WO2025089148A1 - Actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

This actuator comprises: a motor 16; a motor controller 62 that controls the motor 16; an acquisition unit 74 that acquires a detection value of state information indicating the state of the actuator detected by a sensor; and an output unit 66 that outputs, from among a plurality of predetermined divisions regarding detection values, a division to which the detection value of the state information acquired by the acquisition unit belongs. The output unit 66 may be a display that displays, from among the plurality of divisions, a division to which the detection value of the state information detected by the sensor belongs.

Description

Actuator

This disclosure relates to actuators.

Patent document 1 discloses an actuator that includes a motor and a motor controller that controls the motor. The motor controller controls the motor so that the actuator operates according to a commanded operating pattern.

JP 2022-142033 A

There are cases where it is desirable to easily know whether the actuator's condition is good or bad. There are also cases where it is desirable to easily know whether the commanded operating pattern is good or bad. There are also cases where it is desirable to simplify the actuator's configuration in order to make the actuator output a notification sound.

Therefore, one of the objectives of this disclosure is to provide technology that can easily determine whether the state of an actuator or a commanded operating pattern is good or bad, or technology that can simplify the configuration of an actuator when making the actuator output a notification sound.

The actuator of the present disclosure includes a motor, a motor controller that controls the motor, an acquisition unit that acquires a detection value of status information indicating the status of the actuator detected by a sensor, and an output unit that outputs to which of a plurality of predetermined categories of the detection value the detection value of the status information acquired from the acquisition value belongs.

An actuator according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a motor, a motor controller for controlling the motor, a test operation execution unit for executing a test operation in which the motor controller operates the actuator for a predetermined time according to a commanded operation pattern, an acquisition unit for acquiring at least one of a detection value of state information indicating the state of the actuator detected by a sensor during the test operation and operation time information relating to the operation time of the commanded operation pattern, an evaluation unit for evaluating the commanded operation pattern with respect to predetermined evaluation items based on the acquisition result of the acquisition unit, and an output unit for outputting the evaluation result by the evaluation unit.

An actuator according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a motor, a reducer, a motor controller that controls the motor, and a notification unit that controls the motor using the motor controller to keep an output member that outputs the rotation of the reducer stationary while causing the motor to output a notification sound consisting of an electromagnetic sound.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily grasp whether the state of the actuator or the commanded operation pattern is good or bad. Also, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the actuator when making the actuator output a notification sound.

FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the actuator of the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an actuator according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functions of the actuator of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between a detection value by a sensor and a division. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between a detection value by a sensor and an output target. 13 is a flowchart showing a first output process. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the functions of an actuator according to a second embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an operation pattern. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between characteristics that are evaluation items and categories. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between characteristics that are evaluation items and scores. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between characteristics that are evaluation items and output targets. 13 is a flowchart showing a second output process. 1 is a graph showing the relationship between the rotation speed and torque of an actuator and thermal stability during long-term operation. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between thermal stability during long-term operation, which is an evaluation item, and a rating score. FIG. 13 is a side view illustrating a schematic view of an actuator according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the functions of an actuator according to a fourth embodiment.

Below, an embodiment for implementing the actuator of the present disclosure will be described. The same or equivalent elements will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. In each drawing, for the sake of convenience of explanation, components will be omitted, enlarged, or reduced as appropriate. The drawings should be viewed according to the orientation of the reference numerals.

(First embodiment) See FIG. 1. An actuator 10 is incorporated into a driven machine as a part of the driven machine, and drives a driven member 12 that is part of the driven machine. The driven machine is, for example, various machines such as industrial machines (machine tools, construction machines, etc.), robots (industrial robots, service robots, etc.), and transport equipment (conveyors, vehicles, etc.). The actuator 10 is fixed to an external fixed member 14.

The actuator 10 comprises a motor 16, a reducer 18 that reduces the speed of the rotation input from the motor 16 and outputs it to a driven member, and a controller unit 20 that is provided on the anti-load side of the motor 16. In this specification, the side of the reducer 18 in the axial direction of the motor 16 is referred to as the load side, and the side opposite in the axial direction is referred to as the anti-load side.

The motor 16 includes a motor shaft 22, a stator and rotor (not shown) that rotate the motor shaft 22, and a motor casing 24 that houses them.

The reducer 18 includes an input shaft 26 to which rotation is input from the motor shaft 22, a reduction mechanism (not shown) that reduces the rotation input to the input shaft 26, a reducer casing 28 that houses the reduction mechanism, and a reducer internal member 30 that is provided on the load side within the reducer casing 28. The input shaft 26 in this embodiment is integrally provided by the same member as the motor shaft 22, but may be a separate member from the motor shaft 22. The reducer 18 outputs the rotation reduced by the reduction mechanism from the output member 32 to the driven member 12. The output member 32 in this embodiment is the reducer internal member 30, but may be the reducer casing 28. Specific examples of the reduction mechanism are not particularly limited. The reduction mechanism may be, for example, an eccentric oscillating reduction mechanism, a flexure meshing reduction mechanism, a simple planetary gear mechanism, or the like. Specific examples of the eccentric oscillating reduction mechanism are not particularly limited, and may be either a center crank type or a distribution type. There are no particular limitations on the type of flexure mesh type reduction mechanism, and it may be a cup type, a top hat type, a cylinder type, etc. The reduction mechanism may be a gear mechanism or a traction drive, etc.

The controller unit 20 comprises a board fixing member 34 attached to the motor casing 24, and a first circuit board 36 and a second circuit board 38 fixed to the board fixing member 34. A processing chip that constitutes a motor controller 62 (not shown), which will be described later, is mounted on the first circuit board 36.

Refer to Figures 1 and 2. The actuator 10 includes a display 50 provided at the opposite load end 10a of the actuator 10. The display 50 in this embodiment is a light emitter 52 that emits light to display the display content to be displayed. The display 50 may be a display, an analog meter, or the like, in addition to the light emitter 52. The light emitter 52 includes at least one light emitter 52a capable of emitting light. The light emitter 52 is capable of changing the light emission color. To achieve this, the light emitter 52 may be capable of changing the light emission color of the light emitter 52a itself. In this case, the light emitter 52 may be configured, for example, with a full-color LED or the like. In addition, the light emitter 52 may be capable of changing the light emission color by changing the light emitter 52a that emits light from among the multiple light emitters 52a. In this case, each of the multiple light emitters 52a may be configured, for example, with a monochromatic LED capable of emitting light in a different color.

The display 50 of this embodiment is mounted on a second circuit board 38 provided at the anti-load end 10a of the actuator 10. The second circuit board 38 of this embodiment is shaped like a ring extending in the circumferential direction around the rotation center line C32 of the output member 32. As an example, the second circuit board 38 of this embodiment is an annular board provided over the entire circumferential range, but may be provided over only a portion of the circumferential range. This shape allows the wiring member that passes through a hollow portion (not shown) that axially penetrates the actuator 10 to pass inside the second circuit board 38. The shape of the second circuit board 38 is an example and is not limited to this.

The display location that displays the content to be displayed by the light-emitting device 52 may be the light-emitting portion 52a of the light-emitting device 52 itself, or may be the location irradiated by the light emitted by the light-emitting device 52. The display device 50 is exposed to the anti-load side space 54 that is on the anti-load side of the actuator 10. In this embodiment, this condition is met by the light-emitting portion 52a of the light-emitting device 52. As a result, the light-emitting portion 52a of the light-emitting device 52 is provided so that it can be seen from the outside. The display device 50 is also provided so that the display location that displays the content to be displayed can be seen from the outside.

Refer to Figure 3. In terms of hardware, each block can be realized by electronic elements (electronic components) such as a computer's CPU, mechanical components, etc., and in terms of software, they can be realized by computer programs, etc. Here, functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these are depicted. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combining hardware and software.

The actuator 10 includes at least one sensor 60A-60D that detects status information indicating the status of the actuator 10, a motor controller 62 that controls the motor 16, a processing device 64 that processes data related to the actuator 10, and an output unit 66 that outputs the results of processing by the processing device 64.

The "status information" detected by sensors 60A-60D refers to, for example, information relating to the rotation of actuator 10, temperature, vibration, etc. Here, "information relating to rotation" refers to the torque acting on the rotating body or fixed body due to the rotation of the rotating body constituting actuator 10, the rotation speed of the rotating body, the phase of the rotating body, etc. A "rotating body" refers to something that rotates relative to the fixed body when actuator 10 is in operation, and a "fixed body" refers to something that is fixed to fixed member 14 that supports actuator 10. Here, "temperature" refers to the temperature of the components or internal space of actuator 10. Here, "vibration" refers to vibration acting on the components of actuator 10, and is represented by the acceleration, speed, etc. of the components.

In this embodiment, there is a sensor group 68 consisting of a plurality of sensors 60A-60D that detect different types of status information. The plurality of sensors 60A-60D include rotation sensors 60A, 60B that detect information related to the rotation of the actuator 10, a temperature sensor 60C that detects the temperature of the actuator 10, and a vibration sensor 60D that detects vibrations of the actuator 10. The rotation sensors 60A, 60B include a first rotation sensor 60A that detects information related to the rotation of the motor shaft 22, and a second rotation sensor 60B that detects information related to the rotation of the output member 32. The first rotation sensor 60A detects, for example, the input rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the motor shaft 22, as information related to the rotation of the motor shaft 22. The second rotation sensor 60B detects, for example, the load torque, which is the torque acting on the output member 32, as information related to the rotation of the output member 32. The rotation sensors 60A, 60B are realized by various rotation sensors, such as an encoder and a resolver. The temperature sensor 60C is realized by various temperature sensors such as a thermistor or a thermocouple. The vibration sensor 60D is realized by various vibration sensors such as an acceleration sensor. Each of the sensors 60A to 60D in the sensor group 68 can output the detected value of the status information to the motor controller 62.

