Tabletop robot

Abstract

To provide a desktop robot capable of resolving the trade-off relation between the degree of freedom of layout and noise resistance while achieving miniaturization.SOLUTION: A desktop robot 1A comprises: a motor 5; a conversion mechanism 6 that converts a rotary motion of the motor 5 into a linear motion; a moving table mechanism 8 including a table 7 supported on a linear motion rail 8a and moved by the conversion mechanism 6; and an electrical component housing 2 housing the motor 5 therein, and having the conversion mechanism 6 and the linear motion table mechanism 8 attached onto an outer surface thereof. The electrical component housing 2 is provided with a pair of attachment portions 11b and 11c at which the linear motion rail 8a is attached to the electrical component housing 2 and which are arranged line-symmetric about the conversion mechanism 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a desktop robot that can be installed on a desk or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, there are small robots known as tabletop robots or tabletop robots that can perform various tasks such as assembling workpieces together, tightening screws on workpieces, applying solvents to workpieces, cutting workpieces, soldering workpieces, etc. As the name suggests, many tabletop robots are small enough to be placed on a desk, and can also be used as so-called semi-automatic machines that work in collaboration with workers.

[0003] The desktop robot shown in Patent Document 1 has an electrical housing (lower box) that houses various electrical components including a control board, and is configured so that part of it can be pulled out, making installation easier and further reducing the size.

[0004] In addition, because tabletop robots are often used as semi-automatic machines, they are often used for small-lot, high-mix production rather than mass production. Therefore, when using tabletop robots, there are relatively many tasks called changeovers, such as replacing tools, workpieces, jigs, etc., and rearranging the tabletop robot. In view of this, as described in Patent Document 2, for example, a tabletop robot has been proposed in which the mounting positions of each linear motion mechanism can be adjusted, thereby allowing the layout to be changed according to the type of workpiece or tool. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-136952 [Patent Document 2] JP 2002-66965 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, such desktop robots are required to have high safety, for example, high noise resistance, in order to cooperate with workers. The desktop robot of Patent Document 1 has a structure with excellent noise resistance, since all electrical components such as motors, circuit boards, and cables are housed in a metal electrical casing (lower box). However, the layout of the desktop robot of Patent Document 1 cannot be freely changed like the desktop robot of Patent Document 2.

[0007] On the other hand, the tabletop robot of Patent Document 2 has a structure in which linear motion mechanisms are combined into units, and each linear motion mechanism, including the drive motor, is connected to a control unit housed in an electrical housing by a cable. Therefore, since the cable is exposed from the electrical housing, the noise resistance is inferior to that of the tabletop robot of Patent Document 1. Note that, even if the mounting positions of each linear motion mechanism are changed, noise resistance can be improved by using an electrical housing of a size that covers all of them, but this is contrary to the demand for miniaturization. Thus, when miniaturization is a given, there is a trade-off between the degree of freedom in the layout of each linear motion mechanism in the tabletop robot and noise resistance.

[0008] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a desktop robot that can be made compact while eliminating the trade-off between layout freedom and noise resistance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The tabletop robot of the present invention comprises a motor, a conversion mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the motor into linear motion, a linear motion table mechanism having a table supported by a linear motion rail and moved by the conversion mechanism, and an electrical housing in which the motor is housed and in which the conversion mechanism and the linear motion table mechanism are attached to its outer surface, and which is characterized in that the electrical housing has a pair of mounting portions at which the linear motion rails are attached to the electrical housing, at positions that are linearly symmetrical about the conversion mechanism.

[0010] In such a tabletop robot, it is preferable that the electrical component housing has a shielding member attached to the mounting portion on the side to which the linear motion table mechanism is not attached.

[0011] In addition, in such a desktop robot, the table has a through hole penetrating the table in a direction in which the linear motion rail extends, and the linear motion table mechanism has a cover that is inserted into the through hole and covers the linear motion rail, and the cover is Electrical equipment housing It is preferred that the sensor be attached to a sensor body.

