JP4274685B2 - Robot cable guide device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cable guide device for guiding a cable stretched between robot constituent members that perform relative operations of industrial robots.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An industrial robot has an end effector that performs various operations at the tip of an arm, and supplies working liquid, working gas, electric power, electric signals, and the like to the end effector via a cable. The cable is disposed along the outside of the robot arm. In general, the arm of the industrial robot is articulated, and the end effector is attached to the arm so as to be movable relative to the arm.
[0003]
As described above, since the cable of an industrial robot is stretched between two robot components that move relative to each other, the cable is rubbed or excessive force is applied when the robot is operated, and the cable is damaged. Or may cause malfunction. For this reason, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-220689 proposes a guide device in which a cable easily follows the operation of a robot.
[0004]
As shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), the content proposed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-220689 is such that an outer ring 102 is rotatably attached to an inner ring 101 fixed to a robot arm 100. A pair of holding frames 103 are provided on the outer ring 102, two rollers 104 are attached between the holding frames 103, and the cable 105 is inserted into a space formed between the holding frames 103 and the rollers 104.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Of the members constituting the conventional guide device described above, the only member that can follow the movement of the robot is the outer ring 102 that is rotatably attached to the inner ring 101, and is inserted between the pair of holding frames 103 and the rollers 104. There is a disadvantage that the load is concentrated on the cable 105 and the cable is damaged. In addition, since the outer ring 102 is rotatable with respect to the inner ring 101 over the entire circumference, the mechanism is complicated, and the attachment / detachment with respect to the robot becomes troublesome.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, a cable guide device according to the present invention includes an arcuate guide rail attached to a member constituting a robot such as a robot arm, a moving member that is movably engaged along the guide rail, A rotating member attached to the moving member so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the radial direction of the guide rail, and a holding member for holding the cable between the rotating members.
[0007]
According to the present invention, since the members that can follow the movement of the robot are the moving member and the rotating member, an excessive force or rubbing does not occur in the cable as compared with the conventional case. In addition, the mechanism is simplified, leading to cost reduction.
[0008]
Further, the holding member can be attached via a joint having a spherical portion on the outer periphery with respect to an axis extending in the radial direction of the guide rail. By adopting such a configuration, the holding member can be tilted in an arbitrary direction, and the followability to the operation of the robot is further enhanced.
[0009]
In addition, by providing a guide rail on the moving member so that the moving member can move with respect to the arcuate guide rail, the operation of the moving member becomes smooth.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. 1 is an image of the installation of the cable guide device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an overall view of the cable guide device, FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view in the direction AA of FIG. 2, and FIG. FIG.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 1, the cable guide device 1 is fixed to one of the robot arms 3 and 4 that are connected to each other at the joint 2 and make a relative movement, and holds the cable 5.
[0012]
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the cable guide device 1 includes an arcuate guide rail 11 and an arcuate receiving member 12 that forms a pair with the arcuate guide rail 11 so as to hold the robot arm 4. And is fastened to the robot arm 4 by fastening them in a wristband shape with bolts 13.
[0013]
The arcuate guide rail 11 has an I-shaped cross section, and a gate-shaped moving member 14 is engaged with the rail 11 via rollers 15 from both sides. Thus, the moving member 14 is movable along the arcuate guide rail 11 within a range of about 120 °.
[0014]
A connecting member 17 is attached to the outer surface of the moving member 14 via a bolt 16. The connecting member 17 includes a cylindrical small-diameter portion 18 that protrudes outward in parallel with the radial direction of the arcuate guide rail 11. An internal thread is provided on the inner surface of the cylindrical small-diameter portion 18, and a bush is formed on the outer surface. 19 is fitted.
[0015]
In the embodiment, the moving member 14 and the connecting member 17 are separate members, but may be formed integrally with the moving member 14.
[0016]
