Robot control terminal and safety switch

Abstract

To reduce the burden on users when operating robot control terminals. [Solution] The housing 42T of the robot operation terminal 15T is equipped with an enable switch 49T which has a sliding operation member 211 provided on the front part 42aT of the housing 42T and a sensor unit 230 capable of detecting when the operation member 211 is in a second position, which is an intermediate position in the sliding range. When the operation member 211 is in the second position, the robot's operation is permitted, and when it is in any other position, such as the first position or the third position, the robot's operation is not permitted. On the front part 42aT of the housing 42T, which is adjacent to the operation member 211, there are finger rests 208 and 209 where the user can place their thumb F1 when the operation member 211 is held in the second position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation terminal for a robot and a safety switch used for operating an industrial robot.

Background Art

[0002] Some operation terminals such as teaching pendants used for operating industrial robots are equipped with an enable switch for the purpose of improving safety during manual operation. The enable switch is a safety switch for enabling or disabling the manual operation of the robot. In recent years, as this type of switch, it has been proposed that when the operator is slightly pushed in (that is, when pushed into the middle position), the manual operation of the robot is enabled, while when pushed in largely, the manual operation becomes invalid (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, in order to continue the state where the manual operation is enabled, it is necessary to hold the operator at the middle position, and it is necessary to constantly apply a certain force so that the force of the finger operating the operator does not become too weak or too strong. In reality, even if the applied force is consciously controlled, there is a certain degree of fluctuation in the force. Therefore, some users may operate by turning their consciousness to the shape of the hand (finger) and maintaining the hand in a predetermined shape. However, continuously applying force or maintaining the hand in the same shape for a long time can be a great burden on the user. This is a concern that it may become a factor reducing the efficiency of the work using the operation terminal.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the problems exemplified above, and its main purpose is to reduce the burden on the user when operating a robot control terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first means: A robot operation terminal used for operating industrial robots, The safety switch comprises a sliding safety operating part and a detection part capable of detecting when the sliding position of the safety operating part is at a predetermined sliding position which is an intermediate position within the sliding range of the safety operating part. The configuration allows the industrial robot to operate when the slide position of the safety operation unit is at the predetermined slide position, and disallows the industrial robot to operate when it is not at the predetermined slide position. Around the safety operating part, there is a finger rest where the user can place their fingers when the safety operating part is held in the position where it has been slid to the predetermined slide position.

[0007] In the robot operating terminal shown in the first method, the finger operating the safety operating part can be placed on a finger rest provided around the safety operating part, thereby making contact with both the safety operating part and the finger rest. With this configuration, the finger rest functions to help maintain a constant position and shape of the finger operating the safety operating part, and reduces reliance on the force of the finger when holding the safety operating part in a predetermined sliding position. For example, the front-to-back position of the finger becomes less prone to variation by placing the fingertip on the finger rest (stopper function), and the position of the finger in the sliding direction becomes less prone to variation due to the friction generated by placing the fingertip on the finger rest (resistance generation function). By reducing the burden on the user (finger) in this way, it becomes easier to maintain the industrial robot's operation in an acceptable state.

[0008] Second method: A safety switch applied to a robot operating terminal used for operating industrial robots, A sliding safety control panel, A detection unit capable of detecting that the slide position of the safety operation unit is at a predetermined slide position which is an intermediate position within the slide range of the safety operation unit. It has, The configuration allows the industrial robot to operate when the slide position of the safety operation unit is at the predetermined slide position, and disallows the industrial robot to operate when it is not at the predetermined slide position. Around the safety operating part, there is a finger rest where the user can place their fingers when the safety operating part is held in the position where it has been slid to the predetermined slide position.

[0009] The safety switch shown in the second method reduces the burden on the user when operating the robot's control terminal. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing the robot system in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the robot system. [Figure 3] (a) Front view of the operating terminal, (b) Rear view of the operating terminal. [Figure 4] (a) A schematic diagram showing the structure of the enable switch, (b) A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the resistance generated when the enable switch is operated and the stroke. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the operation monitoring process executed by the CPU of the operating terminal. [Figure 6] A timing chart illustrating the process of switching between permission and denial. [Figure 7] A flowchart showing the configuration change process executed by the CPU of the operating terminal. [Figure 8] A schematic diagram illustrating the display content when settings are changed. [Figure 9] A schematic diagram showing how the threshold of the reference range is changed. [Figure 10] A flowchart showing the automatic change process executed by the CPU of the operation terminal. [Figure 11] A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the robot system in the second embodiment. [Figure 12] A schematic diagram for explaining the problems that occur when multiple force sensors are used in combination. [Figure 13] A flowchart showing the setting change process. [Figure 14] A schematic diagram showing the reference range set for each force sensor. [Figure 15] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 16] A rear view of the operation terminal in the third embodiment. [Figure 17] A partial cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 16. [Figure 18] A partial cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the enable switch. [Figure 19] A schematic diagram showing the flow of permission / non-permission switching. [Figure 20] A schematic diagram showing each position. [Figure 21] (a) A perspective view of the operation terminal in the fourth embodiment, (b) A partial cross-sectional view of the enable switch, (c) A schematic diagram showing each position. [Figure 22] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 23] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 24] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 25] (a) A rear view of the operation terminal in the fifth embodiment, (b) A partial cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 25(a). [Figure 26] A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the finger insertion position and the light reception state. [Figure 27] A schematic diagram showing the flow of permission / non-permission switching. [Figure 28] A schematic diagram showing the enable switch in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 29] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 30] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 31] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 32] Front view of the operating terminal in the seventh embodiment. [Figure 33] A partial cross-sectional view showing the structure of an enable switch. [Figure 34] A partial cross-sectional view showing the structure of an enable switch. [Figure 35] A schematic diagram showing each position. [Figure 36] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 37] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 38] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 39] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 40] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 41] Rear view of the operating terminal in the eighth embodiment. [Figure 42] Plan view of the control terminal. [Figure 43] A partial cross-sectional view showing the structure of an enable switch. [Figure 44] A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the detected values ​​from each sensor and the judgment result. [Figure 45] A flowchart illustrating the operation monitoring process executed by the CPU of the operating terminal. [Figure 46] (a) A schematic diagram showing the permission / denial determination pattern at the start of operation, (b) A schematic diagram showing the permission / denial determination pattern during continued operation. [Figure 47] A flowchart showing a modified example. [Figure 48] A flowchart showing a modified example. [Figure 49] Rear view of the operating terminal in the ninth embodiment. [Figure 50] (a) A schematic diagram showing the external appearance of the enable switch, (b) A partial cross-sectional view showing the structure of the enable switch. [Figure 51] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 52] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 53] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 54] A schematic diagram showing a modified example. [Figure 55] (a) Rear view of the operating terminal in the 10th embodiment, (b) Schematic diagram showing the relationship between the state of the enable switch and permission / denial. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] <First Embodiment> The following describes a first embodiment of a robot system used in factories and other industrial settings, with reference to the drawings.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the robot system 10 includes a robot 11, which is a vertical articulated industrial robot. Although not shown in the illustration, the robot 11 is installed in an area enclosed by a safety fence, and in this area it is engaged in various tasks such as workpiece transport and assembly.

[0013] The main body of the robot 11 (robot body 12) includes a base portion 22 fixed to a pedestal or the like, a shoulder portion 23 supported by the base portion 22, a lower arm portion 24 supported by the shoulder portion 23, a first upper arm portion 25 supported by the lower arm portion 24, a second upper arm portion 26 supported by the first upper arm portion 25, a wrist portion 27 supported by the second upper arm portion 26, and a flange portion 28 supported by the wrist portion 27.

[0014] The base portion 22 and the shoulder portion 23 are formed with a first joint portion that connects the base portion 22 and the shoulder portion 23, and the shoulder portion 23 is rotatable horizontally around the connecting axis (first axis AX1) of the first joint portion. The shoulder portion 23 and the lower arm portion 24 are formed with a second joint portion that connects the shoulder portion 23 and the lower arm portion 24, and the lower arm portion 24 is rotatable vertically around the connecting axis (second axis AX2) of the second joint portion. The lower arm portion 24 and the first upper arm portion 25 are formed with a third joint portion that connects the lower arm portion 24 and the first upper arm portion 25, and the first upper arm portion 25 is rotatable vertically around the connecting axis (third axis AX3) of the third joint portion. The first upper arm portion 25 and the second upper arm portion 26 are formed with a fourth joint portion that connects them, and the second upper arm portion 26 is rotatable in the twisting direction around the connecting axis (fourth axis AX4) of the fourth joint portion. The second upper arm portion 26 and the wrist portion 27 are formed with a fifth joint portion that connects them, and the wrist portion 27 is rotatable in the vertical direction around the connecting axis (fifth axis AX5) of the fifth joint portion. The wrist portion 27 and the flange portion 28 are formed with a sixth joint portion that connects them, and the flange portion 28 is rotatable in the twisting direction around the connecting axis (sixth axis AX6) of the sixth joint portion.

[0015] The shoulder portion 23, lower arm portion 24, first upper arm portion 25, second upper arm portion 26, wrist portion 27, and flange portion 28 are arranged in a series to constitute the arm 21 of the robot body 12, and an end effector 13 (for example, a hand) is attached to the flange portion 28 which constitutes the tip of the arm 21.

[0016] The arm 21 is equipped with a servo motor 31 (see Figure 2) for joint drive, a rotary encoder for detecting the rotation angle of each joint (axis), and a torque sensor for detecting the rotation torque of each joint (axis) at each joint (axis). The servo motors 31, rotary encoders, torque sensors, etc. are connected to the robot control device 14, and the drive control unit of the robot control device 14 controls the drive of each servo motor 31 based on position data obtained from the rotary encoder, i.e., encoder values ​​indicating the rotation angle (rotation position).

[0017] Furthermore, a teaching pendant (hereinafter referred to as the operation terminal 15), which is a higher-level controller, is connected to the robot control device 14 via a cable, and data communication takes place between the robot control device 14 and the operation terminal 15 via a communication interface. When the robot control device 14 receives an operation command from the operation terminal 15, it controls the drive of the robot body 12 and the end effector 13 based on the operation command.

[0018] The operating terminal 15 has an application installed for creating a control program that defines the work content and sequence of the robot 11, specifically a setting support application that assists the user in setting the movements of the robot 11 (including so-called teaching). The user creates the control program by directly inputting drive control code on the operating terminal 15 or by manually operating the robot 11.

[0019] Here, we will provide a supplementary explanation of the operating terminal 15 with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 3(a) is a front view of the operating terminal 15, and Figure 3(b) is a rear view of the operating terminal 15.

[0020] The operating terminal 15 comprises a touch-panel display 41 on which various GUIs related to the control of the robot 11 are displayed, a control board 61 (see Figure 2) located on the back side of the display 41, and a roughly rectangular housing 42 (holder) that houses the display 41 and the control board 61 stacked together. The display surface (operating surface) of the display 41 is exposed through an opening formed in the front portion 42a of the housing 42. Various operating parts such as switches and buttons are arranged on the front portion 42a of the housing 42 so as to surround this opening (the exposed portion of the display 41).

[0021] For example, a mode switch 45 is provided in the upper left of the display 41. The mode switch 45 is used to switch the control mode (operating mode) of the robot 11 between manual mode and automatic mode. Manual mode is a mode in which the robot 11 is operated manually by operating the posture change buttons 46 located on the right side of the display 41, and is used during setup and teaching. For example, during teaching (when creating the control program described above), the control mode is set to manual mode, and after entering the safety fence and manually changing the posture of the robot 11 by operating the posture change buttons 46, the teaching points can be set by operating the position acquisition button 47 located next to the posture change buttons 46. After creating the control program, the robot 11 can be operated automatically according to the created control program by leaving the safety fence and switching the control mode to automatic mode.

[0022] Above the group of buttons, including the posture change button 46 and the position acquisition button 47, is an emergency stop switch 48 used to emergency stop the robot 11. These mode switching switch 45, posture change button 46, position acquisition button 47, and emergency stop switch 48 are connected to the control board 61, and the operation information is input to the CPU 62 of the control board 61 (see Figure 2).

[0023] The left and right ends of the housing 42 are provided with gripping portions 43 for the user to grasp and a hand strap 44 to prevent the operation terminal 15 from falling. Each gripping portion 43 has a bulge 51 that protrudes from the back portion 42b of the housing 42. The bulge 51 extends vertically along the edge of the back portion 42b, and when gripping the gripping portion 43, the user can easily stabilize the position of the operation terminal 15 by placing their fingers on the portion of the bulge 51 that faces the center of the operation terminal 15 (side wall portion 52).

[0024] An enable switch 49 is provided protruding from the part of the rear portion 42b facing the center (side wall portion 52) of the gripping portion 43 (the left gripping portion 43 in this embodiment). The enable switch 49 is a safety switch for enabling or disabling manual operation of the robot 11 when the control mode is set to manual mode. Specifically, when the enable switch 49 is turned ON (ON state) while the emergency stop switch 48 is not operated, an authorization command is output from the operation terminal 15 to the robot control device 14, allowing manual operation of the robot 11, and manual operation of the robot 11 is enabled (permitted). On the other hand, when the enable switch 49 is turned OFF (OFF state), a prohibition command is output from the operation terminal 15 to the robot control device 14, prohibiting manual operation of the robot 11, and manual operation of the robot 11 is disabled (not permitted). In other words, in manual mode, the robot 11 can be operated on the condition that the enable switch 49 is held in the ON state.

[0025] When a user enters the safety fence area to perform work, the operating range of the robot 11 and the user's working range may overlap. In such situations, when manually operating the robot 11, the robot 11 can be stopped by releasing the enable switch 49.

[0026] Conventional contact-type enable switches are configured to turn ON when a fixed contact and a movable contact make contact (connection). Due to their structure, the force required to maintain contact between the contacts is left to the user. Therefore, a certain amount of force (pressing force) must be continuously applied to keep the enable switch ON. This leads to fatigue in the fingers and hands, significantly increasing the burden on the user. Furthermore, while it is necessary to control the force applied with the fingertips, the permission is revoked if the applied force is too weak or too strong, making such adjustments difficult in practice. For this reason, users often resort to fixing the shape of their hand (position of their fingers) to reduce variations in force. Maintaining this finger position is also a burden for the user.

[0027] In particular, considering that the time required to create the above-mentioned control program tends to be long, the burden on the user becomes significant enough that it cannot be ignored. This is a concern as it makes it difficult for the user to concentrate on the operations they should be performing, thus reducing work efficiency. Taking these circumstances into consideration, one of the features of the enable switch 49 shown in this embodiment is that it is designed to reduce the burden on the user using the operation terminal 15. Below, we will first provide a supplementary explanation of the structure of the enable switch 49 with reference to Figure 4.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4(a1), the enable switch 49 is equipped with an operator 57 that is pressed by the user. The operator 57 is positioned in an opening 53 formed in the side wall 52 of the bulging portion 51 and is held in a state in which it can be displaced between a protruding position that protrudes from the opening 53 and a retracted position in which the protrusion is reduced compared to the protruding position. The operator 57 is biased to the protruding position by a biasing member 58 (spring member), and when pushing the operator 57 to the retracted position, it is necessary to press the operator 57 against the biasing force of the biasing member 58. When the operator 57 is pushed to the retracted position, it hits a stopper portion 54 provided on the bulging portion 51 side, and further pushing is not possible. As a result, when the operator 57 is pushed to the retracted position, further compression of the biasing member 58 is avoided.

[0029] The biasing member 58 is sandwiched between the operator 57 and the stopper portion 54 (specifically the recessed portion), and a force sensor 59 is positioned between the recessed portion and the biasing member 58 as a detection unit for detecting the pressing force applied to the operator 57 by the user. The force sensor 59 is connected to the control board 61, and the measured value from the force sensor 59 is recognized by the CPU 62 of the control board 61.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4(b), the resistance generated when the operator 57 is operated increases as the amount of operation of the operator 57 increases, i.e., as the amount of compression of the biasing member 58 increases. In other words, the force required to push in the operator 57 (pressing force) increases as the amount of operation increases. After the operator 57 reaches the position where it contacts the stopper portion 54 (the retracted position described above), the pressing force is transmitted directly to the stopper portion 54, and any further increase in the pressing force detected by the force sensor 59 is prevented.

[0031] In this embodiment, the range of pressing force that determines the enable switch 49 to be in the ON state (permitted) (hereinafter referred to as the reference range) is stored in the reference area of ​​the RAM 64. In the following description, the position of the operator 57 (state of the enable switch 49) will be described by distinguishing it into three positions in relation to the reference range. That is, the position where the measured pressing force is smaller than the reference range will be appropriately distinguished as the first position PS1, the position where the measured pressing force is within the reference range will be distinguished as the second position PS2, and the position where the measured pressing force is larger than the reference range will be distinguished as the third position PS3. As shown in Figure 4(b), the amount of operation of the operator 57 and the pressing force are proportional, and the second position PS2 can also be said to be a position between the first position PS1 and the third position PS3.

[0032] The following describes the permission / denial switching process (operation monitoring process) performed by the CPU 62 of the operation terminal 15, referring to the flowchart in Figure 5. The operation monitoring process is performed by the CPU 62 as part of periodic processing when the control mode is set to manual mode and the emergency stop switch 48 is not in the ON state.

[0033] In the operation monitoring process, first, in step S101, it is determined whether or not the operation of the robot 11 is permitted. That is, it is determined whether or not an permission command has been output to the robot control device 14. If the operation of the robot 11 is permitted, the process proceeds to step S102, where the pressing force generated by the user's pressing operation is measured using the force sensor 59. In the following step S103, the measured value of the pressing force is compared with the above-mentioned reference range stored in the reference area of ​​the RAM 64.

[0034] If the measured value of the pressing force is within the reference range, a positive determination is made in step S104 and this operation monitoring process is terminated. This allows the operation to continue. On the other hand, if the measured value of the pressing force is outside the reference range, the process proceeds to step S105. In step S105, it is determined whether the measured value exceeds the upper limit of the reference range. That is, it is determined whether the operator 57 has been pushed further and moved from the second position PS2 to the third position PS3.

[0035] If a negative determination is made in step S105, that is, if the operator 57 returns from the second position PS2 to the first position PS1, for example, by releasing the operator 57, the permission is revoked in step S106, that is, a prohibition command is output to the robot control device 14, and then this operation monitoring process is terminated. As a result, the robot 11 will remain stationary until operation is permitted again.

[0036] If a positive determination is made in step S105, that is, if the operator 57 is pushed further and moves from the second position PS2 to the third position PS3, permission restriction processing is executed in step S107. This restriction prevents permission from being granted for the operation of the robot 11, even if the operator 57 passes through the second position PS2 in the process of returning from the third position PS3 to the first position PS1. After that, permission is revoked in step S106 and this operation monitoring process is terminated. Thus, in this embodiment, even if the measured value falls outside the reference range while permission is granted, the subsequent permission / denial switching behavior differs depending on whether it falls outside the smaller or larger range.

[0037] Returning to the explanation of step S101, if the operation of the robot 11 is not permitted, a negative determination is made in step S101 and the process proceeds to step S108. In step S108, the pressing force is measured using the force sensor 59, and in the following S109, the measured value of the pressing force is compared with the reference range. These processes in steps S108 and S109 are the same as the processes in steps S102 and S103 described above.

[0038] In the following step S110, it is determined whether or not permission restrictions are in place. If permission restrictions are not in place, the process proceeds to step S111. If the measured value is outside the reference range, a negative determination is made in step S111 and the operation monitoring process ends. If the measured value is within the reference range, that is, if the operator 57 moves from the first position PS1 to the second position PS2, an affirmative determination is made in step S111 and the process proceeds to step S112. In step S112, the operation of the robot 11 is permitted. Specifically, provided that the emergency stop switch 48 is not in the ON state, the system starts outputting a permission command to the robot control device 14. After that, the operation monitoring process ends.

[0039] If a positive determination is made in step S110, i.e., if permission is restricted, the process proceeds to step S113 to determine whether the restriction release condition has been met. Specifically, it is determined whether the measured value is smaller than the reference range, i.e., whether the operator 57 has returned to the first position PS1. If the restriction release condition has not been met, a negative determination is made in step S113 and this operation monitoring process is terminated. On the other hand, if the restriction release condition has been met, a positive determination is made in step S113 and the process proceeds to step S114, where the restriction release process is executed and this operation monitoring process is terminated. Once the restriction release process is executed, the operation of the robot 11 will be permitted when the measured value falls within the reference range. Specifically, when the measured value falls within the reference range, the output of a permission command to the robot control device 14 will begin, provided that the emergency stop switch 48 is not in the ON state. Note that the restriction release condition shown in this embodiment may also be measured value = 0N (no pressing force).

[0040] Here, referring to the timing chart in Figure 6, we will illustrate the flow of switching between permitted and disabling during manual mode. Although not shown in the diagram, in the example in Figure 6, the emergency stop switch 48 is kept in the OFF state.

[0041] At timing ta1, immediately after the pressing operation of the enable switch 49 (operator 57) begins, the pressing force has increased and reached the lower limit of the reference range (lower threshold). In other words, the operator 57 has moved from the first position PS1 to the second position PS2. Based on this, the operation of the robot 11 switches from "not permitted" to "permitted". After that, the operator 57 is held so that the pressing force is within the reference range, and as the user releases their hand from the operator 57 upon the end of the robot 11's operation, the operator 57 returns from the second position PS2 to the first position PS1 by the biasing force of the biasing member 58. At this time, the pressing force decreases, and at timing ta2, when the pressing force becomes smaller than the lower limit of the reference range (lower threshold), the operation of the robot 11 switches from "permitted" to "not permitted".

[0042] At timing ta3, the enable switch 49 (operator 57) is pressed again, and the pressing force increases to the lower limit of the reference range. Based on this, the operation of the robot 11 switches from "not permitted" to "permitted". With the operator 57 held so that the pressing force is within the reference range, the pressing force increases sharply when the user grips the operator 57 tightly. At timing ta4, when the pressing force exceeds the upper limit of the reference range (upper threshold), the operation of the robot 11 switches from "permitted" to "not permitted". Immediately after, at timing ta5, the operator 57 hits the stopper part 54, making further pressing impossible. As a result, the pressing force measured by the force sensor 59 plateaus and remains at the upper limit of measurement.

[0043] At timing ta6, the user releases their hand from the operator 57, causing the operator 57 to return from the third position PS3 to the first position PS1 due to the biasing force of the biasing member 58. At this time, although the pressing force temporarily falls within the standard range after passing through the second position PS2, the operation of the robot 11 remains "not permitted" due to the permission restriction mentioned above.

[0044] Furthermore, since the permission restriction is lifted because the pressing force falls below the lower limit of the reference range, at the timing of ta7 after the operator 57 returns to the first position PS1, the pressing force rises again and reaches the lower limit of the reference range (lower threshold), and based on this, the operation of the robot 11 switches from "not permitted" to "permitted".

[0045] Here, the enable switch 49 shown in this embodiment does not have the contact structure of a conventional enable switch, and even when the operator 57 is held in the second position PS2 corresponding to "permission", no force is required to maintain contact between the fixed contact and the movable contact. Due to these circumstances, it is possible to lower the lower limit (lower threshold) of the reference range. In other words, it is possible to lower the pressing force required from the user to "permit" the operation of the robot 11. On the other hand, in situations where it is desired to "disallow" the operation of the robot 11, the fact that simply lightly touching the operator 57 changes from "disallowed" to "permitted" can be a source of tension for the user. Although this can be avoided by keeping the finger away from the operator 57, the movement of the finger trying to forcibly remove it from the operator 57 can be a burden for the user. In particular, it is assumed that users with strong strength may prefer a slightly higher lower limit (lower threshold) of the reference range compared to users with weaker strength. Thus, it is assumed that the appropriate value for the lower limit (lower threshold) of the reference range will differ depending on the user.

[0046] Furthermore, the appropriate upper limit of the reference range (upper threshold) may differ depending on the user. Specifically, for users with weak strength, even if they press the operator 57 hard in an instant, if the upper limit of the reference range (upper threshold) is not reached, the safety function may not be properly activated. For users with strong strength, if pressing the operator 57 even slightly harder immediately revokes permission and forces them to repeat the pressing operation, it is a concern that the burden on the user will increase and work efficiency will decrease.

[0047] In this embodiment, taking these circumstances into consideration, one of its features is that the upper and lower limits (thresholds) of the reference range can be changed based on user operation. The process for changing the reference range (setting change process) executed by the CPU 62 of the operation terminal 15 will be described below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 7. The setting change process is a process executed by the CPU 62 as part of periodic processing.

[0048] In the configuration change process, first, in step S201, it is determined whether or not the operation of the robot 11 is permitted. If the determination in step S201 is positive, the configuration change process is terminated. In other words, in order to prevent the reference range from being unexpectedly changed while the robot 11 is operating, the configuration is set up so that the setting of the reference range cannot be changed while the operation is permitted.

[0049] If operation is not permitted, a negative check is made in step S201 and the process proceeds to step S202. In step S202, it is determined whether or not a setting change is in progress. If a setting change is not in progress, a negative check is made in step S202 and the process proceeds to step S203. In step S203, it is determined whether or not the setting change start operation has been performed. If the start operation has not been performed, a negative check is made in step S203 and the setting change process ends. If the start operation has been performed, an affirmative check is made in step S203 and the process proceeds to step S204, where the setting change start process is executed and then the setting change process ends. In the setting change start process, operation of the posture change button 46, etc. is disabled, and a setting change window (hereinafter referred to as the customization window CS) is displayed on the display 41 (see Figure 8(a)). In the customization window CS, it is clearly indicated that a setting change is in progress, and a message prompting operation of the enable switch 49, the remaining time until the setting change, the range of inputtable pressing force (hereinafter referred to as the specified range), and a gauge showing the current pressing force are displayed. Furthermore, in the setting change initiation process, a timer counter is activated to determine the measurement timing for measuring the pressing force that will serve as the basis for the setting change. In this embodiment, the base pressing force is measured 10 seconds after the start.

[0050] Returning to the explanation of step S202, if a setting change is in progress, a positive determination is made in step S202 and the process proceeds to step S205. In step S205, the timer counter is referenced to determine whether or not it is time for measurement. If it is determined that it is not time for measurement, the setting change process is terminated. If it is determined that it is time for measurement, the process proceeds to step S206, where the base pressing force is measured using the force sensor 59. In the following step S207, it is determined whether the pressing force measured in step S206 is within the specified range. If it is determined to be within the specified range, the process proceeds to step S208, where the upper and lower thresholds of the reference range are calculated from the measured pressing force (measured value).

[0051] Specifically, the upper threshold is calculated by adding a constant α stored in ROM 63 to the measured value, and the lower threshold is calculated by subtracting a constant β stored in ROM 63 from the measured value (see Figure 9). In this embodiment, constant α > constant β, so the upper limit is more tolerant of variations (upward deviation) in pressing force.

[0052] After calculating the upper and lower limits (thresholds) of the reference range in step S207, the reference range is changed in step S209. Specifically, the RAM 64 of the control board 61 is provided with a reference area that stores each threshold of the reference range to be referenced, and the changed thresholds are stored in this reference area. When the operation terminal 15 is started, the default values ​​stored in the ROM 63 are copied to the reference area, and in step S209, these default values ​​are changed to the newly calculated thresholds.

[0053] In the following step S210, the process of registering the modified reference range is executed. The operation terminal 15 shown in this embodiment is configured to become usable by entering a user ID (identification information). In the registration process of step S210, the modified threshold is registered in the RAM 64 data bank while being linked to the current user ID. After that, the setting change completion process is executed in step S211, and then this setting change process is terminated. In the setting change completion process, the customization window CS is hidden, and the operation restrictions of the attitude change button 46 and other buttons described above are released.

