robot

Abstract

To reduce costs while improving dustproofing of the space inside the base, the present invention provides a robot comprising a base installed on a surface to be installed and a mechanism body movably supported on the base, wherein the base body comprises an installation surface installed on the surface to be installed, a peripheral wall that defines an inwardly defined space for a wire to pass to the mechanism body and an opening that opens the space to the installation surface side, and a cover member attached to the base body that closes the opening, the cover member being attached using the unprocessed surface of the base body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to robots.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a robot provided with a base installed on an installation surface such as a floor surface, and the opening at the bottom surface of the base is closed by a bottom cover to prevent the intrusion of dust, cutting fluid, etc. into the internal space of the base (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this Patent Document 1, the bottom cover for closing the opening is a flat plate arranged with a packing sandwiched between seat surfaces formed by machining around the opening. The bottom cover is fixed so as to compress the packing and seal the opening by fastening bolts to screw holes formed in the seat surface. Also, there is known a robot in which a wire body is arranged in the internal space of a base with an open bottom surface (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As shown in Patent Document 2, since the cables arranged in the space inside the base are covered with a waterproof outer skin, a high drip-proof property of the space inside the base is not required. Also, in the method of fixing the bottom cover by fastening bolts to screw holes, machining of the seat surface and screw holes on the bottom surface of the base is required, resulting in high costs. Therefore, while reducing costs, it is desired to improve the dust-proof property of the space inside the base.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a robot comprising a base installed on a surface to be installed and a mechanism body movably supported on the base, wherein the base comprises a base body having an installation surface installed on the surface to be installed, a peripheral wall defining inward a space for a wire to pass to the mechanism body and an opening that opens the space toward the installation surface, and a cover member attached to the base body that closes the opening, the cover member being attached using an unprocessed surface of the base body. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a robot in one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the base of the robot in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a bottom view showing the base body of the base. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the base cover member. [Figure 5] Figure 3 shows the base of the robot in Figure 1 with the opening of the base body covered by the cover member. This is a bottom view of the robot base in Figure 1. [Figure 6] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the mounting structure for the cover member to the base body. [Figure 7] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing another variation of the mounting structure for the cover member to the base body. [Figure 8] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing yet another variation of the mounting structure for the cover member to the base body. [Figure 9] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing yet another variation of the mounting structure for the cover member to the base body. [Figure 10] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing yet another variation of the mounting structure for the cover member to the base body. [Figure 11] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing yet another variation of the mounting structure for the cover member to the base body. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] A robot 1 according to one embodiment of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the robot 1 according to this embodiment is, for example, a 6-axis articulated robot, comprising a base 2 installed on a surface to be installed, such as a floor, and a mechanism body 3 movably supported above the base 2.

[0008] The main body of the mechanism 3 comprises a swivel cylinder 4 rotatably supported on the base 2 around a vertical first axis J1, and a first arm 5 rotatably supported relative to the swivel cylinder 4 around a horizontal second axis J2. The main body of the mechanism 3 also comprises a second arm 6 rotatably supported relative to the first arm 5 around a third axis J3 parallel to the second axis J2, and a three-axis wrist unit 7 positioned at the tip of the second arm 6. The main body of the mechanism 3 has six joints and is equipped with multiple motors 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 to drive each joint.

[0009] As shown in Figure 2, the base 2 comprises a box-shaped base body 21 made of iron or aluminum alloy, and a flat plate-shaped cover member 22 made of metal, resin, cloth, or a composite material thereof, which is attached to the base body 21. The base body 21 includes a bottom surface (installation surface) 23 that is in close contact with the surface to be installed, side wall portions 24 rising from the bottom surface, and an upper end portion 26 having a central hole 25 at a position including the first axis J1. The base 2 also includes a peripheral wall 27 arranged at intervals inside the side wall portions 24.

[0010] The bottom surface 23 and upper end portion 26 of the base body 21 have machined surfaces. On the other hand, the surface of the peripheral wall 27 of the base body 21 is an unmachined surface, such as a cast surface.

[0011] The peripheral wall 27 is connected to the upper end portion 26 of the base body 21, is formed in a cylindrical shape extending to the vicinity of the bottom surface 23 in the direction along the first axis J1, and is disposed at a position where the end surface is recessed by one step with respect to the bottom surface 23. Between the peripheral wall 27 and the side wall portion 24, as shown in FIG. 3, they are connected by a plurality of ribs 28. The peripheral wall 27 and the plurality of ribs 28 partition the space inside the base body 21 into a plurality of spaces having opening portions 29a and 29b that open downward, that is, toward the bottom surface 23 side.

[0012] The base body 21 is provided with, for example, a side opening portion 30 that opens on a side surface disposed in the direction that becomes the back surface of the robot 1, and a duct portion 31 that connects the side opening portion 30 and the space inside the peripheral wall 27. A linear body 50 such as a cable is wired so as to enter the space inside the peripheral wall 27 from the side opening portion 30 via the duct portion 31 and be connected to each of the motors 8 and 9 of the mechanism main body portion 3 via the central hole 25 at the upper end portion 26, as shown by a chain line in the figure.

[0013] The cover member 22 is formed in a size and shape capable of closing the opening portion 29b formed inside the peripheral wall 27, as shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the cover member 22 is disposed close to the end surface of the peripheral wall 27, and includes a disc-shaped portion 32 that abuts against the entire circumference of the annular lower end of the peripheral wall 27 that defines the circular opening portion 29b, and a plurality of tabs 33 that extend in a direction orthogonal to the disc-shaped portion 32 from the outer edge of the disc-shaped portion 32. The tabs 33 are formed by bending a strip-shaped thin plate material following the disc-shaped portion 32, for example, by press working.

[0014] A plurality of tabs 33 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the disc-shaped portion 32. Each tab 33 is provided with a screw hole 34 penetrating in the plate thickness direction. Further, the disc-shaped portion 32 is provided with a plurality of through holes (drain holes) 35 penetrating in the plate thickness direction at appropriate intervals. The through holes 35 have the minimum diameter capable of discharging liquid.

[0015] Further, the cover member 22 is provided with an extension portion 36 that extends in one radial direction from the disk-shaped portion 32 at a part of the circumferential direction of the disk-shaped portion 32. The extension portion 36 is arranged to overlap with the bottom surface of the duct portion 31 when the cover member 22 is arranged at a position closing the opening 29b inside the peripheral wall 27.

[0016] Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the cover member 22 arranges the disk-shaped portion 32 at a position closing the opening 29b formed inside the peripheral wall 27 of the base body 21, and is attached to the base body 21 at a position where all the tabs 33 are arranged radially outward of the peripheral wall 27. That is, by fastening bolts 37 from the radially outward to the screw holes 34 of all the tabs 33 arranged radially outward of the peripheral wall 27, the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 27 is pressed radially inward by the tip of the bolt 37. Thereby, the bolt 37 is used as a press-fit screw, and the cover member 22 can be maintained in a state of being attached to the base body 21 by the friction between the bolt 37 and the outer surface of the peripheral wall 27.

[0017] According to the robot 1 according to this embodiment configured as described above, the base body 21 can be in a form with the bottom surface 23 open, facilitating the mold design. And since the peripheral wall 27 forming the opening 29b is composed of an unprocessed surface that is not processed, the cost required for component processing can be reduced. That is, processing of the mounting surface of the cover member 22 and the screw holes 34 for fastening the bolts 37 becomes unnecessary, and the base body 21 can be manufactured at a low cost.

[0018] And by attaching the cover member 22 using the unprocessed surface of the base body 21, screw processing for base processing is also unnecessary, and it can be manufactured at an even lower cost. Since the opening 29b formed inside the peripheral wall 27 is closed by the cover member 22, it is possible to effectively prevent dust and the like from entering the space inside the peripheral wall 27 via the opening 29b.

[0019] Furthermore, since the extended portion 36 of the cover member 22 is positioned to partially cover the bottom surface of the duct portion 31 and overlap with the bottom surface 23, dustproofing can be improved even in the duct portion 31 where the tab 33 is not provided. This prevents dust such as metal shavings that enter the internal space of the base body 21 from adhering to the wire body 50, thereby preventing damage to the wire body 50 due to movement.