The motor controller 62 is, for example, a servo amplifier, but may also be an inverter. The motor controller 62 controls the operation of the motor 16 based on an operation command sent from the external control device 58 to command the operation of the actuator 10. The external control device 58 may be a higher-level controller that comprehensively controls multiple actuators 10, or an information processing terminal used for fault diagnosis of the actuator 10. The motor controller 62, which is made up of a servo amplifier, controls the operation of the motor 16 based on the detection value of the status information detected by the sensors 60A to 60D. For example, the motor controller 62 controls the motor 16 so that the detection value related to the phase, rotation speed, or torque detected by the rotation sensors 60A and 60B approaches the command value of the operation command related to the phase, rotation speed, or torque sent from the external control device. The control contents of the motor controller 62 are one example and are not limited to this.

Refer to FIG. 4. Before describing the details of the processing device 64 and the output unit 66, the underlying concept will be described. A plurality of sections 70A to 70E are predefined for the detection values of the status information detected by the sensors 60A to 60D. Here, an example is shown in which a plurality of sections 70A to 70E are predefined for the detection values of the torque detected by the first rotation sensor 60A, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 60C, and the vibration detected by the vibration sensor 60D. The plurality of sections 70A to 70E are obtained by dividing the possible range of the detection values detected by the sensors 60A to 60D into a plurality of sections. Here, an example is shown in which a first section 70A, a second section 70B, a third section 70C, a fourth section 70D, and a fifth section 70E exist. The plurality of sections 70A to 70E include the first section 70A to the fourth section 70D, which are within a predetermined allowable range Ra for the detection values of the status information, and the fifth section 70E, which is outside the allowable range Ra. The first section 70A to the fourth section 70D divide the allowable range Ra into multiple sections. The allowable range Ra is set, for example, taking into consideration the lifespan of the actuator 10. If the detected value falls into the fifth section 70E, which is outside the allowable range Ra, it may have a negative effect on the lifespan of the actuator 10.

The multiple sections 70A to 70E are determined based on at least one reference value V ₁ to V ₃ , V _L that is preset for the detection value. The reference values V ₁ to V ₃ , V _L include an allowable upper limit value V _L (allowable limit value) that indicates the limit of the allowable range Ra that is preset for the detection value. In this embodiment, the other reference values V ₁ to V ₃ are set based on the allowable upper limit value V _L. These reference values V ₁ to V ₃ include a first reference value V ₁ , a second reference value V ₂ , and a third reference value V ₃ that are 10%, 70%, and 90% of the allowable upper limit value V _L. The first section 70A is set as a range from 0 to the first reference value V _1. The second section 70B is set as a range exceeding the first reference value V ₁ and not exceeding the second reference value V _2. The third section 70C is set as a range exceeding the second reference value V ₂ and not exceeding the third reference value V ₃ . The fourth section 70D is set as a range exceeding the third reference value _V3 and not exceeding the allowable upper limit value _VL . The fifth section 70E is set as a range exceeding the allowable upper limit value _VL . In addition to the multiple sections 70A to 70E, the reference values _V1 to _V3 and _VL that specify the multiple sections 70A to 70E are set individually for each detection value of the multiple types of status information. In this embodiment, the same number and range of sections 70A to 70E are set for each detection value of the multiple types of status information. Note that the number and range of the multiple sections 70A to 70E are merely examples and may be adjusted as appropriate. Furthermore, the number and range of the multiple sections 70A to 70E may differ for each detection of individual status information.

Each of the multiple divisions 70A to 70E is assigned a level of importance in advance. Here, the level of importance is indicated by a number in a circle. The level of importance indicates the degree of need to alert the user to the state of the status information indicated by the detection value belonging to the division. In this embodiment, the fifth division 70E, which is outside the allowable range Ra, has the highest level of importance. In addition, in this embodiment, the closer the division 70A to 70E is to the allowable upper limit value VL within the allowable range _Ra , the higher the level of importance associated with that division. As a result, the higher the detection value belonging to the divisions 70A to 70E, the higher the level of importance associated with that division. Each of the multiple divisions 70A to 70E is assigned an individual level of importance. The conditions of importance described here are met in the same way for the multiple divisions 70A to 70E corresponding to each of the multiple types of status information.

With the above in mind, the functions of each block of the processing device 64 will be explained with reference to FIG. 3. The processing device 64 is composed of a processing chip 38a (see FIG. 2) mounted on the second circuit board 38. The processing device is connected to the motor controller 62, and can exchange information with the external control device 58 and sensors 60A-60D via the motor controller 62. The processing device 64 of this embodiment includes a memory unit 72, an acquisition unit 74, a determination unit 76, and an output control unit 78.

The storage unit 72 stores reference values V ₁ to V ₃ , V _L for identifying a plurality of sections 70A to 70E relating to the detection values of the respective types of status information.

The acquisition unit 74 acquires the detection values of the status information detected by the sensors 60A-60D. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 74 sequentially acquires the detection values of multiple types of status information detected by each of the multiple sensors 60A-60D while the actuator 10 is in operation. To achieve this, the acquisition unit 74 may acquire from the motor controller 62 the detection values that the motor controller 62 receives from the sensors 60A-60D, or may acquire them directly from the sensors 60A-60D.

The determination unit 76 determines which of the multiple sections 70A to 70E the detection value acquired by the acquisition unit 74 belongs to, based on the detection value acquired by the acquisition unit 74 and reference values V ₁ to V ₃ and V _L predetermined for the detection value. At this time, the determination unit 76 reads out the reference values V ₁ to V ₃ and V _L for specifying the section 70A to 70E corresponding to the detection value acquired by the acquisition unit 74 from the storage unit 72. The determination unit 76 determines which of the multiple sections 70A to 70E specified by the reference values V ₁ to V ₃ and V _L the detection value acquired by the acquisition unit 74 belongs to, based on the reference values V ₁ to V ₃ and V _L read out from the storage unit 72.

The output control unit 78 is capable of controlling the output unit 66. Under the control of the output control unit 78, the output unit 66 outputs the category to which the detection value of the status information determined by the determination unit 76 belongs. The output unit 66 outputs which of the multiple categories 70A to 70E the detection value of the status information belongs to. The output unit 66 in this embodiment is a display 50 that displays the category to be output, thereby outputting the category. The display 50 in this embodiment is also a light-emitting device 52 that displays the category by emitting light in a light-emitting mode according to the category to be output.

The light emission mode of the light emitter 52 can be adjusted by selecting the light emission color of the light emitter 52, as well as continuous or blinking light emission of the light emitter 52. See Fig. 5. An example of the light emission mode corresponding to each of the sections 70A to 70E will be shown below.
First section 70A: Continuous light emission in blue Second section 70B: Continuous light emission in green Third section 70C: Continuous light emission in yellow Fourth section 70D: Continuous light emission in red Fifth section 70E: Flashing light emission in red

In this example, when the detection value falls into the fifth section 70E outside the allowable range Ra, the light emitter 52 flashes, and when the detection value falls into the first to fourth sections 70A to 70D within the allowable range Ra, the light emitter 52 emits light continuously. Also, in this example, the closer the section to which the detection value belongs is to the allowable upper limit value _VL within the allowable range Ra, the more the wavelength of the emitted color is monotonically increased, making it easier to grasp that the detection value is approaching the allowable upper limit value _VL . From a similar perspective, the closer the section to which the detection value belongs is to the allowable upper limit value _VL , the more the wavelength of the emitted color may be monotonically decreased.

Under the control of the output control unit 78, the output unit 66 outputs the most important category among the categories to which the detection values of the multiple types of status information determined by the determination unit 76 belong. FIG. 5 shows an example in which the detection value of torque belongs to the fifth category 70E, which has the highest importance, and the detection values of temperature and vibration belong to the second category 70B, which has the lowest importance. In this case, the display 50 serving as the output unit 66 displays the fifth category 70E, which has the highest importance. At this time, the light emitter 52 serving as the display 50 flashes red as a light emission mode corresponding to the fifth category 70E, which has the highest importance.

At this time, the user can only ascertain from the display 50 the category to which the most important detection value belongs, and cannot ascertain the type of status information indicated by that detection value. Furthermore, the user cannot even ascertain categories to which detection values with lower importance than the displayed category belong. Therefore, when the output control unit 78 displays the category to which the most important detection value belongs on the display 50, the output control unit 78 may send information to the external information processing terminal for identifying the type of status information indicated by that detection value. In addition, the output control unit 78 may send information to the external information processing terminal for identifying the category and type of status information other than the category displayed on the display 50. In this case, the external information processing terminal may display that information to the user.

Refer to FIG. 6. The flow of the first output process performed by the processing device 64 will be described. The first output process may be repeatedly performed while the actuator 10 is in operation. When the first output process is started, the acquisition unit 74 acquires detection values of different types of status information detected by each of the multiple sensors 60A-60D (S10). Thereafter, the determination unit 76 determines to which of the multiple categories the detection values of the multiple types of status information belong (S12). Thereafter, under the control of the output control unit 78, the output unit 66 outputs the category to which the detection values determined by the determination unit 76 belong (S14). At this time, the output unit 66 outputs the category with the highest importance among the categories to which the detection values of the multiple types of status information belong. This ends the first output process.

The effect of the actuator 10 of the first embodiment will be explained. The actuator 10 has an output unit 66 that outputs to which of multiple categories the detection value of the status information belongs. As a result, by knowing the category to which the detection value of the sensors 60A-60D output from the output unit 66 belongs, it is possible to know the state of the status information detected by the sensors 60A-60D, and therefore the state of the actuator 10.

For example, by knowing that the category to which the detected value belongs is the fifth category 70E outside the allowable range Ra, it is possible to know that an abnormality has occurred in the state of the status information to be detected by the sensors 60A-60D. Also, by knowing which of the multiple categories 70A-70D within the allowable range Ra the category to which the detected value belongs, it is possible to know how close the detected value is to the allowable upper limit value _VL . In this way, in knowing the category to which the detected value output from the output unit 66 belongs, the category may be displayed by the display 50 or may be displayed by an external display. In particular, since the output unit 66 outputs the category while the actuator 10 is operating, it is possible to continuously know the state of the actuator 10 while the actuator 10 is operating.

