JP3287304B2 - Industrial robot - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an industrial machine having a sequencer function for controlling input / output for controlling external devices in synchronization with a robot operation and a concurrent input / output function for controlling asynchronously with a robot operation. About robots.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an industrial robot, an operator operates a robot arm using a teach box to teach a teaching point to create a program, and a main function for controlling the robot interprets and executes the program. By doing so, the robot is operated to perform work. In order for an industrial robot to perform work, an external device such as a positioner for setting a work to be worked, rotating, tilting, moving, etc. is required.
A visual sensor or the like that corrects a teaching position by visually recognizing a work may be required as an external device. In addition, when an industrial robot is used for welding, input / output control of the welding machine is required, and when it is used for handling, the input / output of the hand attached to the tip of the robot arm is controlled. There is a need to.

As a method of controlling these external devices, an input / output control command for controlling input / output to the external device is taught for each step of a taught program, and the program is executed. Creates a concurrent I / O program that registers concurrent I / O control commands separately from a sequencer function that controls I / O in synchronization with the robot operation and a program that teaches robot operation, and executes the concurrent I / O program Thus, there is a concurrent input / output function that controls input / output asynchronously with the robot operation.

When a concurrent input / output function is added to a control device later, an input / output device used for the concurrent input / output function is prepared separately from the input / output device controlled by the sequencer function, and the input / output device is controlled. Install in the device.

[0005]

In this case, the input / output device used for the sequencer function and the input / output device used for the concurrent input / output function are different devices, and the concurrent input / output function is added to the control device later. In such a case, it is necessary to separately incorporate an input / output device for the concurrent input / output function into the control device, which increases costs.

Therefore, the same output terminal in the input / output device is used for the sequencer function and the concurrent input / output function .
However, in this case , it is conceivable that an output conflict occurs and the external device operates unexpectedly.

Further, if the attribute of the output terminal is set so as to be exclusively used for the sequencer function or only for the concurrent input / output function , the output terminal can be used for either the sequencer function or the concurrent input / output function. Can be used, and output conflicts can be prevented , but in this case, when the robot program to be operated or the concurrent I / O program is changed, the output terminal number used for each program is often different. Needs to change the attribute of the output terminal once set, the operator needs to know which output terminal is used in which program, and this means for the operator,
Operability was Tsu possibility there worse.

Next, conventionally, when the emergency stop function is used during the operation of the robot program, the operation of the robot,
The sequencer function stops. However, in the case concurrent output function that must be stopped by the emergency stop function, it may not need to be stopped, conventionally could not be select it.

Next, since the output function in the sequencer function operates in synchronization with the robot operation, the output state can be known from the main function. However, since the concurrent input / output function operates independently of the main function, the output state cannot be changed. not know from the main function, it was not able to display the output state in the teach box.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve these problems, the present invention provides a robot arm, a control device for controlling the robot arm, and a sequencer function for controlling input and output to and from external devices in synchronization with the operation of the robot. And the robot
Equipped with a concurrent input / output function that controls input / output to external devices asynchronously with the slot operation and sequencer function .
A common input / output device used for input / output of the sequencer function and input / output of the concurrent input / output function is provided .
Shared with sequencer function and concurrent input / output function in the device
When the use setting is made, the concurrent input / output
When the concurrent I / O function is
Prohibit output command from sequencer function to output terminal
It is characterized by the following.

In addition, the emergency stop function provided in the control device has a function of stopping the operation of the robot, the input / output by the sequencer function, and the concurrent input / output function in accordance therewith. When the emergency stop function is used, And a function for setting whether to stop only the robot operation and the input / output by the sequencer function without stopping the concurrent input / output function.

The present invention is characterized in that there is provided a means for confirming the input / output state in the sequencer function and the input / output state in the concurrent input / output function with a teach box.

