Control unit

Abstract

To provide a control unit capable of charging a portable teaching device while using an industrial robot and its control device.SOLUTION: The control unit 1 includes the control device 10 that controls the industrial robot 30, which is a collaborative robot, and the portable teaching device 20 that teaches the operation of the industrial robot 30 through wireless communication, and the control device 10 includes the power transmission coil 12 disposed inside the control device 10 so as to face the 11a of the wall portion of the housing 11 of the control device 10. The teaching device 20 has a power reception coil 22 magnetically coupled to the power transmission coil 12 and a storage battery 23 for storing power generated by the power reception coil 22 inside the teaching device 20, and the control device 10 and the teaching device 20 have positioning mechanisms 14, 24 for detachably positioning the power reception coil 22 at a position opposed to the power transmission coil 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control unit. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of this type of technology, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, a charging stand is used to charge a portable teaching device that teaches an industrial robot via wireless communication. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-231119 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, charging stations are generally placed in locations (for example, safety fences) away from the industrial robot and its control device, making charging a time-consuming task.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and its object is to provide a control unit that makes it possible to charge a portable teaching device while using an industrial robot and its control device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In view of the above problems, the control unit of the present invention comprises a control device that controls an industrial robot that is a collaborative robot, and a portable teaching device that teaches the industrial robot how to operate via wireless communication, wherein the control device has a power transmission coil arranged inside the control device facing a wall of the control device's housing, and the teaching device has a power receiving coil magnetically coupled to the power transmission coil and a storage battery that stores the power generated by the power receiving coil inside the teaching device, and the control device and the teaching device have a positioning mechanism that can be detachably positioned so that the power receiving coil faces the power transmission coil.

[0007] According to the present invention, when attaching a portable teaching device to a control device, the positioning mechanism can position the power receiving coil so that it faces the power transmitting coil. This allows the portable teaching device to be charged while attached to the control device while using the industrial robot and its control device. As a result, it is not necessary to carry the teaching device outside the safety fence when charging, thereby reducing the effort required for charging.

[0008] In a more preferred embodiment, the industrial robot is a welding robot, and the wall portion is a side wall of the housing.

[0009] In manufacturing sites where welding robots are in operation, metal welding often generates metal particles such as fumes, which can accumulate on the surface of the housing of the control device. If such metal particles accumulate on the surface of the housing where the magnetic force passes from the power transmitting coil to the power receiving coil, there is a risk that the accumulated metal particles will be heated by electromagnetic induction.

[0010] According to this aspect, by making the wall of the housing facing the power transmission coil the side wall of the housing, it is possible to reduce the accumulation of metal particles on the wall of the housing, thereby suppressing induction heating caused by the accumulation of metal particles.

[0011] In a more preferred embodiment, the portion of the side wall facing the power transmission coil is made of a resin plate.

[0012] According to this aspect, the resin plate is not inductively heated by the magnetic force generated by the power transmission coil, and therefore the housing is prevented from being heated.

[0013] In a further preferred embodiment, a recess is formed on the back surface of the teaching device to allow an operator to hold the teaching device, and the power receiving coil is disposed at a position away from the recess.

[0014] According to this aspect, an operator can easily insert his / her fingers into the recess and grip the teaching device. Furthermore, since the power receiving coil is positioned away from the recess, the distance between the power transmitting coil and the power receiving coil is smaller than when the power receiving coil is positioned on the backside of the recess. Therefore, the power receiving coil is magnetically coupled to the power transmitting coil more efficiently. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, while using an industrial robot and its control device, the portable teaching device can be charged in a state where it is attached to the control device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a control unit and an industrial robot that is a collaborative robot according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the teaching device according to the present embodiment, seen from the back side of the housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Note that the embodiment described below is one aspect of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0018] <System configuration> FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a control unit 1 and an industrial robot 30, which is a collaborative robot, according to this embodiment. The control unit 1 includes a control device 10 that controls the industrial robot 30 and a portable teaching device 20 that teaches the industrial robot 30 how to operate via wireless communication. A wall 11a, which is a side wall of a housing 11 of the control device 10, is formed with a hook 14 having a generally concave shape. The teaching device 20 also has an engaging portion 24, and by engaging the engaging portion 24 with the hook 14, the teaching device 20 can be detachably positioned in a position facing the wall 11a. At this time, a small gap can be created between the teaching device 20 and the housing 11. The wall 11a may be a door that can be opened and closed.

[0019] Here, the hook 14 and the engaging portion 24 correspond to the positioning mechanism of the present invention, but the positioning mechanism is not limited to these as long as the teaching device 20 can be detachably positioned in a position facing the wall portion 11a. For example, the teaching device 20 may have a magnet instead of the engaging portion 24, and the wall portion 11a may have a portion to which the magnet is attached instead of the hook 14, and the magnet and the portion to which the magnet is attached may serve as the positioning mechanism. Alternatively, the wall portion 11a may have a recess instead of the hook 14, and the teaching device 20 may have a protrusion that can be inserted into the recess instead of the engaging portion 24, and the recess and the protrusion may serve as the positioning mechanism. Furthermore, although the teaching device 20 is illustrated as being portable in this embodiment, it may also be, for example, a tablet.

