-load side.

[0017] The motor 32 includes a motor shaft (not shown), a stator and a rotor (not shown) that rotate the motor shaft, and a motor casing 32a that houses these. The motor 32 is not particularly limited to a specific example, and various motors such as a DC motor or an AC motor may be used.

[0018] The reducer 34 comprises an input shaft (not shown) to which rotation is input from the motor shaft, a reduction mechanism (not shown) that reduces the rotation input to the input shaft, a reducer casing 34a that houses the reduction mechanism, etc., and a reducer internal member 34b that is provided on the load side within the reducer casing 34a.

[0019] Specific examples of the reduction mechanism are not particularly limited. The reduction mechanism may be, for example, an eccentric oscillating reduction mechanism, a flexible mesh reduction mechanism, a simple planetary gear mechanism, or the like. Specific examples of the eccentric oscillating reduction mechanism are not particularly limited, and may be either a center crank type or a distribution type. Specific examples of the flexible mesh reduction mechanism are not particularly limited, and may be a cup type, a top hat type, a cylindrical type, or the like. In addition to a gear mechanism, the reduction mechanism may also be a traction drive, etc.

[0020] The reducer 34 includes a fixed member 34c fixed to a fixed member 38 that supports the actuator 22, and an output member 34d that outputs rotation reduced by the reduction mechanism to a driven member 40. In this embodiment, the output member 34d is the reducer internal member 34b, and the fixed member 34c is the reducer casing 34a, but the reverse may also be true. In this embodiment, the fixed member 38 and the driven member 40 are the link member 20 on the base end side, and the driven member 40 is the link member 20 on the tip end side. The fixed member 34c is fixed to the fixed member 38 by various fixing means such as bolts and clamps. The output member 34d is also fixed to the driven member 40 by various fixing means.

[0021] The controller unit 36 ​​includes a board fixing member 36a attached to the motor casing 32a, and a circuit board 36b fixed to the board fixing member 36a.

[0022] The cover 16 houses the actuator 22. The cover 16 has a peripheral wall portion 16a that surrounds the actuator 22. In addition, the cover 16 of this embodiment has an end wall portion 16b that covers the actuator 22 from the anti-load side.

[0023] The cover 16 is attached to the actuator 22. To achieve this, the cover 16 in this embodiment is attached to a flange portion 34e provided on a reducer casing 34a of the actuator 22 using bolts B. The means for attaching the cover 16 to the actuator 22 is not particularly limited, and the flange portion 34e of the actuator 22 is not essential. As this attachment means, various attachment means such as a snap fit, fitting, or clamp may be used in addition to the bolts B.

[0024] 2 and 3. The cover 16 of this embodiment includes a cover main body 42 attached to the actuator 22, and a lid 44 detachably attached to the cover main body 42. A ring component 46 is disposed between the lid 44 of this embodiment and the cover main body 42. The lid 44 is detachably attached to the cover main body 42 using an attachment member 48 such as a bolt. The ring component 46 is attached to the cover main body 42 together with the lid 44 using the attachment member 48. To achieve this, the ring component 46 of this embodiment is attached to the cover main body 42 by being fastened together with the lid 44 by the bolts that constitute the attachment member 48.

[0025] In addition to the cover main body 42 and the ring component 46, a portion of the lid 44 forms the peripheral wall portion 16a of the cover 16, and a portion of the lid 44 forms the end wall portion 16b of the cover 16. When the lid 44 is separated from the cover main body 42, the controller unit 36, displays 50A and 50B (described later), etc. are exposed and visible from the outside. By attaching the lid 44 to the cover main body 42, the area that the cover 16 covers over the actuator 22 is increased, improving the design. Furthermore, by attaching the lid 44 to the cover main body 42, it is also possible to improve the sealing of the internal space inside the cover main body 42.

[0026] The robot 10 is equipped with displays 50A, 50B provided on the actuator 22. It may also be considered that the actuator unit 30 is equipped with the displays 50A, 50B. In this embodiment, the displays 50A, 50B are mounted on the circuit board 36b of the actuator 22 and are provided integrally with a part of the actuator 22. The circuit board 36b forms the anti-load end of the actuator 22, and the displays 50A, 50B are provided on this anti-load end. The displays 50A, 50B display actuator information (described below) related to the actuator 22. The displays 50A, 50B are covered by a cover 16.