[0054] Returning to the explanation of step S207, if the measured pressing force is outside the specified range, a negative determination is made in step S207 and the process proceeds to step S212. In step S212, the user is notified that the pressing force measured this time is outside the specified range. Specifically, a message indicating that it is outside the specified range is displayed in the customization window CS shown on the display 41 (see Figure 8(b)). After that, in step S213, a remeasurement process is executed, and then this setting change process is terminated. In the remeasurement process, the timer counter is restarted and the remaining time until remeasurement is displayed in the customization window CS.

[0055] While the above-described setting change function is expected to reduce the burden on the user, the fact that the settings must be changed again each time the operating terminal 15 is used may give the user the impression that it is troublesome, and is expected to be a factor in the function not being used. In this regard, the operating terminal 15 shown in this embodiment is configured so that past setting change information (registration information) is read when the user logs into the operating terminal 15, and past setting change information is automatically reflected. The following describes the configuration related to this automatic change function, specifically the automatic change process executed by the CPU 62 as part of periodic processing, with reference to the flowchart in Figure 10.

[0056] In the automatic change process, first, in step S301, it is determined whether or not a login operation has been performed on the operation terminal 15. If the determination in step S301 is negative, the automatic change process is terminated. If the determination in step S301 is positive, the process proceeds to step S302. In step S302, it is determined whether or not a registered user ID has been entered. In other words, it is determined whether the login is with a registered user ID or with an unregistered guest ID.

[0057] If the user ID is already registered, the process proceeds to step S303, where the previously registered threshold values ​​for the reference range are read from the RAM64 library and copied to the above-mentioned reference area in RAM64. After that, a change notification process is executed in step S304, and then this automatic change process is terminated. In the notification process in step S304, a message indicating that the reference range has been changed is displayed on the display 41.

[0058] Returning to the explanation of step S302, if the login is with an unregistered guest ID, the process to initiate the setting change guidance is executed in step S305, and then this automatic change process is terminated. In the setting change guidance guidance process, the explanation of the function to change the reference range on this operation terminal 15 is started, and after the explanation is completed, the process corresponding to steps S205 to S213 of the setting change process (see Figure 7) is executed based on the user's setting change initiation operation.

[0059] Furthermore, after the guidance in step S305 is completed, it is possible to configure the system so that the processes equivalent to steps S205 to S213 are executed regardless of whether the user initiates a setting change operation. Alternatively, instead of executing the processes equivalent to steps S205 to S213 upon login, it is possible to configure the system so that the processes equivalent to steps S205 to S213 are executed upon the first switch to manual mode.

[0060] According to the first embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be expected.

[0061] According to the configuration shown in this embodiment, the operation (manual operation) of the robot 11 is permitted when the pressing force measured by the force sensor 59 is within the reference range, and the operation (manual operation) of the robot 11 is not permitted when the measured pressing force (operating force) is smaller than the reference range or larger than the reference range. With such a configuration, for example, if the operator 57 is pressed strongly when the user is manually operating the robot 11, such as when the user suddenly grips the robot, the operation of the robot 11 will not be permitted. This is desirable in order to improve the safety of the robot system 10.

[0062] In the case of conventional safety switches that have a contact structure (fixed contacts and movable contacts), a force is required to maintain contact between the contacts, and the force required to stabilize the contact state can be large. In this respect, with the configuration shown in this embodiment, which switches between permit / deny depending on the measured pressing force, the above-mentioned contact structure is unnecessary, and the force required to maintain contact between the contacts is also unnecessary. Therefore, it is possible to permit a smaller pressing force than in conventional systems when permitting the operation of the robot 11, and the pressing force required from the user (lower limit of the reference range) can be reduced. This is preferable in reducing the burden on the user when maintaining the state in which the operation of the robot 11 is permitted.

[0063] In order to maintain the permitted operation of the robot 11, the pressing force applied to the control element 57 must be kept within a reference range, and the magnitude of the pressing force that is easy to maintain consistently may differ from user to user. In other words, if the discrepancy between the set reference range and the pressing force that is easy for the user to maintain consistently becomes large, the burden on the user may increase. In this regard, as shown in this embodiment, configuring the reference range that serves as the basis for permission to be changeable by the user is effective in reducing the burden on the user.

[0064] Lowering the lower limit of the reference range is preferable to reduce the strain on the user's fingers. On the other hand, considering the following case, it may be preferable to raise the lower limit of the reference range slightly. That is, if it is desired that the robot 11 not operate while the user is holding the operating terminal 15, it is undesirable for the robot 11 to operate due to unintentional contact with the operator 57. Paying attention to prevent such incidents can be burdensome for the user. Therefore, setting the lower limit of the reference range slightly higher is effective in reducing the possibility of such unintended operation. For these reasons, there is technical significance in making the lower limit of the reference range subject to modification.

[0065] It is desirable to configure the system so that the operation of the robot 11 is denied (permission is revoked) if the operator 57 is suddenly pressed too hard, in order to improve safety. Here, in order to improve safety, it is desirable to lower the upper limit of the reference range to some extent, but if the upper limit is too low, there is a concern that the operation will be denied even if the force is only slightly increased, which will easily reduce work efficiency. In that case, the effect of reducing the burden on the user will not be properly realized. For these reasons, there is technical significance in making the upper limit of the reference range subject to change.

[0066] Having to change the reference range each time the operating terminal 15 is used is undesirable in terms of improving work efficiency. Therefore, as shown in this embodiment, by providing a configuration that can reflect the results of past changes, the effort required from the user can be reduced, contributing to improved work efficiency. This is desirable in achieving both reduced user burden and improved work efficiency.

[0067] <Second Embodiment> In this embodiment, the configuration for detecting the pressing force differs from that of the first embodiment. The characteristic configuration of this embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment, with reference to Figures 11 to 14. Configurations common to both the first and first embodiments will be omitted from explanation as appropriate.

[0068] As shown in Figure 11, in this embodiment, a first force sensor 59a and a second force sensor 59b are provided as force sensors 59 for detecting pressing force. These first force sensors 59a and the second force sensor 59b are in a parallel relationship and are individually connected to the control board 61. The CPU 62 of the control board 61 grasps the measured value from the first force sensor 59a and the measured value from the second force sensor 59b, respectively, and compares each measured value with a reference range individually. By duplicating the configuration related to detecting pressing force in this way, it is possible to suppress misjudgments due to noise or failure of either force sensor 59a or 59b, and reduce the opportunity for the operation of the robot 11 to be incorrectly permitted. This is desirable in order to improve the reliability of the operation terminal 15.

[0069] However, while using both force sensors 59a and 59b in combination can be expected to improve reliability, the following inconveniences may occur. Specifically, the effective reference range may become smaller than the reference range currently set, potentially reducing the permissible range of variation (variation) in the pressing force when maintaining the robot 11 in an permitted state. The reason for this will be explained further below with reference to Figure 12. Figure 12 illustrates an example where there is a difference between the measured value of the first force sensor 59a and the measured value of the second force sensor 59b due to individual differences, etc.

[0070] In pattern PN1, the measured values ​​of both the first force sensor 59a and the second force sensor 59b are within the reference range, although they are close to the upper limit, so the operation of the robot 11 is "permitted". In pattern PN3, the measured values ​​of both the first force sensor 59a and the second force sensor 59b exceed the upper limit of the reference range, so the operation of the robot 11 is "not permitted". In these two patterns, PN1 and PN3, there is no effect from using the two force sensors 59a and 59b together. In contrast, in pattern PN2, the measured value of the second force sensor 59b is within the reference range, while the measured value of the first force sensor 59a exceeds the upper limit of the reference range. In this case, although the operation of the robot 11 is "not permitted", reliability can be improved, but the actual upper limit of the reference range becomes lower than the upper limit of the set reference range.

[0071] Next, in pattern PN4, although the measured values ​​of the first force sensor 59a and the second force sensor 59b are both close to the lower limit of the reference range, they are both within the reference range, and the operation of the robot 11 is "permitted". In pattern PN6, the measured values ​​of the first force sensor 59a and the second force sensor 59b are both below the lower limit of the reference range, and the operation of the robot 11 is "not permitted". In these two patterns, PN4 and PN6, there is no effect from using the two force sensors 59a and 59b together. In contrast, in pattern PN5, the measured value of the first force sensor 59a is within the reference range, while the measured value of the second force sensor 59b is below the lower limit of the reference range. In this case, although the operation of the robot 11 is "not permitted", reliability can be improved, but the actual lower limit of the reference range becomes lower than the lower limit of the set reference range.

[0072] In other words, the effective reference range can be narrowed on both the upper and lower limits, resulting in reduced resistance to variations in pressing force. While it is possible to take measures such as widening the set reference range in advance in anticipation of this reduction in the effective reference range, arbitrarily widening the reference range is undesirable because it can raise the hurdle for transitioning to the third position PS3 when it should be done, or cause an unexpected transition to the second position PS2 when it should remain at the first position PS1. In this embodiment, one of its features is that, taking these circumstances into consideration, a reference range for comparison with the measured value of the first force sensor 59a (hereinafter referred to as the first reference range) and a reference range for comparison with the measured value of the second force sensor 59b (hereinafter referred to as the second reference range) are provided separately. These first and second reference ranges are changed respectively when the settings are changed as described above. Now, referring to the flowchart in Figure 13 and the schematic diagram in Figure 14, the setting change process in this embodiment will be explained. Note that the steps S401-S405 and S413-S415 of the setting change process in this embodiment are the same as the steps S201-S205 and S211-213 of the setting change process in the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0073] If it is determined in step S405 that it is time to measure the pressing force, the process proceeds to step S406, where the pressing force is measured using the first force sensor 59a and the pressing force is measured using the second force sensor 59b. If these measured pressing forces are within the specified range, the process proceeds to step S408, where the upper and lower threshold values ​​(first threshold values) of the first reference range are calculated from the pressing force (measured value) measured by the first force sensor 59a. Specifically, as shown in the left part of Figure 14, the upper threshold value is calculated by adding a constant α stored in the ROM 63 to the measured value, and the lower threshold value is calculated by subtracting a constant β stored in the ROM 63 from the measured value.

[0074] After calculating the upper and lower thresholds (first thresholds) of the first reference range in step S408, the first reference range is changed in step S409. Specifically, the RAM 64 of the control board 61 is provided with a first reference area for storing the first reference range to be referenced, and the changed thresholds (first thresholds) are stored in this first reference area.

[0075] In the subsequent step S410, the upper and lower threshold values ​​(second threshold values) of the second reference range are calculated from the pressing force (measured value) measured by the second force sensor 59b. Specifically, as shown in the right portion of Figure 14, the upper threshold value is calculated by adding the constant α stored in the ROM 63 to the measured value, and the lower threshold value is calculated by subtracting the constant β stored in the ROM 63 from the measured value. In this embodiment, the constants α and β used in the calculation process of step S408 are the same as the constants α and β used in the calculation process of step S410.

[0076] After calculating the upper and lower thresholds (second thresholds) of the second reference range in step S410, the second reference range is changed in step S411. Specifically, the RAM 64 of the control board 61 is provided with a second reference area for storing the second reference range to be referenced, and the changed thresholds (second thresholds) are stored in this second reference area.

[0077] Subsequently, in step S412, the registration process for the modified first and second reference ranges is executed, and in step S413, the setting change completion process is executed, after which this setting change process is terminated.

[0078] <Example 1> The specific configuration for changing (customizing) the reference range can also be modified as follows. That is, as illustrated in Figure 15(a), the range of the measured value by the force sensor 59 can be divided into multiple ranges in advance, and threshold values ​​that serve as the upper and lower limits of the reference range can be stored in the ROM 63 corresponding to each division. The threshold value to be read from the ROM 63 can then be determined depending on which division the actual measured value belongs to. <Modification 2> In the first and second embodiments described above, the system prompts the user to press the operator 57 when changing the reference range setting, and determines the reference range from the pressing force (measured value) measured at the time of the pressing operation. However, the system is not limited to this configuration. For example, multiple reference ranges (e.g., "low", "medium", "high") may be provided as selection candidates, and the user may select one reference range from these selection candidates. Alternatively, the system may be configured so that the reference range (threshold) is directly input (changed) by operating an input key (e.g., a number key).

[0079] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15(b), it is preferable to provide a range within which both the upper and lower thresholds can be changed. Defining the configurable range is desirable in order to prevent the upper threshold from being set too high, making it practically difficult to transition to the third position PS3, or the lower threshold from being set too low, causing frequent transitions to the second position PS2 against the user's intentions.

[0080] <Variation 3> In the first and second embodiments described above, examples were given of cases where the upper and lower thresholds of the reference range were to be modified (customized), but the invention is not limited to these cases. Only the upper threshold may be modified, or only the lower threshold may be modified.

[0081] <Modification 4> In the first and second embodiments described above, the base pressing force is measured after a predetermined time has elapsed when the setting is changed. However, this can be changed to a configuration in which a setting button is provided on the operation terminal 15, and the base pressing force is measured when the setting is changed by pressing the setting button while pressing the operator 57. However, when pressing the setting button while pressing the operator 57, there is a possibility that the pressing force of the operator 57 will fluctuate when the setting button is pressed. In light of these circumstances, there is technical significance in providing a configuration in which the conditions for measurement are met without simultaneous operation of any other operating parts besides the operator 57.

[0082] <Modification 5> In the first embodiment described above, the upper limit threshold is calculated by adding a constant α to the base pressing force (measured value), and the lower limit threshold is calculated by subtracting a constant β. The constants α and β used in calculating the thresholds do not necessarily have to be α > β; it is also possible to have α = β or α < β. Furthermore, the calculation method is not limited to addition / subtraction. For example, the upper and lower limit thresholds of the reference range may be calculated by multiplying the base pressing force (measured value) by a correction coefficient.

[0083] <Variation 6> In the first and second embodiments described above, the operator 57, which serves as the "safety operation unit," is configured to be displaced in the direction of the press by the user's pressing operation. However, this does not preclude the use of safety operation units that do not displace in the direction of the press, such as touch panels. The specific configuration for detecting the pressing force (e.g., piezoelectric, strain gauge, or capacitance type) is arbitrary.

[0084] <Example 7> The operator 57, which serves as the "safety operation part," may be positioned as desired, as long as it can be pressed by the hand holding the gripping part 43. However, in order to generate pressing force without difficulty, it is preferable to position the operating member in the part that is pinched by the fingers and to configure it so that the direction in which the fingers pinch equals the direction of pressing.

[0085] <Differentiation Example 8> A variable damper may be installed that can change the resistance (elasticity or viscosity) when the operator 57 is pressed. In other words, the operating feel (hardness or weight) when pressing the operator 57 may be changed (see, for example, Figure 15(c)). Even when the same reference range (threshold) is set, if the operating stroke required to reach the threshold can be changed by setting the variable damper, the relationship between the operating stroke and the magnitude of the resistance can be optimized according to the user's preference. For example, even if the lower limit of the reference range is lowered, it is possible to set the operating stroke of the operator 57 required to generate the pressing force to reach that lower limit to be larger. Furthermore, if the variable damper is configured using a magnetorheological fluid whose resistance changes with the amount of current, the resistance can be changed in various ways and quickly by current control.

[0086] <Third Embodiment> In the operation terminal 15 shown in the first embodiment above, the enable switch 49 is configured to switch between allowing and disallowing the operation of the robot 11 in response to a pressing operation. As shown in Figure 16, the enable switch 49B mounted on the operation terminal 15B shown in this embodiment is of the rotary type, and differs from the first embodiment in that it switches between allowing and disallowing the operation of the robot 11 by rotating the operation dial 81, which is the "safety operation part". The enable switch 49B and related configurations in this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 16 to 20. Configurations common to the first embodiment will be omitted from explanation as appropriate.

[0087] As shown in Figure 16, the enable switch 49B is located in the upper corner of the rear portion 42bB of the operating terminal 15B (housing 42B), and below the enable switch 49B, a hand strap 44B is provided so as to span across the left and right ends of the operating terminal 15B. When the operating terminal 15B is held by supporting it with a hand H placed on the rear portion 42bB of the operating terminal 15B, the hand strap 44B and the rear portion 42bB sandwich the hand H, which helps to prevent the operating terminal 15B from wobbling or falling from the hand H.

[0088] As shown in Figure 17, an opening 91 is formed in the rear portion 42bB that penetrates in the thickness direction of the housing 42B, and the operation dial 81 is positioned so as to protrude from this opening 91. Both the side wall portion 81a of the operation dial 81 (cylindrical portion) and the opening 91 are circular in shape with respect to an axis CL1 that extends in the thickness direction of the operating terminal 15B, and the operation dial 81 is mounted on the housing 42B (mounting base 95) in a state that allows it to rotate around the axis CL1.

[0089] The mounting base 95 is provided with a stopper portion 97 that prevents the operation dial 81 from rotating in a first direction (clockwise) when viewed from the rear side of the operation terminal 15B, and a biasing member that biases the operation dial 81 in the first direction. When the operation dial 81 is not being rotated, it remains in a rotational position where it abuts the stopper portion 97 due to the biasing force of the biasing member.

[0090] To change the rotational position of the operating dial 81, it is necessary to pinch the side wall portion 81a of the operating dial 81 with your fingers and rotate it in the second direction (counterclockwise) against the biasing force of the biasing member. When you release your hand from the operating dial 81, the biasing force of the biasing member will return the operating dial 81 to its position before the rotation operation (the position where it contacts the stopper portion 97). In this embodiment, the rotational range of the operating dial 81 is defined to be a predetermined range (specifically 180°), and even if it is rotated to the maximum extent in the second direction, it will not return to its original rotational position. Figure 18 shows the state in which the operating dial 81 is in contact with the stopper portion 97 due to the biasing force of the biasing member (standby state or initial state).

[0091] The control dial 81 is hollow, and houses a sensor unit 82, which is a light sensor, and a reflector 87 inside. The reflector 87 is cylindrical with axis CL1 as its center and is fixed to the control dial 81. In other words, when the control dial 81 is rotated, the rotational position of the reflector 87 changes in accordance with the rotation of the control dial 81. The control dial 81 is light-shielding, preventing light from entering the control dial 81 from the outside.

[0092] As shown in Figure 18, the reflector 87 has a slit 89 that penetrates from the inside to the outside in a part of it. Since this slit 89 does not reflect light, it can be said that the reflector 87 has a reflective part 88 that reflects light and a slit 89 that does not reflect light, aligned in the direction of rotation. The operating dial 81 is made of a colored, opaque synthetic resin, and its inner surface is treated to absorb light in particular. Therefore, reflection of light that shines on the operating dial 81 through the slit 89 is suppressed.

[0093] The sensor unit 82 is positioned on the axis CL1 and includes a light-emitting unit 83 that emits light toward the reflector 87, and a light-receiving unit 84 that receives light reflected by the reflector 88 of the reflector 87. When light from the light-emitting unit 83 is reflected by the reflector 88 of the reflector 87 and irradiates the light-receiving unit 84, the light-receiving state in the light-receiving unit 84 becomes HIGH level. On the other hand, when light from the light-emitting unit 83 is irradiated onto the operation dial 81 through the slit 89 of the reflector 87, the amount of light decreases significantly, and the light-receiving state in the light-receiving unit 84 becomes LOW level. In other words, the configuration is such that the light-receiving state of the light-receiving unit 84 differs depending on the rotation position of the operation dial 81.

[0094] Here, with reference to Figure 19, we will provide a supplementary explanation regarding the rotation position (angle) of the operation dial 81 and the light reception state. In the following explanation, the angle when the operation dial 81 is rotated in the second direction (counterclockwise) around the axis CL1 will be referred to as "angle X".

[0095] When 0° ≤ angle X < 35°, the reflecting part 88 is located in the optical path of the light emitted from the light-emitting part 83, so the light-receiving state of the light-receiving part 84 is HIGH level. When 35° ≤ angle X ≤ 55°, the slit 89 (inner surface of the operation dial 81) is located in the optical path of the light emitted from the light-emitting part 83, so the light-receiving state of the light-receiving part 84 is LOW level. When 55° < angle X ≤ 180°, the reflecting part 88 is located in the optical path of the light emitted from the light-emitting part 83, so the light-receiving state of the light-receiving part 84 is HIGH level. For convenience, in the following explanation, the rotation position of the operation dial 81 when 0° ≤ angle X < 35° will be distinguished as the first position PS1, the rotation position of the operation dial 81 when 35° ≤ angle X ≤ 55° will be distinguished as the second position PS2, and the rotation position of the operation dial 81 when 55° < angle X ≤ 180° will be distinguished as the third position PS3.

[0096] The first position PS1 is a position that "disallows" the operation of the robot 11, the second position PS2 is a position that "allows" the operation of the robot 11, and the third position PS3 is a position that "disallows" the operation of the robot 11. In other words, in this embodiment, when operating the robot 11 in manual mode, it is necessary to keep the operation dial 81 in the second position PS2 (see Figure 19(a)).

[0097] Incidentally, the operation dial 81 shown in this embodiment, like the control element 57 shown in the first embodiment, also passes through the second position PS2 when returning from the third position PS3 to the first position PS1. For example, after the operation of the robot 11 is prohibited in the third position PS3, releasing the operation dial 81 causes the operation dial 81 to return to the first position PS1 (specifically, the initial state) due to the biasing force of the biasing member. At this time, the switching from "prohibited" to "permitted" is restricted at least until it returns to the first position PS1, and even if it reaches the second position PS2 during the return, the operation of the robot 11 will not be "permitted" (see Figure 19(b)).

[0098] In this embodiment, when holding the operation dial 81 in the second position PS2 in order to maintain "permission" for the robot 11 to operate, it is necessary to resist the biasing force of the biasing member with the two fingers F1 and F2 that are gripping the operation dial 81. It is assumed that resisting the biasing force while maintaining the shape of the fingers in the air will be burdensome for the user and may make it difficult to use the operation terminal 15 for extended periods. Furthermore, if the posture of the hand (fingers) becomes unstable due to finger fatigue, it is a concern that it will become difficult to keep the dial within the second position PS2. One of the features of this embodiment is that measures have been taken to reduce the burden on the user in consideration of these circumstances. The measures will be explained below with reference to Figures 16, 17 and 20.

[0099] As shown in Figure 16, a finger rest area 92 is formed around the operating dial 81 on the rear portion 42bB of the housing 42B, where fingers F1 and F2 holding the operating dial 81 are placed. The finger rest area 92 is an annular shape centered on axis CL1, and when the operating terminal 15B is viewed from the rear portion 42bB side, the finger rest area 92 is formed to surround the side wall portion 81a of the operating dial 81 from the outside. The finger rest area 92 is oriented in the direction of axis CL1 and is a flat surface with no irregularities formed around its entire circumference. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 17, the finger rest area 92 is offset so as to be higher than the surrounding portion of the rear portion 42bB.

[0100] As illustrated in Figure 17, by bringing the fingertips of fingers F1 and F2, which are gripping the side wall portion 81a of the operating dial 81, into contact with the finger rest portion 92, it is possible to prevent fingers F1 and F2 from floating in the air. This makes it easier to maintain the posture of fingers F1 and F2. In addition, when fingers F1 and F2 come into contact with the finger rest portion 92, friction is generated between the finger rest portion 92 and fingers F1 and F2. This friction makes it easier to resist the biasing force of the biasing member, thereby reducing the burden on the user's fingers. In particular, in this embodiment, since the side wall portion 81a and the finger rest portion 92 are in an L-shaped positional relationship, the contact points between fingers F1 and F2 and the finger rest portion 92 can be brought as close as possible to the contact points between F1 and F2 and the side wall portion 81a. Bringing both contact points closer together is preferable in reducing the burden on the fingers.

[0101] Furthermore, as already explained, the operating terminal 15B shown in this embodiment is configured so that the user supports it by placing their hand on the back portion 42bB. In other words, when the operating terminal 15B is being supported, the weight of the operating terminal 15B is also applied to the fingers F1 and F2 of the hand H supporting the operating terminal 15B. This weight increases the friction between the fingers F1 and F2 and the finger rest portion 92, thereby suppressing changes in the rotation angle of the operating dial 81 due to fingers slipping or the like. In particular, since the finger rest portion 92 is higher than the surrounding portion of the back portion 42bB, the weight of the operating terminal 15B is more easily applied to the fingers F1 and F2.

[0102] Here, if the user suddenly releases their hand H from the operating dial 81 while the operating dial 81 is held in the second position PS2, the operating dial 81 returns to the first position PS1 due to the biasing force of the biasing member. As a result, the operation of the robot 11 quickly switches from "permitted" to "not permitted". On the other hand, if the user does not suddenly release their hand H from the operating dial 81, the following two patterns can be assumed. First, the first pattern is assumed in which the operating dial 81 is rotated on its own in the first or second direction to the first position PS1 or the third position PS3. In this pattern, as shown in Figure 20(b) → Figure 20(a) and Figure 20(b) → Figure 20(c), the fingers F1, F2 that are pinching the side wall portion 81a of the operating dial 81 can slide along the finger rest portion 92 while remaining in contact with the finger rest portion 92, so that movement to the first position PS1 or the third position PS3 is not hindered. The second pattern involves gripping the hand H operating the control dial 81. In this pattern, the gripping motion causes the fingers to bend, and when the fingers F1 and F2 that are gripping the side wall portion 81a move away from the finger rest portion 92, the friction between the fingers F1 and F2 and the finger rest portion 92 disappears. Also, the difference in the bending of each finger F1 and F2 makes it easier for the rotational position of the control dial 81 to shift. This creates an opportunity for the control dial 81 to move to the first position PS1 or the third position PS3.

[0103] According to the third embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be expected.

[0104] In the operating terminal 15B shown in this embodiment, by placing the finger operating the operating dial 81, which is the "safety operating part," on the finger rest 92 provided around the operating dial 81, the finger can make contact with both the operating dial 81 (specifically the side wall portion 81a) and the finger rest 92. With this configuration, the finger rest 92 functions to help maintain a constant position and shape of the finger operating the operating dial 81, and reduces reliance on the force of the finger when keeping the operating dial 81 in the second position PS2. For example, the finger position in the direction of the axis CL1 becomes less prone to variation by keeping the fingertip etc. on the finger rest 92 (stopper function), and the finger position in the trajectory direction becomes less prone to variation due to the friction generated by the fingertip etc. on the finger rest 92 (resistance generation function). By reducing the burden on the user (finger) in this way, it becomes easier to maintain the robot 11 in an acceptable state.

[0105] With the enable switch 49B shown in this embodiment, for example, the pad of the finger can be placed in contact with the side wall portion 81a of the operating dial 81 and the tip of the finger in contact with the finger rest portion 92, or the pad of the finger can be placed in contact with the side wall portion 81a and the side of the finger in contact with the finger rest portion 92. In this way, if the contact portions with the side wall portion 81a and the finger rest portion 92 can be concentrated towards the fingertip, the load on the finger when maintaining the operating dial 81 in the second position PS2 can be further reduced.

[0106] The finger rest portion 92 is flat, so that if a user tries to move their hand suddenly (to move it in the rotational direction), the finger operating the control dial 81 will slide on the finger rest portion 92, preventing the finger rest portion 92 from interfering with the rotation of the control dial 81. This is preferable in terms of reducing the time lag when disallowing the movement of the robot 11.

