The present invention relates to a device for the connection of sections/girders/arms, etc.
The invention is intended to be applied to, among other things, robots and more precisely then in the design of robot end of arm toolings (BOAT) (robot grippers) with the purpose of minimizing consumption of material and weight in relation to strength, allowing quick construction work and repair of the robot EOAT, increasing the precision of the functions of the robot EOAT, decreasing space requirement, shortening cycle times, decreasing the need of large robots, and lowering manufacturing costs.
The robot EOAT is intended to be used in applications wherein today, heavier robot EOAT of preferably aluminium and steel are used. Robot EOAT are preferably used to handle, and operate on, components in the manufacturing industry .
Today's robot EOAT are often unnecessary large, often difficult to build, difficult to repair, weigh much, and are expensive to construct. In certain cases, the EOAT may be ever so expensive and impossible to change. Acceleration and skidding of heavy robot EOAT often means high energy
consumption and slow tempos. Large robots are needed to handle the EOAT. The great weight means also that the precision is not always the best.
There are a number of decisive essential differences between the robot solutions and stands previously known.
The most important difference is the number of degrees of freedom, and which in the present invention is as much as six ones, which means that it is possible to reach any point with any orientation of the interface that exists for tools, guide head, or other things desired to fit furthest out. None of the solutions previously known can manage this without them being provided with extra devices.
By the present invention, it is conceivable to, for example, eliminate the turning and folding functions found at the top of a normal camera stand. These are now integrated in the device according to the present invention.
The two robot arms that are previously known by WO 2006/062466A1 as well as US 4,732,525A have four force transmitting sections having the purpose of allowing dynamic movement of a tool or a function. The device according to the present invention has only three legs that manage more degrees of freedom. The object of the device according to the present invention is to be able to reach any point with any orientation and lock the setting. When screws are tightened, "the package" is locked very efficiently and the location and the orientation become permanent until the screws are loosened. In this way, an extremely stable fixation with a minimal use of material is obtained, which is not accomplished in the other solutions.
There is a demand for the device according to the present invention in the stable fixation of articles for geometrical measuring, for the fixation of components in production lines, for gripping devices furthest out on robots, etc.
Today, considerably poorer solutions exist, which take longer time to build and which weigh considerably more than the device according to the present invention.
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is primarily to provide a device that solves, among others, the above-mentioned problems in an efficient and reliable way. Said object is achieved by means of a device according to the present invention that essentially is
characterized in that, to an attachment from a robot or another tool or item, at least three fasteners extend for the coupling to each an arm, section, girder or the like, that the
respective fastener is formed of joints that are pivotably mounted and allowed to be adjusted into the desired direction and locking in desired positions, and which consist of each a swivel that is arranged to be lockable in order to prevent turning of included parts in relation to each other, several of said arms, etc., being constructed so that essentially only tensile and compressive forces are initiated in the structure of said attachment and that each arm, etc., in the joints is arranged to be directed at optional angles to a neighbouring joint and/or endpoint and allow six different degrees of freedom.
The invention is described in the following, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 shows in perspective a connection according to the invention obliquely from the front,
Figs. 2 and 3 schematically show fittings in the connection in different positions,
Figs. 4-6 show additional views of connections,
Figs. 7-9 show examples of a coupling member of the connection, and
Fig. 10 shows an example of known robot EOAT applied to an industrial robot.
According to the present invention, several sections/girders are put together so that almost only tensile and compressive forces are initiated in the structure of the robot EOAT and that, in the joints, each section/girder can be directed at optional angles to next joint alternatively endpoint. This applies to a robot not illustrated with the invention applied.
The attachment point for the robot consists of a rim, a first rim, having attachment means all around for sections/girders. At a suitable distance from said first rim, an additional rim having attachment means for sections/girders may be placed. The two rims may be locked to each other via spacing elements. The spacing elements may consist of either sections/girders or some form of cylinder. Two rims and the spacing elements between the same may also be made in a single piece .
By forming the spacing elements so that the distance between the sections can be increased/decreased dynamically, a certain alteration of the length of the girder can be provided and controlled. The shape of the spacing elements may be changed and controlled in many ways. Common to the elements is, however, that they operate from the centre of the girder.
