High-flexibility cable for robots and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of cables, in particular to a high-flexibility cable for robots and a preparation method thereof, which comprises a cable core, the cable core comprises a gear shaft, a gear ring, a gear set and a protective layer; the gear set comprises a plurality of signal wire core unit groups; the gear ring comprises a plurality of control wire cores and a reinforcing core which is distributed in the middle and is equally divided into three parts; the gear shaft comprises a rhombic support bracket, a main wire core which is distributed around the rhombic support bracket in a ring shape, and a disturbance layer; the two sides of the gear ring are in a ring interlocking mode with the gear shaft and the gear set and do not interfere with each other; the surfaces of the rhombic support bracket, the gear shaft, the gear ring and the gear set are uniformly coated with a release film; and the protective layer is formed by using a mutual fusion extrusion process. The signal wire core and the control wire core, the main wire core do not contact each other, the ring interlocking structure of the gear shaft, the gear ring and the gear set makes the cable have high flexibility, anti-torsion and bending fatigue resistance, and the cable also has excellent oil stain resistance, aging resistance and good heat dissipation performance, thereby providing a solid guarantee for stable operation of the robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cable technology, and in particular to a highly flexible cable for robots and its manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0002] Existing robot cables face several technical challenges during use. First, robots frequently bend and twist during operation, and traditional cable designs struggle to simultaneously achieve high flexibility, torsional resistance, and bending fatigue resistance, leading to friction and compression between cores and easy damage to the insulation layer. Second, robots operate in complex environments, often exposed to oil and corrosive media; the sheath structure of existing cables needs improvement in terms of abrasion resistance, oil resistance, and corrosion resistance. Third, the overall heat generated by multiple stranded cores is significant, and insufficient heat dissipation can affect signal transmission stability and cable lifespan. Therefore, designing a robot cable that combines high flexibility, torsional resistance, bending fatigue resistance, and good heat dissipation is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is that existing robot cables cannot simultaneously achieve high flexibility, torsion resistance, bending fatigue resistance, good heat dissipation performance, and environmental resistance.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is as follows: a highly flexible cable for robots, comprising a cable core, the cable core including a gear shaft, a gear ring, a gear set, and a sheath; the sheath including a gear foot, a flexible anti-interference layer uniformly covering the surface of the gear foot, and a reinforcement layer; the reinforcement layer including a heat dissipation buffer layer, a tension layer uniformly embedded in the surface of the heat dissipation buffer layer, and a protective layer; the gear set including multiple signal wire core unit groups; the gear ring including multiple control wire cores with reinforcement cores distributed in three equal intervals in the middle; the gear shaft including a diamond-shaped tail support frame, main wire cores distributed in a ring around the diamond-shaped tail support frame, and an anti-interference layer; the gear ring on both sides interlocks with the gear shaft and gear set without interfering with each other; the surfaces of the diamond-shaped tail support frame, gear shaft, gear ring, and gear set are uniformly coated with a release film; the protective layer is extruded outside the tension layer using a mutual extrusion process.

[0005] Furthermore, the surface of the gear shaft is distributed with multiple equally spaced gear feet, the height of which is 0.2 to 0.3 mm; the main core of the gear shaft is arranged in a ring around the diamond-shaped support frame, and the pitch of the main core is not greater than 40 mm; the thinnest point of the diamond-shaped support frame is not less than 0.4 mm; and a de-scraping layer is provided on the outside of the diamond-shaped support frame.

[0006] Furthermore, the gear ring has multiple equally spaced gear feet distributed on its inner and outer sides, with a gear foot height of 0.2 to 0.3 mm; the gear ring has three reinforcing ribs distributed around the control wire core.

[0007] Furthermore, the gear set includes multiple four-core star-struck signal core unit groups arranged at intervals and gear feet covering the outside of the signal core unit groups, with a star-struck pitch of no more than 40mm.

[0008] Furthermore, the flexible anti-interference layer is made of copper foil wire and cotton thread in a mixed weaving method. The copper foil wire is 0.08mm thick, the cotton thread is 10S / 2, the weaving angle is 40° to 45°, and the weaving density is 80% to 85%.