[0107] <Fourth Embodiment> In the third embodiment described above, the enable switch 49B was located on the back side of the operating terminal 15B. However, in this embodiment, the arrangement of the enable switch has been changed from that of the third embodiment, and the position and shape of the finger rest have also been changed accordingly. The enable switch 49C and the finger rest 92C in this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 21, focusing on the differences from the third embodiment. Note that the same configuration as in the third embodiment will be omitted from the description as appropriate.

[0108] As shown in Figure 21(a), in the operating terminal 15C of this embodiment, similar to the operating terminal 15 shown in the first embodiment, gripping portions 43C are provided at both the left and right ends of the operating terminal 15C for the user to grasp. When holding the operating terminal 15C, instead of placing one hand on the back of the operating terminal 15B as shown in the second embodiment, the gripping portion 43C (at least the left gripping portion 43C) is grasped.

[0109] In this embodiment, the enable switch 49C is positioned such that a portion of the operation dial 81C protrudes from the left side (side portion 42cC) of the housing 42C. In other words, the enable switch 49C is positioned so that it can be operated by the hand holding the grip portion 43C.

[0110] The operation dial 81C is similar to the third embodiment in that it is rotatable around an axis CL2 extending in the thickness direction of the operation terminal 15C. However, the side wall portion 81aC operated by the finger on the operation dial 81C differs from the third embodiment in that, rather than the entire area protruding in the direction of rotation, only a portion of it protrudes in that direction. The rotational position of the operation dial 81C can be changed by placing a finger (for example, finger F2) on the side wall portion 81aC of the operation dial 81C and sliding the finger up and down.

[0111] Furthermore, the operating dial 81C is also pivotally supported by the mounting base 95C on the housing 42 side (see Figure 21(b)), and when viewed from the front, the clockwise rotation of the operating terminal 15C is prevented by a stopper provided on the mounting base 95C, and the operating terminal 15C is biased in the clockwise direction when viewed from the front by a biasing member.

[0112] As shown in Figure 21(b), the sensor unit 82C in this embodiment has a light-emitting unit 83C and a light-receiving unit 84C arranged side by side in the axial direction CL2 (front-to-back direction), with the light-emitting unit 83C and the light-receiving unit 84C facing each other with the operation dial 81C in between. Specifically, the light-emitting unit 83C and the light-receiving unit 84C are arranged so that they face each other.

[0113] If the light from the light-emitting unit 83C is blocked by the operation dial 81C and does not reach the light-receiving unit 84C, the light-receiving state of the light-receiving unit 84C becomes LOW. Here, as shown in Figure 21(c), a slit 81cC is formed in a part of the operation dial 81C through which light passes. When the operation dial 81C is rotated so that the slit 81cC is in the path of the light from the light-emitting unit 83C, the light from the light-emitting unit 83C reaches the light-receiving unit 84C through the slit 81cC, and the light-receiving state of the light-receiving unit 84C becomes HIGH. In the following description, the angle when the operation dial 81 is rotated counterclockwise in a front view of the operation terminal 15C will be referred to as "angle X".

[0114] As shown in Figure 21(c1), when 0° ≤ angle X < 35°, the fleshy part of the operation dial 81C is located in the optical path of the light emitted from In other words, in this embodiment, when operating the robot 11 in manual mode, it is necessary to maintain the operation dial 81C in the second position PS2.

[0115] Here, as shown in Figure 21(b), a finger rest portion 92C is formed on the side portion 42cC of the housing 42 for placing the finger (e.g., finger F2) that is operating the operation dial 81C. The finger rest portion 92C is provided in the direction of the thickness of the operating terminal 15C (axis CL2 direction), on the front side of the operation dial 81C. This makes it easier to place the fingers of the hand that is gripping the grip portion 43C on the side wall portion 81aC of the operation dial 81C. In particular, the finger rest portion 92C bulges out so as to be higher than the surrounding area of ​​the side portion 42cC, reducing the gap with the side wall portion 81aC of the operation dial 81C. This suppresses the occurrence of localized load on the part of the finger that comes into contact with the operation dial 81C.

[0116] <Example 1> In the third and fourth embodiments described above, the sensor unit 82 was configured with one set of light-emitting units 83 and light-receiving units 84. However, the sensor unit may be configured with multiple sets of light-emitting units and light-receiving units, and the configuration for detecting the rotational position may be duplicated (repeated).

[0117] For example, in the enable switch 49D shown in Figure 22, a sensor unit 82D is constructed from a first light sensor 82aD consisting of a first light-emitting unit 83 and a first light-receiving unit 84, and a second light sensor 82bD consisting of a second light-emitting unit 85 and a second light-receiving unit 86. The first light sensor 82aC and the second light sensor 82bC are arranged back-to-back (facing opposite directions), and the direction of light irradiation by the first light sensor 82aC (first light-emitting unit 83) and the direction of light irradiation by the second light sensor 82bC (second light-emitting unit 85) are offset by 180° in the rotational direction around the axis CL1. In addition, two slits 89D are formed in the reflector 87D, and the arrangement of the two slits 89D is also offset by 180° in the rotational direction around the axis CL1.

[0118] Therefore, as shown in Figure 22(a), when the operation dial 81 is in the first position PS1, the light reception state of both the first light receiving unit 84 and the second light receiving unit 86 is at a LOW level. As shown in Figure 22(b), when the operation dial 81 is in the second position PS2, the light reception state of both the first light receiving unit 84 and the second light receiving unit 86 is at a HIGH level. As shown in Figure 22(c), when the operation dial 81 is in the third position PS3, the light reception state of both the first light receiving unit 84 and the second light receiving unit 86 is at a LOW level. In other words, basically, the light reception state of the first light receiving unit 84 and the light reception state of the second light receiving unit 86 are the same.

[0119] The CPU 62 of the operating terminal 15 acquires information indicating the light reception status of the first light receiving unit 84 and information indicating the light reception status of the second light receiving unit 86. If the light reception status of both the first light receiving unit 84 and the second light receiving unit 86 is at a HIGH level, that is, if the light reception status of both light receiving units 84 and 86 is at a HIGH level, the CPU 62 "permits" the operation of the robot 11. On the other hand, if either the light reception status of the first light receiving unit 84 or the light reception status of the second light receiving unit 86 is at a LOW level, the CPU 62 "denies" the operation of the robot 11.

[0120] <Modification 2> In the third and fourth embodiments described above, the operation dial 81 is configured to switch between the first position PS1 → second position PS2 → third position PS3 by rotating it in the first direction (second direction). Depending on the user, there may be a difference in the burden of holding the operation dial 81 in the second position PS2 depending on the direction of rotation. This modified example incorporates a design that takes this into consideration. Specifically, as shown in Figure 23, the enable switch 49E is configured to switch between the first position PS1 (see Figure 23(a)) → second position PS2 (see Figure 23(d)) → third position PS3 (see Figure 23(e)) not only when the operation dial 81 is rotated in the second direction, but also when it is rotated in the first direction. In other words, the second position PS2 and the third position PS3 are set in both directions, first and second. To embody this technical concept, in the enable switch 49E shown in this modified example, the stopper portion 97 shown in the third embodiment is omitted, and the biasing member is changed to generate a biasing force (restoring force) toward the second direction when the operating dial 81 is rotated toward the first direction from the standby state, and generates a biasing force (restoring force) toward the first direction when the operating dial 81 is rotated toward the second direction from the standby state. Furthermore, the reflector 87E has a slit 89E corresponding to the rotation operation toward the first direction and a slit 89E corresponding to the rotation operation toward the second direction, respectively.

[0121] Incidentally, the rotation range of the operating dial 81E is specified to be 180° in both the first and second directions. In other words, the number of slits 89E that pass through the front of the sensor unit 82 is one in both the rotation in the first direction and the rotation in the second direction.

[0122] The rotary-type enable switch 49E, which is rotatable in both directions as shown in this modified example, is preferably positioned in the central part of the operating terminal 15B (housing 42B) in the width direction, as shown in Figure 24(a). With this arrangement, the enable switch 49E can be easily accessed with either the left or right hand, and the benefits of allowing rotation in both directions can be more effectively realized.

[0123] In this modified example, the slit 89E is formed such that the rotation angle from the first position PS1 to the second position PS2 is the same in both the first and second directions, but it is not limited to this. The slit 89E may be formed such that the rotation angles from the first position PS1 to the second position PS2 are different in the first and second directions.

[0124] <Variation 3> As shown in Figure 21, with respect to the enable switch 49C shown in the fourth embodiment, it is possible to hold the hand gripping the gripping part 43C in the second position PS2 by placing the fingers of the hand gripping the gripping part 43C on the side wall portion 81aC of the operating dial 81C. However, if the hand gripping the gripping part 43C is suddenly gripped tightly, the operating dial 81C may be pressed inward. Therefore, by making the operating dial 81C retractable and detecting the movement when the operating dial 81C is pushed in, the operation of the robot 11 can be "disallowed," thereby contributing to further improvement of safety.

[0125] Specifically, as shown in Figures 24(b1) and (b2), the mounting base 95F, to which the operating dial 81C is mounted so that it can rotate, can be raised and lowered, and a biasing member is provided to bias the operating dial 81C in the protruding direction, so that the amount of protrusion of the operating dial 81C changes when the operating dial 81C is pushed in against the biasing force of the biasing member. Here, the slit 81cC formed in the operating dial 81C is located in the optical path between the light-emitting part 83C and the light-receiving part 84C when the operating dial 81C is in the protruding position, while when the operating dial 81C is pushed in, the slit 81cC moves away from the optical path, and the light from the light-emitting part 83C is blocked by the flesh of the operating dial 81C. In this configuration, the sensor unit 82 can detect the movement to the pushed-in position, and there is no need to add a sensor to detect the push-in.

[0126] <Modification 4> In the third and fourth embodiments described above, the rotational position of the operating dial 81 is detected using a sensor unit 82, which is an optical sensor. However, the specific configuration for detecting the rotational position is arbitrary. For example, other sensors such as magnetic sensors may be used.

[0127] <Modification 5> In the fourth embodiment described above, the operating dial 81C of the enable switch 49C is positioned so that it can be operated by the fingers of the hand gripping the gripping portion 43C. However, this can be changed, and the operating dial 81C may be positioned so that it is covered by the hand (for example, the palm) gripping the gripping portion 43C. If the operating dial 81C can be held in the second position PS2 by placing the entire hand over it, it can help reduce the strain on the fingers.

[0128] <Variation 6> In the fourth embodiment described above, a finger rest portion 92C is formed on the side portion 42cC of the housing 42 at a position in front of the operating dial 81C. However, instead of this, or in addition, a finger rest portion may be formed on the side portion 42cC at a position behind the operating dial 81C.

[0129] <Example 7> In the third embodiment described above, the operation dial 81B is positioned so as to protrude from the rear portion 42bB of the housing 42B. However, it is also possible to position the operation dial 81B so as to have its top (flat) portion on the same plane as the rear portion 42bB. Even in this case, by forming a finger rest portion around the operation dial 81B, the strain on the fingers when holding the operation dial 81B in the second position PS2 can be reduced by placing the fingers across the finger rest portion and the top (flat) portion of the operation dial 81B.

[0130] <Differentiation Example 8> In the third embodiment described above, the reflector 87 is fixed to the operating dial 81, but the invention is not limited to this. It is sufficient that the relative position (phase) of the sensor unit 82 and the reflector 87 changes due to the user's rotational operation. Alternatively, the reflector 87 may be fixed to the mounting base 95, while the sensor unit 82 is fixed to the operating dial 81, so that the sensor unit 82 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the operating dial 81.

[0131] <Modification 9> It is also possible to provide projections or recesses on the side wall portion 81a of the operating dial 81 as shown in the third embodiment above, for gripping fingers on the operating surface.

[0132] <Fifth Embodiment> In the operation terminal 15 shown in the first embodiment described above, the operation of the robot 11 is switched between permitted and dis permitted depending on the pressing force (magnitude of the pressing force) when the enable switch 49 is pressed by the user. In contrast, as shown in Figure 25, the enable switch 49H shown in this embodiment is an insertion type in which a finger is inserted, and the operation of the robot 11 is switched between permitted and dis permitted depending on the insertion position of the finger into the insertion part 101 provided on the operation terminal 15H, which is a difference in configuration from the first embodiment. The enable switch 49H and related configurations in this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 25 to 27. Configurations common to the first embodiment will be omitted from explanation as appropriate. Figure 25(a) is a rear view of the operation terminal 15H, and Figure 25(b) is a partial cross-sectional view of Figure 25(a) along line BB.

[0133] As shown in Figure 25(a), the enable switch 49H is located on a bulge 51H formed on the rear portion 42bH of the housing 42H. The bulge 51H extends vertically along the edge of the rear portion 42bH, and is widened in a portion of its upper side. In the portion that is not widened, it is possible to hook the fingertips onto the side wall portion 52H of the bulge 51H by bending the fingers of a hand that is resting on the bulge 51H. In contrast, bending the fingers is difficult in the portion that is widened. Specifically, the enable switch 49H is located on the surface (flat portion 55H) of the bulge 51H that faces the thickness direction of the operating terminal 15H. In other words, the enable switch 49H is located on the flat portion 55H at a position where any finger of the hand H gripping the gripping portion 43H can reach it. Figure 25 and other diagrams illustrate the case where the index finger (hereinafter referred to as finger F2) is inserted.

[0134] As shown in Figure 25(b), the enable switch 49H has a tunnel-shaped insertion portion 101 into which a finger (finger F2) can be inserted. This insertion portion 101 is composed of a flat portion 55H on the housing 42H side and a housing 102 attached to the flat portion 55H. In other words, the finger insertion area IS in the insertion portion 101 is demarcated by the flat portion 55H and the housing 102.

[0135] The insertion area IS extends in the width direction of the operating terminal 15H and is open to the left. That is, the entrance 101a of the insertion section 101 faces to the left. This makes it easier to insert the fingers (e.g., fingers F2) of the hand H that is gripping the gripping section 43H. Note that the hand strap 44 (see Figure 3) is not shown in Figure 25.

[0136] The housing 102 is constructed by combining an inner cover 103 made of a colorless, transparent synthetic resin that transmits light and an outer cover 104 made of a colored, opaque synthetic resin that blocks light, in a double-layered structure. The sensor unit 111 is housed in the gap between the inner cover 103 and the outer cover 104. The sensor unit 111 has a first light sensor 111a consisting of a first light-emitting part 112 and a first light-receiving part 113, and a second light sensor 111b consisting of a second light-emitting part 114 and a second light-receiving part 115. The first light sensor 111a is positioned on the entrance side of the insertion part 101, and the second light sensor 111b is positioned on the back side of the insertion part 101, in the direction of finger insertion.

[0137] Both the first light-emitting section 112 and the second light-emitting section 114 face the insertion area IS and are opposite the flat section 55H across the insertion area IS. A long plate-shaped reflector 117 is fixed to the portion of the flat section 55H that faces the insertion area IS. The reflector 117 fits into a recess formed in the flat section 55H and together with the flat section 55H forms the inner wall of the insertion area IS.

[0138] Light from the first light-emitting unit 112 passes through the inner cover 103 and irradiates the reflector 117, and the light reflected by the reflector 117 passes through the inner cover 103 again and reaches the first light-receiving unit 113. When light arrives in this manner, the light-receiving state of the first light-receiving unit 113 becomes HIGH level. Similarly, light from the second light-emitting unit 114 passes through the inner cover 103 and irradiates the reflector 117, and the light reflected by the reflector 117 passes through the inner cover 103 again and reaches the first light-receiving unit 113. When light arrives in this manner, the light-receiving state of the first light-receiving unit 113 becomes HIGH level.

[0139] Now, referring to Figure 26, the relationship between the finger insertion position and the light-receiving state of each light-receiving unit 113, 115 will be explained.

[0140] As shown in Figure 26(a), when the finger F2 is not inserted into the insertion part 101, there is nothing to block the light from the first light-emitting part 112 and the light from the second light-emitting part 114. Therefore, as described above, the light-receiving state of both the first light-receiving part 113 and the second light-receiving part 115 will be at the HIGH level.

[0141] As shown in Figures 26(b) and (c), when a finger F2 is inserted into the insertion section 101, the light-receiving state of each light-receiving section 113 and 115 differs depending on the insertion position (insertion depth) of the finger F2.

[0142] Specifically, as shown in Figure 26(b), if the finger F2 is positioned relatively shallowly and does not reach the optical path of the second light sensor 111b, the light from the second light-emitting unit 114 is reflected by the reflector 117 and reaches the second light-receiving unit 115, resulting in a HIGH level of light reception at the second light-receiving unit 115. In contrast, the light from the first light-emitting unit 112 is diffused upon contact with the finger F2, resulting in only a small amount of light reaching the first light-receiving unit 113. As a result, the light reception at the first light-receiving unit 113 becomes a LOW level. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 26(c), if the finger F2 is positioned relatively deep and reaches the optical paths of both the first light sensor 111a and the second light sensor 111b, the light from the first light-emitting unit 112 is diffused upon contact with the finger F2, resulting in only a small amount of light reaching the first light-receiving unit 113. Furthermore, the light from the second light-emitting unit 114 is also diffused upon contact with the finger F2, resulting in only a small amount of light reaching the second light-receiving unit 115. As a result, the light-receiving state of both the first light-receiving unit 113 and the second light-receiving unit 115 becomes LOW level. In the following explanation, the position where the finger is not inserted into the insertion unit 101, i.e., where the light-receiving state of both light-receiving units 113 and 115 is LOW level, will be distinguished as the "non-insertion position," the finger position where the light-receiving state of the first light-receiving unit 113 is LOW level and the light-receiving state of the second light-receiving unit 115 is HIGH level will be distinguished as the "first insertion position," and the finger position where the light-receiving state of both the first light-receiving unit 113 and the second light-receiving unit 115 is LOW level will be distinguished as the "second insertion position."

[0143] Both the first light sensor 111a and the second light sensor 111b are connected to the control board 61 of the operation terminal 15H, and the CPU 62 grasps the light reception status of each light receiving unit 113, 115. The CPU 62 switches the operation of the robot 11 between "allowed" and "denied" according to the grasped light reception status. Now, referring to Figure 27, the relationship between the finger position and the switching between "allowed" and "denied" will be explained.

[0144] If the finger is in the "non-insertion position," that is, if the light reception status of both light sensors 111a and 111b is at a HIGH level, the operation of the robot 11 is "disallowed." If the finger is inserted into the "first insertion position," that is, if the light reception status of the first light sensor 111a is at a LOW level and the light reception status of the second light sensor 111b is at a HIGH level, the operation of the robot 11 is "allowed." By keeping the finger in the "first insertion position," the state in which the operation of the robot 11 is "allowed" can be maintained. When the work is completed and the finger is withdrawn from the insertion section 101, the finger position returns to the "non-insertion position," and the operation of the robot 11 is "disallowed" again.

[0145] In contrast, if the finger is held in the "first insertion position" and the robot 11 is operating, and the finger is suddenly moved inward, causing the finger to move to the "second insertion position," that is, if the light reception status of both light sensors 111a and 111b is at a HIGH level, the operation of the robot 11 will be "disallowed." In this case, switching from "disallowed" to "allowed" will be temporarily restricted. Specifically, when moving the finger from the "second insertion position" to the "non-insertion position," it will pass through the "first insertion position," but if the finger returns to the "first insertion position" on the return path from the "second insertion position," it will remain "disallowed." Then, when the finger position becomes the "non-insertion position," this restriction will be lifted.

[0146] According to the fifth embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be expected.

[0147] The operation of the robot 11 is permitted by inserting a finger into the insertion section 101 and holding the finger in the first insertion position. With this configuration, it is unnecessary to continuously apply force against a biasing force such as a spring or to maintain a constant finger shape, as is required with conventional enable switches. In other words, it is possible to suppress the burden on the user's finger when maintaining the permitted state. This is desirable in reducing user fatigue and improving work efficiency. Furthermore, it is assumed that the user will perform a reflex action of releasing or clenching their hand if they encounter an unexpected dangerous situation. With the enable switch 49H shown in this embodiment, these reflex actions cause the finger position to shift towards the entrance 101a side or the back side of the insertion section 101, causing the finger insertion position to move away from the first insertion position and rendering the robot 11 inoperable. For these reasons, it can contribute to improving safety and reducing the burden on the user when using the operation terminal 15H.

[0148] As shown in this embodiment, by positioning the insertion portion 101 in a location where the fingers of the hand gripping the gripping portion 43H can be inserted, the user can maintain the state in which the operation of the robot 11 is permitted using the fingers of the hand holding the operation terminal 15H. This is preferable in terms of improving user convenience.

[0149] As shown in this embodiment, by making the insertion portion 101 a straight structure, it is possible to effectively prevent the user's finger from getting caught inside the insertion portion 101 when they suddenly try to pull their finger out. This is preferable for quickly switching from a state where driving is permitted to a state where driving is not permitted.

[0150] As shown in this embodiment, by using optical sensors 111a and 111b for finger position detection, a contact structure (fixed contact, movable contact) becomes unnecessary, reducing the chances of failure or malfunction of the enable switch 49H due to wear, even when the operating terminal 15H is used repeatedly. Furthermore, since there is no contact structure, there is no need to rely on the user to exert force to maintain contact between contacts. This is also preferable in reducing the burden on the user when maintaining the state in which the operation of the robot 11 is permitted.

[0151] <Sixth Embodiment> The operating terminal 15H shown in the fifth embodiment above is provided with an insertion section 101 into which the finger gripping the gripping section 43H can be inserted, and the operation of the robot 11 is switched between "allowed" and "not allowed" depending on the insertion position of the finger in the insertion section 101. Herein, the hand gripping the gripping section 43H may suddenly clench. In this embodiment, the configuration related to the enable switch 49H has been partially modified to take such hand movements into consideration. Hereinafter, referring to Figure 28, the enable switch 49K in this embodiment will be explained, focusing on the differences from the enable switch 49H shown in the fifth embodiment. Note that the explanation of configurations similar to those in the fifth embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0152] As shown in Figure 28(a), etc., in the operating terminal 15K shown in this embodiment, similar to the fifth embodiment, an enable switch 49K having optical sensors 111a and 111b is arranged on the rear part 42bK (bulging part 51K) of the housing 42K. A reflector 117K that reflects light from the optical sensors 111a and 111b is attached to the flat part 55K of the bulging part 51K, but this reflector 117K is movable. Specifically, the reflector 117K is in the shape of a long plate that extends in the direction of finger insertion into the insertion part 101K, and an axial pin 124 extending in a direction intersecting the finger insertion direction is inserted through the part of the reflector 117K that is further back than the first optical sensor 111a. The axial pin 124 is fixed to the bulging part 51K, and the reflector 117K is pivotally supported by this axial pin 124.

[0153] A recess 121 is formed in the flat section 55K to secure the operating area of ​​the reflector 117K, and a biasing member (spring member) 122 is disposed between this recess 121 and the reflector 117K to bias the end of the reflector 117K on the inlet 101a side upward toward the insertion area IS. Furthermore, a stopper portion 123 is formed in the flat section 55K that contacts the rear end of the reflector 117K from the opposite side of the insertion area IS to prevent further rotation. Although the end of the reflector 117K on the inlet 101a side is pushed by the biasing member 122, the rear end of the reflector 117K contacts the stopper portion 123, maintaining it in a position parallel to the insertion area IS (hereinafter referred to as the initial position). In the initial position, the reflector 117K and the flat section 55K are located on the same plane.

[0154] As shown in Figure 28(b), when finger F2 is inserted into the first insertion position, the light-receiving state of the first light sensor 111a becomes LOW. Even when finger F2 is inserted into the first insertion position, if the reflector 117K is not pressed by finger F2, the reflector 117K is maintained in its initial position, and the light-receiving state of the second light sensor 111b becomes HIGH. As shown in Figure 28(c), when finger F2 is inserted into the second insertion position, the fingertip is positioned further back than the axis CL3, and even if the fingertip presses the reflector 117K, the rotation of the reflector 117K is prevented by the stopper portion 123. In other words, when finger F2 is inserted into the second insertion position, the light-receiving states of both the first light sensor 111a and the second light sensor 111b become LOW, similar to the fifth embodiment described above.

[0155] Here, as shown in Figures 28(b) to 28(d), when the hand is gripped while the finger F2 remains in the first insertion position to allow the robot 11 to move, the reflector 117K is pushed away from the insertion area IS by the finger F2. This causes the reflector 117K to rotate against the biasing force of the biasing member 122, and the posture (tilt) of the reflector 117K changes. As a result, the optical path of the second light sensor 111b changes significantly due to the change in the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection to the reflector 117K, and the light reception state of the second light sensor 111b changes from HIGH level to LOW level.

[0156] The CPU 62 of the operating terminal 15K will "disallow" the operation of the robot 11 if the light reception state of both the first light sensor 111a and the second light sensor 111b becomes LOW, similar to when a finger is inserted into the second insertion position. In other words, if the reflector 117K is pressed by the finger when the user suddenly tries to grasp the robot, that movement will revoke the "permission" for the robot 11 to operate.

[0157] <Example 1> In the first light sensor 111a and second light sensor 111b shown in the fifth and sixth embodiments above, the light from the light-emitting units 112 and 114 is irradiated in a direction that intersects with the rear surface 42bH of the housing 42H, but the direction of light irradiation is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to configure the light from the first light sensor 111a and second light sensor 111b to be irradiated in a direction parallel to the rear surface 42bH (see, for example, Figure 29).

[0158] <Modification 2> In the sixth embodiment described above, a second optical sensor 111b is used to detect the insertion position of the finger in the insertion section 101, thereby enabling the detection of the user's behavior when they clench their hand. Specifically, the posture of the reflector 117K changes when the hand is clenched, and the light-receiving state of the second optical sensor 111b changes as a result of this change in posture. This does not preclude the use of sensors other than the second optical sensor 111b in order to enable the detection of the user's behavior when they clench their hand.

[0159] For example, the configuration may be such that the behavior when the hand is clenched can be detected by the first optical sensor 111a. The specific configuration will be described below with reference to Figure 29. In the enable switch 49L shown in Figure 29, the optical sensors 111a, 111b and the reflector 117L are positioned to sandwich the insertion area IS from above and below. In other words, the optical paths of the light from the light-emitting parts 112 and 114 are arranged to traverse the insertion area IS longitudinally. A recess 121L is formed in the part of the planar section 55 that is covered by the housing 102L. The recess 121L extends from the insertion section 101L so as to straddle the entrance 101a of the insertion section 101L, and a movable plate 125L is arranged so as to close the opening of this recess 121L.

[0160] The movable plate 125L can be displaced within the recess 121L toward the bottom surface and toward the insertion area IS. A biasing member 122L is disposed in the recess 121L so as to be sandwiched between the bottom surface of the recess 121L and the movable plate 125L, and the biasing force of this biasing member keeps it waiting near the opening of the recess 121L.

[0161] When a user inserts their finger into the first insertion position and attempts to clench their hand, the movable plate 125L is pushed by the finger F2, causing the movable plate 125L to move away from the insertion area IS against the biasing force of the biasing member 122L (see Figures 29(b1), (d1)). As the finger F2 moves away from the insertion area IS along with the movable plate 125L, the finger F2 is removed from the optical path of the first optical sensor 111a, and the light reception state of the first optical sensor 111a (light receiving unit 113) changes from a LOW level to a HIGH level. In other words, the light reception state of each light receiving unit 113, 115 becomes HIGH, and the operation of the robot 11 is "not permitted". With this configuration, the first optical sensor 111a also has the function of detecting the behavior when the user clenches their hand.

