JPH11114870A - Remote center compliance device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote center compliance device excellent in environmental resistance, rigidity, and the life. SOLUTION: A remote center compliance device is provided with plates 1, 2 arranged on the same axis J at a distance, a plurality of locking means 3, and a plurality of positioning means 4. Each locking means 3 is provided with an inserting hole 10 provided on the plate 1, a shaft body 30 to be loosely inserted in the inserting hole 10 and provided on the plate 2, a push plate 31 integrated with or locked on the shaft body 30 inserted through the inserting hole 10, and a plurality of ball bodies 32 pinched between a constituent wall surface 10a of the plate 1 on the periphery of the inserting hole 10 and a constituent wall surface 31a of the push plate 31, and the constituent wall surfaces 10a, 31a are formed into flat surfaces cross at right angle to the inclined straight line passing the axis J. While, each positioning means 4 is provided with a conical recess 41 provided on the plate 2, a movable body 40 provided can the plate 1 and capable of being moved only in the direction of the axis J, and an energizing means for energizing the moving body 40 in such a direction as to be partially fitted into the recess 41, and a part to be fitted in the recess 41, of the movable body 40 is formed into a spherical surface.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a remote center compliance device attached to an output section of a robot such as a manipulator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a remote center compliance device is constructed by connecting a fixed plate and a movable plate via a laminate made of rubber and a steel plate. This device is used by attaching a fixed plate to the output end side of a robot and attaching a robot hand to a movable plate. If the laminate functions as elastic means, and the relative movement between the fixed plate and the movable plate is possible, Squeezed.

[0003] However, since the above-mentioned laminate is composed of rubber, it is inferior in strength and environmental resistance.
There was a problem that the life was short.

[0004] As one means for solving the above problem,
For example, it is conceivable to use a metal coil spring in place of the laminate, but in order to create a remote center, it is necessary to increase the value of longitudinal rigidity / lateral rigidity with respect to the axis of the elastic body. This is not possible with springs.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a remote center compliance device which is excellent in environmental resistance, rigidity and life.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

(Invention of Claim 1) A remote center compliance device according to the present invention comprises a plate 1 and a plate 2, which are arranged on the same axis J with a gap therebetween, so as to absorb a relative error between the plates 1 and 2. And a plurality of positioning means 4 for returning the moved plate 2 on the same axis J as the plate 1. The locking means 3 Insertion hole 10 provided in
A shaft 30 provided on the plate 2 loosely inserted into the insertion hole 10, a push plate 31 integrally or locked to a portion of the shaft 30 passing through the insertion hole 10, The peripheral wall 10a of the plate 1 and the peripheral wall 31a of the push plate 31 around 10
And the constituent wall surfaces 10a, 31a are planes orthogonal to the inclined straight line KL passing through the axis J, while the positioning means 4
A conical recess 41 provided on the plate 2, a movable body 40 provided on the plate 1, which is movable only in the direction of the axis J, and a part of the movable body 40 is fitted into the recess 41. Biasing means for biasing in a direction to be performed,
At least a part of the moving body 40 fitted into the recess 41 is a spherical surface. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote center compliance device according to the present invention, wherein plates 1 and 2 arranged on the same axis J with a gap are provided to absorb a relative error between the plates 1 and 2. And a plurality of positioning means 4 for returning the moved plate 2 on the same axis J as the plate 1. The locking means 3 Insertion hole 10 provided in
A shaft 30 provided on the plate 2 loosely inserted into the insertion hole 10, a push plate 31 integrally or locked to a portion of the shaft 30 passing through the insertion hole 10, The peripheral wall 10a of the plate 1 and the peripheral wall 31a of the push plate 31 around 10
And the constituent wall surfaces 10a, 31a are planes orthogonal to the inclined straight line KL passing through the axis J, while the positioning means 4
Is a conical recess 41 provided on the plate 1, a movable body 40 provided on the plate 2 which can move only in the direction of the axis J, and a part of the movable body 40 is fitted into the recess 41. Biasing means for biasing in a direction to be performed,
At least a part of the moving body 40 fitted into the recess 41 is a spherical surface. (Invention of Claim 3) This invention relates to the invention of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the axis of the shaft body 30 is on the inclined straight line KL. (Invention described in claim 4) The present invention relates to the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 3, and relates to the sphere 32 and the constituent wall surface 10a.
And an annular plate 33 interposed therebetween. (Invention of Claim 5) According to the present invention, in regard to the invention of any one of claims 1 to 4, the moving body 40 is a sphere. (Invention of Claim 6) According to the present invention, in the invention according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, the urging means of the moving body 40 is a coil spring. (Invention of Claim 7) This invention relates to the invention of any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the plurality of spheres 32 are held by a retainer 32a. (Invention of Claim 8) The present invention relates to the invention of any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the angle AGL formed by the axis J and the inclined straight line KL is 5 to 10 °.