[0009] Furthermore, the protective layer and the heat dissipation buffer layer are made of a TPU and foamed TPE hybrid material that is mutually pressed and embedded into the surface of the traction layer. The thickness of the heat dissipation buffer layer is 0.6-0.8 mm, the thickness of the protective layer is 0.5-0.6 mm, and the outer diameter is no more than 29.5 mm.

[0010] Furthermore, the heat dissipation buffer layer is extruded from a foamable TPE material, which, by weight, comprises the following components: 55-65 parts of EPDM rubber, 25-35 parts of polypropylene, 50-100 parts of processing aids, and the extrusion temperature is controlled at 175-200℃.

[0011] Further, a method for preparing a highly flexible cable for robots as described in any of the above technical solutions includes the following steps: S1: Determining the structure of the highly flexible cable for robots; S2: Preparing the cable core; S3: Preparing the sheath; wherein, step S3 includes: A1: Placing the main wire core in a ring around a diamond-shaped tail support frame inside the gear shaft; A2: Distributing the control wire core in a ring within the gear ring, uniformly coating the inner and outer sides of the gear ring with a release film, and coupling the gear shaft to the inner side of the gear ring; A3: Placing the signal wire core inside the gear set, with the gear set spaced between the outer side of the gear ring and the gear foot; A4: First uniformly coating the gear foot with a release film, then weaving a flexible anti-interference layer on the surface; A5: Extruding a heat dissipation buffer layer; A6: Uniformly distributing a traction layer on the surface of the heat dissipation buffer layer; A7: Extruding a protective layer on the surface of the traction layer; wherein, step A1 uses an isolated extrusion process, and step A7 uses a mutual pressure embedded process.

[0012] Furthermore, the extrusion in step A7 adopts a mutual pressure embedding method and uses twin-screw hybrid extrusion. The extrusion temperature is: 163℃ in the first zone; 172℃ in the second zone; 185℃ in the third zone; 188℃ in the fourth zone; 197℃ in the fifth zone; and 212℃ in the sixth zone.

[0013] Further, the outer diameter of the cable core is no greater than 26.5mm, and its manufacturing process is as follows: B1: First, the main core is made of high-strength fiber filament plus composite reinforcing core as a stranded reinforcing core. Then, the reinforcing core is added with 7+13+18 ultra-fine tin-plated copper wire, with the inner and outer layers in opposite directions and the outermost layer in the right direction to obtain the main core strands. Then, the strand conductors are stranded with 1+6 left-handed strands to obtain the main core conductor. Then, the main core insulation layer is extruded on the outside of the main core conductor using an extrusion process. B2: The main core is placed around the diamond-shaped support frame, and the de-scraping layer is set inside the gear foot and between the diamond-shaped support frame to prepare the gear shaft. B3: First, the control core is made of high-strength fiber filament plus composite reinforcing core as a stranded reinforcing core. Then, the reinforcing core is added with 8+14+20+26+32 ultra-fine tin-plated copper wire, with the inner and outer layers in opposite directions and the outermost layer in the left direction to obtain the control core conductor. Then, the control core insulation layer is extruded on the outside of the control core conductor using an extrusion process. B4: The control wire cores distributed at intervals are formed into a ring with three equally divided reinforcing ribs to prepare a gear ring; B5: First, the signal wire core is made of high-strength fiber filaments with composite reinforcing cores as a stranded reinforcing core. Then, 2, 7, 13, 18, and 24 ultra-fine tin-plated copper wires are added to the reinforcing core, with the inner and outer layers facing opposite directions and the outermost layer facing left to obtain the signal wire core conductor. Then, the signal wire core insulation layer is extruded on the outside of the control wire core conductor using an extrusion process; B6: The signal wire cores are stranded in a star stranding method with the direction facing right to prepare a gear set; B7: The two sides of the gear ring are interlocked with the gear shaft and gear set, and the gear feet are coupled with the gear set. The surface is uniformly coated with a release film.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The cable of this invention adopts a coupling structure design in which the gear shaft, gear ring, and gear set are interlocked, so that the signal core, control core, and main core do not come into contact with each other, avoiding friction and compression between the cores, and greatly improving the bending performance and torsional resistance of the cable; the flexible anti-interference layer is made of copper foil wire and cotton thread mixed and woven, which enhances flexibility and bending fatigue life while ensuring shielding effect; the reinforcement layer structure of the heat dissipation buffer layer, tension layer, and protective layer is tightly combined, so that the cable has low temperature rise, low loss, and high stability, while also having excellent oil resistance, corrosion resistance, and aging resistance. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a highly flexible cable for robots according to the present invention.

