A linear extension and retraction mechanism includes a first connection piece string (21) made up of a plurality of first connection pieces (23); a second connection piece string (22) made up of a plurality of second connection pieces (24); a linear gear (239) made up of a plurality of teeth (240) and provided on a back face of each of the first connection piece (23); an ejection section (30) adapted to support a columnar body formed by joining together the first and second connection piece strings (21 and 22) and; and a drive gear (50) adapted to be meshed with the linear gears (239), wherein gear-end teeth (240f and 240e) located adjacent to each other across a junction between adjacent first connection piece string (21) are provided in such a way as not to overlap each other when viewed along a center axis of the columnar body.

This invention provides an efficient robot layout in which there is a high degree of freedom. The robot system includes a work bench on which a work object is placed, and a robot device. The robot device includes: a base (1); and an arm section (2) that has torsional rotatability around a first axis approximately along a center line of the base, bending rotatability around a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis, and linear extensibility and retractability along a third axis that is orthogonal to the second axis. Work is performed in collaboration with a worker on the work object by means of an end effector (3) that is provided at a tip of the arm section. The base is disposed at a position at which a moveable region (MR) of the arm section accompanying rotation around the first axis and the second axis and linear extension and retraction along the third axis at least partially overlaps with a work region (WAM) of the worker.

The purpose of the present invention is to improve robot arm mechanism's operability regarding translational movement and posture change. A robot device includes: a robot arm mechanism 200 capable of being provided with an end effector at a tip thereof and including a plurality of joints; an operation section 300 for operating a movement and a posture change of the end effector; and a control section 100 for controlling driving of the joints in accordance with an operation of the operation section. The control section associates a translational operation received from the operation section with orthogonal three axes of a robot coordinate system of the robot arm mechanism to move a hand reference point. During the movement, a posture of the end effector is maintained at a posture on the robot coordinate system at the start of the translational operation. A posture change operation of the end effector input via the operation section is associated with orthogonal three axes of a hand coordinate system having a reference point of the end effector as the origin to change the posture of the end effector. At this time, a position of the hand reference point is maintained at a position on the robot coordinate system at the start of the posture change operation.

• 1. A workpiece handling system comprises a robotic arm mechanism (66) which provides R-, θ- and Z-motion of an end effector adapted to pick up and transport workpieces. The robotic arm mechanism is mounted on an elevator (10) for linear motion along a motion axis of the elevator to provide Z-motion for the arm mechanism as a whole. Universal direction tilting means (30, 36, 38) are provided for tilting the elevator as a whole in any selected direction relative to its motion axis.

Bei einem Industrieroboter der Portalbauweise ist ein Holm (7) in Z-­Richtung, und ein den Holm (7) tragender Wagen (1) auf einer Brücke (2) in Y-Richtung verschiebbar auf Rollen gelagert. Der Holm (7) trägt auf zwei einander gegenüberliegenden Seiten prismatische Schienen, die als Lauffläche für die Rollenpaare einer Rollenführung im Wagen (1) dienen. Am unteren Ende des Holmes (7), Trägers od.dgl. ist eine Greifervorrichtung für das Werkstück od.dgl. angebracht. Der Holm (7) od.dgl. ist mit einer hydraulischen Ausgleichseinrichtung verbunden, welche aus einem am Wagen (1) befestigten Hydraulikzylinder (100) besteht, dessen Kolbenstange (102) mit dem Holm (7) od.dgl. verbunden ist.

This invention relates to a direct-acting actuator of an industrial robot which can fit and remove an elongated feed screw rapidly and safely within a limited work space. When a ball screw is to be fitted, the upper and lower end portions of the ball screw inserted diagonally into an inner space of a column (10) are fitted into holes (12a, 33a) of an upper plate and sheet member through a passage (12b) formed on a column upper plate (12) and opening in that end surface of this upper plate on the slider side and through a passage (33b) formed on the sheet member (33) of a slider (30) and opening in the tip surface of the sheet member respectively, the lower end of the ball screw is connected to a decelerator (52) and a bearing unit (22) fitted to the upper end of the ball screw and ball nut (34) meshed with the ball screw are fitted into the holes (12a, 33a), respectively. Then, the bearing unit and the ball nut are fixed to the upper plate and to the sheet member, respectively. The ball screw can be removed in the procedures reverse to those described above.

A shaft support (10), which supports both end portions of an elongated screw shaft (12) for use in moving a movable element, such as an arm of an industrial robot in a predetermined direction, is fixed to the upper surface of a base plate (14) via a gear box (30) which supports a driving motor (22) and the elongated screw shaft (12), and which contains reduction gears (24) therein, in such a manner that a projected area of the shaft support (10) on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the elongated screw shaft (12) is reduced. When the gear box (30) is fixed to the base plate (14), a circular boss (32b), which is provided on the lower surface of the gear box (30) for use in positioning the gear box (30) in the plane of the base plate (14), and a bore (14a) provided in the base plate (14) are used. The vertical positioning of the gear box (30) is done by a positioning member (40) having a predetermined height.

A plant for robot operations comprising a robot (2) disposed on a stand (1) and a plurality of work stations (3) served by the robot (2), the operating arm (4) of the robot (2) being movable to each work station (3) from a starting position at the carrying body (5) of the robot. According to the invention the plant com­prises a barrier (8) defining a first space (6), in which the robot (2) is located, and a second space (7), in which the work stations (3) are located. The barrier (8) has sufficient strength to be impenetrable to the robot (2), and it includes hatches (10) disposed opposite each work station (3), each hatch (10) closing an opening (9) through which the operating arm (4) of the robot (2) is movable to serve the work station (3) when the hatch (10) has been moved aside.

Bei einem Industrieroboter der Portalbauweise ist ein Holm (7) in Z-­Richtung, und ein den Holm (7) tragender Wagen (1) auf einer Brücke (2) in Y-Richtung verschiebbar auf Rollen gelagert. Der Holm (7) trägt auf zwei einander gegenüberliegenden Seiten prismatische Schienen, die als Lauffläche für die Rollenpaare einer Rollenführung im Wagen (1) dienen. Am unteren Ende des Holmes (7), Trägers od.dgl. ist eine Greifervorrichtung für das Werkstück od.dgl. angebracht. Der Holm (7) od.dgl. ist mit einer hydraulischen Ausgleichseinrichtung verbunden, welche aus einem am Wagen (1) befestigten Hydraulikzylinder (100) besteht, dessen Kolbenstange (102) mit dem Holm (7) od.dgl. verbunden ist.

Le robot comporte trois rails (14, 24, 30) orientés respective­ment selon ces axes et trois patins (18, 20, 32) chacun coopérant avec l'un des rails. Le premier rail (14) est monté sur un support (10, 12). Le patin (18) coopérant avec le premier rail (14, axe X) est solidaire du patin 20 coopérant avec le deuxième rail (24, axe Y) et forme avec ce dernier patin un chariot (16). Le patin (32) coopérant avec le troisième rail (30, axe Z), est fixé au deuxième rail (24). Le deuxième rail (24) est solidaire d'un profilé (26, 46) de rigidification.

Application aux robots de précision.

In an industrial manipulator (10) a controlled fluid environment for a robotic wrist drive motor (32) is achieved by mounting the motor (32) within a motor cavity (33) in the front portion (18) of a hollow support arm (17). An end cap (19) is affixed to the rear end of the support arm, and cooling fluid, inert fluids and the like are ported through the end cap (19) into the motor cavity(33). Alternatively the ports (40, 41) may be utilised to withdraw air from the cavity and to retain a vacuum therein.