Abstract: A robot 1A comprises a robot stationary base 1, a first speed reducer mechanism attachment base 11 to which a first axis speed reducer mechanism 12 and a second axis speed reducer mechanism 21 are attached, a first arm AM1, a second speed reducer mechanism attachment base 35 to which a third axis speed reducer mechanism 31 and a fourth axis speed reducer mechanism 41 are attached, and a second arm AM2. An electric cable (CB) or a pipeline passes from the robot stationary base 1 through a hollow part in the first axis speed reducer mechanism 12, and from there passes around the outside of the second axis speed reducer mechanism 21, extending along the first arm AM1.

Abstract: An emergency stop switch mechanism for a robot which can take an emergency position when an external operation force is released and when a strong external operation force is applied. When the robot operation is started, a main lever La is pushed down from the OFF state with a normal external operation force. Since an elastic biasing force S2 is sufficiently larger than S1, a second ancillary lever Lc is pushed by a plunger PL and is turned downward together with a first ancillary lever Lb. A movable contact element ME of a contact mechanism section CM is moved to the ON position by the second ancillary lever Lc, so that the ON state (motion permitting state) is established. If emergency stop becomes necessary, the pressure of the main lever La is released from this state, or a specially strong force is applied to the main lever La. When the former is selected, the movable contact element ME is returned to the OFF position.

Abstract: A deadman switch mechanism and a teaching operation panel equipped with the deadman switch mechanism, in which possibility of losing a safety function is low even if failure happens in a contact or other elements of a circuit. When an operator grips at least one of grip levers (GL1; GL2) with normal force, the grip levers turn around axes (AX4; AX5), shoulder portions (SD1; SD2) abut on slave levers (SL1; SL2) and turns the slave levers connected by a link (LK) around an axis (AX3) in the direction denoted by an arrow B, simultaneously, so that switches (SW1; SW2) are turned into an ON-state, simultaneously. Then, two circuits including those switches, respectively, output ON-signals independently and these signals are subjected to AND process, to allow the robot to operate.

Abstract: A control system of a welding robot for performing realtime tracking using a laser sensor in which a welding operation in passing a tack welded portion is rationally coped with. An arc welding torch and a laser sensor LS are mounted on a robot hand. A tool center point is set to coincide with an aimed position of a distal end of a welding wire. The tool center point is positioned at an advancing end of a formed bead B and immediately before a tack welded portion A1. The tool center point 4 is also positioned on a welding reference line (P.sub.1 .fwdarw. . . . .fwdarw.P.sub.6). A bright line 5 is formed between points 51 and 52 by a laser beam emitted from the laser sensor LS with a deflection range SC. A detected point SA is positioned at an edge of the tack welded portion A1 on the bright line 5 (there may be found no detected point). A deviation of the detected point SA from the proper welding reference line is determined based on a direction of a robot path immediately before the detected point.

Abstract: A robot apparatus having no need for securing a space for installing both a robot movable section and a robot controller. The robot apparatus includes a frame having strength enough to support the robot movable section, and containing the robot controller therein. The robot movable section is installed on the frame. The robot controller and the robot movable section are electrically connected to each other via a coupling cable passing through a hole formed inside. Over the base of the robot movable section, first, second and another arms are provided via rotating mechanism portions. The distal end of the third arm constitutes a wrist portion of a robot. Various types of hands are attached to this wrist portion. Thus, the robot movable section can be installed on the frame containing the robot controller.

Abstract: A gear mechanism in which the backlash between bevel gears can be easily adjusted is provided. The gear mechanism has first and second bevel gears which engage with each other; a supporting member, including first and second threaded portions, for the first and second bevel gears, and first and second bearings for rotatably supporting the first and second bevel gears on the supporting member. The first and second bearing include cylindrical members with threaded portions for engagement with the first and second threaded portions of the supporting member.

