SCARA robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10870201-B2
Application number	US-201816170495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2018
Priority date	Oct 26, 2017
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

A SCARA robot includes a first arm configured to be moved in a direction different from a gravity direction; a first motor configured to drive the first arm; a first speed reducer, an input shaft of which is connected to the first motor and an output shaft of which is connected to the first arm; and a first output-side angle sensor configured to detect an operating position on an output side of the first speed reducer, wherein the first motor is controlled on the basis of an output of the first output-side angle sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A SCARA robot comprising:
a first arm configured to be moved in a direction different from a gravity direction;
a first motor configured to drive the first arm;
a first speed reducer, an input shaft of which is connected to the first motor and an output shaft of which is connected to the first arm;
a first output-side angle sensor configured to detect an operating position on an output side of the first speed reducer; and
a base not moved by operation of the SCARA robot, wherein
the first motor is controlled on the basis of an output of the first output-side angle sensor,
the first arm is connected to the base via one rotary joint,
the first output-side angle sensor includes:
a scale rotated together with the first arm by the driving of the first motor; and
a detector provided in the base and configured to read the scale, and

when the first arm takes a posture in which, when viewed from a direction of a rotation axis of the first arm, a longitudinal direction of the base and an extending direction of the first arm from the rotation axis coincide with each other and an overlapping region of the base and the first arm is smaller, the detector is provided, with respect to the rotation axis, on an opposite side of the extending direction of the first arm.

2. The SCARA robot according to claim 1 , wherein the first arm is rotated by the first motor and the first speed reducer in a direction in which a surface defined by a circumferential direction of rotation does not include the gravity direction.

3. The SCARA robot according to claim 2 , comprising:
a third arm configured to be moved in a direction different from the gravity direction;
a third motor moved according to a position of the first arm and configured to drive the third arm;
a third speed reducer, an input shaft of which is connected to the third motor and an output shaft of which is connected to the third arm; and
a third output-side angle sensor configured to detect an operating position on an output side of the third speed reducer, wherein
the third motor is controlled on the basis of an output of the third output-side angle sensor.

4. The SCARA robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the rotary joint is closest to the base among a plurality of rotary joints included in the SCARA robot.

5. The SCARA robot according to claim 4 , comprising:
a third arm configured to be moved in a direction different from the gravity direction;
a third motor moved according to a position of the first arm and configured to drive the third arm;
a third speed reducer, an input shaft of which is connected to the third motor and an output shaft of which is connected to the third arm; and
a third output-side angle sensor configured to detect an operating position on an output side of the third speed reducer, wherein
the third motor is controlled on the basis of an output of the third output-side angle sensor.

6. The SCARA robot according to claim 1 , wherein the first arm is moved in a horizontal direction.

7. The SCARA robot according to claim 6 , comprising:
a third arm configured to be moved in a direction different from the gravity direction;
a third motor moved according to a position of the first arm and configured to drive the third arm;
a third speed reducer, an input shaft of which is connected to the third motor and an output shaft of which is connected to the third arm; and
a third output-side angle sensor configured to detect an operating position on an output side of the third speed reducer, wherein
the third motor is controlled on the basis of an output of the third output-side angle sensor.

8. The SCARA robot according to claim 1 , comprising:
a second arm configured to be moved in the gravity direction;
a second motor configured to drive the second arm; and
a second speed reducer, an input shaft of which is connected to the second motor and an output shaft of which is connected to the second arm, wherein
the SCARA robot does not include an output-side angle sensor configured to detect an operating position on an output side of the second speed reducer.

9. The SCARA robot according to claim 8 , comprising:
a third arm configured to be moved in a direction different from the gravity direction;
a third motor moved according to a position of the first arm and configured to drive the third arm;
a third speed reducer, an input shaft of which is connected to the third motor and an output shaft of which is connected to the third arm; and
a third output-side angle sensor configured to detect an operating position on an output side of the third speed reducer, wherein
the third motor is controlled on the basis of an output of the third output-side angle sensor.

10. The SCARA robot according to claim 1 , comprising:
a third arm configured to be moved in a direction different from the gravity direction;
a third motor moved according to a position of the first arm and configured to drive the third arm;
a third speed reducer, an input shaft of which is connected to the third motor and an output shaft of which is connected to the third arm; and
a third output-side angle sensor configured to detect an operating position on an output side of the third speed reducer, wherein
the third motor is controlled on the basis of an output of the third output-side angle sensor.

11. The SCARA robot according to claim 1 , wherein the first speed reducer changes speed of the output of the first motor and transmits the output to the first arm.

12. The SCARA robot according to claim 11 , comprising:
a third arm configured to be moved in a direction different from the gravity direction;
a third motor moved according to a position of the first arm and configured to drive the third arm;
a third speed reducer, an input shaft of which is connected to the third motor and an output shaft of which is connected to the third arm; and
a third output-side angle sensor configured to detect an operating position on an output side of the third speed reducer, wherein
the third motor is controlled on the basis of an output of the third output-side angle sensor.

13. The SCARA robot according to claim 1 , comprising a motor angle sensor configured to detect an operating position on an input side of the first speed reducer, wherein
the first motor is controlled on the basis of an output of the motor angle sensor.

14. The SCARA robot according to claim 13 , comprising:
a third arm configured to be moved in a direction different from the gravity direction;
a third motor moved according to a position of the first arm and configured to drive the third arm;
a third speed reducer, an input shaft of which is connected to the third motor and an output shaft of which is connected to the third arm; and
a third output-side angle sensor configured to detect an operating position on an output side of the third speed reducer, wherein
the third motor is controlled on the basis of an output of the third output-side angle sensor.

15. A SCARA robot comprising:
a first arm configured to be moved in a direction different from a gravity direction;
a first motor configured to drive the first arm;
a first speed reducer, an input shaft of which is connected to the first motor and an output shaft of which is connected to the first arm;
a first output-side angle sensor configured to detect an operating position on an output side of the first speed reducer; and
a base not moved by operation of the SCARA robot, wherein
the first motor is controlled on the basis of an output of the first output-side angle sensor,
the first arm is co

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Motoyoshi Masaki
• Imai Ryosuke
• Kawase Tetsuya
• Hiraide Toshinori

Classifications

• B25J9/1602 Primary

  characterised by the control system, structure, architecture · CPC title

• B25J18/00

  Arms · CPC title

• G05B2219/40301

  Scara, selective compliance assembly robot arm, links, arms in a plane · CPC title

• B25J9/044

  with forearm providing vertical linear movement · CPC title

• B25J13/088

  with position, velocity or acceleration sensors · CPC title