[0013]

According to the present invention, another input / output device is newly prepared by using the input / output device incorporated in the control device for both the sequencer function and the concurrent input / output function. necessary to have rather name, sequencer output terminal when configured to use shared by the sequencer function and concurrent output function, the output terminal concurrent input and output functions are in operation used in the concurrent output function This function has the effect of preventing output conflicts by prohibiting output commands from the function.When the concurrent input / output function is stopped, the output terminal is released to the sequencer function and can be used by the sequencer function. This has the effect that the dynamic output terminal can be used effectively.

Next, the present invention has an effect that when the operator uses the emergency stop function, the operator can set in advance whether to stop the concurrent input / output function.

Next, the present invention has an effect that the operator can confirm the input / output state of the sequencer function and the concurrent input / output function by using the teach box.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an industrial robot for realizing the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a robot arm, and reference numerals 12 and 13 denote a work to be worked by the robot arm and rotate and move the work. 14 is a control device for controlling the robot arm 11, the external devices 12, 13, and 15 is an input function for the operator to operate the robot. The teaching box has a function of creating and editing a program for operating the robot. An emergency stop function 21 stops the operation of the robot and the input / output by the sequencer function. The control device 14 includes a robot control signal output unit 16 for controlling the robot, an input / output device 17 for controlling the external devices 12 and 13, a sequencer function 19 for issuing an output command to the input / output device, Robot control signal output means 16
And a main function 18 for controlling the sequencer function 19. 20 is an input / output device 17 independently of the main function.
, And the concurrent input / output function device 20 can be incorporated in the control device 14 later.

The operator teaches a robot program by operating the robot using the teach box 15, and at the same time, teaches input / output control commands for operating the external device 12. Since the input / output control instruction is taught for each step of the robot program, the external device 12 operates in synchronization with the operation of the robot. Next, the operator creates a concurrent input / output program including a concurrent input / output command for operating the external device 13 using the teach box 15. This concurrent input / output program is a main function 1 for operating the robot.
8 operates independently of the concurrent input / output function, and the external device 13 operates asynchronously with the operation of the robot.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. ( Embodiment ) In FIG. 1, the same input / output device 17 is used for a sequencer function 19 and a concurrent input / output function 20.
In the prior art, when the concurrent input / output function is added later, an input / output device dedicated to the concurrent input / output function had to be incorporated in the control device 14, but in the present invention, the sequencer function and the concurrent input / output function have the same Has the effect of eliminating the need to prepare new input / output devices.

FIG . 2 shows an example of a function for setting which of the plurality of output terminals of the input / output device is dedicated to the sequencer function, dedicated to the concurrent input / output function, or shared by both. The operator makes settings using the teach box 15 in FIG. In the example of FIG. 2, output terminals 1, 2, and 3 are terminals that can be used only with the sequencer function, and output terminals 4, 5, and 6 are terminals that can be used only with the concurrent input / output function.
Reference numeral 9 denotes a terminal that can be used in common for the sequencer function and the concurrent input / output function. In this case, the terminal set only for the sequencer function cannot be used for the concurrent input / output function. For example, when an output command is issued to the output terminal 1 by the concurrent input / output function, the output command is ignored. If the operator tries to create a concurrent input / output program that uses the output terminal 1 when creating the concurrent input / output program, a check is made at the end of the creation, and an error occurs. Similarly, the output terminal dedicated to the concurrent input / output function cannot be used for the sequencer function. By making these settings, it becomes impossible to issue an output command to the same terminal from both the sequencer function and the concurrent input / output function, which has the effect of preventing output conflict.

FIG . 3 is a diagram schematically showing a relationship between an output command in the sequencer function and an output command in the concurrent input / output function. When the concurrent input / output function is operating, the output terminal used in the concurrent input / output function cannot be used in the sequencer function 31 by the filter function 32. For example, when the output terminal 1 is used for the concurrent input / output function, the sequencer function 31
Is invalid for the output terminal 1. Next, when the concurrent input / output function is stopped, the filter device 32 is invalidated, and all output terminals can be used by the sequencer function 31. By performing these processes, if the output terminal is used for both the sequencer function and the concurrent I / O function, the output terminal being used for the concurrent I / O function cannot be used for the sequencer function, preventing output conflicts. You. This has an effect that an unexpected operation of the external device is prevented.

