Support device

Abstract

This invention provides a support device that facilitates the support of the arm members of a robot arm during maintenance of a multi-joint robot. [Solution] The support device 1 supports the arm member 121 of the robot arm 120 of the articulated robot 100 when the articulated robot 100 is placed on the installation surface 200. The support device 1 comprises a gate-shaped frame 3 attached to both sides of the articulated robot 100, a jib 5 provided above the articulated robot 100 and positioned to extend from the frame 3 toward the tip 123 of the robot arm 120 of the articulated robot 100 when the installation surface 200 is viewed from above in a plan view, and a lifting jig 6 provided on the jib 5 for suspending and supporting the arm member 121.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a support device for supporting an arm member of a robotic arm during maintenance of an articulated robot placed on an installation surface.

Background Art

[0002] A vertical articulated robot has a robotic arm connecting a plurality of arm members. Each arm member can be rotated in a vertical plane with respect to the installation surface of the vertical articulated robot under the control of a speed reducer or a motor.

[0003] Here, when removing a speed reducer or a motor during maintenance of an articulated robot, the arm member becomes in a state where it can rotate freely. Therefore, when removing the speed reducer or the motor, it is necessary to support the arm member to prevent the arm member from rotating downward and falling. Usually, a building facility such as a crane is used to support the arm member.

[0004] On the other hand, Patent Document 1 describes attaching a jig for supporting an arm member to an articulated robot, and removing the speed reducer after supporting the arm member with the jig.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] By the way, when using a building facility such as a crane to support an arm member, if the articulated robot is installed in a place far from the crane or the like, it is necessary to remove the articulated robot from the installation surface and move it to the area where the crane or the like is arranged, which is time - consuming.

[0007] The jig described in Patent Document 1 is attached to a multi-joint robot to support an arm member, but the jig cannot be attached unless the arm member is in a specific position, making the work time-consuming. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 uses a crane to maintain the arm member in a specific position, and the same problems arise when using a building equipment crane.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a support device that can easily support the arm members of a robot arm during maintenance of a multi-joint robot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention, which solves the above problems, is a support device for supporting the arm member of the robot arm of an articulated robot when the articulated robot is placed on a mounting surface, and comprises a gate-shaped frame attached to both sides of the articulated robot, a jib provided above the articulated robot and positioned to extend from the frame toward the tip of the robot arm of the articulated robot when the mounting surface is viewed from above in a plan view, and a lifting jig provided on the jib for suspending and supporting the arm member.

[0010] The support device further comprises a mast extending upward from the top of the frame, and one end of the jib is fixed to the top of the mast.

[0011] The mast is rotatable in the in-plane direction of the mounting surface. It may also be extendable and retractable in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the frame's length in the vertical direction is adjustable.

[0012] The lifting jig is movable along the longitudinal direction of the jib. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The present invention provides a support device that can easily support the arm members of a robot arm during maintenance of a multi-joint robot. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view showing an example of a support device according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a portion of it in cross-section. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of the support device in Figure 1, as viewed from direction II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This figure shows a schematic vertical cross-section of the mast along line III-III in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This figure shows a schematic horizontal cross-section of the mast along line IV-IV in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a schematic side view, partially cross-sectional, showing the state in which the arm member at the tip of the robot arm is suspended and supported by the support device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing a modified version of the support device shown in Figure 1, viewed from the same direction as in Figure 2, with a portion of it shown in cross-section. [Figure 7] This schematic diagram shows a modified example of the support device shown in Figure 1, viewed from the same direction as Figure 2, with a portion of it shown in cross-section. [Figure 8] This is a schematic side view showing a support device relating to yet another modified example of the support device shown in Figure 1, with a portion of it in cross-section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing an example of the support device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a part in cross section. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an example of the support device 1 in FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction II in FIG. 1, with a part in cross section. The support device 1 supports the arm members 121 (121-1, 121-2) of the robot arm 120 during maintenance of the multi-joint robot 100 placed on the installation surface 200. Hereinafter, the terms "front" and "rear" may be used with respect to the support device 1. "Front" shall refer to the tip 123 side of the robot arm 120 of the multi-joint robot 100 in a plan view from above the installation surface 200. "Rear" shall refer to the opposite side of the tip 123 of the robot arm 120 in a plan view from above the installation surface 200. Also, the state of the installation surface 200 in a plan view from above may be simply referred to as "plane" hereinafter.

