Balancer and controlling method thereof
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of controlling a balancer, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a first instruction for controlling movement in a vertical direction of the arm of a balancer;
moving said arm according to said first instruction while the distal end of said arm is subjected to external forces;
detecting a force added to the arm along said vertical direction with a force sensor mounted on the distal end portion of the arm;
determining a velocity instruction for the balancer in response to the first signal and directing the distal end of the balancer to follow movement indicated by said external forces by modifying said velocity instruction with a second signal derived from the force sensor; and
applying said velocity instruction to control the velocity of the balancer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A robot balancer (2) and a method for controlling the balancer is disclosed which has a step or a force sensor (10) mounted on the tip of the arm (3) of the balancer (2), a step or an operational means (21) for calculating the velocity of the balancer from the force given by the force sensor, and a step or a control means (15) for controlling a velocity of the balancer (2) in response to a signal from the force sensor.
46 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a balancer, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a first instruction for controlling movement in a vertical direction of the arm of a balancer; moving said arm according to said first instruction while the distal end of said arm is subjected to external forces; detecting a force added to the arm along said vertical direction with a force sensor mounted on the distal end portion of the arm; determining a velocity instruction for the balancer in response to the first signal and directing the distal end of the balancer to follow movement indicated by said external forces by modifying said velocity instruction with a second signal derived from the force sensor; and applying said velocity instruction to control the velocity of the balancer. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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5. A balancer, comprising:
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a base; an arm member pivotally mounted on said base to hold an article; means for receiving a first instruction directing movement of said arm member in a vertical direction; drive means for actively moving said arm member in response to said first instruction; a sensor suitable for being grasped and actively moved by forces external to said drive means, mounted on the end portion of said arm for detecting a force added vertically to said arm by said external forces while said sensor is grasped and for generating a signal having a value proportional to the value of the force detected; and control means for determining a velocity instruction for said arm member from said first instruction and minimizing the magnitude of said added force by modifying said first instruction in response to the signal generated by said force sensor and applying the velocity instruction to control said drive means. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A balancer operable in cooperation with a robot, comprising:
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a base; an arm member pivotally mounted on said base to hold an article; drive means for moving said arm member; a force sensor mounted on the end portion of said arm for detecting a force added vertically to said arm by the robot and for generating a signal representative of the magnitude of said force; means connected to said arm by said force sensor for forming a junction with the robot; and means of controlling said drive means, including; a velocity calculator for receiving a velocity signal from the robot for directing movement of said arm in a vertical direction, and a force signal from said force sensor, and for determining and applying to said drive means a velocity instruction for minimizing the magnitude of said vertically added force while following movement of the robot in response to reception of said force signal by modifying the value of said velocity instruction; a force calculator for detecting an overload at said junction by comparing said force signal to a predetermined value and for generating an overload signal when the value of said signal exceeds said predetermined value; a brake for stopping said drive means; a drive circuit coupled to said velocity calculator and said force calculator for operating said drive means in response to reception of the velocity signal sent from said velocity calculator and for activating said brake in response to reception of said overload signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A balancer operable in cooperation with a robot, comprising:
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a base; an arm member pivotally mounted on said base to hold an article; drive means for moving said arm member; means for receiving a first instruction for directing movement of said arm member by said drive means; control means for determining a velocity instruction for said arm member from said first instruction and for applying the velocity instruction to control said drive means; and a sensor suitable for being grasped, mounted on the distal end portion of said arm for detecting a force added vertically to said arm while said sensor is grasped and for providing to said control means a signal having a value proportional to the value of the force detected; whereby said control means determines a corrected velocity instruction for said arm member from the first instruction and the signal generated by said force sensor and applies the corrected velocity instruction to control said drive means. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A balancer operable in cooperation with a robot, comprising:
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arm means having one extremity providing a first terminus pivotally connectable to a base and a second extremity forming a distal terminus portion, for holding an article; drive means for moving said arm means; graspable sensor means mounted at said distal terminus portion, for responding to force added to said arm means while said sensor is grapsed by the robot, by generating a correction signal having a value proportional to the value of one component of the force added to said arm means; and control means for receiving an electrical signal providing a first instruction and causing said drive means to move said arm in response to said first instruction, and generating a corrected instruction for controlling said drive means in response to reception of said electrical signal and said correction signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification