WO2006046277A1 - Cable handling device for robot - Google Patents

Abstract

A cable handling device for a robot, comprising a turn casing (6) rotatably supported by a support casing (2) and performing turning operation and a connection member (12) introducing a cable (10) from the support casing (2) into the turn casing (6) and enabling the support casing (6) and the turn casing (6) to be turned. The connection member (12) comprises a shell body (13) and a groove (19) formed in the shell body (13) for introducing the cable (10). The shell body (13) comprises an annular plate (14) connected to the turn casing (6) and having a hole in which the cable (10) is inserted and forming the axis of the turn casing (6), a hollow part (15) allowing the groove (19) to communicate with the hole and forming a passage for the cable (10), a disk (16) connected to a drive part swingably driving the turn casing (6), and a spiral column part (18) allowing the annular plate (14) to communicate with the disk (16). The groove (19) is led from the outside of the shell body (13) to the hollow part (15), and spirally formed continuously along the side face of the shell body (13).

Description

 Robot cable treatment device

 Technical field

 [0001] The present invention relates to an industrial robot, and more particularly to a structure for arranging a cable for supplying signals and electric power.

 Background art

 Conventionally, a robot cable treatment apparatus described in Patent Document 1 below is known. Such a cable treatment apparatus for a robot is an industrial robot provided with a connecting member for introducing a cable from a cylindrical support housing into a swivel housing that is rotatably supported by the support housing. In the cable processing apparatus, the connecting member has a hollow portion through which the cable is inserted, and an annular plate connected to the swivel housing, a disc connected to a drive unit that drives the swivel housing, and these A circular column and a circular plate are connected to each other in a U-shape when viewed from the side, and a linear column portion that forms an opening corresponding to a rotation angle is provided, and a cable is introduced from the opening to The pivot axis is a cable passage.

 [0003] According to the cable treatment apparatus for a robot configured as described above, a column portion having a U-shape as viewed from the side surface is provided between the revolving housing and the drive unit that drives the revolving operation. A cable is introduced from the direction of the opening of the part, and the hollow part serving as the pivot axis of the upper annular plate is guided into the swivel housing as a passage.

 [0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-17635

 Disclosure of the invention

 Problems to be solved by the invention

[0005] However, in the cable processing apparatus for a robot described above, when the swivel casing rotates counterclockwise, the column portion 205 of the connecting member is based on FIG. 5 (a) as shown in FIG. 5 (b). The cable and the column 205 come into contact with each other by turning less than 180 °. On the other hand, when the swivel housing 6 is rotated clockwise, the column 205 of the connecting member turns less than 180 ° with respect to FIG. 5 (a) as shown in FIG. The column part 205 contacts. Due to this contact, the turning angle between the turning case 6 and the support case has become smaller than 360 °. If you try to increase the rotation angle, The force that can be considered to make the column portion 205 thin. If the column portion 205 is made too thin, the strength of the column portion 205 becomes insufficient.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and the pivotable range of the support casing and the pivotable casing can be rotated without being affected by the column portion of the connecting member. It is to provide a cable processing device for a bot that can expand the range.

 Means for solving the problem

[0007] A cable processing apparatus for a robot according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a support casing, a swing casing that is pivotally supported by the support casing and pivoted, and the swing casing to the swing casing. In a cable treatment apparatus for a robot, comprising a connecting member for introducing a cable inside and enabling the supporting housing and the turning housing to turn, the connecting member includes an outer body and the outer body. And a groove into which the cable is introduced, and the outer body is connected to the swivel housing and has an annular shape through which the cable is inserted and which serves as an axis of the swivel housing A plate, a hollow portion that communicates the groove and the hole, and serves as a passage for the cable; a disc that is coupled to a drive unit that pivotally drives the swivel housing; and the annular plate and the disc A spiral pillar portion that communicates with the groove, And leads from the outside of the outer body to the hollow portion along said side surface of the outer member are made form consecutively helically It is characterized in.

 Here, the spiral shape of the groove includes a combination of a steep slope and a gentle slope that are formed only by the grooves provided with a uniform slope.