[0017] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 100. Gear shaft; 110. Main wire core; 111. Main wire core conductor; 112. Main wire core insulation layer; 120. Diamond-shaped tail support; 130. Disruption layer; 140. Gear foot; 200. Gear ring; 210. Gear foot; 220. Control wire core; 221. Control wire core conductor; 222. Control wire core insulation layer; 230. Reinforcing rib; 300. Gear set; 310. Signal wire core; 311. Signal wire core conductor; 312. Signal wire core insulation layer; 320. Gear foot; 400. Sheath; 410. Gear foot; 420. Flexible anti-interference layer; 421. Copper foil wire; 422. Cotton thread; 430. Reinforcing layer; 431. Heat dissipation buffer layer; 432. Tension layer; 433. Protective layer. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. A highly flexible cable for robots includes a core comprising a gear shaft 100, a gear ring 200, a gear set 300, and a sheath 400. The sheath 400 includes a gear foot 410, a flexible anti-interference layer 420 uniformly covering the surface of the gear foot 410, and a reinforcing layer 430. The reinforcing layer 430 is composed of a heat dissipation buffer layer 431, a tension layer 432 uniformly embedded in the surface of the heat dissipation buffer layer 431, and a protective layer 433.

[0019] The gear shaft 100 is the central support structure of the cable, and it contains a diamond-shaped support frame 120. The main conductor 110 is distributed in a ring around the diamond-shaped support frame 120. The thinnest point of the diamond-shaped support frame 120 is not less than 0.4 mm thick, and the pitch of the main conductor is not greater than 40 mm. Multiple equally spaced gear feet 140 are distributed on the surface of the gear shaft 100, and the height of the gear feet 140 is 0.2-0.3 mm. An anti-interference layer 130 is provided outside the diamond-shaped support frame 120 for shielding electromagnetic interference. The main conductor 110 inside the gear shaft 100 uses high-strength fiber filaments and a composite reinforcing core as a stranded reinforcing core. The reinforcing core is combined with 7+13+18 ultra-fine tinned copper wires in opposite directions, with the outermost layer facing right, to obtain the main conductor strands. The strand conductors are then twisted in a 1+6 left-hand direction to obtain the main conductor conductor 111. Finally, the main conductor insulation layer 112 is extruded onto the main conductor conductor 111 using an extrusion process.

[0020] A gear ring 200 is fitted onto the outside of the gear shaft 100, with multiple equally spaced gear feet 210 distributed on its inner and outer sides. The height of each gear foot 210 is 0.2–0.3 mm. The gear ring 200 contains three reinforcing ribs 230, spaced in three equal intervals. Control wire cores 220 are arranged around the reinforcing ribs 230. The control wire core 220 also uses high-strength fiber filaments with a composite reinforcing core as a stranded reinforcing core. The reinforcing core is reinforced with 8+14+20+26+32 ultra-fine tin-plated copper wires, arranged in opposite directions (outermost layer to the left) to obtain the control wire core conductor 221. An extrusion process is then used to extrude the control wire core insulation layer 222. The gear ring 200 interlocks seamlessly with the gear shaft 100 and gear set 300 on both sides without interfering with each other.

[0021] The gear set 300 is located between the outer side of the gear ring 200 and the sheath 400, and includes multiple four-core star-stranded signal core unit groups 310 arranged at intervals and gear feet 320 covering the outside of the signal core unit groups 310. The star-strand pitch is no more than 40mm. The signal core 310 uses high-strength fiber filaments with a composite reinforcing core as the stranded reinforcing core. The reinforcing core is combined with 2+7+13+18+24 ultra-fine tin-plated copper wires in opposite directions, with the outermost layer facing left, to obtain the signal core conductor 311. Then, the signal core insulation layer 312 is extruded using an extrusion process.

[0022] The diamond-shaped tail support 120, gear shaft 100, gear ring 200, and gear set 300 are uniformly coated with release film. The release film is a colorless, transparent, oily release agent that can improve the slippage between wire cores, reduce wear between wire sets, and ensure the reliability of the cable in frequent bending and torsional movements.

[0023] The sheath 400 comprises, from the inside out, a gear foot 410, a flexible anti-interference layer 420, and a reinforcing layer 430. The gear foot 410 provides basic support. The flexible anti-interference layer 420 is woven from a mixture of copper foil wire 421 and cotton thread 422 using a differential weaving method. The copper foil wire is 0.08mm thick, and the cotton thread is 10S / 2. The weaving angle is 40°–45°, and the weaving density is 80%–85%. This weaving method prevents friction between the bare shielding wires and provides good flexibility and bendability. The resistance change rate after repeated bending is more stable than that of soft copper wire shielding. The reinforcing layer 430 includes a heat dissipation buffer layer 431, a tension layer 432, and a protective layer 433. The heat dissipation buffer layer 431 is extruded from a foamable TPE material. By weight, the foamable TPE material includes 55–65 parts of EPDM rubber, 25–35 parts of polypropylene, and 50–100 parts of processing aids. The extrusion temperature is controlled at 175–200°C. The thickness of the heat dissipation buffer layer 431 is 0.6-0.8 mm. The tension layer 432 is uniformly embedded in the surface of the heat dissipation buffer layer 431. The protective layer 433 is extruded outside the tension layer 432 using a mutual extrusion process. The thickness of the protective layer 433 is 0.5-0.6 mm, and the outer diameter of the cable is no more than 29.5 mm.

[0024] The cable preparation method is as follows: S1: Determine the structure of the high-flexibility cable for the robot. S2: Prepare the cable core. S3: Prepare the sheath. Step S3 specifically includes: A1: Place the main wire core 110 in a ring around the diamond-shaped tail support 120 inside the gear shaft 100 using an isolation extrusion process; A2: Distribute the control wire core 220 in a ring within the gear ring 200, uniformly coat the inner and outer sides of the gear ring 200 with a release film, and couple the gear shaft 100 to the inner side of the gear ring 200; A3: Place the signal wire core 310 inside the gear set 300, with the gear set 300 spaced between the outer side of the gear ring 200 and the gear foot 410; A4: First, uniformly coat the gear foot 410 with a release film, and then weave a flexible anti-interference layer 420 on the surface; A5: Extrude a heat dissipation buffer layer 431; A6: Uniformly distribute a tension layer 432 on the surface of the heat dissipation buffer layer 431; A7: Extrude a protective layer 433 on the surface of the tension layer 432 using a mutual pressure embedded process. In step A7, the extrusion adopts a mutual pressure embedding method and uses twin-screw hybrid extrusion. The extrusion temperature is 163℃ in the first zone, 172℃ in the second zone, 185℃ in the third zone, 188℃ in the fourth zone, 197℃ in the fifth zone, and 212℃ in the sixth zone.