[0162] In addition to the first light sensor 111a and the second light sensor 111b, it is also possible to add a sensor to detect the behavior when the user grips the device, such as a sensor to detect a change in the orientation of the reflector 117K. For example, a contact sensor can be placed in the recess 121 or the like so as to make contact when the orientation of the reflector 117K changes.

[0163] <Variation 3> In the fifth and sixth embodiments described above, the sensor unit 111 is arranged on the housing 102 side and the reflector 117 is arranged on the housing 42H side (bulging portion 51H side), but the invention is not limited to this. As shown in the enable switch 49P in Figure 30(a), the reflector 117 may be arranged on the housing 102P side and the sensor unit 111 may be arranged on the housing 42P (bulging portion 51P) side. In this case, it is preferable to provide a light-transmitting portion 128P (for example, a transparent plate) in the portion that forms the wall surface of the insertion area IS at the flat portion 55P of the bulging portion 51P, that is, the portion sandwiched between the reflector 117 and the sensor unit 111.

[0164] <Modification 4> Although the fifth and sixth embodiments described above illustrate configurations using a reflective sensor unit 111, configurations using a transmissive sensor unit 111 are also possible. For example, as shown in Figure 30(b), the enable switch 49Q may have light-emitting units 112 and 114 on the housing 102Q side and light-receiving units 113 and 115 on the housing 42Q side.

[0165] <Modification 5> In the fifth and sixth embodiments described above, the enable switch 49H (insertion portion 101) is positioned so that the fingers of the hand gripping the gripping portion 43H can be inserted. In a configuration where the operation of the robot 11 is switched between "allowed" and "denied" depending on the insertion position of the fingers into the insertion portion 101, it may be difficult to hold the operating terminal 15H comfortably while keeping the fingers in the first insertion position, depending on the size of the hand (length of the fingers). Therefore, as shown in Figure 30(c), it is preferable to apply a configuration (e.g., an adjustment mechanism) that allows the housing 102R (including the sensor unit 111) of the enable switch 49R to slide in the width direction of the operating terminal 15R, that is, towards and away from the side portion 42cR of the housing 42R, and allows the user to arbitrarily adjust the position of the enable switch 49R within the range of slide movement.

[0166] <Variation 6> In the enable switch 49H shown in the fifth and sixth embodiments above, the insertion portion 101 is formed so that the direction of finger insertion is in the width direction of the operating terminal 15H. However, it is not limited to this, and the insertion portion may be formed so that the direction of finger insertion is in the height direction of the operating terminal, or so that the direction of finger insertion is in the thickness direction of the operating terminal.

[0167] Here, if the insertion direction is the thickness direction of the operating terminal, as illustrated in Figure 31, forming the insertion portion 101S on the bulge 51S provided on the back of the operating terminal 15S (housing 42S) makes it easier to secure space for finger insertion. In particular, since the bulge 51S has the function of a gripping portion 43S that is grasped by the user, forming the insertion portion 101S on the bulge 51S makes it easier for the fingers (for example, fingers F2) of the hand H that is grasping the gripping portion 43S to be inserted. Note that in the example in Figure 31, the entrance 101aS of the insertion portion 101S faces backward.

[0168] The sensor unit 111 (first light sensor 111a and second light sensor 111b) and the reflector 117S are arranged so as to sandwich the insertion area IS of the insertion section 101S in the width direction. More specifically, the reflector 117S is positioned on the side 42cS side of the housing 42S, and the sensor unit 111 is positioned on the central side of the housing 42S. The reflector 117S is movable, similar to the reflector 117K of the sixth embodiment, and is pivotally supported at the back of the insertion section 101S. When the user suddenly clenches their hand H while their finger F2 is in the first insertion position, the reflector 117S is pressed by the finger F2, causing the reflector 117S to rotate around its pivot point, changing its posture (tilt). The sensor unit 111 is arranged so that the first light sensor 111a is on the entrance 101a side and the second light sensor 111b is on the back side. When the orientation of the reflector 117S changes, the optical path of the second light sensor 111b changes. As a result, the light reception state of the second light receiving unit 115 changes from a HIGH level to a LOW level, and the operation of the robot 11 changes from "permitted" to "not permitted".

[0169] <Example 7> In the fifth and sixth embodiments described above, an optical sensor was used as the "detection unit," but it is also possible to use a pressure-sensitive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an acoustic wave sensor, etc.

[0170] <Differentiation Example 8> In the sixth embodiment described above, a first insertion position and a second insertion position were defined as the positions for inserting a finger into the insertion part 101K. However, it is also possible to configure the system so that the operation of the robot 11 is permitted when a finger is inserted into the insertion part 101K, and permission is revoked when the finger is removed from the insertion part 101K or when the reflector 117K is pushed in.

[0171] <Modification 9> In the sixth embodiment described above, the reflector 117K is placed on the same plane as the flat portion 55K. However, to reduce the chances of the reflector 117K being pressed accidentally, it is also possible to offset the position of the reflector 117K toward the bottom surface of the recess 121. In particular, when the enable switch is located on the back side of the operating terminal, the weight of the inserted finger on the operating terminal makes it easier for the reflector to be pressed. In other words, in a configuration in which the enable switch is located on the back side, the chances of accidental operation can be reduced by applying the configuration shown in this modified example.

[0172] <Variation 10> In the sixth embodiment described above, the reflector 117K is pushed, changing its orientation, which changes the angle of incidence and reflection of light from the light-emitting unit 114, causing the light-receiving state of the light-receiving unit 115 to change from HIGH level to LOW level. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, as shown in the modified example 4 above, when using a transmissive light sensor, a movable body that partially transmits (passes through) light may be provided instead of the reflector 117. When this movable body is pushed and its orientation changes, the transmitting (passing through) part moves out of the optical path, preventing light from reaching the light-receiving unit.

[0173] <Variation 11> In the fifth and sixth embodiments described above, the number of fingers that can be inserted into the insertion section 101 is limited to one, but this is not the only limitation. Multiple fingers may be inserted into the insertion section. In such a configuration, the operation of the robot 11 is permitted only when all of the multiple fingers inserted into the insertion section are in the first insertion position, and the operation of the robot 11 is prohibited only when at least one of the multiple fingers inserted into the insertion section is in the second insertion position. When multiple fingers can be inserted, the number of sensors can be kept from increasing by devising a way to ensure that the direction of light irradiation from the optical sensor is aligned with the direction in which the group of fingers are inserted.

[0174] <Seventh Embodiment> In the operation terminal 15 shown in the first embodiment described above, the pressing force (magnitude of the pressing force) when the enable switch 49 is pressed by the user is detected, and the operation of the robot 11 is switched between permitted and prohibited according to the detected value. In contrast, the enable switch 49 shown in this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it uses an optical sensor unit to detect the position of the operating member, and the operation of the robot 11 is switched between permitted and prohibited according to the detected position. The enable switch 49T and related configurations in this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 32 to 34. Figure 32 is a front view of the operation terminal 15T, Figure 33 is a partial cross-sectional view of the CC line in Figure 32, Figure 34(a) is a partial cross-sectional view of the DD line in Figure 32, and Figure 34(b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the enable switch 49T showing the structure that defines the range of movement of the operating member 211. Configurations common to the first embodiment will be omitted from explanation as appropriate.

[0175] As shown in Figure 32, the enable switch 49T is located on the left side of the display 41 (left frame 201) of the front portion 42aT of the housing 42T. Specifically, a vertically elongated rectangular opening 202 is formed in the left frame 201 along the left edge of the front portion 42aT, and the enable switch 49T is positioned so as to cover this opening 202 from the inside of the housing 42T.

[0176] As shown in Figure 33, the enable switch 49T comprises an operating member 211 operated by the user and a holder 221 for attaching the operating member 211 to the housing 42T. The operating member 211 has a long plate-shaped base portion 212 that extends in the same direction (up and down) as the longitudinal direction of the opening 202, and is held by the holder 221 such that the plate surface (surface 212a) of the base portion 212 faces the opening 202. The holding structure of the operating member 211 will be further explained below.

[0177] Inside the housing 42T, a pair of left and right grooves 222 are formed by the holder 221 fixed to the housing 42T and the front portion 42aT of the housing 42T (specifically its back surface), into which the long side of the base portion 212 is inserted. Each groove 222 extends in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the opening 202, and these grooves 222 define the direction of movement (sliding direction) of the operating member 211 to be the vertical direction (up and down direction).

[0178] As shown in Figure 34, extensions 214 are formed on the left and right long sides of the base portion 212, extending in the direction of the short side of the base portion 212. These extensions 214 are inserted into slits 223 formed at the bottom of the groove portion 222. Each slit 223 extends in the sliding direction of the operating member 211, and the extensions 214 come into contact with stopper portions 224 provided at both ends of the slits 223, preventing further movement of the operating member 211. In other words, the stroke of the operating member 211 is defined by the stopper portions 224.

[0179] The holder 221 is fitted with a biasing member 241 (specifically a tension spring) that biases the operating member 211 to a position where the extension portion 214 abuts against the stopper portion 224 (more specifically, the upper stopper portion 224a). In other words, when the operating member 211 is not being operated, the biasing force of the biasing member 241 causes the operating member 211 to wait in a position where it abuts against the upper stopper portion 224a, i.e., the "first position PS1" described later.

[0180] Here, the operating member 211 has a finger rest portion 213 on which the user places their finger (thumb F1 in this embodiment) when operating the operating member 211. As shown in Figure 33, the finger rest portion 213 protrudes from the plate surface of the base portion 212 and forms a projection that extends in a direction (left-right direction) intersecting the sliding direction of the operating member 211. The width of the finger rest portion 213 is slightly smaller than the width of the opening 202, and the finger rest portion 213 and the left and right edges of the opening 202 are in close proximity.

[0181] As already explained, when operating the robot 11 in manual control mode, the enable switch 49T must be turned ON. When the gripping part 43 of the operating terminal 15T is grasped by hand H, the thumb F1 of hand H will be placed on the front part 42aT of the housing 42T, more specifically on the left frame part 201. One of the features of this embodiment is that when the enable switch 49T is kept ON, the thumb F1 can be placed on at least one of the left side (part of the gripping part 43) and right side of the opening 202 in the left frame part 201, and the thumb F1 can be hooked onto the finger rest part 213. In the following description, the part of the left frame part 201 between the left edge of the front part 42aT and the opening 202 will be referred to as the "finger rest part 208", and the part of the left frame part 201 between the display 41 and the opening 202 will be referred to as the "finger rest part 209".

[0182] In this embodiment, the tip of the finger rest portion 213 protrudes slightly to the outside of the housing 42T (specifically, to the front) through the opening 202 of the housing 42T. This is a measure to prevent the thumb F1, which is placed on the finger rest portions 208 and 209, from having difficulty reaching the finger rest portion 213. Incidentally, at least the portion of the surface 212a of the base portion 212 that is above the finger rest portion 213 may be formed to be on the same plane as the surface of the front portion 42aT of the housing 42T. With such a configuration, it is easy to prevent the tip of the thumb F1, which is hooked onto the finger rest portion 213, from floating above the surface 212a of the base portion 212.

[0183] Here, a sensor unit 230, which is an optical sensor, and a reflector 216 are provided at a position on the inside of the housing 42T relative to the operating member 211, as detection means for detecting the position of the operating member 211. The reflector 216 is attached to the back surface 212b of the base portion 212, and the sensor unit 230 has an optical light-emitting portion 231 that irradiates light onto the reflector 216 and an optical light-receiving portion 232 that is irradiated with light reflected by the reflector 216 (more specifically, the reflective portion 217: see Figure 34(a)).

[0184] Here, referring again to Figure 34(a), we will provide a supplementary explanation of the reflector 216. The reflector 216 is a sheet material having a reflective section 217 that is light-reflecting, and a first absorbent section 218 and a second absorbent section 219 that are light-absorbing and have their light reflection suppressed. The second absorbent section 219, the reflective section 217, and the first absorbent section 218 are arranged in the sliding direction of the operating member 211. In other words, the first absorbent section 218 is on the lower side, the second absorbent section 219 is on the upper side, and the reflective section 217 is positioned between the first absorbent section 218 and the second absorbent section 219. When the operating member 211, which is waiting in the first position PS1, is pushed down to the lower limit position, the object located in the optical path of the light from the light-emitting section 231 switches from the first absorbent section 218 to the second absorbent section 219 via the reflective section 217.

[0185] When the reflecting section 217 is located in the optical path, the light from the light-emitting section 231 is reflected by the reflecting section 217 and irradiated onto the light-receiving section 232. As a result, the light-receiving state in the light-receiving section 232 becomes HIGH level. On the other hand, when the first absorbing section 218 or the second absorbing section 219 is located in the optical path, the light from the light-emitting section 231 is absorbed by the first absorbing section 218 or the second absorbing section 219, and the amount of light reflected to the light-receiving section 232 is greatly reduced. As a result, the light-receiving state in the light-receiving section 84 becomes LOW level. In other words, the configuration is such that the light-receiving state of the light-receiving section 232 differs depending on the operating position of the operating member 211.

[0186] In the following explanation, the operating position where the first absorbing unit 218 is located in the optical path, i.e., the operating position where the light-receiving state of the light-receiving unit 232 is at a LOW level, will be appropriately distinguished as "first position PS1", the operating position where the reflecting unit 217 is located in the optical path, i.e., the operating position where the light-receiving state of the light-receiving unit 232 is at a HIGH level, will be referred to as "second position PS2", and the operating position where the second absorbing unit 219 is located in the optical path, i.e., the operating position where the light-receiving state of the light-receiving unit 232 is at a LOW level, will be referred to as "third position PS3".

[0187] In this embodiment, the sensor unit 230 is composed of a first sensor unit 230a and a second sensor unit 230b, and the signals (ON / OFF signals) from the first sensor unit 230a and the second sensor unit 230b are individually input to the control board 61. When the light receiving state of the light receiving section 232a of the first sensor unit 230a and the light receiving state of the light receiving section 232b of the second sensor unit 230b are both at a HIGH level (an ON signal is input), the operation of the robot 11 is permitted, and when at least one of the light receiving states is at a LOW level (an OFF signal is input), the operation of the robot 11 is disabled. By duplicating the sensing configuration in this way, malfunctions of the enable switch 49T are suppressed, contributing to further improvements in safety.

[0188] Incidentally, the holder 221 shown in this embodiment is made of a colored, opaque synthetic resin, and its surface is treated to absorb light. The housing section 225 in the holder 221 that houses the sensor unit 230 is provided with a partition section 226 that separates the first sensor unit 230a and the second sensor unit 230b (see Figure 33). This partition section 226 prevents light (direct and reflected light) from the light-emitting section 231a of the first sensor unit 230a from irradiating the light-receiving section 232b of the second sensor unit 230b, and prevents light (direct and reflected light) from the light-emitting section 231b of the second sensor unit 230b from irradiating the light-receiving section 232a of the first sensor unit 230a.

[0189] Next, referring to Figure 35, we will provide a supplementary explanation of the procedure for operating the enable switch 49T in order to operate the robot 11 while it is in manual mode.

[0190] As shown in Figure 35(a1), when the operating member 211 is not being operated, it remains in standby position at the upper limit, the first position PS1, due to the biasing force of the biasing member 241 (see Figure 34). In this case, the first absorption section 218 of the reflector 216 is located in the optical path, and the light receiving state of the light receiving section 232 becomes LOW level. Therefore, the enable switch 49T is in the OFF state, and the operation of the robot 11 is "not permitted".

[0191] As shown in Figure 35(b1), when the operating member 211 is lowered against the biasing force of the biasing member 241 (see Figure 34), the reflecting part 217 of the reflector 216 is positioned in the optical path, and the light receiving state of the light receiving part 232 becomes HI level. In other words, when the operating member 211 moves from the first position PS1 to the second position PS2, the enable switch 49T is turned ON, and the operation of the robot 11 is switched to "permitted". To continue the operation of the robot 11 in manual mode, it is necessary to maintain the operating member 211 in the second position PS2.

[0192] As shown in Figure 35(c1), when the operating member 211 is lowered further against the biasing force of the biasing member 241 (see Figure 34), the second absorption section 219 of the reflector 216 is positioned in the optical path, and the light receiving state of the light receiving section 232 becomes LOW. In other words, when the operating member 211 moves from the second position PS2 to the third position PS3, the enable switch 49T is turned OFF, and the operation of the robot 11 is switched to "not permitted".

[0193] Incidentally, the operating member 211 shown in this embodiment, like the operating element 57 shown in the first embodiment, also passes through the second position PS2 when returning from the third position PS3 to the first position PS1. For example, after the operation of the robot 11 is prohibited in the third position PS3, releasing the hand H from the operating member 211 causes the operating member 211 to return to the first position PS1 (specifically the upper limit position) due to the biasing force of the biasing member 241. At this time, the switching from "prohibited" to "permitted" is restricted at least until it returns to the first position PS1, and even if it passes through the second position PS2 during the return, the operation of the robot 11 will not be "permitted".

[0194] In this embodiment, when the operating member 211 is held in the second position PS2 in order to continue granting permission for the robot 11 to operate, the thumb F1 hooked onto the operating member 211 must be kept in place against the biasing force of the biasing member 241. At this time, it is assumed that maintaining the shape of the thumb F1 in mid-air while resisting the biasing force would be burdensome for the user and would make it difficult to use the operating terminal 15T for extended periods. Furthermore, if the posture of the hand (fingers) becomes unstable due to finger fatigue, it is a concern that it will become difficult to keep it within the second position PS2. One of the features of this embodiment is that measures have been taken to reduce the burden on the user in consideration of these circumstances. The measures will be explained below with reference to Figures 32, 33, and 35. In Figures 32, 33, and 35, the case in which the thumb F1 is placed on the finger rest 208 is shown as an example.

[0195] As already explained, when gripping the gripping part 43 with the hand H, placing the thumb F1 on the front part 42aT of the housing 42T is more comfortable for the user compared to keeping the thumb F1 suspended in the air. Placing the thumb F1 on the front part 42aT is also advantageous in stabilizing the posture of the operating terminal 15T. Here, as shown in Figure 32, when the thumb F1 is placed on the finger rests 208, 209 formed on the front part 42a, the operating member 211 is located nearby, so it is possible to access the operating member 211 while the thumb F1 remains on the finger rests 208, 209. Furthermore, the friction generated between the finger rests 208, 209 and the thumb F1 can be used as a force to keep the operating member 211 in the second position PS2, thereby significantly reducing the burden on the thumb F1.

[0196] In this embodiment, the area where the finger rests 208 and 209 are formed is at least larger vertically in a side view of the operating terminal 15T than the area where the finger hook 213 moves when the operating member 211 is operated. Furthermore, both the finger rests 208 and 209 are formed to be smooth surfaces without any steps or other unevenness. This is a design feature that allows the finger rests 208 and 209 to function as guides when moving the operating member 211 from the first position PS1 to the third position PS3, and is also preferable in that the presence of the finger rests 208 and 209 does not interfere with the operation. For example, as shown in Figure 35(a2) → Figure 35(b2), when sliding the operating member 211 with the thumb F1 hooked on the finger hook 213, the thumb F1 can be bent by sliding it on the finger rest 208 while keeping the thumb F1 on the finger rest 208. This prevents the amount of operation from being excessive and the need to restart the operation. Furthermore, it is preferable to allow variations in the posture of the thumb F1 when the operating member 211 is maintained in the second position PS2, thereby reducing the burden on the thumb F1 and easing the constraints on the posture (shape) of the thumb F1.

[0197] According to the seventh embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be expected.

[0198] In the operating terminal 15T shown in this embodiment, by placing the finger operating the operating member 211 (corresponding to the "safety operating part") on the finger rests 208 and 209 provided around the operating member 211, it is possible to make contact between the finger and both the operating member 211 and the finger rests 208 and 209. With this configuration, the finger rests 208 and 209 function to help maintain a constant position and shape of the finger operating the operating member 211, and reduce reliance on the force of the finger when holding the operating member 211 in the second position PS2 (corresponding to the "predetermined slide position"). For example, the position of the finger in the thickness direction (front-to-back direction) of the operating terminal 15T becomes less prone to variation by placing the fingertip on the finger rests 208 and 209, and the position of the finger in the sliding direction (up-down direction) becomes less prone to variation because the friction generated by placing the fingertip on the finger rests 208 and 209 acts as resistance. By reducing the burden on the user (fingers) in this way, it becomes easier to maintain a state in which the robot 11's movements are acceptable.

[0199] The operating member 211 has a finger rest portion 213 for hooking a finger, and the finger rest portions 208 and 209 are positioned parallel to the operating member 211 in a direction intersecting the sliding direction of the operating member 211. With this configuration, it is easier to place fingers on the finger rest portions 208 and 209 when hooking a finger from the side onto the finger rest portion 213 of the operating member 211. In addition, it is possible to suppress the large separation between the finger rest portion 213 and the finger rest portions 208 and 209 due to the amount of sliding of the operating member 211, that is, the finger rest portions 208 and 209 becoming difficult to use.

[0200] In this embodiment, since finger rests 208 and 209 are provided on both the left and right sides of the operating member 211, the safety operating part can be held in a predetermined sliding position by placing fingers across both finger rests 208 and 209, thereby further enhancing the aforementioned burden reduction effect.

[0201] Both the finger rests 208 and 209 are planar in shape, extending in the sliding direction of the operating member 211. Therefore, when sliding the operating member 211 with fingers resting on the finger rests 208 and 209, it is possible to prevent the finger rests 208 and 209 from interfering with the operation. Furthermore, this shape is preferable in that it allows for easier tolerance of variations in finger position and posture when securing the operating member 211 in the second position PS2.

[0202] A certain amount of force will be applied to the fingers gripping the gripping portion 43 of the operating terminal 15T. As shown in this embodiment, if the finger rest portion 208 is provided on the gripping portion 43 (the finger rest portion 208 is made part of the gripping portion 43), the gripping force can be used to keep the operating member 211 in the second position PS2. This is preferable in reducing the burden on the user's fingers.

[0203] In the operating terminal 15T shown in this embodiment, both the left and right gripping portions 43 have a certain size in the vertical direction (up and down direction), allowing for deviations in the gripping position in the vertical direction. Relaxing the constraints on the gripping position in this way is preferable in terms of ease of use of the gripping portion 43. Here, the sliding direction of the operating member 211 is also in the vertical direction (up and down direction), and the finger rest portions 208 and 209 also have a planar shape that extends in the vertical direction (up and down direction). Therefore, even if the gripping position varies to some extent, it is possible to suppress this from hindering the achievement of the above-mentioned reduction effect.

[0204] In the operating terminal 15T shown in this embodiment, by pushing down the operating member 211 with the thumb of the hand gripping the gripping portion 43 and positioning it in the second position PS2, the operating member 211 is pressed against the thumb by the biasing force of the biasing member 241. Here, friction occurs between the thumb gripping the gripping portion 43 and the housing 42T (finger rests 208, 209), and this friction can be used to resist the biasing force. This reduces the force of the fingers required to keep the operating member 211 in the second position PS2. Furthermore, if the hand is clenched from this state, the position of the thumb will shift downward, and the natural movement of the thumb can stop the movement of the robot 11.

[0205] As shown in this embodiment, by using an optical sensor (sensor unit 230) to detect the slide position, a contact structure (fixed contact, movable contact) becomes unnecessary, and even when the operating terminal 15T is used repeatedly, the chances of failure or malfunction of the enable switch 49T due to wear can be reduced. Furthermore, since there is no contact structure, there is no need to rely on the user to exert force to maintain contact between the contacts. This is also preferable in that it reduces the burden on the user when maintaining the state in which the operation of the robot 11 is permitted.

[0206] Furthermore, if the light receiving state of both light receiving units 232a and 232b is at a HIGH level, the operation of the robot 11 is permitted, and if the light receiving state of at least one of the light receiving units 232a and 232b is at a LOW level, the operation of the robot 11 is not permitted. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of problems such as the robot 11 being mistakenly permitted to operate in situations where it should be not permitted.

[0207] <Example 1> In the seventh embodiment described above, the enable switch 49T is configured to detect the position (operating position) of the operating member 211 using an optical sensor unit 230 mounted on the holder 221 and a reflector 216 mounted on the operating member 211. However, the specific configuration for detecting the operating position can be changed as follows.

[0208] For example, the enable switch 49U shown in Figure 36 is characterized by the shape of the reflector 255 provided on the base portion 212U of the operating member 211U. Specifically, the reflector 255 has three reflective parts 256 to 258 with different orientations, and its vertical cross-section is roughly trapezoidal. These reflective parts 256 to 258 are arranged in the sliding direction of the operating member 211U, and depending on the operating position of the operating member 211U, one of the reflective parts 256 to 258 is positioned on the optical path of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 231. When the central reflective part 256 is positioned on this optical path (corresponding to the second position PS2), the reflected light is irradiated onto the light-receiving unit 232. As a result, the light-receiving state of the light-receiving unit 232 becomes HIGH level, and the operation of the robot 11 is permitted. In contrast, if other reflectors 257-258 are located in the optical path (corresponding to the first position PS1 or the third position PS3), the reflected light is directed to a location away from the light receiving unit 232. As a result, the light receiving state of the light receiving unit 232 becomes LOW, and the operation of the robot 11 is not permitted. According to the enable switch 49U shown in this modified example, the reflector can be constructed from one material, which can contribute to simplifying the manufacturing process of the enable switch.

[0209] In the enable switch 49V shown in Figure 37, the positional relationship between the light-emitting part 231 and the light-receiving part 232 that constitute the sensor unit 230 differs from that of the seventh embodiment, and the shape of the operating member 211V has been partially modified to match the arrangement of the light-emitting part 231 and the light-receiving part 232. Specifically, a wall portion 262 is formed on the base portion 212V of the operating member 211V, rising from its back surface 212bV. The wall portion 262 extends in the sliding direction of the operating member 211V, and the light-emitting part 231 and the light-receiving part 232 of the sensor unit 230V are arranged so as to sandwich the wall portion 262. In other words, the light-emitting part 231 and the light-receiving part 232 are arranged to face each other with the wall portion 262 in between. The wall portion 262 has light-shielding properties, and light irradiated onto the wall surface of the wall portion 262 cannot reach the light-receiving part 232. However, an opening 263 is formed in the central part of the wall 262, penetrating in the thickness direction of the wall 262. When the opening 263 is located in the optical path of the light from the light-emitting unit 231 (corresponding to the second position PS2), the light-receiving state of the light-receiving unit 232 becomes HIGH level, and the operation of the robot 11 is permitted. Conversely, when the wall surface of the wall 262 is located in the optical path of the light from the light-emitting unit 231 (corresponding to the first position PS1 and the third position PS3), the light from the light-emitting unit 231 is blocked by the wall 262. In other words, the light-receiving state of the light-receiving unit 232 becomes LOW level, and the operation of the robot 11 is not permitted. The enable switch 49V shown in this modified example can contribute to, for example, making the operating terminal thinner.

[0210] <Modification 2> In the seventh embodiment described above, an optical sensor unit 230 was used as the detection unit for detecting the operating position (position) of the operating member 211, but it is also possible to use a radio wave type, ultrasonic type, or magnetic type sensor unit.