A rotating member 20 is connected to the connecting member 17. That is, the rotating member 20 includes a cylindrical portion 21 and a plate portion 22, and the cylindrical portion 21 is fitted to the outside of the bush 19, and in this state, the bolt 24 is connected to the inner periphery of the cylindrical small diameter portion 18 via the washer 23. By being screwed into the female screw of the surface, the cylindrical small-diameter portion 18 corresponding to the axis extending in the radial direction of the arcuate guide rail 11 is supported so as to be rotatable.
[0017]
Furthermore, a semicircular belt-like holding member 25 that holds a cable between the plate portion 22 and the plate portion 22 is detachably attached to the plate portion 22 of the rotating member 20 via a bolt 26.
[0018]
In the above, the cable 5 is sandwiched between the holding member 25 and the plate portion 22 and fixed with the bolts 26. When the robot arms 3 and 4 operate in this state and the relative position changes, the moving member 14 moves along the arc-shaped guide rail 11 following the change, and the rotating member 20 has a cylindrical small diameter portion. It rotates about 18. As described above, in this embodiment, each of the moving member 14 and the rotating member 20 independently follows the movement of the robot arm, so that the cable 5 is rubbed or an unreasonable force is applied. There is no.
[0019]
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part of another embodiment. In this embodiment , a joint 31 having a spherical portion on the outer periphery is rotatably supported on the outer periphery of the cylindrical small-diameter portion 18 via a ball bearing 30. The rotating member 20 is engaged with the outer peripheral spherical portion of the joint 31 having a spherical portion on the outer periphery. The upper end of the joint 31 having a spherical portion on the outer periphery is held by a washer 23, the lower end is held by a presser member 32, and a presser member 33 that restricts the rotation amount is attached to the lower end of the rotary member 20. ing.
[0020]
As described above, by interposing the joint 31 having the spherical portion on the outer periphery between the cylindrical small diameter portion 18 and the rotating member 20, the rotating member 20 can be rotated in any direction, and the robot is extremely difficult. It can follow complicated movements.
[0021]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the moving member is movably engaged along the arcuate guide rail via a roller or the like, and the axis extending in the radial direction of the guide rail is centered on the moving member. Since the rotating member is attached to the rotating member and the cable is fixed to the rotating member by the holding member, the moving member and the rotating member follow the movement of the robot, and an excessive force or friction is applied to the cable. Will not occur.
[0022]
Further, as shown in another embodiment, if the holding member is attached to the shaft extending in the radial direction of the guide rail via a joint having a spherical portion on the outer periphery, the followability to the operation of the robot is further enhanced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
[0023]
FIG. 1 is an image of the installation of a cable guide device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an overall view of the cable guide device. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along direction AA in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of another embodiment. FIG. 6A is a front view of a conventional cable guide device, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the conventional cable guide device.
[0024]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Cable guide apparatus, 2 ... Joint, 3, 4 ... Robot arm, 5 ... Cable, 11 ... Arc-shaped guide rail, 12 ... Arc-shaped receiving member, 13, 16, 24, 26 ... Bolt, 14 ... Moving member, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 ... Roller, 17 ... Connecting member, 18 ... Cylindrical small diameter part, 19 ... Bush, 20 ... Turning member, 21 ... Cylindrical part, 22 ... Plate part, 23 ... Washer, 25 ... Holding member, 30 ... Ball bearing, 31... Joint having spherical surface on outer periphery , 32, 33.

Claims (1)

In a cable guide device for guiding a cable stretched between robot components that perform relative movements, the cable guide device has an arcuate guide rail that forms a pair with an arcuate guide rail having an I-shaped cross section and the arcuate guide rail. When the members are fastened to each other so as to hold the robot ram, the rollers disposed on the moving member formed in the gate shape are engaged with both sides of the arcuate guide rail having the I-shaped cross section. A movable member that is movably engaged along the arcuate guide rail, and a cylindrical small diameter portion that extends in a radial direction of the guide rail with respect to the moving member. the joint with the spherical portion is rotatably supported through a ball bearing, mounted rotatably to further engage the spherical surface portion of the joint A rotating member, the cable guide device of the robot, characterized in that a holding member for holding the cable between the rotating member.

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