[0012] The conversion mechanism preferably comprises a drive pulley rotated by the motor, a driven pulley spaced apart from the drive pulley in the direction in which the linear rail extends, a belt wound around the drive pulley and driven pulley and having a pair of straight portions located between the drive pulley and the driven pulley, and a connecting body attached to either one of the straight portions or the other of the straight portions and also attached to the table, and the rotation direction of the motor when the connecting body is attached to the other straight portion is preferably reversed from the rotation direction of the motor when the connecting body is attached to one of the straight portions. Effect of the Invention

[0013] In the tabletop robot of the present invention, the linear rail can be attached to the electrical housing at any position that is linearly symmetrical with respect to the conversion mechanism, so that the layout of the table can be changed. Also, if the position of the motor that moves the table changes as the layout of the table is changed, a large electrical housing must be used to ensure noise resistance as described above, but in the tabletop robot of the present invention, the position of the motor does not change even if the layout is changed and it is stored in the electrical housing, so that it is possible to ensure noise resistance while miniaturizing the electrical housing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a desktop robot according to the present invention, showing a state in which a table is attached to the center of an electrical component housing. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the desktop robot shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the tabletop robot shown in FIG. 1 at the center of the table. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the desktop robot shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the desktop robot shown in FIG. 1 with a linear motion table mechanism attached to the right side of the electrical component housing. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the desktop robot shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the tabletop robot shown in FIG. 5 at the center of the table. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a tabletop robot according to the present invention at the center of the table. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a desktop robot according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience, the following description will be given in terms of right, left, front, rear, up, down, and X, Y, and Z directions shown in the drawings.

[0016] 1 to 4 show a tabletop robot 1A according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The tabletop robot 1A includes an electrical housing 2 for housing various electrical components, a pair of columns 3 provided on the right and left sides of the electrical housing 2, and an arm 4 suspended between the pair of columns 3. As shown in FIG. 2, a conversion mechanism 6 for converting the rotary motion of an X motor 5 (see FIG. 3) into linear motion and a linear motion table mechanism 8 including a table 7 movable in the front-rear direction (X direction) are provided on the upper surface of the electrical housing 2. In the state shown in FIG. 1, the table 7 is located at the center of the electrical housing 2 in the left-right direction (Y direction). A Y unit 9 movable in the left-right direction is provided on the arm 4, and a Z base 10 movable in the up-down direction (Z direction) is provided below the Y unit 9. A partially enlarged view of a portion surrounded by a dashed line circle in FIG. 3 is shown in the upper right corner of the drawing.

[0017] Various types of workpieces can be placed on the table 7, and tools such as a screwdriver and a soldering iron can be attached to the Z base 10. Therefore, with the desktop robot 1A, the workpiece and the tool can be moved relative to each other in three dimensions, so that tasks such as screwing and soldering can be performed on the workpiece.

[0018] The electrical housing 2 of this embodiment includes a housing main body 11A to which the conversion mechanism 6 and the linear motion table mechanism 8 are attached. A front cover 12 is provided in front of the housing main body 11A, and an operation / display unit 13 is provided on the front cover 12, which is used to operate the tabletop robot 1A and displays the operating state. A rear cover (not shown) is provided behind the housing main body 11A. As shown in FIG. 3, a base 14 is provided below the housing main body 11A. Various electrical components, which will be described later, are accommodated inside the housing main body 11A, the front cover 12, the rear cover, and the base 14. Some of the electrical components used in the tabletop robot 1A are also accommodated inside the arm 4 and the Y unit 9. The housing main body 11A, the front cover 12, the rear cover, and the base 14 are all made of metal, and the inside of the electrical housing 2 has high resistance to electrical noise from the outside, suppressing the effect of noise on the electrical components accommodated in the electrical housing 2. The covers forming the outer shells of arm 4 and Y unit 9 are also made of metal, and the insides of arm 4 and Y unit 9 are also highly resistant to external electrical noise.

[0019] The housing main body 11A of this embodiment has a recess 11a whose upper surface is recessed downward as shown in Fig. 3. The X-motor 5 is attached to the rear of the central part in the left-right direction of the recess 11a. As shown in the figure, the X-motor 5 has a large-diameter part that houses electrical components (e.g., coils) attached to the inside of the housing main body 11A, and a rotating small-diameter shaft is located outside the housing main body 11A.

[0020] 2, a conversion mechanism 6 is attached to the center of the recess 11a in the left-right direction. The conversion mechanism 6 in this embodiment includes a driving pulley 15 attached to the shaft of the X-motor 5, a driven pulley 16 provided in front of the driving pulley 15 with a gap therebetween, a toothed belt 17 wound around the driving pulley 15 and the driven pulley 16, and a connecting member 18 connecting the belt 17 to the table 7. Here, the belt 17 has a pair of straight portions 17a positioned opposite each other between the driving pulley 15 and the driven pulley 16 in a state where the belt 17 is wound around the driving pulley 15 and the driven pulley 16, and the connecting member 18 is attached to one of the pair of straight portions 17a (the left straight portion 17a in the state shown in FIGS. 1 to 3).

