Work cell for a production robot

Abstract

A modular work cell for a production robot includes a base module, on which at least one production robot is arranged, disposed inside the modular work cell. The modular work cell further includes wall elements, a control cabinet, an access, and a feed unit for workpieces which is arranged between the access and the production robot. The base module, the control cabinet, the feed unit and the access form a mechanically and electrically interconnected transport assembly configured for transport. The wall elements can be transported separate from the transport assembly.

Claims

1. A modular work cell for a production robot, comprising: at least one base module on which at least one production robot is arranged, the at least one base module disposed inside the modular work cell, wall elements that are mechanically attached for operation of the modular work cell and are mechanically detached for transport of the modular work cell, a control cabinet, a supporting frame, a feed unit for workpieces, and an access connected to the supporting frame, the access able to pivot between an upright vertical operating position and a transport position, the access lowered from the upright vertical operating position in a direction towards and overlapping the feed unit to the transport position for transport, wherein the feed unit is arranged between the access and the at least one production robot, wherein the at least one base module, the control cabinet, the feed unit and the access form a mechanically and electrically interconnected transport assembly with the supporting frame arranged on a bottom side of the transport assembly configured for transport, and wherein the wall elements are transported separate from the transport assembly.

2. The modular work cell of claim 1, wherein the at least one production robot is a welding robot.

3. The modular work cell of claim 2, comprising a plurality of welding robots and a plurality of welding power sources which are combined to form a welding power source module, wherein the welding power source module is coupled with the transport assembly via plug connections.

4. The modular work cell of claim 1, wherein electrical connections between the at least one base module, the control cabinet, the feed unit and the access remain interconnected during transport.

5. The modular work cell of claim 1, further comprising at least one control unit for the at least one production robot, wherein the at least one control unit is arranged outside the modular work cell and can be decoupled from the transport assembly for transport.

6. The modular work cell of claim 1, wherein the feed unit comprises a turntable.

7. The modular work cell of claim 6, wherein electrical control and supply lines for the access extend through the feed unit.

8. The modular work cell of claim 7, wherein control and supply lines for the access, for the feed unit and for the at least one production robot are brought together in the control cabinet.

9. The modular work cell of claim 1, wherein electrical control and supply lines for the feed unit extend through the at least one base module.

10. The modular work cell of claim 1, characterized in that the control cabinet is arranged on a first side of the modular work cell and the access is arranged on a second opposing side of the modular work cell, with the wall elements bridging an area between the first and the second side.

11. The modular work cell of claim 1, wherein the supporting frame extends from the at least one base module via the feed unit to the access.

12. The modular work cell of claim 1, wherein the supporting frame comprises two mutually parallel supports, between which the at least one base module and the feed unit are arranged.

13. The modular work cell of claim 1, wherein in the transport position, the access overlaps the feed unit on an upper side of the feed unit and on a longitudinal side of the feed unit.

14. The modular work cell of claim 13, wherein in the transport position, the access is pivoted approximately 35 degrees from the upright vertical position in the direction towards the feed unit.

15. The modular work cell of claim 13, wherein in the transport position, the access is open and meshes with the feed unit.

16. The modular work cell of claim 13, wherein in the transport position, a top edge of the access is lower than when the access is in the upright vertical operating position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a first perspective view of a work cell;

(3) FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the work cell of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the work cell of FIG. 1 in a plan view;

(5) FIG. 4 shows the work cell of FIG. 2 in a side view with rotated turntable for transport;

(6) FIG. 5 shows the work cell of FIG. 4 in a plan view;

(7) FIG. 6 shows the work cell of FIG. 1 in the disassembled state, and

(8) FIG. 7 shows the transport assembly of FIG. 6 with folded down access in a side view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(9) Throughout all the figures, same or corresponding elements may generally be indicated by same reference numerals. These depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way. It should also be understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.

(10) Turning now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a work cell 1 with two production robots 2 embodied as welding robots. Thus, the work cell 1 is a welding cell. The production robots 2 are identically configured. They are located next to each other in one half of the working cell 1 having a rectangular cross-section. FIG. 1 shows a control cabinet 3 disposed on a narrower side 4 of the rectangular work cell 1. The control cabinet 3 is located adjacent to wall elements 5, 6, which are each arranged in the region of the longer sides of the work cell 1 and delimit the work cell 1. The control cabinet 3 is the electrical interface between the exterior of the work cell 1 and the interior of the work cell 1. Furthermore, a control unit 7 in form of a robot control cabinet is visible in FIG. 1, which is located outside the work cell 1 in the vicinity of the control cabinet 3. Two welding current sources 8, 9 are arranged between the control unit 7 and the control cabinet. They are connected to the control cabinet 3. They are arranged one above the other and form a welding power source module 10, which is coupled to the control cabinet 3 via unillustrated plug-in connections.

(11) FIG. 2 shows the work cell 1 of FIG. 1 obliquely from above from the opposite perspective. An access 11 in the form of a roll-up door is visible on the opposite side with respect to the control cabinet 3. A display unit 12 is disposed next to the roll-up door 11. The access 11 is located on a narrow side 13 of the work cell 1 having a rectangular layout. The wall elements 5, 6, which delimit the longer sides of the work cell 1, engage in this case also partially around the corner of the work cell 1 and extend to the access 11. In addition, they extend to the control cabinet 3 on the opposite side 4, forming a complete enclosure. The work cell 1 can be entered via a door 14 (service door), which is located on the narrow side 4 next to the control cabinet 3, whereas the access 11 is provided only for inserting/removing the workpieces and can also be referred to as an operator work area. When necessary, the production robots 2 adjacent to the door 14 can be reached by way of the door 14. A turntable 15 is located in the center region of the work cell 1.

(12) The turntable 15 is part of a feed unit 16 which extends between the access 11 and a base module 17 of the production robots 2 (FIGS. 3 to 5). The feed unit 16 therefore occupies the largest space inside the work cell 1, which is also due to the necessary space for the rotational movement of the turntable 15. In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the turntable 15 has partition walls 18 (FIG. 4) and fork-shaped workpiece holders 19, 20 on each side of the partition wall 18.

(13) FIGS. 4 and 5 show, after removal of the wall elements 5, 6 (FIG. 3), a continuous and electrically interconnected transport assembly 21, which is arranged on a frame 22. This frame 22 extends from the access 11 on the left side of the image plane to the control cabinet 3 on the right side of the image plane. The frame 22 supports both the production robot 2 with its base module 17 and the turntable 15 of the feed unit 16.

(14) FIG. 5 shows the transport assembly 21 in a plan view. For the purpose of transport, the turntable 15 is in a position in which the fork-shaped tool holders 19, 20 do not project longitudinally beyond the frame 22. As a result, the work cell 1 fits without the side walls 5, 6 in a 20-foot container. The transport assembly 21 does not need to be further disassembled. In particular, the components of the transport assembly 21 remain electrically interconnected. An essential part of the invention is therefore the frame 22, which extends longitudinally from the base modules 17 of the production robots 2 via the feed unit 16 to the access 11. Moreover, the control cabinet 3 is also fixed in place and supported via the frame 22.

(15) FIG. 6 illustrates that the effort for disassembling a work cell 1 is exceptionally low. For disassembly, only the side walls 5, 6 are separated from the central transport assembly 21, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, which can be easily detached mechanically. In addition, the control unit 7 that is arranged outside the work cell is disconnected from the transport assembly 21 as well as the welding power source module 10, which can be transported separately.

(16) It can be seen that disassembly takes much less time than it would otherwise take to separate the central transport assembly 21 into its individual parts, in particular to mechanically and electrically separate the access 11 from the feed unit 16 and of the production robots 2. Even if mechanical separation were easily possible, careful checks of all electrical connections are required for recommissioning. Although the work cell 1 according to the invention also requires testing, the risks for errors and total failures are lower. The work cell 1 can be quickly recommissioned.

(17) FIG. 7 shows the transport assembly 21 in a side view. In contrast to the FIG. 6, the access 11 is not oriented vertically, as it is necessary for the operation (operating position), but at an angle. The access 11 is here in a transport position. The access 11 is pivoted from the vertical in the direction of the feed unit 16 by approximately 35 and overlaps the feed unit 16 on the upper side and partly also on the longitudinal side. The overlapping components are the frame of the access 11, while the access 11 is otherwise open, thereby enabling the modules of the access 11 and the feed unit 16 to mesh with minimum installation space. A pivot axis 23, about which the access 11 can be pivoted, is located directly above the frame 22 or its longitudinal members, respectively, with which the access 11 is screwed together in the operating position.

(18) While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

(19) What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims and includes equivalents of the elements recited therein: