End effector for robot and cooperative robot having same

Abstract

The present invention relates to an end effector for a robot, which electrically connects a connector and a flexible cable, and a cooperative robot having the end effector. The end effector for a robot, which electrically interconnects a flexible cable having any one of a flexible printed circuit (FPC) cable and a flat flexible cable (FFC), to a connector having a connector body and a cover, according to the present invention, comprises: a main body; an adsorption unit which is disposed in the main body and selectively supplies and blocks a suction force through the lower surface of the main body, to selectively adsorb and separate the flexible cable to and from the main body; and an opening / closing unit which is disposed in the main body and has a rotation axis line in a transverse direction with respect to a coupling direction of the connector and the flexible cable, and rotates the cover to an open position to open the coupling area of the connector body and rotates the cover to a closed position from the open position to close the coupling area.

Description

End effector for robot and collaborative robot having same

[0001] The present invention relates to an end effector for a robot and a collaborative robot having the same, and more particularly, to an end effector for a robot that electrically connects a connector and a flexible cable to each other and a collaborative robot having the same.

[0002] Flexible cables are used to provide electrical signals, such as power, data, and control signals, to small electronic devices and thin display devices such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and OLEDs. These flexible cables include FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) cables and FFC (Flat Flexible Cable). Flexible cables are made of materials that allow for free bending when connecting connectors to substrates or connectors to connectors.

[0003] For example, flexible cables are used in module processes to connect driving means, such as direct driving circuits, to display panels of display devices such as liquid crystal displays and OLEDs. Flexible cables are used as the FPC cable or FFC described above to connect driving means in the form of a printed circuit board and chip-on-film (COF) equipped with multiple electrical components to an external system.

[0004] To explain in detail, a driving means of a display device typically has a connector arranged thereon, and a flexible cable is inserted and connected to the connector. After the connector arranged on the driving means and the flexible cable are electrically connected to each other, the driving means can receive multiple signals and power from an external system through the flexible cable as an electrical path, and can generate data such as multiple control signals and multiple image signals and output them to the display panel.

[0005] However, conventional electrical coupling (i.e., assembly) between connectors and flexible cables is primarily performed manually during the production process. This manual process can lead to misalignment of the connector and flexible cable due to human error, increasing the assembly time and manufacturing costs.

[0006] In addition, as described above, the conventional method of connecting connectors and flexible cables is mainly done manually by workers, which leads to problems such as the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders in workers and a decrease in production.

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an end effector for a robot having an improved structure capable of automatically performing a joining process of a flexible cable such as an FPC cable or an FFC cable and a connector, and a collaborative robot having the end effector.

[0008] The solution to the above problem is achieved by an end effector for a robot that electrically interconnects a flexible cable having one of an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) cable and an FFC (Flat Flexible Cable) cable and a connector having a connector body and a cover, according to the present invention, the end effector for a robot comprising: a main body; an adsorption unit that is arranged on the main body and selectively supplies and blocks an adsorption force through a lower surface of the main body to selectively adsorb and separate the flexible cable with respect to the main body; and an opening / closing unit that is arranged on the main body and has a rotation axis that is transverse to a coupling direction of the connector and the flexible cable and rotates the cover to an open position to open a coupling area of ​​the connector body and to rotate the cover to a closed position from the open position to close the coupling area.

[0009] Here, the opening / closing unit can contact the cover when the connector and the flexible cable are coupled and rotate the cover to the open position with a first rotational motion direction, and after the connector and the flexible cable are coupled, contact the cover and rotate the cover to the closed position with a second rotational motion direction that is opposite to the first rotational motion direction.

[0010] The above opening / closing unit may include a rotating part that reciprocates and rotates between the open position of the cover when the connector and the flexible cable are coupled and the closed position of the cover after the connector and the flexible cable are coupled, an opening part that is disposed at a free end opposite to the rotational axis of the rotating part and contacts the cover when the connector and the flexible cable are coupled, and moves the cover to the open position according to the rotational movement of the rotating part, and a closing part that is disposed opposite the opening part with the rotating part interposed therebetween and contacts the cover after the connector and the flexible cable are coupled, and moves the cover from the open position to the closed position according to the rotational movement of the rotating part.

[0011] The closing portion may be rotatably arranged at a free end of the rotating portion, and the opening / closing unit may further include an elastic portion that is arranged adjacent to a rotational axis of the closing portion and provides elasticity to the closing portion so that the closing portion moves to a reference position when the closing portion moves the cover from the open position to the closed position.

[0012] Additionally, the end effector for the robot may further include an actuator connected to one end of the rotating part to provide a driving force to the rotating part so that the rotating part can reciprocate and rotate between the open position and the closed position.

[0013] The above-mentioned rotating part may include an opening / closing part in which the opening / closing part is arranged on each of both sides, and a rotating link part that interconnects the opening / closing part and the main body and is connected to the actuator and moves the opening / closing part reciprocally between the open position and the closed position based on linear reciprocating movement of the actuator.

[0014] The end effector for the robot may further include a stopper disposed on the main body and the rotating part, respectively, and in contact with each other to limit the rotational motion range of the rotating part when the rotating part moves from the open position to the closed position.

[0015] The above opening portion is arranged to have a polygonal cross-sectional shape with a triangular tip shape in an area that contacts the cover in the transverse direction of the rotational axis of the rotating portion, so that the opening portion can be caught on the cover so that the cover moves to the open position when the connector and the flexible cable are coupled.

[0016] The above closing member is arranged to have a circular cross-sectional shape of the cover in the transverse direction of the rotational axis of the above rotating member, and can press the cover along the upper surface of the cover so that the cover moves from the open position to the closed position after the connector and the flexible cable are coupled.

[0017] The end effector for the robot may further include a solenoid valve that is connected to the fluid path of the suction unit and the actuator and selectively blocks the flow of fluid and the flow of fluid based on the excitation and the element, and a fluid block that is disposed between the main body and the solenoid valve and is connected to the fluid path and supports the coupling of the solenoid to the main body.

[0018] The above opening / closing unit may further include a vision recognition unit that recognizes the connection between the connector and the flexible cable.

[0019] Meanwhile, a solution to the above problem is also achieved by a collaborative robot characterized in that it includes a robot arm and an end effector for a robot of the above-described configuration that is selectively coupled and detachably arranged at a free end of the robot arm, in accordance with the present invention, a flexible cable having one of an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) cable and an FFC (Flat Flexible Cable) and a connector having a connector body and a cover.

[0020] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[0021] The effects of the end effector for a robot according to the present invention and the collaborative robot having the same are as follows.

[0022] First, by combining a robot end effector with a collaborative robot, the joining area of ​​the connector to be joined with the flexible cable is opened when joining the connector and the flexible cable, so that the flexible cable and the connector are electrically interconnected and the joining area is covered, so that the joining process of the connector and the flexible cable can be automatically performed, thereby increasing production volume by reducing the process time required for the connector and the flexible cable.

[0023] Second, by replacing the existing manual process of connecting connectors and flexible cables with automation, work productivity can be increased and musculoskeletal disorders in workers can be prevented.

[0024] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a collaborative robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the end effector for the robot illustrated in Figure 1;

[0026] Figure 3 is an exploded, enlarged perspective view of area A shown in Figure 2;

[0027] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the combined end effector for the robot shown in Figure 2;

[0028] Figure 5 is a plan view (XY plane) of the end effector for the robot shown in Figure 4;

[0029] Fig. 6 is a side view (XZ plane) of the end effector for the robot shown in Fig. 4;

[0030] Figure 7 is a front view (YZ plane) of the end effector for the robot shown in Figure 4;

[0031] Figure 8 is a first operating side view of an end effector for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 9 is a second operating side view of an end effector for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 10 is a third operating side view of an end effector for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 11 is a fourth operational side view of an end effector for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Hereinafter, an end effector for a robot and a collaborative robot having the same according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collaborative robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an end effector for a robot illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an exploded enlarged perspective view of area A illustrated in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a combined perspective view of the end effector for a robot illustrated in FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a plan view (XY plane) of the end effector for a robot illustrated in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a side view (XZ plane) of the end effector for a robot illustrated in FIG. 4, and FIG. 7 is a front view (YZ plane) of the end effector for a robot illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0037] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7, a collaborative robot (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a robot arm (1000) and an end effector (3000) for a robot. The collaborative robot (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention electrically interconnects a connector (C) and a flexible cable (F) corresponding to either an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) cable or an FFC (Flat Flexible Cable).

[0038] In particular, the collaborative robot (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention is operated to electrically couple a connector (C) and a flexible cable (F), which are composed of a connector body (B) and a cover (W) that opens and closes a coupling area (O) of the connector body (B). Specifically, the collaborative robot (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention rotates the cover (W) to an open position so as to open the coupling area (O) where the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) are electrically connected before coupling the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F), and then couples the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F). Then, the collaborative robot (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention rotates the cover (W) in the open position to a closed position so as to close the coupling area (O) after coupling the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F).

[0039] The robot arm (1000) is configured with multiple joints and controls the position of the robot end effector (3000) that is selectively coupled and separated from the free end. For example, the robot arm (1000) operates with various multi-axes, such as 5-axis, 6-axis, etc., and controls the position of the robot end effector (3000) so that the robot end effector (3000) electrically connects the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) to each other.

[0040] An end effector (3000) for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body (3100), an adsorption unit (3200), and an opening / closing unit (3300). In addition, the end effector (3000) for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a stopper (3400), an actuator (3500), a solenoid valve (3600), a fluid block (3700), a vision recognition unit (3800), and a lighting unit (3900). The end effector (3000) for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention is selectively coupled to and separated from a robot arm (1000) to electrically couple a connector (C) and a flexible cable (F) to each other.

[0041] The main body (3100) is selectively coupled to and separated from the robot arm (1000) and accommodates or couples and supports an adsorption unit (3200), an opening / closing unit (3300), a stopper (3400), an actuator (3500), a solenoid valve (3600), and a fluid block (3700). The main body (3100), as one embodiment of the present invention, includes a main body (3120) and a cover body (3140).

[0042] The main body (3120) has a polygonal cylinder shape and accommodates an adsorption unit (3200) and an actuator (3500) therein. Of course, the shape of the main body (3120) may have various shapes, such as a cylindrical shape, in addition to the polygonal shape. Based on the X-axis direction in the drawing, an opening / closing unit (3300) that rotates relative to the main body (3100) is arranged in front of the main body (3120), and a solenoid valve (3600) and a fluid block (3700) are arranged in the rear.

[0043] The cover body (3140) is placed on the upper part of the main body (3120) and covers the upper opening area of ​​the main body (3120). The cover body (3140) supports the vision recognition unit (3800) and the lighting unit (3900) from the upper part.

[0044] The suction unit (3200) is arranged in the main body (3100) and selectively supplies and blocks suction force through the lower surface of the main body (3100) to selectively attach and separate the flexible cable (F) to and from the main body (3100). The suction unit (3200) is connected to the solenoid valve (3600) and the fluid block (3700) through a fluid path, and provides the suction force of the fluid to the flexible cable (F) so that the flexible cable (F) is selectively attached and separated to and from the lower part of the main body (3100) depending on the excitation or element of the solenoid valve (3600).

[0045] As one embodiment of the present invention, the suction unit (3200) selectively suctions and separates a flexible cable (F) to the lower surface of the main body (3100) using a pneumatic method. Specifically, the suction unit (3200) provides a suction force to the flexible cable (F) to move the flexible cable (F) to the connector (C) and couple it with the connector (C), thereby suctioning the flexible cable (F) to the lower surface of the main body (3100), and after the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) are coupled, the suction force is blocked to separate the flexible cable (F) suctioned to the lower surface of the main body (3100).

[0046] Next, FIG. 8 is a first operating side view of an end effector for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a second operating side view of an end effector for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10 is a third operating side view of an end effector for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a fourth operating side view of an end effector for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] The opening / closing unit (3300) is arranged on the main body (3100) with a rotation axis that is transverse to the coupling direction of the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F), as illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 11. In detail, when the coupling direction of the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) is in the X-axis direction, the opening / closing unit (3300) rotates relative to the main body (3100) about the Y-axis direction corresponding to the transverse direction of the X-axis direction. The opening / closing unit (3300) rotates the cover (W) to the open position to open the coupling area (O) of the connector body (B), and rotates the cover (W) from the open position to the closed position to close the coupling area (O).

[0048] In more detail, the opening / closing unit (3300) has a first rotational motion direction when the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) are coupled and contacts the cover (W) to rotate the cover (W) to the open position, and after the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) are coupled, the opening / closing unit (3300) has a second rotational motion direction that is opposite to the first rotational motion direction and rotates the cover (W) to the closed position. As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 11, for example, the opening / closing unit (3300) has a first rotational motion direction that is clockwise to rotate the cover (W) to the open position when the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) are coupled. On the other hand, the opening / closing unit (3300) has a second rotational motion direction that is counterclockwise to rotate the cover (W) to the closed position when the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) are coupled.

