CN109205301B

CN109205301B - Hand of industrial robot and industrial robot

Info

Publication number: CN109205301B
Application number: CN201810607124.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 矢泽隆之; 荒川洋
Original assignee: Nidec Sankyo Corp
Current assignee: Nidec Instruments Corp
Priority date: 2017-06-29
Filing date: 2018-06-13
Publication date: 2020-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 2038-06-13
Also published as: KR20190002304A; CN109205301A; JP2019010692A

Abstract

The invention provides a hand of an industrial robot, which is provided with an adsorption mechanism for vacuum adsorption of the lower surface of a conveying object, wherein the deformation of the conveying object when the conveying object with low rigidity is adsorbed by the adsorption mechanism can be inhibited, and the conveying object with high rigidity can be reliably adsorbed by the adsorption mechanism. The hand tool is provided with forks (18, 19) and an adsorption mechanism (22) for vacuum adsorbing the lower surface of a conveying object (2) placed on the upper surface sides of the forks (18, 19). The suction mechanism (22) is provided with a suction plate (40) which is in contact with the lower surface of the conveying object (2) and sucks the conveying object (2), a fixing member (41) for fixing the suction plate (40) on the upper end side and forming a suction hole (41d) penetrating in the vertical direction, and a floating mechanism (42) for supporting the fixing member (41) and enabling the fixing member to tilt relative to the forks (18, 19). The adsorption plate (40) is formed of a porous resin.

Description

Hand of industrial robot and industrial robot

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a hand of an industrial robot for conveying a conveyance object. The present invention also relates to an industrial robot including the hand.

Background

Conventionally, an industrial robot for conveying a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display is known (for example, see patent document 1). The hand of the industrial robot described in patent document 1 includes two forks linearly formed. A plurality of suction pads for vacuum-sucking the glass substrate mounted on the fork are mounted on the front end side of the fork.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2017-19061

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

The present inventors have studied the structure of a hand of an industrial robot that can be used in a manufacturing system of an organic EL (electroluminescence) display formed in a film shape, for example. In a film-like organic EL display manufacturing system, for example, there are a manufacturing system in which an organic EL display formed in the middle of film-like manufacturing is transported by a single body, and a manufacturing system in which an organic EL display formed in the middle of film-like manufacturing is transported in a state of being attached to a glass substrate.

When a film-like organic EL display during production is transported by the hand of the industrial robot described in patent document 1 in a single body, the rigidity of the organic EL display during production as a transport target is low, and therefore, there is a possibility that a portion of the organic EL display during production, which is adsorbed to the adsorption pad, is deformed greatly and damaged. Further, when the film-like organic EL display during production is conveyed while being stuck to the glass substrate by the hand of the industrial robot described in patent document 1, the rigidity of the organic EL display during production as a conveyance target is high, and therefore, for example, when the organic EL display during production is flexed, the suction pad may not come into contact with the organic EL display, and the organic EL display may not be sucked by the suction pad.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a hand of an industrial robot, which includes an adsorption mechanism for vacuum-adsorbing a lower surface of a conveyance object, and which can suppress deformation of the conveyance object when the conveyance object having a relatively low rigidity is adsorbed by the adsorption mechanism, and which can reliably adsorb the conveyance object having a relatively high rigidity by the adsorption mechanism. Another object of the present invention is to provide an industrial robot including the hand.

Technical scheme for solving technical problem

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a hand of an industrial robot for conveying a conveyance object, the hand comprising: a plurality of forks for placing a conveying object on the upper surface side; and an adsorption mechanism for vacuum-adsorbing the lower surface of the conveying object placed on the upper surface side of the fork, the adsorption mechanism comprising: an adsorption plate which is contacted with the lower surface of the conveying object and adsorbs the conveying object; a fixing member for fixing the suction plate to the upper end side and having a suction hole penetrating in the vertical direction; and a floating mechanism for supporting the fixing member so as to be movable obliquely with respect to the fork, wherein the adsorption plate is formed of a porous resin.

