Work robot

Abstract

To provide a working robot capable of performing various tasks with a higher degree of freedom. [Solution] The work robot includes a movable cart and a manipulator that protrudes outward from the side of the cart in a plan view of the cart's top plate and whose tip position and orientation can be freely changed. This configuration allows the reach of the manipulator's tip to be expanded compared to a configuration in which the manipulator is located in the center of the top plate. As a result, a work robot can be provided that can perform various tasks with a higher degree of freedom.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a working robot. [Background technology]

[0002] The use of AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) is increasing as work robots that transport items and perform various tasks unmanned within factories and plants (see Patent Document 1 below). As an example, a work robot mainly comprises a cart body and wheels attached to the cart body. Furthermore, some work robots of this type are equipped with a manipulator (robot arm) for performing tasks such as welding and assembly. In order to ensure weight balance and stability, the manipulator has generally been installed in the center of the top surface of the cart. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-37591 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, depending on the dimensions of the object to be transported or operated, there may be limitations on the reach of the tip of the manipulator. Specifically, even if the cart itself is closest to the edge of the object and the manipulator is extended to its maximum extent, the tip of the manipulator may not reach the target position if the target position is located far away from the edge. Also, if the target position is far away from the travel range of the work robot, the tip of the manipulator may not reach the target position. This has resulted in a problem in that the situations in which work robots can be applied are limited.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a working robot that is capable of performing various tasks with a higher degree of freedom. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the work robot according to the present disclosure comprises a movable cart and a manipulator that protrudes outward from the side of the cart in a planar view of the top plate of the cart and whose tip position and posture can be arbitrarily changed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a working robot capable of performing various tasks with a higher degree of freedom can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of a work robot according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a work robot according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the bogie according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the internal structure of the bogie according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the configuration of a work robot according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a modified example of a work robot according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a modified example of a work robot according to each embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] First Embodiment (Work robot configuration) A working robot 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. This working robot 1 is used, for example, in a factory or plant to transport items and perform various tasks such as welding and assembly.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the working robot 1 includes a carriage 10, a support unit 20, a manipulator 30, and an internal device 40.

[0011] (cart) The dolly 10 has a dolly body 11, a work platform 12, and a plurality of (for example, four) wheels 13. The dolly body 11 is shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped or cube. The inside of the dolly body 11 houses a drive device for the wheels 13, various control devices, a power supply, etc. The dolly body 11 has a rectangular work platform 12 serving as a top plate 14 facing upward, four side plates 15 that extend downward from each edge of the work platform 12 and face horizontally, and a bottom plate 16 that is connected to the lower ends of the four side plates 15 and faces downward. Of the front and back surfaces of the side plates 15, the surfaces facing outward are referred to as "side surfaces 17."

[0012] The top surface of the work table 12, which serves as the top plate 14, forms a "work surface 18" that can be reached by a manipulator 30, which will be described later. After placing components to be assembled, for example, on the work surface 18, the manipulator 30 can be used to transport and assemble these components.

[0013] Of the four side surfaces 17, two wheels 13 are provided on each pair of side surfaces 17 facing opposite each other. Specifically, in addition to ordinary circular tires, Mecanum wheels can be suitably used as the wheels 13. A Mecanum wheel has multiple barrel-shaped rollers arranged circumferentially along the outer periphery of the wheel 13. The rotation axis of each roller is inclined at approximately 45° with respect to the axle X. The axle X extends horizontally. The Mecanum wheel itself can rotate around this axle X. Independently controlling the rotation of these four Mecanum wheels allows for a high degree of freedom in controlling the direction of travel of the bogie body 11. Specifically, in addition to forward and backward movement, the bogie body can also turn left and right, or rotate on the spot.

[0014] (Support part) A support part 20 is provided on one of the pair of side surfaces 17 on which the wheels 13 are arranged. The support part 20 is a member for supporting the manipulator 30. The support part 20 is arranged at a position biased towards the upper part of the side surface 17. The support part 20 protrudes outward from the top plate 14 in a plan view (i.e., in a direction away from the side surface 17). The surface of the support part 20 facing upward forms a "support surface 21."

