Carrier device and robot system

• US 8,894,343 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
• Inventors: Yoshino, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): McClain, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/607,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20130259611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 414/222.07, 414/222.01, 414/226.05, 414/776, 414/223.01
• US Class Current: 414/222.07
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0242 the objects being individually presented to the spray heads by a rotating element, e.g. turntable
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0431 with spray heads moved by robots or articulated arms, e.g. for applying liquid or other fluent material to 3D-surfaces B05B13/0436, B05B13/0442, B05B13/0447, B05B13/0463 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0096 co-operating with a working support, e.g. work-table
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/106 with articulated links

Abstract

A carrier device according to embodiments includes: a swivel arm that is provided on a base installed on an installation surface to be able to swivel around a central axis and whose leading ends can pass on a circular orbit; and turn tables that are attached to the leading ends of the swivel arm and can carry a predetermined workpiece while placing thereon the workpiece between a working position and a carrying in/out position provided on the circular orbit. The turn table is rotated by an integral multiple of 360 degrees with respect to the installation surface while the turn table is moving from the working position to the carrying in/out position by swiveling the swivel arm.

Claims

1. A carrier device comprising:

a swivel arm that is provided on a base installed on an installation surface to be able to swivel around a central axis and whose leading ends can pass on a circular orbit; and

turn tables that are attached to the leading ends of the swivel arm and can carry a predetermined workpiece while placing thereon the workpiece between a working position and a carrying in/out position provided on the circular orbit, wherein

the turn table is rotated by an integral multiple of 360 degrees with respect to the installation surface while the turn table is moving from the working position to the carrying in/out position by swiveling the swivel arm.

2. The carrier device according to claim 1, wherein

the turn table is rotated with respect to the swivel arm in a same direction as a swiveling direction of the swivel arm while the turn table is passing or reciprocating between the working position and the carrying in/out position by swiveling the swivel arm, and

in the meantime, a sum of a rotation angle of the swivel arm with respect to the installation surface and a rotation angle of the turn table with respect to the swivel arm becomes an integral multiple of 360 degrees.

3. The carrier device according to claim 2, wherein

the working position and the carrying in/out position are located at symmetrical positions with respect to a center of the circular orbit, and

the turn tables are rotated by an integral multiple of 360 degrees with respect to the installation surface while the turn tables attached to both the ends of the swivel arm are passing or reciprocating between the working position and the carrying in/out position by swiveling the swivel arm formed substantially linearly by 180 degrees.

4. The carrier device according to claim 3, wherein the turn table is rotated 180 degrees with respect to the swivel arm in the same direction as the swiveling direction of the swivel arm while the turn table is passing or reciprocating between the working position and the carrying in/out position by swiveling the swivel arm by 180 degrees.

5. The carrier device according to claims 4, further comprising a table rotating mechanism that has a table rotating shaft that turns along an outer periphery of the base along with the swivel arm and makes the turn table rotate on its axis while the turn table is passing or reciprocating between the working position and the carrying in/out position, wherein

the table rotating shaft is provided with a leading end that is coupled to the turn table in an interlocking manner and a bottom end that is fixed to a transmission gear engaged with a guiding ring gear fixed on an outer circumferential surface of the base.

6. The carrier device according to claim 5, wherein

the base has a hollow structure and includes a hollow part into and through which a linear object including at least an electric cable can be inserted, and

a power source that drives the table rotating shaft and the swivel arm is placed outside the base.

7. The carrier device according to claims 3, further comprising a table rotating mechanism that has a table rotating shaft that turns along an outer periphery of the base along with the swivel arm and makes the turn table rotate on its axis while the turn table is passing or reciprocating between the working position and the carrying in/out position, wherein

the table rotating shaft is provided with a leading end that is coupled to the turn table in an interlocking manner and a bottom end that is fixed to a transmission gear engaged with a guiding ring gear fixed on an outer circumferential surface of the base.