The output unit 66 is a display 50 that displays to which of multiple categories the status information detected by the sensors 60A-60D belongs. This makes it easy to know which category the detected value of the status information belongs to by visually checking the display by the display 50.

The output unit 66 outputs the most important category among the categories to which the detection values of each of the multiple types of status information belong. This makes it possible to use the output of the output unit 66 to grasp only the state of the status information indicated by the detection values that belong to the most important category among the multiple types of status information. Furthermore, because only the most important category is output, the display content of the output of the output unit 66 is simplified. In this case, for example, consider a case where the highest importance is associated with a category in which the detection value is outside the allowable range Ra. In this case, if an abnormality occurs in the state of the status information that is the target of detection by any of the sensors 60A-60D, it can be grasped using the output of the output unit 66.

The display 50 displays the category to which the detection value of the sensors 60A-60D belongs by emitting light in a manner that corresponds to the category to which the detection value belongs. This makes it easy to understand the category to which the detection value of the status information belongs by visually checking the light emission mode of the light emitter 52.

(A1) The display 50 of this embodiment is provided at the anti-load end 10a of the actuator 10. The load end of the actuator 10 is usually connected to an external member such as the driven member 12 (see FIG. 1). For this reason, if the display 50 is provided at the load end of the actuator 10, the external member makes it difficult to see the display 50. Also, if the display 50 is provided on the outer periphery of the actuator 10, when the outer periphery of the actuator 10 rotates, the display 50 moves significantly, making it difficult to see the display 50. In this regard, an external member is usually not connected to the anti-load end 10a of the actuator 10. Also, even if the anti-load end 10a of the actuator 10 rotates, the amount of movement becomes smaller as it approaches the center of rotation, compared to when the outer periphery of the actuator 10 rotates. By providing the display 50 at such an anti-load end 10a of the actuator 10, it becomes easier to see the display content of the display 50.

(A2) The display 50 is exposed in the anti-load space 54, which is on the anti-load side of the actuator 10. This allows the display 50 to be directly visible, making it easy to understand what is displayed.

The motor controller 62 is capable of operating the actuator 10 in any one of a plurality of operating modes. The motor controller 62 operates the actuator 10 in an operating mode specified by the external control device 58. The plurality of operating modes includes a normal operating mode in which the actuator 10 is operated with the first output process described above to drive the driven member 12. In addition, the plurality of operating modes includes a setup mode for setting the actuator 10, and a safe mode in which the operations that can be performed are more limited than in the normal operating mode. The safe mode is used, for example, for diagnosing faults in the actuator 10.

The above description is of an example in which the display 50, while the actuator 10 is in the normal operation mode, emits light in a light emission pattern that corresponds to the classification to which the detection value belongs, thereby displaying that classification. In addition, while the actuator 10 is in an operation mode other than the normal operation mode, the display 50 may display the current operation mode by emitting light in a light emission pattern that differs from the light emission patterns that correspond to the multiple classifications and in a light emission pattern that corresponds to that operation mode. For example, while the actuator 10 is in the setup mode or safe mode, the display 50 may display the current operation mode by emitting light in a light emission pattern that corresponds to that operation mode.

(Second embodiment) Refer to FIG. 7. An actuator 10 of a second embodiment will be described. In the following embodiments, the same contents as those of the first embodiment may be applied to the components described in the first embodiment that are not described below. The actuator 10 of this embodiment also has the same configuration as the first embodiment, except for the processing device 64. Details of the processing device 64 will be described later. The contents disclosed in the first embodiment have been mainly described as being used during operation of the actuator 10. The contents disclosed in this embodiment are mainly used during the operation pattern setting work described next.

Refer to FIG. 8. The motor controller 62 of this embodiment controls the motor 16 so that the actuator 10 operates according to a commanded operation pattern 80 (hereinafter referred to as the commanded operation pattern). Here, the input rotation speed and load torque per time of the commanded operation pattern 80 are shown. The motor controller 62 of this embodiment controls the motor 16 so that the actuator 10 operates according to a cycle operation that repeats the commanded operation pattern 80. The commanded operation pattern 80 is composed of a combination of an operation section 82 in which the actuator 10 is operated and a stop section 84 in which the operation of the actuator 10 is stopped. The operation section 82 includes an acceleration section 86 for accelerating the motor 16, a constant speed section 88 for operating the motor 16 at a constant speed, and a deceleration section 90 for decelerating the motor 16.

The commanded operation pattern 80 is commanded by an operation command sent from the external control device 58 to the motor controller 62. The operation command includes a command value of operation time information related to the operation time of the commanded operation pattern 80. The operation time information includes, for example, an operation time _tO required to execute the operation section 82, an acceleration time _tA , a constant speed operation time _tR , and a deceleration time _tB required to execute the acceleration section 86, the constant speed section 88, and the deceleration section 90, respectively, and a stop time _tP required to execute the entire stop section 84. In addition, the operation command includes, for example, command values of the input rotation speed and the load torque. The motor controller 62 controls the motor 16 based on the command information so that the actuator 10 operates according to the commanded operation pattern 80. At this time, the motor controller 62 controls the motor 16 so that, for example, the detection value of the input rotation speed detected by the first rotation sensor 60A approaches the command value and the detection value of the load torque detected by the second rotation sensor 60B approaches the command value.

Refer to FIG. 9. Before describing the details of the processing device 64, the underlying concept will first be explained. The processing device 64 of this embodiment is characterized in that it evaluates a commanded operation pattern with respect to predetermined evaluation items. These evaluation items affect the lifespan of the actuator 10. Here, an example is described in which the evaluation items are predetermined characteristics with respect to the commanded operation pattern 80. Also, here, an example is described in which the characteristics that are the evaluation items are predetermined specification characteristics to ensure normal operation in the specifications of the actuator 10, and the load time rate of the commanded operation pattern.

The specification characteristics here particularly refer to characteristics related to the torque (N·m) or rotation speed (min ⁻¹ ) of a specific member of the actuator 10. The specification characteristics refer to, for example, the average input rotation speed (min ⁻¹ ), the average load torque (N·m), the maximum input rotation speed (min ⁻¹ ), the peak torque (N·m), and the like. The "average input rotation speed" is the time average value of the rotation speed of the motor shaft 22 in the operation section 82. The "average load torque" refers to the time average value of the load torque acting on the output member 32 in the operation section 82. The "maximum input rotation speed" is the maximum value of the input rotation speed in the operation section 82. The "peak torque" refers to the peak torque acting on the output member 32 in the operation section 82. Specific examples of the specification characteristics are not particularly limited, and may be, for example, the average output rotation speed, which is the time average value of the rotation speed of the output member 32 in the operation section 82.

The duty cycle rate (%) is also called %ED. This duty cycle rate indicates the ratio of the operation time _t0 to the total time T _of the operation time t0 and the stop time _tP of the commanded operation pattern, and can be expressed by the following formula (1).
Duty time rate=operation time t _O /(operation time t _O +stop time t _P ) (1)

Similar to the first embodiment, multiple divisions 70A to 70E are predefined for the characteristics that are the aforementioned evaluation items. Here, an example is shown in which multiple divisions 70A to 70E are defined for each of the evaluation items, namely, average input speed, average load torque, maximum input speed, peak torque, and duty time rate. The multiple divisions 70A to 70E are obtained by dividing the possible range of the characteristics that are the evaluation items into multiple divisions. Here, an example is shown in which the multiple divisions 70A to 70E include the first division 70A to the fifth division 70E, as in the first embodiment. The basic concept of the multiple divisions 70A to 70E is the same as in the first embodiment. The multiple divisions 70A to 70E include the first to fourth divisions 70D that are within the allowable range Ra, and the fifth division 70E that is outside the allowable range Ra. Note that the multiple divisions 70A to 70D for the load time rate characteristic do not include the fifth division 70E, but include the first division 70A to the fourth division 70D.

The multiple sections 70A to 70E are determined based on the reference values V ₁ to V ₃ and V _L that are preset for the characteristics that are evaluation items, as in the first embodiment. The reference values V ₁ to V ₃ and V _L include an allowable upper limit value V _L that indicates the limit of the allowable range Ra that is preset for the characteristics. The allowable upper limit value V _L is set in consideration of the life of the actuator 10, etc. The other reference values V ₁ to V ₃ are set based on the allowable upper limit value V _L , as in the first embodiment. When the characteristics that are evaluation items are specification characteristics as in this embodiment, the allowable upper limit value V _L is a rated value that is preset in the specifications of the actuator 10. For example, the rated value of the average load torque is determined as the rated torque. When the characteristic that is evaluation item is a load time rate, the allowable upper limit value V _L is 100%.

When evaluating the characteristic that is an evaluation item, the actual value of that characteristic corresponding to the commanded operation pattern 80 is derived. When deriving the actual value of the average input rotation speed that is an evaluation item, a known relational expression described below may be used, or the actual value may be derived by obtaining the detected value of the input rotation speed per unit time in the operation section 82 and then calculating the time average value. The same applies when deriving the actual value of the average load torque that is an evaluation item. This relational expression is stored in the storage unit 72. The actual value of the maximum input rotation speed that is an evaluation item is derived based on the detected value of the input rotation speed of the first rotation sensor 60A obtained by the acquisition unit 74. The actual value of the peak torque that is an evaluation item is derived based on the detected value of the torque of the second rotation sensor 60B obtained by the acquisition unit 74. The actual value of the load time rate that is an evaluation item is derived from the operation time and stop time of the commanded operation pattern included in the operation time information.

The actual value of the mean input speed _nE can be derived, for example, using the known relationship (2) below:

　ｔ_Ａ：加速区間８６の加速時間（ｓｅｃ）
　ｔ_Ｒ：定速区間８８の定速運転時間（ｓｅｃ）
　ｔ_Ｂ：減速区間９０の減速時間（ｓｅｃ）
　ｔ_０：運転区間８２の運転時間（ｓｅｃ）
　ｎ_Ａ：加速区間８６の平均入力回転数（ｍｉｎ^－１）
　ｎ_Ｒ：定速区間８８の平均入力回転数（ｍｉｎ^－１）
　ｎ_Ｂ：減速区間９０の平均入力回転数（ｍｉｎ^－１）

t _A : Acceleration time (sec) of the acceleration section 86
t _R : constant speed operation time (sec) of the constant speed section 88
t _B : Deceleration time in the deceleration section 90 (sec)
t ₀ : driving time (sec) of the driving section 82
n _A : Average input rotation speed (min ⁻¹ ) in the acceleration section 86
n _R : Average input rotation speed (min ⁻¹ ) in the constant speed section 88
n _B : Average input rotation speed in the deceleration section 90 (min ⁻¹ )

The actual value of the average load torque T _E can be derived, for example, using the following known relationship (3).

　Ｔ_Ａ：加速区間８６のピークトルク（Ｎ・ｍ）
　Ｔ_Ｒ：定速区間８８の平均トルク（Ｎ・ｍ）
　Ｔ_Ｂ：減速区間９０のピークトルク（Ｎ・ｍ）
　Ｆ_ｓ２：負荷条件に応じて定まる負荷係数

T _A : Peak torque (N·m) in the acceleration section 86
_TR : Average torque in constant speed section 88 (N·m)
T _B : Peak torque (N·m) in the deceleration section 90
F _s2 : Load coefficient determined according to the load conditions

When the relational expressions (2) and (3) are used, for example, _nA , _nR , and _nB are derived based on the detection value of the input rotation speed of the first rotation sensor 60A, _TA , _TR , and _TB are derived based on the detection value of the load torque of the second rotation sensor 60B, and tA, _tR , _tB , and _t0 are derived based on the operation time information. _Fs2 is stored in the storage unit 72 as a known number. The relational expressions (2) and ₍ 3) show an example in which the number of the acceleration section 86, the constant speed section 88, and the deceleration section 90 in the command operation pattern 80 is one, and there is one term corresponding to each section 86, 88, and 90. This term refers to, for example, the term ( _tA · _nA ) in the expression (2) corresponding to the acceleration section 86. When there are multiple sections 86, 88, and 90 in the command operation pattern 80, there may be multiple terms corresponding to each section 86, 88, and 90. The detected value of the status information used to derive the actual value of the characteristic may be a representative value obtained from the detected values of the status information for each cycle acquired during the test run, such as an average value, a median value, or a mean value.

Please refer to FIG. 10. The characteristics that are the evaluation items are evaluated for pass/fail by a graded evaluation according to the sections 70A to 70E to which the actual values of the characteristics belong. Here, for convenience of explanation, each section 70A to 70E in FIG. 10 is assigned a grade indicating the degree of evaluation. This grade is used only for convenience of explanation and is not actually used in processing by the processing device 64. Grade 5 means the highest evaluation and grade 1 means the lowest evaluation. In this embodiment, the smaller the actual value of the characteristics that belong to the sections 70A to 70E that are the evaluation items, the higher the evaluation of that evaluation item. The first section 70A has the highest evaluation, and the fifth section 70E, which is outside the allowable range Ra, has the lowest evaluation. The reason for giving the lowest evaluation in the fifth section 70E is that if the actual value of the characteristic that is the evaluation item is outside the allowable range Ra, an abnormality will occur in the actuator 10, which may be significantly detrimental to the longevity of the actuator 10. The reason why the evaluation is increased as the section 70A-70D becomes farther from the upper limit value _VL within the allowable range Ra is that the further the actual value of the characteristic being evaluated is from the upper limit value _VL , the more advantageous it is for extending the life of the actuator 10.

The characteristics that are evaluation items are evaluated in association with importance. In FIG. 10, importance is indicated by a number in a circle. As in the first embodiment, importance indicates the degree of need to alert the user to the evaluation results of the evaluation unit 94. In this embodiment, the lower the evaluation of the evaluation item, the higher the associated importance. For example, if the actual value of the characteristic that is an evaluation item belongs to the first category 70A, which has the highest evaluation, the lowest importance is associated with that evaluation result. In contrast, if the actual value of the characteristic belongs to the fifth category 70E, which has the lowest evaluation, the highest importance is associated with that evaluation result.

With the above in mind, the function of each block of the processing device 64 will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. The actuator 10 of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the processing device 64. Unlike the first embodiment, the processing device 64 of this embodiment includes a test operation execution unit 92 and an evaluation unit 94.

The storage unit 72 stores reference values V ₁ to V ₃ , V _L for identifying a plurality of categories 70A to 70E relating to the characteristics of a plurality of evaluation items.

The test operation execution unit 92 controls the motor 16 by the motor controller 62 to execute a test operation in which the actuator 10 is operated for a predetermined time according to the command operation pattern 80. For example, the test operation execution unit 92 causes the actuator 10 to perform a test operation when an execution command for executing the second output process described below is sent from the external control device 58. This execution command includes an operation command for commanding the command operation pattern 80. Here, an example is shown in which the test operation is performed before the start of a main operation in which the actuator 10 is operated according to the command operation pattern 80, but the test operation may be performed during the main operation. The test operation is performed for a preset set time. This set time is, for example, 1 to 5 minutes.

The acquisition unit 74 acquires at least one of the detection value of the state information detected by the sensors 60A to 60D during the test operation and the driving time information. When acquiring the driving time information, the acquisition unit 74 acquires, for example, a command value of the driving time information included in the operation command sent from the external control device 58 to the motor controller 62. At this time, the acquisition unit 74 may acquire the command value of the driving time information from either the external control device 58 or the motor controller 62. In addition, the acquisition unit 74 may acquire a measurement value of the driving time information measured by monitoring the detection values of the sensors 60A to 60D sent from the motor controller 62 or the like. The acquisition unit 74 of this embodiment can acquire each of the detection values of the state information and the driving time information detected by the sensors 60A to 60D during the test operation. In addition, the acquisition unit 74 of this embodiment can acquire detection values of multiple types of state information. In detail, it is possible to acquire the detection value of the input rotation speed detected by the first rotation sensor 60A and the detection value of the load torque detected by the second rotation sensor 60B.

The evaluation unit 94 evaluates the commanded operation pattern 80 with respect to predetermined evaluation items based on the results acquired by the acquisition unit 74. Here, "based on the results acquired" means based on at least one of the detection value of the state information and the operation time information acquired by the acquisition unit 74 during the test operation. When the characteristic of the commanded operation pattern is the evaluation item, the evaluation unit 94 derives the actual value of the characteristic based on the results acquired by the acquisition unit 74, as described above. For example, when deriving the actual value of the average input rotation speed using the relational expression (2), the actual value is derived based on the detection value of the input rotation speed of the first rotation sensor 60A, the detection value of the load torque of the second rotation sensor 60B, and also based on the operation time information, as described above. When deriving the actual value of the load time rate, the actual value is derived based on the operation time information.

Then, the evaluation unit 94 evaluates the quality of the characteristic that is the evaluation item by determining to which of the multiple predetermined categories 70A-70E the actual value of the characteristic of the derived commanded driving pattern belongs. In this embodiment, as described above, the larger the actual value of the characteristic that belongs to the multiple categories 70A-70E that is the evaluation item, the lower the evaluation of that evaluation item. At this time, the evaluation unit 94 of this embodiment evaluates the commanded driving pattern 80 for each of the multiple evaluation items by associating it with a degree of importance.

The output unit 66 of this embodiment outputs the evaluation result by the evaluation unit 94 under the control of the output control unit 78. The output unit 66 of this embodiment is a display 50 that outputs the evaluation result by the evaluation unit 94 by displaying the evaluation result. The display 50 of this embodiment is also a light emitter 52 that displays the evaluation result by the evaluation unit 94 by emitting light in a light emission mode corresponding to the evaluation result. See FIG. 11. An example of a light emission mode corresponding to the evaluation result is shown below. In addition, the display 50 may display the evaluation result by displaying the category to which the actual value of the characteristic determined by the evaluation unit 94 belongs.
The highest evaluation result of rating 5: Continuous light emission in blue. The evaluation result of rating 4: Continuous light emission in green. The evaluation result of rating 3: Continuous light emission in yellow. The evaluation result of rating 2: Continuous light emission in red. The lowest evaluation result of rating 1: Flashing light emission in red.

Under the control of the output control unit 78, the output unit 66 outputs the evaluation result of the evaluation item associated by the evaluation unit 94 with the highest importance among the evaluation results for the multiple evaluation items by the evaluation unit 94. FIG. 11 shows an example in which the actual value of the average input RPM belongs to the fifth category 70E, resulting in the lowest evaluation result and the highest importance associated therewith. FIG. 11 also shows an example in which the actual values of the other evaluation items belong to the second category 70B, resulting in a higher evaluation result than the evaluation result for the average input RPM, resulting in a lower importance associated therewith than the evaluation result for the average input RPM. In this case, the display 50 serving as the output unit 66 displays the evaluation result by flashing red as an illumination mode according to the evaluation result for the average input RPM with the highest importance.

Refer to FIG. 11. The flow of the second output process performed by the processing device 64 will be described. The second output process is performed when the execution command described above is input to the processing device 64. This execution command is input, for example, during the setting work of the operation pattern 80.

When the second output process is started, the test operation execution unit 92 performs a test operation in which the actuator 10 is operated for a predetermined time according to the command operation pattern 80 by controlling the motor 16 by the motor controller 62 (S20). The acquisition unit 74 acquires the detection values of the status information detected by the sensors 60A-60D during the test operation and the operation time information (S22). The detection values of the status information may be acquired sequentially during the test operation, for example, or the time series data of the detection values detected during the test operation may be stored in the storage unit 72 and then acquired from the storage unit 72 after the test operation. After this test operation, the evaluation unit 94 evaluates the command operation pattern with respect to multiple types of evaluation items based on the acquisition results of the acquisition unit 74 (S24). Thereafter, the output unit 66 outputs the evaluation results by the evaluation unit 94 (S26). This ends the second output process.