[0017] The multi-joint robot 100 of the present embodiment is a vertical multi-joint robot having a base 110 and a robot arm 120. The base 110 is provided at the base of the multi-joint robot 100. The robot arm 120 is configured by connecting a plurality of arm members 121. Each of the arm members 121-1, 121-2 can be rotated about the rotation axes exemplified by reference numerals 130-1, 130-2 in a vertical plane (the vertical plane shown in FIG. 1) with respect to the installation surface 200 of the multi-joint robot 100.

[0018] The support device 1 mainly includes a bracket 2, a frame 3, a mast 4, a jib 5, and a suspension jig 6.

[0019] The bracket 2 is a member for attaching the frame 3 to the multi-joint robot 100. A steel material such as an angle material is used for the bracket 2. The bracket 2 is arranged to extend in the front-rear direction. The front-rear direction corresponds to the left-right direction in FIG. 1 and the direction normal to the paper surface in FIG. 2.

[0020] Bracket 2 is fixed to both sides of the articulated robot 100 using bolts 21 or the like, utilizing the service taps (not shown) for attaching transport jigs that the articulated robot 100 has. "Side" refers to the surface when the articulated robot 100 is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the vertical plane shown in Figure 1 (corresponding to the left and right directions in Figure 2), and is a surface that is approximately perpendicular to the rotation axes 130-1 and 130-2.

[0021] A service tap is a pre-installed screw hole in the articulated robot 100 for attaching transport jigs and the like. In this embodiment, by using the service tap to fix the bracket 2, it becomes unnecessary to perform processing such as adding screw holes to the articulated robot 100.

[0022] Frame 3 is a gate-shaped member positioned to straddle the space between the two sides of the articulated robot 100 and attached to both sides of the articulated robot 100. Frame 3 has columnar sections 31 erected on brackets 2 on both sides of the articulated robot 100 and beam sections 32 connecting the tops of the columnar sections 31.

[0023] The column section 31 is constructed by connecting a pair of column members 311, which are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, with a connecting member 312 that extends in the front-to-back direction. In addition, the column members 311 on both sides of the articulated robot 100 are connected by another connecting member 33 (see Figure 2) that extends in a direction perpendicular to the connecting member 312 in the plane. The connecting member 33 is provided in a position that does not interfere with the articulated robot 100. In this embodiment, steel materials such as square steel pipes are used for the column members 311 and the connecting members 312 and 33, but the invention is not limited to these.

[0024] The column members 311 are provided in one or multiple layers to match the height of the articulated robot 100. Furthermore, by preparing steel members of different lengths for the column members 311, the vertical length of the frame 3 can be adjusted according to the height of the articulated robot 100. Reference numeral 314 in Figures 1 and 2 indicates a diagonal member provided between the bracket 2 and the lowest column member 311, which reinforces the frame 3 against the overturning moment that occurs when the arm member 121 is suspended and supported.

[0025] The beam section 32 includes a girder 321 and a beam 322. Steel materials such as square steel pipes are used for the girder 321 and the beam 322.

[0026] The girder members 321 are positioned in the front-to-back direction on both sides of the articulated robot 100, spanning between the tops of the uppermost front and rear column members 311. The beam members 322 are positioned perpendicular to the girder members 321 in the plane, spanning between the girder members 321 on both sides of the articulated robot 100. The beam members 322 are positioned in pairs with a gap between them in the front-to-back direction.

[0027] Thus, in this embodiment, the gate-shaped frame 3 is divided into multiple parts (column members 311, connecting members 312, 33, girder members 321, beam members 322, etc.). This makes the individual parts smaller and lighter, facilitating the assembly of the frame 3 by hand. Regarding weight, it is desirable that all parts weigh 25 kg or less, but it is not limited to this.

[0028] Mast 4 is a columnar member that extends upward from the top of frame 3. "Up" refers to the direction away from the mounting surface 200 of the articulated robot 100. The direction approaching the mounting surface 200 is called "down". Mast 4 is provided in the middle of the longitudinal direction of beam 32. Mast 4 supports one end of jib 5 and is rotatable in the in-plane direction of the mounting surface 200.

[0029] Figure 3 shows a schematic vertical cross-section of mast 4 along line III-III in Figure 1. Figure 4 shows a schematic horizontal cross-section of mast 4 along line IV-IV in Figure 3.

