Kuka Roboter Gmbh

Alwin Berninger

Stefan Karlinger

Wolfgang Bohlken

Peter Heiligensetzer

Norbert Settele

Albert Bayer

Georg Hartmann

A device for positioning components to be joined together, such as car body components, is characterized by at least one movable central module and a plurality of arms, movable in space and connected thereto and which in each case have at least one holding element for holding the components. By means of the inventive method for the positioning of the components to be joined together and for the performance of which the said device is particularly suitable, the components are held from a position within a desired arrangement of the components to be joined. In this way the assembled components during a subsequent tacking together and optionally further downstream production processes such as welding or the like, are accessible in optimum manner from the outside. Further advantages of the method according to the invention are a limited space requirement and possible balancing of the production process.

Method and device for positioning components to be joined together

In order to improve the monitoring of a machine with movable parts, such as in particular an industrial robot, and for increasing safety, the invention provides a method for monitoring movable parts of a machine, such as an industrial robot, in which at least two different measured quantities are detected and at least one of these measured quantities is processed to a first measure result in such a way that it is comparable with another measured quantity or a second measure result obtained on the basis thereof, that the first measure result is compared with another measured quantity or a measure result obtained on the basis thereof and that a signal characterizing the comparison result is provided. The invention also provides a machine with movable parts, such as in particular an industrial robot, which is characterized by at least two measuring devices for detecting different measured quantities on movable parts of the machine, a processing unit for at least one measured quantity for the processing thereof into a first measure result comparable with another measured quantity or a second measure result obtained therefrom and a comparison unit for comparing the first measure result with at least one other measured quantity or a second measure result obtained on the basis thereof.

Method for monitoring a machine and such a machine, particularly a robot

A wearing ring, particularly for protecting a cable guide hose on a robot, with an inner ring and an outer ring having in each case two half-shells is characterized in that the half-shells of at least one of the rings can be locked together.

Wearing ring

A protective hose, particularly cable guidance hose, for a robot having at least partly externally positioned cables, particularly supply cables for robot tools is characterized by a flexible hose end piece terminally positionable on the protective hose and whose wall thickness at least zonally differs over its length, its wall thickness having a minimum value in the central area.

Highly flexible hose end piece

A device for compensating the weight of a robot arm of a robot with a spring cylinder and having at least one helical spring is characterized in that there is at least one mechanism for the insertion and removal of at least one further, replaceable helical spring and preferably a pretension of at least the replaceable helical spring is adjustable. The device according to the invention makes it possible to modify the spring constant of the spring cylinder in order to individually adjust the compensating force desired for compensating the weight of the robot.

Device for compensating the weight of a robot arm

A wearing ring, particularly for protecting a cable guidance tube on a robot, characterized in that the wearing ring has two layers, whereof one coaxially surrounds the other.

Wearing ring for a cable guidance tube of a robot

A robot has a plurality of components which can pivot relative to each other, in particular robot arms. Changes in separation between individual points of the robot thereby occur. This must be taken into consideration when guiding the operation cables for robot elements and in particular robot tools. The cables must be capable of accommodating length changes while being loaded to as little extent as possible during motion of the robot so that they have high durability and are not prematurely damaged. In accordance with the invention, a robot having cables extending at least partially on the outside, in particular operation cables for robot tools such as a welding tool, has cables guided in a substantially circular loop at the height of a robot arm which can pivot about an axis of the robot.

Robot with cables extending at least partially on an outside

In order to simplify assembly of a robot hand to a robot arm, the invention is a device for driving a robot hand on a robot arm having a plurality of cardan shafts with which the cardan shafts are borne at their ends distant from the hand on a bearing plate which can be displaced relative to the robot arm.

Device for driving a robot hand

In order to guide a cable for a robot in a protective fashion while facilitating simple insertion of protected cables in a robot arm, in particular a robot arm bearing a hand arbor motor, having a cable guide channel extending substantially along the robot arm and having a sideward opening along its entire length.

Growing community of inventors

Augsburg, Germany

Alwin Berninger