The effects of the actuator 10 of the second embodiment described above will now be explained.

(B1) The actuator 10 includes an output unit 66 that outputs the evaluation results of the command operation pattern 80 with respect to predetermined evaluation items. As a result, by grasping the evaluation results of the evaluation unit 94 that are output from the output unit 66, it is possible to easily grasp the quality of the command operation pattern 80 with respect to the evaluation items. This makes it possible to determine whether the command operation pattern 80 needs to be revised, which contributes to shortening the time required for the operation of setting the command operation pattern.

The output unit 66 outputs the evaluation result of the evaluation item associated by the evaluation unit 94 with the highest importance out of the evaluation results for the multiple evaluation items. This makes it possible to use the output of the output unit 66 to grasp only the evaluation result associated by the evaluation unit 94 with the highest importance out of the evaluation results for the multiple evaluation items. Furthermore, because only the evaluation result with the highest importance is output, the display content of the output of the output unit 66 is simplified. Consider a case in which the lower the evaluation for an evaluation item, the higher the importance associated with it. In this case, the output of the output unit 66 can be used to grasp only the evaluation result of the evaluation item with the lowest evaluation.

The characteristics that are the evaluation items by the evaluation unit 94 include characteristics that are predetermined for the commanded operation pattern 80. As a result, by understanding the evaluation results of the evaluation unit 94 that are output from the output unit 66, it is possible to judge whether the commanded operation pattern 80 is good or bad with respect to the characteristics that are the evaluation items. In particular, when the characteristics that are the evaluation items are specification characteristics, it is advantageous in that it is possible to judge whether the specification characteristics are good or bad. If the evaluation unit 94 determines that the characteristic belongs to the fifth category 70E that is outside the allowable range Ra of the specification characteristics, it is possible to understand that the commanded operation pattern 80 is outside the range in which normal operation is guaranteed in the specifications.

When evaluating the characteristics of the command operation pattern 80 related to the life of the actuator 10, the evaluation unit 94 determines the category to which the actual value of the characteristic belongs. This makes it possible to judge whether the characteristic is good or bad in relation to the life of the actuator 10 based on the category to which the evaluation unit 94 determines that the characteristic belongs. For example, if it is determined that the characteristic belongs to the fifth category 70E outside the allowable range Ra, it can be determined that the operation pattern 80 is unfavorable for extending the life. In addition, it can be determined that the farther the category is from the allowable upper limit value within the allowable range Ra, the more advantageous the operation pattern is for extending the life.

(B2) The output unit 66 is a display 50 that displays the evaluation results by the evaluation unit 94. This allows the evaluation results by the evaluation unit 94 to be easily understood by visually checking the display by the display 50.

(B3) The display 50 is a light emitter 52 that emits light in a light emission manner according to the evaluation result by the evaluation unit 94. This allows the evaluation result to be easily understood by visually checking the light emission manner of the light emitter 52.

In addition, the actuator 10 of this embodiment includes the components (not shown) described above in (A1) and (A2), and provides the effects corresponding to those descriptions.

(Third embodiment) The actuator 10 of this embodiment differs from the second embodiment in terms of the evaluation item evaluated by the evaluation unit 94. This evaluation item is thermal stability during long-term operation using the command operation pattern 80. This thermal stability during long-term operation means the ease of maintaining the temperature of the actuator 10 at or below the maximum allowable temperature when operated for a first predetermined time. Here, the first predetermined time is, for example, 24 hours, and the maximum allowable temperature is, for example, 60°C. The lower this thermal stability, the more likely it is that the actuator 10 will overheat and exceed the maximum allowable temperature when operated for the first predetermined time.

Refer to FIG. 13. This thermal stability during long-term operation has a correlation between the rotation speed and torque of the actuator 10 during operation and the load time rate of the operation pattern. The greater the rotation speed and torque during operation, the easier it is for the actuator 10 to heat up, and the lower the thermal stability during long-term operation. In terms of the graph in FIG. 13, the greater the rotation speed and torque toward the upper right of FIG. 13, the lower the thermal stability during long-term operation. Also, the smaller the load time rate, the easier it is for the actuator 10 to cool by dissipating heat in the stop section 84 of the operation pattern, and the higher the thermal stability during long-term operation. Therefore, even if the rotation speed and torque during operation are high, if the load time rate is small, the actuator 10 is easier to cool, and the higher the thermal stability during long-term operation. In terms of the graph in FIG. 13, even if the rotation speed and torque increase toward the upper right of FIG. 13, the lower the load time rate, the higher the thermal stability during long-term operation.

In this embodiment, in order to evaluate the quality of thermal stability during such long-term operation, a map 100 is used that shows the relationship between the rotation speed and torque of the actuator 10 during operation and the thermal stability during long-term operation according to the load time rate range. This map 100 is an example of relationship information that shows the relationship between the rotation speed and torque of the actuator 10 and the thermal stability during long-term operation. This relationship information is not limited to map 100 and may be a table, etc.

The rotation speed and torque used in map 100 are the rotation speed of the first component of actuator 10 and the torque of the second component of actuator 10. Here, an example is shown in which the input rotation speed of motor shaft 22, which is the first component, and the load torque of output member 32, which is the second component, are used, but the specific example is not particularly limited. In addition, map 100 uses the actual values of rotation speed and torque of commanded operation pattern 80, which are derived using the detection values of sensors 60A to 60D during test operation using the commanded operation pattern and the operation time information of the commanded operation pattern, as described in the second embodiment. The actual values of rotation speed and torque used in map 100 may be representative values of the rotation speed and torque derived using commanded operation pattern 80. The representative value is, for example, the average value, median value, intermediate value, etc.

Map 100 is divided into a number of regions 102A-102E by a number of boundaries. The multiple regions 102A-102E are divided into long-term operation regions 102A-102C, which indicate high thermal stability during long-term operation within a specified load time rate range, and non-long-term operation regions 102D, 102E, which indicate low thermal stability during long-term operation. The non-long-term operation regions 102D, 102E are divided into a short-term operation region 102D, which indicates that short-term operation is possible, and an operation prohibited region 102E, which indicates that neither long-term operation nor short-term operation is possible. Here, short-term operation means operation for a short period of time less than a second specified time. The second specified time is, for example, one minute.

The long-term operating regions 102A-102C and the short-term operating region 102D (hereinafter also referred to as the operating region 106) are regions in which the normal operation of the actuator 10 is guaranteed as defined in the specifications. The operation-prohibited region 102E is a region in which the normal operation of the actuator 10 is not guaranteed as defined in the specifications. The boundary line 108 between the operating region 106 and the operation-prohibited region 102E is determined based on the instantaneous maximum torque and maximum allowable rotation speed as defined in the specifications of the motor 16. The maximum rotation speed in the operating region 106 is the rotation speed of the first component when the motor 16 outputs the maximum allowable rotation speed. The maximum torque for each rotation speed in the operating region 106 is the torque of the second component when the motor 16 outputs the instantaneous maximum torque at a certain rotation speed.

The long time operating regions 102A-102C include a plurality of long time operating regions 102A-102C having different maximum load times %ED _max of the load time rate range. The plurality of long time operating regions 102A-102C include a first long time operating region 102A in which the load time rate range is 0-100%, a second long time operating region 102B in which the load time rate range is 0-50%, and a third long time operating region 102C in which the load time rate range is 0-10%. The maximum load times %ED _max of the first, second, and third long time operating regions 102A, 102B, and 102C are 100%, 50%, and 10%, respectively.

The long-time operation regions 102A to 102C are set so that the temperature of the actuator 10 can be maintained at or below the maximum allowable temperature when the actuator 10 is cyclically operated for a first predetermined time in an operation pattern having the rotation speed and torque within the long-time operation regions 102A to 102C and the maximum load time rate %ED _max indicated by the long-time operation regions. For example, the second long-time operation region 102B is set so that the temperature of the actuator 10 can be maintained at or below the maximum allowable temperature when the actuator 10 is cyclically operated for a first predetermined time in an operation pattern having the rotation speed and torque within the region and a load time rate of 50%. This maximum allowable temperature is determined in advance as the maximum temperature that ensures the normal operation of the actuator 10. The long-time operation regions 102A to 102C that satisfy such conditions may be created by operating the actuator 10 for a long time in an operation pattern having the maximum load time rate %ED _max indicated by the long-time operation regions 102A to 102C, and determining the rotation speed and torque that satisfy the specified conditions through experiments, simulations, etc. The specified condition here is that the temperature of the actuator 10 can be maintained at or below the maximum allowable temperature when the operation pattern is cycled for a first predetermined time.

This map 100 shows the relationship between the rotation speed and torque of the actuator 10 and the thermal stability during long-term operation according to the load time rate range. For example, the long-term operation regions 102A to 102C indicate that the thermal stability during long-term operation within the load time rate range indicated by the long-term operation regions 102A to 102C is high when the rotation speed and torque that specify the region are reached. In contrast, the non-long-term operation regions 102D and 102E indicate that the thermal stability during long-term operation is low when the rotation speed and torque that specify the region are reached. In addition, this map 100 also indicates whether or not operation is possible when the thermal stability during long-term operation is low. For example, the short-term operation region 102D indicates that operation using the command operation pattern is possible if the short-term operation is less than a second predetermined time when the rotation speed and torque that specify the region are reached. The operation prohibition region 102E indicates that operation using the command operation pattern is not possible when the rotation speed and torque that specify the region are reached. The number of the long-time operation regions 102A to 102C is not particularly limited, and the maximum load time ratios %ED _max set for each of the long-time operation regions 102A to 102C are also not particularly limited. In addition, the non-long-time operation regions 102D and 102E of the map 100 do not have to be divided into the short-time operation region 102D and the operation prohibited region 102E.

