Seiko Epson Corporation

Tomohisa Iwazaki

Yutaka Arakawa

Akio Konishi

Osamu Miyazawa

Koichi Kamijo

Kiichi Kajino

Akira Nemura

Daisuke Yamada

Yuichiro Tsuyuki

Yudai Okamae

Tomo Ikebe

Yasuharu Hashimoto

Mitsuru Toyama

A control method for a robot system includes setting a robot arm in a first attitude, performing work in a first region of an object while moving a tool relative to the object by a moving stage with the first attitude maintained, setting the robot arm in a second attitude, imaging the object using a camera and correcting a position of the tool by driving of the moving stage based on an imaging result with the second attitude maintained, and performing the work in a second region of the object while moving the tool relative to the object by the moving stage with the second attitude maintained.

Control method for robot system and robot system

A piezoelectric motor includes a driven member rotating around a rotation axis, and a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators rotating the driven member by transmitting drive forces to the driven member. The plurality of piezoelectric vibrators includes a first piezoelectric vibrator and a second piezoelectric vibrator at a larger distance from the rotation axis than the first piezoelectric vibrator. The control method for the driven member includes, for acceleration of the driven member, rotating the driven member by the drive force of the second piezoelectric vibrator when a rotation velocity of the driven member is lower than a first velocity, and rotating the driven member by the drive force of the first piezoelectric vibrator when the rotation velocity of the driven member is equal to or higher than the first velocity.

Control method for piezoelectric motor and robot

A rotary-to-linear motion converter includes: a drive portion including a vibrating portion vibrating by a piezoelectric body and a convex portion coupled to the vibrating portion; a housing; a rotating member including a first screw portion and a driven surface that contacts the convex portion and that receives driving force of the drive portion, the rotating member pivoting around an axial center relative to the housing; a linearly moving member including a second screw portion threadably engaging with the first screw portion; and a restricting portion that is disposed at the housing and that restricts rotation of the linearly moving member.

Rotary-to-linear motion converter

The horizontal articulated robot includes a platform, a first arm which is coupled to the platform, which moves along a first linear-motion axis with respect to the platform, and which rotates around a first rotational axis parallel to the first linear-motion axis, a second arm which is coupled to the first arm, which moves along a second linear-motion axis different in direction from the first linear-motion axis with respect to the first arm, and which rotates around a second rotational axis parallel to the first rotational axis, a third arm which is coupled to the second arm, and which rotates around a third rotational axis perpendicular to the first linear-motion axis, and a fourth arm which is coupled to the third arm, and which rotates around a fourth rotational axis perpendicular to the third rotational axis.

Horizontal articulated robot and horizontal articulated robotic system

A piezoelectric motor includes a piezoelectric actuator, a holding member that holds the piezoelectric actuator, a housing in which the piezoelectric actuator and the holding member are placed, a first positioning pin that positions the holding member and the housing, and a first fixing part that fixes the first positioning pin. In the piezoelectric motor, the first positioning pin is fixed to one of the holding member and the housing, and a first hole portion in which the first positioning pin is placed is provided in the other of the holding member and the housing. The first fixing part fixes relative positions of the first hole portion and the first positioning pin.

Piezoelectric motor and robot

A robot arm includes a distal end unit having a gripping part and a first supporting part that supports the gripping part, a first drive unit that, with an axis along a direction in which the gripping part and the first supporting part are arranged as a first axis, pivots the gripping part about a first pivot axis along the first axis relative to the first supporting part, a second supporting part that supports the first supporting part, and a second drive unit that, with an axis orthogonal to the first axis as a second axis, pivots the distal end unit about a second pivot axis along the second axis relative to the second supporting part, wherein the first drive unit includes a piezoelectric motor, and the second pivot axis crosses the distal end unit.

Robot arm

A piezoelectric drive device includes a rotor having a driven part and rotating around a rotation axis, a vibrating unit having a piezoelectric element and applying a drive force for rotating the rotor to the driven part by displacement of the piezoelectric element, and a bearing supporting the rotor. The driven part has a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion sequentially connected, the first portion has a predetermined region along an axial direction of the rotation axis and coupled to an inner ring of the bearing within the predetermined region, the second portion overlaps with the bearing in a plan view from the axial direction, and the third portion has a contact surface in contact with the vibrating unit at an inner side of both ends of the predetermined region in a plan view from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

Piezoelectric drive device and robot

A piezoelectric drive device includes a rotor which has an output section for outputting a rotational force and a transmission section disposed on an outer periphery of the output section, and rotates around a rotational axis, and a vibrating part which has a piezoelectric element, and rotates the rotor due to a deformation of the piezoelectric element. The transmission section has a first portion and a second portion different from each other in position in a radial direction from the output section toward the transmission section, the first portion is coupled to the output section, the second portion is higher in Young's modulus than the first portion, the second portion is higher in mass per unit volume than the first portion, and the vibrating part makes contact with the transmission section at a position overlapping the second portion in a plan view from an axial direction of the rotational axis.

