SCREWING DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to a screwing device, including a storage container for screws having a screw head, a screw head drive, and a threaded pin, a robot manipulator having an effector, which is adapted to the screw head and the screw head drive, and is embodied and configured to pick up and handle such a screw, an isolating unit connected to the storage container, which provides screws from the storage container isolated at an interface at a known position in such a way that a respective screw head is accessible to the effector, a control unit for controlling/regulating the robot manipulator, wherein the control unit is embodied and configured to execute the following first control program: the effector is guided by the robot manipulator along a predetermined trajectory T1 having a target orientation O.sub.target,T1(R.sub.T1) to the screw head of a screw provided at the interface, wherein along the trajectory T1 for locations R.sub.T1 of the trajectory T1, the target orientation O.sub.target,T1(R.sub.T1) of the effector is defined, wherein to pick up the screw head in the effector, force-regulated and/or impedance-regulated and/or admittance-regulated rotational movements and/or tilting movements and/or translational movement patterns of the effector in relation to its target orientation are executed by the robot manipulator until a predetermined limiting value condition G1 for a torque acting on the effector and/or a predetermined limiting value condition G2 of a force acting on the effector and/or a limiting value condition G3 for a time for carrying out the rotational and/or tilting movements and/or translational movement patterns is reached or exceeded and/or a provided force/torque signature and/or a position/speed/acceleration signature at the effector is reached or exceeded, which indicates/indicate that the picking up of the screw by the effector has been successfully completed within predefined tolerances.

Claims

1. A screwing device comprising a storage container for screws having a screw head, a screw head drive, and a threaded pin; a robot manipulator having an effector, the effector adapted to the screw head and the screw head drive, and embodied and configured to pick up and handle a screw; an isolating unit connected to the storage container, the isolating unit designed and configured to provide screws from the storage container isolated at an interface at a known position in such a way that a respective screw head is accessible to the effector; and a control unit to control or regulate the robot manipulator to pick up the screw head in the effector, wherein the control unit is embodied and configured to execute a first control program to perform operations comprising: guiding the effector by the robot manipulator along a predetermined trajectory T1 having a target orientation O.sub.target,T1(R.sub.T1) to the screw head of the screw provided at the interface, wherein along the trajectory T1 for locations R.sub.T1 of the trajectory T1, the target orientation O.sub.target,T1(R.sub.T1) of the effector is defined; executing force-regulated and/or impedance-regulated and/or admittance-regulated rotational movements and/or tilting movements and/or translational movement patterns of the effector by the robot manipulator until a predetermined limiting value condition G1 for a torque acting on the effector and/or a predetermined limiting value condition G2 of a force acting on the effector and/or a limiting value condition G3 for a time for carrying out the rotational and/or tilting movements and/or translational movement patterns is reached or exceeded, and/or until a provided force/torque signature and/or a position/speed signature at the effector is reached or exceeded, indicating that the picking up of the screw by the effector has been successfully completed within predefined tolerances.

2. The screwing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is embodied and configured to execute a second control program to perform operations comprising: guiding the screw picked up by the effector by the robot manipulator along a predetermined trajectory T2 having a target orientation O.sub.target,T2(R.sub.T2) of the threaded pin of the screw to a thread arranged at a position known down to a tolerance band, wherein the target orientation O.sub.target,T2(R.sub.T2) of the threaded pin of the screw is defined along the trajectory T2 for locations R.sub.T2 of the trajectory T2; and executing force-regulated and/or impedance-regulated and/or admittance-regulated rotational movements and/or tilting movements and/or translational movement patterns of the screw are executed to introduce a free end of the threaded pin of the screw into the thread by the robot manipulator until a predetermined limiting value condition G4 for a torque acting on the effector and/or a predetermined limiting value condition G5 of a force acting on the effector is reached or exceeded, and/or until a provided force/torque signature and/or a position/speed signature on the effector is reached or exceeded, indicating that the free end of the threaded pin of the screw is successfully introduced into the thread.

3. The screwing device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is embodied and configured to execute a third control program to perform operations comprising: after successful introduction of the free end of the threaded pin of the screw into the thread, performing force-regulated and/or impedance-regulated and/or admittance-regulated screwing of the screw into the thread until a predetermined limiting value condition G6 for a torque acting on the effector and/or a predetermined limiting value condition G7 for a force acting on the detector is reached or exceeded, and/or until a provided force/torque signature and/or a position/speed signature on the effector is reached or exceeded, indicating that the screw is successfully screwed into the thread.

4. The screwing device according to claim 3, wherein the screwing device comprises a data interface to a data network, and the screwing device is configured and embodied to load the first control program and/or the second control program and/or the third control program and/or further control programs from the data network.

