Pinch prevention structure of robot protective cover

Abstract

To provide a pinch prevention structure of a robot protection cover which prevents a protective cover covering a joint of a robot from being pinched.SOLUTION: A pinch prevention structure of a robot protection cover comprises a pair of pinch prevention components including: an almost bowl-shaped body part which reduces diameter from a first face to a second face; and an attachment part to which a protection cover that covers a joint connecting a first link with a second link is installed where the protection cover is arranged along a circumference of an outside surface to protrude from the outside surface of the body part. The attachment part is disposed corresponding to at least an operation direction of the joint.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pinch prevention structure for a protective cover of a robot. [Background technology]

[0002] Painting robots, which have links connected by joints and perform coating by spraying paint onto the surfaces of steel plates or plastic molded objects, are widely used. It is known that paint splashes, dust, and other contaminants can cause fires if they accumulate in the joints of such painting robots. Patent Document 1 proposes a protective cover that prevents contaminants from adhering to the painting robot. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4659786 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The protective cover described in Patent Document 1 is cylindrically constructed from a circular knit using synthetic fiber yarn, covers the entire painting robot, and is stretchable to accommodate large joint movements. However, if the protective cover is fitted to the external shape of the painting robot, there is a risk that the protective cover may become pinched by the joints when the joints move.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a structure that prevents pinching of protective covers that cover joints of a robot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The anti-pinch structure for a protective cover of a robot according to the present disclosure comprises a pair of anti-pinch members including a roughly bowl-shaped main body whose diameter narrows from the first surface to the second surface, and an attachment portion provided along the periphery of the outer surface of the main body so as to protrude from the outer surface, to which a protective cover that covers the joint connecting the first link and the second link is attached.

[0007] In the anti-pinch structure of the present disclosure, the pair of anti-pinch members are a first member attached to the first link and a second member attached to the second link, and the first surface of the first member and the first surface of the second member are arranged to face each other.

[0008] In the anti-pinch structure of the present disclosure, the pair of anti-pinch members are a first member and a second member each having an opening on a second surface, and when the first link passes through the opening of the first member, the first member is arranged around the first link, and when the second link passes through the opening of the second member, the second member is arranged around the second link, and the first surface of the first member and the first surface of the second member are arranged to face each other.

[0009] The first member and the second member are attached to the protective cover.

[0010] The attachment portion is provided at a position corresponding to at least the movement direction of the joint. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent the protective cover that covers the joints of the robot from being pinched. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a painting robot to which a pinch prevention structure for a protective cover according to a first embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a pinch prevention member. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating changes in the shape of the protective cover caused by a pair of anti-pinch members. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the pinch prevention structure of the protective cover according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate. In addition, the same elements in each drawing are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0014] The embodiments relate to a pinch prevention structure for a protective cover of a robot. A robot to which the structure of the embodiments is applied has an arm including multiple links connected by joints. Such robots are used in various fields, such as machine assembly and coating painting. In particular, robots that perform painting work are prone to contamination by paint splashes. Accumulation of contaminants such as paint splashes and dust in the robot's joints can cause fires. Furthermore, if contaminants fall and adhere to products, product yields decrease. In order to prevent such contaminants from adhering to the robot, a protective cover is provided. In the embodiments, a painting robot that performs painting work will be described as an example of a robot.

[0015] Embodiment 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a painting robot 10 to which the anti-pinch structure for a protective cover according to embodiment 1 is applied. As shown in Fig. 1, the painting robot 10 includes a base 11, a first link 12, a second link 13, a joint 14, a third link 15, and an end effector 16. The painting robot 10 is, for example, a six-axis vertical articulated robot arm, and is installed in a painting process line for automobile parts, etc.

[0016] Base 11 supports an arm composed of multiple links and joints. Base 11 and a base end of first link 12 are connected to each other by, for example, a joint (not shown) so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the vertical direction. A tip end of first link 12 and a base end of second link 13 are connected to each other by a joint 14 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the horizontal direction. A tip end of second link 13 and a base end of third link 15 are connected to each other by, for example, a joint (not shown) so as to be torsionally rotatable.

[0017] A mechanical interface (not shown) is provided at the tip of the third link 15. An end effector 16 corresponding to the work content is detachably attached to this mechanical interface. In this case, the end effector 16 may be a paint gun configured to spray or inject a liquid such as paint onto an object to be painted. Although not shown here, a pipe for supplying paint to the end effector 16 is connected to the end effector 16.