[0021] The combined body 18 of this embodiment is composed of two plate-like members 18a and 18b. One plate-like member 18a is substantially L-shaped, is attached to the table 7, and faces one side of the straight portion 17a. The other plate-like member 18b is located on the other side of the straight portion 17a and is configured to be movable toward the one plate-like member 18a by a screw (not shown) or the like. That is, by moving the other plate-like member 18b toward the one plate-like member 18a, the straight portion 17a is clamped, the combined body 18 is fixed to the belt 17, and the table 7 and the belt 17 can be connected.

[0022] According to such a conversion mechanism 6, when the drive pulley 15 is rotated, the coupling body 18 attached to the straight portion 17a moves in the forward and backward directions. That is, since the drive pulley 15 is rotated by the X-motor 5, the rotational motion of the X-motor 5 can be converted into the linear motion of the coupling body 18.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, a linear motion table mechanism 8 is attached to the left portion of the recess 11a. The linear motion table mechanism 8 of this embodiment includes a table 7, a linear motion rail 8a extending in the front-rear direction, and a block 8b supported by the linear motion rail 8a and moving in the front-rear direction. A ball 8c is interposed between the linear motion rail 8a and the block 8b, and the block 8b is slidable in the longitudinal direction of the linear motion rail 8a. A screw hole 11b for fixing the linear motion rail 8a is provided to the left portion of the recess 11a, and the linear motion rail 8a is fixed to the recess 11a by a screw (not shown).

[0024] A screw hole 11c is also provided in the right portion of the recess 11a. The screw hole 11c is provided in a position that is symmetrical to the screw hole 11b with the conversion mechanism 6 at the center. That is, the distance to the screw hole 11b and the distance to the screw hole 11c are equal to a straight line passing through the centers of the driving pulley 15 and the driven pulley 16. The screw holes 11b and 11c are also positioned equal in the front-rear direction.

[0025] In this embodiment, a shielding member 19 is attached to such a screw hole 11c by a screw (not shown). The shielding member 19 is shaped so as to fit into the right side portion of the recess 11a and to slip under the end portion of the table 7 as shown in FIG. 3, so that dirt and dust are less likely to enter the vicinity of the linear motion rail 8a and the belt 17.

[0026] Table 7 is attached to block 8b. In this embodiment, table 7 has a screw hole 7a at the center of the right side for attaching connecting body 18. Furthermore, screw hole 7b having the same shape as screw hole 7a is provided at the center of the left side of table 7. Furthermore, table 7 has through hole 7c that passes through table 7 in the front-rear direction. Note that holes other than screw holes 7a and 7b shown in the figure on table 7 are screw holes or working holes for fixing workpieces or jigs.

[0027] The linear motion table mechanism 8 of this embodiment includes a cover 20 that extends long in the front-rear direction as shown in the figure. The cover 20 is inserted into the through hole 7c of the table 7 and fixed to a screw hole 11d provided in the housing main body 11A with a screw (not shown). The cover 20 entirely covers the linear motion rail 8a and the belt 17, preventing dirt and dust from entering the areas around the linear motion rail 8a and the belt 17. Note that the cover 20 is inserted into the through hole 7c, so that the movement of the table 7 in the front-rear direction is not hindered.

[0028] The housing main body 11A also has a screw hole 11e having the same shape as the screw hole 11d at a position that is linearly symmetrical with respect to the conversion mechanism 6 as the center.

[0029] The above-mentioned screw holes 11b and 11 c is , which corresponds to the "mounting portion" in this specification.

[0030] Next, the configuration regarding the electrical control of the desktop robot 1A will be described with reference to the block diagram of Fig. 4. In addition to the above-mentioned X motor 5, the desktop robot 1A is equipped with a Y motor 21 that drives the Y unit 9 and a Z motor 22 that drives the Z base 10, and these motors are electrically connected to a control unit 23. The control unit 23 is also electrically connected to the above-mentioned operation and display unit 13, as well as a program and teaching data storage unit 24 that stores programs for causing the control unit 23 to perform various controls and teaching data corresponding to the workpiece, and a robot layout detection means 25. The robot layout detection means 25 will be described in detail later.