An adjusting mechanism includes a movable plate having a substantially rectangular shape and including a long side and a short side, a position adjusting actuator configured to come into contact with and press the movable plate, a reference plate on which the movable plate is placed, and an elastic member coupling the movable plate and the reference plate, the elastic member being elastically deformable in a direction along an X axis. The position adjusting actuator adjusts a position of the movable plate with respect to the reference plate when the position adjusting actuator presses the movable plate in the direction along the X axis and moves the movable plate in the direction along the X axis and a &#x3b8;z direction.

Adjusting mechanism

A piezoelectric drive device includes: a vibrating body having a first surface and a second surface provided with a recessed portion; and a piezoelectric element provided on the first surface. The recessed portion and the piezoelectric element have an overlap region when viewed in a normal direction of the second surface.

Piezoelectric drive device, robot, and method for driving piezoelectric drive device

A first member, a second member, a bearing that rotatably supports the second member about a rotation axis relative to the first member, a driven member placed on the first member, and a plurality of piezoelectric actuators that transmit driving forces for rotating the second member about the rotation axis relative to the first member to the driven member are provided, and the piezoelectric actuators are supported by the second member while being pressed against the first member or the member fixed thereto, and, as seen from a direction along the rotation axis, a center of pressing forces from the plurality of piezoelectric actuators to the driven member is located inside of an outer circumferential part of the bearing.

Piezoelectric driving device, electronic component conveyance apparatus, robot, projector, and printer

A piezoelectric driving device includes a supporting section, a first moving section movable in a first direction relative to the supporting section, a second moving section movable in a second direction relative to the first moving section, a first driving section configured to drive a first piezoelectric actuator to move the first moving section relative to the supporting section and stop the first piezoelectric actuator to hold the first moving section on the supporting section, and a second driving section configured to drive a second piezoelectric actuator to move the second moving section relative to the first moving section and stop the second piezoelectric actuator to hold the second moving section on the first moving section. A first holding force for holding the first moving section on the supporting section and a second holding force for holding the second moving section on the first moving section are different from each other.

Piezoelectric driving device, electronic-component conveying apparatus, and robot

A gripping device includes a rotating member having a pinion and rotating about a center axis of the pinion, a drive piezoelectric unit having a vibrating portion that vibrates with expansion and contraction of a piezoelectric material, and a convex portion provided in the vibrating portion, being in contact with the rotating member, and transmitting vibration of the vibrating portion to the rotating member, a rack meshing with the pinion and moving with rotation of the pinion, and a gripping part coupled to the rack, wherein a contact portion in which the convex portion and the rotating member are in contact is located outside of an outer circumference of the pinion in a plan view from a direction of a rotation axis of the rotating member.

Gripping device and robot

An adjusting mechanism for adjusting a position of a display panel includes a first plate including a placing portion on which the display panel is placed, a second plate on which the first plate is placed, the second plate disposed on the opposite side of a display panel side with respect to the first plate, a third plate on which the second plate is placed, the third plate disposed on an opposite side of a first plate side with respect to the second plate, a first position adjusting actuator configured to move the first plate in a direction along a Z axis, a &#x3b8;x direction, and a &#x3b8;y direction, a second position adjusting actuator configured to move the second plate in a direction along an X axis and a &#x3b8;z direction, and a third position adjusting actuator configured to move the third plate in a direction along the Y axis.

Adjusting mechanism and projector

A piezoelectric drive device includes a piezoelectric actuator which includes a vibration portion that vibrates and a protruding portion that protrudes from the vibration portion, a driven member, an optical scale, a sensor which receives transmitted light or reflected light from the optical scale and outputs a signal in accordance with intensity of the received light, in which a facing area of the optical scale and the sensor is disposed to be deviated to one side in a direction in which the optical scale and the sensor are aligned with respect to a contact portion between the protruding portion and the driven member.

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Shimosuwa, Japan

Tomohisa Iwazaki