[0211] For example, the sensor unit 230W shown in Figure 38 includes a transmitter 231W that irradiates radio waves onto the back surface 212bW of the operating member 211W (base part 212W), and a receiver 232W that receives the radio waves reflected by the back surface 212bW. The CPU 62 of the control board 61 (see Figure 2) measures the time required from when the transmitter 231W irradiates radio waves until the receiver 232W receives the reflected radio waves, and identifies the operating position (position) of the operating member 211W based on the measurement result. Specifically, a bulge 281 is formed in the central part of the back surface 212bW of the base part 212W, bulging toward the sensor unit 230W, and the back surface 212bW has a stepped shape with a convex central part. When the bulge 281 is located within the irradiation range of radio waves from the light-emitting part 231 (corresponding to the second position PS2), the above required time becomes shorter than the reference time, and the operation of the robot 11 is permitted. Conversely, if the bulging portion 281 is not located within the irradiation range of the radio waves from the transmitting unit 231W (corresponding to the first position PS1 and the third position PS3), the required time will be longer than the standard time, and the operation of the robot 11 will be prohibited.

[0212] <Variation 3> In the seventh embodiment described above, an example was given in which the enable switch 49T is located on the front surface 42aT of the operating terminal 15T, but the invention is not limited thereto. The location of the enable switch 49T can be arbitrarily changed as long as it can be operated by at least one finger of the hand H that is gripping the gripping portion 43 and the area where the operating finger is placed is adjacent to the enable switch 49T.

[0213] In the example shown in Figure 39, a bulge 51X is formed on the back portion 42bX of the housing 42X. The bulge 51X extends vertically along the left and right edges of the back portion 42bX, and is expanded in width in a portion of the upper part. In the portion that is not expanded in width, it is possible to hook the fingertips of the fingers of the hand that is resting on the bulge 51X onto the side wall portion 52X of the bulge 51X by bending the fingers. In contrast, bending the fingers is difficult in the portion that is expanded in width. An enable switch 49X is located on this expanded portion, specifically on the surface (flat portion 55X) of the bulge 51X that faces the thickness direction of the operating terminal 15X. In other words, the enable switch 49X is located on the flat portion 55X at a point that can be reached by any finger of the hand H that is gripping the grip portion 43X.

[0214] The enable switch 49X has the same structure as the enable switch 49T shown in the seventh embodiment above, but differs from the enable switch 49T in the following respects. Specifically, the sliding direction of the operating member 211X has been changed to the lateral direction (the width direction of the operating terminal 15X), and the operating member 211X is biased toward the center of the operating terminal 15X. It also differs in that the height of the finger rest 213X is kept low so that it does not protrude from the opening 202X formed in the flat portion 55X.

[0215] When the operating member 211X is moved to the outside (edge) of the operating terminal 15X against a biasing force, operation of the operating terminal 15X is permitted when the operating member 211X moves from the first position PS1 to the second position PS2. Then, operation of the operating terminal 15X is prohibited when the operating member 211X moves from the second position PS2 to the third position PS3. With respect to the fingers (index finger F2) of the hand H that is gripping the gripping part 43H, the index finger F2 can be placed on the flat part 55X, more specifically, on the part (208X) between the opening 202X and the edge of the back part 42bX on the flat part 55X, with the fingertip hooked onto the finger rest 213X. This makes it possible to reduce the strain on the fingers when maintaining the enable switch 49X in the ON state (permitted).

[0216] Furthermore, as shown in this modified example, suppressing the protrusion of the finger rest portion 213X from the opening 202X is advantageous in preventing the finger from lifting off the flat surface 55X when the fingertip is hooked onto the finger rest portion 213X. It is also advantageous in preventing the enable switch 49X from unintentionally turning ON (permitting) when the operating terminal 15X is placed flat on a table or the like.

[0217] <Modification 4> In the seventh embodiment described above, the enable switch 49T is configured such that the operating member 211 moves from the first position PS1 to the second position PS2 and then to the third position PS3 by sliding the operating member 211 downwards. However, this can be changed as follows: The operating member 211 can be configured to move from the first position PS1 to the second position PS2 and then to the third position PS3 by sliding the operating member 211 upwards. However, when the hand H gripping the gripping part 43 is clenched, the thumb F1 resting on the front part 42aT of the housing 42T, i.e., the thumb F1 resting on the finger rests 208, 209, bends, causing the tip of the thumb F1 to shift downwards. In light of this movement of the thumb F1, there is technical significance in configuring the operating member 211, which is positioned at the second position PS2, to be pushed down further and move to the third position PS3.

[0218] Furthermore, it is possible to change the sliding direction of the operating member 211 from the up-and-down direction to the left-and-right direction. In such a configuration, it is preferable that the operating member 211 moves from the first position PS1 to the second position PS2 and then to the third position PS3 by sliding the operating member 211 outward from the center of the operating terminal 15T. This is because when the hand H gripping the gripping portion 43 is clenched, the fingers operating the operating member 211 bend, causing the tip of the fingers to shift outward from the operating terminal 15T.

[0219] <Modification 5> In the seventh embodiment described above, the enable switch 49T is located on the front surface 42aT of the housing 42T, but it is also possible to arrange the enable switch 49T on the side surface of the housing 42T.

[0220] <Variation 6> In the seventh embodiment described above, the operating member 211 and the sensor unit 230 are arranged side by side in the thickness direction of the operating terminal 15X, but the arrangement of the sensor unit 230 can be arbitrarily changed as long as the operating position of the operating member 211 can be identified.

[0221] For example, the enable switch 49Y shown in Figure 40 has a slider 291 provided separately from the operating member 211Y, a connecting member 292 that connects the operating member 211Y and the slider 291, and a groove 293 that holds the slider 291 so that it can slide in a direction intersecting the sliding direction of the operating member 211Y (specifically, the left-right direction). The slider 291 is provided with a reflector 216, and the reflective part 217 and absorbing parts 218, 219 provided on the reflector 216 are exposed from the groove 293 through a slit 294 formed in the groove 293. A sensor unit 230 is positioned opposite the slit 294, and light emitted from the light-emitting part 231 of the sensor unit 230 is emitted onto the reflector 216 through the slit 294. The connecting member 292 is flexible and can be deformed to match the groove 293. In other words, when the operating member 211Y is slid, the operating force is transmitted to the slider 291 via the connecting member 292, causing the slider 291 to slide left or right. To put it another way, the connecting member 292 and the groove 293 function as means for changing the direction of movement of the slider 291 to a direction different from the direction of movement of the operating member 211Y. Various components such as circuit boards are built into the housing of the operating terminal. Therefore, in order to ensure the coexistence of other components and the sensor unit, it is effective to relax the constraints on the positional relationship between the operating member and the sensor unit by using the connecting member 292, etc.

[0222] <Example 7> In the seventh embodiment described above, finger rests (finger rests 208, 209) are provided on both the left and right sides of the operating member 211 (opening 202) where the fingers can be placed when operating the operating member 211 with the fingers of the hand that is gripping the gripping portion 43. Specifically, a finger rest 208 is provided between the left edge of the front portion 42aT and the opening 202, and a finger rest 209 is provided between the opening 202 and the display 41. However, one of these finger rests 208, 209 may be omitted. However, it is assumed that users with large hands will primarily hold the operating member 211 with their fingers resting on both the operating member 211 and the finger rests 208 and 209, while users with small hands will primarily hold the operating member 211 with their fingers resting on the finger rests 208. In light of these circumstances, if a finger rest 208 is provided between the operating member 211 (opening 202) and the edge (left edge) of the front part 42aT, both users with large and small hands can enjoy the effect of reducing their burden. Therefore, if one of the finger rests is to be omitted, it is preferable to omit the central finger rest 209. In recent years, there has been a trend towards reducing the bezel area due to the increasing size of displays mounted on operating terminals. Therefore, in order to accommodate the finger rest, operating member (opening), and display on the front of the casing, there is technical significance in providing the finger rest between the operating member (opening) and the edge of the front of the casing (the left edge in the seventh embodiment) and omitting the finger rest on the central side.

[0223] <Differentiation Example 8> In the seventh embodiment described above, the operating member 211 is biased using a biasing member 241 (tension spring), and when the hand is released from the operating member 211, the biasing force of the biasing member 241 returns the operating member 211 to the first position PS1, which is the position before operation. The specific configuration for biasing and returning the operating member 211 is arbitrary. For example, a configuration using rubber or a magnet may be used for biasing and returning. This does not negate the possibility of a configuration in which the operating member 211 returns to the position before operation by its own weight. To achieve return by its own weight, the vertical relationship between the first position PS1, second position PS2, and third position PS3 shown in the seventh embodiment can be reversed.

[0224] <Modification 9> In the seventh embodiment described above, the light receiving state of the light receiving unit 232 is set to LOW level when the operating member 211 is positioned at the first position PS1 or the third position PS3, and to HIGH level when the operating member 211 is positioned at the second position PS2. However, this can be changed as follows: The light receiving state of the light receiving unit 232 is set to HIGH level when the operating member 211 is positioned at the first position PS1 or the third position PS3, and to LOW level when the operating member 211 is positioned at the second position PS2. When the light receiving state is set in the reverse order as described above, it is preferable to configure the system so that the operation of the robot 11 is permitted based on the light receiving state of the light receiving unit 232 becoming LOW level.

[0225] <Variation 10> In the seventh embodiment described above, the reflector 216 is configured to have a reflective section 217 and absorbent sections 218 and 219 side by side, thereby creating a difference between the light-receiving state of the light-receiving section 232 when it is in the first position PS1 and third position PS3, and when it is in the second position PS2. However, the specific configuration for creating a difference in the light-receiving state of the light-receiving section 232 can be arbitrarily changed. For example, a light-diffusing section may be provided instead of the absorbent sections 218 and 219. Also, if the light reflectivity of the base section 212 is lower than that of the reflective section 217, it is possible to omit the absorbent sections 218 and 219 and configure the system so that light from the light-emitting section 231 is irradiated onto the back surface 212b of the base section 212.

[0226] <Variation 11> In the seventh embodiment described above, the enable switch 49T is located on the left frame portion 201 of the housing 42T, but instead of this, or in addition, the enable switch 49T may be located on the right frame portion of the housing 42T (the portion to the right of the display 41).

[0227] <Variation 12> A suggestion section may be provided to indicate to the user the operating position (position) of the operating member 211 of the enable switch 49T. For example, in the finger rest sections 208 and 209 of the left frame section 201, small protrusions or fine irregularities such as bumps may be provided in the parts that are aligned with the finger hook section 213 when the operating member 211 is in the second position PS2, or in the parts where the fingers hooked on the finger hook section 213 are located, so that the user is indicated to be in the second position PS2 by the tactile sensation of the fingers resting on the finger rest sections 208 and 209. With such a configuration (a configuration that provides parts with different tactile sensations), the user can grasp the appropriate finger position for keeping the operating member 211 in the second position PS2 from the tactile sensation of their fingers.

[0228] When the enable switch 49T is kept ON, it can be stressful for the user if they lose track of the correct finger position. In particular, if the biasing force of the biasing member 241 is kept to a minimum to reduce strain on the fingers, it becomes extremely difficult to determine the finger position from the reaction force during operation. This is a concern as it is a factor that will greatly increase the aforementioned stress. In light of these circumstances, providing indicators on the finger rests 208 and 209 as shown in this modified example is preferable in order to reduce the stress when keeping the enable switch 49T ON.

[0229] <Eighth Embodiment> In this embodiment, the configuration related to detecting the pressing force differs from that of the first embodiment. The characteristic configuration of this embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment, with reference to Figures 41 to 46. Figure 41 is a rear view of the operation terminal 15Z, Figure 42 is a top view of the operation terminal 15Z, Figure 43 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the structure of the enable switch 49Z, Figure 44 is a schematic diagram showing the detected values ​​from each strain gauge and whether the conditions are met, Figure 45 is a flowchart showing the operation monitoring process executed by the CPU 62 of the operation terminal 15Z, Figure 46(a) is a schematic diagram showing the permission / denial relationship at the start of operation, and Figure 46(b) is a schematic diagram showing the permission / denial relationship during continued operation. Configurations common to the first embodiment will be omitted from explanation as appropriate.

[0230] As shown in Figure 41, the housing 42Z of the operating terminal 15Z has a bulge 301 that protrudes from the central part of the rear portion 42bZ. Enable switches 49Z are provided on the left and right sides of the bulge 301 on the rear portion 42bZ, that is, on the rear portion 42bZ of the housing 42Z that constitutes the gripping portion 43Z. Specifically, the enable switches 49Z consist of a left-side sensor unit 310 provided on the left side (right side in Figure 41) of the bulge 301, and a right-side sensor unit 320 provided on the right side (left side in Figure 41) of the bulge 301. Both the left-side sensor unit 310 and the right-side sensor unit 320 are sheet-like and have no mechanical moving parts, thus saving space.

[0231] The left sensor unit 310 extends vertically along the left edge of the rear portion 42bZ, and the area in the height direction of the operating terminal 15Z where the left gripping portion 43Z is located and the area where the left sensor unit 310 is located are approximately the same. The right sensor unit 320 extends vertically along the right edge of the rear portion 42bZ, and the area in the height direction of the operating terminal 15Z where the right gripping portion 43Z is located and the area where the right sensor unit 320 is located are approximately the same. This arrangement suppresses constraints on the position (vertical position) of the hand and fingers when pressing the sensor units 310 and 320 with the fingers of the hand gripping the gripping portion 43Z.

[0232] Furthermore, the sensor units 310 and 320 are positioned slightly away from the left and right edges of the rear surface 42bZ. This is a design feature to prevent the finger grip from becoming too shallow when attempting to operate the sensor units 310 and 320 with the fingertips of the hand holding the gripping section 43Z.

[0233] As shown in Figure 42, there is a step between the portion of the rear surface 42bZ where the bulge 301 is formed and the portion where the sensor units 310 and 320 are installed. Since the amount of protrusion of the sensor units 310 and 320 from the rear surface 42bZ is smaller than this step, when the operating terminal 15Z is placed on a table or the like with the rear surface 42bZ facing downwards, the sensor units 310 and 320 are prevented from coming into contact with the table or the like. This is preferable in preventing the enable switch 49Z from turning ON when the operating terminal 15Z is placed on a table.

[0234] Next, with reference to Figure 43, we will provide a supplementary explanation of the structure of the sensor units 310 and 320.

[0235] The left-side sensor unit 310 comprises a cover member 311 that constitutes the operating surface (surface) to which the pressing operation is performed, a first strain gauge 313 and a first diaphragm 314 that constitute the first sensor 310a for detecting pressing force, a second strain gauge 315 and a second diaphragm 316 that constitute the second sensor 310b for detecting pressing force, and a base member 318 on which these various components are mounted. Specifically, the left-side sensor unit 310 has a stacked structure in which the first sensor 310a is placed on top of the base member 318, the second sensor 310b is placed on top of the first sensor 310a, and the cover member 311 is placed on top of the second sensor 310b. In other words, the first sensor 310a and the second sensor 310b, which form a planar surface, are arranged side by side in the direction of the pressing operation, and when the cover member 311 is pressed, that force is transmitted to both the first sensor 310a and the second sensor 310b. More specifically, when the cover member 311 is pressed, the force is transmitted to the first sensor 310a at the back through the second sensor 310b at the front. Incidentally, the detection range of the first sensor 310a and the detection range of the second sensor 310b are the same when viewed in the stacking direction.

[0236] Furthermore, a recess is formed in the rear portion 42bZ for positioning the left sensor unit 310, and the left sensor unit 310 is fixed to the housing 42Z with the base member 318 in contact with the bottom of this recess. In this fixed state, the cover member 311 of the left sensor unit 310 protrudes from the recess, creating a small step between it and the rear portion 42bZ. This step allows the user to determine the location of the left sensor unit 310 by touch. In addition, the cover member 311 is made of a soft synthetic resin, and its feel is different from that of the housing 42Z, which is made of a hard synthetic resin. This difference in feel also helps in determining the position of the left sensor unit 310.

[0237] The cover member 311 is printed with a pattern 312 composed of a frame-like pattern indicating the pressing range and the character "PUSH" indicating the operation method. Regarding the printing range of the pattern 312, when viewed in the stacking direction described above, it is smaller than the detection ranges of the first sensor 310a and the second sensor 310b and is entirely included in the same detection range. In other words, when viewed in the stacking direction, the detection range is slightly larger than the printing range. This is a device for appropriately detecting the pressing force. In the present embodiment, this pattern 312 corresponds to the "suggestion part".

[0238] The first sensor 310a (first strain gauge 313) and the second sensor 310b (second strain gauge 315) are individually connected to the control board 61. The CPU 62 (first determination unit 331) of the control board 61 grasps the measurement value by the first sensor 310a and the measurement value by the second sensor 310b, and individually compares each measurement value with the reference range. For example, as shown in FIG. 44, when both the measurement value of the first sensor 310a and the measurement value of the second sensor 310b are within the reference range, it is determined that the measurement value related to the left sensor unit 310 is within the reference range (pattern PN1).

[0239] On the other hand, when at least one of the measurement value of the first sensor 310a and the measurement value of the second sensor 310b exceeds the upper limit of the reference range, it is determined that the measurement value related to the left sensor unit 310 is outside the reference range, specifically, larger than the reference range (patterns PN2, PN3). Also, when at least one of the measurement value of the first sensor 310a and the measurement value of the second sensor 310b is below the lower limit of the reference range, it is determined that the measurement value related to the left sensor unit 310 is outside the reference range, specifically, smaller than the reference range (patterns PN4, PN5).

[0240] By duplicating the configuration related to the detection of the pressing force in this way, it is possible to suppress misjudgment due to noise or the failure of any of the sensors 310a, 310b, and reduce the chance that the operation of the robot 11 is erroneously permitted. This is preferable for improving the reliability of the operation terminal 15Z.

[0241] The right-side sensor unit 320 and its related components share various specifications, such as structure, with the left-side sensor unit 310. Specifically, it comprises a cover member 321 that constitutes the operating surface (surface) to which the pressing operation is performed, a first strain gauge 323 and a first diaphragm 324 that constitute the first sensor 320a for detecting pressing force, a second strain gauge 325 and a second diaphragm 326 that constitute the second sensor 320b for detecting pressing force, and a base member 328 on which these various components are mounted. The base member 328, first sensor 320a, second sensor 320b, and cover member 321 are arranged in a stacked structure in that order. The first sensor 320a (first strain gauge 323) and the second sensor 320b (second strain gauge 325) are individually connected to the control board 61. The CPU 62 (second determination unit 332) of the control board 61 grasps the measured value from the first sensor 320a and the measured value from the second sensor 320b, and compares each measured value with the reference range individually. If both the measured value from the first sensor 320a and the measured value from the second sensor 320b are within the reference range, it is determined that the measured value related to the right sensor unit 320 is within the reference range. On the other hand, if at least one of the measured value from the first sensor 320a and the measured value from the second sensor 320b exceeds the upper limit of the reference range, it is determined that the measured value related to the right sensor unit 320 is outside the reference range, or more specifically, greater than the reference range. Also, if at least one of the measured value from the first sensor 320a and the measured value from the second sensor 320b falls below the lower limit of the reference range, it is determined that the measured value related to the right sensor unit 320 is outside the reference range, or more specifically, less than the reference range.

[0242] In this embodiment, the first sensors 310a, 320a and the second sensors 310b, 320b are stacked in the pressing direction (operating direction) to form each sensor unit 310, 320. In other words, the detection range of the planar first sensors 310a, 320a and the detection range of the planar second sensors 310b, 320b overlap. This reduces the constraints on the position of the finger during pressing operations while suppressing the occurrence of situations where the pressing force is detected by one of the first sensors 310a, 320a and the second sensors 310b, 320b but not by the other.

[0243] As already explained, the structure of the rear part 42bZ of the housing 42Z is ​​designed to make it less likely for the enable switch 49Z to be unintentionally turned ON. One of the features of this embodiment is that, in addition to the structural improvements, the control system is designed to make the above-mentioned problems less likely to occur. Specifically, the conditions for "permitting" the operation of the robot 11 are divided into those for the start and those for the continuation, and one of the features is that the conditions for the start are set more strictly than those for the continuation. The configuration related to these improvements, specifically the operation monitoring process executed by the CPU 62 of the control board 61, will be described below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 45. In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the operation monitoring process is executed by the CPU 62 as part of the periodic processing when the control mode is manual mode and the emergency stop switch 48 is not in the ON state.

[0244] In the operation monitoring process, first, in step S501, it is determined whether or not the operation of the robot 11 is permitted. That is, it is determined whether or not an permission command has been output to the robot control device 14. If the operation of the robot 11 is not permitted, a negative determination is made in step S501 and the process proceeds to step S502. In step S502, the pressing force generated by the user's pressing operation is measured by the left sensor unit 310 and the right sensor unit 320. Specifically, measurement values ​​are obtained from the first sensor 310a and the second sensor 310b of the left sensor unit 310, and measurement values ​​are obtained from the first sensor 320a and the second sensor 320b of the right sensor unit 320. In the following step S503, the measured value of the pressing force is compared with the above reference range (determination criteria) stored in the reference area of ​​RAM 64.

[0245] In the following step S504, it is determined whether or not permission restrictions are in place. If permission restrictions are not in place, the process proceeds to step S505. If any of the measured values ​​are outside the reference range, a negative determination is made in step S505 and the operation monitoring process ends. On the other hand, if all of the measured values ​​are within the reference range, that is, if the pressing operation is performed so that both the left sensor unit 310 and the right sensor unit 320 have pressing forces within the reference range, an affirmative determination is made in step S505 and the process proceeds to step S506. In step S506, the operation of the robot 11 is permitted. Specifically, provided that the emergency stop switch 48 is not in the ON state, the output of a permission command to the robot control device 14 begins. After that, the operation monitoring process ends.

[0246] Thus, in this embodiment, when starting the operation of the robot 11, it is necessary to perform a pressing operation on both the left and right sensor units 310 and 320, and the operation of the robot 11 is permitted only if all measured values ​​fall within the reference range (see Figure 46(a)). In other words, even if one of the left sensor unit 310 or the right sensor unit 320 accidentally hits surrounding equipment, etc., it is possible to avoid permitting the operation of the robot 11 as a result. This is preferable in order to simplify the enable switch and save space, while suppressing the resulting decrease in reliability.

[0247] If a positive result is obtained in step S504, i.e., if permission is restricted, the process proceeds to step S507 to determine whether the restriction release condition has been met. Specifically, it is determined whether each measured value is smaller than the reference range. For example, by removing your fingers from the left sensor unit 310 and the right sensor unit 320, each measured value will be smaller than the reference range, and the restriction release condition will be met.

[0248] If the restriction release condition is not met, a negative determination is made in step S507 and this operation monitoring process is terminated. On the other hand, if the restriction release condition is met, an affirmative determination is made in step S507 and the process proceeds to step S508, where the restriction release process is executed and this operation monitoring process is terminated. Once the restriction release process is executed, the operation of the robot 11 will be permitted when each measured value falls within the reference range. Specifically, when each measured value falls within the reference range, the output of a permission command to the robot control device 14 is initiated, provided that the emergency stop switch 48 is not in the ON state. Note that the restriction release condition shown in this embodiment may also be measured value = 0N (no pressing force).

[0249] Returning to the explanation of step S501, if the operation of the robot 11 is permitted, a positive determination is made in step S501 and the process proceeds to step S509. In step S509, the pressing force generated by the user's pressing operation is measured using the left sensor unit 310 and the right sensor unit 320, and in the following step S510, each measured value is compared with the reference range. The processes in steps S509 and S510 are the same as the processes in steps S502 and S503 described above.

[0250] If either of the two measured values ​​related to the left sensor unit 310 is outside the reference range, and either of the two measured values ​​related to the right sensor unit 320 is also outside the reference range, that is, if neither sensor unit 310 nor 320 meets the permission conditions, then a negative determination is made in step S511 and the process proceeds to step S512. In step S512, it is determined whether any of the four measured values ​​exceed the upper limit of the reference range.

[0251] If a negative determination is made in step S512, that is, if the measured pressing force falls below the lower limit of the reference range due to the hand being released from the enable switch 49Z, the permission is revoked in step S513, that is, a prohibition command is output to the robot control device 14, and then this operation monitoring process is terminated. As a result, the robot 11 will remain stationary until operation is permitted again.

[0252] On the other hand, if a positive determination is made in step S512, that is, if at least one of the left sensor unit 310 and the right sensor unit 320 is strongly pressed and any of the four measured values ​​exceeds the upper limit of the reference range, permission restriction processing is executed in step S514. This restriction prevents the operation of the robot 11 from being permitted even if the measured value comes within the reference range during the process of decreasing pressing force. After that, permission is revoked in step S513 and this operation monitoring process is terminated. Thus, in this embodiment, even if the measured value falls outside the reference range while permission is granted, the subsequent permission / denial switching behavior differs depending on whether it falls to the smaller or larger side.

[0253] Returning to the explanation of step S511, if both measurements related to the left sensor unit 310 are within the reference range, if both measurements related to the right sensor unit 320 are within the reference range, or if all measurements are within the reference range, then a positive determination is made in step S511 and the process proceeds to step S515. If none of the four measurements exceed the upper limit of the reference range, then a negative determination is made in step S515 and the operation monitoring process ends there. In other words, while the condition for newly authorizing operation was to perform a pressing operation on the left and right sensor units 310 and 320 so that the pressing force is within the reference range, the condition for continuing to authorize operation is to perform a pressing operation on one of the left or right sensor units 310 and 320 so that the pressing force is within the reference range (except when the other is being pressed strongly) (see Figure 46(b)). In this way, by relaxing the conditions when permission to operate is maintained, the user can keep at least one finger away from the sensor units 310 and 320, which helps to reduce the burden on the user when operating the robot 11 in manual mode.

[0254] Furthermore, even if both measured values ​​for one of the sensor units 310 and 320 are within the reference range, if either of the two measured values ​​for the other exceeds the upper limit of the reference range, the processes in steps S513 and S514 will be executed to disallow operation. In other words, for example, in an emergency, the movement of the robot 11 can be stopped by firmly gripping the gripping part 43 with a free hand.

[0255] According to the eighth embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be expected.

[0256] According to the configuration shown in this embodiment, the enable switch 49Z is constructed using sensor units 310 and 320 capable of measuring pressing force, and it is determined whether or not to allow the operation of the robot 11 by comparing the measured value of the pressing force with a reference range (corresponding to a "predetermined range").

[0257] In the case of conventional safety switches that have a contact structure (fixed contacts and movable contacts), a force is required to maintain contact between the contacts, and the force required to stabilize the contact state can be large. In this respect, with the configuration shown in this embodiment, which switches between permit / deny depending on the measured pressing force, the above-mentioned contact structure is unnecessary, and the force required to maintain contact between the contacts is also unnecessary. Therefore, it is possible to permit a smaller pressing force than in conventional systems when permitting the operation of the robot 11, and the pressing force required from the user (lower limit of the reference range) can be reduced. This is preferable in reducing the burden on the user when maintaining the state in which the operation of the robot 11 is permitted.

[0258] However, when trying to minimize the pressing force required to permit the operation of the robot 11 as described above, there is a concern that the lower limit of the reference range may decrease, making it more susceptible to the influence of noise or the like. In this regard, as shown in the present embodiment, if the sensor unit is composed of the first sensor and the second sensor and the detection configuration is duplicated, for example, the chance of being erroneously permitted due to noise or the like can be reduced. That is, according to the configuration shown in the present embodiment, it is possible to suitably balance the reduction of the user's burden and the improvement of the reliability with respect to the operation terminal 15Z.

[0259] As shown in the present embodiment, if the first sensors 310a, 320a and the second sensors 310b, 320b are planar, the degree of freedom of the pressing position can be improved, and the usability of the enable switch 49Z can be improved. And by laminating the first sensors 310a, 320a and the second sensors 310b, 320b, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of an event in which one of the sensors is out of the route through which the pressing force is transmitted and cannot detect the pressing force properly. This is preferable in terms of reducing the space occupied by the enable switch 49Z while improving the usability of the enable switch 49Z.