[0027] See Figure 4. Each block can be realized in hardware terms by circuit elements and mechanical parts, such as a computer CPU, and in software terms by a computer program, etc. Here, functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these elements are depicted. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combining hardware and software.

[0028] The actuator 22 includes a sensor 60 that detects status information related to the status of the actuator 22, and a control unit 62 that controls the actuator 22. The control unit 62 includes a motor control unit 64 that controls the motor 32, and a display control unit 66 that controls the displays 50A and 50B. The control unit 62 is configured, for example, by a computer such as a processing chip mounted on the circuit board 36b.

[0029] The sensor 60 is, for example, a rotation sensor that detects rotation information related to the rotation of the actuator 22. The rotation information includes, for example, the torque acting on the components of the actuator 22, as well as the rotation speed and phase of the rotating body that constitutes the actuator 22. The rotation sensor is, for example, an encoder, a resolver, etc.

[0030] The control unit 62 is electrically connected to the external electrical devices 70A and 70B via the conductor pattern on the circuit board 36b and wiring 68A and 68B. The external electrical devices 70A and 70B include an external power source 70A such as a commercial power source as a first external electrical device and an external control device 70B as a second external power source device. In this embodiment, the external control device 70B is a host controller that comprehensively controls the multiple actuators 22. Specific examples of the external control device 70B are not particularly limited, and may be an information processing terminal used for diagnosing faults in the actuators 22. The control unit 62 is electrically connected to the external power source 70A via a power line 68A as a first wiring. The control unit 62 is electrically connected to the external control device 70B via a communication line 68B as a second wiring. The control unit 62 and the external control device 70B can send and receive information through communication in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. The wires 68A and 68B are mechanically connected to the circuit board 36b using wire connection members such as connectors and terminals mounted on the circuit board 36b.

[0031] The motor control unit 64 is configured, for example, by a servo amplifier, but may also be configured by an inverter or the like. The motor control unit 64 controls the operation of the motor 32 based on the detected value of the status information detected by the sensor 60. For example, the motor control unit 64 controls the motor 32 so that the detected value related to the number of rotations or torque detected by the rotation sensor 60 approaches a target value. This target value is set, for example, based on designation information for designating the operation of the motor 32 sent from the external control device 70B. The control content of the motor control unit 64 is an example and is not limited to this.

[0032] The displays 50A, 50B can display actuator information related to the actuator 22 corresponding to the display 50A, 50B. The displays 50A, 50B of this embodiment correspond to the actuator 22 integrally provided therewith and display information related to the actuator 22. The displays 50A, 50B of this embodiment include multiple displays 50A, 50B that display different types of actuator information. The multiple displays 50A, 50B include a first display 50A that displays power information as the actuator information and a second display 50B that displays communication information as the actuator information. The power information refers to information related to power supplied to the actuator 22 from the external power source 70A via the power line 68A. The communication information refers to information related to communication between the actuator 22 and the external control device 70B via the communication line 68B. There are no particular limitations on the number of displays 50A, 50B and the type of actuator information displayed by the displays 50A, 50B.

[0033] The power information includes, for example, information indicating either an on state or an off state. The on state refers to a state in which the power is turned on by operating a power operation unit such as a power switch, and power is supplied from the external power supply 70A to the actuator 22 via the power line 68A. The off state refers to a state in which the power is turned off by operating a power operation unit, and power is not supplied from the external power supply 70A to the actuator 22 via the power line 68A.

[0034] The communication information includes, for example, information indicating the state of a communication execution state, a communication possible state, or a communication impossible state. The communication execution state refers to a state in which communication is being executed between the actuator 22 and the external control device 70B. The communication possible state refers to a state in which communication is not being executed between the actuator 22 and the external control device 70B but communication is possible due to an electrical connection via the communication line 68B. The communication impossible state refers to a state in which communication is not possible between the actuator 22 and the external control device 70B due to no electrical connection via the communication line 68B.