[0031] The desktop robot 1A of this embodiment is provided with a power supply unit 26, a control board 27, a motor driver board 28, and the like inside the electrical housing 2 as shown in FIG. 3 to realize the above-mentioned electrical control. The large-diameter portion of the X motor 5 that houses the electrical components is also arranged inside the electrical housing 2. The power supply unit 26 has a function of supplying power to the various electrical components. The control board 27 and the motor driver board 28 function as the control unit 23 in the block diagram. Although not shown, the Y motor 21 shown in the block diagram is attached to the inside of the arm 4, and the Z motor 22 is attached to the inside of the Y unit 9. The robot layout detection means 25 is a sensor (e.g., a photoelectric sensor or a proximity sensor) (not shown) that detects the presence or absence of the linear rail 8a in this embodiment, and is provided near the left and right parts of the recess 11a.

[0032] According to such a desktop robot 1A, the program and teaching data stored in the program and teaching data storage unit 24 are read into the control unit 23 by operation from the operation and display unit 13, and further, the X motor 5, Y motor 21, and Z motor 22 can be driven based on commands from the control unit 23. Therefore, by placing a workpiece on the table 7 and attaching a tool such as a screwdriver or a soldering iron to the Z base 10, the workpiece and the tool can be moved relative to each other in three dimensions to perform screw tightening, soldering, etc.

[0033] However, depending on the size or shape of the workpiece or the type of tool, it may not be possible to perform the intended work when the table 7 is located in the center of the electrical housing 2 in the left-right direction as shown in Fig. 1. In such cases, the table 7 can be positioned on the right side of the electrical housing 2 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

[0034] As described above, in the housing main body 11A of this embodiment, the screw holes 11b and 11c are provided at positions that are symmetrical with respect to the conversion mechanism 6, and the screw holes 11d and 11e are provided at positions that are symmetrical with respect to the conversion mechanism 6. That is, the linear motion rail 8a fixed to the screw hole 11b can be removed and fixed to the screw hole 11c, and the shielding member 19 fixed to the screw hole 11c can be removed and fixed to the screw hole 11b. Also, the cover 20 fixed to the screw hole 11d can be removed and fixed to the screw hole 11e. The connecting member 18 connecting the table 7 and the belt 17 can be removed from the screw hole 7a shown in FIG. 2 with respect to the table 7 and attached to the screw hole 7b as shown in FIG. 5, and can be changed from a state in which the left straight portion 17a of the belt 17 is clamped as shown in FIG. 3 to a state in which the right straight portion 17a is clamped as shown in FIG. 7. In this way, according to the tabletop robot 1A of this embodiment, the layout of the table 7 can be changed from a state in which it is located in the center of the electrical housing 2 in the left-right direction to a state in which it is located to the right side of the electrical housing 2. Even if the layout of the table 7 is changed, the position of the conversion mechanism 6 does not change, so the tabletop robot 1A can be made smaller. Even if the layout of the table 7 is changed, the distance between the conversion mechanism 6 and the linear motion table mechanism 8 does not change, so the payload capacity and vibration characteristics of the table 7 do not change. A partial enlarged view of the part surrounded by the dashed line circle in FIG. 7 is shown in the drawing.

[0035] When the layout of the table 7 is changed as described above, if the rotation direction of the X-motor 5 is the same before and after the layout change, the direction in which the table 7 moves will be reversed. For this reason, in this embodiment, the robot layout detection means 25 described above detects whether the linear motion rail 8a is laid out on the right side or the left side with respect to the conversion mechanism 6, and the control unit 23 switches the rotation direction of the X-motor 5 based on the detection result. Therefore, even if the layout of the table 7 is changed, the work can be performed on the workpiece as intended.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the desktop robot 1A, even if the layout of the table 7 is changed, various electrical components including the X motor 5 remain housed in the electrical housing 2, the arm 4, and the Y unit 9, so that noise resistance for the electrical components can be ensured.

[0037] Next, a tabletop robot 1B according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The tabletop robot 1B includes a housing main body 11B having a pair of the recesses 11a spaced apart in the left-right direction. Each recess 11a is provided with the X-motor 5, conversion mechanism 6, and linear motion table mechanism 8.

[0038] According to such a desktop robot 1B, it is possible to arrange the two tables 7 close to each other in the left-right direction as shown in FIG. 8(a). It is also possible to arrange the two tables 7 apart in the left-right direction as shown in FIG. 8(b). Furthermore, although not shown, it is also possible to arrange the right table 7 in the position shown in FIG. 8(a) and the left table 7 in the position shown in FIG. 8(b), and it is also possible to arrange the right table 7 in the position shown in FIG. 8(b) and the left table 7 in the position shown in FIG. 8(a). In this way, according to the desktop robot 1B, a total of four layout changes can be made. Although not shown, a power supply unit, a control board, a motor driver board, etc. are stored inside the electrical housing 2. Therefore, even in the desktop robot 1B, the distance between the conversion mechanism 6 and the linear motion table mechanism 8 remains unchanged, and since various electrical components are stored in the electrical housing 2, etc., noise resistance for the electrical components can be ensured.