[0260] Constructing an enable switch using a sensor unit with a pressing force measurement formula is advantageous in reducing the operating force required to permit the operation of the robot 11. However, when the required operating force is reduced, it is assumed that when the sensor unit hits peripheral equipment or the like, a problem such as the operation of the robot 11 being erroneously permitted is likely to occur. In this regard, as shown in the present embodiment, the sensor units 310, 320 are separately arranged at positions closer to a pair of end portions (left and right end portions) in the housing 42Z of the operation terminal 15Z, and when the pressing forces measured by the first sensors 310a, 320a and the second sensors 310b, 320b for both sensor units 310, 320 are all within the reference range, the operation of the robot 11 is permitted. With such a configuration, the above concern can be suitably addressed.

[0261] As shown in this embodiment, if the fingers of the hand gripping the gripping portion 43Z can be used to press the sensor units 310 and 320, then the force used to grip the gripping portion 43Z can be utilized to press the sensor units 310 and 320. This is preferable in suppressing the decrease in operability of the enable switch caused by the simultaneous use of multiple sensor units.

[0262] After the robot 11 is authorized to operate, the conditions for operating the enable switch 49Z are relaxed, and the user can release their hand from either the sensor unit 310 or 320. This is preferable in order to prevent the user from becoming overburdened when maintaining authorization.

[0263] <Example 1> In the eighth embodiment described above, an example was given in which the enable switch 49Z is disposed on the rear portion 42bZ of the housing 42Z, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. It is also possible to dispose of a configuration equivalent to the enable switch 49Z on the front portion 42aZ of the housing 42Z or on the side portion of the housing 42Z. However, in order to utilize the force supporting the operating terminal 15Z when it is held in a lifted position as a force pressing the sensor units 310, 320, it is preferable to dispose of the enable switch 49Z on the rear portion 42bZ of the housing 42Z so as to face the same direction as the rear portion 42bZ.

[0264] <Modification 2> In the eighth embodiment described above, the operating conditions for the enable switch 49Z when newly authorizing the operation of the robot 11 and the operating conditions for the enable switch 49Z when continuing to authorize the operation of the robot 11 are configured to be different, but the system is not limited to this configuration. It is also possible to configure the system to have the same conditions. For example, it is possible to configure the system to continue authorizing the operation of the robot 11 when the measured values ​​of the pressing force for both the left and right sensor units 310 and 320 are within the reference range.

[0265] <Variation 3> In the eighth embodiment described above, a bulge 301 is formed in the central part of the rear portion 42bZ to prevent the sensor units 310 and 320 from coming into contact with the table when the operating terminal 15Z is placed face up on a table or the like. The specific configuration can be arbitrarily changed as long as it is possible to prevent the sensor units 310 and 320 from coming into contact with the table or the like. For example, it is also possible to provide a projection on the rear portion 42bZ that stands upright so as to surround the sensor units 310 and 320, or to house the sensor units 310 and 320 in a recess formed in the rear portion 42bZ so that they do not protrude from the recess.

[0266] <Modification 4> In the eighth embodiment described above, the system is configured to perform a determination of the measured values ​​for both sensor units 310 and 320 even after granting permission for the robot 11 to operate, i.e., while permission is still granted. However, the system is not limited to this configuration. It is also possible to configure the system to limit the targets for determination after granting permission for the robot 11 to operate, i.e., while permission is still granted. The specific configuration will be described below with reference to Figure 47. Figure 47 is a flowchart of the monitoring target setting process executed by the CPU 62 of the control board 61 as part of periodic processing.

[0267] In the monitoring target setting process, first, in step S601, it is determined whether or not the operation of the robot 11 is permitted. That is, it is determined whether or not an permission command has been output to the robot control device 14. If the operation of the robot 11 is not permitted, a negative determination is made in step S601 and the monitoring target setting process is terminated. On the other hand, if the operation of the robot 11 is permitted, an positive determination is made in step S601 and the process proceeds to step S602. In step S602, it is determined whether or not the monitoring target is limited. If the monitoring target is not limited, the process proceeds to step S603, where it is determined whether or not the measured value of the pressing force of the sensor units 310 and 320 has fallen below the reference range. If a negative determination is made in step S603, the monitoring target setting process is terminated. On the other hand, if a positive determination is made in step S603, the monitoring target is limited in step S604 and then the monitoring target setting process is terminated. In step S604, sensor units 310 and 320 whose measured values ​​are within the reference range are kept under monitoring, while those whose measured values ​​fall below the reference range are excluded from monitoring. For example, if the left and right sensor units 310 and 320 are pressed to turn on the enable switch 49Z, and then the right hand is released from the operation terminal 15Z, the left-hand sensor unit 310 will remain under monitoring, while the right-hand sensor unit 320 will no longer be monitored. Returning to the explanation of step S602, if the monitoring targets are limited, a positive determination is made in step S602 and the process proceeds to step S605. In step S605, it is determined whether or not it is time to disallow the operation of the robot 11 (revoke permission). If it is not time to revoke permission, the monitoring target setting process ends as is. If it is time to revoke permission, the limitation of the monitoring targets is removed in step S606, and then the monitoring target setting process ends.

[0268] Since the operating terminal 15Z has a certain weight, holding it in the hand for an extended period of time can increase the user's burden. Therefore, if the operating terminal 15Z could be operated while partially resting its weight on peripheral equipment such as a table, the above concern could be suitably resolved. As shown in this modified example, after the enable switch 49Z is turned ON, even if the end of the operating terminal 15Z that is not being held is placed on a table or the like, the enable switch 49Z is effectively prevented from unintentionally switching to the OFF state. This is because the sensor unit 230 on the side not being held is not subject to monitoring, so even if the table and the sensor unit 230 come into contact, this will not cause the enable switch 49Z to turn OFF.

[0269] The specific configuration for limiting the monitoring target is optional; it may be configured not to acquire measured values, to acquire measured values ​​but not to compare them with a reference range, or to perform a comparison but invalidate the results.

[0270] <Modification 5> In the eighth embodiment described above, the reference range for comparison with the measured value of the first sensor 310a (corresponding to the "predetermined range") and the reference range for comparison with the measured value of the second sensor 310b (corresponding to the "predetermined range") were made common, but the embodiment is not limited to this. Differences may occur between the measured values ​​of the first sensor 310a and the second sensor 310b due to the positional relationship between the first sensor 310a and the second sensor 310b, individual differences, differences in specifications, etc. To take such differences into consideration, it is preferable to set the reference range for comparison with the measured value of the first sensor 310a and the reference range for comparison with the measured value of the second sensor 310b individually.

[0271] By using a configuration that combines the first sensor 310a and the second sensor 310b, the chances of the robot 11 being erroneously permitted to operate due to the influence of noise or other factors can be reduced. However, if the same reference range is applied to the first sensor 310a and the second sensor 310b, the effective reference range may become narrower than expected due to the effects of the above-mentioned differences. A substantially narrower reference range is undesirable in terms of easily permitting or maintaining the permitted state of the robot 11's operation. In this regard, as shown in this modified example, by setting a reference range for comparison with the measured value of the first sensor 310a and a reference range for comparison with the measured value of the second sensor 310b separately, the above-mentioned inconvenience can be made less likely to occur.

[0272] For similar reasons, a reference range for comparison with the measured value of the first sensor 320a and a reference range for comparison with the measured value of the second sensor 320b may be set separately.

[0273] <Variation 6> In the eighth embodiment described above, each sensor unit 310, 320 is duplicated by the first sensors 310a, 320a and the second sensors 310b, 320b. As mentioned above, there may be a difference between the measured values ​​from the first sensors 310a, 320a and the measured values ​​from the second sensors 310b, 320b. Measures may be taken to suppress the effects of such differences. These measures will be described below with reference to Figure 48. Figure 48 is a flowchart showing the threshold correction process executed by the CPU 62 of the control board 61 as part of periodic processing.

[0274] In the threshold correction process, first, in step S701, it is determined whether or not the robot 11's operation has been permitted. That is, it is determined whether or not an permission command has been output to the robot control device 14. If the determination in step S701 is positive, the process proceeds to step S702, where the measured values ​​obtained from the first sensors 310a and 320a are compared with the measured values ​​obtained from the second sensors 310b and 320b for each sensor unit 310 and 320, and the difference in the measured values ​​is calculated. Specifically, for the left sensor unit 310, the difference between the measured value of the first sensor 310a and the measured value of the second sensor 310b is calculated, and for the right sensor unit 320, the difference between the measured value of the first sensor 320a and the measured value of the second sensor 320b is calculated. After that, in step S703, the threshold to be corrected is determined, and in step S704, the threshold is corrected, and then the threshold correction process is terminated. For example, the smaller of the measured value from the first sensor 310a and the measured value from the second sensor 310b is identified, and the threshold (upper / lower limit) defining the reference range corresponding to that measured value is lowered by the difference calculated in step S702. Also, the smaller of the measured value from the first sensor 320a and the measured value from the second sensor 320b is identified, and the threshold (upper / lower limit) defining the reference range corresponding to that measured value is lowered by the difference calculated in step S702. From this point onward, various judgments will be performed using the corrected threshold (reference range) until the correction is released. This suppresses the effects of the variability described above. Returning to the explanation of step S701, if it is not the timing for permission to operate, a negative judgment is made in step S701 and the process proceeds to step S705. In step S705, it is determined whether or not it is the timing to revoke permission to operate the robot 11. If it is not the timing for permission revocation, a negative judgment is made in step S705 and this threshold correction process is terminated. If it is time to revoke permission, a positive determination is made in step S705, and the process proceeds to step S706, where the threshold correction is released, and the threshold correction process ends. By releasing the correction, the threshold (reference range) referenced when determining each measured value reverts to its default value.

[0275] Furthermore, the configuration for determining the correction target and correcting the threshold can also be as follows. That is, the larger of the measured value of the first sensor 310a and the measured value of the second sensor 310b can be identified, and the threshold (upper limit / lower limit) defining the reference range corresponding to that measured value can be raised by the difference calculated in step S702. Alternatively, for the larger of the measured values ​​of the first sensor 310a and the second sensor 310b, the threshold (upper limit / lower limit) defining the reference range corresponding to that measured value can be raised by half the difference, while for the smaller of the measured values ​​of the first sensor 310a and the second sensor 310b, the threshold (upper limit / lower limit) defining the reference range corresponding to that measured value can be lowered by half the difference.

[0276] <Example 7> The operation terminal 15Z shown in the eighth embodiment above uses two sensor units 310 and 320 to construct the enable switch 49Z, but is not limited to this. It is also possible to omit either of the two sensor units 310 and 320. For example, if the right sensor unit 320 is omitted, the operation of the robot 11 may be permitted if the measured values ​​of the first sensor 310a and the second sensor 310b of the left sensor unit 310 are within the reference range, and the operation of the robot 11 may be denied if either of the measured values ​​is outside the reference range.

[0277] <Ninth Embodiment> In the eighth embodiment described above, the first sensors 310a, 320a and the second sensors 310b, 320b were stacked to construct the respective sensor units 310, 320. In this embodiment, although each sensor unit is redundant by using both the first and second sensors, similar to the eighth embodiment, the positional relationship between the first and second sensors differs from that of the eighth embodiment. The enable switch 49AA in this embodiment will now be described with reference to Figures 49 and 50. Figure 49 is a rear view of the operation terminal 15AA, Figure 50(a) is a front view of the sensor units 310AA, 320AA, and Figure 50(b) is a partial cross-sectional view of Figure 49 along the EE line. Note that the explanation of components common to the eighth embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0278] As shown in Figure 49, in the operating terminal 15AA shown in this embodiment, a bulge 301 is formed in the central part of the rear portion 42bZ of the housing 42Z, and sensor units 310AA and 320AA are arranged on both the left and right sides of the bulge 301 (specifically, the gripping portion 43Z). Since the basic structure of the left sensor unit 310AA and the right sensor unit 320AA are common, the structure of the left sensor unit 310AA will be described below, and the structure of the right sensor unit 320AA will not be described.

[0279] As shown in Figure 50, the sensor unit 310AA is equipped with a cover member 311AA that has a circular appearance. The cover member 311AA has a pattern 312AA printed on it, which consists of a circular frame-shaped pattern indicating the pressing range and the word PUSH indicating the operation method. The printing area of ​​the pattern 312AA is set so that when the pattern 312AA is viewed from the front, it overlaps with the detection range of the first sensor 310aAA and the detection range of the second sensor 310bAA.

[0280] More specifically, the second sensor 310bAA is ring-shaped, and the first sensor 310aAA is positioned in its central part (gap). As a result, the detection range of the circular first sensor 310aAA is enclosed by the detection range of the ring-shaped second sensor 310bAA. The printing range of the aforementioned pattern 312AA is slightly smaller than the detection range of the second sensor 310bAA, ​​but it can be said that it is set to overlap with the entire detection range of the first sensor 310aAA.

[0281] The detection range (area) of the first sensor 310aAA, located in the center, is smaller than that of the second sensor 310bAA, ​​located outside of it. This configuration makes it easier for the pad of the finger to straddle the detection ranges of both the first sensor 310aAA and the second sensor 310bAA when the position indicated by the pattern 312AA is pressed with a finger. In other words, the above relationship is one of the measures taken to make it easier for the pressing force to be applied to both the first sensor 310aAA and the second sensor 310bAA.

[0282] Furthermore, by making the second sensor 310bAA ring-shaped, it is less likely that the finger will fall outside the detection range of the second sensor 310bAA even if the finger orientation varies. This is also preferable in that it relaxes the restrictions on the orientation of the finger when placing the finger on the enable switch 49AA.

[0283] In this embodiment, the reference range (threshold for detection value determination) for the central first sensor 310aAA and the reference range (threshold for detection value determination) for the outer second sensor 310bAA are set individually. Specifically, the reference range for the second sensor 310bAA is set lower than the reference range for the first sensor 310aAA. This makes it easier to tolerate situations where the pressure detected by the second sensor 310bAA is lower, such as when the central part of the pattern 312AA is pressed hard near the fingertip.

[0284] <Example 1> In the ninth embodiment described above, the first sensors 310aAA, 320aAA and the second sensors 310bAA, ​​320bAA are arranged side by side. To suppress variations in the amount of discrepancy between the measured value of the first sensor 310aAA and the measured value of the second sensor 310bAA, ​​such as when the pressing force is applied to only one of the first sensor 310aAA or the second sensor 310bAA, ​​it is preferable to interpose a rigid plate 319 as shown in Figure 51 (partial cross-sectional view showing the structure of the sensor unit). Specifically, an intermediate layer (dispersion layer) is provided between the surface layer, which consists of cover members 311AA and 321AA, and the sensor layer, which consists of the first sensor 310aAA and the second sensor 310bAA. The plate 319 is positioned so as to straddle the first sensor 310aAA and the second sensor 310bAA. This configuration allows the pressing force applied to the cover members 311AA and 321AA to be distributed between the first sensor 310aAA and the second sensor 310bAA. This suppresses the variation in the amount of displacement. It is also possible to form the cover members 311AA and 321AA from a hard synthetic resin or the like and use them instead of the plate 319.

[0285] <Modification 2> In the ninth embodiment described above, the second sensors 310bAA and 320bAA are arranged to surround the first sensors 310aAA and 320aAA, but the embodiment is not limited to this. As long as the pressing force is applied to both the first sensors 310aAA and 320aAA and the second sensors 310bAA and 320bAA when the user presses the sensor units 310AA and 320aAA, the positional relationship between the first sensors 310aAA and 320aAA and the second sensors 310bAA and 320bAA can be arbitrarily changed. For example, in the example shown in Figure 52 (rear view of the operation terminal 15AC), the enable switch 49AC (sensor unit 310AC) is positioned within reach of the fingers F2 of the hand H gripping the gripping part 43Z, similar to the ninth embodiment. However, the sensor unit 310AC is elongated vertically and is arranged along the edge of the rear part 42bZ. The first sensor 310aAC and the second sensor 310bAC, which constitute the sensor unit 310AC, are also shaped like long vertical strips and are arranged side by side in the width direction (left-right direction) of the operating terminal 15AC. Since it is assumed that the fingers of the hand that grasps the gripping part 43Z extend from the edge side of the housing 42Z toward the sensor unit 310AC, by arranging the first sensor 310aAC and the second sensor 310bAC in the width direction of the operating terminal 15AC as described above, it is possible to easily apply pressing force to both the first sensor 310aAC and the second sensor 310bAC. In particular, the pattern 312AC provided on the cover member 311AC is mainly positioned to overlap the detection range of the first sensor 310aAC, which is furthest from the edge, so that when a finger is placed on this pattern 312AC, not only the first sensor 310aAC but also the adjacent second sensor 310bAC is easily subjected to pressing force. In other words, there is technical significance in deliberately arranging the pattern 312AC so that it is biased towards the first sensor 310aAC side of the second sensor 310bAC, as shown in Figure 52.

[0286] Incidentally, it is also possible to configure the housing 42AC so that, for example, the first sensor 310aAC, the second sensor 310bAC, and the first sensor 310aAC are arranged in the width direction, that is, the second sensor 310bAC is located between the first sensors 310aAC. In this case, it is also possible to divide the first sensor 310aAC into two and place the second sensor 310bAC between them, or to provide a gap such as a slit in the first sensor 310aAC and place the second sensor 310bAC in this gap.

[0287] Furthermore, as shown in this modified example, by arranging the strip-shaped first sensor 310aAC and second sensor 310bAC in the width direction of the sensor, the degree of freedom of the pressing position of the enable switch 49AC can be increased in the longitudinal direction of the first sensor 310aAC and second sensor 310bAC, while making it less likely for only one of the first sensor 310aAC and second sensor 310bAC to be pressed. Incidentally, although the first sensor 310aAC and second sensor 310bAC are strip-shaped in this modified example, it is also possible to make the first sensor 310aAC and second sensor 310bAC linear.

[0288] <Variation 3> In the eighth and ninth embodiments described above, the sensor units 310 and 320 were placed on the gripping portion 43Z of the housing 42Z in the portion facing the thickness direction of the housing 42Z, but the embodiment is not limited to this. As shown in Figure 53 (rear view of the operating terminal 15AD), if the gripping portion 43 bulges out from the rear portion 42b of the housing 42, the sensor units 310 and 320 can also be placed on the side wall portion 52 of the gripping portion 43 that faces the center side of the operating terminal 15AD. The sensor units 310 and 320 can also be placed on the portion where the fingertips of the hand gripping the gripping portion 43 rest. The side wall portion 52 does not necessarily have to be configured to face the width direction of the housing 42; for example, the side wall portion 52 can be configured to be tilted to the rear or to the front.

[0289] <Modification 4> In the eighth and ninth embodiments described above, two sensor units 310 and 320 constituting an enable switch 49Z are arranged on the rear portion 42bZ of the housing 42Z, and the operation of the robot 11 is permitted based on the pressing operation of these two sensor units 310 and 320. This may be modified as follows. For example, as shown in Figure 54, it is possible to add a sensor unit 330 similar to the sensor units 310 and 320 to the front portion 42aZ of the housing 42Z. Alternatively, it is possible to add a sensor unit 330 to the front portion 42aZ of the housing 42Z in place of either the left sensor unit 310 or the right sensor unit 320. When sensor units are arranged on the front portion 42aZ and the rear portion 42bZ of the housing 42Z in this way, it is preferable to arrange the sensor units so that both sensor units can be pressed by the hand that is gripping the gripping portion 43Z of 1. For example, it is preferable to arrange the sensor units such that the sensor unit on the front portion 42aZ side and the sensor unit on the rear portion 42bZ side overlap each other in the thickness direction of the operating terminal 15AE. In this way, if the front and back sensor units can be pressed with the fingers of the hand that is gripping the gripping portion 43Z, the force used to grip the gripping portion 43Z can be utilized for the pressing operation. This is preferable in order to avoid a decrease in the operability of the enable switch due to the use of multiple sensor units.

[0290] Furthermore, the sensor unit located on the front surface 42aZ may be simplified in its configuration. Specifically, if it is used when granting permission for the robot 11 to move for the first time and not used when permission is maintained, the sensor unit located on the front surface 42aZ may simply function as a touch sensor and omit the function of measuring the pressure. In other words, it is possible to have one of the two sensor units located on the front and back surfaces have a pressure detection function, while the other only detects the presence or absence of a touch (a configuration without a pressure detection function). Incidentally, if the front sensor unit is used only as support during startup, a touch panel display 41 can be used in place of the sensor unit, contributing to the simplification of the configuration related to the operating terminal.

[0291] <Modification 5> In the ninth embodiment described above, the second sensor 310bAA is annular in shape, but it is also possible to make it substantially annular in shape by partially cutting it off by forming a slit or the like in part of it.

[0292] <Tenth Embodiment> In the first embodiment described above, the pressing force when the user operates the operator 57 of the enable switch 49 is detected, and the operation of the robot 11 is switched between permitted and prohibited by comparing the detected pressing force with a reference range. One of the features of this embodiment is that the burden on the user's finger is further reduced by using the enable switch 49 shown in the first embodiment and the sensor unit 310 shown in the eighth embodiment in combination. The characteristic configuration of this embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment, with reference to Figure 55. Figure 55(a) is a rear view of the operation terminal 15AF, and Figure 55(b) is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the state of the enable switch 49AF and permitted / disable operation. The same configuration as in the first and eighth embodiments will be omitted from explanation as appropriate.

[0293] As shown in Figure 55(a), a portion of the operator 57 of the enable switch 49AF protrudes from the side wall portion 52 of the bulging portion 51. An operating surface is formed on this protruding portion, facing the center of the operating terminal 15AF, and the sheet-like sensor unit 310 shown in the eighth embodiment is attached to this operating surface.

[0294] In this embodiment, the enable switch 49AF is provided with a contact switch 351 instead of the force sensor attached to the operator 57. The contact switch 351 is connected to the control board 61 and outputs an OFF signal when the operator 57 is in the maximum protruding position (standby position) and an ON signal when it is pushed in to a predetermined position.

[0295] Now, referring to Figure 55(b), the switching of permission / denial of robot 11 operation will be explained. When a user touches the sensor unit 310 of the operator 57 with the fingers of the hand that is gripping the gripping part 43, a pressing force is applied to the sensor unit 310. In this embodiment, only the lower limit threshold is set as the reference range, and when the detected value of the pressing force exceeds this threshold, the operation of robot 11 is permitted based on the fact that an OFF signal is output from the contact switch 351. This threshold is set low so that it turns ON as long as the user is touching the sensor unit 310. When the user releases their hand from the operator 57, the detected value of the pressing force falls below the threshold, and the operation of robot 11 is switched to denied.

[0296] On the other hand, if the operator 57 is pressed in, such as by the gripping part 43 being squeezed hard, while the operation of the robot 11 is permitted, the operation of the robot 11 will be switched to disabled when an ON signal is output from the contact switch 351. In other words, when an ON signal is output from the contact switch 351, the operation will be switched to disabled even if the detected value of the pressing force is within the standard range.

[0297] <Example 1> In the tenth embodiment described above, only a lower threshold was set as the reference range for the sensor unit 310, but an upper threshold may also be set. In this case, it is preferable to configure the system so that the operation of the robot 11 is not permitted based on whether the detected value exceeds the reference range and an ON signal is output from the contact switch 351.

[0298] <Modification 2> The contact switch 351 shown in the tenth embodiment above only needs to be configured to output a binary ON / OFF signal. It is also possible to configure it to output an ON signal when the operator 57 is in the maximum protruding position (standby position) and to output an OFF signal when it is pushed in to a predetermined position.

[0299] <Variation 3> The contact switch 351 shown in the tenth embodiment above may be replaced with a force sensor, and the operation of the robot 11 may be prohibited if the detected pressing force value of the force sensor exceeds a threshold. If the sensor unit 310 side uses a lower threshold as the judgment criterion and the force sensor side uses a higher threshold as the judgment criterion, it is possible to separate the frequency bands in which accuracy can be easily increased for each sensor, thereby suppressing the influence of sensor sensitivity and making the permission / denial switching even more appropriate.

[0300] <Modification 4> For the sensor units 310 and 320 shown in each of the eighth to tenth embodiments described above, it is sufficient that they can detect pressing force, and it is not necessarily required to use strain gauges. For example, a capacitive or piezoelectric element method can also be used.

[0301] <Other Embodiments> Furthermore, the implementation is not limited to the descriptions of each embodiment above, and may be carried out as follows, for example. Incidentally, each of the following configurations may be applied individually to each of the above embodiments, or some or all of them may be combined and applied to each of the above embodiments.

[0302] (1) In each of the above embodiments, gripping portions 43, which are grasped by the user, are provided at the left and right ends of the operating terminal 15, but the position of the gripping portions 43 is not limited to these. They may also be provided at the upper and lower ends of the operating terminal 15, or at the corners. In any of the positions in which the gripping portions 43 are provided, it is preferable that the enable switch 49 be positioned in a location that can be operated by the hand that is grasping the gripping portion.

[0303] (2) In each of the above embodiments, the operating terminal 15 may also be configured such that the display 41 and the housing 42 are detachable. That is, the operating terminal 15 may be composed of a display 41 and a display holder that detachably holds the display 41.

[0304] (3) In each of the above embodiments, a portable operating terminal 15 was used as an example, but the enable switch 49 mounted on the operating terminal 15 can also be applied to a stationary operating terminal.

[0305] <Regarding the group of inventions extracted from the above embodiments> The following describes the features of the group of inventions extracted from the above embodiments, showing their effects and other aspects as necessary. For ease of understanding, corresponding configurations in the above embodiments will be indicated in parentheses as appropriate, but the invention is not limited to these specific configurations.

[0306] <Features Group A> Pressure detection type The following describes Feature A, which is a group of technical ideas extracted mainly from the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and their modified forms.

[0307] The following characteristic group A is based on the background technology that states, "Some operating terminals such as teaching pendants used for operating industrial robots are equipped with enable switches to improve safety during manual operation. The enable switch is a safety switch for enabling or disabling manual operation of the robot, and in recent years, a type of switch has been proposed in which manual operation of the robot is enabled when the operator is pressed slightly (i.e., pressed to an intermediate position), while manual operation is disabled when it is pressed firmly (see, for example, Patent Document 1)." In this context, "In order to maintain the state in which manual operation is enabled, it is necessary to hold the operator in an intermediate position, and the operator It is necessary to constantly apply a constant force to prevent the operating finger from becoming too weak or too strong. In reality, even if one is conscious of the force being applied, some fluctuation will occur in that force. Therefore, some users may operate by focusing on the shape of their hand (fingers) and maintaining that hand shape. However, continuously applying force or maintaining the same hand shape for a long period of time can be a significant burden for the user. Furthermore, since the users of the operating terminals vary, it is assumed that the above burden will become more pronounced when they operate in accordance with the specifications (required force) of the enable switch. This was done in consideration of the background and challenges described above.

[0308] Feature A1. A robot operation terminal (operation terminal 15) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), The safety switch (enable switch 49) comprises a safety operating part (operator 57) that is pressed by the user, and a detection part (force sensor 59) that detects the pressing force applied to the safety operating part. A robot operation terminal that permits the operation of the industrial robot when the pressing force detected by the detection unit is within a predetermined range, and dispermits the operation of the industrial robot when the pressing force detected by the detection unit is less than the predetermined range or greater than the predetermined range.

[0309] According to the configuration described in this feature, the operation of the industrial robot is permitted when the pressing force detected by the detection unit is within a predetermined range, and the operation of the industrial robot is prohibited when the detected pressing force is less than or greater than the predetermined range. With such a configuration, for example, if the safety operation unit is pressed strongly, such as when a user suddenly grips it while manually operating the industrial robot, the operation of the industrial robot will be prohibited. This is desirable in order to improve the safety of industrial robots.

[0310] In the case of conventional safety switches that have a contact structure (fixed contacts and movable contacts), a force is required to maintain contact between the contacts, and the force required to stabilize the contact state can be large. In this respect, as shown in this feature, the configuration that detects pressing force eliminates the need for the contact structure described above, and also eliminates the need for a force to maintain contact between the contacts. Therefore, it is possible to tolerate a smaller pressing force than before when permitting the operation of an industrial robot, and the pressing force required from the user (the lower limit of the predetermined range above) can be reduced. This is also preferable in that it reduces the burden on the user when maintaining the state in which the operation of the industrial robot is permitted.

[0311] Feature A2. The robot operation terminal according to Feature A1, which is equipped with a modification unit (for example, a function that executes a setting change process on the CPU 62) that changes the predetermined range based on user modification operations.

[0312] To maintain an industrial robot's operation in an authorized state, the pressing force applied to the safety control unit must be kept within a predetermined range. The ideal pressing force that is easy to maintain consistently may vary from user to user. In other words, if the discrepancy between the set predetermined range and the pressing force that the user finds easy to maintain consistently becomes large, the user's burden may increase. In this regard, as shown in this feature, configuring the system so that the user can change the predetermined range that serves as the basis for authorization is effective in reducing the user's burden.

[0313] Feature A3. The robot operation terminal according to Feature A2, wherein the modification unit is capable of changing at least the lower limit (lower threshold) of the predetermined range and the upper limit (upper threshold).

[0314] To reduce the strain on the user's fingers, it is preferable to lower the lower limit of the specified range. On the other hand, considering the following case, it may be preferable to raise the lower limit of the specified range slightly. That is, if it is desired that the operation of an industrial robot be prohibited while the user is holding the robot control terminal, it is undesirable for the industrial robot to operate due to unintentional contact with the safety control part. Paying attention to prevent such incidents can be a burden for the user. Therefore, setting the lower limit of the specified range slightly higher is effective in reducing the possibility of such unintended operation. For these reasons, there is technical significance in making the lower limit of the specified range subject to modification.

[0315] Feature A4. The robot operation terminal according to Feature A3, wherein the range that can be changed by the modification unit is limited with respect to the lower limit of the predetermined range.

[0316] Setting the lower limit of the predetermined range excessively low can lead to malfunction of the safety switch. Conversely, if the lower limit is mistakenly set excessively high, there is concern that the effect of reducing the user's burden will not be effectively achieved. For these reasons, when realizing the technical concept shown in Feature A3, it is preferable to limit the range in which the lower limit can be changed, as shown in this feature.

[0317] Feature A5. The robot operating terminal according to Feature A2, wherein the modification part is capable of changing at least the upper limit of the predetermined range, which includes the lower limit (lower threshold) and the upper limit (upper threshold).

[0318] As shown in Feature A1, it is desirable to have a configuration in which the operation of the industrial robot is denied (permission is revoked) if the safety operation part is suddenly pressed too hard, in order to improve safety. Here, in order to improve safety, it is desirable to lower the upper limit of the predetermined range to some extent, but if the upper limit is lowered too much, there is a concern that the operation will be denied even if the force is only slightly increased, which will easily reduce work efficiency. In that case, the effect of reducing the burden on the user will not be properly realized. For these reasons, there is technical significance in making the upper limit of the predetermined range subject to change.

[0319] Feature A6. The robot operation terminal described in Feature A5, wherein the range that can be changed by the modification unit is limited to the upper limit of the predetermined range.

[0320] Setting the upper limit of the specified range excessively low increases the chances of unintentional denials. Conversely, if the upper limit is set excessively high, there is concern that the effect of improving safety will not be effectively realized. For these reasons, when realizing the technical concept shown in Feature A5, it is preferable to limit the range within which the upper limit can be changed, as shown in this feature.

[0321] Feature A7. The robot operation terminal according to any one of Feature A2 to Feature A6, wherein the modification unit allows for the individual modification of the lower limit (lower threshold) and upper limit (upper threshold) of the reference range.

[0322] As shown in this feature, a practically preferable configuration can be achieved by making the upper and lower limits of the reference range individually adjustable.

[0323] Feature A8. A storage unit (a library of RAM64) that stores the predetermined range that has been changed based on the change operation in association with the user, A unit for identifying the user who will use the robot's operating terminal (a function that executes the process in step S302 of the automatic change process using the CPU 62) and Equipped with, The robot operation terminal according to any one of features A2 to A7, wherein the modification unit has the function of changing the predetermined range to correspond to the user identified by the identification unit.

[0324] Having to change a predetermined range each time the robot's control terminal is used is undesirable for improving work efficiency. Therefore, as shown in this feature, by providing a configuration that can reflect the results of past changes, the user's effort can be reduced, contributing to improved work efficiency. This is desirable in achieving both reduced user burden and improved work efficiency.

[0325] Feature A9. The robot operation terminal according to Feature A8, which is further equipped with a teaching unit (a function that executes the process of step S305 in the automatic change process using the CPU 62) that teaches the user, when the user identified by the identification unit is a user using the robot operation terminal for the first time, to change the predetermined range.

[0326] As shown in this feature, by configuring the system to instruct users on the range of changes to be made during the first use, it is possible to prevent the change function from being underutilized.

[0327] Feature A10. The robot operation terminal according to any one of Feature A2 to Feature A9, wherein the modification unit has the function of changing the predetermined range according to the current pressing force value detected by the detection unit when a predetermined modification condition is met while the safety operation unit is being pressed by a user.

[0328] According to the configuration described in this feature, the predetermined range is determined based on the actual feel of the operation, thus reducing the need to readjust the range settings.

[0329] Feature A11. The robot operation terminal according to any one of Feature A2 to Feature A10, wherein the modification unit has the function of calculating the lower limit (lower limit threshold) and upper limit (upper limit threshold) of the predetermined range from the current pressing force value detected by the detection unit when a predetermined modification condition is met.

[0330] By configuring the system to calculate a threshold value based on the actually calculated pressing force, it is possible to effectively suppress deviations between the user's preferences and the results of changes within a predetermined range.

[0331] Feature A12. A robot operating terminal according to Feature A10 or Feature A11, wherein one of the requirements for satisfying the predetermined change condition is that the current pressing force value detected by the detection unit is greater than a predetermined value.

[0332] If the setting of the predetermined range is changed while the pressing force is excessively low, the following problems are likely to occur. Specifically, even if the user is not pressing the operating part, the system may mistakenly determine that the range is within the predetermined range, and the operation of the industrial robot may be incorrectly permitted. Therefore, as shown in this feature, by setting a lower limit on the pressing force when setting the predetermined range, the above problems can be made less likely to occur.

[0333] Feature A13. The detection unit comprises a first detection unit and a second detection unit. A robot operation terminal according to any one of features A2 to A12, wherein the operation of the industrial robot is permitted when the pressing force detected by the first detection unit and the second detection unit is within the predetermined range, and the operation of the industrial robot is not permitted when at least one of the pressing forces detected by the first detection unit and the second detection unit is outside the predetermined range.

[0334] As shown in this feature, by using a configuration that combines the first detection unit and the second detection unit, the chances of false permission being granted due to failure or noise in the detection unit can be reduced.

[0335] Feature A14. The detection unit comprises a first detection unit and a second detection unit. The predetermined range includes a first predetermined range corresponding to the pressing force detected by the first detection unit, and a second predetermined range corresponding to the pressing force detected by the second detection unit. The operation of the industrial robot is permitted if the pressing force detected by the first detection unit is within the first predetermined range and the pressing force detected by the second detection unit is within the second predetermined range; the operation of the industrial robot is not permitted if the pressing force detected by the first detection unit is outside the first predetermined range or the pressing force detected by the second detection unit is outside the second predetermined range. The robot operation terminal according to any one of features A2 to A9, wherein the modification unit has the function of changing the first predetermined range based on the current pressing force value detected by the first detection unit and changing the second predetermined range based on the current pressing force value detected by the second detection unit when a predetermined modification condition is met while the safety operation unit is being pressed by a user.

[0336] As shown in this feature, by using a configuration that combines the first detection unit and the second detection unit, the chances of erroneous permission being granted due to detection unit failure or noise can be reduced. However, if the same predetermined range is used as the standard, the actual predetermined range may become narrower than set due to the influence of individual differences or deterioration of the detection unit. A substantially narrower predetermined range can make it difficult to maintain a state in which the operation of the industrial robot is permitted. Therefore, as shown in this feature, by using a first predetermined range for the first detection unit and a second predetermined range for the second detection unit in combination, and by configuring the system so that these first and second predetermined ranges can be changed by user modification operations, the above concerns can be eliminated.

[0337] Feature A15. A robot operation terminal according to any one of Feature A2 to Feature A14, which includes a restricting unit that restricts the modification of the predetermined range by the modification unit when the operation of the industrial robot is permitted.

[0338] If the user is operating the robot to keep the pressing force within a predetermined range, and that range is suddenly changed, the actual pressing force may fall outside the changed range, potentially causing the industrial robot to stop. This is not only confusing for the user but also undesirable from a safety perspective. Therefore, as shown in this feature, restricting changes to the predetermined range while the industrial robot is operating and preventing changes to the predetermined range due to erroneous operation or malfunction has technical significance.

[0339] Furthermore, the configuration described in this feature may also be described as "a robot operation terminal equipped with a restricting unit that restricts the change of the predetermined range by the modification unit, at least while the industrial robot is in operation."

[0340] Feature A16. A robot operation terminal according to any one of Feature A1 to Feature A15, comprising a variable resistance unit that changes the magnitude of the resistance generated when the safety operation unit is pressed, based on a user modification operation.

[0341] As shown in this feature, by configuring the resistance to be variable according to the user's preference, it is possible to realize a configuration that allows for variation in the pressing position when the pressing force is within a predetermined range. For example, it becomes possible to adjust the pressing force so that it falls within a predetermined range with only a slight press, or to adjust it so that it falls within a predetermined range by pressing it a certain depth.

[0342] Feature A17. A robot operating terminal according to any one of Feature A1 to Feature A16, comprising a stroke amount changing unit that changes the stroke amount of the safety operating unit so that the pressing force detected by the detection unit when the user presses the safety operating unit falls within the predetermined range.

[0343] As shown in this feature, allowing users to change the stroke length according to their preferences can help reduce the burden on the user.

[0344] Feature A18. A robot operation terminal (operation terminal 15) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), The safety switch (enable switch 49) comprises a safety operating part (operator 57) that is pressed by the user, and a detection part (force sensor 59) that detects the pressing force applied to the safety operating part. The system is configured such that the operation of the industrial robot is permitted if the pressing force detected by the detection unit is within a predetermined range (reference range), and the operation of the industrial robot is not permitted if the pressing force detected by the detection unit is less than the predetermined range or greater than the predetermined range. A robot operation terminal equipped with a variable resistance unit that changes the magnitude of the resistance generated when a user presses the safety operation unit, based on the user's modification operation.

[0345] As shown in this feature, by configuring the resistance to be variable according to the user's preference, it is possible to realize a configuration that allows for variation in the pressing position when the pressing force is within a predetermined range. For example, it becomes possible to adjust the pressing force so that it falls within a predetermined range with only a slight press, or to adjust it so that it falls within a predetermined range by pressing it a certain depth.

[0346] Feature A19. A robot operation terminal (operation terminal 15) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), The safety switch (enable switch 49) comprises a safety operating part (operator 57) that is pressed by the user, and a detection part (force sensor 59) that detects the pressing force applied to the safety operating part. The operation of the industrial robot is permitted if the pressing force detected by the detection unit is within a predetermined range (reference range), and the operation of the industrial robot is not permitted if the pressing force detected by the detection unit is less than the predetermined range or greater than the predetermined range. A robot operating terminal comprising a stroke changing unit that changes the stroke of the safety operating unit so that the pressing force is within a predetermined range when the user presses the safety operating unit.

[0347] As shown in this feature, allowing users to change the stroke length according to their preferences can help reduce the burden on the user.

[0348] Feature A20. A safety switch (enable switch 49) applied to a robot operation terminal (operation terminal 15) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), A safety operating part (operator 57) that is pressed by the user, A detection unit (force sensor 59) that detects the pressing force applied to the safety operation unit and Equipped with, A safety switch that permits the operation of the industrial robot if the pressing force detected by the detection unit is within a predetermined range (reference range), and dispermits the operation of the industrial robot if the pressing force detected by the detection unit is less than the predetermined range or greater than the predetermined range.

[0349] According to the configuration described in this feature, the operation of the industrial robot is permitted when the pressing force detected by the detection unit is within a predetermined range, and the operation of the industrial robot is prohibited when the detected pressing force is less than or greater than the predetermined range. With such a configuration, for example, if the safety operation unit is pressed strongly, such as when a user suddenly grips it while manually operating the industrial robot, the operation of the industrial robot will be prohibited. This is desirable in order to improve the safety of industrial robots.

[0350] In the case of conventional safety switches that have a contact structure (fixed contacts and movable contacts), a force is required to maintain contact between the contacts, and the force required to stabilize the contact state can be large. In this respect, as shown in this feature, the configuration that detects pressing force eliminates the need for the contact structure described above, and also eliminates the need for a force to maintain contact between the contacts. Therefore, it is possible to tolerate a smaller pressing force than before when permitting the operation of an industrial robot, and the pressing force required from the user (the lower limit of the predetermined range above) can be reduced. This is also preferable in that it reduces the burden on the user when maintaining the state in which the operation of the industrial robot is permitted.

[0351] Feature A21. A safety switch (enable switch 49) applied to a robot operation terminal (operation terminal 15) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), A safety operating part (operator 57) that is pressed by the user, A detection unit (force sensor 59) that detects the pressing force applied to the safety operation unit and Equipped with, The operation of the industrial robot is permitted or denied depending on the magnitude of the pressing force detected by the aforementioned detection unit. A safety switch equipped with a modification unit that changes the value (reference range) of the pressing force that serves as the basis for allowing the operation of the industrial robot, based on a user modification operation.

[0352] To maintain an industrial robot's operation in an authorized state, the pressing force applied to the safety control unit must be kept within a predetermined range. The ideal pressing force that is easy to maintain consistently may vary from user to user. In other words, if the discrepancy between the set predetermined range and the pressing force that the user finds easy to maintain consistently becomes large, the user's burden may increase. In this regard, as shown in this feature, configuring the system so that the user can change the predetermined range that serves as the basis for authorization is effective in reducing the user's burden.

[0353] <Features Group B> Rotary type The following describes Feature B, which is a group of technical ideas extracted mainly from the third embodiment, the fourth embodiment, and their modified forms.

[0354] The following characteristic group B is: "Some operating terminals such as teaching pendants used for operating industrial robots are equipped with an enable switch to improve safety during manual operation. The enable switch is a safety switch for enabling or disabling manual operation of the robot, and in recent years, a type of switch has been proposed in which manual operation of the robot is enabled when the operator is pressed slightly (i.e., pressed to an intermediate position), while manual operation is disabled when it is pressed firmly (see, for example, Patent Document 1)." Regarding the background technology, the following issues were addressed: "In order to maintain the state in which manual operation is enabled, it is necessary to hold the control element in an intermediate position, and it is necessary to constantly apply a constant force so that the force of the finger operating the control element does not become too weak or too strong. In reality, even if one is conscious of the force being applied, some fluctuation will occur in that force. Therefore, some users may operate by focusing on the shape of their hand (fingers) and maintaining their hand in a predetermined shape. However, continuously applying force or maintaining the same hand shape for a long period of time can be a great burden for the user. This is a concern as it may reduce the efficiency of work using the control terminal."

[0355] Feature B1. A robot operation terminal (operation terminal 15) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), The safety switch (enable switch 49B) comprises a rotary safety operating section (operating dial 81, etc.) and a detection unit (sensor unit 82) capable of detecting when the rotational position of the safety operating section is at a predetermined rotational position (second position PS2), which is an intermediate position within the rotational range of the safety operating section. The system is configured such that the operation of the industrial robot is permitted when the rotation position of the safety operation unit is at the predetermined rotation position, and the operation of the industrial robot is not permitted when it is not at the predetermined rotation position. A robot operation terminal is provided with a finger rest (finger rest 92) around the safety operation part, where the user can place their finger when the safety operation part is rotated to the predetermined rotation position and held in that position.

[0356] In the robot operating terminal described in this feature, the finger operating the safety operating part can be placed on a finger rest provided around the safety operating part, allowing the finger to make contact with both the safety operating part and the finger rest. With this configuration, the finger rest functions to help maintain a constant position and shape of the finger operating the safety operating part, and the reliance on finger force to hold the safety operating part in a predetermined rotational position can be reduced. For example, the finger position in the axial direction becomes less prone to variation by placing the fingertip on the finger rest (stopper function), and the finger position in the trajectory direction becomes less prone to variation due to the friction generated by placing the fingertip on the finger rest (resistance generation function). By reducing the burden on the user (finger) in this way, it becomes easier to maintain the industrial robot's operation in an acceptable state.

[0357] Furthermore, the configuration shown in this feature can also be described as "a robot operation terminal (operation terminal 15) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), comprising a safety switch (enable switch 49B) having a safety operation part (operation dial 81, etc.) that is rotatable about an axis (axis CL1) extending in a direction intersecting the front part of the robot operation terminal, and a detection part (sensor unit 82) that can detect when the rotation position of the safety operation part is at a predetermined rotation position (second position PS2), which is an intermediate position within the rotation range of the safety operation part, and a configuration that permits the operation of the industrial robot when the rotation position of the safety operation part is at the predetermined rotation position, and disallows the operation of the industrial robot when it is not at the predetermined rotation position, and a finger rest part (finger rest part 92) is provided around the safety operation part so that the user can place their finger on the safety operation part when the safety operation part is rotated to the predetermined rotation position."

[0358] Feature B2. The safety operating part is annular in shape with respect to the rotational axis (axis CL1) of the safety operating part and has an operating surface (side wall portion 81a) parallel to the rotational axis. The aforementioned finger rest portion is planar and faces a different direction from the aforementioned operating surface portion, as described in feature B1 of the robot operating terminal.

[0359] With the configuration described in this feature, for example, the pad of the finger can be in contact with the operating surface and the tip of the finger can be in contact with the finger rest, or the pad of the finger can be in contact with the operating surface and the side of the finger can be in contact with the finger rest. In this way, if the contact parts with the operating surface and the finger rest can be concentrated towards the fingertips, the load on the fingers when maintaining the safety operating part in a predetermined rotational position can be further reduced.

[0360] Feature B3 (Sliding). The finger rest portion is formed such that when the safety operating portion is rotated from the predetermined rotation position to the other rotation position, the finger operating the safety operating portion can slide on the finger rest portion, as described in Feature B1 or Feature B2.

[0361] With the configuration described in this feature, if a user tries to move their hand suddenly (to move it in the rotational direction), the fingers operating the safety control unit will slide over the finger rest, preventing the finger rest from interfering with the rotation of the safety control unit. This is desirable in reducing the time lag when disallowing the operation of an industrial robot.

[0362] Feature B4 (Sliding). The finger rest portion has a flat surface shape and is formed to surround the safety operating portion when viewed from the front, as described in Feature B1 or Feature B2, for a robot operating terminal.

[0363] With the configuration described in this feature, if a user tries to move their hand suddenly (to move it in the rotational direction), the fingers operating the safety control unit will slide over the finger rest, preventing the finger rest from interfering with the rotation of the safety control unit. This is desirable in reducing the time lag when disabling the operation of an industrial robot.

[0364] Feature B5 (Bidirectional rotation). A first rotation position and a second rotation position are provided as predetermined rotation positions. The safety operation unit is configured to remain in a standby state at a rotation position between the first rotation position and the second rotation position when no rotation operation is performed by the user. The safety operating unit is capable of being rotated in a first direction while in the standby state to set the rotation position of the safety operating unit to the first rotation position, and is capable of being rotated in a second direction while in the standby state to set the rotation position of the safety operating unit to the second rotation position, as described in any one of features B1 to B4.

[0365] The safety control unit described in this feature can be rotated in either the first or second direction, allowing the industrial robot to operate. This is desirable for improving user convenience.

[0366] Feature B6 (Restriction): The rotation range of the safety operating part is restricted so that it does not reach the second rotation position when rotated from the first rotation position in the first direction, and so that it does not reach the first rotation position when rotated from the second rotation position in the second direction, as described in Feature B5.

[0367] Regarding the safety switch, safety can be improved by ensuring that the industrial robot's operation is disabled regardless of whether it is rotated in the first or second direction from a predetermined rotation position (first rotation position, second rotation position). Here, in a configuration that allows rotation in both the first and second directions, as shown in Feature B5, by restricting the rotation so that it does not reach the second rotation position when rotated in the first direction from the first rotation position, and so that it does not reach the first rotation position when rotated in the second direction from the second rotation position, it is possible to easily suppress situations where the industrial robot's operation is re-permitted when the user suddenly rotates the safety control unit, unintentionally moving from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, or from the second rotation position to the first rotation position.

[0368] Feature B7 (Hand strap). The safety operation part and the finger rest are provided on the back side of the robot operation terminal. A robot operating terminal according to any one of features B1 to B6, wherein the operating part for the robot is provided on the hand that is operating the safety operating part, and the operating part for the robot is provided on the hand that is operating the safety operating part.

[0369] When the rotary safety control section on the back of the robot control terminal is being held between the fingers, it may be possible to support the robot control terminal with that hand, but it becomes difficult to stabilize the robot control terminal's position by gripping it. As a result, it may become difficult to keep the safety control section in a predetermined rotational position. Therefore, by providing a mounting section for attaching the robot control terminal to the hand operating the safety control section (for example, by using a band or the like to hold it between the back of the robot control terminal and the hand), it becomes easier to keep the safety control section in a predetermined rotational position.

[0370] Feature B8 (Side). The safety operating section is arranged such that a part of the safety operating section protrudes from the side (side portion 42cC) of the robot operating terminal. The robot operating terminal according to any one of features B1 to B6, wherein the finger rest portion is formed on the side portion at a position aligned with the safety operating portion and the robot operating terminal in the thickness direction.

[0371] According to the configuration described in this feature, by placing the fingers across the safety operating part and the finger rest, the strain on the fingers when holding the safety operating part in a predetermined rotational position can be reduced.

[0372] Feature B9 (Side). A robot operation terminal (operation terminal 15) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), The safety switch (enable switch 49C) comprises a rotary safety operating section (operating dial 81C) and a detection unit (sensor unit 82C) capable of detecting when the rotational position of the safety operating section is at a predetermined rotational position (second position PS2), which is an intermediate position within the rotational range of the safety operating section. The system is configured such that the operation of the industrial robot is permitted when the rotation position of the safety operation unit is at the predetermined rotation position, and the operation of the industrial robot is not permitted when it is not at the predetermined rotation position. The end of the robot operating terminal is formed with a gripping portion (gripping portion 43C) that is grasped by the user. The safety operation unit is a robot operation terminal device in which a part of the safety operation unit protrudes from the end and is positioned to be covered by the hand gripping the gripping unit.

[0373] In the robot operating terminal described in this feature, a safety operating section is provided at a position covered by the hand gripping the gripping section. By placing the hand gripping the gripping section against the safety operating section, the safety operating section can be maintained in a predetermined rotational position. At this time, the friction generated between the gripping hand and the safety operating section can hinder the movement of the safety operating section, eliminating the need for fine force adjustments. This is desirable in reducing the burden on the user.

[0374] Feature B10. The gripping portion is formed to span the front, side, and back portions of the robot operation terminal. The safety operation unit is a robot operation terminal device as described in feature B9, which is arranged on the side surface.

[0375] With the configuration described in this feature, the palm of the hand gripping the gripping part can be placed against the safety operating part to maintain a predetermined rotation angle, thus reducing finger fatigue compared to when the safety operating part is maintained at a predetermined rotation angle with the fingers.

[0376] Feature B11. The gripping portion has a finger rest (side wall portion 52 of the bulging portion 51) provided on the back side of the robot operating terminal, The safety operating part can be pushed in such a way that the amount of protrusion from the side portion is reduced. The robot operation terminal according to feature B10, which is configured to disallow the operation of the industrial robot when the safety operation part is pressed in.

[0377] When gripping the robot by hooking the fingertips onto the finger rests, if the hand is suddenly clenched, the palm is more likely to be pressed against the side of the robot. When this hand movement occurs, the palm presses against the safety control unit, and this pressing prevents the industrial robot from operating. This configuration reduces the burden of maintaining the safety control unit at a predetermined rotation angle while contributing to improved safety of the industrial robot.

[0378] Feature B12 (Optical Sensor). The detection unit is provided with an optical sensor having an emission unit (emission unit 83) and a light receiving unit (light receiving unit 84). A robot operation terminal according to any one of features B1 to B11, wherein a difference in the light-receiving state of the light-receiving unit occurs when the rotation position of the safety operation unit is at the predetermined rotation position or at any other rotation position.

[0379] As shown in this feature, by using an optical sensor to detect the rotational position, a contact structure (fixed contact, movable contact) is unnecessary, reducing the chances of safety switch failure or malfunction due to wear, even when the robot's operating terminal is used repeatedly. Furthermore, because there is no contact structure, there is no need to rely on the user to exert force to maintain contact between contacts. This is also preferable in that it reduces the burden on the user when maintaining the permitted state for industrial robot operation.

[0380] Feature B13 (Reflector): The device is equipped with a reflector (reflector 87) that forms an annular shape centered on the rotational axis (axis CL1) of the safety operating part and rotates together with the safety operating part in response to the user's rotational operation. The reflector is formed such that a first portion that reflects light from the light-emitting portion toward the light-receiving portion and a second portion that does not reflect light from the light-emitting portion or reflects it to a position different from the light-receiving portion are arranged in the rotational direction. The robot operating terminal according to feature B12, wherein when the rotation position of the safety operating unit is the predetermined rotation position, one of the first part and the second part is located in the optical path of the light from the light-emitting unit, and when the rotation position of the safety operating unit is a rotation position other than the predetermined rotation position, the other of the first part and the second part is located in the optical path of the light from the light-emitting unit.

[0381] According to the configuration described in this feature, the reflector rotates in response to the user's rotational operation, causing the portion of the reflector illuminated by light from the light-emitting part to switch between a first portion and a second portion. This makes it possible to create a difference in the light-receiving state of the light-receiving part.

[0382] Feature B14 (Double Optical Sensor). The detection unit includes a first optical sensor (first optical sensor 82aD) having a first light-emitting unit (first light-emitting unit 83) and a first light-receiving unit (first light-receiving unit 84) to which light from the first light-emitting unit is irradiated, and a second optical sensor (second optical sensor 82bD) having a second light-emitting unit (second light-emitting unit 85) and a second light-receiving unit (second light-receiving unit 86) to which light from the second light-emitting unit is irradiated. When the rotation position of the safety operation unit is at the predetermined rotation position, the light reception state in the first light receiving unit and the second light receiving unit becomes a predetermined state (LOW level). A robot operation terminal according to any one of features B1 to B11, wherein the operation of the industrial robot is permitted when the light-receiving state of both the first light-receiving unit and the second light-receiving unit is in the predetermined state, and the operation of the industrial robot is not permitted when at least one of the light-receiving states of the first light-receiving unit and the second light-receiving unit is not in the predetermined state.