[0035] These power information and communication information are examples of information indicating the presence or absence of an abnormality related to the actuator 22. For example, consider a case where the first indicator 50A displays information indicating that the actuator 22 is in an off state despite the actuator 22 being powered on. In this case, the power information indirectly indicates that there may be some abnormality related to the actuator 22, such as a poor connection of the power line 68A to the actuator 22. Also consider a case where the actuator 22 is in an on state and an attempt is made to start communication between the actuator 22 and the external control device 70B, but the second indicator 50B displays information indicating that communication is not possible. In this case, the communication information indirectly indicates that there may be some abnormality related to the actuator 22, such as a poor connection of the communication line 68B to the actuator 22. In this way, in order to indicate the presence of an abnormality related to the actuator 22, it is sufficient to indicate that the abnormality may exist; it is not necessary to actually prove that the abnormality exists.

[0036] The display control unit 66 of the control unit 62 acquires actuator information related to the actuator 22 and controls the displays 50A, 50B to display the acquired information on the displays 50A, 50B. Information indicating an on state as power information may be acquired by monitoring the state of power supply from the external power source 70A. Communication information as actuator information may be acquired by monitoring the state of communication between the control unit 62 of the actuator 22 and the external control device 70B.

[0037] See Figure 2. In this embodiment, the displays 50A and 50B are configured with light emitters 72 that display actuator information by emitting light in various ways. Specific examples of the displays 50A and 50B are not particularly limited, and they may be configured with displays that display actuator information using images such as characters and symbols, or with analog meters that display actuator information by the position of a pointer. When the displays 50A and 50B are displays, various display methods such as a segment method or a dot matrix method may be adopted for the displays.

[0038] The light emitter 72 includes at least one lamp unit 72a that can emit light. The lamp unit 72a is configured with various light sources such as a full-color LED or a single-color LED. The light emitter 72 can change its light emission mode by changing whether or not the lamp unit 72a emits light, the color of the light emitted, and whether or not it flashes when it emits light. If the light emitter 72 includes multiple lamp units 72a, the light emission mode may be changed by changing whether or not each of the multiple lamp units 72a emits light, the color of the light emitted, and whether or not it flashes when it emits light. In this example, each of the first and second indicators 50B is a light emitter consisting of a single lamp unit 72a.

[0039] When displaying specific actuator information by a light emission mode, the displays 50A, 50B display the actuator information by emitting light in a light emission mode corresponding to the specific actuator information. The displays 50A, 50B display the actuator information by operating in an operating mode corresponding to the specific actuator information.

[0040] When the first indicator 50A that displays the power information displays the following specific power information, for example, the first indicator 50A displays the information by emitting light in the following light emission modes corresponding to the information. On status indicator: Continuous green light Off state information: No light emitted

[0041] When the second display 50B that displays the communication information displays the following specific communication information, for example, the second display 50B displays the information by emitting light in the following light emission modes corresponding to the information. Indicates communication is in progress: Continuous green light Indicates communication is possible: Flashing green light Information indicating communication is unavailable: No light or red light

[0042] Here, the robot 10 is configured so that the displays on the displays 50A, 50B can be seen from outside the cover 16. It may be assumed that the actuator unit 30 is configured similarly. Here, "visible from the outside" includes not only a case where the displays on the displays 50A, 50B can be recognized by observing them with the naked eye from outside the cover 16, but also a case where the displays on the displays 50A, 50B can be recognized by observing with the naked eye an image captured by a camera from outside the cover 16. In this configuration, the robot 10 of this embodiment employs a configuration in which the cover 16 is provided with the following light-transmitting portion 80.

[0043] The cover 16 includes a light-transmitting portion 80 provided at a location where the displays of the indicators 50A and 50B are directly visible from the outside. The light-transmitting portion 80 in this embodiment is made of a light-transmitting material that transmits visible light. This allows the displays of the indicators 50A and 50B, along with a portion of the actuator 22 inside the cover 16, to be visible from the outside of the cover 16 through the light-transmitting portion 80. For example, if the indicators 50A and 50B display actuator information through a light-emitting pattern, the light-emitting pattern can be directly visible. Alternatively, if the actuator information is displayed as an image, the image can be directly visible. To directly view the light-emitting pattern, it is preferable that the light-emitting portions of the indicators 50A and 50B be directly visible. However, the illuminated portions of the indicators 50A and 50B may also be directly visible. The light-transmitting portion 80 in this embodiment is provided on the peripheral wall portion 16a of the cover 16 in the anti-load side portion of the cover 16.

[0044] In addition, the cover 16 of this embodiment has light-opaque portions 82A and 82B provided in portions of the cover 16 other than the light-transmitting portion 80. The light-opaque portions 82A and 82B of this embodiment are made of a light-opaque material that does not allow visible light to pass through. As a result, when observing the cover 16 from the outside, a portion of the actuator 22 inside the cover 16 cannot be seen from the outside of the cover 16 through the light-opaque portions 82A and 82B.

[0045] The light-opaque portions 82A and 82B may preferably have a higher thermal conductivity (W / (m·K)) than the light-transmitting portion 80. To achieve this, the light-transmitting portion 80 is made of, for example, a light-transmitting resin material, and the light-opaque portions 82A and 82B are made of a light-opaque metal material. Examples of light-transmitting resin materials include polycarbonate, acrylic, and polyvinyl chloride. Examples of light-opaque metal materials include aluminum-based materials such as aluminum alloys, and iron-based materials such as cast iron and steel.

[0046] The light transmittance of the light transmitting portion 80 may be such that the displays of the indicators 50A, 50B can be seen through the light transmitting portion 80. For example, if the indicators 50A, 50B are displays that display images, the light transmittance may be sufficiently high so that the images can be distinguished. If the indicators 50A, 50B are light emitters 72 that display actuator information by light emission, as in this embodiment, the light transmittance may be sufficiently high, or may be low enough so that the color of the display light emitted by the light emitters 72 and the presence or absence of light emission can be distinguished.

[0047] The light-transmitting portion 80 of this embodiment is formed by a ring component 46 that surrounds the actuator 22. The light-opaque portions 82A and 82B of this embodiment include a first light-opaque portion 82A that constitutes the cover main body 42 and a second light-opaque portion 82B that constitutes the lid 44. The light-transmitting portion 80 and the light-opaque portions 82A and 82B of this embodiment are separable from each other, and the cover 16 is assembled by integrating them. Alternatively, the light-transmitting portion 80 and the light-opaque portions 82A and 82B may be inseparably integrated from each other. The light-transmitting portion 80 and the light-opaque portions 82A and 82B may be integrated using adhesives, screws, clamps, snap-fits, fittings, etc., or integral molding such as insert molding. The cover 16 described above, assuming that the entire cover 16 is made up of the light-opaque portions 82A and 82B, covers the indicators 50A and 50B so that they are not visible from the outside.

[0048] The effects of the robot 10 of the first embodiment will be described.

[0049] (A1) The robot 10 is configured so that the displays on the displays 50A and 50B can be seen from outside the cover 16. Therefore, even when the displays 50A and 50B are covered by the cover together with the actuator 22, the displays on the displays 50A and 50B can be visualized from outside.

[0050] (A2) Furthermore, by visually checking the displays on the displays 50A and 50B, the displayed information about the actuator 22 can be visually grasped when the actuator 22 is being installed in a driven machine such as the robot 10, as well as when the actuator 22 is being operated.

[0051] (A3) Each actuator 22 used in the robot 10 is typically used in a distributed control system that controls the operation of each actuator 22 using a host controller as well as the control unit 62 of each actuator 22. In this case, the actuator information about each actuator 22 displayed on the displays 50A, 50B can also be displayed by a host controller that is typically located away from the robot 10. By displaying such actuator information about each actuator 22 on the displays 50A, 50B located around the actuator 22, it can be visually grasped near the robot 10. This makes it possible to grasp information about each actuator 22 while remaining near the robot 10, without having to use a host controller that is located away from the robot 10.

[0052] (B) The cover 16 includes a light-transmitting portion 80 provided in a location where the displays on the indicators 50A and 50B can be seen. Therefore, with a simple configuration, the displays on the indicators 50A and 50B can be seen from the outside through the light-transmitting portion 80 of the cover 16.