[0025] The outer diameter of the cable core is no greater than 26.5 mm. Its manufacturing process includes: B1: Preparation of the main conductor core, with right-hand stranding and a pitch control range of 12-15 mm, and left-hand stranding with a pitch control range of 20-25 mm. After stranding, the outer diameter of the main conductor core 111 is no greater than 2.0 mm; B2: Placing the main conductor core 110 around the diamond-shaped support frame 120, with the anti-scraping layer 130 positioned between the gear foot 140 and the diamond-shaped support frame 120; B3: Preparation of the control conductor core, with a regular stranding pitch control range of 12-15 mm. 221 Outer diameter not greater than 1.10mm; B4: Form a ring with the spaced control wire cores 220 and the three-part reinforcing ribs 230; B5: Prepare the signal wire core conductor, with a regular stranding pitch control range of 9-11mm, and the outer diameter of the signal wire core conductor 311 not greater than 0.80mm; B6: Strand the signal wire cores in a right-hand star stranding manner, with a pitch of 30-40mm; B7: Interlock the two sides of the gear ring 200 with the gear shaft 100 and the gear set 300, and couple the gear foot 410 with the gear set 300, with a release film uniformly coated on the surface.

[0026] Through the above structural and process design, the cable of the present invention has excellent electrical performance stability and mechanical durability under frequent bending and torsion conditions, and is suitable for high-flexibility motion applications of robots.

Claims

1. A highly flexible cable for robots, comprising a core, the core including a gear shaft (100), a gear ring (200), a gear set (300), and a sheath (400); the sheath (400) includes a gear foot (410), a flexible anti-interference layer (420) uniformly covering the surface of the gear foot, and a reinforcing layer (430); the reinforcing layer (430) includes a heat dissipation buffer layer (431), a tension layer (432) uniformly embedded in the surface of the heat dissipation buffer layer, and a protective layer (433); the gear set (300) includes a plurality of signal wire core unit groups (310); the gear ring (200) includes a gear shaft (100), a gear ring (200), a gear ring (200), a gear ring (300), a gear ring (4 ... The gear shaft (100) includes multiple control wire cores (220) and reinforced cores (230) distributed in three equal intervals in the middle; the gear shaft (100) includes a diamond-shaped support frame (120), main wire cores (110) distributed in a ring around the diamond-shaped support frame, and a de-scraping layer (130); the gear ring (200) is interlocked with the gear shaft (100) and the gear set (300) on both sides without interfering with each other; the diamond-shaped support frame (120), gear shaft (100), gear ring (200), and gear set (300) are uniformly coated with release film; the protective layer (433) is extruded outside the traction layer using a mutual extrusion process.

2. The highly flexible cable for robots according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface of the gear shaft (100) is distributed with multiple equally spaced gear feet (140), and the height of the gear feet (140) is 0.2 to 0.3 mm; the main wire core (110) inside the gear shaft (100) surrounds the diamond-shaped tail support (120) in a ring, and the pitch of the main wire core is not greater than 40 mm; the thickness of the thinnest point of the diamond-shaped tail support (120) is not less than 0.4 mm; a de-scraping layer (130) is provided on the outside of the diamond-shaped tail support (120).

3. The highly flexible cable for robots according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gear ring (200) has multiple equally spaced gear feet (210) distributed on its inner and outer sides, with a height of 0.2 to 0.3 mm for each gear foot (210). The gear ring (200) has three reinforcing ribs (230) distributed around the control wire core (220).

4. The highly flexible cable for robots according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gear set (300) includes multiple four-core star-struck signal core unit groups (310) arranged at intervals and gear feet (320) covering the outside of the signal core unit groups (310), with a star-struck pitch of no more than 40mm.

5. A highly flexible cable for robots according to claim 2, characterized in that, The flexible anti-interference layer (420) is made of copper foil wire (421) and cotton thread (422) in a mixed weaving method. The copper foil wire (421) is 0.08mm and the cotton thread (422) is 10S / 2. The weaving angle is 40° to 45° and the weaving density is 80% to 85%.

6. A highly flexible cable for robots according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protective layer (433) and the heat dissipation buffer layer (431) are made of TPU and foamed TPE mixed material, which are mutually pressed and embedded on the surface of the traction layer (432). The thickness of the heat dissipation buffer layer (431) is 0.6-0.8 mm, the thickness of the protective layer (433) is 0.5-0.6 mm, and the outer diameter is no more than 29.5 mm.

7. A highly flexible cable for robots according to claim 2, characterized in that, The heat dissipation buffer layer (431) is extruded from a foamable TPE material. By weight, the foamable TPE material includes the following components: 55-65 parts of EPDM rubber, 25-35 parts of polypropylene, 50-100 parts of processing aids, and the extrusion temperature is controlled at 175-200℃.

8. A method for preparing a highly flexible cable for robots as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that... Includes the following steps: S1: Determine the structure of the highly flexible cable for the robot; S2: Preparing the cable core; S3: Prepare the protective layer; Step S3 includes: A1: Place the main wire core (110) in a ring around the diamond-shaped tail support frame (120) inside the gear shaft (100); A2: The control wire core (220) is distributed in the gear ring (200) in an annular shape. The gear ring (200) is uniformly coated with release film on the inner and outer sides. The gear shaft (100) is coupled to the inner side of the gear ring (200). A3: Place the signal wire core (310) inside the gear set (300), with the gear set (300) spaced between the outer side of the gear ring (200) and the gear foot (410); A4: First, uniformly coat the gear foot (410) with release film, and then weave a flexible anti-interference layer (420) on the surface. A5: Extruded heat dissipation buffer layer (431); A6: A traction layer (432) is evenly distributed on the surface of the heat dissipation buffer layer (431). A7: Extrude a protective layer (433) onto the surface of the traction layer (432); In this process, step A1 uses an isolated extrusion process, and step A7 uses a mutual pressure embedded process.

9. A method for preparing a highly flexible cable for robots according to claim 8, characterized in that: The extrusion in step A7 adopts a mutual pressure embedding method and uses twin-screw hybrid extrusion. The extrusion temperature is: 163℃ in the first zone; 172℃ in the second zone; 185℃ in the third zone; 188℃ in the fourth zone; 197℃ in the fifth zone; and 212℃ in the sixth zone.

10. A method for preparing a highly flexible cable for robots according to claim 8, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the cable core is no greater than 26.5 mm, and its manufacturing process is as follows: B1: First, the main core (110) is made of high-strength fiber filament plus composite reinforcing core as a stranded reinforcing core. Then, the reinforcing core is made of 7 plus 13 plus 18 ultra-fine tin-plated copper wires with opposite directions for the inner and outer layers and the outermost layer is right-handed to obtain the main core strands. Then, the strand conductors are twisted together with 1 plus 6 left-handed to obtain the main core conductor (111). Then, the main core insulation layer (112) is extruded on the outside of the main core conductor (111) using an extrusion process. B2: The main wire core (110) is placed around the diamond-shaped support frame (120), and the de-scraping layer (130) is placed between the gear foot (140) and the diamond-shaped support frame (120) to prepare the gear shaft (100). B3: First, the control core (220) is made of high-strength fiber filament plus composite reinforcing core as stranded reinforcing core. Then, the reinforcing core is reinforced with 8, 14, 20, 26 and 32 ultra-fine tinned copper wires, with the inner and outer layers in opposite directions and the outermost layer facing left to obtain the control core conductor (221). Then, the control core insulation layer (222) is extruded on the outside of the control core conductor (221) using an extrusion process. B4: A gear ring (200) is prepared by forming a ring with the spaced control wire cores (220) and the three equally divided reinforcing ribs (230). B5: First, the signal core (310) is made of high-strength fiber wire plus composite reinforcing core as a stranded reinforcing core. Then, the reinforcing core is added with 2, 7, 13, 18 and 24 ultra-fine tinned copper wires, with the inner and outer layers in opposite directions and the outermost layer facing left to obtain the signal core conductor (311). Then, the signal core insulation layer (312) is extruded on the outside of the control core conductor (311) using an extrusion process. B6: The signal wire core (310) is twisted together in a star-shaped manner with the direction to the right to prepare the gear set (300). B7: The gear ring (200) is interlocked with the gear shaft (100) and the gear set (300) on both sides, the gear foot (410) is coupled with the gear set (300), and the surface is uniformly coated with a release film.

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