Suspended industrial robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12030177-B2
Application number	US-202017625633-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2020
Priority date	Jul 8, 2019
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

In a suspended industrial robot, a base and a swivel section have an internal space into which a cable can be inserted. The base has an insertion opening through which at least the cable can be passed into the internal space from the outside. A first cable holding part that holds the cable is installed on at least one of a first arm and a second arm. The cable passes through the internal space of the base and the swivel section and is routed up to an end effector with a midway portion of the cable being held by the first cable holding part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A suspended industrial robot comprising:
a base provided on a traveling structure of an overhead travelling crane or on a ceiling;
a swivel section capable of swiveling on the base about a vertical shaft;
a first arm coupled to the swivel section with a driving shaft in between;
a second arm coupled to the first arm with an other driving shaft in between;
an end effector provided at a distal portion of the second arm; and
a cable one end of which is connected to the end effector,
wherein the base and the swivel section have an internal space into which the cable is allowed to be inserted,
wherein the base has an insertion opening through which at least the cable is allowed to be passed into the internal space from an outside,
wherein a first cable holding part that holds the cable is installed on at least one of the first arm and the second arm,
wherein the cable passes through the internal space of the base and the swivel section and is routed up to the end effector with a midway portion of the cable being held by the first cable holding part,
wherein the first cable holding part includes
a movable mechanism including a fixed member that is fixed to the second arm, and a movable member that is attached at a first end portion to the fixed member via supporting pins such that the movable member is pivotable with respect to the fixed member; and
a rotatable holder attached to the movable member of the movable mechanism in a rotatable manner and that holds the cable.

2. The suspended industrial robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cable is a torch cable, and the end effector is a welding torch.

3. The suspended industrial robot according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a second cable holding part installed on or near the swivel section,
wherein the second cable holding part is positioned in a virtual plane, the virtual plane passing through the first cable holding part and being perpendicular to the driving shaft and to the other driving shaft, and
wherein the cable is held at at least two points, the two points being the first cable holding part and the second cable holding part.

4. The suspended industrial robot according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second cable holding part installed on or near the swivel section,
wherein the second cable holding part is positioned in a virtual plane, the virtual plane passing through the first cable holding part and being perpendicular to the driving shaft and to the other driving shaft, and
wherein the cable is held at at least two points, the two points being the first cable holding part and the second cable holding part.

5. The suspended industrial robot according to claim 4 ,
wherein a protector that protects the cable from damage is provided on or near the swivel section, the protector being positioned in the virtual plane that passes through the first cable holding part and the second cable holding part.

6. The suspended industrial robot according to claim 4 ,
wherein the second cable holding part is positioned on the swivel section, and
wherein a length of the cable between the second cable holding part on the swivel section and the first cable holding part is 1.8 or more and 2.7 or less times an interaxial distance between the driving shaft and the other driving shaft.

7. The suspended industrial robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the swivel section has an extraction opening through which the cable is to be passed, the extraction opening being at a position near a center of the vertical shaft, and
wherein the cable is routed through the swivel section in such a manner as to pass through the position near the center of the vertical shaft.

8. The suspended industrial robot according to claim 7 ,
wherein a ratio of a cross-sectional area B of the cable to an opening area A of the extraction opening (B/A) is 40% or smaller.

9. The suspended industrial robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the movable member includes the first end portion that is supported by the fixed member and a second end portion to which the rotatable holder is attached, and
wherein urging means is connected to the second end portion of the movable member and the fixed member and urges, toward an initial position, the movable member that is swingable with respect to the fixed member.

10. A suspended industrial robot comprising:
a base provided on a traveling structure of an overhead travelling crane or on a ceiling;
a swivel section capable of swiveling on the base about a vertical shaft;
a first arm coupled to the swivel section with a driving shaft in between;
a second arm coupled to the first arm with an other driving shaft in between;
an end effector provided at a distal portion of the second arm; and
a cable one end of which is connected to the end effector,
wherein the base and the swivel section have an internal space into which the cable is allowed to be inserted,
wherein the base has an insertion opening through which at least the cable is allowed to be passed into the internal space from an outside,
wherein a first cable holding part that holds the cable is installed on at least one of the first arm and the second arm,
wherein the cable passes through the internal space of the base and the swivel section and is routed up to the end effector with a midway portion of the cable being held by the first cable holding part,
wherein a second cable holding part is installed in an arm support part that extends from two opposite positions on a circumference of the swivel section,
wherein the second cable holding part is positioned in a virtual plane, the virtual plane passing through the first cable holding part and being perpendicular to the driving shaft and to the other driving shaft, and
wherein the cable is held at at least two points, the two points being the first cable holding part and the second cable holding part,
wherein the first cable holding part includes
a movable mechanism including a fixed member that is fixed to the second arm, and a movable member that is reciprocatable or swingable with respect to the fixed member; and
a rotatable holder attached to the movable member of the movable mechanism in a rotatable manner and that holds the cable.

11. The suspended industrial robot according to claim 10 ,
wherein the cable is a torch cable, and the end effector is a welding torch.

12. The suspended industrial robot according to claim 10 ,
wherein the swivel section has an extraction opening through which the cable is to be passed, and
wherein the cable is routed through a central region of the swivel section in which the vertical shaft extends.

13. The suspended industrial robot according to claim 12 ,
wherein a ratio of a cross-sectional area (B) of the cable to an opening area (A) of the extraction opening (B/A) is 40% or smaller.

14. The suspended industrial robot according to claim 10 ,
wherein the movable member includes a first end portion that is supported by the fixed member and a second end portion to which the rotatable holder is attached, and
wherein urging means is connected to the second end portion of the movable member and the fixed member and urges, toward an initial position, the movable member that is swingable with respect to the fixed member.

15. The suspended industrial robot according to claim 10 ,
wherein a protector that protects the cable from damage is provided on or near the swivel section, the protector being positioned in the virtual plane that passes through the first cable holding part and the second cable holding part.

Assignees

• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Minato Tatsuji
• ISOYAMA Tomokatsu
• IGARASHI Taichi

Classifications

• B23K9/12 Primary

  Automatic feeding or moving of electrodes or work for spot or seam welding or cutting · CPC title

• B25J9/0018 Primary

  Bases fixed on ceiling, i.e. upside down manipulators · CPC title

• B25J19/0025 Primary

  Means for supplying energy to the end effector · CPC title

• B23K9/32

  Accessories · CPC title

• B25J11/005

  Manipulators for mechanical processing tasks · CPC title