Abstract: A probe apparatus for inspecting electrical characteristics of a microelectronic element formed on a substrate and having a plurality of pads including a probe card having a plurality of probe needles, an image pick-up device for picking up images of the pads and the probe needles, a registration device which previously stores pad position information indicating pad positions of at least specified of the pads and needle position information indicating needle positions of at least specified of the plurality of probe needles, the needle positions being obtained by an actual measurement based on the images picked up by the image pick-up device, and a control processor for executing a task for detecting imaginary needle marks formed on the pads by imaginarily bringing the specified probe needles and the pads corresponding thereto into contact with each other, by overlapping the first position information and the pad position information of the microelectronic element, a task for detecting positional deviation inf

Abstract: A positioning device for positioning a robot unit (30) of a multi-articulated type industrial robot at an origin reference position having a polygonal male jig (52) attached to an extremity of the robot unit (30), and a polygonal female jig (58) suitable for being mated with the polygonal male jig (52), and the flat surfaces of the polygonal male jig (52) are brought into contact with the flat surfaces of the polygonal female jig (58) to position the robot unit (30) at the origin reference position. When mating the male jig (52) and the female jig (58) with each other in close surface-to-surface contact, the male jig (52) is pressed by pressing means (64) to bring the predetermined flat surfaces of the polygonal male jig (52) into close contact with the predetermined flat surfaces of the female jig (58).

Abstract: A gear mechanism comprises a housing, an input gear of helical gear supported by the housing for rotation in first and second rotational directions and adapted to be connected to a rotational power source, an output gear of a helical gear supported by the housing for rotation, a first gear train for transmitting the rotational power from the input gear to the output gear when the input gear rotates in the first rotational direction, a second gear train for transmitting the rotational power from the input gear to the output gear when the input gear rotates in the second rotational direction.

Abstract: A robot control apparatus in which a load exerted on a driving system of a robot is detected to make it easy to judge a time for preventive maintenance or overhaul, and life of the robot driving system. A driving torque Ta outputted to the driving system is found by subtracting a torque which is spent in a motor itself for accelerating or decelerating a rotor from an output torque T of a motor M for driving each axis of the robot. Further, an average torque of the driving torque Ta and an average speed of an output shaft of the motor M are found and displayed. An average torque of an output torque of a speed reducer and an average speed of an output shaft of the speed reducer are obtained, and, based on these values, the life of the speed reducer is determined. Then a ratio of the determined life to a rated life is obtained and displayed. An actual load exerted on the driving system is monitored, so that the time for the preventive maintenance or overhaul, and life of the driving system is easily judged.

Abstract: An articulated industrial robot provided with a reference position setting means which includes two positioning contact parts 22 and 24, and the reference position setting means is provided for each joint 16 of a robot unit 10 in such a manner that the positioning contact parts 22 and 24 are brought into contact with each other so as to perform determination of a geometrical reference position for each joint drive source after the replacement of a defective drive motor or a defective reduction gear of the joint drive source. The determined geometrical reference position regarding each of the joint axes are stored in the robot controller to thereby achieve a single-axis mastering,and thus the reference position setting means simplifies single-axis mastering with respect to each joint axis of the robot unit without being subject to any spatial restrictions.

Abstract: A probe system has a wafer storing section for storing a semiconductor wafer as an object to be measured, a plurality of probe units for electrically measuring the wafer, a marking unit for marking a defective portion of the wafer, a repair unit for repairing the defective portion of the wafer, a baking unit for baking and drying the marked wafer, an inspection unit for detecting and examining the marked portion of the wafer marked by the marking unit, a looped convey path for conveying the wafer along the storing section and the respective units, and a convey mechanism for conveying the wafer along the convey path. Wafer transfer between the wafer storing section and the convey mechanism is performed by a first transfer mechanism, and wafer transfer between the respective units and the convey mechanism is performed by second transfer mechanisms. The probe system also controls the respective units and wafer conveyance.

Abstract: A device for detecting the limits of the rotational motion of a rotating member in an industrial robot is provided. The rotating member rotates in a first and a second rotational direction about an axis relative to a fixed member. The device comprises a limit switch provided on one of the members and a contact piece, provided on the fixed member, for activating the limit switch. The contact piece is rotatable between first and second angular position about an axis parallel to the axis of rotating member.

