Arrangement comprising an automatic movement machine and a delimiting device, delimiting device for the arrangement, and method for operating the arrangement

Abstract

A method, a delimiting device and an arrangement that includes an automatic movement machine that has at least one movable element, wherein the arrangement includes a delimiting device for delimiting a working region of the automatic movement machine, where the delimiting device includes at least one delimiting element via which it is possible to prevent the at least one element from overshooting at least one boundary of the working region, and the delimiting device also includes a movement apparatus that is configured to move the at least one delimiting element depending on at least one movement of the at least one movable element such that the at least one delimiting element prevents the at least one movable element from overshooting the at least one boundary.

Claims

1. An arrangement comprising an automatic movement machine which includes at least one movable element, the arrangement comprising: a delimiting device which is controlled separately from and moves independently of the at least one movable element and which delimits a working region of the automatic movement machine, the delimiting device including: at least one multi-arm delimiting robot which prevents the at least one movable element from overshooting at least one fixed boundary of the working region of the automatic movement machine within which a foreign object and the at least one movable element are simultaneously located and via which contact of an entirety of the at least one movable element with the foreign object located in the working region of the automatic movement machine in which the at least one movable element moves is prevented, and a movement apparatus which moves the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot depending on at least one movement of the at least one movable element such that the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot prevents the at least one movable element from overshooting the at least one fixed boundary.

2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot extends beyond a working region at least in one direction of extent of said working region.

3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot surrounds the at least one movable element at least in regions.

4. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot surrounds the at least one movable element at least in regions.

5. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic movement machine has a lower dynamic inertia than the delimiting device.

6. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic movement machine comprises a multi-axis robot.

7. The arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the multi-axis robot comprises a delta picker.

8. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot comprises a Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) robot.

9. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot forms a free end of the delimiting device.

10. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delimiting device comprises a linear bar.

11. A method for operating an arrangement comprising an automatic movement machine which includes at least one movable element, the method comprising: a) moving the at least one movable element; and b) moving at least one multi-arm delimiting robot of a delimiting device which is controlled separately from and moves independently of the at least one movable element and which delimits a working region of the automatic movement machine, said movement of the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot being dependent on the movement of the at least one movable element, such that the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot prevents the at least one movable element from overshooting at least one fixed boundary within which a foreign object and the at least one movable element are simultaneously located; wherein a collision between the foreign object which is located in a working region of the automatic movement machine in which the at least one movable element moves and an entirety of the at least one movable element is prevented by the movement of the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least the movement of the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot in step b) occurs with a reduction in a safety distance between the multi-arm at least one delimiting robot and the at least one movable element.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot exerts a retention force on the at least one movable element when said at least one movable element reaches the at least one fixed boundary of the working region in order to prevent the at least one movable element from overshooting the at least one fixed boundary.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot exerts a retention force on the at least one movable element when said at least one movable element reaches the at least one fixed boundary of the working region in order to prevent the at least one movable element from overshooting the at least one fixed boundary.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot, when moving during step b) depending on a direction of movement of the at least one movable element, is oriented such that at least a subregion of the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot is located between the at least one movable element and the at least one fixed boundary in the direction of movement.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the movement of the at least one multi-arm delimiting robot occurs at least one of (i) at a lower maximum speed and (ii) with a lower maximum acceleration than the movement of the at least one movable element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an arrangement comprising an automatic movement machine and a delimiting device in accordance with the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of the arrangement in accordance with the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a method for operating the arrangement in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(5) The exemplary embodiments described in detail below constitute preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted here that the individual features can be realized not only in the described combinations, but also on their own or in other technically meaningful combinations. In particular, combinations with features from the prior art mentioned at the outset are also possible.

(6) FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 each show an arrangement 1 comprising an automatic movement machine 2 and also comprising a delimiting device 6 for delimiting a working region 7 of the automatic movement machine 2. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the working region 7 is of cuboidal design merely by way of example; it can therefore also have a different contour.

(7) In the present case, the automatic movement machine 2 is in the form of a delta picker and therefore the form of a multi-axis robot and is more dynamic than the delimiting device 6.

(8) The delimiting device 6 is in the form of a linear portal in the embodiments shown in FIG. 1.

(9) In the embodiments shown in FIG. 2, the delimiting device 6 is formed as of a SCARA robot, i.e., a multi-arm robot.

(10) In the present case, the automatic movement machine 2 comprises a movable element 3, a plurality of arms 5 by which the movable element 3 can be subjected to different movements 11, 12, 13 with respect to the different movement directions, and a base 4 by means of which the automatic movement machine 2 can be mounted in a movable manner, for example, on a room ceiling, not illustrated further here. In the present case, the movable element 3 is formed as a tool, such as a gripping tool. In the present case, the movements 11, 12, 13 are indicated by respective double-headed arrows, where the double-headed arrows demonstrate an ability to move in a bidirectional manner. The respective double-headed arrows can be oriented along respective coordinate axes of a Cartesian coordinate system, not illustrated further here, which is based, for example, on the delimiting device 6.