[0018] Each joint is provided with an actuator that rotates the two links connected by the joint relative to one another. The actuator may be, for example, a drive motor (not shown) controlled by a control device (not shown). Each joint may also be provided with a rotation sensor that detects the rotational position of the drive motor and a current sensor that detects the current that controls the rotation of the drive motor.

[0019] A protective cover 20 is attached to the paint robot 10 to prevent the adhesion of contaminants. The protective cover 20 may be formed in a cylindrical shape sized to match the diameter of the paint robot 10. The protective cover 20 may be, for example, a circular knitted fabric made of flexible thermoplastic synthetic fiber yarn. The protective cover 20 may be flame-retardant and / or anti-static. The protective cover 20 may be a combination of multiple sized parts that fit the shape and size of the paint robot 10.

[0020] The protective cover 20 may also have fixing means such as strings, rubber, buttons, hooks, magnets, etc. Using the fixing means can prevent the protective cover 20 from coming off the painting robot 10. The protective cover 20 also has an attachment means for attaching to the pinch prevention member 1, which will be described later.

[0021] If the protective cover is fitted to the robot's external shape, it may get pinched between the joints when the joints move, which can damage the protective cover. Also, the protective cover may limit the range of motion of the joints, which can limit the robot's range of motion compared to when the cover is not attached.

[0022] To prevent this, it is conceivable to use a protective cover that is larger than the external shape of the paint robot 10 or a protective cover with a bellows structure. However, the protective cover would protrude significantly from the paint robot 10, making it difficult to install the paint robot 10 in a narrow space. Furthermore, when multiple paint robots 10 are used, the protruding protective covers may interfere with each other, limiting the range of motion of the paint robots 10.

[0023] Therefore, the painting robot 10 of this embodiment is provided with a protective cover 20 of a size that corresponds to the external shape of the painting robot 10 so that the protective cover 20 does not protrude significantly from the painting robot 10. The painting robot 10 also has a pinch prevention structure that prevents the protective cover 20 from being pinched between the joints. The pinch prevention structure includes pinch prevention members 1 that are provided between the first link 12 and the joint 14 and between the second link 13 and the joint 14.

[0024] Hereinafter, when distinguishing between the pair of anti-pinch members 1, they will be referred to as the first member 1A and the second member 1B. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the first member 1A is attached to a first link 12, and the second member 1B is attached to a second link 13. The first member 1A and the second member 1B have the same configuration.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the pinch prevention member 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the pinch prevention member 1 includes a main body 2, a base 3, a first protrusion 4, and a second protrusion 5. The pinch prevention member 1 can be manufactured using, for example, a 3D printer. The 3D printer can create the desired three-dimensional shape of the pinch prevention member 1 by stacking (for example, printing) multiple layers of plastic, resin, or the like.

[0026] The main body 2 has a roughly bowl-shaped shape with a base 3. In FIG. 2, the lower surface of the main body 2 is the first surface, and the upper surface is the second surface. The main body 2 bulges out toward the second surface, with the first surface being open. The diameter of the main body 2 decreases from the first surface toward the second surface. That is, FIG. 2 shows the roughly bowl-shaped main body 2 lying face down with the open surface facing downwards. The base 3 is formed on the second surface side of the main body 2.

[0027] A plurality of first protrusions 4 and second protrusions 5 are formed on the outer surface 6 of the main body 2. The first protrusions 4 and second protrusions 5 are arranged alternately along the periphery of the outer surface 6. The first protrusions 4 and second protrusions 5 protrude from the outer surface 6 of the main body 2. The first protrusions 4 are formed to extend continuously from the outer surface 6 to the base portion 3. The cross-sectional shape of the first protrusions 4 on a plane perpendicular to the direction in which they extend can be a semicircular shape that is convex toward the second surface side. The second protrusions 5 are formed within the outer surface 6 in a dome shape that bulges out toward the second surface side.

[0028] A protective cover 20 that covers the joint 14 that connects the first link 12 and the second link 13 is attached to the first protrusion 4. For example, the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2 is assumed to be the movement direction of the joint 14. The two first protrusions 4 that are provided in this movement direction serve as attachment portions 4a for the protective cover 20. In other words, the attachment portions 4a of the first protrusions 4 to which the protective cover 20 is attached are provided at positions that correspond to the movement direction of the joint 14.

