JPH0116636B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a finger exchange device used, for example, in an assembly robot.

[Conventional technology] In order to increase the effectiveness of assembly robots by changing setups, the structure is such that the fingers can be replaced in as short a time as possible, and the entire finger including the connector must be replaced in consideration of workability. It needs to be made as small as possible.

However, in conventional finger exchange devices for assembly robots, as a means to connect the necessary pneumatic circuits and signal circuits to the fingers, for example, respective connectors provided separately from the finger attachment parts are used to connect them. is normal. In this case, when the number of circuits increases, there are problems in that it takes time to connect the connectors, and the connectors become large and difficult to handle.

[Object of the Invention] An object of the present invention is to provide a finger exchange device that eliminates the drawbacks of the conventional example described above and can perform the operations necessary for finger exchange with a single touch.

[Summary of the invention] The gist of the present invention for achieving the above object is as follows:
In a finger exchange device in which a finger body is replaceably attached to a robot wrist, the finger body has a reference shaft with an insertion tube at its tip for connecting a drive source and an undercut portion consisting of an inclined surface on its outer periphery. The robot wrist portion includes a cylindrical portion having a reference hole for receiving the insertion of the reference shaft and a hole at the back thereof that fits with the insertion tube, and a cylindrical portion formed on the side surface of the cylindrical portion. It has a ball fitted into a hole and a detachable ring provided with a tapered part for moving the ball, and the detachable ring is moved against the elastic force of a spring member to fit into the reference hole of the reference shaft. the ball is pressed against the reference axis by the elastic force of the spring member at the insertion end position by the tapered part of the detachable ring, and the insertion tube and the hole are brought into close contact with each other. This finger exchange device is characterized in that it is configured so that the fingers are joined together.

[Embodiments of the Invention] The present invention will be described in detail based on illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows a finger attachment section provided on the wrist of an assembly robot, and FIG. 2 shows the finger. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates the wrist portion of the assembly robot, and the finger attachment portion 3 is connected via the support fitting 2.
is supported. This finger attachment part 3 has
A main reference hole 5 and a sub-reference hole 6 for positioning the finger are drilled side by side on the finger attachment surface 4 on the lower surface. The main reference hole 5 is bored in a cylindrical part 7, and a short cylindrical detachable ring 8 is attached to the top of the cylindrical part 7, and the inner diameter part thereof has a taper that widens as it goes inside. The steel ball 1 is provided with a portion 9, and this tapered portion 9 is fitted into a hole in the side surface of the cylindrical portion 7.
It is attached so that 0 is pushed inside.
A compression spring 11 is interposed between the detachable ring 8 and the attachment portion 3, and the detachable ring 8 is pushed upward along the cylindrical portion 7. A plurality of air contact holes 12 are provided at the back of the main reference hole 5 of the finger attachment portion 3 and on the finger attachment surface 4 for connecting a pneumatic circuit, and each connection hole 12 is provided with an O-ring, a Y-packet, etc. A packing material 13 is attached by a packing pressing plate 14 to prevent it from falling off. An air joint 15 is connected to each of these air connection holes 12, and compressed air is supplied via a tube 16 from an air supply source (not shown) on the assembly robot main body side.

Furthermore, an optical joint 17 for an optical fiber sensor is attached to the finger attachment portion 3 on substantially the same surface as the attachment surface 4 . A light emitting optical fiber 18 and a light receiving optical fiber 19 are embedded inside the optical joint 17, and are connected through the tube 20 to an amplifier unit of an optical fiber sensor (not shown) on the assembly robot main body side.

Next, to explain the structure of the finger shown in FIG. 2, 30 is the finger body, the lower part is the jaw 31, and the upper part is the attachment/detachment part 32 for the finger attachment part 3.
is provided. Reference numeral 33 is a mounting surface to the finger mounting portion 3, and a main reference shaft 34 and a secondary reference shaft 35 for determining the relative position with the finger mounting surface 3 are projected upward, and the main reference hole 5 of the finger mounting portion 3 is ,
They are adapted to fit into the reference holes 6, respectively. An undercut portion 36 consisting of an inclined surface is formed at the head of the main reference shaft 34 so as to be able to accommodate the steel ball 10 described above. An air port 37 facing the air connection hole 12 of the finger mounting surface 3 is provided at the upper end of the main reference shaft 34 and the mounting surface 33, from which an insertion tube 38 for connecting a pneumatic circuit is protruded. There is. These insertion tubes 38 are connected to the finger body 30.
When inserted and positioned in the finger mounting part 3, they are arranged so as to match the position of each air connection hole 12 provided on the finger mounting surface 4, and the packing material 13 prevents air leakage. The sealing material 13 has a length that can be sealed to the
The outer diameter is made to match the inner diameter of the Also,
An air joint 39 is connected to each insertion tube 38, and the finger body 3
Compressed air is supplied to each pneumatic device connected to 0.

Furthermore, an optical joint 41 for an optical fiber sensor is attached so as to match the position of the optical joint 17 on the finger attachment section 3 side. A light emitting fiber 42 and a light receiving fiber 43 protrude from this optical fiber sensor joint 41, and these fibers 42 and 43 are connected to a detection end 45 in the finger body 30 through a tube 44. ing.

To attach the finger main body 30 to the finger attachment part 3, with the detachable ring 8 pressed down by hand against the compression spring 11, insert the main reference shaft 34 into the main reference hole 5,
Insert the sub-reference shaft 35 into the sub-reference hole 6. When the tip of the main reference shaft 34 pushes the steel ball 10 outward and releases the detachable ring 8 when it is fully inserted into the main reference hole 5, the detachable ring 8 is pushed up by the compression spring 11. Since the steel ball 10 is pushed into the main reference hole 5 by the tapered part 9, it engages with the undercut part 36 of the main reference shaft 34 and the finger main body 30 is fixed. At the same time, each insertion tube 38 is fitted into the corresponding air connection hole 12, and the optical joint 41 on the finger main body 30 side is connected to the optical joint 17 on the mounting part 3 side.
connected to.

In addition, when removing the finger body 30,
When the detachable ring 8 is pushed down, the steel ball 10 is pushed out into the inner diameter part of the detachable ring 8 by the undercut portion 36, and the main reference shaft 34 can be extracted from the main reference hole 5.

In this way, the finger replacement work of the assembly robot can be completed with a single touch by pushing in the removable ring 8 and inserting or pulling out the finger body 30 into the finger attachment part 3, as well as connecting multiple pneumatic circuits. and the connection of the optical signal circuit can be completed at the same time.

If the drive source used in the finger body 30 requires not only compressed air but also a power source, install electrical contacts on the finger attachment part 3 and the finger body 30 side, and connect the electric circuit at the same time as the finger body 30 is installed. connections can be made. Furthermore, the same method can be used even when the necessary information within the finger body 30 is an electric circuit.

The present invention can also be used as a replacement device for various tooling units of robots, such as screw tighteners,
It can also be used as a replacement device for each head part of a fastening unit such as an ultrasonic welding machine, an oil coating device, an adhesive coating device, a parts inspection device, etc.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the finger exchange device according to the present invention, the connection/disconnection of the drive source circuit and the connection/disconnection of the signal circuit are completed at the same time as the attachment/disconnection of the fingers, thereby reducing the setup change time of the fingers. can be shortened all at once.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the finger exchange device according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a side view of a finger attachment part provided on the wrist of an assembly robot, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the finger main body. be. Reference numeral 1 indicates the wrist of the assembly robot, 3 indicates the finger attachment section, 5 indicates the main reference hole, 6 indicates the secondary reference hole, 7 indicates the cylindrical section, 8 indicates the detachable ring, 9 indicates the tapered section, 10 indicates the steel ball,
11 is a compression spring, 12 is an air connection hole, 17, 41
3 is an optical joint, 34 is a main reference axis, 35 is a slave reference axis, 3
6 is an undercut portion, 37 is an air connection hole, and 38 is an insertion tube.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a finger exchange device in which a finger body is replaceably attached to a robot wrist, the finger body has an insertion tube at its tip for connecting a drive source, and a reference shaft having an undercut portion consisting of an inclined surface on its outer periphery. The robot wrist portion has a cylindrical portion formed with a reference hole for receiving the insertion of the reference shaft and a hole deep therein that fits with the insertion tube, and a cylindrical portion formed on a side surface of the cylindrical portion. the reference hole of the reference shaft; and a removable ring provided with a tapered portion for moving the ball; the removable ring is moved against the elastic force of a spring member to remove the reference hole of the reference shaft , and at the insertion end position, the elastic force of the spring member presses the ball against the reference axis with the tapered part of the detachable ring, so that the insertion tube and the hole are brought into close contact with each other. A finger exchange device characterized in that it is configured to join together.