Cable distribution and support equipment for sensor in robot system

• US 20050103148A1
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Inventors: Aizawa, Atsushi, Tamura, Toshinari, Inoue, Toshihiko
• Application Number:
  US10/989,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20050103148A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/490.20
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/0029 arranged within the different robot elements
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/021 Optical sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20311 including power cable or connector

Abstract

Cable distribution and support equipment for a sensor, in a robot system including a robot and the sensor attached to the wrist region of the robot, to lay a sensor cable connected to the sensor in the robot. The cable distribution and support equipment includes a sensor cable comprised of a signal cable and a power cable; an umbilical member comprised of at least one of a control cable of a drive motor of a wrist axis of a robot, a control cable of a hand attached to the robot and a pneumatic-mechanism driving compressed-air hose; and a protective tube through which the sensor cable and the umbilical member are passed. The protective tube is configured to be laid through a cavity formed in a hollow forearm of the robot. The signal cable may be comprised of an image signal cable and a control signal cable, provided for a visual sensor. Alternatively, the signal cable may be comprised of a detection-data transmission signal cable of a strain gauge provided for a force sensor.

Claims

1. Cable distribution and support equipment for a sensor in a robot system, comprising:

a sensor cable comprising a signal cable and a power cable;

an umbilical member comprising at least one of a control cable of a drive motor of a wrist axis of a robot, a control cable of a hand attached to the robot and a pneumatic-mechanism driving compressed-air hose; and

a protective tube through which said sensor cable and said umbilical member are passed;

wherein said protective tube is configured to be laid through a cavity formed in a hollow forearm of the robot.

2. Cable distribution and support equipment for a sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said signal cable comprises an image signal cable and a control signal cable, provided for a visual sensor.

3. Cable distribution and support equipment for a sensor, as set forth in claim 2, wherein at least one of said image signal cable, said control signal cable and said power cable is covered by at least one of a shield member and a sheath member.

4. Cable distribution and support equipment for a sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said signal cable comprises a detection-data transmission signal cable of a strain gauge provided for a force sensor.

5. Cable distribution and support equipment for a sensor, as set forth in claim 4, wherein at least one of said detection-data transmission signal cable and said power cable is covered by at least one of a shield member and a sheath member.

6. Cable distribution and support equipment for a sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said protective tube is provided with a cantilever structure having a fixed end designed to be securely joined to a forearm support provided in the robot and a free end designed to be disposed in the cavity of the forearm.

7. Cable distribution and support equipment for a sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein, among said umbilical member, at least one of said control cable of the drive motor and said control cable of the hand is provided with no sheath member;

and wherein an insulating member of an individual wire constituting said at least one control cable is formed from a material containing an organic fluorine compound.

8. A robot system comprising:

a robot mechanism including a forearm;

a sensor attached to an end region of said forearm of said robot mechanism; and

cable distribution and support equipment for a sensor, as set forth in claim 1, provided for laying said sensor cable connected to said sensor in said robot mechanism.