[0029] There is no concern about the protective cover 20 being pinched in a direction different from the movement direction of the joint 14. For this reason, in the example of Fig. 2, the protective cover 20 does not need to be attached to the first protrusion 4 at a position corresponding to the direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the joint 14. The first protrusion 4 does not need to be provided in a direction different from the movement direction of the joint 14, and the protective cover 20 may have a shape that fits the external shape of the painting robot 10.

[0030] If the joint 14 has multiple movement directions, the protective cover 20 is attached to the first protrusion 4 at a position corresponding to each movement direction. This allows the bulging shape to be positioned at a position where there is a risk of the protective cover 20 getting caught. The protective cover 20 may also be attached to all of the first protrusions 4 provided on the outer surface 6. The means for attaching the protective cover 20 to the first protrusion 4 may be, for example, a string, rubber, a button, a hook, a hook-and-loop fastener, a magnet, or an adhesive.

[0031] Furthermore, the protective cover 20 does not have to be attached to the second protrusion 5. This allows the protective cover 20 to be displaced along the outer surface 6 of the main body 2 due to the movement of the joints 14 of the painting robot 10. The protective cover 20 may also be attached to the second protrusion 5.

[0032] A base 3 is formed on the second surface of the main body 2. A screw hole (not shown) may be provided inside the base 3. The first member 1A may be fixed to the connection end of the first link 12 with the joint 14 by a screw using the screw hole provided in the base 3. In other words, the first member 1A is disposed between the first link 12 and the joint 14. The outer surface 6 of the first member 1A is located outside the outer periphery of the first link 12.

[0033] Furthermore, the second member 1B can be fixed to the connection end of the second link 13 with the joint 14 by a screw using a screw hole provided in the base portion 3. That is, the second member 1B is disposed between the second link 13 and the joint 14. The outer surface 6 of the second member 1B is located outside the outer periphery of the second link 13. However, the method of attaching the anti-pinch member 1 to the first link 12 and the second link 13 is not limited to this.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating how the shape of the protective cover 20 is changed by the pair of entrapment prevention members 1 (first member 1A, second member 1B). Note that for the sake of explanation, only a portion of the protective cover 20 is shown in FIG. 3. In reality, the protective cover 20 is configured to cover the entire periphery of the first link 12, the second link 13, the joint 14, and the pair of entrapment prevention members 1. Also, the first link 12, the second link 13, and the joint 14 are omitted from FIG. 3.

[0035] The angle θ formed by the extension direction of the first link 12 to which the first member 1A is attached and the extension direction of the second link 13 to which the second member 1B is attached is, for example, 0 degrees or more and 180 degrees or less. When θ = 180 degrees, the first link 12 and the second link 13 are arranged so as to be aligned on a straight line. At this time, the first surface of the first member 1A and the first surface of the second member 1B are opposed to each other and parallel to each other.

[0036] 3 shows a state where θ is smaller than 180 degrees. In this case, the first member 1A and the second member 1B are closer to each other on the inside of the joint, and the first member 1A and the second member 1B are farther apart on the outside of the joint.

[0037] The direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 3 is assumed to be the movement direction of the joint 14. In FIG. 3, the first protrusion 4 (attachment portion 4a) to which the protective cover 20 is attached is disposed at a position that is covered by the protective cover 20 and cannot be seen. The position of the attachment portion 4a is indicated by a dashed leader line in FIG. 3. As θ is increased from the state shown in FIG. 3, the excess protective cover 20 on the outside of the joint bends. As described above, because the protective cover 20 is attached to the attachment portion 4a of the pinch prevention member 1, the excess protective cover 20 bulges outward from the joint. In this way, according to the embodiment, the protective cover 20 is not folded inward from the joint, and it is possible to prevent the protective cover 20 from being pinched in the joint.

[0038] The anti-pinch members 1 may be disposed not only on both sides of the joint but also at locations other than the joint. For example, the anti-pinch members 1 may be disposed around the first link 12 so that the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 protrude from the body of the first link 12. The protective cover 20 may be attached to the first protrusion 4 provided on the body of the first link 12. This allows the anti-pinch structure of the protective cover 20 to be applied throughout the entire painting robot 10, and the protective cover 20 to be attached.