The longitudinal sections may preferably consist of "pultrusion composite profiles" and the sections should have a great content of carbon fibre.
The sections may be cut and attached to the spacing elements and their ends and extend straight between the spacing elements.
According to the invention, a fixed arm for free quick flexible location and orientation of a fastener for tools, suction cup, gripping devices, self-grip wrench, guiding, welding pistol, nozzle, cameras, etc., is intended. The arm may be included as a part of a robot EOAT, jig, david arm or fixture, or function as a stand and may comprise an adjustable link for free directing of arm, section, girder, etc., from a given point to another optional point. The invention relates to a joint/fastener adjustable in several directions for miscellaneous tools, etc. The joint has three fasteners for the coupling to three arms the purpose of which is to be a link between stands and the joint. A fourth fastener constitutes an interface for tools, etc .
The advantages of the design of the joint are several. Among other things, the adjustment of the joint into the correct position and orientation can be made very fast and easily, and the joint has high strength in relation to the used amount of material.
To be precise, the invention comprises a device 1 for the connection of sections/girders, arms, etc., 2, 3, 4, and to an attachment 5 from a robot or some other tool or item, at least three fasteners 6, 7, 8 extend, intended for the coupling to each an arm, section, girder, 2-4 or the like. The respective fastener 6-8 is formed of joints that are pivotably mounted and allowed to be adjusted into the desired direction 9, 10, 11 and locking in desired positions I, II, III. In doing so, several of said arms, etc., 2-4 are constructed so that essentially only tensile and compressive forces D, T are initiated in the structure 6-8 of said attachment 5, and that each arm, etc., 2-4 in the joints is arranged to be directed at optional angles to a neighbouring joint and/or endpoint.
The attachment 5 of a robot, etc., consists of a first rim having attachments all around for sections/girders 2-4, and that a second rim (not shown) is situated at a
distance from said first rim 5 and having attachments all around for sections/girders. The two rims are arranged to be locked to each other via spacing elements in the form of sections/girders or a cylinder, the spacing elements being made in one piece. Preferably, said spacing elements are formed so that the distance between the sections 2-4 is arranged to be increased/decreased dynamically, whereby a certain alteration of the length of the girder is arranged to be provided as well as controlled.
Said spacing elements are arranged so that they operate essentially from the centre 12 of the girder, etc., 2-4. The joints 6-8 have three fasteners that are arranged for the interconnection with each an arm 2-4 in order to reach a stand, as well as that a fourth fastener is arranged to constitute a so-called interface for a tool in question, etc. Said joints 6-8 are suitably formed of turnable disc clutch parts .
One of said fasteners 6 is situated on a level different from said paired fasteners 7, 8 and is situated between said paired fasteners 7, 8 situated on a common level and the fourth fastener 5, which preferably is formed of an attachment in the form of a first rim 5 having attachments all around .
Suitably, the device 1 comprises a fixed arm, which is intended for free, quick and flexible location and orientation of a fastener for tools or suction cup, gripping devices, self-grip wrench, guiding, welding pistol, nozzle, camera, etc., and that is included as a part of a robot EOAT, jig, david arm, fixture or a stand and as an adjustable link, respectively, in order to provide free directing of an arm, section, girder, etc., from a given point to another optional point.
In Figs. 7-9, there is shown a hinge 20 that can be applied to provide articulated locking at the joints 6-8 in question between the included attachment 5 and angle bearing brackets 21, 22, respectively, where disc clutch parts 23, 24... are interconnected hard and unturnably. Said hinge 20 comprises two parts 20A, 20B unturnably interconnectable with each other, which are pressed together by a threaded screw 25 and where congruent lock lugs 26, 27 are interconnected and prevent turning of the parts in relation to each other in the locked position V.
The nature and function of the invention should have been clear from what has been described above and with the aid also of what has been shown in the drawings.
Naturally, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are feasible, particularly as for the nature of the different parts, or by using an equivalent technique, without departing from the protection area of the invention, such as it is defined in the claims.