FIG . 4 is a schematic diagram of the device relating to the emergency stop function. When an operator operates the emergency stop device 41, a stop command is issued from the emergency stop device function 41 to the main function 4.
2. Sent to the sequencer function 43, the robot operation by the main function is stopped, and the input / output control by the sequencer function is also stopped. At this time, a switch 45 is provided to determine whether to stop input / output control by the concurrent input / output function.
Set whether the operator operates the teach box to perform an emergency stop of the concurrent input / output function. Thereby, when the operator uses the emergency stop device 41, it is possible to select in advance whether or not to stop the concurrent input / output function 44.

FIG . 5 shows a main function 51 and a sequencer function 5.
2 shows a relation diagram of output commands with the concurrent input / output function 53. The main function executes the robot program,
According to the input / output command in the robot program, an output command is sent from the main function to the sequencer function, and then the sequencer function issues an output command to the input / output device 54 to perform an actual output. At this time, since the output command is issued from the main function, the output state can be known by the main function, and the output state of the input / output device can be displayed on the teach box. on the other hand,
Since the concurrent input / output function 53 operates independently of the main function, the output state of the concurrent input / output function cannot be grasped by the main function. Therefore, by periodically inquiring the output state of the concurrent input / output function from the main function, the output state of the concurrent input / output function can be grasped by the main function, and the output state can be displayed on the teach box. As a result, there is an effect that both the output state of the sequencer function and the output state of the concurrent input / output function are displayed on the teach box, so that the operator can confirm the output state.

[0023]

As described above, the present invention provides an input / output device used for a sequencer function for performing input / output control in synchronization with a robot operation and a concurrent input / output function for performing input / output control asynchronously with a robot operation. Enables the use of a common device and allows output terminals to be used concurrently with the sequencer function.
When shared by both I / O functions, there is no output conflict between the sequencer function and the concurrent I / O function to output to the same output terminal, and external devices can operate unexpectedly. This makes it possible to realize an excellent industrial robot that can prevent the operation from being performed.

When the operator uses the emergency stop function, the operator can set in advance whether to stop the concurrent input / output function.
Further, it is possible to realize an excellent industrial robot in which an operator can check the status of both outputs of the sequencer function and the concurrent input / output function using a teach box.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a basic configuration of an industrial robot for realizing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of attribute setting of an output terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a relationship between output commands according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an apparatus related to an emergency stop function according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a relationship between output commands according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 11 robot arm 12 external device A 13 external device B 14 control device 15 teach box 16 robot control signal output means 17 input / output device 18 main function 19 sequencer function 20 concurrent input / output function 21 emergency stop function 31 sequencer function 32 filter function 33 concurrent I / O function 34 I / O device 41 Emergency stop function 42 Main function 43 Sequencer function 44 Concurrent I / O function 45 Switch 51 Main function 52 Sequencer function 53 Concurrent I / O function 54 I / O device

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-1-291303 (JP, A) JP-A-60-123903 (JP, A) JP-A-7-325717 (JP, A) JP-A 8-249010 (JP) , A) JP-A-8-87316 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B25J 13/00 G05B 19/05

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A robot arm, a control device for controlling the robot arm, a sequencer function for controlling input / output with respect to an external device in synchronization with a robot operation, and the robot
With concurrent output function of controlling input and output to external devices asynchronously with preparative operations and sequencer functions that a common input and output devices to be used in the input and output of input and concurrent output feature in the sequencer function, before Entry output device
Shared between the sequencer function and concurrent I / O function
Concurrent I / O function when settings for
During execution of the concurrent I / O function
Output command from the sequencer function to the
An industrial robot characterized by the following . 2. An emergency stop function provided in a control device.
Robot operation, input / output by sequencer function,
And the concurrent I / O function is also stopped
Function when the emergency stop function is used.
Current input / output function does not stop, robot operation, sequence
Set whether to stop only input / output by the sensor function
The industrial robot according to claim 1, having a function of: 3. An input / output state in a sequencer function;
The tee status of the concurrent I / O function
Check box,
The industrial robot according to claim 1 or 2 .