Seiko Instruments & Electronics Ltd.

Minoru Noda

Masahide Nagai

Yutaka Makishima

Kazutoshi Yokose

Toshimi Shioda

Masatoshi Higake

Hitoshi Suzuki

A driving apparatus for effecting linear movement of an industrial robot comprises a slide member axially slidably disposed within a frame, a ball nut secured to the slide member and a ball screw threaded through the ball nut and rotationally driven relative to the ball nut to effect linear movement of the ball nut along the ball screw accompanied by linear movement of the slide shaft. A bracket is adjustably mounted on the frame for rotatably supporting the shaft of the ball screw. The bracket can be displaced relative to the frame in the transverse direction of the slide member to align the axis of the ball screw with the axis of the slide member during assembly of the apparatus. A thrust bearing is disposed between the shaft of the ball screw and the bracket to absorb radial displacement and strain of the ball screw shaft.

Driving apparatus for industrial robot

A support mechanism for a cylindrical coordinate type industrial robot comprising a stationary upstanding tubular outer member and a displaceable inner member supported within the outer member to undergo axial displacement in upward and downward directions and angular displacement in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. The supporting mechanism includes a bearing interposed between the inner and outer members, the bearing including a retaining member rollably retaining thereon a plurality of rollable elements. An elastic balancing and restoring device for applying elastic biasing forces in opposite axial directions to the upper and lower ends of the retainer member is operative in the event the retainer member fails to maintain proportionate displacement with the inner member to temporarily increase the magnitude of the force difference between the oppositely directed elastic biasing forces in a direction effective to restore the proportionate displacement.

Supporting mechanism of a linearly movable bearing

An industrial robot has a head movable in first and second orthogonal directions within a working area to manipulate a workpiece. The industrial robot comprises a stationary base extending along the first direction, an intermediary base slidably disposed on the stationary base to move along the first direction, and a slider slidably disposed on the intermediary base and to move along the second direction. The slider has a supporting portion which extends towards the working area and which supports the head thereon so that the supporting portion positions the head within the working area remotely from the stationary base and the intermediary base.

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Tokyo, Japan

Minoru Noda