[0015] (manipulator) The manipulator 30 is a robot arm for performing various operations such as welding and assembly on a workpiece. The manipulator 30 is attached to the support surface 21 of the support unit 20. The manipulator 30 has a base 31, a first arm 32, a second arm 33, and a tip 34 (tip). Starting from the support surface 21 side as the starting end, the base 31 to the tip 34 are connected in the above order. The first arm 32 is rotatably connected to the base 31. Similarly, the second arm 33 is rotatably connected to the first arm 32. The tip 34 is also rotatably connected to the second arm 33.

[0016] Although not shown in detail, various tools can be appropriately selected and attached to the tip 34. Examples of such tools include a welding torch, a robot hand, a cutting tool, and a measuring device. With the above configuration, the position and posture of the tip 34 of the manipulator 30 can be changed as desired. The number and length of the arms of the manipulator 30 can be changed as appropriate depending on the characteristics and environment of the work.

[0017] (internal device) The bogie body 11 accommodates an internal device 40. Specific examples of the internal device 40 include a motor 41 for driving the wheels 13 to rotate, a battery 42 as a power source, an inverter 43 for boosting the voltage supplied from the battery 42, and a controller 44 for controlling the operation of the manipulator 30. Although not shown, various interfaces, sensors, and the like may also be accommodated inside the bogie body 11. As shown in FIG. 3 , in a plan view, the battery 42 has an elongated shape extending from one side to the other of the pair of side surfaces 17 on which the wheels 13 are arranged. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the battery 42 is disposed on the bottom plate 16 at the center of the bogie 10 in the fore-and-aft direction. That is, the battery 42 is disposed at the lowest part inside the bogie body 11.

[0018] Motors 41 for driving the four wheels 13 are disposed inside the wheels 13. A stepping motor or the like is suitably used as the motor 41. The inverter 43 and the controller 44 are disposed above the battery 42 so as to be stacked in the vertical direction. The inverter 43 and the controller 44 have a rectangular parallelepiped shape and house various electric components, electronic components, and circuit boards inside. The inverter 43 and the controller 44 are disposed biased to one side in the width direction of the cart 10 (i.e., the direction connecting the pair of side surfaces 17 on which the wheels 13 are disposed).

[0019] More specifically, the inverter 43 and the controller 44 are positioned on the opposite side of the side 17 on which the manipulator 30 is positioned. By positioning the heavy inverter 43 and the controller 44 in this offset position, the inverter 43 and the controller 44 function as a counterweight to offset the weight of the manipulator 30. As a result, the center of gravity G of the entire work robot 1 is positioned on the opposite side of the side 17 on which the manipulator 30 is positioned when viewed from above.

[0020] More specifically, the center of gravity G is offset to one side of the center line L extending in the front-rear direction of the bogie 10. If the inverter 43 and the controller 44 are lightweight, a metal lump or the like that serves only as a counterweight can be placed in the above-mentioned position.

[0021] (Action and effect) When operating the working robot 1, first move the working robot 1 near the object to be worked on. Next, operate the manipulator 30 to move the tip 34 to the target position on the object. In this state, various tasks such as welding and assembly can be performed by operating the tools on the tip 34. It is also possible to perform welding and other tasks while moving the working robot 1.

[0022] Here, in order to ensure weight balance and stability during operation, the manipulator 30 has generally been installed in the center of the top surface of the cart 10. However, depending on the dimensions of the objects to be transported or subjected to various operations, there may be restrictions on the reach of the tip 34 of the manipulator 30.

[0023] For example, even if the manipulator 30 is extended to its maximum extent after the cart 10 itself is closest to the edge of the object, if the target position is located far away from the edge of the object, the cart body 11 cannot be moved farther than the edge of the object. As a result, the tip of the manipulator 30 does not reach the target position. Furthermore, there are cases where the working robot 1 can only travel within a predetermined travel path. In this case, too, if the target position is far from the travel path, the tip of the manipulator 30 will not reach the target position.

[0024] As a result, there is a problem that the situations in which the working robot 1 can be applied are limited. To solve this problem, the working robot 1 according to this embodiment employs the above-described configurations.

