Industrial robot

• US 5,357,824 A
• Filed: 11/05/1992
• Issued: 10/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Yasuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Herrmann, Allan D.
• Application Number:
  US07/972,085
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 74/479 BP, 414/4, 414/729, 414/917, 901/15, 901/23
• US Class Current: 74/490.03
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/047 the pivoting axis of the first arm being offset to the vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1035 Pinion and fixed rack drivers, e.g. for rotating an upper arm support on the robot base
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1065 with parallelograms
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/13 Handlers utilizing parallel links
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20317 including electric motor

Abstract

The industrial robot comprises two lower arms arranged parallel to each other and pivotably supported on a lower base member; an upper base member pivotably mounted on upper ends of these two lower arms, respectively so as to form a parallelogram together with the two lower arms; at least one first driving source for driving the parallelogrammic link; an upper arm pivotably supported on one side of the upper base member so as not to interfere with the parallelogrammic link and driven by a second driving source. Since the upper arm can be moved horizontally by inclination motion of the parallelogrammic link mechanism and further the upper arm is pivoted on one side of the upper base, the upper arm can be moved frontward, rearward and upward without any interference with the lower arms. Further, since a moment of the lower arm generated when a load is applied to the wrist of the upper arm is not subjected to the influence of the length and pivotal angle of the upper arm, the motor torque and reduction gear capacity for driving the lower arms can be reduced markedly.

Claims

1. An industrial robot, comprising:

a lower base member;

a first driving motor for driving said lower base member to pivot about a first axis, said first driving motor being provided on said lower base member so that said first driving motor is displaced from the first axis;

first and second lower arms arranged parallel to each other and having lower ends which are pivotally supported on end portions of said lower base member;

said first driving motor and said first and second lower arms being provided on a first side of said robot with respect to the first axis;

an upper base member pivotally mounted on upper ends of said first and second lower arms and having a connecting portion extending at least between the upper ends of said first and second lower arms, said connecting portion located substantially in a common plane with said first and second lower arms;

said lower base member, said first and second lower arms and said upper base member defining a parallelogram;

at least one second driving motor for driving and inclining at least one of said first and second lower arms about their respective second axes, said second driving motor being provided on a second side of said robot which is opposite to the first side with respect to the first axis and said first and second driving motors being provided apart so as not to interfere with each other;

an upper arm pivotally supported on one side of said connecting portion of said upper base member so that said upper arm pivots relative to said upper base member about a third axis which is parallel to said second axes about which said first and second lower arms pivot with respect to said upper and lower base members, and so that said upper arm is pivotal in a plane parallel to and different from said common plane containing said first and second lower arms and said upper base member so as not to interfere with said upper base member and said first and second lower arms when said upper arm rotates; and

a third driving motor for driving said upper arm to pivot about the third axis by which said upper arm is pivotally attached to said upper base member.

2. The industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein said third axis about which said upper arm pivots relative to said upper base member, and said second axes about which said first and second lower arms pivot relative to said upper and lower base members are horizontal axes.

3. The industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein said lower base member is rotatably supported to a fixed base.

4. The industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein said third driving motor is provided on said upper arm.

5. The industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein said third driving motor is provided on said upper base member.

6. The industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein said lower base member is offset from said common plane containing said first and second lower arms and said upper base member, said first axis is perpendicular to said third axis, and said first axis is contained in a plane which is substantially the same as a plane in which said upper arm moves when said upper arm is driven by said third driving motor.

7. The industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein said third axis about which said upper arm rotates relative to said upper base member is at least as vertically high as a plane containing pivotal axes where said upper ends of said first and second lower arms are pivotally mounted to said upper base member.

8. The industrial robot of claim 1, wherein the upper end of said first lower arm is pivotally attached to a front end of said upper base member, the upper end of said second lower arm is pivotally attached to a rear end of said upper base member, and a base portion of said upper arm is pivotally attached to said one side of said upper base member so that a working end of said upper arm, located opposite from said base portion of said upper arm, can be positioned forward of, above, and rearward of said upper base member when said upper arm is pivoted by said third driving motor.