In the hand of the industrial robot of the present invention, the suction plate that comes into contact with the lower surface of the conveyance object and sucks the conveyance object is formed of a porous resin. Therefore, in the present invention, the size of the holes (i.e., air holes) for sucking the conveyance target is small. Therefore, in the present invention, the deformation of the conveyance object when the conveyance object having low rigidity is sucked by the suction mechanism can be suppressed. Further, in the present invention, since the fixing member for fixing the suction plate is supported by the floating mechanism so as to be movable obliquely with respect to the fork, even if the conveying object having high rigidity is flexed, the suction plate can be tilted in accordance with the flexure of the conveying object, and the conveying object and the suction plate can be reliably brought into contact with each other. Therefore, in the present invention, the conveyance object having high rigidity can be reliably sucked by the suction mechanism.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a hand of an industrial robot for conveying a conveyance object, the hand comprising: a plurality of forks for placing a conveying object on the upper surface side; and an adsorption mechanism for vacuum-adsorbing the lower surface of the conveying object placed on the upper surface side of the fork, the adsorption mechanism comprising: an adsorption plate which is contacted with the lower surface of the conveying object and adsorbs the conveying object; a fixing member for fixing the suction plate to the upper end side and having a suction hole penetrating in the vertical direction; and a floating mechanism for supporting the fixing member so as to be movable obliquely with respect to the fork, wherein a plurality of second suction holes arranged like a plurality of nozzle holes of the head are formed in the suction plate.

In the hand of the industrial robot according to the present invention, the suction plate that comes into contact with the lower surface of the conveying object and sucks the conveying object is formed with the plurality of second suction holes arranged like the plurality of nozzle holes of the head. Therefore, in the present invention, the size of the single second suction hole through which the conveyance target is sucked can be reduced. Therefore, in the present invention, the deformation of the conveyance object when the conveyance object having low rigidity is sucked by the suction mechanism can be suppressed. Further, in the present invention, since the fixing member for fixing the suction plate is supported by the floating mechanism so as to be movable obliquely with respect to the fork, even if the conveying object having high rigidity is flexed, the suction plate can be tilted in accordance with the flexure of the conveying object, and the conveying object and the suction plate can be reliably brought into contact with each other. Therefore, in the present invention, the conveyance object having high rigidity can be reliably sucked by the suction mechanism.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the float mechanism includes: a holding member that is fixed to the fork and holds the fixing member tiltably; a biasing member that biases the fixing member upward with respect to the holding member; and an annular rubber plate connecting the fixing member and the holding member, wherein an outer peripheral portion of the rubber plate is fixed to the holding member over an entire circumferential region of the rubber plate, an inner peripheral portion of the rubber plate is fixed to the fixing member over an entire circumferential region of the rubber plate, a portion surrounded by the fixing member, the holding member, and the rubber plate forms a sealed space connecting the suction holes, a third suction hole connected to the sealed space is formed in the holding member, and when air is sucked by a suction mechanism connected to the third suction hole and the conveyance object is sucked to the suction plate, a negative pressure is formed in the sealed space, and the suction plate and the fixing member move downward against the urging force of the urging member. With this configuration, when the suction plate sucks the object to be conveyed and the suction plate and the fixing member move downward, the suction plate and the fixing member are less likely to shake with respect to the fork. Therefore, the state of the conveyance object loaded on the hand can be stabilized when the conveyance object is conveyed.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the urging member is a compression coil spring, and an upper end portion of the compression coil spring is disposed in the suction hole. With this configuration, the suction mechanism can be made smaller than in the case where the urging member is disposed outside the suction hole.

In the present invention, for example, the holding member includes a first holding member and a second holding member arranged so as to vertically sandwich the outer peripheral side portion of the rubber sheet, the first holding member is arranged on the upper surface side of the fork, the second holding member is arranged inside the fork formed in the hollow shape, and the third suction hole is formed in the second holding member.

The hand of the present invention can be used for an industrial robot, and the industrial robot includes: the hand is rotatably connected to the arm on the tip side and the body portion rotatably connecting the base end side of the arm. In the industrial robot, deformation of the conveying object when the conveying object with low rigidity is sucked by the suction mechanism can be inhibited, and the conveying object with high rigidity can be reliably sucked by the suction mechanism.

(effect of the invention)

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress deformation of the conveyance object when the conveyance object having low rigidity is sucked by the suction mechanism, and to reliably suck the conveyance object having high rigidity by the suction mechanism.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an industrial robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the industrial robot shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the hand shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view for explaining the internal configuration of the base of the hand shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the fork shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the suction mechanism and the fork shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view for explaining the structure of a suction plate according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the suction plate shown in fig. 7.

(symbol description)

1 robot (Industrial robot)

2 conveying object

3 hand

4 arm

5 main body part

18. 19 fork

22 adsorption mechanism

40 adsorption plate

40a suction hole (second suction hole)

41 fixing part

41d suction hole

42 floating mechanism

43 holding member

44 rubber plate

45 compression coil spring (force application component)

48 first holding member

49 second holding member

49b suction holes (third suction hole)

S sealed space

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Overall Structure of Industrial robot)

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an industrial robot 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the industrial robot 1 shown in fig. 1.

An industrial robot 1 (hereinafter, referred to as "robot 1") of the present embodiment is a horizontal articulated robot for conveying a predetermined conveying object 2. The robot 1 is incorporated into a manufacturing system of an organic EL display, for example, and used. The transport object 2 of the present embodiment is, for example, an organic EL display during film-shaped production, and in a system for producing an organic EL display, the organic EL display is transported as a single body or is transported in a state of being stuck to a glass substrate. The conveyance object 2 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. The robot 1 of the present embodiment can transport a plurality of types of transport objects 2 (see fig. 3) having different sizes.

The robot 1 includes two hands 3 on which the transfer object 2 is loaded, two arms 4 having distal ends connected to the two hands 3, respectively, a main body 5 supporting the two arms 4, and a base 6 supporting the main body 5 to be movable in a horizontal direction. The main body 5 includes an arm support 7 that vertically moves while supporting the base end side of the arm 4, a support frame 8 that vertically moves while supporting the arm support 7, a base 9 that constitutes the lower end portion of the main body 5 and is horizontally movable with respect to the base 6, and a revolving frame 10 that fixes the lower end of the support frame 8 and is rotatable with respect to the base 9.

The arm 4 is composed of two arm portions, a first arm portion 12 and a second arm portion 13. The base end side of the first arm portion 12 is rotatably connected to the arm bracket 7. That is, the base end side of the arm 4 is rotatably connected to the body 5. The base end side of the second arm portion 13 is rotatably connected to the tip end side of the first arm portion 12. The hand 3 is rotatably connected to the front end side of the second arm portion 13. That is, the hand 3 is rotatably connected to the tip end side of the arm 4. The robot 1 includes two arm drive mechanisms for extending and retracting the two arms 4.

The support frame 8 holds the hand 3 and the arm 4 via the arm holder 7 so as to be movable up and down. The support frame 8 includes a columnar first support frame 14 for holding the arm holder 7 so as to be able to ascend and descend, and a columnar second support frame 15 for holding the first support frame 14 so as to be able to ascend and descend. The robot 1 includes a lifting mechanism for lifting the arm rest 7 with respect to the first support frame 14, a lifting mechanism for lifting the first support frame 14 with respect to the second support frame 15, a guide mechanism for guiding the first support frame 14 in the vertical direction, and a guide mechanism for guiding the arm rest 7 in the vertical direction.

The lower end of the second support frame 15 is fixed to the revolving frame 10. As described above, revolving frame 10 is rotatable with respect to base 9. The robot 1 includes a turning mechanism for turning the revolving frame 10 with respect to the base 9. As described above, the base 9 is horizontally movable with respect to the base 6. The robot 1 includes a horizontal movement mechanism for horizontally moving the base 9 with respect to the base 6.

(Structure of hand)

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the hand 3 shown in fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view for explaining the internal structure of the base portion 17 of the hand 3 shown in fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the

forks

18 and 19 shown in fig. 3.

The hand 3 includes a base 17 rotatably connected to the distal end side of the second arm portion 13, and a plurality of

forks

18 and 19 on which the object 2 is placed on the upper surface side. The hand 3 of the present embodiment includes four

forks

18 and 19, two forks 18 and two forks 19. The hand 3 includes a plurality of mounting members 21 fixed to the upper surfaces of the

forks

18 and 19 and on which the conveying object 2 is mounted, and an adsorption mechanism 22 for vacuum-adsorbing the lower surface of the conveying object 2 mounted on the mounting members 21 (that is, the conveying object 2 mounted on the upper surfaces of the forks 18 and 19).

The base portion 17 is formed in a hollow shape, and is formed in a flat substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with a small thickness in the vertical direction. The

forks

18, 19 are formed linearly. Four

forks

18, 19 project from the base 17 in the same direction in the horizontal direction. The four

forks

18, 19 are arranged in parallel with each other. When the longitudinal direction (X direction in fig. 3 and the like) of the

forks

18 and 19 is the "front-rear direction", and the Y direction in fig. 3 and the like orthogonal to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is the "left-right direction", the two forks 18 are disposed on the inner side in the left-right direction, and the two forks 19 are disposed on the outer side in the left-right direction.

The

forks

18, 19 are formed of a resin containing carbon fibers. The

forks

18 and 19 are formed in a hollow shape and a long and thin substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The upper and lower surfaces of the

forks

18, 19 form a plane. The left and right side surfaces of the

forks

18, 19 form planes orthogonal to the left and right direction. The thickness of the

forks

18, 19 in the vertical direction gradually becomes thinner from the base ends to the tip ends of the forks 18, 19 (see fig. 2).

