JPH0748325Y2 - Automatic tool changer - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic tool changer for attaching and detaching a tool to and from a wrist of an industrial robot.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an automatic tool changer has a cylindrical tool holder into which a tool with a driving actuator having piping and wiring is inserted, and a tool holder inserted into a through hole in the radial direction of the tool holder. A plurality of balls engaged in the engagement groove, an escape groove slidably fitted to the outside of the tool holder to loosen the balls in the tool to the outside, and an inclined surface inclined inward from the escape groove. And the inclined surface is provided with a movable member that axially moves so as to push the ball in the tool holder inward, and an axial drive means that axially moves the movable member (for example, JP-A-60-29255).

[0003]

However, in the above structure, the tool holder and the ball, which is the engaging mechanism of the tool, and the engaging groove are arranged with the same axis as the central axis of the attachment / detachment device. If the drive actuator of the tool is arranged on the side and the drive shaft for transmitting the driving force is arranged on the engaging part and the tool is to be driven via the drive shaft, the inside of the engaging part is Since it is narrow, the mechanism for holding the drive shaft becomes complicated, and it is necessary to adopt a structure in which the drive shaft is offset from the central axis of the device, or to arrange the drive shaft engaging mechanism in parallel with the attachment / detachment device. There is a drawback that the entire attachment / detachment device becomes large. An object of the present invention is to provide a tool changing device having a small and lightweight tool attaching / detaching mechanism capable of holding and driving a tool.

[0004]

The present invention provides an automatic tool changer for attaching and detaching a tool having a rotary shaft and a tool holder having a tool drive actuator having a drive shaft engaging with the rotary shaft. On the outer wall of the insertion portion of the tool, a piston rod extending in a radial direction that is a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, a piston provided at the tip of the piston rod, and one that can move by fitting to the piston are closed. A cylindrical cylinder, a compressed air supply port provided between the bottom surface of the cylinder and the piston, a sleeve fitted to the piston rod and fixed to the opening of the cylinder, and the piston. The piston rod is inserted into the compression spring provided between the sleeve and the side wall end surface of the tool holder that can be fitted to the outer periphery of the insertion portion of the tool. A groove notch Ri, the cutout has a larger diameter than the width of the notch groove Following groove is obtained by providing a notch hole of the cylinder can fit.

[0007]

In the cylindrical outer periphery of the tool, an air cylinder movable in the radial direction at right angles to the axis of the tool is provided, and a notch hole for engaging with the air cylinder is provided in the tool holder. Is provided coaxially so that the drive shaft of the tool holder and the rotary shaft of the tool can engage with each other.Therefore, the engagement and removal of the air cylinder and the cutout hole can be performed regardless of the drive shaft and the rotary shaft. This is performed by taking compressed air in and out, and at the same time when the tool and the tool holder are attached and detached, the rotary shaft of the tool and the drive shaft of the tool drive actuator can be easily attached and detached.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which a substantially cylindrical insertion portion 11 is formed at a joint portion of a tool 1, and the insertion portion 11
The rotating shaft 2 is supported inside the bearing via a bearing 12.
A dodecagonal hollow socket portion 21 is formed at the shaft end of the rotary shaft 2. A piston rod 31 extending in the direction perpendicular to the rotary shaft 2 is provided near the end of the insertion portion 11, and the piston 3 is fixed to the tip of the piston rod 31. A cylindrical cylinder 32 having one end closed is slidably fitted to the outside of the piston 3, and a compressed air supply port 34 is provided between the piston 3 and the bottom surface 33 of the cylinder 32.
Is provided. A sleeve 35 is slidably fitted on the outer circumference of the piston rod 31, and is fixed to an opening 36 at the other end of the cylinder 32. A compression spring 37 is inserted between the sleeve 35 and the piston 3 so that the cylinder 32 is always pressed through the sleeve 35 toward the outer wall surface of the insertion portion 11. Also, the insertion part 1
The base portion 1 is provided with a flange portion 13 and a guide pin 14 protruding in the axial direction.

On the other hand, the tool holder 4 fixed to the wrist of the robot is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to fit on the outer periphery of the insertion portion 11, and the tool driving actuator 5 is fixed inside the tool holder 4. At the tip of the drive shaft 51 of the tool drive actuator 5, the socket portion 2 of the rotary shaft 2 of the tool 1 is attached.
A rod-shaped hexagonal wrench 52 that can be engaged with 1 is attached. The side wall 41 of the tool holder 4 is provided with a notch groove 43 that opens into the end surface 42 and into which the piston rod 31 is inserted. The notch groove 43 has a diameter larger than the width of the notch groove 43 and is continuous with the cylinder. A cutout hole 44 into which 32 can be fitted is provided. The inlet of the cutout hole 44 into which the cylinder 32 is inserted is chamfered for compliance. Guide pin 1 on the end face 42
4 is provided with a guide hole 45 to be engaged with.

