TEACHING INSTRUCTION PANEL FOR INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS

Abstract: The operational key unit (13) has a thickness which enables it to be held by one hand. When the teaching panel 81) is gripped by the left hand, the left side shift key (11) is located at a position enabling easy operation of it (11) by the thumb of the left hand, which is a free finger. Similarly, when the teaching panel (1) is gripped by the right hand, the righe side shift key (12) is located at a position enabling easy operation of it (12) by the free thumb. A right handed worker can hold the teaching panel in the left hand and operate the shift key (11) with the thum of the left hand and, while doing so, use the right hand fingers to freely operate for example, the 'FORWARD', 'BACKWARD', and other operational keys.

Description: The present invention relates to a teaching panel for a robot apparatus, more particularly to a teaching panel for a robot apparatus provided with shift keys to enable reliable teaching operations. Figure 1 shows an example of a conventional teaching panel for a robot apparatus. As is well known, the teaching panel is connected to a control unit (not shown) which directly controls the robot apparatus. A worker stands near the robot apparatus, holds the teaching panel 1', and for example, brings the hand of the robot mechanical unit (not shown) above the workpiece, makes the hand grasp the workpiece, moves the arm of the robot mechanical unit, makes it carry the workpiece to another position, and instructs other operations so as to drive the robot apparatus through the control unit. Therefore, the teaching panel 1' is provided with an operational key unit 13' on which a variety of operational keys are arranged, an indicator unit 16' which indicates the taught operations and the operating state of the robot apparatus, and an emergency stop pushbutton switch 14' for emergency stops in the event of erroneous operations of the robot apparatus etc. To perform the above operations, there is further provided a connection point switching key 17' for electrically connecting the teaching panel 1' to the control unit. Recently, a demand has arisen for a greater safety in robot teaching operations. Namely, with only the operation of the operational keys of the operational key unit 13', for example, if a finger unintentionally touches an unrelated operational key, the erroneous operation would immediate lead to an unwanted operation of the robot apparatus, which would be very dangerous. Therefore, safety is maintained by applying an interlock based on a two-step operation so that the operation of the operational keys is effective only when a shift key 11 is depressed. The teaching panel 1' of Fig. 1 is designed so that the teaching panel is held by the left hand and the predetermined operational keys can be pushed by the thumb of the right hand while the shift key 11 is pushed by the middle finger of the right hand. As clear from Fig. 1, the teaching panel 1' is made for right handed workers, so has the problems of a lack of operability by left handed workers, which might cause erroneous operations. If, to resolve this problem, teaching panels for right handed persons and teaching panels for left handed persons were made separately, not only would the price of the equipment rise, but also there would be a need for a modification of connections and the possibility of secondary erroneous operations accompanying the same. Further, even when right handed workers use the teaching panel 1' shown in Fig. 1, they must change the angle of their right hands about the middle fingers pushing the shift keys 11 to reach the operational keys to be pushed. Depending on the position of the operational key, this can be a troublesome operation, and a good operability is not necessarily guaranteed. An object of the present invention is to provide a teaching panel for a robot apparatus which is applicable for both right handed and left handed workers. Another object of the present invention is to provide a teaching panel for a robot apparatus which enables a shift key operation according to the mode of utilization by users, to further improve the operability thereof. GB-A-2120203 discloses a robot which can be taught its desired operating movements using a pendant. According to the present invention, there is provided a teaching panel, for teaching operations to a robot apparatus through a control system, the panel comprising: a plurality of teaching keys for teaching a robot apparatus an operation; characterised by: two shift keys on the front of the panel at opposed positions; registration means for registering in advance user-selection of only one of the shift keys as a valid shift key or both of the shift keys each as a valid shift key; the arrangement being such that teaching of a robot apparatus using the plurality of teaching keys is enabled only when the valid shift key or one of the valid shift keys is operated substantially simultaneously with the teaching keys. As two shift keys are provided at opposed positions, and the validity of the operation of one or both of the keys is registered in advance, use by either a right handed person or left handed person is possible. Further, by placing the shift keys at appropriate positions, operation of the shift keys by any finger of the hand holding the teaching panel, for example, the thumb, becomes possible and operation of the teaching keys by the fingers of the other hand becomes possible. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a front view of a conventional teaching panel; Fig. 2 is a front view of a teaching panel according to an embodiment of the present device; and, Fig. 3 is a connection diagram of switches of a teaching panel according to an embodiment of the present device and switches of a control unit. An embodiment of the present device will now be explained with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Figure 2 shows a front view of a teaching panel. In the figure, the teaching panel 1 has an operational key unit 13 provided with a plurality of operational teaching keys, a display unit 15, and indicator unit 16, a system key 17, and an emergency stop PBS 14. The teaching panel 1 is further provided with two shift keys 11 and 12 at the front at opposing positions. The operational teaching key unit 13 has a thickness which enables it to be held by one hand. When the teaching panel 1 is gripped by the left hand, the left side shift key 11 is located at a position enabling easy operation of the shift key 11 by the thumb of the left hand, which is a free finger. Similarly, when the teaching panel 1 is gripped by the right hand, the right side shift key 12 is located at a position enabling easy operation of the shift key 12 by the free thumb. By constructing the teaching panel 1 in the above way, for example, right handed worker can hold the teaching panel in the left hand and operate the shift key 11 with the thumb of the left hand and, while doing so, use the right hand fingers to freely operate, for example, the "FORWARD", "BACKWARD", and other operational keys. A right handed worker can hold the teaching panel in the right hand and operate the shift key 12 with the thumb of the right hand and while doing so, use the left hand fingers to select the operational teaching keys. Further, some users can hold the teaching panel in the left hand and operate the shift key 12 with the index finger of the right hand, and while doing so, use the thumb to operate the operational teaching keys and perform other operations. By providing two shift keys and constructing the teaching panel as illustrated in the above way, not only is use made possible according to the mode of utilization by the user, but the operability is also improved. On the other hand, if two shift keys are provided and both are made valid at all times, then there is the chance that the nonintended shift key will be mistakenly operated, and thus safety is reduced. Therefore, usually it is preferable to register one of the shift keys as valid. Figure 3 shows the connection circuit of a system key 17, shift keys 11 and 12, switches 51 and 52, and operational teaching key unit 13 when the switch circuit 5 is used as a registration means. The teaching panel 1 is connected to a control unit (not shown), and the teaching operation is performed through the control unit to the robot apparatus. Therefore, the illustrated circuit is formed in the control unit. The switch circuit 5 is mounted in the control unit. In the illustrated state the key operation of the operational teaching key unit 13 is valid only when the system key 17 is on and the shift key 12 is depressed. Therefore, even if the shift key 11 is mistakenly depressed, the key operation will be invalid. The user selects either of the switches 51 and 52, or in some cases both, in advance in accordance with the own mode of utilization. Further, it is possible to realize the registration means by a means other than the switch circuit, i.e., by setting valid and invalid flags for a microprocessor, etc., built in the control unit for performing a judgment of the operational keys. According to the present invention, a shift key operation according to the mode of utilization of the user can be made, and a teaching panel with a further improved operability without a reduction in the degree of safety is obtained. A teaching panel for a robot apparatus in accordance with the present invention can be applied for teaching operations is a variety of industrial robot apparatuses. EXPLANATION OF REFERENCES 1 teaching panel 2 control unit 11, 12 shift keys 13 operational teaching key unit 14 emergency stop 15 display unit 16 indicator unit 17 system key

Claims: A teaching panel, for teaching operations to a robot apparatus through a control system, the panel comprising: a plurality of teaching keys (13) for teaching a robot apparatus an operation; characterised by: two shift keys (11,12) on the front of the panel at opposed positions; registration means (5) for registering in advance user-selection of only one of the shift keys as a valid shift key or both of the shift keys each as a valid shift key; the arrangement being such that teaching of a robot apparatus using the plurality of teaching keys (13) is enabled only when the valid shift key or one of the valid shift keys (11,12) is operated substantially simultaneously with the teaching keys (13). A teaching panel according to claim 1, wherein the shift keys (11,12) are provided at positions easily operable by free fingers of a hand holding the teaching panel.

Inventors: ITO SUSUMU TABATA F, ITO TAKAYUKI SHIBASO, NIHEI RYO MEZON RIRA, TORII NOBUTOSHI FUYO HAITSU, TOYODA KENICHI, ITO, SUSUMU TABATA 4F, ITO, TAKAYUKI SHIBASO 101, NIHEI, RYO MEZON RIRA 202, TORII, NOBUTOSHI FUYO HAITSU 308, TOYODA, KENICHI
Applicants: FANUC LTD, FANUC LTD.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: G05B19
IPC codes: B25J9, G05B19, B25J13