The mounting member 21 is made of resin. The mounting member 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. A plurality of mounting members 21 are fixed to the upper surfaces of the two forks 18 and the upper surfaces of the two forks 19, respectively. The plurality of mounting members 21 are arranged in the front-rear direction over the entire area of the

forks

18 and 19 in which the conveyance object 2 can be mounted. That is, as shown in fig. 3, the plurality of placement members 21 are arranged in a continuous manner in the front-rear direction over the entire area of the

forks

18 and 19 where the conveyance object 2 can be placed.

The fork 18 is provided with suction mechanisms 22 attached to two positions on the front end side of the fork 18. The suction mechanism 22 is attached to the fork 19 at three positions, two positions on the front end side of the fork 19 and one position at the intermediate position of the fork 19 in the front-rear direction. At the position where the suction mechanism 22 is attached, the distance between the mounting members 21 in the front-rear direction is increased, and the suction mechanism 22 is disposed between the mounting members 21 in the front-rear direction. The detailed structure of the suction mechanism 22 will be described later.

The proximal ends of the

forks

18 and 19 are disposed inside the hollow base 17. As shown in fig. 4, a fork pitch changing mechanism 26 that changes the pitch of the two forks 18 in the left-right direction and a fork pitch changing mechanism 27 that changes the pitch of the two forks 19 in the left-right direction are disposed inside the base portion 17. That is, the hand 3 includes the fork pitch changing mechanisms 26 and 27.

The fork pitch changing mechanism 26 includes a motor 29 as a drive source, a screw member 30 connected to an output shaft of the motor 29, a nut member (not shown) fixed to one of the two forks 18, and a nut member (not shown) fixed to the other of the two forks 18. The fork pitch changing mechanism 27 is configured similarly to the fork pitch changing mechanism 26. That is, the fork pitch changing mechanism 27 includes a motor 34 configured similarly to the motor 29, a screw member 35 configured similarly to the screw member 30, a nut member (not shown) fixed to one of the two forks 19, and a nut member (not shown) fixed to the other of the two forks 19.

The screw members 30, 35 are formed in an elongated bar shape. The screw members 30, 35 are disposed so that the axial direction and the left-right direction of the screw members 30, 35 coincide with each other, and are rotatably supported by the base 17. The screw members 30 and 35 include right-handed screw portions 30a and 35a constituting one end sides of the screw members 30 and 35, and left-handed screw portions 30b and 35b constituting the other end sides of the screw members 30 and 35. Right-hand threads are formed on the right-hand threaded portions 30a, 35a, and left-hand threads are formed on the left-hand threaded portions 30b, 35 b.

The nut member fixed to the first fork 18 is engaged with the right-hand screw portion 30a, and the nut member fixed to the second fork 18 is engaged with the left-hand screw portion 30 b. Similarly, a nut member fixed to the first fork 19 is engaged with the right-hand screw portion 35a, and a nut member fixed to the second fork 19 is engaged with the left-hand screw portion 35 b. The two

forks

18 and 19 are guided in the left-right direction by two common guide rails 36. The guide rail 36 is fixed to the base 17 such that the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 36 coincides with the left-right direction. Guide blocks (not shown) that engage with the guide rails 36 are attached to the

forks

18 and 19.

In the fork pitch changing mechanism 26, when the motor 29 rotates and the screw member 30 rotates, the first fork 18 and the second fork 18 move in the left-right direction by the same amount, and the pitch in the left-right direction of the two forks 18 is changed. Similarly, in the fork pitch changing mechanism 27, when the motor 34 rotates and the screw member 35 rotates, the first fork 19 and the second fork 19 move in the left-right direction by the same amount, and the pitch in the left-right direction of the two forks 19 is changed.

In this embodiment, when the size of the conveyance object 2 conveyed by the robot 1 is determined, the fork pitch changing mechanism 26 changes the pitch in the left-right direction of the two forks 18 as necessary and the fork pitch changing mechanism 27 changes the pitch in the left-right direction of the two forks 19 as necessary before the conveyance operation in which the robot 1 conveys the conveyance object 2. That is, the fork pitch changing mechanisms 26 and 27 do not change the pitch of the

forks

18 and 19 in the left-right direction during the conveying operation of the robot 1 to the conveying object 2. For example, as shown in fig. 5, the fork pitch changing mechanisms 26 and 27 change the pitches of the

forks

18 and 19 in the left-right direction according to the size of the conveying object 2 conveyed by the robot 1.

(Structure of adsorption mechanism)

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the suction mechanism 22 and the

forks

18 and 19 shown in fig. 3.

Through

holes

18a and 19a for disposing the suction mechanism 22 are formed in the upper surface portions of the

forks

18 and 19. The through

holes

18a and 19a penetrate the upper surface portions of the

forks

18 and 19 in the vertical direction. The suction mechanism 22 includes a suction plate (suction pad) 40 that comes into contact with the lower surface of the conveying object 2 and sucks the conveying object 2, and a fixing member 41 that fixes the suction plate 40 on the upper end side. The adsorption mechanism 22 includes a floating mechanism 42 that supports the fixing member 41 so as to be movable obliquely with respect to the

forks

18 and 19. That is, the suction mechanism 22 includes a floating mechanism 42 that supports the fixing member 41 so that the fixing member 41 is tiltable with respect to the

forks

18, 19.

The fixing member 41 is formed of resin. The fixing member 41 is composed of an upper end portion 41a forming an upper end side portion of the fixing member 41, a lower end portion 41b forming a lower end side portion of the fixing member 41, and an intermediate portion 41c forming an intermediate portion of the fixing member 41 in the vertical direction. The upper end portion 41a is formed in a substantially disc shape. The lower end portion 41b is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The intermediate portion 41c is formed in a substantially truncated cone shape having an outer diameter gradually increasing upward.

The lower end portion 41b has an upper end connected to the lower end of the intermediate portion 41c, and the upper end portion 41a is connected to the upper end of the intermediate portion 41 c. The outer diameter of the upper end portion 41a is larger than the outer diameter of the upper end of the intermediate portion 41 c. The outer diameter of the lower end portion 41b is smaller than the outer diameter of the lower end of the intermediate portion 41 c. When viewed in the vertical direction, the center of the upper end portion 41a, the center of the intermediate portion 41c, and the center of the lower end portion 41b coincide with each other.

A suction hole 41d penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the center of the fixing member 41. A circular recess 41e recessed downward is formed in the upper surface of the upper end portion 41 a. The center of the concave portion 41e coincides with the center of the suction hole 41d when viewed from the up-down direction. A circular recess 41f recessed downward is formed in the center of the recess 41 e. The center of the concave portion 41f coincides with the center of the suction hole 41d when viewed in the vertical direction. The upper ends of the suction holes 41d are connected to the center of the concave portion 41 f.

The adsorption plate 40 is made of porous resin. In addition, the suction plate 40 is formed in a disc shape. The suction plate 40 is disposed in the recess 41 e. The upper and lower surfaces of the adsorption plate 40 form a plane. Further, the suction plate 40 is fixed to the recess 41 e. Specifically, the lower surface of the suction plate 40 is in contact with the bottom surface of the recess 41e, and the lower surface of the suction plate 40 is fixed to the bottom surface of the recess 41e by an adhesive. The outer diameter of the suction plate 40 is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the recess 41 e. The conveyance object 2 is placed on the upper surface of the suction plate 40.

As described above, the floating mechanism 42 supports the fixed member 41 so as to be movable tiltably with respect to the

forks

18, 19. The floating mechanism 42 supports the fixing member 41 so as to be movable up and down with respect to the

forks

18 and 19. The float mechanism 42 includes a holding member 43 fixed to the

forks

18 and 19 and holding the fixing member 41 so as to be movable obliquely, an annular rubber plate 44 connecting the fixing member 41 and the holding member 43, and a compression coil spring 45 serving as an urging member for urging the fixing member 41 upward with respect to the holding member 43. The holding member 43 includes a first holding member 48 disposed on the upper surface side of the

forks

18 and 19, and a second holding member 49 disposed inside the

forks

18 and 19 formed in a hollow shape. In this embodiment, the holding member 43 is constituted by the first holding member 48 and the second holding member 49. The first holding member 48 and the second holding member 49 are formed separately.

The first holding member 48 is formed in a flat substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having a small thickness in the vertical direction. A through hole 48a penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the center of the first holding member 48. The inner peripheral surface of the through hole 48a is formed with an inclined surface whose inner diameter gradually increases toward the upper side. A circular recess 48b that is recessed downward is formed in the upper surface of the first holding member 48. The center of the recess 48b coincides with the center of the through hole 48a when viewed in the vertical direction. The upper end of the through hole 48a is connected to the center of the recess 48 b.