[0030] The main part of the mast 4 consists of a base plate 41, an inner cylinder 42, an outer cylinder 43, a retaining piece 44, and a collar 45.

[0031] The base plate 41 is a steel plate having a roughly rectangular surface and is stretched between a pair of front and rear beam members 322. The base plate 41 is fixed to support plates 3221 provided on the upper surface of each beam member 322 using bolts 411. The base plate 41 is provided with holes (not shown) through which the bolts 411 pass, but these holes may be elongated holes aligned with the longitudinal direction of the beam section 32 to allow for fine adjustment of the position of the mast 4 in the longitudinal direction of the beam section 32. In the center of the surface of the base plate 41, a recess 412 is provided on the lower surface of the base plate 41.

[0032] The inner cylinder 42 is a cylindrical member erected on the base plate 41. A ring-shaped flange 421 is provided at the bottom of the inner cylinder 42, protruding outward from the inner cylinder 42. The flange 421 is fixed to the base plate 41 by a bolt 422 with a head. The head of the bolt 422 is housed in a recess 412 of the base plate 41. In addition, a reduced diameter section 423 is provided at the upper end of the inner cylinder 42, which reduces the outer diameter of the inner cylinder 42 in a stepped manner.

[0033] The outer cylinder 43 is a cylindrical member that is fitted onto the inner cylinder 42. A ring-shaped flange 431 is provided at the bottom of the outer cylinder 43, protruding outward from the outer cylinder 43. A top plate 432 is provided at the top of the outer cylinder 43. Below the top plate 432, an enlarged diameter section 433 is provided, which is a stepped enlargement of the inner diameter of the outer cylinder 43. In addition, ribs 434, which are reinforcing plates, are provided on the side surface of the outer cylinder 43. As shown in Figure 1, the top of the rib 434 is joined to the lower surface of the top plate 432.

[0034] The retaining piece 44 is a member for holding the outer cylinder 43 to the bottom plate 41. The plane of the retaining piece 44 is semicircular, and a pair of retaining pieces 44 are arranged so that they form a circumferential plane as a whole. The inner circumference of the retaining piece 44 has an overhang portion 441 that protrudes like an overhang on its upper surface. The retaining piece 44 is positioned so as to cover the flange 431 of the outer cylinder 43 from above with the overhang portion 441 and is fixed to the flange 421 of the inner cylinder 42 by bolts 442. As a result, the outer cylinder 43 is held to the bottom plate 41 so as to be rotatable in the in-plane direction of the installation surface 200.

[0035] The collar 45 is a cylindrical component and is positioned between the reduced diameter portion 423 of the inner cylinder 42 and the enlarged diameter portion 433 of the outer cylinder 43.

[0036] Returning to the explanation of Figures 1 and 2, the jib 5 is an arm portion located above the articulated robot 100. One end of the jib 5 is fixed to the top plate 432, which is the top of the mast 4. When the mounting surface 200 is viewed from above in a plan view, the jib 5 is positioned to extend from the frame 3 towards the tip 123 of the robot arm 120 of the articulated robot 100.

[0037] The jib 5 has a configuration in which H-shaped steel beams 51 are arranged so that flanges are located above and below each other, and a reinforcing plate 52 is provided on the upper surface of the upper flange. The reinforcing plate 52 is a plate-shaped steel material arranged along the longitudinal direction of the H-shaped steel beam 51 and is joined to the upper surface of the flange using bolts 53. This ensures the necessary rigidity of the jib 5 without increasing the cross-section of the H-shaped steel beam 51 and prevents deflection due to the suspension support of the arm member 121. One end of the H-shaped steel beam 51 is joined to the top plate 432 by bolts 511.

[0038] The lifting jig 6 is a chain hoist that suspends and supports the arm member 121 of the robot arm 120 by a chain 61. The lifting jig 6 is movable along the longitudinal direction of the jib 5 by a traveling section 62. The traveling section 62 has wheels 621 that travel on the lower flange of the H-shaped steel 51. The wheels 621 are positioned on both sides of the web of the H-shaped steel 51.

[0039] Figure 5 is a schematic side view, partially cross-sectional, showing the state in which the arm member 121-2 on the tip 123 side of the robot arm 120 is suspended and supported by the support device 1 of Figure 1.

[0040] In this embodiment, first, the arm members 121-1 and 121-2 of the robot arm 120 of the articulated robot 100 are set to a stationary position. In the example shown in Figure 5, the positions of the arm members 121-1 and 121-2 of the robot arm 120 are fixed so that they form an acute angle, but the stationary position is not limited to this. Then, the mounting surface 200 of the mast 4 (outer cylinder 43) is rotated in the in-plane direction and the lifting jig 6 is moved along the longitudinal direction of the jib 5 as needed to position the lifting jig 6 in an appropriate planar position. Then, the iron or nylon sling (suspension cable) 63 attached to the end of the chain 61 is wrapped around the arm member 121-2, and the arm member 121-2 is suspended and supported from the lifting jig 6. This prevents the arm member 121-2 from rotating downwards, and then the reduction gear and motor of the pivot shaft 130-2 between the arm members 121-1 and 121-2 are removed and replaced.

[0041] In this embodiment, the reduction gear and motor are replaced by supporting the arm member 121-2 on the tip 123 side of the robot arm 120. However, the reduction gear and motor to be replaced are not limited to these, and it is possible to replace the reduction gears and motors of all the rotating axes of the articulated robot 100. The arm member 121 that is suspended and supported is not limited to the arm member 121-2 on the tip 123 side of the robot arm 120, but varies depending on the reduction gear and motor to be replaced. For example, when replacing the reduction gear and motor of the rotating axis 130-1 (see Figure 1), the posture of the arm members 121-1 and 121-2 may be fixed so that they form a certain angle with each other, and these arm members 121-1 and 121-2 may be suspended and supported from one point.

[0042] Maintenance of the articulated robot 100 may also involve replacing mechanisms other than the gearbox and motor, such as the gas balancer, and it is also possible to replace the arm member 121 itself. When replacing the arm member 121 itself, it is advisable to add a lifting jig 6 and use multiple lifting jigs 6 to support the arm member 121 to be replaced from multiple points. This allows the arm member 121 to be removed from the articulated robot 100 while stabilizing its posture.

[0043] Furthermore, the method of supporting the arm member 121 is not limited to using the sling 63. For example, it is also possible to attach a suspension fitting (not shown), such as an eye bolt, to the arm member 121 and suspend the suspension fitting by the chain 61 of the suspension jig 6.

[0044] As described above, by using the support device 1 of this embodiment, the arm member 121 of the robot arm 120 can be suspended and supported during maintenance of the articulated robot 100, making it easy and safe to perform maintenance on the articulated robot 100, such as replacing the reduction gear or motor. Furthermore, since the support device 1 is attached to the articulated robot 100, maintenance can be performed on-site, and there is no need to remove the articulated robot 100 from the mounting surface 200 and move it.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mast 4 to which the jib 5 is fixed is rotatable in the in-plane direction of the installation surface 200, and the lifting jig 6 is also movable along the jib 5. With these configurations, in this embodiment, the planar position of the lifting jig 6 can be freely adjusted to match the position of the arm member 121 to be supported.

[0046] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, in this embodiment, the bracket 2 of the support device 1 is fixed using the service taps for attaching the transport jig on the side of the articulated robot 100, but the fixing position of the bracket 2 is not limited to this.

[0047] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a modified support device 1a of the support device 1 in Figure 1, viewed from the same direction as in Figure 2, with a portion shown in cross-section. In the support device 1a of Figure 6, the bracket 2a is fixed using a service tap for attaching suspension fittings such as eye bolts, which is provided on the bottom plate 111 of the base 110.

[0048] Bracket 2a has a roughly Z-shaped cross-section, with horizontal plates 23 projecting to the opposite side of the articulated robot 100 and horizontal plates 24 projecting towards the articulated robot 100 at the upper and lower ends of the vertical plate 22. Reinforcing ribs 25 and 26 are provided on both sides of the vertical plate 22, connecting the vertical plate 22 to the upper and lower horizontal plates 23 and 24. The lower horizontal plate 24 of bracket 2a is fixed to the bottom plate 111 of the base 110 by bolts 27. The bolts 27 are screwed into the service taps mentioned above. The column portion 31 of frame 3 is erected on the upper horizontal plate 23.

[0049] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing a modified support device 1b of the support device 1 of Figure 1, viewed from the same direction as in Figure 2, with a portion shown in cross-section. In the support device 1b of Figure 7, the column portion 31 of the frame 3 is in contact with the installation surface 200 of the articulated robot 100, and the load of the support device 1b is supported by the installation surface 200. A bracket 2b, such as an angle material, is attached to the column portion 31, and the bracket 2b is fixed to the bottom plate 111 of the base 110 using bolts 27, as described above.

[0050] Alternatively, the bracket attached to the column 31 using the service tap for attaching the transport jig described above may be fixed to the side of the articulated robot 100 using bolts. The position and shape of the bracket can be determined according to the shape of the articulated robot 100 and the position of the service tap, thereby allowing the support device 1 to be applied to various types of articulated robots 100.

[0051] Furthermore, the configuration of frame 3 is not particularly limited; it should be able to withstand the load and overturning moment when suspending and supporting the arm member 121.

[0052] Furthermore, the configuration of the mast 4 is not limited to those described above. For example, a bearing mechanism (not shown) for smooth rotation of the mast 4 may be provided on the retaining piece 44, etc., and a stopper mechanism (not shown) for stopping the rotation of the mast 4 may also be provided on the retaining piece 44, etc. As a stopper mechanism, for example, through holes in the protruding portion 441 of the retaining piece 44 and the flange 431 of the outer cylinder 43 may be provided in the vertical direction, and the rotation of the mast 4 (outer cylinder 43) can be stopped by inserting a pin into these through holes.

[0053] Furthermore, the mast 4 may be made extendable and retractable in the vertical direction. Figure 8 is a schematic side view showing a support device 1c, which is a further modified example of the support device 1 of Figure 1, with a portion of it in cross-section.

[0054] In the support device 1c shown in Figure 8, the outer cylinder 43c of the mast 4c is a double-cylinder (telescopic) structure consisting of an inner cylinder 435 and an outer cylinder 436. The outer cylinder 436 is movable up and down as shown by arrow A using a cylinder (not shown), such as a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder. This allows the height of the lifting jig 6 to be adjusted to match the height of the articulated robot 100. The top plate 432 and ribs 434 are provided on the outer cylinder 436.

[0055] In this embodiment, the mast 4 is rotatable in the in-plane direction of the installation surface 200, but the mast 4 may also be movable along the longitudinal direction of the beam portion 32 of the frame 3. This also allows for free adjustment of the planar position of the lifting jig 6. Furthermore, as described above, the support device 1 can also adjust the vertical length of the frame 3 according to the height of the articulated robot 100, so the mast 4 is not an essential component.

[0056] Furthermore, the configuration of the jib 5 is not limited to those described above. For example, in this embodiment, a reinforcing plate 52 is joined to the flange of the H-shaped steel beam 51 of the jib 5, but similar reinforcing plates may also be joined to both sides of the web of the H-shaped steel beam 51 to reinforce the cross-section of the H-shaped steel beam 51.

[0057] In this embodiment, a chain hoist is used as the lifting jig 6, but the lifting jig 6 is not limited to this; any jig capable of suspending and supporting the arm member 121 of the robot arm 120 is acceptable.

[0058] In this embodiment, the articulated robot 100 that is the target of maintenance is a vertical articulated robot, but the support device 1 can also be used when maintaining other articulated robots, such as horizontal articulated robots (SCARA robots).

[0059] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea disclosed herein, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1, 1a, 1b, 1c: Support device 2, 2a, 2b: Brackets 3: Frame 4, 4c: Must 5: Jib 6: Lifting jig 100: Multi-joint robot 120: Robot Arm 121, 121-1, 121-2: Arm members

Claims

1. A support device for supporting the arm member of the robot arm of a multi-joint robot when performing maintenance on a multi-joint robot mounted on a surface, A gate-shaped frame attached to both sides of the aforementioned articulated robot, A jib is provided above the articulated robot and, when the mounting surface is viewed from above in a plan view, is positioned to extend from the frame toward the tip of the robot arm of the articulated robot, A lifting jig provided on the jib for suspending and supporting the arm member, A support device characterized by comprising the following:

2. The frame further comprises a mast extending upward from the top of the frame, The support device according to claim 1, characterized in that one end of the jib is fixed to the top of the mast.

3. The support device according to claim 2, characterized in that the mast is rotatable in the in-plane direction of the mounting surface.

4. The support device according to claim 2, characterized in that the mast is extendable and retractable in the vertical direction.

5. The support device according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame has an adjustable vertical length.

6. The support device according to claim 1, characterized in that the lifting jig is movable along the longitudinal direction of the jib.

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