Industrial Robot System

• US 20090128079A1
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Sjoberg, Ralph
• Granted Patent: US 7,863,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/568.130
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/06 Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/06 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 21/00 Chambers provided with manipulation devices constructional features of the mounting of the manipulator in the wall B25J1/08 ; glove-boxes for nuclear applications G21F7/04

Abstract

An industrial robot system including at least one industrial robot including at least one manipulator located in a robot cell, a control unit for controlling the manipulator, a portable operator control device for teaching and manually operating the manipulator, a detecting unit detecting when the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell, and a warning generator producing a warning to the operator upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell.

Claims

1. An industrial robot system, comprising:

at least one industrial robot comprising at least one manipulator located in a robot cell,

a control unit configured to control the at least one manipulator,

a portable operator control device for manually operating the at least one manipulator,

a detecting unit configured to detect when the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell, and

a warning generator configured to produce a warning to an operator upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell, in order to draw the operator'"'"'s attention to the portable operator control device leaving the cell.

2. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the portable operator control device comprises safety equipment, the system further comprising:

a safety function, which upon order enables and disables the safety equipment of the portable operator control device.

3. The industrial robot system according to claim 2, wherein said warning generator is adapted to produce the warning to the operator upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves the cell and the safety equipment is enabled, in order to draw the operator'"'"'s attention to the portable operator control device leaving the robot cell with the safety equipment enabled.

4. The industrial robot system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a timer which starts running upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell, and

a check module configured to check whether or not the safety equipment of the portable operator control device is still enabled a certain time period after the point in time when the portable operator control device has left the robot cell,

wherein the robot system is adapted to automatically emergency stop the robot if the safety equipment is still enabled said time period after the point in time when the portable operator control device has left the robot cell.

5. The industrial robot system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a detecting unit configured to detect when the portable operator control device enters the robot cell and the safety equipment is disabled, and

a warning generator configured to produce a warning to the operator upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters the robot cell and the safety equipment is disabled.

6. The industrial robot system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a timer which starts running upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters the robot cell with disabled safety equipment, and

a check module configured to check whether or not the portable operator control device is still in the robot cell and the safety equipment of the portable operator control device is still disabled a certain time period after the point in time when the portable operator control device entered the robot cell,

wherein the robot system is adapted to automatically emergency stop the robot if the portable operator control device is still in the robot cell and the safety equipment is still disabled said time period after the point in time when the portable operator control device entered the robot cell.

7. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an identifying unit configured to identify the portable operator control device upon entering and leaving the robot cell.

8. The industrial robot system according claim 7, further comprising:

a registration unit configured to register the portable operator control device upon entering the robot cell and deregistering the portable operator control device upon leaving the robot cell.

9. The industrial robot system according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for checking whether or not the portable operator control device is coupled to the control unit of any manipulator located in the robot cell upon detecting that the portable operator control device is entering the robot cell,

wherein the robot system is adapted to emergency stop the robot upon detecting that a portable operator control device, which is not coupled to the control unit of any manipulator located in the robot cell, is entering the cell.

10. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the detecting unit is adapted to detect when someone without a portable operator control device is entering the robot cell and the robot system is adapted to emergency stop the robot upon detecting that someone without a portable operator control device is entering the robot cell.

11. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the portable operator control device is adapted for wireless communication with the control unit.

12. A method for securing safety in an industrial robot system comprising at least one industrial robot comprising at least one manipulator located in a robot cell, a control unit for controlling the manipulator, and a portable operator control device for manually operating the manipulator, the method comprising:

detecting when the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell, and

producing a warning to the operator upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell, in order to draw the operator'"'"'s attention to the fact that the portable operator control device is leaving the cell.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the portable operator control device comprises safety equipment and the system comprises a safety function, which upon order enables and disables the safety equipment of the portable operator control device.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said warning is produced upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves the cell and the safety equipment is enabled, in order to draw the operator'"'"'s attention to the fact that the portable operator control device is leaving the robot cell with the safety equipment enabled.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the portable operator control device comprises safety equipment and the system comprises a safety function, which upon order enables and disables the safety equipment of the portable operator control device and the method further comprises checking whether or not the safety equipment of the portable operator control device is still enabled a certain time period after the point in time when the portable operator control device has left the robot cell, and on basis thereof order emergency stop of the robot.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

detecting when the portable operator control device enters the robot cell and the safety equipment is disabled,

checking whether the safety equipment of the portable operator control device is enabled or disabled, and

producing a warning to the operator upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters the robot cell and the safety equipment is disabled, in order to draw the operator'"'"'s attention to the fact that the portable operator control device is entering the cell with disabled safety equipment.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

checking whether or not the portable operator control device is still in the robot cell and the safety equipment of the portable operator control device is still disabled a certain time period after the point in time when the portable operator control device entered the robot cell, and on basis thereof order emergency stop of the robot.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

identifying the portable operator control device upon entering and leaving the robot cell.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

upon detecting that a portable operator control device is entering the robot cell checking whether or not the portable operator control device is coupled to the control unit of any manipulator located in the robot cell, and emergency stop the robot upon detecting that a portable operator control device, which is not coupled to the control unit of any manipulator located in the robot cell, is entering the cell.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

registering the portable operator control device upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters the robot cell, and

deregistering the portable operator control device upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell.

21. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

detecting when someone without a portable operator control device is entering the robot cell, and emergency stop the robot upon detection thereof.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein said warning is audible, visible or tactile.

23. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

computer program instructions recorded on the computer readable medium and executable by a processor for carrying out a method for securing safety in an industrial robot system comprising at least one industrial robot comprising at least one manipulator located in a robot cell, a control unit for controlling the manipulator, and a portable operator control device for manually operating the manipulator, the method comprising detecting when the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell, and producing a warning to the operator upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell, in order to draw the operator'"'"'s attention to the fact that the portable operator control device is leaving the cell.

24. (canceled)