A step is formed on the lower surface of the first holding member 48, and the outer peripheral portion of the lower surface of the first holding member 48 is arranged above the inner peripheral portion of the lower surface of the first holding member 48. The outer peripheral side portion of the lower surface of the first holding member 48 is in contact with the upper surfaces of the

forks

18, 19. The first holding member 48 is fixed to the upper surface portions of the

forks

18, 19 from the upper side. A part of the first holding member 48 is disposed in the through

holes

18a, 19 a.

The second holding member 49 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped block shape. The second holding member 49 is smaller than the first holding member 48 in the left-right direction. The second holding member 49 is fixed to the upper surface portions of the

forks

18 and 19 from below. A circular recess 49a that is largely recessed downward is formed in the upper surface of the second holding member 49. The center of the recess 49a coincides with the center of the second holding member 49 as viewed in the up-down direction. A suction hole 49b connected to the center of the bottom surface of the recess 49a is formed in the lower end side portion of the second holding member 49. The suction holes 49b of the present embodiment are third suction holes.

The suction holes 49b are formed by a portion recessed downward from the center of the bottom surface of the concave portion 49a and a portion extending from the lower end of the portion to one side in the front-rear direction, and the shape of the suction holes 49b is L-shaped when viewed from the left-right direction. One end of the suction hole 49b is connected to the concave portion 49a, and a suction mechanism (not shown) such as a vacuum pump is connected to the other end of the suction hole 49b via a predetermined pipe.

The rubber sheet 44 is formed of, for example, silicone rubber. Further, the rubber sheet 44 is formed in an annular shape. The lower end 41b of the fixing member 41 is inserted through the inner peripheral side of the rubber sheet 44. The outer peripheral side portion of the rubber sheet 44 is fixed to the holding member 43 over the entire circumferential region of the rubber sheet 44. Specifically, the outer peripheral portion of the rubber sheet 44 is fixed to the holding member 43 via the lower surface of the first holding member 48 and the upper surface of the second holding member 49. The outer peripheral side portion of the rubber sheet 44 is sandwiched between the inner peripheral side portion of the lower surface of the first holding member 48 and the upper surface of the second holding member 49. That is, the first holding member 48 and the second holding member 49 are arranged to sandwich the outer peripheral side portion of the rubber sheet 44 in the up-down direction.

The inner peripheral portion of the rubber sheet 44 is fixed to the fixing member 41 over the entire circumferential region of the rubber sheet 44. Specifically, the inner peripheral portion of the rubber sheet 44 is fixed to the fixing member 41 by a step surface between the lower end portion 41b and the intermediate portion 41c of the fixing member 41, a washer 50, and a retaining ring 51. The washer 50 is disposed below a step surface between the lower end portion 41b and the intermediate portion 41c, and an inner peripheral portion of the rubber sheet 44 is sandwiched between the step surface and an upper surface of the washer 50. The retainer ring 51 is attached to the lower end portion 41b so as to be in contact with the lower surface of the gasket 50, and functions to prevent the gasket 50 from falling off from the lower end portion 41 b.

The outer diameter of the lower end portion 41b of the fixing member 41 is smaller than the inner diameter of the recess 49a of the second holding member 49, and the lower end portion 41b is disposed in the recess 49 a. The intermediate portion 41c of the fixing member 41 is disposed in the through hole 48a of the first holding member 48. A gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion 41c and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 48 a.

In a state where the external force is not applied to the suction plate 40, the centers of the suction holes 41d of the fixing member 41 and the centers of the suction holes 49b of the second holding member 49 (specifically, the centers of the portions of the suction holes 49b recessed downward from the bottom surface of the recess 49 a) coincide with each other when viewed in the vertical direction. The upper end portion of the compression coil spring 45 is disposed in the suction hole 41d, and the lower end portion of the compression coil spring 45 is disposed in the suction hole 49 b. The upper end of the compression coil spring 45 contacts a step surface formed on the upper end side of the suction hole 41d, and the lower end of the compression coil spring 45 contacts the bottom surface of the suction hole 49 b.

The portion surrounded by the fixing member 41, the holding member 43, and the rubber sheet 44 forms a sealed space S connecting the

suction holes

41d, 49 b. Specifically, a portion surrounded by the lower end portion 41b of the fixing member 41, the second holding member 49, and the rubber sheet 44 forms a sealed space S. That is, a space inside the recess 49a and below the rubber sheet 44, that is, a space outside the lower end portion 41b forms the sealed space S.