[0049] An opening / closing unit (3300) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a rotating portion (3320), an opening portion (3340), and a closing portion (3360). In addition, the opening / closing unit (3300) according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes an elastic portion (3380).

[0050] The rotating part (3320) reciprocates and rotates between the open position of the cover (W) when the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) are coupled and the closed position of the cover (W) after the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) are coupled. The rotating part (3320), as one embodiment of the present invention, includes an opening / closing part (3322) and a rotating link part (3324).

[0051] The opening / closing portion (3322) is provided with an opening portion (3340) and a closing portion (3360) arranged on both sides. The opening / closing portion (3322) has a square block shape, i.e., a hexahedron shape. Among the two sides of the square block formed by the opening / closing portion (3322), the opening portion (3340) is arranged on the front side, and the closing portion (3360) is arranged on the rear side, facing the opening portion (3340).

[0052] The rotation link portion (3324) interconnects the main body (3100) and the opening / closing portion (3322). The rotation link portions (3324) are arranged in pairs so as to face each other and be coupled to both sides of the opening / closing portion (3322). In addition, the rotation link portions (3324) on one side and the other side, which connect the both sides of the opening / closing portion (3322) and the main body (3100), are configured in multiples. In one embodiment of the present invention, the rotation link portions (3324) on one side and the other side are configured in three pieces each to rotate relative to the main body (3100), but the number of rotation link portions (3324) can be changed by design.

[0053] The opening portion (3340) is arranged at a free end opposite to the rotation axis of the rotating portion (3320) and comes into contact with the cover (W) when the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) are coupled. The opening portion (3340) moves the cover (W) to the open position according to the rotational movement of the rotating portion (3320). The opening portion (3340) is arranged in front of the opening / closing portion (3322) as an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the opening portion (3340) is arranged to have a polygonal cross-sectional shape having a triangular tip shape in an area that comes into contact with the cover (W) in the transverse direction of the rotation axis of the rotating portion (3320), and is caught by the cover (W) so that the cover (W) moves to the open position when the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) are coupled. That is, the opening (3340) is hung on the cover (W) like a hook, thereby rotating the cover (W) from the closed position to the open position so that the cover (W) opens the joining area.

[0054] The closing part (3360) is positioned opposite the opening part (3340) with the rotating part (3320) therebetween, and comes into contact with the cover (W) after the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) are coupled, thereby moving the cover (W) from the open position to the closed position according to the rotational movement of the rotating part (3320). The closing part (3360) has a circular cross-sectional shape and is positioned in the transverse direction of the rotational axis of the rotating part (3320). The closing part (3360) presses the cover (W) along the upper surface of the cover (W) so that the cover (W) moves from the open position to the closed position after the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F) are coupled. The closing part (3360) is arranged in a roller shape having a circular cross-sectional shape, and as shown in FIG. 3, the closing part (3360) rotates relative to the opening part (3322) so as to move along the upper surface of the cover (W), unlike the opening part which is fixedly arranged to the opening part (3322).

[0055] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the elastic member (3380) is disposed adjacent to the rotation axis of the closure member (3360) to provide elastic force to the closure member (3360) so that the closure member (3360) moves to a reference position when the closure member (3360) moves the cover (W) from the open position to the closed position. The elastic member (3380), as one embodiment of the present invention, is disposed adjacent to the rotation axis of the closure member (3360) and contacts the exterior of the closure member (3360) to provide elastic force to the closure member (3360). However, the structure and arrangement of the elastic member (3380) are merely one embodiment, and the design may be changed so that it can be disposed on the rotation axis of the closure member (3360) to provide elastic force to the closure member (3360).

[0056] The stoppers (3400) are respectively disposed on the main body (3100) and the rotating part (3320) and come into mutual contact with each other to limit the rotational motion range of the rotating part (3320) when the rotating part (3320) moves from the open position to the closed position. In practice, the stoppers (3400) include a first stopper (3420) disposed on the rotation link part (3324) of the rotating part (3320) and a second stopper (3440) disposed on the main body (3100) corresponding to the first stopper (3420). The first stopper (3420) and the second stopper (3440) come into mutual contact with each other when the rotating part (3320) rotates from the open position of the cover (W) to the closed position of the cover (W), thereby limiting the rotational motion range of the rotating part (3320), thereby preventing a collision between the rotating part (3320) and the main body (3100).

