Robot

• US 5,271,292 A
• Filed: 11/26/1991
• Issued: 12/21/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Karube, Yasuo, Sawada, Yasuhiro, Azuma, Yusaku, Tanita, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Leslie A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAUB, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US07/797,946
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 74/479 R, 74/479 BF, 74/479 B, 318/466, 318/489, 318/568.17, 318/568.18, 318/568.19, 340/671, 474/69, 474/70, 474/102, 901/9, 901/21, 901/46, 901/47
• US Class Current: 74/490.04
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/042 comprising an articulated arm
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/044 with forearm providing vertical linear movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20323 including flaccid drive element

Abstract

An industrial robot is provided with a body, a horizontal arm pivotally supported on the body, and a vertical arm mounted on the tip end portion of the horizontal arm for rotation about its own center axis. The robot includes a drive motor for rotatively driving the vertical arm, speed reduction means for speed-reducing and transmitting the drive force of the drive motor through a first output pulley to a second output pulley, and first and second detected portions mounted on the first and second output pulleys, respectively, with respective predetermined ranges of extension and indicating the original point position of the vertical arm by the difference between the respective phases. In addition, first and second detectors are fixed to the horizontal arm and output first and second detection signals, respectively, as long as they are detecting the first and second detected portions, respectively, and a controller is provided for judging the original point position of the vertical arm on the basis of the output modes of the first and second detection signals from the first and second detectors respectively.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a rotational shaft on which a robot hand is mounted;

a motor for rotating said rotational shaft;

first and second pulleys for transmitting rotation of said motor to said rotational shaft;

first speed reduction means for speed-reducing rotation of said motor;

second speed reduction means for speed-reducing rotation of said second pulley;

first detecting means for detecting an original position of said first pulley;

second detecting means for detecting an original position of said second pulley; and

means for matching both said first pulley and said second pulley at an original position, said matching means comprising;

means for effecting a plurality of signal outputs from said first detection means and a signal output from said second detecting means within one rotation of said second pulley; and

logic means for processing each signal output whereby, the apparatus detects a rotating original position of said rotational shaft of the robot hand.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal output means in said original position matching means comprises means for setting a time of the signal output of said first detecting means to be longer than that of said second detecting means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first rotational arm in which said first speed reduction means is contained;

a second rotational arm in which said second speed reduction means is contained; and

means for coupling said first and second rotational means with each other.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said matching means further comprises:

third detecting means mounted on said first pulley for detecting overrun;

fourth detecting means mounted on said second pulley for detecting overrun; and

means for processing signals from said third and fourth detecting means to output a signal for detecting the overrun.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a rotational shaft on which a robot hand is mounted;

a motor for rotating said rotational shaft;

first and second pulleys for transmitting rotation of said motor to said rotational haft;

first speed reduction means for speed-reducing rotation of said motor;

second speed reduction means for speed-reducing rotation of said second pulley;

first detecting means mounted on said first pulley for detecting an overrun position;

second detecting means mounted on said second pulley for detecting an overrun position;

means for matching both said first pulley and said second pulley at a predetermined overrun position, said means comprising;

means for effecting a plurality of signal outputs from said first detecting means and a signal output from said second detecting means within the time of one rotation of said second pulley; and

logic means for processing each signal output whereby, the apparatus detects overrun of said rotational shaft of the robot hand.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said signal output means in said overrun position matching means comprises means for setting a time of the signal output of said first detecting means to be longer than that of said second detecting means.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a first rotational arm in which said first speed reduction means is contained;

a second rotational arm in which said second speed reduction means is contained; and

means for coupling said first and second rotational means with each other.