The function of the remote center compliance device will be clarified in the following embodiments of the present invention.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 2, the remote center compliance device according to this embodiment comprises a fixed plate 1 and a movable plate 2 disposed on the same axis J with a gap from the plate 1. Three locking means 3 for movably connecting the plates 1 and 2 so as to absorb the relative error therebetween, and three positioning means for returning the moved plate 2 to the same axis J as the plate 1 Means 4. [Configuration of Plate 1 ] The plate 1 is attached to an output end of a robot such as a manipulator with bolts or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plate 1 is formed of a circular thick plate, and has an insertion hole 10 for receiving a part of the locking means 3 and a communication therewith. The accommodation chambers 11 are formed at 120 ° intervals, and the accommodation chambers 12 for mounting a part of the positioning means 4 are formed at 120 ° intervals.

As shown in FIG. 2, the insertion hole 10 has an inclined straight line KL passing through a focal point CC of the axis J (an angle AGL from the axis J).
: 5 ° to 10 °) as a hole core, and the constituent wall surface 10a of the plate 1 around the insertion hole 10 is formed by the inclined straight line KL.
And a plane orthogonal to. [Regarding Configuration of Plate 2 ] For example, the robot hand unit is attached to the plate 2 with bolts or the like.

The plate 2 is made of a thin plate having the same diameter as the plate 1 as shown in FIG. 2, and a shaft hole 20 for mounting a part of the locking means 3 as shown in FIG. Are formed at 120 ° intervals, and shallow holes 21 for mounting a part of the positioning means 4 are formed at 120 ° intervals.

As shown in FIG. 2, the shaft hole 20 has an inclined straight line KL passing through the focal point CC of the axis J (inclination angle with respect to the axis J:
5 ° to 10 °) as the hole core. [Regarding the Structure of the Locking Means 3 ] As shown in FIG. 2, the locking means 3 includes a shaft 30 inserted into the shaft hole 20, the insertion hole 10 and the storage chamber 11, An annular plate 33 provided in such a manner as to abut on the constituent wall surface 10a around the hole 10;
A C-shaped pin 34 is attached to a portion of the shaft 30 passing through the insertion hole 10.
And a plurality of spheres 32 sandwiched between a constituent wall surface 10a of the plate 1 around the insertion hole 10 and a constituent wall surface 31a of the push plate 31. Then, the plates 1 and 2 can be relatively moved via the sphere 32 by the gap between the insertion hole 10 and the shaft 30 or by the gap between the outer diameter of the push plate 31 and the inner wall of the storage chamber 11. Has become.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
The plurality of spheres 32 are held by a retainer 32a. On the other hand, the surfaces of the push plate 31 and the annular plate 33 that sandwich the sphere 32 are parallel to the above-described component wall surface 10a. [Regarding Configuration of Positioning Means 4 ] Positioning means 4
As shown in FIG. 2, a dish-shaped member 42 having a conical recess 41 provided in the shallow hole 21 of the plate 2, a cylindrical guide 43 fitted and fixed in the storage chamber 12, and fitted into the guide 43. A movable body 40 movable only in the axis J direction, and a pressing body 44 movably accommodated in the accommodation chamber 12 in the axis J direction.
A coil spring 45 presses the moving body 40 against the component wall of the recess 41 via the pressing body 44. Then, the plate 2 that has moved is returned to the same axis J as the plate 1 by the pushing force of the coil spring 45 into the conical recess 41 of the moving body 40. [Configuration of Plates 1 and 2, Locking Means 3, and Positioning Means 4]
Regarding Members] The plates 1 and 2, the locking means 3, and the positioning means 4 are all made of a rigid metal material, for example, a steel material.