In this embodiment, when the air is sucked by the suction mechanism connected to the suction holes 49b in a state where the transport object 2 is placed on the suction plate 40, the transport object 2 is sucked through the suction holes 49b, the sealed space S, the suction holes 41d, and the suction plate 40, and the transport object 2 is sucked to the suction plate 40. When the conveyance object 2 is adsorbed by the adsorption plate 40, the sealed space S is under negative pressure. When the negative pressure is formed in the sealed space S, as shown in fig. 6 (B), the suction plate 40 and the fixing member 41 move downward against the urging force of the compression coil spring 45. At this time, the rubber sheet 44 is deformed.

(main effect of the present embodiment)

As described above, in this embodiment, the suction plate 40 that comes into contact with the lower surface of the conveying object 2 and sucks the conveying object 2 is formed of porous resin. Therefore, in this embodiment, the size of the holes (i.e., air holes) for sucking the objects 2 to be conveyed is small. Therefore, in this embodiment, the deformation of the conveying object 2 can be suppressed when the conveying object 2 having low rigidity, such as an organic EL display unit formed in the middle of film-like manufacturing, is adsorbed by the adsorption mechanism 22.

In this embodiment, the fixed member 41 that fixes the suction plate 40 is supported by the floating mechanism 42 so as to be movable obliquely with respect to the

forks

18, 19. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the conveying object 2 having high rigidity is bent like a film-like organic EL display attached during the production of a glass substrate, the suction plate 40 can be inclined in accordance with the bending of the conveying object 2, and the lower surface of the conveying object 2 can be reliably brought into contact with the upper surface of the suction plate 40. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the conveying object 2 having high rigidity can be reliably sucked by the suction mechanism 22.

In this embodiment, when the transport object 2 is attracted to the attraction plate 40, the negative pressure is formed in the sealed space S, and the attraction plate 40 and the fixing member 41 move downward against the urging force of the compression coil spring 45. Therefore, in this embodiment, after the suction plate 40 sucks the conveyance object 2 and the suction plate 40 and the fixing member 41 move downward, the suction plate 40 and the fixing member 41 are less likely to shake with respect to the

forks

18 and 19. Therefore, in this embodiment, the state of the conveyance object 2 loaded on the hand 3 can be stabilized when the conveyance object 2 is conveyed.

(modification of suction plate)

Fig. 7 is a sectional view for explaining the structure of a suction plate 40 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the suction plate 40 shown in fig. 7.

In the above embodiment, the suction plate 40 may be formed of a resin other than porous resin. For example, the adsorption plate 40 may be formed of polyetheretherketone. In this case, as shown in fig. 7 and 8, a plurality of suction holes 40a as second suction holes arranged like a plurality of nozzle holes of the head are formed in the suction plate 40. The plurality of suction holes 40a penetrate the suction plate 40 in the vertical direction. A suction recess 40b that connects the lower ends of the plurality of suction holes 40a is formed in the lower surface of the suction plate 40 so as to be recessed upward. In fig. 7, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the above-described embodiment.

In the example shown in fig. 7, the fixing member 41 is constituted by a first fixing member 58 that fixes the suction plate 40 and a second fixing member 59 that forms a central portion of the fixing member 41. The first fixing member 58 and the second fixing member 59 are formed separately, and when the first fixing member 58 and the second fixing member 59 are formed integrally, they have substantially the same shape as the fixing member 41 of the above-described embodiment. A suction hole 41d is formed in the center of the second fixing member 59. The suction plate 40 is fixed to the first fixing member 58 by screws (not shown).

A second fixing member 59 is inserted into the inner peripheral side of the rubber plate 44. The inner peripheral portion of the rubber sheet 44 is fixed to the fixing member 41 over the entire circumferential region of the rubber sheet 44 by a flange portion 59a formed at the lower end of the second fixing member 59, the first fixing member 58, and the retaining ring 51. The flange portion 59a is disposed below the lower surface of the first fixing member 58, and an inner peripheral portion of the rubber sheet 44 is sandwiched between the upper surface of the flange portion 59a and the lower surface of the first fixing member 58. The retainer ring 51 is attached to the upper end of the second fixing member 59, and functions to prevent the second fixing member 59 from coming off the first fixing member 58.

In the modification shown in fig. 7 and 8, when the conveyance object 2 is adsorbed by the adsorption plate 40, the negative pressure is also formed in the sealed space S, and as shown in fig. 7 (B), the adsorption plate 240 and the fixing member 41 move downward against the urging force of the compression coil spring 45. In this modification as well, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. For example, since the suction plate 40 is formed with the plurality of suction holes 40a arranged like the plurality of nozzle holes of the head, the size of one suction hole 40a for sucking the transport object 2 can be reduced. Therefore, the deformation of the conveyance object 2 when the conveyance object 2 having low rigidity is sucked by the suction mechanism 22 can be suppressed.