[0025] According to the above configuration, the manipulator 30 protrudes outward from the side surface 17 of the cart 10. This allows the reach of the tip 34 of the manipulator 30 to be expanded by the offset amount of the manipulator 30 compared to, for example, a configuration in which the manipulator 30 is disposed in the center of the top plate 14. In other words, the tip of the manipulator 30 can reach even farther while the side surface 17 on which the manipulator 30 is disposed is brought closer to the work object. This therefore expands the workable range of the working robot 1 compared to conventional models, enabling it to handle larger objects and dramatically increasing the degree of freedom in various tasks. As a result, the efficiency and productivity of various tasks performed by the working robot 1 can be improved.

[0026] According to the above configuration, the support unit 20 that supports the manipulator 30 is provided on the upper part of the side surface 17 of the cart 10. Therefore, a space is formed between the support unit 20 and the floor below the manipulator 30. As a result, even if an obstacle is present below the support unit 20, the manipulator 30 can reach the target position by straddling the obstacle. This makes it possible to maximize the range of work that can be performed by the working robot 1. As a result, the versatility of the working robot 1 is improved, and the efficiency and productivity of various tasks can be significantly improved.

[0027] According to the above configuration, the center of gravity G of the cart 10 is biased toward the side opposite to the side 17 on which the manipulator 30 is mounted. As a result, even when the manipulator 30 is extended, the possibility of the cart 10 tipping over or overturning due to a change in the center of gravity G caused by the extension of the manipulator 30 can be minimized. This makes it possible to significantly improve the stability and reliability of work performed by the work robot 1. This optimization of the center of gravity G is achieved by offsetting the inverter 43 and controller 44, which serve as heavy objects. A secondary effect of this is that the inverter 43 and controller 44 can be accessed from one side 17 in a concentrated manner. This also makes it easier to perform maintenance on the work robot 1.

[0028] With the above configuration, the top surface of the cart 10 forms a flat work surface 18. This makes it possible to use, for example, the manipulator 30 to transport an item placed on the work table 12 or to perform other processing work. This makes it possible to reduce the work space around the working robot 1 and improve work efficiency.

[0029] The above describes the working robot 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that various changes and modifications can be made to the above-described configurations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0030] Second Embodiment Next, a working robot 101 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, the work robot 101 is further equipped with outriggers 50. As an example, a pair of outriggers 50 are provided on each of a pair of side surfaces 17 facing the front and rear direction of the cart 10. Depending on the design and specifications, outriggers 50 may also be provided on other side surfaces 17. These outriggers 50 are provided to prevent the cart 10 from tipping over or overturning even if the center of gravity position changes when the manipulator 30 is extended.

[0032] Each outrigger 50 extends in a direction away from the side surface 17 as it moves downward (toward the floor surface) from the side surface 17. More specifically, the extending direction of the outriggers 50 is inclined at an angle ranging from 30° to 60° with respect to the vertical direction. More preferably, this inclination angle is within a range from 40° to 50°. Most preferably, the inclination angle of the outriggers 50 is 45°. Furthermore, each outrigger 50 can freely extend and retract in the extending direction or move forward and backward. Therefore, during phases when the manipulator 30 is not performing work, i.e., during movement, the outriggers 50 can be stored on the side of the carriage body 11.

[0033] (Action and effect) According to the above configuration, the cart 10 is provided with the outriggers 50. As a result, even if an imbalance in weight occurs due to the arrangement of the manipulator 30 on the side surface 17 side, the imbalance can be compensated for by supporting part of the weight with the outriggers 50. Therefore, the risk of the cart 10 tipping over or overturning is minimized, and it is possible to further improve the stability and reliability of work performed by the manipulator 30.

[0034] <Other embodiments> Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design modifications and the like are also included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0035] For example, as a modification of the second embodiment, the configuration shown in Fig. 6 can be adopted. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the outriggers 50 extend vertically and are movable forward and backward or extendable in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the same effects as those described above can be obtained.

[0036] As a modified example common to all the embodiments, the configuration shown in Fig. 7 can be adopted. In the example shown in Fig. 7, one support part 20 is provided on each of the four side surfaces 17. That is, it is possible to select the support part 20 to which the manipulator 30 is attached depending on the characteristics and environment of the work. It is also possible to attach a manipulator 30 to each of all the support parts 20 and operate them.

[0037] With this configuration, support parts 20 are provided on multiple different side surfaces 17. This allows the manipulators 30 provided on each side surface 17 to perform various tasks without significantly changing the posture or orientation of the cart 10. This makes it possible to further improve the efficiency and productivity of work performed by the working robot 1.