Abstract: A small-locus machining apparatus is attached to the distal end of a wrist of a robot but operable independently of a robot body. First and second drives of the apparatus are mounted on a base in such a manner that respective output spindles are parallel with each other. First and second rotational arms are coupled to the output spindles through decelerators, which are directly connected to the drives, allowing rotation in a plane orthogonal to the output spindles. These rotational arms and links interconnecting the rotational arms constitute a link mechanism having, for example, five joints. A tool is attached to this link mechanism, and the rotational amounts of the first and second arms are detected to determine the coordinate position of the tool.

Abstract: A window mechanism for a sensor provided at the distal end of a robot arm of an industrial robot comprises a housing for enclosing the sensor which housing includes an opening, a glass plate for closing the opening, wiper for wiping the outer surface of the glass plate, a holder plate for slidably holding the glass plate member on the housing, and an exchanger for exchanging the plate member held by the holder with a new glass plate.

Abstract: A laser robot having a height sensing device (13) arranged at a position very close to a laser-beam projecting machining head (9) so that the axis of the height-sensing device (13) is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machining head (9), the three-dimensional distance data representing the positional relationship between the laser projecting nozzle (9a) of the machining head (9) and the measuring end (13a) of the height-sensing device (13) being stored in advance in the robot controller (10), the longitudinal distance between the height-sensing device (13) and a starting point of laser-beam machining being automatically measured from directly above the starting point, and a longitudinal distance between the laser beam projecting nozzle (9a) of the machining head (9) and the machining starting point being corrected on the basis of the three-dimensional distance data and the longitudinal distance measured by the height sensing device (13) to thereby accurately locate the machining head at a position corr

Abstract: A beam axis adjusting method of a laser robot including the steps of splitting a visible laser beam traveling along a laser beam pathway within the robot unit of the laser robot into a first laser beam traveling further along the laser beam pathway and a second laser beam traveling outside the robot unit, receiving the second laser beam by a target plate made of a semitransparent plate and mounted on the robot unit to form a light spot Sp on the front surface of the target plate, adjusting a relevant reflecting mirror unit disposed in the robot unit for the adjustment of the beam axis of the laser robot, and visually observing the light spot Sp from behind the back surface of the target plate while the relevant joint of the robot unit is in motion.

Abstract: In carrying out precision laser-beam machining by using a laser-beam machining head driven by an additional motion-axis means 8 of a laser robot unit 1, a CPU accommodated in a robot controller 10 calculates time A+B necessary for a laser beam projecting nozzle to travel a distance between a position corresponding to a position of origin OR of a machining locus and a position corresponding to a starting point E on the machining locus at a quick-feed speed, and time C necessary for the laser beam projecting nozzle to travel the same distance in a laser-beam machining mode not including quick-feed operation, compares the times A+B and C, and provides feed motors MA and MB accommodated in the additional motion-axis means 8 with an automatic quick-feed command, when the time A+B is shorter than the time C to thereby enhance an efficiency of the laser machining operation.

Abstract: A piping arrangement in which a plurality of sealing means (70 through 78) are arranged on a sheathing pipe (42) provided as an outer pipe of a robot wrist (18) of a laser robot to thereby define annular chambers (84 through 90); the annular chamber (86 and 90) being used as a gas-carrying annular chamber for transferring an assist gas from one line to another, and a liquid-carrying chamber for transferring a liquid coolant from one line to another; the assist gas and the liquid coolant being supplied and returned through the gas-carrying annular chamber and the liquid-carrying annular chamber (84 and 90).

Abstract: A cooling means for removing heat generated in a portion of a solid ball-and-screw shaft (27) provided for a screw mechanism accommodated in an industrial robot and engaged with a linear motion nut (28) accommodated in the linear motion mechanism. The cooling means permits a cooling medium, typically cooling air, to flow through a cooling medium passage (33) formed in an unthreaded end portion of the shaft (27) and having an end connected to a rotative drive motor (M), to flow through a radial hole (34) having one end connected to the cooling medium passage (33) and the other end opening into an annular space surrounding an external surface of the shaft formed with a screw thread (27a), and to flow through the annular space along the surface of the threaded portion of the shaft (27), to thereby remove heat generated at the threaded portion engaged with the linear motion nut (28).