Assembly equipment and assembly method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9868181-B2
Application number	US-201313754096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2013
Priority date	Feb 3, 2012
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

Assembly equipment comprises a base, a first holding hand provided in a first robot arm set on the base, a second holding hand provided in a second robot arm set on the base, and a control device configured to control the first and second robot arms and the first and second holding hands. The first holding hand comprises an attachment connected to the first robot arm and having a rotation shaft, and an aligning holding mechanism provided in a rotation mechanism having a rotation shaft located to intersect the rotation shaft of the attachment or located in a skewed positional relationship with the rotation shaft of the attachment. A cooperative working area of the first and second holding hands is provided in an overlapping area where working areas of the first and second holding hands overlap with each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Assembly equipment comprising:
a base;
a first holding hand provided in a first robot arm set on the base;
a second holding hand provided in a second robot arm set on the base; and
a control device configured to control the first and second robot arms and the first and second holding hands,
wherein the first holding hand includes a first rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation A and a second rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation B,
wherein the second rotation unit is attached to the first rotation unit, an aligning holding unit is attached to the second rotation unit, and the second rotation unit is disposed between the first rotation unit and the aligning holding unit,
wherein the second rotation unit and the aligning holding unit rotate together with the first rotation unit about the axis of rotation A,
wherein the aligning holding unit rotates together with the second rotation unit about the axis of rotation B,
wherein the aligning holding unit and the second rotation unit are disposed at all time with a virtual line traversing therethrough, the virtual line being an extended line of the axis of rotation A, and
wherein a cooperative working area of the first and second holding hands is provided in an overlapping area where working areas of the first and second holding hands overlap with each other.

2. The assembly equipment according to claim 1 , wherein a working unit including a working section configured to perform assembly operation is set in the cooperative working area on the base.

3. The assembly equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the axis of rotation A and the axis of rotation B rotate in cooperation to move the aligning holding mechanism while maintaining a posture of the aligning holding mechanism.

4. The assembly equipment according to claim 1 , wherein a holding portion of the aligning holding mechanism comprises a plurality of claws and the plurality of claws open and close in a same phase.

5. The assembly equipment according to claim 4 , wherein a bearing surface for receiving a held article is provided to the plurality of claws.

6. The assembly equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the axis of rotation A and the axis of rotation B are substantially orthogonal to each other.

7. The assembly equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is provided for each of the first robot arm and the second robot arm.

8. The assembly equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the first robot arm is a six-axis articulated robot arm.

9. The assembly equipment according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first workpiece supply table configured to supply a part to be held by the first holding hand of the first robot arm, and
a second workpiece supply table configured to supply a part to be held by the second holding hand of the second robot arm,
wherein the first workpiece supply table is provided outside the working area of the second holding hand, and
wherein the second workpiece supply table is provided outside the working area of the first holding hand.

10. The assembly equipment according to claim 1 , wherein an aligning position of the aligning holding unit substantially coincides with the axis of rotation B of the second rotation unit.

11. The assembly equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotation unit includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion has a plane intersecting with the axis A, and the second portion has a plane intersecting with the axis B.

12. The assembly equipment according to claim 11 , wherein the second portion of the first rotation unit, the second rotation unit, and the aligning holding unit are in alignment of the axis B.

13. An assembly method that assembles an article, the method comprising:
operating a first holding hand; and
operating a second holding hand,
wherein the first holding hand and the second holding hand are operated in cooperation in an overlapping area of working areas of the first and second holding hands,
wherein the first holding hand includes a first rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation A and a second rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation B,
wherein the second rotation unit is attached to the first rotation unit, an aligning holding unit is attached to the second rotation unit, and the second rotation unit is disposed between the first rotation unit and the aligning holding unit,
wherein the second rotation unit and the aligning holding unit rotate together with the first rotation unit about the axis of rotation A,
wherein the aliening holding unit rotates together with the second rotation unit about the axis of rotation B,
wherein the aligning holding unit and the second rotation unit are disposed at all time with a virtual line traversing therethrough, the virtual line being an extended line of the axis of rotation A,
wherein the second holding hand is connected to a second robot arm, and
wherein the first robot arm and the second robot arm are arranged on a base such that the working areas of the first and second holding hands overlap with each other to form the overlapping area.

14. The assembly method according to claim 13 , wherein the second holding hand holds a part and conveys the part to the first holding hand without changing a posture of the part, and the first holding hand and the second holding hand assemble the part.

15. The assembly method that assembles an article according to claim 13 , wherein the first rotation unit includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion has a plane intersecting with the axis A, and the second portion has a plane intersecting with the axis B.

16. The assembly method that assembles an article according to claim 15 , wherein the second portion of the first rotation unit, the second rotation unit, and the aligning holding unit are in alignment of the axis B.

17. An assembly equipment comprising:
a base;
a holding hand provided in a robot arm set on the base; and
a control device configured to control the robot arm and the holding hand,
wherein the holding hand includes a first rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation A and a second rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation B,
wherein the second rotation unit is attached to the first rotation unit, an aligning holding unit is attached to the second rotation unit, and the second rotation unit is disposed between the first rotation unit and the aligning holding unit,
wherein the second rotation unit and the aligning holding unit rotate together with the first rotation unit about the axis of rotation A,
wherein the aligning holding unit rotates together with the second rotation unit about the axis of rotation B, and
wherein the aligning holding unit and the second rotation unit are disposed at all time with a virtual line traversing therethrough, the virtual line being an extended line of the axis of rotation A.

18. The assembly equipment according to claim 17 , further comprising a working unit including a working section configured to perform assembly operation sets in the cooperative working area on the base.

19. The assembly equipment according to claim 17 , wherein the axis of rotation A and the axis of rotation B rotate in cooperation to move the aligning holding mechanism while maintaining a posture of the aligning holding mechanism.

20. The assembly equipment according to claim 17 , wherein a holding portion of the aligning holding mechanism comprises a plurality

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Osato Toshiaki
• Arai Takashi
• Hirasawa Shuichi

Classifications

• B23P19/04

  for assembling or disassembling parts · CPC title

• B25J9/0084 Primary

  comprising a plurality of manipulators · CPC title

• B25J17/025

  mounted in series · CPC title

• Y10T29/53991

  Work gripper, anvil, or element · CPC title

• B23Q1/00 Primary

  Members which are comprised in the general build-up of a form of machine, particularly relatively large fixed members (B23Q37/00 takes precedence {; positioning supports for measuring arrangements G01B5/0004; motorised alignment for optical elements G02B7/005; handling of mask or wafer G03F7/70691; adjusting or compensating devices for optical apparatuses G12B5/00; piezoelectric or electrostrictive positioners H10N30/20}) · CPC title