[0038] Furthermore, although not shown in detail, the support unit 20 may be arranged to be movable in a horizontal plane across the four side surfaces 17. For example, a configuration is conceivable in which the support unit 20 is attached to a belt or chain that surrounds the four side surfaces 17 from the outer periphery, and the support unit 20 is moved appropriately by driving the belt or the like. With this configuration, the position of the manipulator 30 can be freely changed in a stepless manner, further improving the degree of freedom in work.

[0039] <Additional Notes> The working robot 1 described in each embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0040] (1) The work robot 1 according to the first aspect comprises a movable cart 10 and a manipulator 30 that is arranged to protrude outward from a side surface 17 of the cart 10 in a plan view of the top plate 14 of the cart 10, and whose tip position and posture can be arbitrarily changed.

[0041] According to the above configuration, the reach of the tip 34 of the manipulator 30 can be expanded.

[0042] (2) The working robot 1 according to the second aspect is the working robot 1 of (1), further comprising a support part 20 provided on the upper part of the side surface 17 and supporting the manipulator 30.

[0043] According to the above configuration, even if an obstacle exists below the support part 20, the manipulator 30 can reach the target position by straddling the obstacle.

[0044] (3) A working robot 1 according to a third aspect is the working robot 1 of (2), in which the support parts 20 are provided on the different side surfaces 17, respectively.

[0045] According to the above configuration, it is possible to further improve the efficiency and productivity of work performed by the working robot 1.

[0046] (4) The working robot 1 according to the fourth aspect is the working robot 1 according to any one of aspects (1) to (3), in which the manipulator 30 is provided on each of the multiple side surfaces 17 of the cart 10.

[0047] According to the above configuration, it is possible to further improve the efficiency and productivity of work performed by the working robot 1.

[0048] (5) The work robot 1 according to the fifth aspect is a work robot 1 according to any one of aspects (1) to (4), in which the center of gravity of the cart 10 in a plan view is biased to the side opposite the side 17 on which the manipulator 30 is provided.

[0049] According to the above configuration, the possibility that the carriage 10 will tip over or overturn due to the weight of the manipulator 30 can be minimized.

[0050] (6) The work robot 101 according to the sixth aspect is the work robot 101 according to any one of the aspects (1) to (5), and further includes an outrigger 50 that is provided on the carriage 10 and can move forward and backward outward.

[0051] According to the above configuration, even if an imbalance in weight occurs due to the manipulator 30 being disposed on the side surface 17 side, this can be compensated for by the outriggers 50.

[0052] (7) The work robot 1 according to the seventh aspect is a work robot 1 according to any one of aspects (1) to (6), in which the top surface of the cart 10 is flat, thereby forming a work surface 18 accessible to the manipulator 30.

[0053] According to the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the working space and improve the working efficiency. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1...Work robot 10...Cart 11...Cart body 12...Work platform 13...Wheels 14...Top plate 15...Side plate 16...Bottom plate 17...Side surface 18...Work surface 20...Support part 21...Support surface 30...Manipulator 31...Base 32...First arm 33...Second arm 34...Tip part 40...Internal device 41...Motor 42...Battery 43...Inverter 44...Controller 50...Outrigger 101...Work robot L...Center line X...Axle

Claims

1. A movable cart and a manipulator provided so as to protrude outward from a side surface of the cart in a plan view of the top plate of the cart, the manipulator having a tip whose position and attitude can be arbitrarily changed; A work robot equipped with:

2. The working robot according to claim 1 , further comprising a support portion provided on an upper portion of the side surface, the support portion supporting the manipulator.

3. The working robot according to claim 2 , wherein the support portions are provided on different sides of the robot.

4. The working robot according to claim 1 , wherein the manipulators are provided on a plurality of sides of the carriage.

5. 4. The working robot according to claim 1, wherein the center of gravity of the carriage in a plan view is offset to the side opposite to the side on which the manipulator is provided.

6. The working robot according to claim 1 , further comprising an outrigger provided on the carriage and capable of moving forward and backward outward.

7. 4. The working robot according to claim 1, wherein the top surface of the carriage is flat, thereby forming a working surface accessible to the manipulator.

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