8. The carrier device according to claim 7, wherein

the base has a hollow structure and includes a hollow part into and through which a linear object including at least an electric cable can be inserted, and

a power source that drives the table rotating shaft and the swivel arm is placed outside the base.

9. The carrier device according to claims 2, further comprising a table rotating mechanism that has a table rotating shaft that turns along an outer periphery of the base along with the swivel arm and makes the turn table rotate on its axis while the turn table is passing or reciprocating between the working position and the carrying in/out position, wherein

the table rotating shaft is provided with a leading end that is coupled to the turn table in an interlocking manner and a bottom end that is fixed to a transmission gear engaged with a guiding ring gear fixed on an outer circumferential surface of the base.

10. The carrier device according to claim 9, wherein

the base has a hollow structure and includes a hollow part into and through which a linear object including at least an electric cable can be inserted, and

a power source that drives the table rotating shaft and the swivel arm is placed outside the base.

11. The carrier device according to claim 1, wherein

the working position and the carrying in/out position are located at symmetrical positions with respect to a center of the circular orbit, and

the turn tables are rotated by an integral multiple of 360 degrees with respect to the installation surface while the turn tables attached to both the ends of the swivel arm are passing or reciprocating between the working position and the carrying in/out position by swiveling the swivel arm formed substantially linearly by 180 degrees.

12. The carrier device according to claim 11, wherein the turn table is rotated 180 degrees with respect to the swivel arm in the same direction as the swiveling direction of the swivel arm while the turn table is passing or reciprocating between the working position and the carrying in/out position by swiveling the swivel arm by 180 degrees.

13. The carrier device according to claims 12, further comprising a table rotating mechanism that has a table rotating shaft that turns along an outer periphery of the base along with the swivel arm and makes the turn table rotate on its axis while the turn table is passing or reciprocating between the working position and the carrying in/out position, wherein

the table rotating shaft is provided with a leading end that is coupled to the turn table in an interlocking manner and a bottom end that is fixed to a transmission gear engaged with a guiding ring gear fixed on an outer circumferential surface of the base.

14. The carrier device according to claim 13, wherein

the base has a hollow structure and includes a hollow part into and through which a linear object including at least an electric cable can be inserted, and

a power source that drives the table rotating shaft and the swivel arm is placed outside the base.

15. The carrier device according to claims 11, further comprising a table rotating mechanism that has a table rotating shaft that turns along an outer periphery of the base along with the swivel arm and makes the turn table rotate on its axis while the turn table is passing or reciprocating between the working position and the carrying in/out position, wherein

the table rotating shaft is provided with a leading end that is coupled to the turn table in an interlocking manner and a bottom end that is fixed to a transmission gear engaged with a guiding ring gear fixed on an outer circumferential surface of the base.

16. The carrier device according to claim 15, wherein

the base has a hollow structure and includes a hollow part into and through which a linear object including at least an electric cable can be inserted, and

a power source that drives the table rotating shaft and the swivel arm is placed outside the base.

17. The carrier device according to claims 1, further comprising a table rotating mechanism that has a table rotating shaft that turns along an outer periphery of the base along with the swivel arm and makes the turn table rotate on its axis while the turn table is passing or reciprocating between the working position and the carrying in/out position, wherein

the table rotating shaft is provided with a leading end that is coupled to the turn table in an interlocking manner and a bottom end that is fixed to a transmission gear engaged with a guiding ring gear fixed on an outer circumferential surface of the base.

18. The carrier device according to claim 17, wherein

the base has a hollow structure and includes a hollow part into and through which a linear object including at least an electric cable can be inserted, and

a power source that drives the table rotating shaft and the swivel arm is placed outside the base.

19. A robot system comprising:

a carrier device according to claims 1; and

a working robot that processes the workpiece placed on the turn table at the working position.

20. The robot system according to claim 19, wherein the working robot is a painting robot that paints the workpiece and is integrally attached to the swivel arm at a substantially middle position of the swivel arm.