JP2004334710A - Teaching device for robot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a teaching device for a robot achieving the efficient confirmation of an operation of a robot. <P>SOLUTION: A point specifying signal is input, wherein the point specifying signal specifies a prescribed moving point among an assembly of moving points able to set a plurality of moving points defined by coordinate information on each movable portion, while inputting a movable portion specifying signal to specify a movable portion of the robot by switches 64a-64c, when the operation of the robot is confirmed, based on teaching data. A control unit of the robot drives and controls the movable portion specified by the movable portion specifying signal in accordance with the coordinate information specified by the point specifying signal, when an execution command signal for confirming the operation is applied by an operation check execution switch 65. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a teaching device for a robot that inputs teaching data necessary for controlling various robots.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a robot teaching device disclosed in a patent document is known. This teaching device is connected to a controller that controls the robot body, and is generally called a teaching pendant or the like in many cases. This teaching device is used for inputting various kinds of teaching data such as an operation method, a moving point, a palletizing method, and a speed necessary for performing automatic operation of a robot. In addition, a function of manually operating the robot body by input from a key operation unit is also provided.
[0003]
[Patent Document] JP-A-2001-88068
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-mentioned conventional robot teaching device, an instruction for operation confirmation is given to the control unit of the robot in order to confirm whether or not the teaching data taught is correct. This instruction generally operates all the movable parts of the robot according to the teaching data. In other words, if the movable part of the robot has three axes, the operation of all three axes is controlled in a predetermined order by an instruction from the teaching device at the time of confirming the operation. For this reason, when it is sufficient to check the operation of only a predetermined movable part, such as when only the data for a certain movable part is rewritten among the teaching data that has already been set, all the movable parts are activated by the operation check. As a result, there is a lot of waste in the operation check, and problems such as inefficiency of the operation check work have occurred.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a robot teaching device capable of realizing an efficient robot operation check operation.
[0006]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a robot teaching device for setting predetermined teaching data in a robot control unit formed by combining a plurality of movable parts, wherein the movable part for specifying the movable part of the robot is provided. Input means capable of inputting a designation signal and a command signal for operating the movable part of the robot specified by the movable part designation signal, and means for transmitting a signal input from the input means to the control unit. It is characterized by comprising. The input means is configured to be capable of inputting a point designation signal for specifying a predetermined moving point from a moving point set capable of setting a plurality of moving points defined by the coordinate information of each movable portion. It is desirable.
[0007]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 7, reference numeral 1 denotes a screw tightening robot, and 2 denotes a control unit for controlling the screw tightening robot 1. The control unit 2 is connected to a teaching pendant 3 which is a teaching device of a robot.
[0008]
The screw tightening robot 1 is connected to a robot body 11 configured by combining movable parts Y1, A1, and Z1 that can reciprocate in respective directions indicated by arrows in FIG. 3, and is connected to the movable part Z1 of the robot body 11. It has a screwing tool T1 that can reciprocate integrally with the movable part Z1. The screw tightening tool T1 has a bit 12 engageable with a drive hole formed in the head of the screw S. The bit 12 is connected to an AC servomotor 13 which is an example of a rotary drive source via a buffer mechanism. Instead, they are directly connected. A catcher 14 for temporarily holding the screw S sent from the screw supply device F1 is arranged on the moving path of the bit 12.
[0009]
The control unit 2 has a control circuit, a motor drive circuit, a data storage medium and the like (none of them are shown), and stores an operation program stored in advance, predetermined teaching data input from the teaching pendant 3, and various commands. According to the signal, the screw tightening robot 1 is controlled.
[0010]
The teaching pendant 3 inputs various teaching data to the screw tightening robot 1 while checking the operation of the screw tightening robot 1, the position of the screw tightening point set on the work, and the like at an arbitrary position around the screw tightening robot 1. It is configured in a size and shape that can be carried by a worker so that it can be carried by hand. The teaching pendant 3 is configured to be connected to the control unit 2 by a cable, and the connection between the teaching pendant 3 and the control unit 2 is via a predetermined interface 4 such as RS232C, USB, I / O connection, and the like.
[0011]
As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the teaching pendant 3 includes an input display unit formed by stacking a liquid crystal display 31 (hereinafter, referred to as a liquid crystal screen 31) capable of displaying a color and a touch panel 32. An emergency stop switch 34, a deadman switch 35, a selector key switch 36, various display lamps and the like are arranged around the input display section 33. As is well known, the touch panel 32 divides an area according to an image such as an image button displayed on the liquid crystal screen 31 and, when an input device such as a finger or a touch pen touches a predetermined area, a signal corresponding to the contact area. Is output. Generally, it is widely used as a means for inputting information in an automatic teller machine of a financial institution and the like. In the embodiment of the present invention, input means is realized by various image switches displayed on the liquid crystal screen 31 and the touch panel 32.
[0012]
The teaching pendant 3 has a structure shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the liquid crystal screen 31 is connected to a display control circuit 39 as a display control unit connected to an arithmetic processing circuit 38 as an arithmetic processing unit, and the touch panel 32 is connected to the arithmetic processing circuit 38. I have. The arithmetic processing circuit 38 is connected to the control unit 2 via the interface 4, and exchanges information with the control unit 2. In addition, the arithmetic processing circuit 38 performs arithmetic processing on various information (signals) sent from the control unit 2 and the touch panel 32, and gives instructions to each unit. On the other hand, the emergency stop switch 34, the deadman switch 35, and the selector key switch 36 are connected to the control unit 2 via the interface 4, and are configured so that signals can be directly supplied to the control circuit of the control unit 2.
[0013]
The teaching data includes coordinate information and screw tightening operation parameters. The coordinate information is information for moving the screw tightening tool T1 onto the screw tightening point of the work with reference to a predetermined position, and the screw tightening operation parameter is such that the screw tightening tool T1 sets the screw tightening point at the screw tightening point of the work. This is information for controlling the operation of the movable part Z1 of the screw tightening robot 1 and the screw tightening tool T1 when S is screwed.
[0014]
The teaching pendant 3 is activated by receiving power supply from the control unit 2 and displays an initial menu screen 50 shown in FIG. When the teaching menu 51 on the initial menu screen 50 is selected (touching the teaching menu 51 with a finger), a signal corresponding to the selection is transmitted from the touch panel 32 to the arithmetic processing circuit 38, and the arithmetic processing circuit 38 receiving the signal transmits the signal to the arithmetic processing circuit 38. A command to display a coordinate information setting screen is given to the circuit 39. Thus, a coordinate information setting screen 52 shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the liquid crystal screen 31.
[0015]
The setting screen 52 is provided with a coordinate information table 52a. The records of the coordinate information table 52a include setting items 53, 54, and 55 of coordinate information of the movable parts Y1, A1, and Z1 necessary for positioning the screw tightening tool T1 on the screw tightening point of the work, and the screw tightening. And a work information designation item 56 for setting a designation code of a work parameter. This record is provided for 40 records. Therefore, the items 53, 54, 55, and 56 can be set for 40 screw fastening points P0 to P39 (P0 to P4 are shown in the drawing). Data input to each item of the coordinate information table 52a is performed by selecting an item of a desired screw tightening point, setting the item column to a data input enabled state, and then operating the lower numeric keypad 52b. After the data input, when the lower ENTER key is selected, the input data is sent to the control unit 2 and registered.
[0016]
As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the screw tightening point defined by the coordinate information of each of the movable parts Y1, A1, and Z1 described above is a specific example of the moving point described in the claims. The coordinate information table 52a, which is a set of fastening points, is a specific example of the moving point set described in the claims.
[0017]
When tightening the screw to the work, the control unit 2 refers to the coordinate information table 52a to obtain the coordinate information of the target screw tightening point and the designation code of the screw tightening operation parameter. Then, predetermined screw tightening operation parameters are obtained using the designated code as a key. Then, the parameters of the control program are determined from these, and the screw tightening robot 1 is controlled. As a result, the movable parts Y1 and A1 are driven to position the screw tightening tool T1 on a predetermined screw tightening point, and the movable part Z1 is driven to lower the screw tightening tool T1. At the same time as the descent, the AC servomotor 13 of the screw tightening tool T1 is driven to rotate the bit 12, whereby the screw S is screwed into the work and tightened.
[0018]
When the screw S is screwed into the work, the driving of the movable portion Z1 is controlled based on the screw tightening operation parameters. This makes it possible to appropriately change the pressing force and the like applied to the screw S from the screw tightening tool T1 at the main movement position of the screw tightening tool T1 in the screwing process. Can be. The moving position of the screw tightening tool T1 can be determined from a signal of a rotary encoder (not shown) provided in a servomotor (not shown) that is a driving source of the movable portion Z1.
[0019]
The teaching pendant 3 also has a function of instructing the operation confirmation of the screw tightening robot 1 based on the teaching data. When executing this function, the operation check switch 52c provided on the coordinate information setting screen 52 is selected. Thus, the operation check setting screen 63 shown in FIG. 1 is displayed on the liquid crystal screen 31 in response to a command from the arithmetic processing circuit 38. On this screen 63, a coordinate information table 63a is displayed, and movable part designation switches 64a to 64c for designating the movable parts Y1, A1, Z1 and an operation check execution switch 65 are provided. The coordinate information table 63a displayed here has the same configuration as the coordinate information setting table 52a, but data cannot be input to the coordinate information table 63a.
[0020]
When confirming the operation of the screw tightening robot 1, a desired record of the coordinate information table 63a displayed on the screen 63 is selected, a screw tightening point is selected, and one or more of the switches 64a to 64c are selected. To select the movable part to check the operation. As a result, a point designation signal for specifying the screw tightening point and a movable part designation signal for specifying the movable part are sent from the touch panel 32 to the arithmetic processing circuit 38, and these are sent to the control unit 2. In response to this, the control unit 2 can specify the movable part of the screw tightening robot 1 that needs to be checked and the coordinate information of the movable part, and can set these as parameters of the control program.
[0021]
Subsequently, when the operation check execution switch 65 on the operation check setting screen 63 is selected, an operation check execution command signal is sent from the arithmetic processing circuit 38 to the control unit 2. In response to this, the control unit 2 drives and controls a predetermined movable part of the screw tightening robot 1 in accordance with the parameters. For example, when the switches 64a and 64c are selected on the operation check setting screen 63, the record of the screw tightening point P0 is selected, and the operation check execution switch 65 is input, the movable unit Y1 of the screw tightening robot 1 is set. , Z1 are driven and operated based on the coordinate information of the screw tightening point P0. As described above, the operation can be confirmed only for the movable part specified on the operation check setting screen 63.
[0022]
Although an example in which a plurality of screw tightening points can be set has been described in the embodiment of the present invention, the same effect can be obtained when only one screw tightening point can be set. As described above, when only one screw tightening point can be set, the movable part to be checked for operation and its coordinate information can be specified only by selecting the switches 64a to 64c. Therefore, it is not necessary to specify the screw tightening point on the operation check screen 63. Also, by selecting coordinate information in the coordinate information table 63a on the operation check setting screen 63, the movable unit designation signal is input, and the coordinate information selected at this time is transmitted to the control unit together with the movable unit designation signal. The same effect can be obtained even if the data is sent to 2.
[0023]
【The invention's effect】
The robot teaching device of the present invention can input a movable section designation signal for designating a movable section and a command signal for operating the movable section specified by the movable section designation signal. Therefore, the control unit that receives these signals can perform drive control of only the movable unit designated by the teaching device out of the plurality of movable units of the robot, and perform operation check on only the movable unit. is there. Therefore, for example, when a part of the teaching data that has already been set is changed, it becomes possible to specify and operate only the movable part related to the changed teaching data. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently check the operation of the robot based on the teaching data.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an operation check setting screen displayed on a teaching pendant.
FIG. 2 is an overall perspective explanatory view of a screw tightening robot system including the robot controller of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory perspective view of a screw tightening robot.
FIG. 4A is an enlarged front view of a main part of a teaching pendant in the robot controller of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a side view thereof.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory block diagram of a teaching pendant in the robot controller of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an initial menu screen displayed on the teaching pendant.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a coordinate information setting screen displayed on the teaching pendant.
[Explanation of symbols]
Reference Signs List 1 screw tightening robot 11 robot body 12 bit 13 AC servo motor 14 catcher Y1, A1, Z1 movable part T1 screw tightening tool F1 screw feeder 2 control unit 3 teaching pendant 31 liquid crystal display 32 touch panel 50 initial menu screen 52 coordinate information setting screen 63 operation check setting screens 64a to 64c movable part designation switch 65 operation check execution switch

Claims (2)

A robot teaching device for setting predetermined teaching data in a robot control unit formed by combining a plurality of movable parts,
A movable part designation signal for specifying the movable part of the robot, and input means capable of inputting a command signal for operating the movable part of the robot identified from the movable part designation signal,
Means for sending a signal input from the input means to a control unit. The input means is configured to be capable of inputting a point designation signal for specifying a predetermined moving point from a moving point set capable of setting a plurality of moving points defined by the coordinate information of each movable portion. The robot teaching device according to claim 1, wherein:

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