[0015] Therefore, as compared with a conventional rubber material, the rubber material is excellent in strength and environmental resistance and has a long life. [About the movement of the plate 2 with respect to the plate 1] Force downward on the movable plate 2 (including the weight on the hand side)
Acts, the plate 2 tends to descend while being pressed from the fixed plate 1 by the moving body 44 pressed by the coil spring 45, but moves due to the inclination of the annular plate 33 and the push plate 31 sandwiching the sphere 32. Since the trajectory is restricted, the lower portion moves in a manner protruding with respect to the plate 1 as shown in FIG. In this remote center compliance device, a remote center is thus created. [Other Embodiments] The plate 2 can be attached to an output end of a robot such as a manipulator, and the plate 1 can be attached to a robot hand. The locking means 3 uses the push plate 31 without using the annular plate 33.
And the constituent wall surface 10a can sandwich the sphere 32 therebetween. The locking means 3 can be formed by integrally forming the shaft body 30 and the push plate 31, and in this case, one end of the shaft body 30 may be screwed to the plate 2. The positioning means 4 has a conical recess 41 on the plate 2 side.
And the moving body 40 is provided on the plate 1 side. The moving body 40 of the positioning means 4 may not be spherical, but may be formed in a bar shape as a whole, and at least only a portion to be fitted into the recess 41 may have a spherical shape. Note that the moving body 40 and the pressing body 44 may be formed integrally. The biasing means of the positioning means 4 is not limited to a coil spring or another type of spring, but may be constituted by introducing a fluid of a constant pressure into the chamber 12a in which the coil spring 45 is accommodated. In this case, a configuration is adopted in which the space between the component wall of the chamber 12a and the pressing body 44 is made fluid-tight by an O-ring or the like. The positioning means 4 is provided with a dish-shaped member 42 in
41 is formed, but it is directly recessed in plate 2.
41 may be provided.

[0016]

Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, it has the following effects.

From the contents described in the embodiments of the present invention, a remote center compliance device excellent in environmental resistance, rigidity and life can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a remote center compliance device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a movable plate moves relative to a fixed plate with respect to the remote center compliance device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 J axis core KL Inclined straight line AGL Angle 1 Plate 2 Plate 3 Locking means 4 Positioning means 10 Insertion hole 10a Constructed wall 30 Shaft 31 Push plate 31a Constructed wall 32 Sphere 33 Annular plate 40 Moving body 41 Concave

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. Plates 1 and 2 arranged on the same axis J with a gap, and a plurality of locking means 3 movably connecting the plates 1 and 2 so as to absorb a relative error between the plates.
And a plurality of positioning means 4 for returning the moved plate 2 on the same axis J as the plate 1. The locking means 3 comprises an insertion hole 10 provided in the plate 1, A shaft body 30 provided on the plate 2 loosely inserted into 10;
The push plate 31 is integrally or locked with the shaft 30 portion penetrating the insertion hole 10, and is sandwiched between the constituent wall surface 10 a of the plate 1 around the insert hole 10 and the constituent wall surface 31 a of the push plate 31. And a plurality of spheres 32
Reference numerals 10a and 31a denote planes orthogonal to the inclined straight line KL passing through the axis J. On the other hand, the positioning means 4 includes a conical recess 41 provided on the plate 2 and the shaft provided on the plate 1. A moving body 40 that can move only in the core J direction,
Urging means for urging the moving body 40 in a direction in which a part of the moving body 40 is fitted into the recess 41, and at least a part of the moving body 40 fitted into the recess 41 is formed as a spherical surface. And a remote center compliance device. 2. Plates 1 and 2 arranged on the same axis J with a gap, and a plurality of locking means 3 movably connecting the plates 1 and 2 so as to absorb a relative error between the plates.
And a plurality of positioning means 4 for returning the moved plate 2 on the same axis J as the plate 1. The locking means 3 comprises an insertion hole 10 provided in the plate 1, A shaft body 30 provided on the plate 2 loosely inserted into 10;
The push plate 31 is integrally or locked with the shaft 30 portion penetrating the insertion hole 10, and is sandwiched between the constituent wall surface 10 a of the plate 1 around the insert hole 10 and the constituent wall surface 31 a of the push plate 31. And a plurality of spheres 32
10a and 31a are planes orthogonal to the inclined straight line KL passing through the axis J. On the other hand, the positioning means 4 comprises a conical recess 41 provided on the plate 1 and the shaft provided on the plate 2. A moving body 40 that can move only in the core J direction,
Urging means for urging the moving body 40 in a direction in which a part of the moving body 40 is fitted into the recess 41, and at least a part of the moving body 40 fitted into the recess 41 is formed as a spherical surface. And a remote center compliance device. 3. The remote center compliance device according to claim 1, wherein the axis of the shaft body 30 is on the inclined straight line KL. 4. An annular plate 33 between the spherical body 32 and the constituent wall surface 10a.
The remote center compliance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein 5. The remote center compliance device according to claim 1, wherein the moving body is a sphere. 6. The remote center compliance device according to claim 1, wherein the urging means of the moving body is a coil spring. 7. The remote center compliance device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of spheres 32 are held by a retainer 32a. 8. An angle AGL formed between the axis J and the inclined straight line KL.
Is 5 to 10 °.
The remote center compliance device according to any one of the above.