[0057] The actuator (3500) is connected to one end of the rotary member (3320) and provides a driving force to the rotary member (3320) so that the rotary member (3320) can reciprocate and rotate between an open position and a closed position. In one embodiment of the present invention, the actuator (3500) is composed of a cylinder and a rod. The rod of the actuator (3500) is connected to the rotary member (3320), and the linear motion of the actuator (3500) is converted into the rotational motion of the rotary member (3320). The actuator (3500) provides a linear driving force to the rotary member (3320) so that the rotary member (3320) can rotate based on the operation of the solenoid valve (3600) or the element.

[0058] The solenoid valve (3600) is connected to the fluid path of the adsorption unit (3200) and the actuator (3500) and selectively blocks the flow of fluid and the flow of fluid based on the excitation and the element. The solenoid valve (3600) may be arranged in multiple numbers to control the operation of the adsorption unit (3200) and the actuator (3500), respectively.

[0059] A fluid block (3700) is disposed between a main body (3100) and a solenoid valve (3600), communicates with a fluid path, and supports the coupling of the solenoid valve (3600) to the main body (3100). The fluid block (3700) is modularly manufactured to communicate with the fluid path of end effectors (3000) for robots of various sizes. This modular manufacturing of the fluid block (3700) allows the size and number of solenoid valves (3600) to be easily changed to control the operation of the end effector (3000) for robots.

[0060] The vision recognition unit (3800) is positioned on the upper portion of the opening / closing unit (3300) and vision-recognizes the connection between the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F). The vision recognition unit (3800) is positioned using an imaging means such as a camera and vision-recognizes the alignment of the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F).

[0061] The lighting unit (3900) is positioned adjacent to the vision recognition unit (3800). The lighting unit (3900) irradiates light so that the efficiency of vision recognition is improved when the vision recognition unit (3800) is coupled with the connector (C) and the flexible cable (F).

[0062] The operation process of the collaborative robot (100) according to the embodiment of the present invention with this configuration is as follows with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11.

[0063] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the collaborative robot (100) moves to a flexible cable (F) to be electrically coupled to a connector (C), absorbs the flexible cable (F) to the lower surface of the robot end effector (3000), and then transfers the flexible cable (F) to the connector (C).

[0064] As illustrated in Fig. 9, the end effector (3000) for the robot is positioned so that the cover (W) of the connector (C) and the opening (3340) of the opening / closing unit (3300) are in contact. A driving force is provided to the actuator (3500) to rotate the rotating part (3320) in the first rotational direction. Then, the cover (W) that is caught by the cover (W) rotates from the closed position to the open position in conjunction with the rotational movement of the rotating part (3320).

[0065] As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, a flexible cable (F) is coupled to a coupling area (O) of a connector (C) by movement of an end effector (3000) for a robot. Then, the closing portion (3360) rotates in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction of the rotating portion (3320) so as to move the cover (W) from the open position to the closed position, thereby closing the coupling area (O) to which the flexible cable (F) is coupled. At this time, the closing portion (3360) is provided as a roller to press the cover (W) along the upper surface of the cover (W), and after the cover (W) completes the rotational movement to the closed position, it returns to the reference position by the elastic force of the elastic portion (3380). After the cover (W) is moved to the closed position by the operation of the opening / closing unit (3300), the suction force provided to the flexible cable (F) from the suction unit (3200) is removed to separate the flexible cable (F) from the robot end effector (3000).

[0066] Accordingly, by combining a robot end effector with a collaborative robot, the joining area of ​​the connector to be joined with the flexible cable is opened when joining the connector and the flexible cable, so that the flexible cable and the connector are electrically interconnected and the joining area is covered, so that the joining process of the connector and the flexible cable can be automatically performed, thereby increasing production volume by reducing the process time required for the connector and the flexible cable.

[0067] Additionally, by replacing the existing manual process of connecting connectors and flexible cables with automation, work productivity can be increased and musculoskeletal disorders of workers can be prevented.