9. The industrial robot according to claim 8, further comprising:

a wrist pivotally attached to the working end of said upper arm; and

a wrist driving motor for driving said wrist.

10. The industrial robot according to claim 8, wherein said base portion of said upper arm is pivotally attached to said upper base member at a portion of said upper base member located between where said upper ends of said first and second lower arms are pivotally mounted to said upper base member.

11. The industrial robot according to claim 8, wherein said base portion of said upper arm is pivotally attached to said upper base member at a same portion of said upper base member as where the upper end of said first lower arm is pivotally attached to said upper base member.

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

a wrist pivotally attached to said upper arm; and

a wrist driving motor for driving said wrist.

13. The industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein said upper arm is pivotally attached to said upper base member at a portion of said upper base member located between where said upper ends of said first and second lower arms are pivotally mounted to said upper base member.

14. The industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein said upper arm is pivotally attached to said upper base member at a same portion of said upper base member as where the upper end of said first lower arm is pivotally attached to said upper base member.

15. An industrial robot, comprising:

a lower base member;

a first driving motor for driving said lower base member to pivot about a first axis, said first driving motor being provided on said lower base member so that said first driving motor is displaced from the first axis;

first and second lower arms arranged parallel to each other and pivotally supported on end portions of said lower base member at each lower end thereof;

said first driving motor and said first and second lower arms being provided on a first side of said robot with respect to the first axis;

an upper base member pivotally mounted on upper ends of said first and second lower arms;

said lower base member, said first and second lower arms and said upper base member defining a parallelogram;

at least one second driving motor for driving and inclining at least one of said first and second lower arms about their respective second axes, said second driving motor being provided on a second side of said robot which is opposite to the first side with respect to the first axis and said first and second driving motors being provided apart so as not to interfere with each other;

an upper arm pivotally supported on one side of said upper base member so as not to interfere with said upper base member and said first and second lower arms when said upper arm rotates, said upper arm being pivotally attached to said upper base member at a same portion of said upper base member as where the upper end of said first lower arm is pivotally attached to said upper base member so that the upper end of said first lower arm and said upper arm pivot about a common axis; and

a third driving motor for driving said upper arm.

16. The industrial robot according to claim 15, wherein said lower base member is offset from a plane containing said first and second lower arms and from a plane containing said upper base member, said first axis is perpendicular to said common axis about which said upper arm pivots relative to said upper base member, said first axis being contained in a plane which is substantially the same as a plane in which said upper arm moves when said upper arm is driven by said third driving motor.

17. The industrial robot according to claim 15, wherein said upper base member includes a connecting portion extending between the upper ends of said first and second lower arms and located substantially entirely in a common plane with said first and second lower arms, said upper arm is pivotally attached to said connecting portion so that said common axis about which said upper arm pivots is parallel to axes about which said first and second lower arms pivot with respect to said upper and lower base members, and so that said upper arm is pivotal in a plane parallel to and different from said common plane containing said first and second lower arms and said upper base member so as not to interfere with said upper base member and said first and second lower arms when said upper arm rotates.

18. An industrial robot, comprising:

a lower base member;

a first driving motor for driving said lower base member to pivot about a first axis, said first driving motor being provided on said lower base member so that said first driving motor is displaced from the first axis;

first and second lower arms arranged parallel to each other, each of said first and second lower arms having an upper end and a lower end, said lower ends of said first and second lower arms pivotally attached to said lower base member;

said first driving motor and said first and second lower arms being provided on a first side of said robot with respect to the first axis;

an upper base member pivotally attached to said upper ends of said first and second lower arms, extending at least between the upper ends of said first and second lower arms, and located in a common plane with said first and second lower arms;

at least one second driving motor for driving and inclining at least one of said first and second lower arms about their respective second axes, said second driving motor being provided on a second side of said robot which is opposite to the first side with respect to the first axis and said first and second driving motors being provided apart so as not to interfere with each other;

an upper arm pivotally supported on one side of said upper base member so that said upper arm is pivotal relative to said upper base member in a plane parallel to and different from said common plane containing said first and second lower arms and said upper base member so as not to interfere with said first and second lower arms and said upper base member when said upper arm pivots;

said lower base member offset from said common plane containing said first and second lower arms and said upper base member, said first axis being perpendicular to a third axis about which said upper arm pivots relative to said upper base member; and

a third driving motor for driving said upper arm to pivot about the third axis by which said upper arm is pivotally attached to said upper base member, said first axis of said lower base member being contained in a plane which is substantially the same as a plane in which said upper arm moves when said upper arm is driven by said third driving motor.

