Tool Exchange Agency

Abstract

To provide a tool replacing mechanism which can reduce manufacturing cost and support a large load with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: In a tool replacing mechanism 10, an insertion section 86 of a tool connection section 85 is inserted into a clamp section 50 with the clamp section 50 in a disengaged state by the operation of a robot R with a tool unit 80 being held by a positioning plate 105. The clamp section 50 is brought into an engaged state and a coupled state is created by regulating the rotation of a housing 60. The clamp section 50 is brought into a disengaged state from the engaged state by moving the tool unit 80 to a storage recess section 101 by the operation of the robot R from the coupled state and a separated state is created since the regulation of the rotation of the housing 60 is released.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tool changing mechanism for replacing various tools by the operation of a robot arm.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional tool changing device (tool changing mechanism), there is one described in Patent Document 1. According to this, it includes a tool plate having an insertion recess on the upper surface, and a master plate having a surface that contacts the upper surface in a connected state and a cylindrical portion that can be inserted into the insertion recess, and detachably connecting the tool plate.

[0003] The master plate has a cylindrical portion, a plate body in which a cylinder chamber and a flow passage for supplying fluid to the cylinder chamber are formed inside, at least one locking portion held by the cylindrical portion and provided so as to be able to project and retract from the side surface of the cylindrical portion, and a piston member attached to the plate body so as to be able to reciprocate in the cylindrical portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the above-mentioned surface by the pressure in the cylinder chamber, and the locking portion is made to project and retract by the reciprocating motion.

[0004] The tool plate had a locked portion that was engaged and disengaged with the locking portion by the locking portion projecting and retracting in a state where the cylindrical portion was inserted into the insertion recess.

[0005] Also, as those related to Patent Document 1, there are those described in Patent Documents 2 to 4.

[0006] Although those described in Patent Documents 1 to 4 do not affect the patentability of the present invention, a configuration such as a piston member inside and an electrode outside is required, and an electric motor and an air motor need to be provided on the tool unit side, so there was a problem that the device became large-sized.

[0007] To address the above problem, one proposed solution that does not include an internal mechanism for separating and connecting the tool unit is the tool changing device described in Patent Document 5 previously published by the present applicant. This device comprises a rotary drive unit that rotates the spindle shaft, a spindle body connected to the rotary drive unit and rotatably holding the spindle shaft inside, a clamping unit provided at the tip of the spindle shaft, a tool collet clamped to the clamping unit and fitted with a cutting tool, and a tool magazine that holds multiple tool collets. A gear portion is provided on the outer circumference of the tool collet, and the tool magazine is provided with a storage recess for storing the tool collets. A rack portion is provided on one wall of the storage recess that can engage with the gear portion of the tool collet. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 212790 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2017 / 212791 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-131305 [Patent Document 4] International Publication No. 02 / 004177 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-42670 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] However, in the above-mentioned tool changing device, a gear section was provided on the outer circumference of the tool collet, and the tool magazine was provided with a rack section that could engage with the gear section of the tool collet, and an inclined surface for sliding the clamp sleeve. This resulted in a complex configuration, which could increase manufacturing costs. Therefore, it was desirable to simplify the configuration and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0010] Furthermore, because power transmission relies on small clamping balls and dimples on the spindle side, it was difficult to transmit large torques, and only small tools or brushes could be attached to the tool collet. In addition, this part also served as the mechanism for separating and connecting the tool collet, making it difficult to support large loads, and improvements were needed.