[0008] A cable processing apparatus for a robot according to a second invention is characterized in that the rotation angle between the support housing and the turning housing is 360 ° or more from one end of the groove to the other end of the groove. To do

[0009] A cable processing apparatus for a robot according to a third invention is characterized in that the wall surface of the groove is coated with grease.

[0010] A cable processing device for a robot according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a cable screwing member including a screw formed in a hole of the annular plate, screwed into the screw, and having a hollow portion through which the cable is inserted. And a fixing means for fixing the cable to the screwing member. The invention's effect

 [0011] According to the first invention, when the turning casing turns, the connecting member also turns, and the cable moves from one end of the spiral groove toward the other end.

 When the turning angle of the swivel housing reaches the maximum value, the cable moves to the other end of the spiral groove. That is, the spiral groove in which the cable is continuously formed by the turning of the turning housing is moved. Therefore, it is possible to easily extend the rotation angle without the range in which the support housing and the turning housing can be rotated being affected by the column portion of the connecting member.

 [0012] According to the second invention, the turning angle of the turning casing is not affected by the column portion of the connecting member.

It can be almost 360 ° or more.

[0013] According to the third invention, when the cable moves in the groove formed in the outer body, the cable and the resin coating come into contact with each other, thereby reducing the wear of the outer sheath of the cable. it can.

 [0014] According to the fourth invention, the cable screwing member screwed to the screw of the connecting member linearly moves in the direction of the rotation axis as the turning housing turns. For this reason, the cable also moves linearly via the cable screwing member as the turning housing turns. Therefore, the cable is pressed against the wall surface of the groove of the connecting member. For this reason, the size of the groove of the connecting member can be reduced, and the wear of the outer sheath of the cable can be further reduced.

 Brief Description of Drawings

 FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a cable processing apparatus for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connecting member used in the cable processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

 FIG. 3 is a development view of the connecting member shown in FIG. 2.

 FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a cable processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

 FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view (a) and (b) of a conventional connecting member.

 Explanation of symbols

 [0016] 2 support housings, 6 swivel housings, 10 cables, 13 outer bodies, 14 annular plates, 15 hollow parts, 16 discs, 18 column parts, 19 grooves.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION [0017] Embodiment 1

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a cable processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connecting member through which a cable according to an embodiment of the present invention is inserted.

 In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a motor receiving portion 2 a is provided inside the support housing 2, and the motor 4 is fixed via a flange 5. The flange is provided with a speed reduction mechanism 8 serving as a drive unit for the swivel housing 6, and is configured to rotationally drive the swivel housing 6 via a connecting member 12 attached above the speed reduction mechanism 8. Yes. It is formed so as to be pivotally supported via a bearing 31 at the upper opening of the support housing 2 so as to operate the swivel housing 6 and the connecting member 12. The lower part of the connecting member 12 is formed so that the connecting member 12 and the drive part can be rotated with respect to the support housing 2 via a bearing 33.

 A cable 10 for transmitting signals and power is inserted from the groove 19 of the connecting member 12 and passes through the axial center line of the swivel housing 6, and is arranged inside the swivel housing 6 through the hole 14 e of the annular plate 14 of the connecting member 12. And is fixed inside the swivel housing 6.

[0018] The connecting member 12 is made of metal and has an outer body 13 and a groove 19 provided in the outer body 13. The outer body 13 is connected to the swivel housing 6 and the cable 10 is A hollow portion which is inserted and communicated with the annular plate 14 having a hole 14e whose center coincides with the axis of the swivel housing 6 and the groove 19 and the hole 14e of the annular plate 14 and which serves as a passage for the cable 10. 15, a disk 16 connected to a drive unit that drives the swing housing 6 to rotate, and an annular plate 14 and a spiral column 18 that communicates the disk 16.

 [0019] The annular plate 14 is provided with a plurality of holes 14a, and is fixed to the lower end portion of the swivel housing 6 through the holes 14a using a ring-shaped lid 41. The disc 16 is also provided with a plurality of holes, and is fixed to the speed reduction mechanism 8 through the holes.

