IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,466,084
Granted Patent B2
US 12,466,084 · App. 18/281,365 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Robot system and robot-system assembling method

Inventors: Takeshi Hashimoto (Kakogawa, JP); Rikuya Uekaji (Kakogawa, JP); John Bright Prakash (Kobe, JP); Shuhei Ishikawa (Akashi, JP)
Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B25J13/084B25J19/0029B25J19/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,466,084
App. No.
18/281,365
Granted
Nov 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A robot system includes a jacket-type sensor including a detector included in a jacket and configured to detect a touch on the jacket; and a sensor wiring-line set configured to transmit a detection result from the detector. The sensor wiring-line set is arranged inside the robot arm.

Claims (55)

1 . A robot system comprising:

a robot arm;

a jacket-type sensor including a jacket arranged to cover an exterior surface of the robot arm, and a detector included in the jacket and configured to detect a touch on the jacket;

a wiring-line-set insertion part; and

a sensor wiring-line set connected to the detector and configured to transmit a detection result from the detector, wherein

the sensor wiring-line set is arranged inside the robot arm,

the robot arm has an arm opening through which the sensor wiring-line set is inserted,

the sensor wiring-line set is inserted into the robot arm through the arm opening formed in the robot arm,

the wiring-line-set insertion part is arranged in the arm opening to receive the sensor wiring-line set inserted through the wiring-line-set insertion part,

the wiring-line-set insertion part has a wiring-line-set guide hole formed to guide a direction of the sensor wiring-line set drawn from the interior of the robot arm to the exterior surface of the robot arm to a direction along the exterior surface of the robot arm, and

the wiring-line-set insertion part includes an exterior portion formed on and extending along the exterior surface of the robot arm and with a part of the wiring-line-set enclosed in and extending inside the exterior portion.

2 . The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein

the robot arm includes a plurality of link parts;

a plurality of jacket-type sensors are provided as the jacket-type sensor, which is included in each of the plurality of link parts; and

the sensor wiring-line set is connected to the detector of each of the plurality of jacket-type sensors, which is included in each of the plurality of link parts, and is arranged inside the robot arm.

3 . The robot system according to claim 2 , wherein

the plurality of jacket-type sensors include daisy-chained parts daisy-chained to each other by the sensor wiring-line set; and

the sensor wiring-line set, which daisy-chains the plurality of jacket-type sensors, is arranged inside the robot arm.

4 . The robot system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a sensor control device connected to the sensor wiring-line set, and configured to receive the detection result; and

a robot control device configured to control a function of driving of the robot arm, wherein

the sensor control device is configured to provide a trigger signal to the robot control device in response to reception of the detection result indicating that a touch on the jacket from the jacket-type sensor is detected, and

the robot control device is configured to stop the function of driving the robot arm, to reduce a moving speed of the robot arm, or to increase an angle of a joint of the robot arm in accordance with the trigger signal.

5 . The robot system according to claim 4 further comprising

a base supporting the robot arm wherein

the sensor wiring-line set is drawn from the jacket-type sensor through interiors of the robot arm and the base to an outside of the robot arm, and is connected to the sensor control device.

6 . The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the wiring-line-set insertion part is configured to prevent a foreign substance from entering a gap between the arm opening and the sensor wiring-line set.

7 . The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein

the sensor wiring-line set is drawn from an arm opening of the robot arm, and has a wiring-line-set side connector connected to the detector at an end of a part of the sensor wiring-line set that is drawn from the arm opening; and

the detector includes a detector side connector connected to the wiring-line-set side connector.

8 . The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein

the robot arm includes a plurality of link parts and a joint inside the robot arm connecting the plurality of link parts to each other; and

the sensor wiring-line set is arranged along a rotation axis of the joint inside the robot arm.

9 . The robot system according to claim 1 further comprising a robot wiring-line set configured to supply at least one of a signal and electric power to drive the robot arm and arranged inside the robot arm, wherein

the sensor wiring-line set is arranged along the robot wiring-line set inside the robot arm.

10 . The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the detector includes a detection line embedded in the jacket, and a board configured to receive a signal from the detection line.

11 . A robot system comprising:

a robot arm that includes a jacket-type sensor including a jacket and a detector included in the jacket and configured to detect a touch on the jacket, the robot arm having an exterior surface configured to be covered by the jacket-type sensor;

a wiring-line-set insertion part; and

a sensor wiring-line set connected to the detector and configured to transmit a detection result from the detector, wherein

the sensor wiring-line set is arranged inside the robot arm,

the robot arm has an arm opening through which the sensor wiring-line set is inserted,

the sensor wiring-line set is inserted into the robot arm through the arm opening formed in the robot arm,

the wiring-line-set insertion part is arranged in the arm opening to receive the sensor wiring-line set inserted through the wiring-line-set insertion part,

the wiring-line-set insertion part has a wiring-line-set guide hole formed to guide a direction of the sensor wiring-line set drawn from the interior of the robot arm to the exterior surface of the robot arm to a direction along the exterior surface of the robot arm, and

the wiring-line-set insertion part includes an exterior portion formed on and extending along the exterior surface of the robot arm and with a part of the wiring-line-set enclosed in and extending inside the exterior portion.

12 . A robot-system assembling method comprising:

a step of preparing a robot arm including a sensor wiring-line set that is previously arranged inside the robot arm and a wiring-line-set insertion part; and

a step of attaching, onto an exterior surface of the robot arm, a jacket-type sensor including a jacket and a detector included in the jacket and configured to detect a touch on the jacket and to provide a detection result whereby covering the robot arm with the jacket-type sensor, wherein

the step of attaching a jacket-type sensor includes a step of connecting the sensor wiring-line set, which is arranged inside the robot arm, to the detector,

the robot arm has an arm opening through which the sensor wiring-line set is inserted,

the sensor wiring-line set is inserted into the robot arm through the arm opening formed in the robot arm,

the wiring-line-set insertion part is arranged in the arm opening to receive the sensor wiring-line set inserted through the wiring-line-set insertion part,

the wiring-line-set insertion part has a wiring-line-set guide hole formed to guide a direction of the sensor wiring-line set drawn from the interior of the robot arm to the exterior surface of the robot arm to a direction along the exterior surface of the robot arm, and

the wiring-line-set insertion part includes an exterior portion formed on and extending along the exterior surface of the robot arm and with a part of the wiring-line-set enclosed in and extending inside the exterior portion.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 24, 2025
From: HASHIMOTO, TAKESHI; UEKAJI, RIKUYA; PRAKASH, JOHN BRIGHT; ISHIKAWA, SHUHEI
To: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 071505/0107 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 14, 2025
From: HASHIMOTO, TAKESHI; UEKAJI, RIKUYA; PRAKASH, JOHN BRIGHT; ISHIKAWA, SHUHEI
To: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 071110/0008 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-039596 · Mar 11, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240149467A1 · May 9, 2024
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