[0020] Furthermore, the cover member 22 is positioned only in contact with the lower end of the peripheral wall 27, which is an unprocessed surface, and does not seal the gap with the tip of the peripheral wall 27. Therefore, while dust such as metal shavings is less likely to enter, the inflow of liquid is not prevented. However, since the wire 50, such as a cable, that passes through the internal space of the base body 21 is covered with a liquid-proof sheath, there is no problem even if liquid flows in. Moreover, even if liquid does flow in, the cover member 22 is provided with multiple through holes 35 that penetrate in the thickness direction, so the liquid that has entered the internal space of the base body 21 can be easily discharged to the outside through the through holes 35.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the robot 1 of this embodiment, since the cover member 22 is attached to a location where no processing is performed, the cover member 22 can be attached to the base body 21 even if the base body 21 is in a location where tapping is not possible or if the base material is also unsuitable. It can also be applied when the base body 21 is formed by sand casting, which results in variations in dimensions.

[0022] In this embodiment, a sealing member with high surface conformability may be provided on the surface of the peripheral wall 27, which is an unmachined surface that has not been machined, to seal the space between the peripheral wall 27 and the cover member 22. In this embodiment, the cover member 22 that closes the opening 29b is attached to the base body 21 by using a bolt 37 as a set screw and pressing the bolt 37 against the unprocessed surface of the outer circumference of the peripheral wall 27. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6, the cover member 22 may have an outer peripheral edge 38, and the cover member 22 may be attached by press-fitting or hammering the cover member 22 into the inner surface of the peripheral wall 27 without using a bolt 37, so that the outer peripheral edge 38 is fitted into the inner surface of the peripheral wall 27 and the cover member 22 is attached by friction.

[0023] Furthermore, although an example was given in which a tab 33 having an opposing surface positioned opposite the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 27 is positioned radially outward of the peripheral wall 27, as shown in Figure 7, the cover member 22 may also be attached to the base body 21 by positioning a tab 33 having an opposing surface positioned opposite the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 27 radially inward of the peripheral wall 27 and fastening a bolt 37 to the screw hole 34 of the tab 33 from radially inward. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 8, a flat cover member 22 may be attached to the unprocessed lower end of the peripheral wall 27 by adhesive means such as adhesive material 39 or adhesive tape, without providing the tab 33.

[0024] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 9, a recess 40 opening downwards may be formed at the lower end of the peripheral wall 27 by casting, and the cover member 22 may be provided with a through hole 41 corresponding to the recess 40 when positioned to close the opening 29b, and the cover member 22 may be fixed to the base body 21 by expanding a rivet 42 that passes through the through hole 41 in the cover member 22 within the recess 40. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 10, a mounting portion 43 extending to the outer circumference of the base body 21 may be provided on a part of the cover member 22, and the mounting portion 43 may be hooked onto the upper surface of the flange 21a of the base body 21, which is the unprocessed surface, and then fixed with a bolt 37 acting as a set screw.

[0025] In this embodiment, the cover member 22 is fixed by pressing the bolt 37 against the workpiece surface, but the cover member 22 may also be attached to a seating surface that can be machined simultaneously during the machining process of the cutting surface of the base body 21.

[0026] Furthermore, as the robot 1 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, a robot 1 may be provided with two slits provided at a predetermined distance apart in the disc-shaped portion 32 of the cover member 22, and a stepped bend portion 44 formed by bending a flat plate-shaped member between the two slits. The stepped bend portion 44 is provided with a screw hole 45 that opens on the surface facing the protruding portion 46, which will be described later.

[0027] In this case, the base body 21 is provided with a protruding portion 46 that protrudes from the inner surface of the side wall portion 24, and the protruding portion 46 is positioned below the stepped bend portion 44 and fixed with a bolt 37 acting as a set screw. This makes it possible to attach and detach the cover member 22 to the base body 21 without turning the base body 21 upside down, thereby improving maintainability.

[0028] Although embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above, this disclosure is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. These embodiments can be added, replaced, modified, partially deleted, etc., in any way that does not depart from the spirit of the invention or the idea and spirit of the invention derived from the claims and their equivalents. For example, the order of operations and processes in the embodiments described above are shown as examples only and are not limited thereto.

[0029] The following additional information is disclosed regarding the above embodiments and modifications. (Note 1) A base installed on the surface to be installed, It comprises a mechanism body that is movably supported on the base, The base comprises a base body having an installation surface to be installed on the surface to be installed, a peripheral wall that defines an opening on the inside of a space for a wire to pass through to the main body of the mechanism and an opening that opens the space to the installation surface, and a cover member attached to the base body that closes the opening. A robot in which the cover member is attached using the unprocessed surface of the base body.

[0030] (Note 2) The end face of the peripheral wall, which is positioned outside the opening, is positioned at a recessed level with respect to the installation surface. The robot according to Appendix 1, wherein the cover member is positioned close to the end face.

[0031] (Note 3) The unprocessed surface is the inner surface of the peripheral wall, The robot according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, wherein the cover member has an outer edge that is fitted into the inner surface of the peripheral wall and attached by friction.

[0032] (Note 4) The unprocessed surface is the inner or outer surface of the peripheral wall. The robot according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, wherein the cover member has screw holes opening to an opposing surface positioned opposite to the inner or outer circumferential surface, and is attached to the non-machined surface by set screws fastened to the screw holes.

[0033] (Note 5) The robot according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, wherein the cover member is attached to the unprocessed surface by an adhesive.

[0034] (Note 6) The base body is provided with one or more recesses that open to the mounting surface side, The robot according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, wherein the cover member is positioned to close the opening and has a through hole corresponding to the recess, and is attached to the base body by a rivet that passes through the through hole and is inserted into the recess.

[0035] (Note 7) The robot according to any one of the appendices 1 to 6, wherein the cover member is a flat plate member.

[0036] (Note 8) The robot according to any one of the appendices 1 to 7, wherein the cover member is provided with one or more drainage holes penetrating in the thickness direction of the plate.

[0037] (Note 9) The cover member is a flat plate member, and includes a stepped bend portion formed by bending a part of the flat plate member. The stepped bend portion is equipped with a screw hole that opens in the direction of the plate thickness, The robot according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, wherein the cover member is attached to the unprocessed surface by a set screw fastened in the screw hole, with a part of the base body positioned below the stepped bend portion. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0038] 1 Robot 2 bases 3 Mechanism main body 21 Base Unit 22 Cover component 23 Bottom surface (installation surface) 27 Peripheral wall 29b opening 34 screw holes 35 Through-hole (drainage hole) 37 Bolt (set screw) 38 Outer edge 39 Adhesive 40 recess 41 Through hole 42 rivets 44-step bent section 45 screw holes 46 Protrusion 50. Striatum

Claims

1. A base installed on the surface to be installed, It comprises a mechanism body that is movably supported on the base, The base comprises a base body having an installation surface to be installed on the surface to be installed, a peripheral wall that defines an opening on the inside of a space for a wire to pass through to the main body of the mechanism and an opening that opens the space to the installation surface, and a cover member attached to the base body that closes the opening. A robot in which the cover member is positioned around the opening of the base body and is attached to the unmachined surface, which has not been machined including screw threading, by friction, set screws, adhesive, or rivets.

2. The end face of the peripheral wall, which is positioned outside the opening, is positioned at a recessed level with respect to the installation surface. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is positioned in close proximity to the end face.

3. The unprocessed surface is the inner surface of the peripheral wall, The robot according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cover member has an outer edge that is fitted into the inner surface of the peripheral wall and attached by friction.

4. The unprocessed surface is the inner or outer surface of the peripheral wall. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover member is provided with a screw hole opening to an opposing surface positioned opposite to the inner or outer circumferential surface, and is attached to the non-machined surface by a set screw fastened to the screw hole.

5. The robot according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cover member is attached to the unprocessed surface by the adhesive.

6. The base body is provided with one or more recesses that open to the mounting surface side, The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover member is positioned to close the opening and has a through hole corresponding to the recess, and is attached to the base body by a rivet that passes through the through hole and is inserted into the recess.

7. The robot according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cover member is a flat plate member.

8. The robot according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cover member is provided with one or more drainage holes penetrating in the thickness direction of the plate.

9. The cover member is a flat plate member, and includes a stepped bend portion formed by bending a part of the flat plate member. The stepped bend portion is equipped with a screw hole that opens in the direction of the plate thickness, The robot according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cover member is attached to the unprocessed surface by a set screw fastened in the screw hole, with a part of the base body positioned below the stepped bend portion.

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