5. The screwing device according to claim 4, if wherein the screwing device is configured and embodied to load control and regulating parameters for the first control program and/or second control program and/or third control program and/or for further control programs from the data network.

6. The screwing device according to claim 4, wherein the screwing device is configured and embodied to load control and regulating parameters for the first control program and/or the second control program and/or the third control program and/or for further control programs via a manual input interface of the screwing device and/or via a teach-in procedure, during which the robot manipulator is manually guided.

7. The screwing device according to claim 4, wherein the screwing device is configured and embodied to control loading of the first control program and/or the second control program and/or the third control program and/or further control programs, and/or of associated control and regulating parameters, from a remote station connected to the data network.

8. The screwing device according to claim 4, wherein the screwing device is configured and embodied to transmit control programs provided locally at the screwing device and/or associated control and regulating parameters upon request, or autonomously via the data network to other equivalent devices and/or other receivers.

9. The screwing device according to claim 6, wherein the screwing device is configured and embodied to start control programs loaded locally at the screwing device using associated control and regulating parameters from a remote station connected to the data network.

10. A method of operating a screwing device, wherein the screwing device comprises: a storage container for screws having a screw head, a screw head drive, and a threaded pin, a robot manipulator having an effector, which is adapted to the screw head and the screw head drive, and is embodied and configured to pick up and handle such a screw, an isolating unit connected to the storage container, which provides screws from the storage container isolated at an interface at a known position in such a way that a respective screw head is accessible to the effector, and a control unit to control or regulate the robot manipulator to pick up the screw head in the effector, wherein the control unit executes a first control program to perform operations comprising: guiding the effector by the robot manipulator along a predetermined trajectory T1 having a target orientation O.sub.target,T1(R.sub.T1) to the screw head of a screw provided at the interface, wherein along the trajectory T1 for locations R.sub.T1 of the trajectory T1, the target orientation O.sub.target,T1(R.sub.T1) of the effector is defined; and executing force-regulated and/or impedance-regulated and/or admittance-regulated rotational movements and/or tilting movements and/or translational movement patterns of the effector by the robot manipulator until a predetermined limiting value condition G1 for a torque acting on the effector and/or a predetermined limiting value condition G2 of a force acting on the effector and/or a limiting value condition G3 for a time for carrying out the rotational and/or tilting movements and/or translational movement patterns is reached or exceeded, and/or a provided force/torque signature and/or a position/speed/acceleration signature at the effector is reached or exceeded, indicating that the picking up of the screw by the effector has been successfully completed within predefined tolerances.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is embodied and configured to execute a second control program to perform operations comprising: guiding the screw picked up by the effector by the robot manipulator along a predetermined trajectory T2 having a target orientation O.sub.target,T2(R.sub.T2) of the threaded pin of the screw to a thread arranged at a position known down to a tolerance band, wherein the target orientation O.sub.target,T1(R.sub.T2) of the threaded pin of the screw is defied along the trajectory T2 for locations R.sub.T2 of the trajectory T2; and executing force-regulated and/or impedance-regulated and/or admittance-regulated rotational movements and/or tilting movements and/or translational movement patterns of the screw are executed to introduce a free end of the threaded pin of the screw into the thread by the robot manipulator until a predetermined limiting value condition G4 for a torque acting on the effector and/or a predetermined limiting value condition G5 of a force acting on the effector is reached or exceeded, and/or until a provided force/torque signature and/or a position/speed signature on the effector is reached or exceeded, indicating that the free end of the threaded pin of the screw is successfully introduced into the thread.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is embodied and configured to execute a third control program to perform operations comprising: after successful introduction of the free end of the threaded pin of the screw into the thread, performing force-regulated and/or impedance-regulated and/or admittance-regulated screwing of the screw into the thread until a predetermined limiting value condition G6 for a torque acting on the effector and/or a predetermined limiting value condition G7 for a force acting on the detector is reached or exceeded, and/or until a provided force/torque signature and/or a position/speed signature on the effector is reached or exceeded, indicating that the screw is successfully screwed into the thread.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the screwing device comprises a data interface to a data network, further comprising loading by the screwing device the first control program and/or the second control program and/or the third control program and/or further control programs from the data network.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising loading by the screwing device control and regulating parameters for the first control program and/or second control program and/or third control program and/or for further control programs from the data network.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising loading by screwing device control and regulating parameters for the first control program and/or the second control program and/or the third control program and/or for further control programs via a manual input interface of the screwing device and/or via a teach-in procedure, during which the robot manipulator is manually guided.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising controlling loading by the screwing device of the first control program and/or the second control program and/or the third control program and/or further control programs, and/or associated control and regulating parameters, from a remote station connected to the data network.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising transmitting by the screwing device control programs provided locally at the screwing device and/or associated control and regulating parameters upon request, or autonomously via the data network to other equivalent devices and/or other receivers.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising starting by the screwing device control programs loaded locally at the screwing device using associated control and regulating parameters from a remote station connected to the data network.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] In the drawings:

