Production system for performing cooperative work by operator and robot

• US 10,442,085 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Tomoyuki, Ooshima, Nao
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US15/709,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20180093378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/085 Force or torque sensors B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/063 working only upon contact with an outside object
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1676 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35473 Input limit values of speed, position, acceleration or force
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40198 Contact with human allowed if under pain tolerance limit
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40201 Detect contact, collision with human
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40202 Human robot coexistence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/43203 Limitation of speed, permissible, allowable, maximum speed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/49 Protective device

Abstract

A production system includes a robot, a robot controller, and a person detection part. The controller includes first speed comparison unit that has the function of activating a power cutoff unit so as to stop an operation of the robot when a current speed exceeds a predetermined reference speed; and an external-force comparison unit that has the function of activating the power cutoff unit so as to stop the operation of the robot when a current force applied to the robot exceeds a predetermined reference force. The controller disables the functions of the first speed comparison unit and the external-force comparison unit while the person detection part detects the absence of the operator in the cooperative operation space.

Claims

1. A production system comprising:

a robot,

a controller that controls the robot;

a person detection part that detects whether or not an operator has entered to a cooperative operation space where the robot and the operator are supposed to enter at the same time in order to work in cooperation,

a speed detection part that detects a speed of the robot, and

an external-force detection part that detects an external force applied to the robot, wherein

the controller includes;

a power cutoff unit that cuts off power supplied to the robot;

a reference-speed storage unit that stores a predetermined reference speed;

a reference-force storage unit that stores a predetermined reference force;

first speed comparison unit that compares a current speed of the robot and the predetermined reference speed stored in the reference-speed storage unit, the current speed being detected by the speed detection part, the first speed comparison unit having a function of activating the power cutoff unit so as to stop an operation of the robot when the current speed exceeds the predetermined reference speed; and

an external-force comparison unit that compares a current external force applied to the robot and the predetermined reference force stored in the reference-force storage unit, the current external force being detected by the external-force detection part, the external-force comparison unit having a function of activating the power cutoff unit so as to stop an operation of the robot when the current force exceeds the predetermined reference force, and

the controller is configured to disable functions of the first speed comparison unit and the external-force comparison unit while the person detection part detects absence of the operator in the cooperative operation space.

2. The production system according to claim 1, wherein the controller further includes:

an operation command unit that provides the robot with an operation command; and

a command speed regulation unit that has a function of reducing, at a constant rate, all of the command speeds included in the operation command so as to regulate the command speeds to a predetermined speed limit or lower,

the predetermined speed limit is a maximum value of a robot operation speed where the external-force comparison unit does not activate the power cutoff unit, and

the controller is configured to disable the function of the command speed regulation unit while the person detection part detects absence of the operator in the cooperative operation space.

3. The production system according to claim 1, wherein the controller further includes:

an operation command unit that provides the robot with an operation command;

a speed limit storage unit that stores a predetermined speed limit;

second speed comparison unit that has a function of determining whether or not an estimated speed of the robot is higher than the predetermined speed limit by comparing the estimated speed and the predetermined speed limit stored in the speed limit storage unit, the estimated speed being estimated from a command speed included in the operation command; and

a command speed regulation unit that has a function of regulating, to the predetermined speed limit or lower, only a command speed that is estimated to be higher than the predetermined speed limit by the second speed comparison unit among command speeds included in the operation command,

the predetermined speed limit is a maximum value of a robot operation speed where the external-force comparison unit does not activate the power cutoff unit, and

the controller is configured to disable the function of the command speed regulation unit while the person detection part detects absence of the operator in the cooperative operation space.

4. The production system according to claim 2, wherein the controller further includes:

a speed comparison delay unit that has a function of delaying the time when the function of the first speed comparison unit is enabled by a predetermined time from the time when the person detection part detects entry of the operator into the cooperative operation space.

5. The production system according to claim 2, wherein the controller further includes:

an external-force comparison delay unit that has a function of delaying the time when the function of the external-force comparison unit is enabled by a predetermined time from the time when the person detection part detects entry of the operator into the cooperative operation space.