The groove 19 communicates with the hollow portion 15 from the outside of the outer body 13, and the cable 10 is introduced and continuously formed in a spiral along the side surface of the outer body 13. The force at one end is also formed at 360 ° by the rotation angle between the swivel housing 6 and the support housing 2 up to the other end of the groove 19. Referring to FIG. 3 in which the connecting member 12 is cut and expanded by the reference line force shown in FIG. 2, a groove corresponding to the thickness of the cable 10 is formed at one end of the groove 19 outside the reference line. The other end of 19 In the portion, a groove corresponding to the thickness of the cable 10 is formed inside the reference line. Thus, the converted value obtained by converting twice the thickness of the cable 10 into the rotation angle is equal to or greater than 360 °.

 As described above, in order to set the rotation angle between the swivel housing 6 and the support housing 2 to be 360 ° or more, the circumference of the connecting member 12 should be made at least once, and the thickness of the cable 10 should be doubled. It is necessary to form a groove 19 having a width as follows.

 The size of the groove 19 is larger than the diameter of the cable 10 so that the cable 10 can be inserted, and the cable 10 moves to the wall of the groove 19 by the movement of the cable 10 as the connecting member 19 rotates. Is also formed slightly larger.

 The shape of the groove 19 is preferably a spiral shape in that the cable 10 can smoothly move in the groove 19 continuously by turning the swivel housing, and the cable 10 does not come into contact with the column portion 18. Further, the length of the column portion 18 formed between the upper groove and the lower groove on the axis of the groove 19 and the adjacent groove 19 is determined by the strength of the connecting member 12 and the like. The wall surface of the groove 19 is provided with a 0.5 mm resin coating layer 21. This is to prevent the cable 10 from being damaged. Nylon is preferable as the resin.

 Next, the operation of the cable processing apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. Now, when the motor 4 is powered on, the speed reduction mechanism 8 rotates the rotating housing 6 clockwise via the connecting member 12. While the cable 10 arranged in the hollow portion 15 of the connecting member 12 is maintained on the pivot axis, the cable 10 gradually responds to this rotation by the one end force of the spiral groove 19 in the connecting member 12. Then move down and move smoothly. When the rotation angle eventually reaches 360 °, it moves to the other end of the spiral groove 19.

 On the other hand, the swivel housing 6 rotates counterclockwise. Corresponding to this rotation, the cable 10 gradually rises and moves from the other end of the spiral groove 19 in the connecting member 12. When the rotation angle eventually reaches 360 °, it moves smoothly to one end of the spiral groove 19.

[0023] In the cable processing apparatus 1 described above, the connecting member 12 is rotated by the drive of the motor 4, whereby the swivel housing 6 is swung to move the spiral groove 19 in which the cable 10 is continuously formed. Move. That is, the pivotable range of the swivel housing 6 is determined by the length of the groove 19 formed around the outer body 13 of the connecting member 12. Rotating casing 6 can be rotated by column 18 of connecting member 12 The range is not determined.

 Without being influenced by the spirally formed column portion 18 of the connecting member 12, the connecting member 12 is rotated by the turning of the swivel casing 6, and the cable 10 can smoothly move in the spiral groove 19. There is an effect that the pivotable angle of the swivel housing 6 is not easily limited by the column portion 18 of the connecting member 12. Also, since the groove 19 of the connecting member 12 is formed in a spiral shape, the cable 10 can smoothly move in the groove 19.

 [0024] In the cable processing apparatus 1, the wall surface of the groove 19 of the connecting member 12 is provided with the resin coating 21, so that the spiral groove 19 in which the cable 10 is continuously formed is provided. Even if it moves, the cable 10 is not easily worn.

 [0025] In the cable processing apparatus 1, the rotation angle between the support housing 2 and the swivel housing 6 is 360 ° and a conversion value obtained by converting twice the thickness of the cable 10 into a rotation angle is added. Is greater than or equal to Therefore, the turning angle of the swivel housing 6 can be 360 ° or more.

 [0026] In the cable processing apparatus 1, the spiral groove 19 of the connecting member 12 includes one in which the inclination in the developed view shown in FIG.

 In addition, the connecting member 12 may be configured such that each of the force parts formed by the outer shell including the annular plate 14, the column portion 18, and the disc 16 are formed as separate members.

 Embodiment 2.

 FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cable processing apparatus shown in FIG. 4 according to another embodiment of the present invention. 4, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 denote the same or corresponding parts, and the description thereof will be omitted.

 In FIG. 4, in the cable processing device, a ring-shaped lid 141 is provided with a screw hole inside the hollow. A screw 103m to be screwed into the screw hole is provided, a cable screwing member 103 having a hollow portion 103e through which the cable 10 is passed, and a fixing means for fixing the cable 10 to the cable screwing member 103. ing.

 In the fixing means, a ring-shaped elastic member 153 is fixed to a groove provided in a joint portion between the ring-shaped lid 141 and the cable screwing member 103, and the cable 10 is fixed by the elastic member 153.

Next, the operation of the cable processing device configured as described above will be described with reference mainly to FIG. Now, when power is supplied to the motor 4, the connecting member 12 is connected via the speed reduction mechanism 8. As a result, the swivel housing 6 rotates clockwise. Corresponding to this rotation, the cable screwing member 103 moves downward in the linear motion. At the same time, the cable 10 gradually moves downward and smoothly at one end of the spiral groove 19 in the connecting member 12. When the rotation angle eventually reaches 360 °, it moves to the other end of the spiral groove 19.

 On the other hand, the swivel housing 6 rotates counterclockwise. Corresponding to this rotation, the cable screwing member 103 moves upward in a linear motion. At the same time, the cable 10 gradually rises and moves from the other end of the spiral groove 19 in the connecting member 12 in response to this rotation. When the rotation angle eventually reaches 360 °, it moves smoothly to one end of the spiral groove 19.

[0029] In the cable processing apparatus 101, since the linear movement direction of the cable screwing member 103 and the direction in which the cable 10 moves to the groove 19 of the connecting member 12 match, the cable 10 has a groove of the connecting member 12 It becomes difficult to contact the wall surface of 19. Therefore, the wear of the outer sheath of the cable 10 is reduced.

 [0030] In the cable processing apparatus 101, since the cable 10 comes into contact with the wall surface of the groove 19 of the connecting member 12, it is sufficient that the size of the groove 19 of the connecting member 12 is slightly larger than that of the cable 10. . Therefore, the length of the connecting member 12 in the vertical direction can be shortened compared to the first embodiment.

[0031] In the cable processing apparatus 101, the hole 14e of the connecting member 12 is provided with a screw. It is also possible to fix it so that it is aligned with the center, provide a screw in the hollow portion of the cylindrical member, and screw the cable screw member 103 into the screw.

 Industrial applicability

The cable processing apparatus according to the present invention is suitable for robot cable processing.

Claims

The scope of the claims  [1] a support housing;  A swivel housing that is pivotally supported by the support housing and pivoted;  A cable treatment device for a robot, comprising: a cable that introduces a cable from the support housing into the swivel housing; and a connecting member that enables the support housing and the swivel housing to turn. ¾ 【こ; i l / 、、  The connecting member has an outer body and a groove into which the cable provided in the outer body is introduced,  The outer body is connected to the swivel housing, the cable is inserted, and the annular plate having a hole serving as an axis of the swivel housing is communicated with the groove and the hole. A hollow portion serving as a cable passage, a disk coupled to a drive unit that drives the swivel case to rotate, and a spiral column that communicates the annular plate and the disk,  The groove communicates with the hollow portion from the outside of the outer body, and is continuously formed in a spiral shape along the side surface of the outer body.  A cable processing apparatus for a robot. [2] From the one end of the groove to the other end of the groove, the rotation angle of the support housing and the turning housing is 360 ° or more.  The robot cable processing device according to claim 1, wherein [3] The groove wall surface is coated with grease.  The robot cable processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein [4] forming a screw in the hole of the annular plate;  A cable screwing member having a hollow portion through which the cable is inserted and screwed into the screw;  Fixing means for fixing the cable to the screwing member;  The robot cable processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: