# US 9,868,181 B2 · Assembly equipment and assembly method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,868,181 B2 - Document ID: US9868181B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/754,096 - Filed: 2013-01-30 - Published: 2013-08-08 - Granted: 2018-01-16 - Earliest claimed: 2012-02-03 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Toshiaki Osato; Takashi Arai; Shuichi Hirasawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9868181B2 ## CPC - B23Q 1/00: Members which are comprised in the general build-up of a form of machine, particularly relatively large fixed members (B23Q37/00 takes precedence {; positioning supports for measuring arrangements G01B5/0004; motorised alignment for optical elements G02B7/005; handling of mask or wafer G03F7/70691; adjusting or compensating devices for optical apparatuses G12B5/00; piezoelectric or electrostrictive positioners H10N30/20}) - B23P 19/04: for assembling or disassembling parts - B25J 9/0084: {comprising a plurality of manipulators} - B25J 9/0087: {Dual arms (double SCARA arms B25J9/043)} - B25J 9/0096: {co-operating with a working support, e.g. work-table} - B25J 17/025: {mounted in series} - Y10T 29/53991: Work gripper, anvil, or element - B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT - 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}) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Assembly equipment comprises a base, a first holding hand provided in a first robot arm set on the base, a second holding hand provided in a second robot arm set on the base, and a control device configured to control the first and second robot arms and the first and second holding hands. The first holding hand comprises an attachment connected to the first robot arm and having a rotation shaft, and an aligning holding mechanism provided in a rotation mechanism having a rotation shaft located to intersect the rotation shaft of the attachment or located in a skewed positional relationship with the rotation shaft of the attachment. A cooperative working area of the first and second holding hands is provided in an overlapping area where working areas of the first and second holding hands overlap with each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Assembly equipment comprising: a base; a first holding hand provided in a first robot arm set on the base; a second holding hand provided in a second robot arm set on the base; and a control device configured to control the first and second robot arms and the first and second holding hands, wherein the first holding hand includes a first rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation A and a second rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation B, wherein the second rotation unit is attached to the first rotation unit, an aligning holding unit is attached to the second rotation unit, and the second rotation unit is disposed between the first rotation unit and the aligning holding unit, wherein the second rotation unit and the aligning holding unit rotate together with the first rotation unit about the axis of rotation A, wherein the aligning holding unit rotates together with the second rotation unit about the axis of rotation B, wherein the aligning holding unit and the second rotation unit are disposed at all time with a virtual line traversing therethrough, the virtual line being an extended line of the axis of rotation A, and wherein a cooperative working area of the first and second holding hands is provided in an overlapping area where working areas of the first and second holding hands overlap with each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The assembly equipment according to claim 1, wherein a working unit including a working section configured to perform assembly operation is set in the cooperative working area on the base. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The assembly equipment according to claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation A and the axis of rotation B rotate in cooperation to move the aligning holding mechanism while maintaining a posture of the aligning holding mechanism. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The assembly equipment according to claim 1, wherein a holding portion of the aligning holding mechanism comprises a plurality of claws and the plurality of claws open and close in a same phase. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The assembly equipment according to claim 4, wherein a bearing surface for receiving a held article is provided to the plurality of claws. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The assembly equipment according to claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation A and the axis of rotation B are substantially orthogonal to each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The assembly equipment according to claim 1, wherein the control device is provided for each of the first robot arm and the second robot arm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The assembly equipment according to claim 1, wherein the first robot arm is a six-axis articulated robot arm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The assembly equipment according to claim 1, further comprising: a first workpiece supply table configured to supply a part to be held by the first holding hand of the first robot arm, and a second workpiece supply table configured to supply a part to be held by the second holding hand of the second robot arm, wherein the first workpiece supply table is provided outside the working area of the second holding hand, and wherein the second workpiece supply table is provided outside the working area of the first holding hand. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The assembly equipment according to claim 1, wherein an aligning position of the aligning holding unit substantially coincides with the axis of rotation B of the second rotation unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The assembly equipment according to claim 1, wherein the first rotation unit includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion has a plane intersecting with the axis A, and the second portion has a plane intersecting with the axis B. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The assembly equipment according to claim 11, wherein the second portion of the first rotation unit, the second rotation unit, and the aligning holding unit are in alignment of the axis B. ### Claim 13 An assembly method that assembles an article, the method comprising: operating a first holding hand; and operating a second holding hand, wherein the first holding hand and the second holding hand are operated in cooperation in an overlapping area of working areas of the first and second holding hands, wherein the first holding hand includes a first rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation A and a second rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation B, wherein the second rotation unit is attached to the first rotation unit, an aligning holding unit is attached to the second rotation unit, and the second rotation unit is disposed between the first rotation unit and the aligning holding unit, wherein the second rotation unit and the aligning holding unit rotate together with the first rotation unit about the axis of rotation A, wherein the aliening holding unit rotates together with the second rotation unit about the axis of rotation B, wherein the aligning holding unit and the second rotation unit are disposed at all time with a virtual line traversing therethrough, the virtual line being an extended line of the axis of rotation A, wherein the second holding hand is connected to a second robot arm, and wherein the first robot arm and the second robot arm are arranged on a base such that the working areas of the first and second holding hands overlap with each other to form the overlapping area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The assembly method according to claim 13, wherein the second holding hand holds a part and conveys the part to the first holding hand without changing a posture of the part, and the first holding hand and the second holding hand assemble the part. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The assembly method that assembles an article according to claim 13, wherein the first rotation unit includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion has a plane intersecting with the axis A, and the second portion has a plane intersecting with the axis B. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The assembly method that assembles an article according to claim 15, wherein the second portion of the first rotation unit, the second rotation unit, and the aligning holding unit are in alignment of the axis B. ### Claim 17 An assembly equipment comprising: a base; a holding hand provided in a robot arm set on the base; and a control device configured to control the robot arm and the holding hand, wherein the holding hand includes a first rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation A and a second rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation B, wherein the second rotation unit is attached to the first rotation unit, an aligning holding unit is attached to the second rotation unit, and the second rotation unit is disposed between the first rotation unit and the aligning holding unit, wherein the second rotation unit and the aligning holding unit rotate together with the first rotation unit about the axis of rotation A, wherein the aligning holding unit rotates together with the second rotation unit about the axis of rotation B, and wherein the aligning holding unit and the second rotation unit are disposed at all time with a virtual line traversing therethrough, the virtual line being an extended line of the axis of rotation A. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The assembly equipment according to claim 17, further comprising a working unit including a working section configured to perform assembly operation sets in the cooperative working area on the base. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The assembly equipment according to claim 17, wherein the axis of rotation A and the axis of rotation B rotate in cooperation to move the aligning holding mechanism while maintaining a posture of the aligning holding mechanism. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The assembly equipment according to claim 17, wherein a holding portion of the aligning holding mechanism comprises a plurality of claws and the plurality of claws open and close in a same phase. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The assembly equipment according to claim 17, wherein the axis of rotation A and the axis of rotation B are substantially orthogonal to each other. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The assembly equipment according to claim 17, wherein the control device is provided for each of the robot arm. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The assembly equipment according to claim 17, wherein the robot arm is a six-axis articulated robot arm. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The assembly equipment according to claim 17, further comprising a workpiece supply table configured to supply a part to be held by the holding hand of the robot arm. ### Claim 25 (depends on 17) The assembly equipment according to claim 17, wherein the first rotation unit includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion has a plane intersecting with the axis A, and the second portion has a plane intersecting with the axis B. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The assembly equipment according to claim 25, wherein the second portion of the first rotation unit, the second rotation unit, and the aligning holding unit are in alignment of the axis B. ### Claim 27 A holding hand comprises: a first rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation A; and a second rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation B, wherein the second rotation unit is attached to the first rotation unit, an aligning holding unit is attached to the second rotation unit, and the second rotation unit is disposed between the first rotation unit and the aligning holding unit, wherein the second rotation unit and the aligning holding unit rotate together with the first rotation unit about the axis of rotation A, wherein the aligning holding unit rotates together with the second rotation unit about the axis of rotation B, and wherein the aligning holding unit and the second rotation unit are disposed at all time with a virtual line traversing therethrough, the virtual line being an extended line of the axis of rotation A. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The holding hand according to claim 27, wherein the first rotation unit includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion has a plane intersecting with the axis A, and the second portion has a plane intersecting with the axis B. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The holding hand according to claim 28, wherein the second portion of the first rotation unit, the second rotation unit, and the aligning holding unit are in alignment of the axis B. ### Claim 30 Assembly equipment comprising: a base; a first holding hand provided in a first robot arm set on the base; a second holding hand provided in a second robot arm set on the base; and a control device configured to control the first and second robot arms and the first and second holding hands, wherein the first holding hand includes a first rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation A and a second rotation unit that rotates about an axis of rotation B, wherein the second rotation unit is attached to the first rotation unit, an aligning holding unit is attached to the second rotation unit, and the second rotation unit is disposed between the first rotation unit and the aligning holding unit, wherein the second rotation unit and the aligning holding unit rotate together with the first rotation unit about the axis of rotation A, wherein the aligning holding unit rotates together with the second rotation unit about the axis of rotation B, wherein the axis of rotation A and the axis of rotation B are substantially orthogonal to each other, wherein the aligning holding unit and the second rotation unit are disposed with a virtual line traversing therethrough, the virtual line being an extended line of the axis of rotation A, and wherein a cooperative working area of the first and second holding hands is provided in an overlapping area where working areas of the first and second holding hands overlap with each other.