Robot system and method for manufacturing component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9833905-B2
Application number	US-201414571290-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2014
Priority date	Jun 20, 2012
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

After a forward end of a workpiece is inserted into a through-hole and fitting is started, a follow operation of moving the workpiece to follow the shape of the through-hole is performed during the movement of the workpiece in a fitting direction. At this time, the workpiece is fitted into the through-hole while a control point of a robot is changed in a direction opposite to the fitting direction according to the amount of movement of the workpiece in the fitting direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot system comprising:
a robot having a robot arm mounted with a grasping portion configured to grasp a workpiece; and
a control portion transmitting an operation command to the robot,
the control portion having:
a fitting operation control portion configured to control the grasping portion of the robot arm to grasp the workpiece and perform a fitting operation while changing a control point set for the robot arm such that the workpiece follows a shape of a workpiece fitted member into which the workpiece is fitted; and
a control point setting portion configured to change the control point of the robot in a direction opposite to a fitting direction by an amount of movement of the workpiece in the fitting direction during the fitting operation.

2. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control point setting portion is configured to set the control point of the robot in a vicinity of a forward end of the workpiece closer to the workpiece fitted member before the fitting operation and change the control point of the robot from the vicinity of the forward end of the workpiece to a base side thereof by the amount of movement of the workpiece in the fitting direction during the fitting operation.

3. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control point setting portion is configured to perform control of sequentially changing the control point of the robot such that the control point of the robot is located at a position of the workpiece corresponding to a vicinity of a close point where the workpiece and the workpiece fitted member are close to each other during the fitting operation.

4. The robot system according to claim 3 , wherein
the workpiece fitted member has a hole, and
the control point setting portion is configured to perform control of sequentially changing the control point of the robot such that the control point of the robot is located at the position of the workpiece corresponding to a vicinity of an end of the hole on a side from which the workpiece is inserted while moving the workpiece in the fitting direction.

5. The robot system according to claim 3 , wherein
the workpiece fitted member has a hole provided in a plate-like portion, and
the control point setting portion is configured to perform control of sequentially changing the control point of the robot such that the control point of the robot is located at the position of the workpiece corresponding to a substantially central portion of the workpiece fitted member in a thickness direction while moving the workpiece in the fitting direction.

6. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control point setting portion is configured to fit the workpiece into the workpiece fitted member while changing the control point of the robot in the direction opposite to the fitting direction by the amount of movement of the workpiece in the fitting direction after inserting a forward end of the workpiece into the workpiece fitted member.

7. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control point setting portion is configured to perform control of continuously changing the control point of the robot by the amount of movement of the workpiece in the fitting direction.

8. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein
the fitting operation control portion operates the robot to move the workpiece so as to follow the shape of the workpiece fitted member such that force and moment applied to the control point are reduced to substantially zero.

9. The robot system according to claim 1 , further comprising a force sensor provided in the robot arm, wherein
the fitting operation control portion moves the workpiece to follow the shape of the workpiece fitted member on the basis of force information obtained from the force sensor.

10. The robot system according to claim 9 , wherein
the fitting operation control portion moves the workpiece to follow the shape of the workpiece fitted member by performing at least one of an operation of translating the workpiece and an operation of rotating the workpiece about the control point on the basis of the force information obtained from the force sensor.

11. The robot system according to claim 1 , further comprising a teaching apparatus configured to teach an operation of the robot, wherein
the teaching apparatus includes an input portion configured to accept an input of a command for operating the robot in an operation mode in which the control point of the robot is changed by the amount of movement of the workpiece in the fitting direction when teaching the operation of the robot.

12. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein
the robot includes at least two robot arms of a first robot arm and a second robot arm, and
the fitting operation control portion guides a forward end side of the workpiece by a grasping portion of the second robot arm, and pushes the workpiece toward the workpiece fitted member and inserts a forward end of the workpiece into the workpiece fitted member by the first robot arm.

13. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein
the robot includes at least two robot arms of a first robot arm and a second robot arm,
the workpiece fitted member includes a first through-hole and a second through-hole arranged adjacent to each other in the fitting direction of the workpiece, and
the fitting operation control portion is configured to perform control of fitting the workpiece into the second through-hole by moving a grasping portion of the second robot arm between the first through-hole and the second through-hole and guiding the workpiece while movably grasping a forward end side of the workpiece passing through the first through-hole by the grasping portion of the second robot arm after grasping a base side of the workpiece and fitting the workpiece into the first through-hole by a grasping portion of the first robot arm.

14. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control point setting portion is configured to change the control point of the robot in the direction opposite to the fitting direction repeatedly when interference is avoided.

15. A method for manufacturing a component employing a workpiece, comprising:
grasping the workpiece by a grasping portion of a robot arm;
moving a control point set for the robot arm such that the workpiece follows a shape of a workpiece fitted member into which the workpiece is fitted and performing a fitting operation; and
changing the control point of the robot in a direction opposite to a fitting direction by an amount of movement of the workpiece in the fitting direction during the fitting operation.

16. The method for manufacturing a component according to claim 15 , wherein
changing the control point of the robot in the direction opposite to the fitting direction by the amount of movement of the workpiece in the fitting direction during the fitting operation includes setting the control point of the robot in a vicinity of a forward end of the workpiece closer to the workpiece fitted member before the fitting operation and changing the control point of the robot from the vicinity of the forward end of the workpiece to a base side thereof by the amount of movement of the workpiece in the fitting direction during the fitting operation.

17. The method for manufacturing a component according to claim 15 , wherein
changing the control point of the robot in the direction opposite to the fitting direction by the amount of movement of the workpiece in the fitting direction during the fitting operation includes sequent

Assignees

• Yaskawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Izumi Tetsuro
• Hashiguchi Yukio
• Fukuda Takuya
• Nagai Ryoichi

Classifications

• G05B2219/40028

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