[0383] As shown in this feature, by using an optical sensor to detect the rotational position, a contact structure (fixed contact, movable contact) is unnecessary, reducing the chances of safety switch failure or malfunction due to wear, even when the robot's operating terminal is used repeatedly. Furthermore, because there is no contact structure, there is no need to rely on the user to exert force to maintain contact between contacts. This is also desirable in reducing the burden on the user when maintaining the permitted state for industrial robot operation.

[0384] Furthermore, if the light-receiving state of both the first and second light-receiving units is in a predetermined state, the operation of the industrial robot is permitted. If the light-receiving state of at least one of the first and second light-receiving units is not in a predetermined state, the operation of the industrial robot is not permitted. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of problems such as the industrial robot being mistakenly permitted to operate in situations where it should be prohibited.

[0385] Feature B15 (Optical sensor reversed). The robot operating terminal according to Feature B14, wherein the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are arranged so as to be facing in opposite directions.

[0386] According to the configuration described in this feature, mutual interference between the first and second optical sensors can be suppressed even when multiple optical sensors are used in combination.

[0387] Feature B16 (arranged on either side of the optical axis). The robot operation terminal according to Feature B15, wherein the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor are arranged so as to straddle the rotational center axis (axis CL1) of the safety operation unit.

[0388] The configuration described in this feature contributes to miniaturization of the safety switch. Furthermore, the light-receiving state of the two optical sensors (light-receiving units) can be synchronized to ensure redundancy. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to easily identify a potential sensor failure based on differences in the light-receiving state.

[0389] Feature B17 (Independent term for safety switch). A safety switch (enable switch 49B) applied to a robot operating terminal (operating terminal 15B) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), A rotary-type safety control unit (operation dial 81), A detection unit (sensor unit 82) capable of detecting that the rotation position of the safety operation unit is at a predetermined rotation position (second position PS2), which is an intermediate position within the rotation range of the safety operation unit. It has, The system is configured such that the operation of the industrial robot is permitted when the rotation position of the safety operation unit is at the predetermined rotation position, and the operation of the industrial robot is not permitted when it is not at the predetermined rotation position. A safety switch is provided with a finger rest (finger rest 92) around the safety operating part, where the user can place their finger when the safety operating part is rotated to the predetermined rotation position and held in that position.

[0390] In the configuration described above, by placing the finger operating the safety control unit on the finger rest provided around the safety control unit, the finger can make contact with both the safety control unit and the finger rest. In other words, by using the finger rest as an aid, it is possible to reduce reliance on the force of the finger in maintaining a consistent position and shape of the finger operating the safety control unit. For example, the finger position in the axial direction becomes less prone to variation by placing the fingertip on the finger rest (stopper function), and the finger position in the trajectory direction becomes less prone to variation due to the friction generated by placing the fingertip on the finger rest (resistance generation function). By reducing the burden on the user (finger) in this way, it becomes easier to maintain a state that allows for the operation of the industrial robot.

[0391] Furthermore, the configuration described in this feature can also be described as "a safety switch (enable switch 49C) applied to a robot operation terminal (operation terminal 15C) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), comprising a rotary type safety operation part (operation dial 81C) and a detection unit (sensor unit 82C) capable of detecting that the rotation position of the safety operation part is at a predetermined rotation position (second position PS2), which is an intermediate position within the rotation range of the safety operation part, and the configuration allows the operation of the industrial robot when the rotation position of the safety operation part is at the predetermined rotation position, and disabling the operation of the industrial robot when it is not at the predetermined rotation position, and a gripping part formed at the end of the robot operation terminal for gripping by the user, and the safety operation part is a safety switch positioned so that a part of the safety operation part protrudes from the end and is covered by the hand gripping the gripping part."

[0392] Furthermore, the technical concepts described in features B1 to B16 above may also be applied to feature B17.

[0393] <Features Group C> Insertion type The following describes group C, which consists of technical concepts extracted mainly from the fifth embodiment, the sixth embodiment, and their modified forms.

[0394] The following characteristic group C is: "Some operating terminals such as teaching pendants used for operating industrial robots are equipped with an enable switch to improve safety during manual operation. The enable switch is a safety switch for enabling or disabling manual operation of the robot, and in recent years, a type of switch has been proposed in which manual operation of the robot is enabled when the operator is pressed slightly (i.e., pressed to an intermediate position), while manual operation is disabled when it is pressed firmly (see, for example, Patent Document 1)." Regarding the background technology, the following issues were addressed: "In order to maintain the state in which manual operation is enabled, it is necessary to hold the control element in an intermediate position, and it is necessary to constantly apply a constant force so that the force of the finger operating the control element does not become too weak or too strong. In reality, even if one is conscious of the force being applied, some fluctuation will occur in that force. Therefore, some users may operate by focusing on the shape of their hand (fingers) and maintaining their hand in a predetermined shape. However, continuously applying force or maintaining the same hand shape for a long period of time can be a great burden for the user. This is a concern as it may reduce the efficiency of work using the control terminal."

[0395] Feature C1. A robot operation terminal (operation terminal 15) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), The safety switch (enable switch 49H) comprises an insertion section (insertion section 101) into which a finger can be inserted, and a detection section (sensor unit 111) that detects the insertion position of the finger inserted into the insertion section. A robot operation terminal that permits the operation of the industrial robot if the insertion position detected by the detection unit is a predetermined position (first insertion position), and disallows the operation of the industrial robot if a finger is not inserted into the insertion unit or if the insertion position detected by the detection unit is not the predetermined position.

[0396] The operation of the industrial robot is permitted by inserting a finger into the insertion section and holding the finger in the designated position. With this configuration, it is unnecessary to continuously apply force against biasing forces such as springs, or to maintain a constant finger shape, as is required with conventional safety switches. In other words, it is possible to suppress the burden on the user's finger when maintaining the permitted state. This is desirable in reducing user fatigue and improving work efficiency.

[0397] Furthermore, it is assumed that users will reflexively release or clench their hands if they encounter an unexpected dangerous situation. With the safety switch described in this feature, these reflexive actions cause the finger position to shift towards the entrance or back of the insertion part, causing the finger insertion position to deviate from the predetermined position and rendering the industrial robot inoperable.

[0398] For the reasons stated above, this can contribute to improving safety and reducing the burden on users when using robot control terminals.

[0399] Feature C2 (Fingers of the holding hand). The robot operating terminal according to Feature C1, wherein the insertion portion is positioned so that at least one of the fingers of the hand holding the robot operating terminal can be inserted.

[0400] As shown in this feature, by devising the position of the insertion part, the user can maintain the authorized state of operating the industrial robot using the fingers of the hand holding the robot control terminal. This is desirable in terms of improving user convenience.

[0401] Feature C3 (Attached to the gripping section). The end of the robot operation terminal is provided with a gripping section (gripping section 43) that is grasped by the user. The robot operating terminal according to feature C1, wherein the insertion portion is formed in a position that allows at least one of the fingers of the hand gripping the gripping portion to be inserted.

[0402] As shown in Feature C1, in a configuration where the driver is authorized to operate by keeping the finger in a predetermined position, there is no need to apply any particular force to the finger inserted into the insertion part. In other words, it is not a configuration that requires both the force to grip the operating terminal and the force to maintain the driver authorization state. Therefore, even if the gripping part and insertion part are placed together, it is possible to suppress excessive strain on the hand that is gripping.

[0403] Feature C4 (orientation). The insertion portion is in a straight line. Robot operating terminal as described in any one of Feature C1 to Feature C3.

[0404] As shown in this feature, by making the insertion part a straight structure, it is possible to effectively prevent the user's finger from getting caught inside the insertion part when they try to quickly withdraw their finger. This is preferable for quickly switching from a state where driving is permitted to a state where driving is not permitted.

[0405] Feature C5 (orientation). The insertion portion is provided on one of the front and rear portions of the robot operating terminal and extends parallel to the aforementioned portion, as described in any one of Feature C1 to Feature C3.

[0406] As shown in this feature, by making the insertion part parallel to the surface (front or back) of the robot's operating terminal, bending of the inserted finger is suppressed, effectively preventing the finger from getting caught inside the insertion part when the user tries to quickly withdraw it. Furthermore, since the finger can be withdrawn by moving the hand along the surface, the movement of the hand and fingers during withdrawal can be kept from becoming complicated.

[0407] Feature C6 (Orientation). The insertion portion is positioned offset from one of the left or right ends of the robot's operating terminal. The robot operating terminal according to feature C5, wherein the entrance portion (entrance 101a) of the insertion part faces the one end side.

[0408] With the configuration described in this feature, it becomes possible to grasp the left and right ends of the robot's operating terminal while comfortably inserting either finger into the insertion part.

[0409] Feature C7. The predetermined position is a position closer to the entrance portion of the insertion part, as described in any one of Feature C1 to Feature C6.

[0410] For example, if the design allows for a large finger insertion area, users may need to spread their fingers wide to avoid interference, potentially increasing their burden. However, as shown in this feature, by setting the target position closer to the entrance, it is possible to reduce the finger insertion area while still allowing for greater finger movement further inside. This eliminates the aforementioned concern.

[0411] Feature C8 (movable plate). The insertion portion has a facing portion (housing 102) that faces the back or front portion of the robot operating terminal, separated by a finger insertion gap (insertion area IS). The portion of the rear or front portion that forms the insertion gap together with the opposing portion is a movable portion (reflector 117K) that can be displaced away from the opposing portion. A robot operating terminal according to any one of features C1 to C7, configured such that the movable part is pushed in by a finger inserted in the predetermined position, causing the finger to disengage from the predetermined position.

[0412] If a user instinctively tries to clench their hand, the movable part will be pushed in by the inserted finger. The finger that pushed in the movable part will then be disengaged, rendering it inoperable. This contributes to improved safety. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to press the movable part to keep the finger in the designated position, this improved safety does not increase the burden on the user.

[0413] Feature C9 (Length of movable part). The movable part extends outward from the entrance portion of the insertion part, as described in Feature C8, for the robot operating terminal.

[0414] As shown in this feature, by configuring the movable part to extend from the entrance, it becomes less likely that fingers will come into contact with the back or front (the area surrounding the movable part), which will hinder the pushing of the movable part.

[0415] Feature C10 (Optical Sensor). The detection unit is an optical sensor comprising an emission unit (emission unit 112, 114) and a light receiving unit (light receiving unit 113, 115) that is irradiated with light from the emission unit. A robot operation terminal according to any one of features C1 to C9, wherein the light receiving state of the light receiving unit differs depending on whether the finger insertion position in the insertion unit is at the predetermined position or at any other position.

[0416] As shown in this feature, using an optical sensor for finger position detection eliminates the need for contact structures (fixed contacts, movable contacts), reducing the chances of safety switch failure or malfunction due to wear, even when the robot's operating terminal is used repeatedly. Furthermore, because there is no contact structure, there is no need to rely on the user to exert force to maintain contact between contacts. This is also preferable in reducing the burden on the user when maintaining the permitted state for industrial robot operation.

[0417] Feature C11 (Double Optical Sensor). The detection unit includes a first optical sensor (first optical sensor 111a) having a first light-emitting unit (first light-emitting unit 112) and a first light-receiving unit (first light-receiving unit 113) to which light from the first light-emitting unit is emitted, and a second optical sensor (second optical sensor 111b) having a second light-emitting unit (second light-emitting unit 114) and a second light-receiving unit (second light-receiving unit 115) to which light from the second light-emitting unit is emitted. The first and second light sensors are arranged such that the first light sensor is on the entrance side of the insertion portion and the second light sensor is on the back side of the insertion portion. The optical path from the first light-emitting unit to the first light-receiving unit and the optical path from the second light-emitting unit to the second light-receiving unit both cross the finger insertion path in the insertion unit. A robot operation terminal according to any one of features C1 to C9, wherein the operation of the industrial robot is prohibited if the light receiving state of both the first light receiving unit and the second light receiving unit is in a predetermined state (HIGH level); the operation of the industrial robot is permitted if the light receiving state of the second light receiving unit is in the predetermined state and the light receiving state of the first light receiving unit is not in the predetermined state; and the operation of the industrial robot is prohibited if the light receiving state of both the first light receiving unit and the second light receiving unit is not in the predetermined state.

[0418] As shown in this feature, using an optical sensor for finger position detection eliminates the need for contact structures (fixed contacts, movable contacts), reducing the chances of safety switch failure or malfunction due to wear, even when the robot's operating terminal is used repeatedly. Furthermore, because there is no contact structure, there is no need to rely on the user to exert force to maintain contact between contacts. This is also desirable in reducing the burden on the user when maintaining the permitted state for industrial robot operation.

[0419] Furthermore, as shown in this feature, by arranging a first optical sensor on the entrance side of the insertion section and a second optical sensor on the back side, and by switching between operation-permitted and operation-disabled states based on the light-receiving state of each optical sensor (light-receiving section), the load on the finger when keeping the inserted finger in a predetermined position and maintaining the operation-permitted state can be reduced.

[0420] Feature C12 (Movable Reflector). A movable part (reflector 117K) that can be displaced in the thickness direction of the robot operating terminal is provided on the portion forming the inner wall of the insertion part on the back or front of the robot operating terminal. The robot operation terminal according to feature C11, configured such that the light receiving state of the second light receiving unit becomes different from the predetermined state (LOW level) when the movable part is pushed in by a finger inserted into the insertion part.

[0421] If a user suddenly clenches their hand, the movable part is displaced by the pressure from the fingers, and this displacement causes the light-receiving state of the second light-receiving unit to change from a predetermined state to a different state. In other words, it is possible to identify that the above-mentioned clenching has occurred from the light-receiving state of the second light-receiving unit. This kind of ingenuity can contribute to realizing a configuration that disables the operation of an industrial robot if the user suddenly clenches their hand.

[0422] Feature C13 (Sliding type). The movable part is a reflecting part that reflects light from the second light-emitting part to the second light-receiving part. The robot operating terminal according to feature C12, wherein the optical axis of the second light-emitting part is tilted obliquely with respect to the movable part.

[0423] According to the configuration described in this feature, when the movable part is pushed and displaced by a finger, the distance from the second light-emitting part to the movable part changes. Since the optical axis of the second light-emitting part is tilted at an angle with respect to the movable part, the optical path changes due to this change in distance, and the light-receiving state of the second light-receiving part can be changed from a predetermined state to another state.

[0424] Feature C14 (Rotating type). The movable part is a reflecting part that reflects light from the second light-emitting part to the second light-receiving part, and its tilt changes when the movable part is pushed in by a finger inserted into the insertion part. The robot operation terminal according to feature C12, wherein the angle of incidence and reflection of light from the second light-emitting unit to the movable part changes as the inclination of the movable part changes.

[0425] According to the configuration described in this feature, when the movable part is pressed with a finger and its tilt changes, the angle of incidence and reflection of light from the second light-emitting part to the movable part change. This changes the optical path, and the light-receiving state of the second light-receiving part can be changed from a predetermined state to another state. Furthermore, according to the configuration described in this feature, a clear difference in the optical path can be created without excessively changing the tilt of the movable part. This is preferable for reducing the operating range of the movable part and achieving space saving for the safety switch.

[0426] Feature C15. The insertion portion has an opposing portion (housing 102) that faces the back or front portion of the robot operating terminal with a gap that allows a finger to be inserted. The aforementioned optical sensor is provided on the rear side or the front side, and is a robot operation terminal according to any one of features C10 to C14.

[0427] When inserting a finger into the insertion area, it is undesirable for the user to have to spread their fingers wide to avoid interference with other fingers in the insertion area, as this imposes a burden on the user. In this regard, as shown in this feature, by providing an optical sensor on the back or front, the width of the insertion area (the size in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction) can be made as small as possible. With such a configuration, the angle at which the fingers are spread can be reduced, contributing to a reduction in the burden on the user.

[0428] Feature C16 (vertical hole). The end of the robot operating terminal is provided with a gripping part (gripping part 43H) that is grasped by the user. The robot operating terminal according to any one of features C1 to C3, wherein the insertion portion extends in the thickness direction of the robot operating terminal and is formed at a position into which the fingers of the hand gripping the gripping portion can be inserted.

[0429] As shown in Feature C1, in a configuration where the operation is authorized by keeping the finger in a predetermined position, there is no need to apply any particular force to the finger inserted into the insertion part. In other words, this configuration does not require both the force to grip the robot operation terminal and the force to maintain the operation authorization state. Therefore, even if the gripping part and insertion part are placed together, it is possible to suppress excessive strain on the hand that is gripping.

[0430] Furthermore, since the insertion portion extends in the thickness direction of the robot's operating terminal, it is easy to insert the fingers of the hand gripping the gripping portion without strain. This is desirable in terms of reducing the burden on the user.

[0431] Feature C17 (gripping). The portion forming the inner wall of the insertion part is provided with a movable part (reflector 117K) that can be displaced outward from the robot operating terminal. The robot operating terminal according to feature C16, configured such that the movable part is pushed in by the finger inserted into the insertion part, causing the finger to disengage from the predetermined position.

[0432] If a user suddenly clenches their fist, the movable part will be pushed outwards by the fingers, causing the fingers to move away from their designated position. This configuration contributes to realizing a system that disables the operation of an industrial robot when the user clenches their fist.

[0433] Feature C18 (Independent). A safety switch (enable switch 49H) applied to a robot operation terminal (operation terminal 15) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), An insertion part into which a finger can be inserted (insertion part 101), The insertion portion is provided with a detection unit (sensor unit 111) that detects the insertion position of the finger inserted into the insertion portion. Equipped with, A safety switch that permits the operation of the industrial robot if the insertion position detected by the detection unit is a predetermined position (first insertion position), and disallows the operation of the industrial robot if a finger is not inserted into the insertion unit or if the insertion position detected by the detection unit is not the predetermined position.

[0434] The operation of the industrial robot is permitted by inserting a finger into the insertion section and holding the finger in the designated position. With this configuration, it is unnecessary to continuously apply force against biasing forces such as springs, or to maintain a constant finger shape, as is required with conventional safety switches. In other words, it is possible to suppress the burden on the user's finger when maintaining the permitted state. This is desirable in reducing user fatigue and improving work efficiency.

[0435] Furthermore, it is assumed that users will reflexively release or clench their hands if they encounter an unexpected dangerous situation. With the safety switch described in this feature, these reflexive actions cause the finger position to shift towards the entrance or back of the insertion part, causing the finger insertion position to deviate from the predetermined position and rendering the industrial robot inoperable.

[0436] For the reasons stated above, this can contribute to improving safety and reducing the burden on users when using robot control terminals.

[0437] Feature C19 (vertical hole). The insertion portion extends in the thickness direction of the robot operating terminal, as described in Feature C18.

[0438] Configuring the insertion portion to extend in the thickness direction of the robot's operating terminal is advantageous in ensuring the coexistence of the safety switch with other switches and other peripheral components.

[0439] Feature C20 (gripping). The portion forming the inner wall of the insertion part is provided with a movable part (reflector 117K) that can be displaced in a direction intersecting the direction of finger insertion. The safety switch according to feature C19, wherein the movable part is pushed in by a finger inserted into the insertion part, causing the finger to disengage from the predetermined position.

[0440] If a user suddenly clenches their fist, causing their inserted fingers to push against the movable part, the fingers will disengage from their designated position as the movable part shifts. This configuration contributes to realizing a system that disables the operation of an industrial robot when the user clenches their fist.

[0441] Feature C21 (Configuration Limit). A safety switch (enable switch 49H) applied to a robot operation terminal (operation terminal 15) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), An insertion part into which a finger can be inserted (insertion part 101), A detection unit (sensor unit 111) that detects the finger inserted into the insertion part and Equipped with, The detection unit comprises a first sensor (first optical sensor 111a) capable of detecting a finger at the entrance side of the insertion portion, and a second sensor (second optical sensor 111b) capable of detecting a finger at the back side of the insertion portion. A safety switch that disallows the operation of the industrial robot if neither the first sensor nor the second sensor detects a finger, permits the operation of the industrial robot if the first sensor detects a finger and the second sensor does not detect a finger, and disallows the operation of the industrial robot if both the first sensor and the second sensor detect a finger.

[0442] As shown in this feature, by arranging a first sensor on the entrance side of the insertion section and a second sensor on the inner side, and by configuring the device to switch between operation permission and operation prohibition states according to the finger detection status at each sensor, it becomes unnecessary to apply force to the inserted finger to enable operation, and the load on the finger that occurs when keeping the inserted finger in a predetermined position to maintain the operation permission state can be effectively reduced.

[0443] <Features Group D> The following describes group D of features, which are technical concepts extracted mainly from the seventh embodiment and its variations.

[0444] The following characteristic group D is: "Some operating terminals such as teaching pendants used for operating industrial robots are equipped with an enable switch to improve safety during manual operation. The enable switch is a safety switch for enabling or disabling manual operation of the robot, and in recent years, a type of switch has been proposed in which manual operation of the robot is enabled when the operator is pressed slightly (i.e., pressed to an intermediate position), while manual operation is disabled when it is pressed firmly (see, for example, Patent Document 1)." Regarding the background technology, the following issues were addressed: "In order to maintain the state in which manual operation is enabled, it is necessary to hold the control element in an intermediate position, and it is necessary to constantly apply a constant force so that the force of the finger operating the control element does not become too weak or too strong. In reality, even if one is conscious of the force being applied, some fluctuation will occur in that force. Therefore, some users may operate by focusing on the shape of their hand (fingers) and maintaining their hand in a predetermined shape. However, continuously applying force or maintaining the same hand shape for a long period of time can be a great burden for the user. This is a concern as it may reduce the efficiency of work using the control terminal."

[0445] Feature D1. A robot operation terminal (e.g., operation terminal 15T) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), The safety switch (e.g., enable switch 49T) comprises a sliding safety operating part (e.g., operating member 211) and a detection unit (e.g., sensor unit 230) capable of detecting when the sliding position of the safety operating part is at a predetermined sliding position (second position PS2), which is an intermediate position within the sliding range of the safety operating part. The configuration allows the industrial robot to operate when the slide position of the safety operation unit is at the predetermined slide position, and disallows the industrial robot to operate when it is not at the predetermined slide position. A robot operation terminal is provided with finger rests (e.g., finger rests 208, 209) around the safety operation part, where the user can place their fingers when the safety operation part is held in a slid position.

[0446] In the robot operating terminal described in this feature, the finger operating the safety control unit can be placed on a finger rest provided around the safety control unit, allowing the finger to make contact with both the safety control unit and the finger rest. With this configuration, the finger rest functions to help maintain a consistent position and shape of the finger operating the safety control unit, reducing reliance on finger force to hold the safety control unit in a predetermined sliding position. For example, the forward and backward position of the finger becomes less prone to variation by placing the fingertip on the finger rest (stopper function), and the position of the finger in the sliding direction becomes less prone to variation due to the friction generated by placing the fingertip on the finger rest (resistance generation function). By reducing the burden on the user (finger) in this way, it becomes easier to maintain the industrial robot's operation in an acceptable state.

[0447] Feature D2. A robot operation terminal (operation terminal 15T, etc.) used for operating an industrial robot (robot 11), The enclosure (42T enclosure) and A safety switch (enable switch 49T) comprising: a safety operating part (operating member 211, etc.) provided on any surface of the housing (for example, the front surface 42aT) and capable of sliding parallel to the surface; and a detection unit (sensor unit 230) capable of detecting when the sliding position of the safety operating part is at a predetermined sliding position (second position PS2), which is an intermediate position within the sliding range of the safety operating part; Equipped with, The configuration allows the industrial robot to operate when the slide position of the safety operation unit is at the predetermined slide position, and disallows the industrial robot to operate when it is not at the predetermined slide position. A robot operation terminal provided with finger rests (finger rests 208, 209, etc.) on the surface of the housing around the safety operation part, where the user can place their fingers when the safety operation part is held in a slid position.

[0448] In the robot operating terminal described in this feature, the finger operating the safety operating part can be placed on a finger rest provided around the safety operating part, thereby making contact with both the safety operating part and the finger rest. With this configuration, the finger rest functions to help maintain a consistent position and shape of the finger operating the safety operating part, and reduces reliance on the force of the finger when holding the safety operating part in a predetermined sliding position. For example, the position of the finger in the planar direction of the surface part becomes less prone to variation by placing the fingertip on the finger rest (stopper function), and the position of the finger in the sliding direction becomes less prone to variation due to the friction generated by placing the fingertip on the finger rest (resistance generation function). By reducing the burden on the user (finger) in this way, it becomes easier to maintain the industrial robot's operation in an acceptable state.

[0449] Feature D3. The safety operating part is provided with a finger rest (finger rest 213) for hooking a finger. The robot operating terminal according to feature D1 or feature D2, wherein the finger rest is provided in a position adjacent to the safety operating part in a direction (e.g., horizontal direction) that intersects with the sliding direction (e.g., vertical direction) of the safety operating part.

[0450] The configuration described in this feature makes it easier to place your finger on the finger rest when hooking your finger from the side onto the finger hook of the safety operating part. In addition, it is possible to suppress the large separation between the finger hook and the finger rest, which occurs when the amount of sliding of the safety operating part causes the finger rest to become difficult to use.

[0451] Furthermore, the configuration shown in this feature can also be described as "a robot operating terminal according to feature D1 or feature D2, wherein the finger rest portion is aligned with the safety operating portion in a direction intersecting the sliding direction of the safety operating portion and forms a planar shape extending in the sliding direction."

[0452] Feature D4. The robot operating terminal according to Feature D1 or Feature D2, wherein the finger rests are provided on both sides of the safety operating part in a direction (e.g., horizontal direction) that intersects with the sliding direction (e.g., vertical direction) of the safety operating part.

[0453] With the configuration sho...

Claims

1. A robot control terminal used for operating industrial robots, The safety switch comprises a sliding safety operating part and a detection part capable of detecting when the sliding position of the safety operating part is at a predetermined sliding position which is an intermediate position within the sliding range of the safety operating part. The configuration allows the industrial robot to operate when the slide position of the safety operation unit is at the predetermined slide position, and disallows the industrial robot to operate when it is not at the predetermined slide position. A robot operation terminal is provided with a finger rest area around the safety operation area, where the user can place their fingers when the safety operation area is held in a slid position.

2. The robot operating terminal according to claim 1, wherein the finger rest portion is aligned with the safety operating portion in a direction intersecting the sliding direction of the safety operating portion and has a planar shape extending in the sliding direction.

3. The end of the robot operation terminal is provided with a gripping part that can be grasped by the user. The safety operation part is positioned so that it can be operated by the fingers of the hand that is gripping the gripping part. The robot operating terminal according to claim 1, wherein the finger rest portion constitutes a part of the gripping portion.

4. The robot operating terminal according to claim 1, wherein the finger rest portion is provided with an indication portion that indicates the predetermined sliding position based on the difference in sensation of the finger touching the finger rest portion.

5. The detection unit is provided with an optical sensor having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit. A robot operation terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a difference in the light-receiving state of the light-receiving unit occurs when the slide position of the safety operation unit is at the predetermined slide position or at any other slide position.

6. A safety switch applied to a robot control terminal used for operating industrial robots, A sliding safety control panel, A detection unit capable of detecting that the slide position of the safety operation unit is at a predetermined slide position which is an intermediate position within the slide range of the safety operation unit. It has, The configuration allows the industrial robot to operate when the slide position of the safety operation unit is at the predetermined slide position, and disallows the industrial robot to operate when it is not at the predetermined slide position. A safety switch is provided with a finger rest area around the safety operating part, where the user can place their finger when the safety operating part is held in the predetermined sliding position.

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