19. The industrial robot according to claim 18, wherein the third axis about which said upper arm rotates relative to said upper base member is at least as vertically high as a plane containing pivotal axes where said upper ends of said first and second lower arms are pivotally attached to said upper base member.

20. An industrial robot, comprising:

a lower base member;

a first driving motor for driving said lower base member to pivot about a first axis, said first driving motor being provided on said lower base member so that said first driving motor is displaced from the first axis;

first and second lower arms arranged parallel to each other and having lower ends which are pivotally supported on end portions of said lower base member;

said first driving motor and said first and second lower arms being provided on a first side of said robot with respect to the first axis;

an upper base member pivotally mounted on upper ends of said first and second lower arms and having a connecting portion extending at least between the upper ends of said first and second lower arms and located substantially in a common plane with said first and second lower arms;

at least one second driving motor for driving and inclining at least one of said first and second lower arms about their respective second axes, said second driving motor being provided on a second side of said robot which is opposite to the first side with respect to the first axis and said first and second driving motors being provided apart so as not to interfere with each other;

an upper arm pivotally supported on one side of said connecting portion of said upper base member so that a third axis about which said upper arm rotates relative to said upper base member is at least as vertically high as a plane containing the second axes where said upper ends of said first and second lower arms are pivotally mounted to said upper base member, said third axis being parallel to said second axes about which said first and second lower arms pivot with respect to said upper and lower base members, said upper arm being pivotal in a plane parallel to and different from said common plane containing said first and second lower arms and said upper base member so as not to interfere with said upper base member and said first and second lower arms when said upper arm rotates;

said lower base member offset from said common plane containing said first and second lower arms and said upper base member, said first rotational axis being perpendicular to said third axis; and

a third driving motor for driving said upper arm to pivot about said third axis by which said upper arm is pivotally attached to said upper base member, said first axis of said lower base member being contained in a plane which is substantially the same as a plane in which said upper arm moves when said upper arm is driven by said third driving motor.

21. An industrial robot, comprising:

a lower base member;

a first driving motor for driving said lower base member to pivot about a first axis, said first driving motor being provided on said lower base member so that said first driving motor is displaced from the first axis;

first and second lower arms arranged parallel to each other and having lower ends which are pivotally supported on end portions of said lower base member;

said first driving motor and said first and second lower arms being provided on a first side of the robot with respect to the first axis;

an upper base member pivotally mounted on upper ends of said first and second lower arms and having a connecting portion extending at least between the upper ends of said first and second lower arms, said connecting portion located substantially in a common plane with said first and second lower arms;

said lower base member, said first and second lower arms and said upper base member defining a parallelogram;

at least one second driving motor for driving and inclining at least one of said first and second lower arms about their respective second axes, said second driving motor being provided on a second side of said robot which is opposite to the first side with respect to the first axis and said first and second driving motors beinq provided apart so as not to interfere with each other;

an upper arm pivotally supported on one side of said connecting portion of said upper base member so that said upper arm pivots relative to said upper base member about a third axis which is parallel to said second axes about which said first and second lower arms pivot with respect to said upper and lower base members, and so that said upper arm is pivotal in a plane in which the first axis is located, said plane being parallel to and different from said common plane containing said first and second lower arms and said upper base member so as not to interfere with said upper base member and said first and second lower arms when said upper arm rotates; and

a third driving motor for driving said upper arm to pivot about the third axis by which said upper arm is pivotally attached to said upper base member.

22. The industrial robot according to claim 21, further comprising:

a wrist having a coupling member by which said wrist is pivotally coupled to said upper arm and an end portion for handling an object, wherein

said coupling member is pivotal about a fourth axis which is an extension of a center line passing through said upper arm in a longitudinal direction thereof and said end portion is pivotal about a fifth axis which at least intersects said third axis.