When holding the tool 1 by the tool holder 4, when compressed air is supplied from the supply port 34 into the cylinder 32 from a high pressure air generator (not shown), the compression spring 3
The cylinder 32 is pushed away from the insertion portion 11 while receiving the compressive force of the cylinder 7, and as shown in FIG.
There is a space between the insert 2 and the insert 2 to allow the side wall 41 of the tool holder 4 to be inserted. In this state, the piston rod 31 is inserted into the cutout groove 43, and the guide pin 14 is guided through the guide hole 45 to insert the insertion portion 11 of the tool 1 inside the tool holder 4 shown in FIG. Two
The hexagon wrench 52 and the hexagonal wrench 52 are engaged with each other to bring the end face 42 into contact with the flange portion 13. Next, when the compressed air in the cylinder 32 is released, the compression spring 37 presses the sleeve 35 and returns to the state of contacting the insertion portion 11 while engaging the cylinder 32 with the cutout hole 44, as shown in FIG. As shown, the tool 1 and the tool holder 4 are fixed. At this time, the relative position of the tool 1 and the tool holder 4 is uniquely determined by the guide pin 14, the guide hole 45, and the cylinder 32, and the notch hole 44, and at the same time, the play in the axial direction and the rotational direction can be suppressed. When the tool 1 and the tool holder 4 are separated, compressed air is supplied to the cylinder 3 as in the above procedure.
2 and the cylinder 32 is removed from the notch hole 44 and the insertion portion 11 is pulled out from the tool holder 4.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, as a mechanism for attaching and detaching a tool and a tool holder, an air cylinder is provided on the outer wall of the insertion portion of the tool, and a notch hole for engaging the air cylinder is provided on the tool holder. Further, since the drive shaft of the tool holder and the rotary shaft of the tool are coaxially provided in the respective central portions so that the drive shaft of the tool holder and the rotary shaft of the tool can engage with each other, the tool is not affected by the detaching operation of the tool and the tool holder. The rotary shaft and the drive shaft of the tool drive actuator can be easily attached and detached, and there is an effect that it is possible to provide a small and lightweight tool changing device capable of performing a simple and reliable holding operation and transmission of the tool driving force. Further, with this mechanism, the tool driving actuator and the tool can be separated, and the heavy tool driving actuator can be arranged at a position close to the robot joint, so that the inertia of the arm is reduced and the responsiveness is improved. In addition, it is possible to use a heavy tool, and it is not necessary to change the wiring and piping when exchanging the tool, which improves workability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the tool holder of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the tool of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Tool 11 Insertion Part 12 Bearing 13 Flange Part 14 Guide Pin 2 Rotating Shaft 21 Socket Part 3 Piston 31 Piston Rod 32 Cylinder 33 Bottom 34 Supply Port 35 Sleeve 36 Opening 37 Compression Spring 4 Tool Holder 41 Sidewall 42 End Face 43 Notch Groove 44 Notch hole 45 Guide hole 5 Tool drive actuator 51 Drive shaft 52 Spanner

Claims (3)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An automatic tool changer for attaching and detaching a tool having a rotary shaft and a tool holder having a tool drive actuator having a drive shaft engaging with the rotary shaft, wherein the outer wall of an insertion portion of the tool is provided with the tool holder. A piston rod extending in a radial direction that is a direction orthogonal to a rotation axis, a piston provided at a tip of the piston rod, a cylindrical cylinder that is fitted and movable in the piston and has one closed end, A compressed air supply port provided between the bottom surface of the cylinder and the piston, a sleeve fitted to the piston rod and fixed to the opening of the cylinder, and provided between the piston and the sleeve. Compression spring, a notch groove that is opened in a side wall end surface of the tool holder that can be fitted to the outer periphery of the insertion portion of the tool, and into which the piston rod is inserted, and the notch. An automatic tool changer having a diameter larger than the width of the cutout groove and provided with a cutout hole into which the cylinder can be fitted, following the groove. 2. A hollow socket portion is formed at a shaft end of a rotary shaft of the tool, a tool drive actuator is fixed inside the tool holder, and a rotary shaft of the rotary shaft is attached to a tip of a drive shaft of the tool drive actuator. The automatic tool changer according to claim 1, further comprising a wrench capable of engaging with the socket portion. 3. A flange portion, to which a guide pin projecting in the axial direction is fixed, is provided at a base portion of the insertion portion of the tool, and a guide hole for engaging with the guide pin is provided at an end surface of a side wall of the tool holder. The automatic tool changer described.