[0053] (C) The cover 16 includes light-opaque portions 82A and 82B in addition to the light-transmitting portion 80. Therefore, compared to when the entire cover 16 is made up of the light-transmitting portion 80, a portion of the actuator 22 can be concealed by the light-opaque portions 82A and 82B so that it cannot be seen from the outside. Furthermore, using the cover 16 as a design component is advantageous in improving the design. Furthermore, a wider variety of light-opaque materials can be selected for the light-opaque portions 82A and 82B than for the light-transmitting material for the light-transmitting portion 80. Therefore, compared to when the entire cover 16 is made up of the light-transmitting portion 80, there is greater design freedom in terms of the types of materials that can be used for the light-opaque portions 82A and 82B of the cover 16.

[0054] (D1) The information about the actuator 22 indicates whether or not there is an abnormality in the actuator 22. Therefore, by visually checking the display of the displays 50A and 50B related to this information, it becomes possible to visually determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the actuator 22. For example, consider a case where the first display 50A displays information indicating that the actuator 22 is off, even though the power supply is turned on by operating the power control unit. In this case, by visually checking the display of the first display 50A, it becomes possible to visually determine that there is an abnormality, such as a poor connection in the power line 68A. Also, consider a case where the actuator 22 is turned on and an attempt is made to start communication between the actuator 22 and the external control device 70B via the communication line 68B, but the second display 50B displays information indicating that communication is not possible. In this case, by visually checking the display of the second display 50B, it becomes possible to visually determine that there is an abnormality, such as a poor connection in the communication line 68B. If it is visually recognized that such an abnormality may exist when assembling the actuator 22 into the driven machine, measures can be taken to resolve the abnormality early during the assembling process, improving the ease of assembling. For example, if it is recognized that there may be a poor connection in the wiring such as the power line 68A or the communication line 68B, measures can be taken to resolve the abnormality by checking the connection state of the wiring to the actuator 22 or replacing the wiring, for example.

[0055] (D2) Let us consider a case where information indicating the presence or absence of an abnormality in the actuator 22 is displayed only by the upper controller. In this case, when assembling the actuator 22 into the robot 10, it becomes necessary to go all the way to the location where the upper controller is installed in order to check the information displayed by the upper controller. In this regard, let us consider a case where information indicating the presence or absence of an abnormality in the actuator 22 is displayed by the displays 50A, 50B as in this embodiment. In this case, when assembling the actuator 22 into the robot 10, it is possible to know whether or not there is an abnormality by checking the information displayed by the displays 50A, 50B near the robot 10, which improves convenience during the work.

[0056] (E) The cover 16 covers the actuator 22 together with the displays 50A and 50B. Therefore, the cover 16 protects the actuator 22 from dust and water, while allowing the displays of the displays 50A and 50B provided on the actuator 22 to be visible from the outside.

[0057] (Second embodiment) Please refer to Fig. 5. A robot 10 and an actuator unit 30 according to a second embodiment will be described. In the following embodiments, among the components described in the first embodiment, the same content as in the first embodiment may be applied to the components not described below.

[0058] The cover 16 of this embodiment differs from the cover 16 of the first embodiment in the position of the light-transmitting portion 80. The light-opaque portion 82B has a window hole 90 penetrating the light-opaque portion 82B. In this embodiment, the window hole 90 is provided in the second light-opaque portion 82B constituting the lid 44, but may be provided in the first light-opaque portion 82A constituting the cover body 42. The light-transmitting portion 80 covers and closes the window hole 90 provided in the light-opaque portion 82B, and together with the window hole 90, forms a window portion. The light-opaque portion 82B is provided in the end wall portion 16b of the cover 16, instead of the peripheral wall portion 16a of the cover 16 as in the first embodiment. The light-transmitting portion 80 is also provided in a position where the display of the indicators 50A, 50B can be seen from the outside. In this embodiment, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0059] (Third embodiment) See Figure 6. The cover 16 has viewing portions 100A, 100B for visually viewing the displays of the displays 50A, 50B from the outside. The viewing portions 100A, 100B in this embodiment include a plurality of viewing portions 100A, 100B corresponding to the plurality of displays 50A, 50B, respectively. The plurality of viewing portions 100A, 100B include a first viewing portion 100A corresponding to the first display 50A and a second viewing portion 100B corresponding to the second display 50B.

