Dual-Access Tool Magazine for Robotic Manipulators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tool magazines in flexible processing devices require manual intervention, leading to productivity losses due to manipulator stoppages, and pose a safety risk for operators when accessing the danger area.
Innovation Solution
A tool magazine design with dual access openings, each protected by a protection device, allowing simultaneous operator and manipulator access while ensuring safety through mechanically or contactlessly separating protective elements, enabling parallel operation and reducing stoppage times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tool magazine is accessible only from one side inside a protective fence, then operator safety is improved, but manipulator stoppage time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The tool magazine is divided into two separate access sides: a first access opening for the manipulator and a second access opening for the operator. Each access is equipped with its own protection device, allowing independent operation. This segmentation enables the operator to access and fit tools without requiring the manipulator to stop, thereby maintaining safety while improving productivity.
2Ease of operation
If the operator enters the danger area to fit the tool magazine, then fitting speed is improved, but operator safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The access openings are segmented into two separate locations: one for the manipulator and one for the operator. The operator's access opening is positioned such that the operator remains outside the manipulator's danger area while still being able to efficiently fit tools to the magazine. This eliminates the safety risk of entering the danger area while maintaining fast fitting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The second protection device acts as an intermediary barrier between the operator and the manipulator's danger area. This protection device allows the operator to work at the tool magazine without direct exposure to the manipulator's operational space, thereby enabling fast fitting operations while maintaining safety through the intermediary protective structure.
3Productivity
If simultaneous access by operator and manipulator is allowed, then productivity is improved, but safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tool magazine is equipped with two separate access openings positioned on opposite sides, each with its own protection device. The first access opening faces the manipulator while the second access opening faces the operator. This spatial segmentation allows both the operator and manipulator to access the tool magazine simultaneously from different sides without interfering with each other's safety, thereby enabling parallel operation while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing a single access point, the solution creates two access points in different spatial dimensions and orientations. The first access opening is positioned for manipulator approach, while the second access opening is positioned for operator approach, effectively utilizing spatial separation to allow simultaneous access without safety conflicts.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a tool magazine (1) for a manipulator (4) comprising a plurality of tool holding fixtures (2) which are distributed in a preparation area (7), especially in a substantially vertical preparation plane (11). The tool magazine (1), on one side (9) of the preparation area (7), comprises a first access opening (10) facing the manipulator (4) and, on the other side (15) of the preparation area (7), a second access opening (16) facing an operator (13) and the first access opening (10) is associated with a first protective device (17) and the second access opening (16) is associated with a second protective device (18).