[0039] Although the embodiments embodying the present invention have been illustrated above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention described in the claims unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description. Furthermore, the effects of the above embodiments are merely examples of the effects resulting from the present invention, and do not mean that the effects of the present invention are limited to the above effects.

[0040] For example, the above-mentioned conversion mechanism 6 is composed of a driving pulley 15, a driven pulley 16, and a belt 17, but it may be replaced with various mechanisms that convert the rotational motion of the motor into linear motion (for example, a mechanism using a ball screw or a slider crank mechanism).

[0041] Furthermore, when changing the layout of table 7, in the above-described embodiment, two screw holes (screw holes 7a, 7b) are provided in the center of the right side and the center of the left side of table 7 as a configuration for attaching connector 18 to table 7, but it is also possible to use only one screw hole and rotate table 7 180 degrees relative to the horizontal plane to attach it to block 8b.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the robot layout detection means 25 for detecting whether the linear rail 8a is fixed to the screw hole 11b or 11c is provided with sensors for detecting the presence or absence of the linear rail 8a in both the vicinity of the left part and the vicinity of the right part of the recess 11a. However, the linear rail 8a may be attached to either the screw hole 11b or 11c, and the sensor may be provided only in the vicinity of either the left part or the right part of the recess 11a. That is, for example, if the sensor is provided only in the vicinity of the left part of the recess 11a, the control unit 23 may determine that the linear rail 8a is fixed to the screw hole 11b when the sensor detects the linear rail 8a, and may determine that the linear rail 8a is fixed to the screw hole 11c when the sensor does not detect the linear rail 8a. The robot layout detection means 25 may be a means in which the operator inputs the layout of the table 7 using the operation and display unit 13.

[0043] In addition, when changing the layout of the table 7, two types of connecting members 18 may be prepared, and when the table 7 is located in the left-right center of the electrical housing 2 as shown in Fig. 3, the left straight portion 17a may be clamped by the connecting members 18 having the shape shown in the figure, and when the table 7 is located on the right side of the electrical housing 2 as shown in Fig. 7, another connecting member 18 having a shape that clamps the left straight portion 17a may be used. In this case, even if the layout of the table 7 is changed, the rotation direction of the X-motor 5 remains the same. In this configuration, the robot layout detection means 25 is not necessary.

[0044] In addition, the electrical housing 2 has screw holes 11b, 11c, 11d, and 11e as mounting parts for attaching the linear rail 8a and the cover 20, but the mounting parts are not limited to those using screws, and for example, mounting parts using clamps or the like to clamp a member may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1A, 1B: Tabletop robot 2: Electrical equipment housing 5: X motor (motor) 6: Conversion mechanism 7: Table 7c: Through hole 8: Linear table mechanism 8a: Linear rail 11b, 11 c: Screw hole (mounting part) 15: Drive pulley 16: Driven pulley 17: Belt 17a: Straight section 18: Combined body 19: Shielding material 20:Cover 23: Control unit

Claims

1. A motor; a conversion mechanism for converting the rotational motion of the motor into linear motion; a linear motion table mechanism having a table supported by a linear motion rail and moved by the conversion mechanism; an electrical equipment housing in which the motor is housed and in which the conversion mechanism and the linear motion table mechanism are attached to an outer surface thereof; The electrical housing of the tabletop robot has a pair of mounting portions at which the linear rail is attached to the electrical housing, the mounting portions being positioned line-symmetrically about the conversion mechanism.

2. The desktop robot according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical component housing has a shielding member attached to the mounting portion on the side to which the linear motion table mechanism is not attached.

3. the table includes a through hole passing through the table in a direction in which the linear motion rail extends, the linear motion table mechanism has a cover that is inserted into the through hole and covers the linear motion rail, The desktop robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover is attached to the electrical component housing.

4. the conversion mechanism includes a drive pulley rotated by the motor, a driven pulley spaced apart from the drive pulley in a direction in which the linear rail extends, a belt wound around the drive pulley and the driven pulley and having a pair of straight portions positioned opposite each other between the drive pulley and the driven pulley, and a coupling body attached to either one of the straight portions or the other of the straight portions and attached to the table; The desktop robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a control unit that reverses the rotation direction of the motor when the connecting body is attached to one of the straight portions relative to the rotation direction of the motor when the connecting body is attached to the other straight portion.

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