(11) The movements 11, 12, 13 are indicated by respective double-headed arrows in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. It is clear in the figures that the movable element 3 can also be subjected to the movements 11, 12, 13 at the same time, so that the movable element 3 can be moved, for example, along individual points of a, for example, arcuate or circular movement pattern.

(12) The delimiting device 6 is provided for delimiting the working region 7 of the automatic movement machine 2, where, in the present case, the delimiting device 6 comprises a delimiting element 9 by which it is possible to prevent the element 3 from overshooting a boundary 8 or a plurality of boundaries 8 of the working region 7. The boundary 8 can correspond, for example, to a side surface of the cuboidal working region 7, illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

(13) The delimiting device 6 can also be configured to protect all of the boundaries 8 of the working region 7 from being overshot by the element 3.

(14) The delimiting device 6 comprises, in general, a movement apparatus 10 which is configured to move the delimiting element 9 depending on the respective movements 11, 12, 13 of the element 3 such that the delimiting element 9 prevents the element 3 from overshooting the boundary 8.

(15) In FIG. 1, the delimiting element 9 is formed as a bar and extends completely beyond the working region 7 in one direction of extent 14 of the working region 7.

(16) In FIG. 2, the delimiting element 9 has a closed cross section. The closed cross section of the delimiting element 9 is formed as an annular cross section and therefore in the form of a round cross section in FIG. 2. As a result, the element 3 completely surrounds the delimiting element 9, as can be seen in FIG. 2.

(17) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the delimiting element 9 forms a free end 15 of the delimiting device 6 which is formed as a delimiting robot in this embodiment.

(18) In the case of a method for operating the arrangement 1, at least the following steps a), b) are performed, where the steps are schematically illustrated in FIG. 3.

(19) In step a), the element 3 moves.

(20) In step b), the delimiting element 9 moves depending on the movement of the element 3, so that the delimiting element 9 prevents the element 3 from overshooting the boundary 8.

(21) In addition, the movement of the delimiting element 9 in step b) occurs with a reduction in a safety distance 16 between the delimiting element 9 and the element 3. In the present case, the safety distance 16 is indicated by a double-headed arrow in FIG. 2. The safety distance 16 is not illustrated in FIG. 1 only for reasons of clarity.

(22) The delimiting element 9 exerts a retention force on the element 3 when the delimiting element 9 reaches the boundary 8 of the working region 7. Here, the safety distance 16 between the delimiting element 9 and the element 3 is reduced to the value “0” and the delimiting element 9 accordingly bears against the element 3. This prevents the element 3 from overshooting the boundary 8.

(23) The delimiting element 9, when it moves in step b) depending on a movement direction of the element 3, is oriented such that at least a subregion of the delimiting element 9 is located between the element 3 and the boundary 8 in the movement direction.

(24) In the present case, the movement of the delimiting element 9 occurs at a lower maximum speed and, in addition, with a lower maximum acceleration than the movement of the element 3.

(25) In addition, a collision between a foreign object 17 that is located in the working region 7 and the element 3 is prevented by the movement of the delimiting element 9. In the present case, the foreign object 17 is indicated only schematically in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The foreign object 17 may be, for example, a person in the working region 7.

(26) The present arrangement 1 allows reliable monitoring of the delta picker 2 (automatic movement machine) even though it has a particularly high acceleration capability. In the case of a potentially dangerous situation in which there is a threat of the at least one boundary 8 of the working region 7 being overshot, the element 3 of the delta picker 2 can be stopped in good time, in particular at an early stage, without safety-related limit values being exceeded.

(27) As a result, it is possible to set up the automatic movement machine 2, for example, in a particularly simple manner and in the process to manually move to individual points of the movement pattern in order to prespecify the movement pattern to the automatic movement machine 2 as a result.

(28) A particular advantage is that, with the delimiting device 6, it is possible to dispense with moving the automatic movement machine 2 in a cell that is physically separate from an operator.

(29) Irrespective of whether the delimiting device 6 is formed as a Cartesian linear portal that is less dynamic than the automatic movement machine 2 (see FIG. 1), i.e., formed as a linear axis system or instead formed as a SCARA robot (see FIG. 2), safe control and also safe operation of the automatic movement machine 2 can be ensured by virtue of using the delimiting device 6.

(30) In the case of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, at least the (e.g., bar-like) delimiting element 9 of the linear portal 6 (linear axis system) can be arranged in the working region 7 to prevent the element 3 from overshooting the at least one boundary 8.

(31) The linear axis system can be monitored by a safety controller with respect to its Cartesian speed and position. Owing to the movement of the delimiting element 9, the working region 7 can be adapted such that, for example, an operator (foreign object 17) can move closer to the automatic movement machine 2 during set-up of the automatic movement machine 2.

(32) For the purpose of automatic operation, in which the automatic movement machine 2 can be operated after the setting-up operation has been performed and in which the automatic movement machine can be protected by conventional protection devices, the delimiting element 9 can also be removed, such that particularly unobstructed movement of the element 3 within the working region 7 is made possible.

(33) The delimiting element 9 constitutes, in general, a movable, mechanical delimiting means for the movable elements 3 and therefore for the automatic movement machine 2, where the delimiting means prevents at least the element 3 from breaking out of the working region 7.

(34) Thus, while there have been shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.