[0039] Embodiment 2. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the anti-pinch structure of the protective cover according to embodiment 2. Fig. 4 shows only the protective cover 20 whose shape has been changed by the anti-pinch member 1. Here, the protective cover 20 before its shape is changed is assumed to be cylindrical in shape and sized to fit the diameter of the painting robot 10.

[0040] In the second embodiment, the pair of anti-trapping members 1 are a first member 1A and a second member 1B each having an opening on the second surface. In the first member 1A and the second member 1B in the second embodiment, the opening may be provided, for example, in the base portion 3 shown in FIG. 2. That is, in the second embodiment, the anti-trapping member 1 is said to be ring-shaped. Also, in this case, the anti-trapping member 1 is not provided with the second protrusion 5.

[0041] The first member 1A and the second member 1B are attached to the protective cover 20 with a predetermined gap between them. The first member 1A and the second member 1B can be sewn to the protective cover 20, for example. Furthermore, the first surface of the first member 1A and the first surface of the second member 1B are arranged to face each other.

[0042] When the first link 12 passes through the opening of the first member 1A, the first member 1A is disposed around the first link 12. When the second link 13 passes through the opening of the second member 1B, the second member 1B is disposed around the second link 13. The predetermined distance between the first member 1A and the second member 1B can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the size of the joint 14 between the first link 12 and the second link 13.

[0043] In Figure 4, the positions where the first member 1A and the second member 1B are arranged are indicated by dashed lead lines. The first member 1A is arranged at one end of the protective cover 20, and the second member 1B is arranged at the other end of the protective cover 20. Because the protective cover 20 is made of a flexible material, its shape changes to match the shape of the anti-pinch member 1 arranged inside. In this way, by arranging multiple anti-pinch members 1 inside the protective cover 20, it is possible to give the entire protective cover 20 a bulging shape 21 corresponding to the first protrusion 4.

[0044] Although an example is shown here in which two pinch prevention members 1 (first member 1A and second member 1B) are arranged inside the cylindrical protective cover 20, three or more pinch prevention members 1 may be provided. For example, another pinch prevention member 1 may be arranged between pinch prevention members 1 arranged at both ends of the protective cover 20.

[0045] As described above, according to the embodiment, the protective cover 20 can be given a shape that bulges outward in the direction of joint movement. As a result, even if the protective cover 20 slightly protrudes from the paint robot 10 when the joint is moved, the protective cover 20 can be folded inward and prevented from being pinched in the joint. Furthermore, because the protective cover 20 is made of flexible fabric, the range of movement of the paint robot 10 is not restricted by interference from the protruding protective cover 20.

[0046] If the painting robot 10 has multiple joints, the above-described pinch prevention structure can be applied to each joint.

[0047] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In the above-described embodiment, the anti-pinch structure is applied to the painting robot 10, but it may also be applied to industrial robots that perform other tasks. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Anti-pinch member 2 Main unit 3 base 4 1st protrusion 4a Mounting part 5 Second protrusion 6 External surface 1A First member 1B Second member 10 Painting robot 11 Foundation 12 First Link 13 Second Link 14 Joints 15 Third Link 16 End Effector 20 Protective cover 21 Bulging shape

Claims

1. a substantially bowl-shaped main body whose diameter decreases from the first surface toward the second surface; a mounting portion provided along the periphery of the outer surface of the main body so as to protrude from the outer surface of the main body, and to which a protective cover is attached that covers a joint connecting the first link and the second link; A pair of anti-pinch members including Anti-pinch structure for robot protective cover.

2. The pair of anti-pinch members includes a first member attached to the first link and a second member attached to the second link, The first surface of the first member and the first surface of the second member are arranged to face each other. The pinch prevention structure according to claim 1 .

3. The pair of anti-pinch members are a first member and a second member each having an opening on a second surface, The first link passes through the opening of the first member, so that the first member is disposed around the first link; The second link passes through an opening in the second member, whereby the second member is disposed around the second link; The first surface of the first member and the first surface of the second member are arranged to face each other. The pinch prevention structure according to claim 1 .

4. the first member and the second member are attached to the protective cover; The pinch prevention structure according to claim 3.

5. The attachment portion is provided at a position corresponding to at least the movement direction of the joint. The pinch prevention structure according to claim 1 .

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