Refer to FIG. 14. When evaluating thermal stability during long-term operation, which is an evaluation item, actual values of the rotation speed and torque of the commanded operation pattern are derived. The thermal stability during long-term operation, which is an evaluation item, is evaluated as good or bad by a stage evaluation according to the area 102A-102E to which the actual value belongs in the map 100. Here, for ease of explanation, a score indicating the level of evaluation is assigned to each area 102A-102E in FIG. 14. In this embodiment, when it is determined that the area belongs to the long-term operation area 102A-102C, which indicates high thermal stability during long-term operation, the evaluation is higher than when it is determined that the area belongs to the non-long-term operation area 102D, 102E, which indicates low thermal stability. Furthermore, when it is determined that the area belongs to the long-term operation area 102A-102C, the evaluation is higher the wider the load time rate range. In addition, in the non-long-time operation regions 102D and 102E, which indicate low thermal stability during long-time operation, the short-time operation region 102D, which indicates that short-time operation is possible, is rated higher than the operation prohibition region 102E, which indicates that operation is not possible. The evaluation increases in the following order: operation prohibition region 102E → short-time operation region 102D → third long-time operation region 102C → second long-time operation region 102B → first long-time operation region 102A.

As in the second embodiment, thermal stability during long-term operation, which is an evaluation item, is evaluated in association with importance. In FIG. 14, importance is indicated by a number in a circle. As in the second embodiment, the lower the evaluation for the evaluation item, the higher the associated importance. For example, if it is determined that the system belongs to the operation-prohibited region 102E, the evaluation for thermal stability will be the lowest, and therefore the highest importance will be associated with that evaluation result. In contrast, if it is determined that the system belongs to the first long-term operation region 102A, the evaluation for thermal stability will be the highest, and therefore the lowest importance will be associated with that evaluation result.

With the above in mind, the function of each block of the processing device 64 will be explained. The functional blocks of the actuator 10 in this embodiment have the same configuration as in the second embodiment, so please refer to Figure 7.

The memory unit 72 stores relationship information such as the map 100 that shows the relationship between the rotation speed and torque of the actuator 10 and the thermal stability during long-term operation according to the load time rate range.

The evaluation unit 94 derives the actual values of the rotation speed and torque corresponding to the commanded operation pattern based on the results acquired by the acquisition unit 74. To achieve this, the evaluation unit 94 of this embodiment derives the average input rotation speed and average load torque corresponding to the commanded operation pattern, as described above. Thereafter, the evaluation unit 94 reads the map 100 stored in the memory unit 72, as described above, and identifies in which of the multiple regions in the map 100 the derived actual values of the rotation speed and torque are located, thereby evaluating the commanded operation pattern in terms of thermal stability during long-term operation. The evaluation unit 94 evaluates the commanded operation pattern in terms of thermal stability during long-term operation based on the derived actual values of the rotation speed and torque and the map 100.

The output unit 66 outputs the evaluation result by the evaluation unit 94 under the control of the output control unit 78, as in the second embodiment. The output unit 66 of this embodiment is a light emitter 52 that emits light in a light emission mode according to the evaluation result by the evaluation unit 94, as in the second embodiment, to display the evaluation result. An example of a light emission mode according to the evaluation result is shown below with reference to Fig. 14. In addition, the display 50 may display the evaluation result by displaying the region identified by the evaluation unit 94.
The highest rating of 5: Continuous light emission in blue The rating of 4: Continuous light emission in green The rating of 3: Continuous light emission in yellow The rating of 2: Continuous light emission in red The lowest rating of 1: Flashing light emission in red

The evaluation by the evaluation unit 94 described above is performed in the same manner as in the flow chart described in FIG. 12. The evaluation unit 94 of this embodiment assumes a case in which the test operation pattern is evaluated only with respect to the thermal stability during long-term operation, which is the evaluation item, based on the results acquired by the acquisition unit 74. In addition, the evaluation unit 94 may evaluate the test operation pattern together with other evaluation items, as described in the second embodiment. In this case, as in the second embodiment, the evaluation unit 94 evaluates the command operation pattern 80 in relation to the thermal stability during long-term operation, which is the evaluation item, by associating it with the importance, and the output unit 66 may output the evaluation result with the highest importance. In this case, whether the evaluation item is the characteristics or the thermal stability during long-term operation, the lower the evaluation for the evaluation item, the higher the importance associated with it may be.

The effects of the actuator 10 described above will now be explained.

The evaluation unit 94 evaluates the commanded operation pattern using thermal stability during long-term operation as an evaluation item. As a result, by grasping the evaluation result of the evaluation unit 94 output from the output unit 66, it is possible to judge whether the commanded operation pattern is good or bad in terms of stability during long-term operation, which is an evaluation item. For example, consider a case where an evaluation result indicating that long-term operation is stable in a load time rate range of 0 to 50% is output from the output unit 66. In the embodiment, this is output by the light emitter 52, which is the output unit 66, continuously emitting green light. In this case, if the actual value of the load time rate of the commanded operation pattern is 50% or less, it can be grasped that the commanded operation pattern is good in terms of thermal stability during long-term operation. The load time rate range indicated by this evaluation result may be displayed, for example, by a display or an external information processing terminal, or may be written in the actuator instruction manual, etc.

By evaluating the thermal stability during long-term operation in this way, it is possible to predict whether overheating will occur, exceeding the maximum allowable temperature of the actuator 10. For example, when an evaluation result indicating that long-term operation is stable in the load time rate range of 0 to 50% as described above is output, if the actual value of the load time rate of the command operation pattern is more than 50%, it is possible to predict that overheating may occur. If the actuator overheats, the actuator will be temporarily unusable, resulting in a decrease in work efficiency using the actuator. In particular, if overheating occurs when an engineer is not present at the actuator installation site, it will take additional time to restore the actuator, causing a further decrease in work efficiency. Since the actuator heats up gradually over time, it often takes several hours or more from the start of operation of the actuator until overheating occurs. For this reason, overheating often occurs when an engineer is not present, and the resulting decrease in work efficiency is a major problem. In this regard, according to the present embodiment, it is effective in that such future overheating can be predicted early from the test operation stage, and the resulting decrease in work efficiency can be avoided.

In addition, the actuator 10 of this embodiment has the components described above in (A1), (A2), and (B1) to (B3), and provides the effects corresponding to those descriptions.

(Fourth embodiment) See Figs. 15 and 16. The actuator 10 of this embodiment differs from the actuator of the first embodiment mainly in that it does not include a display 50, but includes a notification unit 120, which will be described later. Below, we will first provide a supplementary explanation of the contents common to the actuators 10 of the first and fourth embodiments.

Refer to FIG. 15. The actuator 10 of this embodiment includes a motor 16, a reducer 18, and a controller unit 20, as in the first embodiment. The motor 16 includes a stator 110 fixed to a motor casing 24, and a rotor 112 that is rotatable together with the motor shaft 22. The stator 110 is, for example, a stator with a core that includes a stator core and a stator coil wound around the teeth of the stator core. There is no particular limitation on the specific example of the stator 110, and it may be a coreless stator, etc. The rotor 112 is, for example, a permanent magnet rotor in which a permanent magnet is incorporated in a rotor core. There is no particular limitation on the specific example of the rotor 112, and it may be a cage rotor, a coreless rotor, etc. The stator 110 can generate a rotating magnetic field that rotates the rotor 112 together with the motor shaft 22 when a current is applied to a part of the stator 110 (such as the stator coil).

Refer to Figure 16. As with the first embodiment, the actuator 10 of this embodiment includes sensors 60A-60D, a motor controller 62, and a processing device 64. The configuration unique to the actuator 10 of the fourth embodiment will be described below.

The acquisition unit 74 of the processing device 64 acquires actuator information related to the actuator 10. The actuator information may be, for example, a command value of an operation command sent from the external control device 58 to command the operation of the actuator 10. In this case, the acquisition unit 74 may acquire the command value directly from the external control device 58, or may acquire from the motor controller 62 the command value that the motor controller 62 received from the external control device 58. In addition, the actuator information may be a detection value of status information indicating the status of the actuator 10 detected by the sensors 60A-60D. In this case, the acquisition unit 74 may acquire the detection value directly from the sensors 60A-60D, or may acquire from the motor controller 62 the detection value that the motor controller 62 received from the sensors 60A-60D.

The processing device 64 includes a notification unit 120 that controls the motor 16 using the motor controller 62 to cause the motor 16 to output a notification sound consisting of electromagnetic sound. The electromagnetic sound is generated due to changes in the magnetic flux flowing through the energized parts of the motor 16 and the gap between the stator 110 and the rotor 112 when AC current of a predetermined frequency is passed through the motor 16. This electromagnetic sound is usually generated as noise when current is passed through the motor 16. In the actuator 10 of this embodiment, this electromagnetic sound is used as the notification sound.

The notification unit 120 can output a notification sound to the motor 16 while maintaining the output member 32 of the reducer 18 in a stationary state. Here, "maintaining the output member 32 in a stationary state" includes not only maintaining the output member 32 in a completely stationary state, but also operating the output member 32 in the rotational direction by a small rotation angle (for example, a rotation angle of 1° or less).

In order to keep the output member 32 stationary, it is preferable for the notification unit 120 to make the amplitude of the AC current passed through the motor 16 by the motor controller 62 as small as possible. This makes it possible to keep the rotational force caused by the rotating magnetic field generated by the motor 16 as a result of the AC current being supplied to the motor 16 as small as possible, which is advantageous in keeping the output member 32 stationary. The rotating elements here refer to the motor shaft 22, input shaft 26, output member 32, etc. It can also be said that the notification unit 120 passes an AC current of an amplitude capable of keeping the output member 32 stationary through the motor controller 62 to the motor 16.