[0060] The visual confirmation portions 100A, 100B in this embodiment are configured with the aforementioned window hole 90 and the light-transmitting portion 80 that covers and closes the window hole 90. The visual confirmation portions 100A, 100B are the locations that are directly visible when attempting to view the displays of the indicators 50A, 50B from the outside. Unlike the first embodiment, the light-transmitting portion 80 does not need to be provided in a location that allows the displays of the indicators 50A, 50B to be directly visible from the outside. The visual confirmation portions 100A, 100B in this embodiment are provided on the end wall portion 16b of the cover 16, similar to the light-transmitting portion 80 in the second embodiment. The positions of the visual confirmation portions 100A, 100B are not particularly limited, and may be provided on the peripheral wall portion 16a of the cover 16 in the anti-load side portion of the cover, as in the first embodiment.

[0061] The robot 10 includes transmission units 102A and 102B that transmit the indications of the display units 50A and 50B to the viewing units 100A and 100B of the cover 16. It may also be understood that the actuator unit 30 includes the transmission units 102A and 102B. The transmission units 102A and 102B include a plurality of transmission units 102A and 102B that transmit the indications of the plurality of display units 50A and 50B to the corresponding viewing units 100A and 100B. The plurality of transmission units 102A and 102B include a first transmission unit 102A that transmits the indication of the first display unit 50A to the corresponding first viewing unit 100A and a second transmission unit 102B that transmits the indication of the second display unit 50B to the corresponding second viewing unit 100B.

[0062] In this embodiment, the transmission units 102A and 102B are optical fibers 104 that transmit display light emitted from the displays 50A and 50B for displaying the displays 50A and 50B. The optical fibers 104 function as flexible cable members capable of transmitting display light. The transmission units 102A and 102B can transmit the display of the displays 50A and 50B without power. One end 104a of the optical fiber 104 is fixed to a portion of the actuator 22 near the displays 50A and 50B, and the other end 104b is fixed to the cover 16. Here, the portion of the actuator 22 refers to the circuit board 36b. The optical fiber 104 may be fixed using various fixing means such as adhesive or a clamp. The other end 104b of the optical fiber 104 may be fixed to either the light-transmitting portion 80 or the light-opaque portion 82A or 82B of the cover 16.

[0063] When the indicators 50A, 50B emit display light, the transmission units 102A, 102B transmit the display light to the viewing units 100A, 100B. The display light transmitted to the viewing units 100A, 100B is emitted to the outside of the cover 16 through the viewing units 100A, 100B. By viewing the display light emitted through the viewing units 100A, 100B from the outside of the cover 16, the displays of the indicators 50A, 50B can be seen. For example, when actuator information is displayed by the light-emitting modes of the indicators 50A, 50B, the light-emitting modes can be seen by viewing the display light emitted from the viewing units 100A, 100B via the transmission units 102A, 102B. To achieve this, the light-transmitting portions 80 constituting the viewing units 100A and 100B may transmit and scatter the display light transmitted by the transmission units 102A and 102B. By scattering the display light traveling straight through the optical fiber 104 at the light-transmitting portions 80, the display light can be emitted from the light-transmitting portions 80 over a wide range in the external space, making the display light easier to view from the outside. Alternatively, the viewing units 100A and 100B may not be provided with the light-transmitting portions 80. In this case, the window holes 90 of the viewing units 100A and 100B may be covered and blocked by parts of the transmission units 102A and 102B.

[0064] (F1) The robot 10 of this embodiment is equipped with transmission units 102A and 102B that transmit the displays of the displays 50A and 50B to the viewing units 100A and 100B. As a result, even if the displays 50A and 50B are disposed in a recessed location where the displays 50A and 50B are difficult to view, the displays can be easily viewed from the outside by transmitting the displays to the viewing units 100A and 100B via the transmission units 102A and 102B. Here, a recessed location where the displays 50A and 50B are difficult to view refers to, for example, a location where the displays 50A and 50B are partially hidden by other components of the actuator 22, making it impossible to directly view the displays 50A and 50B via the viewing units 100A and 100B.

[0065] (F2) When the actuators 22 are provided as modules, there is a possibility that the same type of cover 16 will be used in combination with different types of actuators 22. For this reason, depending on the actuator 22 to be combined with the cover 16, the indicators 50A, 50B of the actuator 22 may be disposed in a location recessed from the visual confirmation portions 100A, 100B of the cover 16. Even in this case, the use of the transmission units 102A, 102B is effective in that the indications of the indicators 50A, 50B can be visually confirmed from outside the cover 16.

[0066] (F3) A user who receives the actuator 22 from the manufacturer may design the cover 16. In this case, even if the positions of the indicators 50A and 50B of the actuator 22 relative to the visual confirmation portions 100A and 100B of the cover 16 change, the indications of the indicators 50A and 50B can be easily viewed from the outside using the transmission portions 102A and 102B. Therefore, the visual confirmation portions 100A and 100B of the cover 16 can be designed to be located at any position without considering the positions of the indicators 50A and 50B of the actuator 22. This ultimately increases the user's freedom in designing the cover 16, leading to improved convenience for the user. Furthermore, the manufacturer of the actuator 22 can provide the transmission portions 102A and 102B as an option in addition to the actuator 22.

[0067] (G) The transmission units 102A, 102B of this embodiment include a plurality of transmission units 102A, 102B that transmit the indications of the plurality of indicators 50A, 50B to the corresponding viewing units 100A, 100B. If the plurality of indicators 50A, 50B were provided close to each other inside the cover 16, which is difficult to see from the outside, it would be difficult to distinguish and understand the indications of the individual indicators 50A, 50B. In this regard, because the indications of the plurality of indicators 50A, 50B are individually transmitted to the respective viewing units 100A, 100B of the cover 16, which are easy to see from the outside, it becomes easier to distinguish and understand the indications of the individual indicators 50A, 50B.

[0068] Note that examples of the transmission units 102A and 102B are not limited to optical fibers. The transmission units 102A and 102B may be configured, for example, by mirrors that reflect the display light emitted by the display devices 50A and 50B and transmit it to the viewing units 100A and 100B.

[0069] Next, variations of the components described above will be described.

[0070] In the above description, the cover 16 is used in the robot 10 to cover the displays 50A, 50B provided on the actuator 22, which is the main body member 14, together with the actuator 22. Alternatively, the cover 16 may cover the displays 50A, 50B provided on the link member 20, which is the main body member 14, together with the link member 20. In this case, the controller unit 36, which is part of the link member 20, may be attached to the link member 20, and the displays 50A, 50B may be integrally provided on the circuit board 36b of the controller unit 36. The displays 50A, 50B may be integrally provided on a part of the actuator 22 corresponding to the displays 50A, 50B, or may be provided separately from the actuator 22. When the cover 16 is provided on the link member 20, which is the main body member 14, the description of the cover 16 in relation to the actuator 22 may be interpreted as replacing the term "actuator 22" with "link member 20."

[0071] The effects (A) to (G) described so far are not only the effects of the robot 10, but also the effects of the actuator unit 30 including the actuator 22 and the cover 16. An example has been described in which this actuator unit 30 is incorporated into a driven machine, exemplified by the robot 10, as part of the driven machine. The driven machine in which the actuator 22 is used is not limited to a robot, and may be, for example, (1) industrial machinery such as machine tools and construction machinery, (2) transport machines such as conveyors and film transport devices, or (3) various machines such as vehicles. When the driven machine is a film transport device, a roller for transporting the film may be driven as the driven member 40.

[0072] The actuator information displayed by the displays 50A, 50B is not limited to power information and communication information, and may be various types of information related to the actuator 22. For example, the actuator information may be error information related to an error that has occurred in the actuator 22. In this case, an error detector for detecting the error may be incorporated into the actuator 22. When the error detector detects an error, the display control unit 66 may acquire information indicating the occurrence of the error from the error detector and control the displays 50A, 50B to display the acquired information on the displays 50A, 50B. The error here may be, for example, a communication error between the actuator 22 and the external control device 70B, a rotation error in which the rotor of the actuator 22 rotates at an abnormal speed or becomes unable to rotate, or the like.

[0073] Furthermore, the actuator information may be, for example, status information indicating the status of the actuator 22 detected by the sensor 60. This status information may include, for example, the above-mentioned rotation information regarding the rotation of the actuator 22, as well as temperature information regarding the temperature of the actuator 22. Temperature information regarding the temperature of the actuator 22 refers to information regarding the temperature of the components or internal space of the actuator 22 detected by a temperature sensor. The display control unit 66 may acquire the status information detected by the sensor 60 from the sensor 60, and control the display units 50A, 50B to display the acquired status information on the display units 50A, 50B.

[0074] Furthermore, when the actuator information is information indicating the presence or absence of an abnormality related to the actuator 22, the specific example of the information indicating the presence or absence of the abnormality is not particularly limited. For example, the information indicating the presence or absence of the abnormality may be the error information described above. Furthermore, the information indicating the presence or absence of the abnormality may indirectly indicate that an abnormality may exist, such as power information or communication information, or may directly indicate that an abnormality may exist.

[0075] There are no particular limitations on the specific shape and structure of the cover 16. Furthermore, although the example in which the cover 16 is configured from multiple members using the cover body 42 and the lid 44 has been described, it may also be configured from a single member.

[0076] A light beam for optical wireless communication may be transmitted through the light-transmitting portion 80 of the cover 16. In this case, the light beam can be used to perform optical wireless communication between the actuator 22 and an external electrical device. The entire cover 16 may be formed by the light-transmitting portion 80.

[0077] The light-transmitting portion 80 may be made of a light-transmitting material that can transmit invisible light instead of visible light, and the light-opaque portions 82A and 82B may be made of a light-opaque material that cannot transmit the invisible light. Here, invisible light refers to, for example, infrared light. It can also be said that the light-transmitting portion 80 may be capable of transmitting either visible light or invisible light. In this case, information may be displayed on the displays 50A and 50B using invisible light. In this case, the display on the displays 50A and 50B using invisible light may be captured by an invisible light camera from outside the cover 16, the information obtained by the capture may be processed to generate a visible light image, and the display on the displays 50A and 50B may be viewed by observing the visible light image with the naked eye. Here, the invisible light camera refers to a camera capable of capturing invisible light, such as an infrared camera. Furthermore, the visible light image refers to an image that reflects visible light.

[0078] The above-described embodiments and variations are merely examples. The abstract technical concepts should not be construed as being limited to the content of the embodiments and variations. Many design modifications, such as changes, additions, and deletions of components, are possible in the content of the embodiments and variations. In the above-described embodiments, the terms "embodiment" and "this embodiment" are used to emphasize the content that allows such design modifications. However, design modifications are also permitted even in content without such notation. Any combination of the above-described components is also valid. For example, any description of another embodiment may be combined with an embodiment, or any description of an embodiment and another variation may be combined with a variation. Furthermore, mutual substitution of any of the components and expressions of the present disclosure between methods, devices, systems, etc. is also valid as aspects of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10...Robot, 14...Main body member, 16...Cover, 18...Joint portion, 22...Actuator, 30...Actuator unit, 50A, 50B...Display, 80...Light-transmitting portion, 82A, 82B...Light-opaque portion, 100A, 100B...Visible portion, 102A, 102B...Transmission portion.

Claims

1. A robot having a joint portion incorporating an actuator, a body member; a cover that covers the main body member, a display unit that displays information about the actuator and is covered by the cover is provided on the main body member; The robot is configured so that the display on the display device can be seen from outside the cover.

2. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the cover includes a light-transmitting portion provided at a position where the display on the display device can be seen.

3. The robot according to claim 2 , wherein the cover includes a light-opaque portion provided in a portion other than the light-transmitting portion.

4. the cover includes a viewing portion for viewing the display of the display device from the outside, The robot according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmission unit that transmits the display of the display device to the viewing unit.

5. The indicator includes a plurality of indicators; the visual confirmation unit includes a plurality of visual confirmation units corresponding to the plurality of indicators, The robot according to claim 4 , wherein the transmission unit includes a plurality of transmission units that transmit the indications of the plurality of display devices to the corresponding viewing units.

6. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the information relating to the actuator is information indicating whether or not there is an abnormality in the actuator.

7. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the cover covers the actuator, which is the main body member, together with the display.

8. An actuator; a cover that covers the actuator, the actuator is provided with a display that displays information about the actuator and is covered by the cover; An actuator unit configured so that the display of the display device can be seen from outside the cover.

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