[0020] Furthermore, while there are many different types of industrial robots 30, in this embodiment, a welding robot is used as an example of the industrial robot 30. The industrial robot 30 includes a robot body 31, a torch 32 that holds a wire used for welding so that the tip of the wire protrudes, and an L-shaped bracket 33 that connects the robot body 31 and the torch 32. In manufacturing sites where the industrial robot 30, which is a welding robot, operates, metal particles such as fumes are often generated during metal welding operations. The control device 10 has a fan (also invisible) that draws in outside air in an invisible side wall of the housing 11 that is joined to the wall portion 11a in FIG. 1. The presence of the fan in this position prevents metal particles such as fumes from being sucked into the inside of the control device 10.

[0021] 2 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 1 according to this embodiment. The control device 10 includes, inside the control device 10, a power transmitting coil 12 arranged facing a wall 11a of a housing 11 of the control device 10, a battery 13 that stores power from an external power source and supplies the power to the power transmitting coil 12, and a control board 15 that receives power from the external power source or the battery 13 and is connected to the industrial robot 30 by wire. The teaching device 20 also includes, inside a housing 21 of the teaching device 20, a power receiving coil 22 that is magnetically coupled to the power transmitting coil 12 and a storage battery 23 that stores power generated by the power receiving coil 22. Note that the control board 15 may be supplied with power only from the battery 13. In other words, a power line between the external power source and the control board 15 may not be required.

[0022] As described above, the hook 14 and the engaging portion 24 allow the teaching device 20 to be detachably positioned facing the wall 11a with a small gap between the teaching device 20 and the housing 11. This allows the power receiving coil 22 to be positioned facing the power transmitting coil 12. This improves the efficiency of power transmission from the power receiving coil 22 to the power transmitting coil 12. With the above configuration, the teaching device 20 can be efficiently charged while using the industrial robot 30 and its control device 10, thereby reducing the effort required for charging.

[0023] Incidentally, if the above-mentioned metal fine particles accumulate at a position on the surface of the housing 11 through which the magnetic force passes from the power transmitting coil 12 to the power receiving coil 22, there is a risk that the accumulated metal fine particles will be heated by electromagnetic induction. In this embodiment, the wall 11a of the housing 11 facing the power transmitting coil 12 is set as the side wall of the housing 11, and a small gap is created between the teaching device 20 and the housing 11, with the space below the gap being open, thereby reducing the accumulation of metal fine particles on the wall 11a of the housing 11. This makes it possible to suppress induction heating caused by the accumulation of metal fine particles.

[0024] Furthermore, the portion of wall 11a facing power transmission coil 12 is made of resin plate 11b. Resin plate 11b is fixed to wall 11a with fixing screws 40. Resin plate 11b is located on the magnetic field lines generated by power transmission coil 12, but this magnetic field does not induce heating of resin plate 11b, and therefore housing 11 is prevented from being heated.

[0025] Furthermore, a recess 25 is formed on the back surface of housing 21 of teaching device 20 (i.e., the surface facing wall 11a), and power receiving coil 22 and storage battery 23 are disposed at a position away from recess 25, specifically, at a position inside housing 21 facing flat portion 25C, which is the portion of the back surface of housing 21 other than recess 25. Because power receiving coil 22 is disposed at a position away from recess 25, the distance between power transmitting coil 12 and power receiving coil 23 is smaller than when power receiving coil 22 is disposed at a position facing recess 25. Therefore, power receiving coil 22 is magnetically coupled to power transmitting coil 12 more efficiently, which tends to improve power transmission efficiency.

[0026] The configuration of the back surface of the teaching device 20 is shown in detail in FIG. 3. A recess 25 formed on the back surface of the teaching device 20 includes a bottom 25A and sidewalls 25B rising from the bottom 25A. The sidewalls 25B are inclined so as to widen as they extend from the bottom 25A along the sidewalls 25B toward the opening edge. An operator can easily hold the teaching device 20 by inserting their fingers into the recess 25. Note that a long activation switch 26 that activates the industrial robot 30 when pressed may be provided on the sidewalls 25B. The position of the power receiving coil 22 is not particularly limited as long as the surfaces of the bottom 25A and the sidewalls 25B are considered to be part of the back surface of the teaching device 20 and the power receiving coil 22 is located at a position away from these surfaces.

[0027] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1: control unit, 10: control device, 11: housing, 11a: wall portion, 11b: resin plate, 12: power transmission coil, 14: hook (positioning mechanism), 20: teaching device, 22: power receiving coil, 23: storage battery, 24: engagement portion (positioning mechanism), 25: recess, 30: industrial robot

Claims

1. A control unit including a control device that controls an industrial robot that is a collaborative robot, and a portable teaching device that teaches the industrial robot how to operate via wireless communication, the control device has a power transmission coil disposed inside the control device and facing a wall portion of a housing of the control device, the teaching device includes, inside the teaching device, a power receiving coil magnetically coupled to the power transmitting coil and a storage battery that stores power generated by the power receiving coil; The control unit is characterized in that the control device and the teaching device have a positioning mechanism that detachably positions the power receiving coil at a position facing the power transmitting coil.

2. the industrial robot is a welding robot, The control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the wall portion is a side wall of the housing.

3. The control unit according to claim 2 , wherein the side wall has a portion facing the power transmission coil, the portion being made of a resin plate.

4. a recessed portion for an operator to hold the teaching device is formed on the back surface of the teaching device; The control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the power receiving coil is disposed opposite the recess at a position away from the recess.

Images