# US 10,455,749 B2 · Parts supply device and parts supply robot having the same

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- Number: US 10,455,749 B2
- Document ID: US10455749B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/867,383
- Filed: 2018-01-10
- Published: 2018-08-09
- Granted: 2019-10-22
- Earliest claimed: 2017-02-03
- Assignees: Fanuc Corporation
- Applicants: Fanuc Corporation
- Inventors: Yoshio Motowaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455749B2

## CPC

- H05K 13/02: Feeding of components
- B23P 19/001: {Article feeders for assembling machines (screws or nuts being carried by a disposable strip or disc B25B23/045)}
- B25J 11/005: {Manipulators for mechanical processing tasks}
- B25J 15/0019: {End effectors other than grippers}
- B65G 59/061: {articles being separated substantially along the axis of the stack}
- H05K 13/022: {with orientation of the elements}
- B65G 59/062: {by means of reciprocating or oscillating escapement-like mechanisms}
- H05K 13/04: Mounting of components {, e.g. of leadless components}
- Y10S 901/41: Tool
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A parts supply device includes a robot attachment member to be attached to a distal end portion of a robot arm, a parts holding tool supported by the robot attachment member, a stick mounting unit supported by the robot attachment member and on which a stick containing parts is mounted, a parts discharging mechanism which discharges, one by one, the parts contained in the stick mounted on the stick mounting unit, a guide member that guides the parts discharged by the parts discharging mechanism to a holding position by a holding member of the parts holding tool, and a relative movement device that moves the guide member in a state where one of the parts is held by the holding member to allow the one of the parts held by the holding member to be mounted on a predetermined position.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A parts supply device comprising:
a robot attachment member configured to be attached to a distal end portion of a robot arm;
a pair of claws which are supported by the robot attachment member and which are moved toward and away from each other by a first actuator;
a vacuum member which is supported by the robot attachment member and which is connected to a compressor via a pipe so that a tubular stick containing parts aligned in a direction is mounted on the vacuum member when the compressor sucks air;
a guide slider that receives the parts from the stick mounted on the vacuum member and guides the parts
to a holding position at which one of the parts can be held by the pair of claws; and
a second actuator which moves the guide slider from a first position, in which the one of the parts is guided to the holding position by the guide slider, to a second position, in which the guide slider is apart from the one of the parts which is held by the pair of claws so that the one of the parts held by the pair of claws can be mounted on or supplied to a predetermined position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The parts supply device according to claim 1, wherein
the guide slider includes a plurality of structure members aligned in a longitudinal direction so that the parts slide down along the plurality of structure members to the holding position, and
the second actuator is configured to move at least one of the plurality of structure members corresponding to the holding position relative to another of the plurality of structure members.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The parts supply device according to claim 1, wherein the guide slider includes:
a first stopper;
a third actuator that moves the first stopper to restrict movement of a first one of the parts discharged from the stick toward the holding position;
a second stopper provided at a position distant from the holding position relative to the first stopper; and
a fourth actuator that moves the second stopper to restrict movement of a second one of the parts toward the holding position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A parts supply robot comprising:
a robot arm; and
the parts supply device according to claim 1, attached to a distal end portion of the robot arm.

### Claim 5

A parts supply device comprising:
a robot attachment member configured to be attached to a distal end portion of a robot arm;
a pair of claws which are supported by the robot attachment member and which are moved toward and away from each other by a first actuator;
a vacuum member which is supported by the robot attachment member and which is connected to a compressor via a pipe so that a tubular stick containing parts aligned in a direction is mounted on the vacuum member when the compressor sucks air;
a guide slider that receives the parts from the stick mounted on the vacuum member and guides the parts
to a holding position at which one of the parts can be held by the pair of claws; and
a second actuator which moves the guide slider from a first position, in which the one of the parts is guided to the holding position by the guide slider, to a second position in which the guide slider is apart from the one of the parts which is held by the pair of claws so that the one of the parts held by the pair of claws can be mounted on or supplied to a predetermined position,
wherein the parts supply device further includes:
a table member fixed to the robot attachment member and having at least one through hole through which the parts pass;
a rotor rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to an upper surface of the table member; and
a driving device that rotates the rotor,
wherein the rotor has a plurality of the vacuum members to which a plurality of the sticks are mounted so that one ends of the sticks are brought into contact with or adjacent to the upper surface of the table member and that the sticks are aligned around the rotation axis, and
wherein the parts contained in the stick located at a position corresponding to the through hole by rotation of the rotor by the driving device is guided to the holding position through the through hole and the guide slider.

### Claim 6

A parts supply device, comprising:
a robot attachment member adapted to attach to a distal end portion of a robot arm;
a pair of claws disposed on the robot attachment member;
a first actuator connected to the pair of claws to move the pair of claws toward and away from each other;
a vacuum member supported on the robot attachment member and being connected to a compressor via a pipe to apply a vacuum;
at least one stick removably supported on the vacuum member when the vacuum is applied to the vacuum member, wherein the at least one stick is adapted to contain a plurality of parts;
a guide slider that receives at least one of the plurality of parts from the stick and guides the at least one of the plurality of parts to a holding position thereon, the holding position providing a location for the pair of claws to pick up the at least one of the plurality of parts therefrom; and
a second actuator that moves the guide slider from a first position where the at least one of the plurality of parts is received at the holding position and a second position where the at least one of the plurality of parts is picked up by the pair of claws.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The parts supply device according to claim 6, wherein:
the guide slider includes at least a first structural member and a second structural member,
wherein the second structural member is movable relative to the first structural member by the second actuator.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The parts supply device according to claim 6, wherein the guide slider further comprises: a first stopper; a third actuator that moves the first stopper to restrict movement of a first one of the plurality of parts toward the holding position; a second stopper provided at a position upstream from the first stopper; and a fourth actuator that moves the second stopper to restrict movement of a second one of the plurality of parts toward the holding position.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

A parts supply robot comprising:
a robot arm; and
the parts supply device according to claim 6, attached to a distal end portion of the robot arm.