[0011] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a tool changing mechanism with a simple structure that can reduce manufacturing costs and support large loads. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The invention described in claim 1 is a tool changing mechanism comprising a master unit attached to a robot, a tool unit to which a tool is attached, and a tool magazine in which the tool unit is held, wherein the tool unit can take on a separated state in which it is held in the tool magazine and a coupled state in which it is coupled with the master unit and can perform work, The master unit comprises a rotational drive unit that rotates the spindle shaft, and a clamping unit provided on the spindle shaft side. The clamp portion is Clamp ball and, A cylindrical ball case having a ball-holding hole into which the tool connecting portion described later can enter and the spindle shaft can rotate inside, and into which the clamp ball can move in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the spindle shaft, A cylindrical housing having a receiving recess capable of receiving the clamp ball, fitted to the outside of the ball case, and rotatable relative to the ball case by the movement of the robot, Equipped with, The ball case is provided with a locking portion formed in a concave or convex shape that restricts the rotation of the ball case. The aforementioned housing includes, A locking member that can move in and out of the housing and maintains and releases the coupled state, and a biasing member that biases the locking member toward the tool unit along the axial direction of the spindle shaft are provided. The receiving recess is formed as a recess extending from the inner circumferential surface to the outer circumferential surface of the housing, The tool unit is provided with a tool connecting portion that can be connected to the clamp portion. The tool connecting portion comprises an insertion portion that is inserted into the clamp portion, and a flange portion that extends outward from the base end side of the insertion portion. The insertion portion is provided with an annular clamp groove that can engage with the clamp ball, The flange portion includes a locking portion formed in a concave or convex shape corresponding to the locking portion, which locks with the locking portion to restrict the rotation of the ball case, and a locking hole into which the release pin and the locking member described later can enter. It was installed, The tool magazine is provided with a storage recess for storing the tool unit. A positioning plate is placed on the outer edge of the storage recess. The positioning plate is provided with a lock release pin that can enter the lock hole and release the locked state. The clamp portion is The clamp ball is received in the receiving recess, and the tool connecting portion is in a disengaged state in which it can be inserted into the clamp portion. The clamp ball can enter an engaged state in which it contacts the inner circumferential surface of the housing and engages with the clamp groove. In the separated state, the tool unit is placed on the positioning plate and held with the unlocking pin inserted into the locking hole in the flange portion of the tool unit. With the tool unit held by the positioning plate, by the operation of the robot, in the disengaged state, the insertion part of the tool connecting part is inserted into the clamp part, the locking part and the locked part are locked, the housing is arranged at a position where the locking member is rotated by a predetermined angle from the locking hole, the locking member is rotated to the position of the locking hole and moved upward, so that the locking member enters the locking hole, and the unlocking pin exits from the locking hole, the clamp part is in the engaged state, and the rotation of the housing is restricted to enter the coupled state. From the coupled state, by the operation of the robot, the tool unit is moved to the storage recess and further moved downward, and the unlocking pin is made to enter the locking hole, so that the locking member exits from the locking hole, the locking member is rotated by a predetermined angle from the locking hole and moved upward, so that the clamp part changes from the engaged state to the disengaged state, and the restriction on the rotation of the housing is released to enter the separated state.

[0013] According to this, with the configuration of the locking part, the locked part, the locking hole and the unlocking pin, the locking member, and the biasing member having an uneven shape, it is possible to change the clamp part between the engaged state and the disengaged state, and with a simple configuration, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0014] In addition, in the present invention, since the mechanism for transmitting the power of the rotational drive part and the mechanism for making the tool unit in the separated state and the coupled state can be of different configurations, a large load can be supported.

[0015] Furthermore, it can be added that even with such a configuration, there is no need for an external configuration such as an electrode, and there is no need to provide a mechanism for making the tool unit in the separated state and the coupled state inside the ball case, and it is possible to provide a mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the spindle shaft inside the ball case, so there is no need to provide an electric motor or an air motor on the tool unit side, which leads to a reduction in the weight of the tool unit.

[0016] Further, the locking portion is a rotation preventing pin protruding from the ball case, and the locked portion is the rotation preventing hole into which the rotation preventing pin can be inserted.

[0017] According to this, with a simple structure of the rotation preventing hole and the rotation preventing pin, the housing is prevented from rotating with respect to the ball case. Thus, with a simple structure, it leads to a reduction in manufacturing cost.

[0018] Also, the length of the lock hole in the thickness direction and the length of the lock release pin in the longitudinal direction are substantially the same.

