Patent ID: 8903547

Claim:
A working apparatus comprising a balancer, an articulated robot, and a joint that physically joins a balancer arm of the balancer and a robot arm of the robot, wherein the balancer: supports a workpiece or an external device with the balancer arm; maintains the balancer arm at a constant height with an output depending on a weight of the workpiece or the external device; horizontally moves the balancer arm depending on a horizontal external force applied to the balancer arm; and has a vertical movement switch for externally controlling vertical movement of the balancer arm; and wherein the robot: operates the vertical movement switch through the robot arm, so as to control vertical movement of the balancer arm; and applies a horizontal external force to the balancer arm through the robot arm and the joint, so as to move the balancer arm horizontally; wherein the vertical movement switch of the balancer includes a rotary lever rotatable within a given angular range in a hypothetical vertical plane, and a potentiometer for detecting angular displacement of the rotary lever; when the rotary lever is horizontal, vertical movement of the balancer arm is stopped, when the rotary lever is displaced upwardly, the balancer arm is lifted, and when the rotary lever is displaced downwardly, the balancer arm is lowered; the joint includes a linear guide extending vertically and fixed to the balancer arm, and a slider movable reciprocally on the linear guide and fixed to the robot arm; and when the rotary lever is horizontal, the rotary lever has a distal end held in engagement with the slider, and the robot causes the slider to displace the rotary lever, so as to control vertical movement of the balancer.