In order to keep the output member 32 stationary, it is preferable for the notification unit 120 to make the duration of the AC current passed through the motor 16 by the motor controller 62 as short as possible. This makes it possible to prevent the rotation of the rotating element of the actuator 10 even if a rotational force caused by the rotating magnetic field described above is applied to the rotating element, which is advantageous in keeping the output member 32 stationary. It can also be said that the notification sound is not a continuous sound that is generated continuously over time, but rather an intermittent sound that is generated intermittently over time, or a single sound that is generated one-off over time.

The frequency of the notification sound is preferably in the general audible range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz so that it is an audible sound that can be heard by humans. The frequency of the notification sound, which is an electromagnetic sound, is the same as the frequency of the AC current supplied to the motor 16. Therefore, to output such a notification sound of a specific frequency from the motor 16, it is sufficient to supply the AC current of the specific frequency to the motor 16. To achieve this, an inverter may be incorporated into the motor controller 62. In this case, the notification unit 120 may adjust the current supplied from an external power source such as a commercial power source by the motor controller 62 to an AC current of a specific frequency using the inverter and supply it to the motor 16. In addition, the motor controller 62 may incorporate an auxiliary power source made of an AC power source, which is provided separately from the main power source (external power source, etc.) for driving the motor 16. In this case, the notification unit 120 may supply the AC current of the specific frequency from the AC power source to the motor 16.

The range of the audible range differs from person to person, and its upper limit tends to decrease with age. Taking this into consideration, the frequency of the notification sound may preferably be set to 18 kHz or less, which is a frequency that minors can normally hear. This is advantageous in terms of increasing the ease with which the notification sound can be heard, at least by minors. Furthermore, the frequency of the notification sound may more preferably be set to 15 kHz or less, which is a frequency that both adults and minors can normally hear. This is advantageous in terms of increasing the ease with which the notification sound can be heard by users of a wide range of ages.

In order to make the notification sound easier for the user to hear, it is desirable to increase the volume (loudness) of the notification sound. To increase the volume, it is possible to (1) increase the frequency of the notification sound or (2) increase the amplitude of the notification sound. Here, in this embodiment, as described above, it is necessary to reduce the amplitude of the AC current supplied to the motor 16, and there is a limit to increasing the volume of the notification sound by increasing the amplitude of the notification sound as in (2). For this reason, in order to increase the volume of the notification sound, it is preferable to increase the frequency of the notification sound as in (1). From this perspective, the frequency of the notification sound may be 100 Hz or more. This is advantageous in maintaining the output member 32 stationary by increasing the volume of the notification sound while reducing the amplitude of the AC current supplied to the motor 16.

In view of the above, the frequency of the notification sound may be, for example, within the range of 100 Hz to 18 kHz. In addition, the frequency of the notification sound may include a range of 20 Hz to less than 100 Hz, or may include a range of more than 18 kHz to less than 20 kHz.

The notification sound is output from the motor 16 to notify the user of the actuator 10 about the actuator 10. The notification sound may be used, for example, as a notification about the actuator 10, such as (1) a notification about actuator information or (2) a notification about the state of the actuator 10.

The notification in (1) refers to, for example, (1-1) a notification regarding the command value of the operation command for the actuator 10 sent from the external control device 58, or (1-2) a notification regarding the detection value of the state information of the actuator 10 detected by the sensors 60A to 60D. The notification regarding the command value in (1-1) refers to, for example, a first notification indicating whether or not the command value of the phase, rotation speed, or torque of the rotating body is outside a predetermined allowable range. The notification regarding the detection value in (1-2) refers to, for example, a second notification indicating whether or not the detection value of the phase, rotation speed, or torque of the rotating body detected by the sensors 60A and 60B is outside a predetermined allowable range, or a third notification indicating to which of a plurality of predetermined categories the detection value belongs. The third notification means the same content as the category to be output by the output unit 66 in the first embodiment. In addition, the notification regarding the detection value in (1-2) may be a notification indicating whether or not the detection value regarding the temperature and vibration detected by the sensors 60C and 60D is outside a predetermined allowable range. The tolerance range described so far may be set taking into account the lifespan of the actuator 10, as in the first embodiment.

(2) The notification refers to, for example, a notification indicating that the power supply of the actuator 10 is going to be on or off, or a notification indicating that the actuator 10 is going to a specific operating mode such as the setup mode or safe mode described above.

When used for notification (1), the user can hear the notification sound output from the motor 16 and understand the notification content related to the actuator information corresponding to that notification sound. In particular, in the case of notification (1-1), the user can hear the notification sound and understand the notification content related to the command value corresponding to the notification sound. Also, in the case of notification (1-2), the user can hear the notification sound and understand the notification content related to the detection value corresponding to the notification sound.

The notification unit 120 may output a notification sound in different output modes depending on the notification content to be notified by the notification sound. This allows the user to understand in advance the relationship between the output mode of the notification sound and the notification content, so that when the user hears a notification sound of a specific output mode, the user can understand the notification content of that output mode.

In this way, in order to change the output mode of the notification sound according to the notification content, at least one of the number of times the notification sound is output, the frequency (tone), the output time, and the output cycle may be changed. For example, in the case of the first or second notification described above, if the notification content is the content on the next left side, the notification sound may be output in the output mode on the next right side. In this way, in order to change the output mode, only one element of the number of times the notification sound is output, the frequency, the output time, and the output cycle may be changed, or multiple elements may be changed.
When notifying that the command value or detected value is within the allowable range: The notification sound is output once. When notifying that the command value or detected value is outside the allowable range: The notification sound is output twice.

In addition, in varying the output mode of the notification sound in this way, the notification unit 120 may cause the motor 16 to output an intermittent notification sound for each output period according to the notification content. For example, as described in the first embodiment, when the notification content is the next content on the left, the motor 16 may output an intermittent notification sound in the output mode on the next right.
When notifying that the section to which the detected value belongs is the first section 70A: the output period of the notification sound is set to 4 seconds.
When notifying that the section to which the detected value belongs is the second section 70B: the output period of the notification sound is set to 3 seconds.
When notifying that the section to which the detected value belongs is the third section 70C: the output period of the notification sound is set to 2 seconds.
When notifying that the section to which the detected value belongs is the fourth section 70D: the output period of the notification sound is set to 1 second.
When notifying that the section to which the detected value belongs is the fifth section 70E: the output period of the notification sound is set to 0.5 seconds.

Next, an example of the flow of the first or second notification indicating whether the command value or the detection value is outside the allowable range will be described. First, the acquisition unit 74 acquires the command value or the detection value. This may be acquired while the actuator 10 is in operation, or may be acquired while the actuator 10 is stopped, such as before the actuator 10 starts operating. After this, the determination unit 76 determines whether the command value or the detection value is outside the allowable range. At this time, a predetermined allowable range for the command value or the detection value is stored in the storage unit 72. The determination unit 76 reads out the allowable range stored in the storage unit 72 and determines whether the command value or the detection value is within the allowable range. When the determination unit 76 determines that the command value or the detection value is outside the allowable range, the notification unit 120 of this embodiment controls the motor 16 by the motor controller 62 to cause the motor 16 to output a notification sound to notify the user of this fact. As a result, even if the user does not know the allowable range for the command value or the detection value, the user can know whether the command value or the detection value is outside the allowable range by listening to the notification sound.

When the notification sound is output to the motor 16 in this way, it is necessary that the output member 32 is in a stationary state. For this reason, prior to outputting the notification sound to the motor 16, the notification unit 120 may use the second rotation sensor 60B to determine whether the output member 32 is rotating. When it is determined that the actuator 10 is in operation, etc., and the output member 32 is rotating, the notification unit 120 controls the motor 16 by the motor controller 62, thereby causing the motor 16 to decelerate the motor shaft 22 and stop the output member 32. After this, the notification unit 120 causes the motor controller 62 to output a notification sound for the first or second notification to the motor 16 while maintaining the output member 32 in a stationary state. On the other hand, when it is determined that the output member 32 of the actuator 10 is not rotating and is stationary, the notification unit 120 causes the motor 16 to output a notification sound for the first or second notification while maintaining the output member 32 in a stationary state.

Next, an example of the flow of the third notification indicating which of the multiple categories the above-mentioned detection value belongs to will be described. Here, a case will be described in which the third notification is made regarding the detection value detected by the sensors 60A and 60B during the operation performed immediately before the end of the operation of the actuator 10 when the output member 32 is in a stationary state. In this case, first, the acquisition unit 74 acquires a representative value of the detection value of the torque or rotation speed of the rotating body detected by the sensors 60A and B during the previous operation. This representative value is, for example, the maximum value, average value, etc. of the multiple detection values acquired within a predetermined period during the previous operation. After that, the judgment unit 76 judges which of the multiple categories the representative value of the detection value acquired by the acquisition unit 74 belongs to. At this time, as in the first and second embodiments, the memory unit 72 stores a reference value for identifying the multiple categories. The judgment unit 76 reads out the reference value stored in the memory unit 72 and judges which of the multiple categories the representative value of the detection value belongs to based on the reference value. In this embodiment, the notification unit 120 controls the motor 16 using the motor controller 62 to cause the motor 16 to output a notification sound indicating the category to which the representative value of the detection values determined by the determination unit 76 belongs.

When performing the third notification in this manner, similar to the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 74 may acquire a representative value of the detection values of the multiple types of status information detected by the multiple sensors 60A, 60B. For example, a representative value of the detection values relating to the torque and rotation speed of the rotating body detected by the sensors 60A, 60B may be acquired. Then, the determination unit 76 may determine the category to which each representative value of the detection values of the multiple types of status information detected by the sensors 60A to 60D belongs. Then, the notification unit 120 may cause the motor 16 to output a notification sound indicating the most important category of the categories to which the representative values of the multiple types of detection values belong, similar to the first embodiment.