[0068] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the attached drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features thereof. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modified forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

[0069] [National Research and Development Project Supporting This Invention]

[0070] [Project ID] 1415187255, [Project Number] 20023257, [Ministry] Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, [Research Management Agency] Korea Institute of Industrial Technology Evaluation and Planning, [Research Project Name] Robot Industry Core Technology Development Project, [Research Project Name] Development of Robot-Used Grabbing Handling and High-Speed, High-Precision Assembly Technology for Multi-Type Connector Assemblies, [Contribution Ratio] 1 / 1, [Organization] Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, [Research Period] 2023-04-01 ~ 2026-12-31. (45 months)

Claims

1. In an end effector for a robot that electrically interconnects a flexible cable having either an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) cable or an FFC (Flat Flexible Cable) cable and a connector having a connector body and a cover, The main body and; An adsorption unit arranged on the main body and selectively supplying and blocking an adsorption force through the lower surface of the main body to selectively adsorb and separate the flexible cable from the main body; An end effector for a robot, characterized in that it includes an opening / closing unit arranged on the main body with a rotation axis that is transverse to the coupling direction of the connector and the flexible cable, and which rotates the cover to an open position to open the coupling area of ​​the connector body and rotates the cover from the open position to a closed position to close the coupling area.

2. In paragraph 1, An end effector for a robot, characterized in that the opening / closing unit contacts the cover when the connector and the flexible cable are coupled and rotates the cover to the open position with a first rotational motion direction, and after the connector and the flexible cable are coupled, contacts the cover and rotates the cover to the closed position with a second rotational motion direction that is opposite to the first rotational motion direction.

3. In paragraph 1, The above opening and closing unit is, A rotating part that reciprocates and rotates between the open position of the cover when the connector and the flexible cable are coupled and the closed position of the cover after the connector and the flexible cable are coupled; An opening portion arranged at a free end opposite to the rotation axis of the rotating portion and contacting the cover when the connector and the flexible cable are coupled, thereby moving the cover to an open position according to the rotational movement of the rotating portion; An end effector for a robot, characterized in that it includes a closing part that is positioned opposite the opening part with the rotating part interposed therebetween and that comes into contact with the cover after the connector and the flexible cable are coupled, thereby moving the cover from the open position to the closed position according to the rotational movement of the rotating part.

4. In paragraph 3, The above closing part is rotatably arranged at the free end of the rotating part, An end effector for a robot, characterized in that the opening / closing unit further includes an elastic member that is arranged adjacent to the rotational axis of the closing member and provides elasticity to the closing member so that the closing member moves to a reference position when the closing member moves the cover from the open position to the closed position.

5. In paragraph 3, The end effector for the above robot is, An end effector for a robot, characterized in that it further includes an actuator connected to one end of the rotating part and providing a driving force to the rotating part so that the rotating part reciprocates and rotates between the open position and the closed position.

6. In paragraph 5, The above rotating part, An opening and closing part in which the opening and closing part are arranged on each side; An end effector for a robot, characterized in that it includes a rotary linkage that interconnects the opening / closing part and the main body and is connected to the actuator, and reciprocates the opening / closing part between the open position and the closed position based on linear reciprocating movement of the actuator.

7. In paragraph 3, The end effector for the above robot is, An end effector for a robot, characterized in that it further includes a stopper disposed on each of the main body and the rotating part and in mutual contact to limit the rotational motion range of the rotating part when the rotating part moves from the open position to the closed position.

8. In paragraph 3, An end effector for a robot, characterized in that the opening portion has a polygonal cross-sectional shape having a triangular tip shape in an area that contacts the cover in the transverse direction of the rotational axis of the rotating portion, and is caught by the cover so as to move the cover to the open position when the connector and the flexible cable are coupled.

9. In paragraph 3, An end effector for a robot characterized in that the closing portion has a circular cross-sectional shape of the cover arranged in the transverse direction of the rotational axis of the rotating portion, and presses the cover along the upper surface of the cover so that the cover moves from the open position to the closed position after the connector and the flexible cable are coupled.

10. In paragraph 5, The end effector for the above robot is, A solenoid valve that is connected to the fluid path of the above adsorption unit and the above actuator, and selectively blocks the flow of fluid and the flow of fluid based on the excitation and the element, An end effector for a robot, characterized in that it further includes a fluid block disposed between the main body and the solenoid valve, communicating with the fluid path, and supporting the coupling of the solenoid to the main body.

11. In paragraph 1, An end effector for a robot, characterized in that it further includes a vision recognition unit that is arranged on the upper part of the opening / closing unit and vision-recognizes the connection between the connector and the flexible cable.

12. In a collaborative robot that electrically interconnects a flexible cable having either an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) cable or an FFC (Flat Flexible Cable) cable and a connector having a connector body and a cover, With a robot arm; A collaborative robot characterized by including an end effector for a robot according to claim 1, which is selectively arranged to be connected and disconnected to a free end of the robot arm.

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