US 5,889,925 A · Method and equipment for assembling components

Abstract

According to the present invention there is provided a component assembling method capable of assembling a plurality of components in a successive manner, in which method faces of each component are contacted successively with two or more reference planes by using the known servo float function as a method for controlling each robot axis. The component assembling method uses a reference table 4 having at least two planes which are a first reference plane 5 and a second reference plane 6 different in the direction of normal line from each other, and a robot system for grasping and moving each component to a given position on the reference table 4. The method in question includes at least a first step of pushing the component as grasped by the robot system against the first reference plane 5, changing the posture of the robot system to let the component lie along the first reference plane 5, and storing or fixing the said change in posture of the robot system, and a second step, subsequent to the first step, of pushing the component as grasped by the robot system against the second reference plane 6, changing the posture of the robot system to let the component lie along the second reference plane 6, and storing or fixing the said change in posture of the robot system.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A component assembling method using:

a reference table having at least two planes which are first and second reference planes of different in the direction of normal line from each other;
and
a robot system for grasping and moving a component to a given position on said reference table,
said method including at least:
a first step of pushing the component as grasped by said robot system against said first reference plane, changing the posture of the robot system to let the component lie along the first reference plane, and storing or fixing said change in posture of the robot system;
and
a second step, subsequent to said first step, of pushing the component as grasped by said robot system against said second reference plane, changing the posture of the robot system to let the component lie along the second reference plane, and storing or fixing said change in posture of the robot system,
wherein the position of the component relative to said reference table is determined by correcting the posture of the component in accordance with the changes in posture stored in said first and second steps or by fixing the posture of the component in the first step and that in the second step successively.

5 more elements

A component assembling equipment comprising a reference table for positioning a component, a robot for grasping and moving the component, and a control unit for controlling said robot, with position information being given in advance to said control unit,

said reference table having a first reference plane (X-Y plane), a second reference plane (X-Z plane) and a third reference plane (Y-Z plane), which are different in the direction of normal line from one another,
said robot having six axes of freedom (X, Y, Z, .theta..sub.x, .theta..sub.y, .theta..sub.z) or more,
said control unit having servo float means which reduce the rigidity of robot motion by changing the control gain of each axis of the robot or by setting a torque limiter appropriately to follow the component to be assembled, and means for successively fixing the postures of the robot obtained by successive abutment of the component with said first, second and third reference planes,
wherein, when said robot positions the component on said reference table, the positioning is performed through successive abutment of the component with said first, second and third reference planes.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and equipment for assembling components

Life of this patent

Method and equipment for assembling components

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9