The effects of the actuator 10 described above will now be described. The actuator 10 includes a notification unit 120 that causes the motor 16 to output a notification sound consisting of electromagnetic sound. This allows the actuator 10 to output a notification sound without using a speaker, and the configuration of the actuator 10 can be simplified. This is advantageous for reducing the weight and cost of the actuator 10. In addition, the notification unit 120 can cause the motor 16 to output a notification sound while keeping the output member 32 of the reducer 18 stationary. This allows for reduced power consumption by the motor 16 when outputting the notification sound.

Next, we will explain variations of each of the components described so far.

Specific examples of the status information detected by the sensors 60A to 60D are not particularly limited. This status information may be, for example, the flow rate of air flowing inside the actuator 10 detected by a flow sensor.

The acquisition unit 74 may acquire only a detection value of a single type of status information when outputting the category to which the detection value belongs.

The number of evaluation items to be evaluated by the evaluation unit 94 is not particularly limited, and the commanded operation pattern 80 may be evaluated with respect to only a single evaluation item. In the second embodiment, an example was described in which the characteristics of the commanded operation pattern that are the evaluation items by the evaluation unit 94 are both the specification characteristics and the load time rate of the commanded operation pattern, but this is not limited to this. Furthermore, the characteristic that is the evaluation item may be only one of the specification characteristics and the load time rate. If the evaluation item is only the specification characteristics, the acquisition unit 74 may acquire only the detection values of the status information such as torque and rotation speed, and may not acquire the operation time information of the commanded operation pattern. Furthermore, if the evaluation item is only the load time rate, the acquisition unit 74 may acquire only the operation time information of the commanded operation pattern without acquiring the detection values of the status information.

In assessing thermal stability during long-term operation, it is not necessary to use related information such as map 100. For example, an index value for assessing thermal stability may be derived based on the results acquired by acquisition unit 74, and thermal stability during long-term operation may be assessed using that index value.

Instead of the display 50, the output unit 66 may output the classification to which the detection value of the status information detected by the sensor belongs by sending the classification to an external information processing terminal. In this case, the output unit 66 may output to the external information processing terminal by communication according to a specified communication method (SDO, PDO, etc.). In this case, the classification to which the detection value detected by the sensors 60A-60D belongs may be displayed on the external information processing terminal.

In the first and second embodiments, the output unit 66 outputs the most important category among the categories to which the detection values of the multiple types of status information belong under the control of the output control unit 78. This is not limited to this, and the categories to which the detection values of the multiple types of status information belong may be output individually. In this case, the display 50 may display the category of the status information using individual display locations according to the type of status information.

The display 50 may be provided at a location other than the anti-load end 10a of the actuator 10. The light emitter 52 that serves as the display 50 may be provided at the anti-load end 10a of the actuator 10 and may not be exposed to the anti-load space 54. In this case, for example, the location where the light emitted by the light emitter 52 is irradiated may be arranged so as to be visible from the outside.

As described in the first embodiment, the output unit 66 that outputs the category to which the detection value belongs may be configured by the motor 16 that outputs a notification sound consisting of an electromagnetic sound. In this case, the actuator 10 may include, in addition to the output unit 66, a notification unit 120 that causes the motor 16 to output a notification sound as described in the fourth embodiment. In this case, the notification unit 120 may cause the motor 16 to output a notification sound indicating the category to which the detection value of the status information acquired by the acquisition unit 74 belongs. In this case, the notification unit 120 may cause the motor 16 to output a notification sound in an output mode corresponding to the category to which the detection value acquired by the acquisition unit 74 belongs. In this case, unlike the fourth embodiment, the notification unit 120 may cause the motor 16 to output a notification sound when the output member 32 of the reducer 18 is in a rotating state.

The output unit 66 that outputs the evaluation result by the evaluation unit 94 as described in the second embodiment may be configured by the motor 16. In this case, the actuator 10 may include, in addition to the output unit 66, a notification unit 120 that causes the motor 16 to output a notification sound as described in the fourth embodiment. In this case, the notification unit 120 may cause the motor 16 to output a notification sound indicating the evaluation result by the evaluation unit 94. It can also be said that the notification sound may be used as a notification regarding the actuator 10 to indicate the evaluation result by the evaluation unit 94 regarding the actuator 10. In this case, the notification unit 120 may cause the motor 16 to output a notification sound of an output mode corresponding to the evaluation result by the evaluation unit 94. In this case, the notification unit 120 may output a notification sound of an output mode corresponding to the evaluation result of the evaluation item associated with the highest importance by the evaluation unit 94 among the evaluation results for the multiple evaluation items by the evaluation unit 94. In this case, the evaluation items by the evaluation unit 94 may include thermal stability during long-term operation as in the third embodiment. In this case, unlike the fourth embodiment, the notification unit 120 may cause the motor 16 to output a notification sound when the output member 32 of the reducer 18 is in a rotating state.

The notification unit 120 may cause the motor controller 62 to output a notification sound to the motor 16 in the same output mode regardless of the notification content to be notified by the notification sound. In addition, details of the notification content to be notified by the notification sound may be displayed on a display unit such as a display provided on the actuator 10 or an external information processing terminal such as the external control device 58.

The above embodiments and variations are merely examples. The technical ideas abstracted from these should not be interpreted as being limited to the contents of the embodiments and variations. Many design changes are possible for the contents of the embodiments and variations, such as changing, adding, or deleting components. In the above-mentioned embodiments, the contents for which such design changes are possible are emphasized by adding the notation "embodiment". However, design changes are also permitted even for contents without such notation. Any combination of the above components is also valid. For example, any description of another embodiment may be combined with an embodiment, and any description of an embodiment and another variation may be combined with a variation. In addition, any of the components and expressions of the present disclosure may be mutually substituted between methods, devices, systems, etc., and are also valid as aspects of the present disclosure.

This disclosure relates to actuators.

10...actuator, 10a...anti-load end, 16...motor, 50...display, 52...light emitter, 54...anti-load space, 60A-60D...sensor, 62...motor controller, 66...output section, 70A-70E...division, 72...storage section, 74...acquisition section, 80...command operation pattern, 92...test operation execution section, 94...evaluation section.

Claims (21)

An actuator,
A motor;
A motor controller for controlling the motor;
an acquisition unit that acquires a detection value of state information indicating a state of the actuator detected by a sensor;
an output unit that outputs to which of a plurality of predetermined categories of the detected value of the status information acquired by the acquisition unit belongs. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the output unit is a display that displays to which of a plurality of categories the detected value of the status information detected by the sensor belongs. The actuator according to claim 2, wherein the display displays the category to which the detection value belongs by emitting light in a manner that corresponds to the category to which the detection value belongs. the acquisition unit acquires detection values of a plurality of types of status information;
Each of the plurality of categories is associated with a level of importance;
The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the output section outputs a category with the highest importance among categories to which the respective detection values of the plurality of types of status information belong. An actuator,
A motor;
A motor controller for controlling the motor;
a test operation execution unit that executes a test operation in which the actuator is operated for a predetermined time according to a command operation pattern commanded by the motor controller;
an acquisition unit that acquires at least one of a detection value of state information indicating a state of the actuator detected by a sensor during the test operation and operation time information regarding an operation time of the command operation pattern;
an evaluation unit that evaluates the command operation pattern with respect to predetermined evaluation items based on the acquisition result of the acquisition unit;
an output unit that outputs a result of the evaluation by the evaluation unit. The evaluation unit evaluates the command operation pattern in association with a degree of importance for a plurality of predetermined evaluation items,
The actuator according to claim 5 , wherein the output section outputs an evaluation result of an evaluation item associated with the highest importance by the evaluation section, out of the evaluation results for the plurality of evaluation items. The actuator according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the evaluation items include predetermined characteristics related to the commanded operation pattern. The actuator according to claim 7, wherein the evaluation unit derives an actual value of the characteristic of the commanded operation pattern based on the result of acquisition by the acquisition unit, and evaluates the quality of the characteristic of the commanded operation pattern by determining to which of a plurality of predetermined categories the derived actual value belongs. The actuator according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the characteristics that are the evaluation items include specification characteristics that are predetermined in the specifications of the actuator. The actuator according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the evaluation items include thermal stability during long-term operation. a storage unit that stores relationship information indicating a relationship between the rotation speed and torque of the actuator and thermal stability during long-term operation;
11. The actuator according to claim 10, wherein the evaluation unit derives actual values of the rotation speed and torque corresponding to the commanded operation pattern based on the results acquired by the acquisition unit, and evaluates the commanded operation pattern with respect to thermal stability during long-term operation based on the derived actual values of the rotation speed and the torque and the relationship information. The actuator according to any one of claims 5 to 11, wherein the output unit is a display that displays the evaluation result by the evaluation unit. The actuator according to claim 12, wherein the display is a light emitter that displays the evaluation result by emitting light in a light emission pattern corresponding to the evaluation result by the evaluation unit. An actuator according to claim 2, 3 or 12, in which the display is provided at the anti-load end of the actuator. The actuator according to claim 14, wherein the display is exposed in a counter-load space located on the counter-load side of the actuator. An actuator,
A motor;
A reducer;
A motor controller for controlling the motor;
and a notification unit that controls the motor using the motor controller to cause the motor to output a notification sound consisting of an electromagnetic sound while maintaining an output member that outputs the rotation of the reducer in a stationary state. an acquisition unit that acquires actuator information relating to the actuator;
The actuator according to claim 16 , wherein the notification sound is used for notification regarding the actuator information acquired by the acquisition unit. the actuator information is a command value for commanding an operation of the actuator, the command value being sent from an external control device;
The actuator according to claim 17 , wherein the notification sound is used to notify the user of the command value. the actuator information is a detection value of status information indicating a status of the actuator detected by a sensor,
The actuator according to claim 17 , wherein the notification sound is used to notify the detection value. The actuator according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein the notification unit causes the motor to output the notification sound in different output modes depending on the notification content to be notified by the notification sound. An actuator according to any one of claims 16 to 20, wherein the frequency of the notification sound is within the range of 100 Hz to 18 kHz.

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