[0019] According to this, by inserting and removing the lock member into and out of the lock hole with the lock release pin, the clamp portion can be changed between the engaged state and the disengaged state. Thus, with a simple structure, it leads to a reduction in manufacturing cost.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram showing a usage mode of the tool changing mechanism of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an external view explanatory diagram when the tool unit is in the coupled state. [Figure 3] It is a partial cross-sectional view when the tool unit is in the coupled state. [Figure 4] It is a partial cross-sectional view when the tool unit is in the separated state. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow V-V line in FIG. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow VI-VI line in FIG. [Figure 7] When the tool unit is in the coupled state, (A) is a bottom view, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow VIIB-VIIB line in FIG. [Figure 8] For the single master unit, (A) is a bottom view, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow VIIIB-IIIB line in FIG. [Figure 9](A) is a plan view of the tool connection section of the tool unit, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IXB-IXB in Figure 9A. [Figure 10] This is a front view of a tool magazine. [Figure 11] This is a plan view of a tool magazine. [Figure 12] This is an explanatory diagram placed in the tool magazine when the tool unit is in a disassembled state. [Figure 13] This is an explanatory diagram placed in the tool magazine, showing the tool unit in its assembled state. [Figure 14] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state when the tool unit is separated. [Figure 15] This is a partial cross-sectional view of the modified tool unit in a separated state. [Figure 16] This is an explanatory diagram showing the tool unit in a modified form when it is separated. [Figure 17] This is a partially fractured cross-sectional view of the modified tool unit in its joined state. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] Next, embodiments of the tool changing mechanism of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the following description, power transmission mechanisms such as the hexagonal boss 43, receiving member 45, and connecting member 82 are omitted in Figures 7 to 9.

[0022] The tool changing mechanism 10, as outlined in Figure 1, comprises a master unit 30 attached to the robot arm RA of the robot R, a tool unit 80 to which a tool is attached, and a tool magazine 100 in which the tool unit 80 is held. The tool unit 80 can be in a separated state, held in the tool magazine 100, or in a coupled state, coupled with the master unit 30, allowing it to work.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2-8, 13, 14, etc., the master unit 30 includes a rotational drive unit 40 that rotates the spindle shaft 41, and a clamping unit 50 provided on the spindle shaft 41 side.

[0024] The rotary drive unit 40 is composed of an existing electric motor. The rotating shaft of the rotary drive unit 40 is the spindle shaft 41, and the spindle shaft 41 is driven to rotate at high speed by the rotary drive unit 40.

[0025] The spindle shaft 41 has a hexagonal boss 43 attached to its tip via a joint 42. The hexagonal boss 43 is connected to a hexagonal socketed connecting member 82 of the tool unit 80, which will be described later, thereby transmitting the driving force.

[0026] The spindle shaft 41 and the joint 42 are prevented from rotating relative to each other using a key material 44.

[0027] Furthermore, a receiving member 45 is provided around the spindle shaft 41 to receive the insertion portion 86, which will be described later.

[0028] The clamp section 50 comprises a clamp ball 51, a ball case 53, and a housing 60.

[0029] The clamp balls 51 are existing clamp balls, and in this embodiment, six of them are arranged.

[0030] The ball case 53 is formed in a cylindrical shape, into which the tool connecting portion 85 (described later) can enter, and has a ball holding hole 54 that allows the clamp ball 51 to move in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the spindle shaft 41.

[0031] The ball-holding holes 54 are formed in the ball case 53 as through holes that penetrate from the inner circumferential surface 53a to the outer circumferential surface 53b, and are arranged in six equally spaced locations when viewed from the axial direction of the ball case 53. The inner circumferential surface 53a side is formed to be narrower in width to prevent the clamp ball 51 from escaping.

[0032] The ball case 53 is equipped with a locking mechanism that restricts the rotation of the ball case 53.

[0033] In this embodiment, the locking portion consists of two anti-rotation pins 55 that protrude downward from the ball case 53. The anti-rotation pins 55 are formed to be insertable into anti-rotation holes 91 of the tool connecting portion 85, which will be described later, and are capable of restricting the rotation of the ball case 53 relative to the tool unit 80.

[0034] Three ball grooves 56 are provided on the outer circumferential surface 53b of the ball case 53, at equal intervals when viewed from the axial direction of the ball case 53. These grooves are formed as closed-bottom grooves with a semicircular cross-section extending from the outer circumferential surface 53b to the inner circumferential surface 53a.

[0035] In this embodiment, the ball groove 56 is formed in a 30-degree arc shape when viewed from the axial direction of the ball case 53. In other words, the ball groove 56 is formed to allow the housing 60 to rotate by 30 degrees.

[0036] A retaining ball 63, described later, is rotatably disposed in the ball groove 56.

[0037] The ball case 53 is designed so that the spindle shaft 41 and the hexagonal boss 43 can rotate inside.

[0038] The housing 60 is formed in a cylindrical shape, fitted to the outside of the ball case 53, rotatable relative to the ball case 53 by the movement of the robot R, and has a receiving recess 61 that can receive the clamp ball 51.

[0039] The receiving recess 61 is formed as a substantially hemispherical bottomed hole extending from the inner circumferential surface 60a to the outer circumferential surface 60b of the housing 60.

[0040] When the clamp ball 51 is received in the receiving recess 61, the clamp ball 51 does not protrude from the inner circumferential surface 53a of the ball case 53. However, when the clamp ball 51 comes into contact with the inner circumferential surface 60a of the housing 60 other than the receiving recess 61, the clamp ball 51 protrudes from the inner circumferential surface 53a of the ball case 53.

[0041] The housing 60 has three ball placement holes 62, which are formed as stepped through holes extending from the outer circumferential surface 60b to the inner circumferential surface 60a, and are provided at equal intervals when viewed from the axial direction.

[0042] A retaining ball 63 is provided on the inner circumferential surface 60a side of the ball placement hole 62 of the housing 60, and a set screw 64 is provided on the outer circumferential surface 60b side.

[0043] The housing 60 has three lock pin housing portions 65, which are formed as stepped holes that penetrate from the top surface to the bottom surface, and are provided in a triangular shape at equal intervals when viewed from the axial direction of the housing 60.

[0044] A bolt 66 is positioned on the upper side of the lock pin housing 65, a lock pin 67 acting as a locking member is positioned on the lower side, and a coil spring 68 acting as a biasing member is positioned between the bolt 66 and the lock pin 67.

[0045] The coil spring 68 biases the lock pin 67 toward the tool unit 80 along the axial direction of the spindle shaft 41.

[0046] The locking pin 67 is capable of moving in and out of the housing 60, and is used to maintain and release the connected state of the tool unit 80.

[0047] A bracket 70 is attached to the upper side of the housing 60. The bracket 70 has bolt holes 71 that penetrate from the top to the bottom, positioned to correspond with the lock pin housing 65.

[0048] The bracket 70 is provided with three ball placement holes 72, which are formed as stepped through holes corresponding to the ball placement holes 62, and into which retaining balls 63 and set screws 64 can be placed.

[0049] The bolt hole 71 and the lock pin housing 65 are connected, the bolt 66 is screwed into it and enters the lock pin housing 65, and a coil spring 68 is placed between the bolt 66 and the lock pin 67, thereby connecting the housing 60 and the bracket 70.

[0050] The housing 60 is connected via a bracket 70 to a connecting unit 75 which is rotatably mounted to the robot arm RA at the tip of the robot R.

[0051] Based on the above, the clamp portion 50 is designed to be able to take two states: a disengaged state in which the clamp ball 51 is received in the receiving recess 61 and the tool connecting portion 85 can be inserted into the clamp portion 50, and an engaged state in which the clamp ball 51 abuts against the inner circumferential surface 60a of the housing 60 and engages with the clamp groove 87.

[0052] As shown in Figures 2-4, 7, 9, 12-14, etc., the tool unit 80 comprises a main body 81 and a tool connecting part 85 that can be connected to the clamp part 50.

[0053] The main body 81 includes a hexagonal boss 43 and a connecting member 82 with a hexagonal socket (see Figure 9A) capable of transmitting the driving force of the spindle shaft 41 of the rotary drive unit 40, and an existing belt sander unit as a tool, which eliminates the electric motor and has a transmission mechanism (not shown) such as a rotating shaft, driven gear, and pulley that transmits the driving force received by the connecting member 82.

[0054] The tool connecting portion 85 includes an insertion portion 86 that is inserted into the clamp portion 50, and a flange portion 90 that extends outward from the base end of the insertion portion 86.

[0055] The insertion portion 86 is provided with an annular clamp groove 87 that can engage with the clamp ball 51.

[0056] The flange portion 90 is provided with a locking portion which is formed in a concave shape corresponding to the locking portion and locks with the locking portion to restrict the rotation of the ball case 53.

[0057] In this embodiment, the locking portion is formed as a through hole that penetrates from the upper surface to the lower surface of the flange portion 90, and is formed as an anti-rotation hole 91 into which an anti-rotation pin 55 can be inserted. Two anti-rotation holes 91 are provided at positions corresponding to the anti-rotation pin 55.

[0058] The flange portion 90 is provided with lock holes 92 into which the release pin 106 and lock pin 67, described later, can enter. Three lock holes 92 are provided at equal intervals when viewed from the axial direction of the tool connecting portion 85.

[0059] The length of the flange portion 90 of the lock hole 92 in the thickness direction and the length of the lock release pin 106, which will be described later, in the longitudinal direction are approximately the same.

[0060] The lower cylindrical portion of the flange portion 90 is inserted into the main body portion 81, and the main body portion 81 and the tool connecting portion 85 are connected.

[0061] As shown in Figures 10-14, the tool magazine 100 is formed in a box shape with an open front and is provided with a storage recess 101 for storing the tool unit 80.

[0062] The storage recess 101 is formed by cutting out a semi-elliptical section from the ceiling wall 100a of the tool magazine 100, extending from the front to the rear. A positioning plate 105 is placed on the outer edge of the storage recess 101.

[0063] The positioning plate 105 is formed in a roughly horseshoe shape corresponding to the outer edge of the storage recess 101, and is equipped with a lock release pin 106 that can enter the lock hole 92 and release the locked state.

[0064] The unlocking pins 106 are arranged in three concentric circles at equal intervals when viewed from above and below, corresponding to the locking holes 92 in the flange portion 90.

[0065] The usage of the tool change mechanism 10 will now be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 12, in the separated state, the tool change mechanism 10 is held on the positioning plate 105 with the tool unit 80 placed on the positioning plate 105, with the lock release pin 106 inserted into the lock hole 92 of the tool connecting portion 85 of the tool unit 80.

[0066] With the tool unit 80 held by the positioning plate 105, the robot R operates so that the clamp portion 50 of the master unit 30 is disengaged, as shown in Figures 4 and 8, and the insertion portion 86 of the tool connecting portion 85 is inserted into the clamp portion 50.

[0067] Then, the anti-rotation pin 55 and the anti-rotation hole 91 are locked together so that the ball case 53 and the tool connecting part 85 do not rotate relative to each other (see Figures 3 and 14).

[0068] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, the housing 60 is positioned with the lock pin 67 rotated by a predetermined angle (30 degrees) from the lock hole 92. By sliding the lock pin 67 on the upper surface of the flange portion 90 and rotating it to the position of the lock hole 92, and moving it upward, the lock pin 67 enters the lock hole 92, and the release pin 106 exits the lock hole 92. This causes the clamp portion 50 to enter an engaged state, as shown in Figures 5 and 7, where the clamp ball 51 and the clamp groove 87 engage. This restricts the rotation of the housing 60, and the tool unit 80 becomes coupled with the master unit 30, as shown in Figure 3.

[0069] Furthermore, the tool exchange mechanism 10 of this embodiment has been confirmed by the applicant's measurements to be capable of supporting a load of 2 tons when the tool unit 80 and the master unit 30 are coupled together.

[0070] The tool unit 80 can perform deburring work while connected to the master unit 30.

[0071] From the coupled state, the robot R moves the tool unit 80 to the storage recess 101 and then further downward, and as shown in Figures 13 and 14, the lock release pin 106 enters the lock hole 92, causing the lock pin 67 to exit the lock hole 92.

[0072] Then, by sliding the lock pin 67 on the upper surface of the flange portion 90 and rotating the lock pin 67 by a predetermined angle (30 degrees) from the lock hole 92 and moving it upward, the clamp portion 50 moves from the engaged state shown in Figures 5 and 7 to the disengaged state shown in Figures 6 and 8, in which the clamp ball 51 is received in the receiving recess 61, releasing the restriction on the rotation of the housing 60, and the tool unit 80 separates from the master unit 30 and the ball case 53 as shown in Figure 12.

[0073] The tool changing mechanism 10 with the above configuration comprises a master unit 30 attached to the robot R, a tool unit 80 on which a tool is attached, and a tool magazine 100 in which the tool unit 80 is held, and the tool changing mechanism is capable of taking between a separated state in which the tool unit 80 is held in the tool magazine 100 and a coupled state in which it is coupled with the master unit 30 and can work, The master unit 30 includes a rotation drive unit 40 that rotates the spindle shaft 41, and a clamping unit 50 provided on the spindle shaft 41 side. The clamp portion 50 is Clamp ball 51 and A cylindrical ball case 53 is provided which allows the tool connecting portion 85 to enter and which allows the spindle shaft 41 to rotate inside, and which has a ball holding hole 54 that allows the clamp ball 51 to move in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the spindle shaft 41, A cylindrical housing 60 is fitted to the outside of the ball case 53 and has a receiving recess 61 that can receive the clamp ball 51, and is rotatable relative to the ball case 53 by the movement of the robot R, Equipped with, The ball case 53 is provided with a rotation-preventing pin 55, which is a convex-shaped locking part that restricts the rotation of the ball case 53. Housing 60 includes, A lock pin 67, which can move in and out of the housing 60 and serves as a locking member to maintain and release the connected state, and a coil spring 68, which serves as a biasing member to bias the lock pin 67 toward the tool unit 80 along the axial direction of the spindle shaft 41, are provided. The receiving recess 61 is formed as a recess extending from the inner circumferential surface 60a to the outer circumferential surface 60b of the housing 60. The tool unit 80 is provided with a tool connecting part 85 that can be connected to the clamp part 50. The tool connecting portion 85 comprises an insertion portion 86 that is inserted into the clamp portion 50, and a flange portion 90 that extends outward from the base end side of the insertion portion 86. The insertion portion 86 is provided with an annular clamp groove 87 that can engage with the clamp ball 51. The flange portion 90 has a recessed anti-rotation hole 91 that corresponds to the anti-rotation pin 55 and serves as a locking portion that engages with the anti-rotation pin 55 to restrict the rotation of the ball case 53, and a locking hole 92 into which the unlocking pin 106 and the locking pin 67 can enter, It was installed, The tool magazine 100 is provided with a storage recess 101 for storing the tool unit 80. A positioning plate 105 is placed on the outer edge of the storage recess 101. The positioning plate 105 is provided with a lock release pin 106 that can enter the lock hole 92 and release the locked state. The clamp portion 50 is The clamp ball 51 is received in the receiving recess 61, and the tool connecting portion 85 is in a disengaged state that can be inserted into the clamp portion 50. The clamp ball 51 can enter an engaged state in which it contacts the inner circumferential surface 60a of the housing 60 and engages with the clamp groove 87. In the separated state, the tool unit 80 is placed on the positioning plate 105 and held in place with the unlocking pin 106 inserted into the locking hole 92 of the flange portion 90 of the tool unit 80. With the tool unit 80 held by the positioning plate 105, the robot R operates such that, in the disengaged state, the clamp portion 50 is inserted into the clamp portion 50, engaging the anti-rotation pin 55 with the anti-rotation hole 91, positioning the housing 60 so that the lock pin 67 is rotated a predetermined angle from the lock hole 92, and then the lock pin 67 is rotated to the position of the lock hole 92 and moved upward, causing the lock pin 67 to enter the lock hole 92 and the release pin 106 to exit the lock hole 92, thereby engaging the clamp portion 50 and restricting the rotation of the housing 60, resulting in a coupled state. From the coupled state, the robot R moves the tool unit 80 to the storage recess 101 and then further downwards, inserting the unlocking pin 106 into the lock hole 92, which causes the locking pin 67 to exit the lock hole 92. The locking pin 67 is then rotated by a predetermined angle from the lock hole 92 and moved upwards, causing the clamp portion 50 to change from the engaged state to the disengaged state, releasing the restriction on the rotation of the housing 60 and resulting in a separated state.

[0074] According to this, the clamp portion 50 can be changed between an engaged and disengaged state by using a configuration consisting of a non-rotating pin 55 with an uneven shape, a non-rotating hole 91, a locking hole 92, a lock release pin 106, and a coil spring 68, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced with a simple configuration.

[0075] Furthermore, in this invention, the mechanism for transmitting power from the rotary drive unit 40 and the mechanism for separating and connecting the tool unit 80 can be configured separately, thus enabling the support of large loads.

[0076] Furthermore, with this configuration, external electrodes and other components are no longer necessary, and the mechanism for separating and connecting the tool unit 80 is no longer required inside the ball case 53. This makes it possible to install a mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the spindle shaft 41 inside the ball case 53, thus eliminating the need for an electric motor or air motor on the tool unit 80 side, which leads to a reduction in the weight of the tool unit 80.

[0077] Furthermore, the locking portion is a rotation-preventing pin 55 that protrudes from the ball case 53. The locking portion is an anti-rotation hole 91 into which an anti-rotation pin 55 can be inserted.

[0078] According to this, the housing 60 is prevented from rotating relative to the ball case 53 by a simple configuration consisting of an anti-rotation hole 91 and an anti-rotation pin 55, resulting in a simpler structure and reduced manufacturing costs.

[0079] Furthermore, the length of the lock hole 92 in the thickness direction and the length of the unlock pin 106 in the longitudinal direction are approximately the same.

[0080] According to this, the clamp portion 50 can be changed between an engaged state and an unengaged state by moving the lock pin 67 in and out of the lock hole 92 using the release pin 106, thus simplifying the configuration and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0081] Modified versions of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Components corresponding to the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted in whole or in part. Note that Figures 5 and 6 differ from these modified versions, but for the purpose of explaining the function, the designation "lock ball 67-1" is added in parentheses.

[0082] In this modified example, as shown in Figures 15-17, a bolt 66 is positioned on the upper side of the lock pin housing 65 (which should be called the lock ball housing, but the terminology will remain the same), and on the lower side, from the bottom, a lock ball 67-1 as a locking member and a ball receiver 67-2 that receives the lock ball 67-1 are positioned, and a coil spring 68 as a biasing member is positioned between the bolt 66 and the ball receiver 67-2. The lower end of the lock pin housing 65 is reduced in diameter so that the lock ball 67-1 can move in and out but cannot be completely ejected.

[0083] The coil spring 68 biases the lock ball 67-1 toward the tool unit 80 along the axial direction of the spindle shaft 41.

[0084] The lock ball 67-1 is capable of moving in and out of the housing 60 and is used to maintain and release the connected state of the tool unit 80.

[0085] Since the usage of the tool exchange mechanism 10 in this modified example is the same as in the above embodiment, detailed explanations of the similar parts will be omitted in whole or in part, and only the different parts will be explained in detail.

[0086] With the tool unit 80 held by the positioning plate 105, the robot R's movement causes the clamp portion 50 of the master unit 30 to be disengaged, and the insertion portion 86 of the tool connecting portion 85 is inserted into the clamp portion 50 (see Figures 15 and 16).

[0087] Then, the anti-rotation pin 55 and the anti-rotation hole 91 are locked together so that the ball case 53 and the tool connecting part 85 do not rotate relative to each other (see Figure 16).

[0088] Furthermore, by positioning the housing 60 with the lock ball 67-1 rotated by a predetermined angle (30 degrees) from the lock hole 92, and rotating the lock ball 67-1 to the position of the lock hole 92 while rolling it on the upper surface of the flange portion 90, and moving it upward, the lock ball 67-1 enters the lock hole 92, and the release pin 106 exits the lock hole 92, the clamp portion 50 enters an engaged state in which the clamp ball 51 and the clamp groove 87 engage, as shown in Figure 5, restricting the rotation of the housing 60, and the tool unit 80 enters a coupled state with the master unit 30 as shown in Figure 17.

[0089] From the coupled state, the robot R moves the tool unit 80 to the storage recess 101 and then further downward, and as shown in Figure 16, the lock release pin 106 enters the lock hole 92, thereby causing the lock ball 67-1 to exit the lock hole 92.

[0090] Then, by rolling the lock ball 67-1 on the upper surface of the flange portion 90 and rotating the lock ball 67-1 by a predetermined angle (30 degrees) from the lock hole 92 and moving it upward, the clamp portion 50 moves from the engaged state shown in Figure 5 to the disengaged state shown in Figure 6, in which the clamp ball 51 is received in the receiving recess 61, releasing the restriction on the rotation of the housing 60, and separating the tool unit 80 from the master unit 30 and the ball case 53.

[0091] Even with this configuration, the structure is simple, manufacturing costs can be reduced, and it can support large loads. Furthermore, by allowing the lock ball 67-1 to roll on the upper surface of the flange portion 90, the durability of the locking member can be improved.

[0092] The tool changing mechanism 10 of the present invention is not limited to the above configuration. That is, various design modifications are possible as long as they do not depart from the spirit of the present invention.

[0093] For example, the interlocking and locking shapes of the locking portion and the locked portion can be reversed, and the number of these can be appropriately changed depending on the intended use.

[0094] Furthermore, the number, shape, etc. of the clamp ball 51, ball holding hole 54, holding ball 63, ball holding hole 54, lock hole 92, lock release pin 106, lock pin 67, lock ball 67-1, etc., can be appropriately changed depending on the usage.

[0095] Furthermore, the tool unit 80 can be fitted with rotary drive tool units other than the belt sander unit, such as a rigid unit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0096] 10 Tool change mechanism 30 Master Units 40 Rotary drive unit 41 Spindle shaft 50 Clamp section 51 Clamp Ball 53 Ball Case 54 ball-holding holes 55 Anti-rotation pin 60 Housing 60a Inner surface 60b Outer surface 61 Receptive recess 67 Locking pins 67-1 Rockball 68 Coil spring 80 Tool Units 85 Tool connection part 86 Insertion part 87 Clamp groove 90 Flange section 91 Anti-rotation hole 92 lock holes 100 Tool Magazines 101 Storage recess 105 Positioning plate 106 Unlock pin R Robot

Claims

1. A tool changing mechanism comprising a master unit to be attached to a robot, a tool unit to which a tool is attached, and a tool magazine in which the tool unit is held, wherein the tool unit can take on a separated state in which it is held in the tool magazine and a coupled state in which it is coupled with the master unit and can work, The master unit comprises a rotational drive unit that rotates the spindle shaft, and a clamping unit provided on the spindle shaft side. The clamp portion is Clamp ball and, A cylindrical ball case having a ball-holding hole into which the tool connecting portion described later can enter and the spindle shaft can rotate inside, and into which the clamp ball can move in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the spindle shaft, A cylindrical housing having a receiving recess capable of receiving the clamp ball, fitted to the outside of the ball case, and rotatable relative to the ball case by the movement of the robot, Equipped with, The ball case is provided with a locking portion formed in a concave or convex shape that restricts the rotation of the ball case. The aforementioned housing includes, A locking member that can move in and out of the housing and maintains and releases the coupled state, and a biasing member that biases the locking member toward the tool unit along the axial direction of the spindle shaft are provided. The receiving recess is formed as a recess extending from the inner circumferential surface to the outer circumferential surface of the housing, The tool unit is provided with a tool connecting portion that can be connected to the clamp portion. The tool connecting portion comprises an insertion portion that is inserted into the clamp portion, and a flange portion that extends outward from the base end side of the insertion portion. The insertion portion is provided with an annular clamp groove that can engage with the clamp ball, The flange portion includes a locking portion formed in a concave or convex shape corresponding to the locking portion, which locks with the locking portion to restrict the rotation of the ball case, and a locking hole into which the release pin and the locking member described later can enter. It was installed, The tool magazine is provided with a storage recess for storing the tool unit. A positioning plate is placed on the outer edge of the storage recess. The positioning plate is provided with a lock release pin that can enter the lock hole and release the locked state. The clamp portion is The clamp ball is received in the receiving recess, and the tool connecting portion is in a disengaged state in which it can be inserted into the clamp portion. The clamp ball can enter an engaged state in which it contacts the inner circumferential surface of the housing and engages with the clamp groove. In the separated state, the tool unit is placed on the positioning plate and held with the unlocking pin inserted into the locking hole in the flange portion of the tool unit. With the tool unit held by the positioning plate, the robot's operation causes the clamp portion to, in the disengaged state, insert the insertion portion of the tool connecting portion into the clamp portion, engage the locking portion and the locked portion, position the housing at a predetermined angle rotation from the lock hole by the locking member, rotate the locking member to the position of the lock hole and move it upward, causing the locking member to enter the lock hole and the release pin to exit the lock hole, the clamp portion to enter the engaged state, restricting the rotation of the housing and resulting in the coupled state. From the aforementioned coupled state, the robot moves the tool unit to the storage recess and then further downward, inserting the release pin into the lock hole, thereby removing the locking member from the lock hole, rotating the locking member by a predetermined angle from the lock hole and moving it upward, so that the clamp portion changes from the engaged state to the disengaged state, the restriction on the rotation of the housing is released, and the housing becomes separated. A tool changing mechanism characterized by the following features.

2. The locking portion is a rotation-preventing pin that protrudes from the ball case, The tool changing mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the locked portion is a rotation-preventing hole into which the rotation-preventing pin can be inserted.

3. The tool changing mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the length of the lock hole in the thickness direction and the length of the lock release pin in the longitudinal direction are substantially the same.

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