[0053] FIG. 1 shows a very schematic illustration of a screwing device; and

[0054] FIG. 2 shows a very schematic flow chart of the proposed method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] FIG. 1 shows a very schematic illustration of the proposed screwing device. The screwing device includes a storage container 101 for screws having a screw head, a screw head drive, and a threaded pin, a robot manipulator 103 having an effector adapted to the screw head, which is embodied and configured to pick up and handle such a screw, an isolating unit 102 connected to the storage container 101, which provides screws from the storage container 102 isolated at an interface at a known position in such a way that a respective screw head is accessible to the effector, and a control unit 104 for controlling/regulating the robot manipulator, wherein the control unit 104 is embodied and configured for executing the following first control program.

[0056] According to the first control program, the effector is guided by the robot manipulator along a predetermined trajectory T1 having a target orientation O.sub.target,T1(R.sub.T1) to the screw head of a screw provided at the interface, wherein along the trajectory T1 for locations R.sub.T1 of the trajectory T1, the target orientation O.sub.target,T1(R.sub.T1) of the effector is defined.

[0057] To pick up the screw head in the effector, force-regulated rotational and tilting movements of the effector in relation to its target orientation O.sub.target,T1(R.sub.T1) are executed by the robot manipulator until a predetermined limiting value condition G1 for a torque acting on the effector and/or a predetermined limiting value condition G2 of a force acting on the effector and/or a limiting value condition G3 for a time for carrying out the rotational and/or tilting movements is reached or exceeded and/or a provided force/torque signature and/or a position/speed signature on the effector is reached or exceeded, which indicates/indicate that the picking up of the screw by the effector is successfully completed within predefined tolerances. The force-regulated rotational and tilting movements of the effector advantageously first begin from a predetermined distance of the effector from the screw head to be picked up of 0.5 cm.

[0058] FIG. 2 shows a very schematic flow chart of the proposed method for operating a screwing device, wherein the screwing device includes: a storage container for screws having a screw head, a screw head drive, and a threaded pin, a robot manipulator having an effector adapted to the screw head, which is embodied and configured to pick up and handle such a screw, an isolating unit connected to the storage container, which provides screws from the storage container isolated at an interface at a known position in such a way that a respective screw head is accessible to the effector, and a control unit for controlling/regulating the robot manipulator.

[0059] The control unit is configured and embodied to execute the following first control program. According to the first control program, the effector is guided 201 by the robot manipulator along a predetermined trajectory T1 having a target orientation O.sub.target,T1(R.sub.T1) to the screw head of a screw provided at the interface, wherein along the trajectory T1 for locations R.sub.T1 of the trajectory T1, the target orientation O.sub.target,T1(R.sub.T1) of the effector is defined, wherein to pick up 202 the screw head in the effector, force-regulated and/or impedance-regulated and/or admittance-regulated rotational and/or tilting movements and/or translational movement patterns of the effector in relation to its target orientation O.sub.target,T1(R.sub.T1) are executed by the robot manipulator until a predetermined limiting value condition G1 for a torque acting on the effector and/or a predetermined limiting value condition G2 of a force acting on the effector and/or a limiting value condition G3 for a time for carrying out the rotational and/or tilting movements and/or translational movement patterns is reached or exceeded and/or a provided force/torque signature and/or a position/speed signature at the effector is reached or exceeded, which indicates/indicate that the picking up of the screw by the effector has been successfully completed within predefined tolerances.

[0060] Although the invention was illustrated and explained in greater detail by preferred example embodiments, the invention is not thus restricted by the disclosed examples and other variations can be derived therefrom by a person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of protection of the invention. It is therefore clear that a variety of possible variations exist. It is also clear that embodiments mentioned by way of example actually only represent examples which are not to be interpreted in any way as a delimitation of, for example, the scope of protection, the possible applications, or the configuration of the invention. Rather, the preceding description and the description of the figures make a person skilled in the art capable of concretely implementing the example embodiments, wherein a person skilled in the art aware of the disclosed concept of the invention can perform manifold modifications, for example, with respect to the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an example embodiment without leaving the scope of protection, which is defined by the claims and the legal correspondences thereof, such as more extensive explanation in the description.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0061] 101 storage container [0062] 102 isolating unit [0063] 103 robot manipulator [0064] 104 control unit [0065] 201, 202 method steps