INDUSTRIAL ROBOT

Abstract

An industrial robot with parallel kinematics is proposed which is equipped with a robot base (1), a carrier element (2) for receiving a gripper, a tool or a machine element, at least two moveable actuating units (4), one of which ends is connected to actuating-unit drives (6) arranged on the robot base (1) and the other end is moveably connected to the carrier element (2), a telescope (13) that is moveably arranged between the robot base (1) and the carrier element (2), a first joint (17) with multiple degrees of freedom, by means of which joint the telescope (13) is moveably held on the robot base (1), a second joint (23) with multiple degrees of freedom, by means of which joint the telescope (13) is moveably held on the carrier element (2), whereby the position of the first joint (17) can be displaceably arranged relative to the robot base (1).

Claims

1. Industrial robot with parallel kinematics with a robot base (1), with a carrier element (2) for holding a gripper, a tool or a machine element, with at least two moveable actuating units (4) that are connected at one end to the actuating unit drives (6) arranged on the robot base (1) and are moveably connected at the other end to the carrier element (2), with a telescope (13) that is moveably arranged between the robot base (1) and the carrier element (2) and takes the form of a telescopic axis and/or the form of a hollow body, whereby the hollow body receives supply lines for a gripper, tool or machine element arranged on the robot base and leads this from the robot base (1) to the carrier element (2), with a first joint (17) having multiple degrees of freedom by means of which the telescope (13) is moveably received in the robot base (1), with a second joint (23) having multiple degrees of freedom by means of which the telescope (13) is moveably received in the carrier element (2), wherein the first joint (17) is displaceably arranged in respect of its position relative to the robot base (1).

2. Industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein a linear drive that moves the first joint (17) in respect of its position relative to the robot base (1) is arranged on the robot base (1).

3. Industrial robot according to claim 2, wherein the linear drive comprises a spindle drive (24).

4. Industrial robot according to claim 3, wherein the spindle drive (24) exhibits a spindle (25) and that the first joint (17) is directly or indirectly linked to the spindle (25).

5. Industrial robot according to claim 4, wherein the linear drive is arranged on the side of the robot base (1) that faces away from the carrier element (2) and that the robot base (1) exhibits a through opening through which the spindle (25) or a shaft linked to the spindle is guided.

6. Industrial robot according to claim 3, wherein the spindle drive (24) takes the form of a ball screw drive.

7. Industrial robot according to claim 2, wherein the linear drive comprises a positively locked shaft arrangement.

8. Industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein the telescope (13) takes the form of a telescopic axis and that a rotary lifting module (24) is arranged on the robot base (1).

9. Industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein the robot base (1) is equipped with a linear guide having a guide body and that the first joint (17) is directly or indirectly linked to the guide body.

10. Industrial robot according to claim 9, wherein the linear guide takes the form of a slideway or rolling guideway.

11. Industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein the first joint (17) is a cardan joint.

12. Industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein the first joint is a constant-velocity joint.

13. Industrial robot according to claim 1, wherein the second joint (23) is a cardan joint.

Description

DRAWING

[0029] The drawing shows a model embodiment of the invention which is described in more detail below. Illustrations:

[0030] FIG. 1 Model embodiment of an industrial robot with parallel kinematics in a perspective view

[0031] FIG. 2 Section through the industrial robot as shown in FIG. 1 in a perspective view from above, whereby the detail illustrated in FIG. 4 is marked with a circle and with z

[0032] FIG. 3 Detail from FIG. 2

[0033] FIG. 4 Industrial robot as shown in FIG. 1 with extended telescope in a cross-section view

[0034] FIG. 5 Industrial robot as shown in FIG. 1 with extended telescope and extended spindle in a cross-section view

DESCRIPTION OF THE MODEL EMBODIMENT

[0035] FIGS. 1 to 5 show a model embodiment of an industrial robot with parallel kinematics according to the delta principle having a robot base 1, a carrier element 2 to which a gripper, a tool or a machine element can be arranged, and three actuating units 4 in the form of control arms. A gripper, a tool or a machine element are not shown in the drawing. Each of the three actuating units is connected by means of a drive shaft not identifiable in the drawing to an actuating-unit drive 6 in the form of a motor. The actuating-unit drives generate a torque. All three actuating units 4 have the same design. The actuating units 4 comprise an upper arm section 7 and a lower arm section 8. The upper arm section 7 is characterised by high stability and low weight. Each actuating-unit drive 6 transmits a torque to the upper arm section 7 connected to it. The lower arm section 8 comprises two parallel running rods 9 and 10. The two rods 9 and 10 of the lower arm section 8 of an actuating unit 4 are connected by means of joints 11 at their upper end to the upper arm section 7 of the actuating unit 4 and by means of joints 12 to the carrier element 2.

[0036] The industrial robot is also equipped with a telescope 13. It is used to transmit a torque to a gripper or tool or machine element, not shown in the drawing, on the carrier element 2. The telescope 13 thus takes the form of a telescopic axis. The telescope 13 comprises two telescopic tubes that can be displaced within one another: an inner telescopic tube 15 and an outer telescopic tube 16. The displaceable mounting allows variations in distance between the robot base 1 and the carrier element 2 in a movement of the actuating units 4 to be compensated. The outer telescopic tube 16 is moveably connected to the robot base 1 by means of a first joint 17 with multiple degrees of freedom. The first joint 17 takes the form of a cardan joint and exhibits two joint parts 18 and 19 which take the form of joint forks and are rotatably arranged around axes running perpendicular to one another. Such a joint is also referred to as a universal joint.

[0037] The inner telescopic tube 15 of the telescope 13 is moveably connected to the carrier element 2 by means of a second joint 23 with multiple degrees of freedom. The second joint likewise takes the form of a cardan joint. The two joints 17, 23 allow the telescope 13 to follow a deflection of the carrier element 2 relative to the robot base 1.

[0038] A rotary lifting module 24 is arranged on the robot base 1. This is especially discernible in FIG. 3. The rotary lifting module 24 comprises a spindle 25, a ball screw drive nut 26, a spline shaft nut 27, a bracket 28 for the ball screw drive unit 26 and the spline shaft nut 27, a drive 29 for the ball screw drive nut 26 with a drive belt 30 and a drive 31 for the spline shaft nut 27 with a drive belt 32. The bracket 28 and the two drives 29, 31 arranged in a fixed position on the robot base 1. The first joint 17 is arranged at one end of the spindle 25.

[0039] The ball screw drive nut 26 and the spline shaft nut 27 each exhibit a groove running circumferentially into which the bracket 28 engages. This means that the ball screw drive nut 26 and spline shaft nut 27 driven separately or jointly to rotate by the drives 29, 31 do not change their position relative to the robot base 1.

[0040] If only the ball screw drive nut 26 is driven to rotate and the spline shaft nut 27 is not, the spindle 25 is moved linearly along its longitudinal axis. The direction of movement of the spindle 25 depends on the direction of rotation of the ball screw drive nut 26.

[0041] If only the spline shaft nut 27 is driven to rotate and the ball screw drive nut 26 is not, the spindle 25 executes a spiral movement that is composed of a translation along its longitudinal or spindle axis and a rotational movement around its longitudinal or spindle axis. The direction of movement of the spindle depends on the direction of rotation of the spline shaft nut 27.

[0042] If the ball screw drive nut 26 and the spline shaft nut 27 are driven to rotate by their drives 29, 31, the spindle 25 executes a rotational movement around its longitudinal or spindle axis. The direction of rotation of the spindle 25 depends on the directions of rotation of the ball screw drive nut 26 and the spline shaft nut 27.

[0043] The movement of the spindle 25 is transmitted to the first joint 17 and the telescope 13.

[0044] FIGS. 4 and 5 show the telescope 13 in its maximum length, where the inner telescopic tube 15 projects beyond the outer telescopic tube 16 except for an end section. The difference between FIGS. 4 and 5 consists in the position of the spindle 25 and the first joint 17. In FIG. 5 the spindle 25 is moved down in respect of the position in FIG. 4. The distance between the first joint 17 and the robot base 1 is thereby greater in FIG. 5 than in FIG. 4. As a consequence, the actuating units 4 can move the carrier element 2 further down.

[0045] All features of the invention can be material to the invention both individually and in any combination.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0046] 1 Robot base

[0047] 2 Carrier element

[0048] 3

[0049] 4 Actuating unit

[0050] 5

[0051] 6 Actuating-unit drive

[0052] 7 Upper arm section

[0053] 8 Lower arm section

[0054] 9 Rod

[0055] 10 Rod

[0056] 11 Joint

[0057] 12 Joint

[0058] 13 Telescope

[0059] 14

[0060] 15 Inner telescopic tube

[0061] 16 Outer telescopic tube

[0062] 17 First joint with multiple degrees of freedom

[0063] 18 Joint fork

[0064] 19 Joint fork

[0065] 20

[0066] 21

[0067] 22

[0068] 23 Second joint with multiple degrees of freedom

[0069] 24 Rotary lifting module

[0070] 25 Spindle

[0071] 26 Ball screw drive nut

[0072] 27 Spline shaft nut

[0073] 28 Bracket

[0074] 29 Drive of the ball screw drive nut

[0075] 30 Drive belt

[0076] 31 Drive of the spline shaft nut

[0077] 32 Drive belt