# US 10,493,626 B2 · Robot arm, method of estimating amount of iron powder contained in lubricant of connecting part of robot arm, and abnormality sign determination system

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- Number: US 10,493,626 B2
- Document ID: US10493626B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/019,699
- Filed: 2018-06-27
- Published: 2019-02-07
- Granted: 2019-12-03
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-01
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Shun Sato
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10493626B2

## CPC

- B25J 9/1674: {characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic}
- B25J 9/126: {Rotary actuators}
- B25J 13/087: {for sensing other physical parameters, e.g. electrical or chemical properties}
- B25J 19/0062: {Lubrication means}
- G01N 33/2888: {Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration (lubricating properties G01N33/30)}
- G05B 19/4062: Monitoring servoloop, e.g. overload of servomotor, loss of feedback or reference
- G05B 2219/42271: Monitor parameters, conditions servo for maintenance, lubrication, repair purposes
- G05B 2219/42306: Excess in error, compare reference with feedback
- 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})
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)

## Abstract

An average value of differences between command current values acquired at a plurality of timings when the motor is controlled at a rotation speed within a preset fixed range in a preset period and an average value of the command current values in the period is acquired, and the average value of the differences is accumulated in an order of the acquisition. When a difference between an accumulated value of the average values of the differences up to an N−1th time and an accumulated value of the average values of the differences up to an Nth time becomes greater than or equal to a preset value, and then become less than the preset value, and then again becomes greater than or equal to the preset value, a notification of an abnormality sign in the robot arm is transmitted.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A robot arm comprising:
a motor;
a controller configured to control the motor based on data indicating at least one command current value;
an arm configured to operate based on a driving force of the motor; and
a connecting part connecting the motor to the arm and including a lubricant,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
perform an acquisition to acquire command current values at a plurality of timings when the motor is controlled at a rotation speed within a preset fixed range, in a preset time period,
perform a determination to determine an average value of differences between the command current values and an average value of the command current values in the preset time period, and
repeat the acquisition and the determination in a second preset time period and accumulate average values of the differences in a sequential order of each determination,
transmit a notification of an abnormality sign in the robot arm to a display or speaker, when a difference between an accumulated value of the average values of the differences up to an N−1th time (wherein N is a natural number of two or greater) and an accumulated value of the average values of the differences up to an Nth time becomes greater than or equal to a preset value, and then become less than the preset value, and then again becomes greater than or equal to the preset value.

### Claim 2

A method of estimating an amount of iron powder contained in a lubricant of a connecting part of a robot arm, the robot arm comprising a motor configured to operate based on data indicating at least one command current value and an arm configured to operate based on a driving force of the motor, the motor and the arm being connected with the connecting part interposed therebetween, the method comprising:
acquiring command current values at a plurality of timings when the motor is controlled at a rotation speed within a preset fixed range, in a preset first time period,
determining an average value of differences between the command current values and an average value of the command current values in the preset first time period, and
repeating the acquiring and the determining in an additional preset time period, and accumulating average values of the differences in a sequential order of each determining; and
estimating the amount of the iron powder based on a product of an accumulated value of the average values of the differences and a preset coefficient.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the preset coefficient is a value obtained by dividing a measured amount of the iron powder contained in the lubricant when the robot arm is operated for a second time period by the accumulated value of the average values of the differences in a preset second time period.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein the second time period is a time period, when a difference between the accumulated value of the average values of the differences up to an N−1th time (wherein N is a natural number of two or greater) and the accumulated value of the average values of the differences at an Nth time becomes less than a preset value, from when the average value of the differences is acquired for the first time until when the average value of the differences at the Nth time is acquired.

### Claim 5

An abnormality sign determination system of a robot arm comprising:
a motor;
a controller configured to control the motor based on data indicating at least one command current value;
an arm configured to operate based on a driving force of the motor;
a connecting part connecting the motor to the arm and including a lubricant; and
a server communicably connected to the robot arm, wherein
the controller is further configured to:
perform an acquisition to acquire command current values at a plurality of timings when the motor is controlled at a rotation speed within a preset fixed range, in a preset time period,
perform a determination to determine an average value of differences between the command current values and an average value of the command current values in the preset time period,
perform a transmission to transmit data indicating the average value of the differences to the server, and
repeat the acquisition and the determination in a second preset time period,
wherein the server receives a plurality of average values of the differences and accumulates the plurality of average values of the differences in an order in which the controller determines average values of the differences, and when a difference between an accumulated value of the average values of the differences up to an N−1th time (wherein N is a natural number of two or greater) and an accumulated value of the average values of the differences up to an Nth time becomes greater than or equal to a preset value, and then become less than the preset value, and then again becomes greater than or equal to the preset value, the server determines that there is an abnormality sign in the robot arm.

### Claim 6

An abnormality sign determination system of a robot arm comprising:
a motor;
a controller configured to control the motor based on data indicating at least one command current value;
an arm configured to operate based on a driving force of the motor;
a connecting part connecting the motor to the arm and including a lubricant; and
a first server communicably connected to the robot arm, wherein
the controller is further configured to, every time the lubricant is replaced:
perform an acquisition to acquire command current values at a plurality of timings when the motor is controlled at a rotation speed within a preset fixed range in a preset time period,
perform a determination to determine an average value of differences between the command current values and an average value of the command current values in the preset time period,
perform a transmission to transmit data indicating the average value of the differences to the first server, and
repeat the acquisition and the determination in a second preset time period,
wherein the first server receives a plurality of average values of the differences and accumulates the plurality of average values of the differences in an order in which the robot arm determines average values of the differences, and when a difference between an accumulated value of the average values of the differences for a first lubricant and an accumulated value of the average values of the differences for a replaced lubricant becomes greater than or equal to a preset value at a point when periods since the first lubricant and the replaced lubricant are started to be used become equal, the first server determines that there is an abnormality sign in the robot arm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The abnormality sign determination system of a robot arm according to claim 6, wherein the first server transmits data indicating the accumulated value of the plurality of average values of the differences for the replaced lubricant, excluding the accumulated values of the average values of the differences for the first lubricant and for a lubricant in use, to a second server, and
the first server deletes the data from the first server.