(other embodiments)

The above-described embodiment is an example of the best mode of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

In the above-described embodiment, the suction plate 40 may be formed in a polygonal flat plate shape such as a square shape, or may be formed in a flat plate shape such as an oval shape or an oblong shape (long japanese: Yen shape). In the above-described embodiment, the biasing member that biases the fixing member 41 upward with respect to the holding member 43 may be a spring member such as a leaf spring. However, in the above-described aspect, when the biasing member that biases the fixing member 41 upward with respect to the holding member 43 is the compression coil spring 45, the upper end portion of the compression coil spring 45 is disposed in the suction hole 41d, and the lower end portion of the compression coil spring 45 is disposed in the suction hole 49b, the suction mechanism 22 can be made smaller than when the biasing member is disposed outside the suction holes 41d and 49 b.

In the above-described embodiment, the pitch between the two forks 18 in the left-right direction may be fixed, and the pitch between the two forks 19 in the left-right direction may be fixed. In the above-described embodiment, the number of the forks provided in the hand 3 may be two or three, or five or more. In this case, the pitch of the plurality of forks in the left-right direction may be changed or fixed.

In the above-described embodiment, the robot 1 is a horizontal articulated robot, but a robot to which the present invention is applied may be an industrial robot other than a horizontal articulated robot. For example, the robot to which the present invention is applied may be the industrial robot disclosed in patent document 1.

Claims

1. A hand of an industrial robot for conveying a conveying object is characterized by comprising:

a plurality of forks for placing the object to be conveyed on an upper surface side; and

an adsorption mechanism for vacuum adsorbing the lower surface of the conveying object loaded on the upper surface side of the fork,

the adsorption mechanism is provided with: an adsorption plate which is in contact with the lower surface of the conveying object and adsorbs the conveying object; a fixing member in which the suction plate is fixed to an upper end side and in which a suction hole penetrating in a vertical direction is formed; and a floating mechanism supporting the fixed member so that the fixed member is tiltable with respect to the fork,

the adsorption plate is formed of a porous resin.

2. The hand of an industrial robot for carrying a carried object according to claim 1, wherein the hand is provided with a plurality of rollers,

the floating mechanism is provided with: a holding member that is fixed to the fork and holds the fixing member so as to be capable of tilting movement; an urging member that urges the fixing member upward with respect to the holding member; and an annular rubber plate connecting the fixing member and the holding member,

an outer peripheral side portion of the rubber plate is fixed to the holding member over an entire region in a circumferential direction of the rubber plate,

an inner peripheral side portion of the rubber plate is fixed to the fixing member over an entire region in a circumferential direction of the rubber plate,

a portion surrounded by the fixing member, the holding member and the rubber sheet forms a sealed space connecting the suction holes,

a third suction hole connected to the sealed space is formed in the holding member,

when air is sucked by a suction mechanism connected to the third suction hole and the transport object is sucked to the suction plate, the sealed space forms a negative pressure, and the suction plate and the fixing member move downward against the urging force of the urging member.

3. The hand of an industrial robot for carrying a carried object according to claim 2, wherein the hand is a hand for carrying a carried object,

the force application component is a compression spiral spring,

an upper end side portion of the compression coil spring is disposed in the suction hole.

4. The hand of an industrial robot for carrying a carried object according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the hand is a hand for carrying a carried object,

the holding member includes a first holding member and a second holding member arranged so as to vertically sandwich an outer peripheral portion of the rubber sheet,

the first holding member is disposed on the upper surface side of the fork,

the second holding member is disposed inside the fork formed in a hollow shape,

the third suction hole is formed in the second holding member.

5. A hand of an industrial robot for conveying a conveying object is characterized by comprising:

the suction plate has a plurality of second suction holes arranged like a plurality of nozzle holes of the head.

6. The hand of an industrial robot for carrying a carried object according to claim 5, wherein the hand is provided with a plurality of rollers,

7. The hand of an industrial robot for carrying a carried object according to claim 6, wherein the hand is provided with a plurality of rollers,

the force application component is a compression spiral spring,

8. The hand of an industrial robot for carrying a carried object according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the hand is a hand for a industrial robot,

the first holding member is disposed on the upper surface side of the fork,

the second holding member is disposed inside the fork formed in a hollow shape,

the third suction hole is formed in the second holding member.

9. An industrial robot, comprising:

the hand of an industrial robot for conveying a conveying object according to any one of claims 1 to 8;

an arm to which the hand is rotatably connected at a front end side; and

a body portion rotatably connected to the base end side of the arm.