Robot joint and robot

Abstract

The invention provides a robot joint and a robot, and relates to the technical field of robots, the robot comprises the robot joint, the robot joint comprises a movable part and a static part, the movable part can rotate relative to the static part, an annular sealing piece is arranged between the movable part and the static part, and the sealing piece comprises a base part and at least one deformable lip part; the lip part extends in the axial direction of the sealing piece and extends inwards in the radial direction, a tip part is formed at the tail end of the lip part, the tip part at the tail end of the lip part abuts against one of the movable part and the static part, and the base part at least abuts against the other one of the movable part and the static part. Due to the fact that the deformable lip part extends in the axial direction of the sealing piece and extends inwards in the radial direction, when high pressure is generated in the robot joint, the high pressure can force the lip part to deform from the relative inner side of the robot joint to the relative outer side of the robot joint, on the contrary, the lip part is more tightly attached to the movable part or the static part, and therefore the sealing effect of the sealing piece is enhanced through the internal high pressure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of robots, and in particular to a robot joint and a robot. Background Art

[0002] In industries such as semiconductor production, there are extremely high requirements for the cleanliness of the environment during the production process. Especially in a clean room, it is required that the clean robots used in production do not release or release only a small amount of dust to the outside, and the clean robots will be classified into different clean levels according to the amount of released dust.

[0003] Existing clean robots are mainly realized by two methods: First, by pumping negative pressure inside the robot to prevent dust from leaking out; Second, by adding a complex sealing structure to prevent dust from leaking out. However, these methods all have the disadvantages of complex sealing structure, high cost, and poor sealing effect. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a robot joint, including a moving part and a static part. The moving part can rotate relative to the static part. An annular seal is provided between the moving part and the static part. The seal includes a base and at least one deformable lip. The lip extends along the axial direction of the seal and extends radially inward. The tip of the lip forms a pointed part, and the pointed part at the end of the lip abuts against one of the moving part and the static part, and the base abuts against at least the other of the moving part and the static part.

[0005] In an optional embodiment, the lip is inclined; or, the lip is curved.

[0006] In an optional embodiment, the width of the lip is equal in the extending direction of the lip.

[0007] In an optional embodiment, the number of lips of the seal is one, the base is connected to any one of the moving part and the static part, and the lip abuts against the other of the moving part and the static part.

[0008] In an optional embodiment, the number of lips of the seal is two, and the two lips respectively abut against the moving part and the static part.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the base of the seal is connected to the moving part or the static part, and at least one lip is provided inside the base.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the seal is made of fluororubber material.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the moving part or the static part includes an abutting surface, and the lip abuts against the abutting surface; or, the moving part or the static part includes an abutting member, and the lip abuts against the abutting member.

[0012] In an alternative embodiment, a harmonic reducer is included, the moving part is the output part of the harmonic reducer, and the stationary part is the fixed part of the harmonic reducer.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a robot, including a robot joint according to any one of the foregoing embodiments.

[0014] The robot joint provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The present invention uses an annular seal connected to the moving part and the stationary part. With one seal, the sealing of the robot joint can be achieved. The structure is simple and easy to install.

[0015] The annular seal includes a base and a deformable lip. The base is connected to at least one of the moving part and the stationary part. When connected, the base is used to achieve a stable connection. The deformable lip extends along the axial direction of the seal and extends radially inward and is used to abut against the other of the moving part and the stationary part. At this time, the basic seal between the moving part and the stationary part can be achieved.

[0016] When the robot joint moves, internal high pressure will be generated. In the prior art, the internal high pressure will damage the sealing structure. If the sealing is poor, it will further cause the leakage of internal substances such as dust or grease. In the technical solution of the present invention, since the deformable lip extends along the axial direction of the seal and extends radially inward, when high pressure is generated inside the robot joint, the high pressure will force the lip to deform from the relatively inner side to the relatively outer side of the robot joint, but instead makes the lip fit more tightly on the moving part or the stationary part, thereby strengthening the sealing effect of the seal by using the internal high pressure. Therefore, the problem that the internal high pressure generated by the movement of the robot joint damages the sealing structure of the robot joint can be completely solved.

[0017] The end of the lip abuts against the moving part or the stationary part by forming a tip. During installation, the sealing connection during abutment can be ensured. At the same time, when the lip deforms due to the internal high pressure of the robot joint, the deformation of the lip causes the tip to be further pressed tightly on the moving part or the stationary part. During this process, the deformation of the tip is more uniform, which can avoid the occurrence of leakage points between the lip and the moving part or the stationary part, prevent the sealing performance from being damaged, and thus ensure the sealing effect during the deformation of the lip and prevent the leakage of internal impurities of the robot joint.

[0018] The robot provided by the present invention includes a robot joint according to any one of the foregoing embodiments and has the same beneficial effects, which will not be elaborated herein. Description of the Drawings

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0020] Figure 1 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of the robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the robot joint provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 It is one of the partial cross-sectional views of the robot joint provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 It is the second partial cross-sectional view of the robot joint provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the seal of the robot joint provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 It is a partial cross-sectional view of the seal of the robot joint provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 It is a front view of the abutting member of the robot joint provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the abutting member of the robot joint provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Reference numerals: 10 - robot; 20 - robot joint; 21 - seal; 211 - base; 212 - lip; 22 - abutting member; 23 - stationary part; 24 - moving part. Specific Embodiments

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Usually, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and illustrated in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0023] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed present invention, but merely represents the selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters refer to like items in the following figures, and thus, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0025] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the inventive product is customarily placed during use. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for distinguishing descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0026] In addition, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", "hanging", etc. do not mean that the components are required to be absolutely horizontal or hanging, but may be slightly inclined. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but may be slightly inclined.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "arranged", "installed", "connected", "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0028] The following will describe in detail some embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Without conflict, the following embodiments and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0029] A robot joint An embodiment of the present invention provides a robot joint 20, as Figures 2 to 6 shown, which includes a moving part 24 and a stationary part 23. The moving part 24 can rotate relative to the stationary part 23. A ring-shaped seal 21 is provided between the moving part 24 and the stationary part 23. The seal 21 includes a base 211 and a deformable lip 212. The lip 212 extends along the axial direction of the seal 21 and extends radially inward. The tip of the end of the lip 212 abuts against the stationary part 23, and the base 211 abuts against the moving part 24.

[0030] Among them, Figure 2Schematic three-dimensional structure diagram of the robot joint 20 provided by the embodiment of the present invention, showing the relative mounting positions of the moving part 24, the static part 23, and the seal 21; Figure 3 One of the partial cross-sectional views of the robot joint 20 provided by the embodiment of the present invention, showing the relative mounting positions of the moving part 24, the static part 23, and the seal 21 in the form of a cross-sectional view; Figure 4 Another partial cross-sectional view of the robot joint 20 provided by the embodiment of the present invention, specifically showing the structural relationship between the moving part 24, the static part 23, and the seal 21 by local magnification; Figure 5 Schematic three-dimensional structure diagram of the seal 21 of the robot joint 20 provided by the embodiment of the present invention, showing the overall structure of the seal 21; Figure 6 Partial cross-sectional view of the seal 21 of the robot joint 20 provided by the embodiment of the present invention, specifically showing the structures of the base 211 and the lip 212 of the seal 21.

[0031] As Figures 2 to 6 shown, the present invention uses an annular seal 21 to connect the moving part 24 and the static part 23. The seal of the robot joint 20 can be achieved by using one seal 21, with a simple structure and convenient installation. Among them, the specific connection structures between the moving part 24 and the static part 23 of the robot joint 20 are all sealed by the annular seal 21.

[0032] In this embodiment, as Figures 2 to 6 shown, the annular seal 21 includes a base 211 and a deformable lip 212. The base 211 is connected to the moving part 24, and stable connection can be achieved during connection. The deformable lip 212 extends axially along the seal 21 and extends radially inward and is used to abut against the static part 23. At this time, the basic seal between the moving part 24 and the static part 23 can be achieved. The lip 212 and the base 211 in the seal 21 are connected. Specifically, in this embodiment, the base 211 can be a relatively thick structure and has a wide end face, as Figure 6 shown, so that the base 211 can provide a more stable assembly effect when connected to the moving part 24, improving the convenience of assembling the seal 21. As Figure 4 shown, the seal 21 is sleeved on the connection structure between the moving part 24 and the static part 23, and the lower end face of the base 211 abuts against the moving part 24.

[0033] When the robot joint 20 is in operation, due to the increase in the internal environmental temperature, internal high pressure will be generated, and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the robot joint 20 can reach the range of 5 kPa to 10 kPa. In the prior art, the internal high pressure will damage the sealing structure. If the sealing is poor, it will further cause the leakage of internal substances such as dust or grease. In this embodiment, since the deformable lip 212 extends axially along the seal 21 and extends radially inward, when high pressure is generated inside the robot joint 20, the high pressure will force the lip 212 to deform from the relatively inner side to the relatively outer side of the robot joint 20, which instead makes the lip 212 fit more tightly on the stationary part 23. Thus, the sealing effect of the seal 21 is strengthened by the internal high pressure, and therefore the problem that the internal high pressure generated by the operation of the robot joint 20 damages the sealing structure of the robot joint 20 can be completely solved.

[0034] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the end of the lip 212 abuts against the moving part 24 or the stationary part 23 by forming a tip. When the seal 21 is connected between the moving part 24 and the stationary part 23, the lip 212 has already undergone a certain deformation. The lip 212 abuts against the stationary part 23 through deformation, and the sealing connection during abutment can be ensured during installation to ensure the sealing effect in the stationary state.

[0035] At the same time, when the lip 212 is deformed due to the internal high pressure of the robot joint 20, the deformation of the lip 212 causes the tip to be further pressed against the moving part 24 or the stationary part 23. During this process, the deformation of the tip is more uniform, which can avoid the occurrence of leakage points between the lip 212 and the moving part 24 or the stationary part 23, prevent the sealing performance from being damaged, and thus ensure the sealing effect during the deformation of the lip 212 and prevent the leakage of internal impurities of the robot joint 20.

[0036] Moreover, since there is a rotational relationship between the moving part 24 and the stationary part 23, the end of the lip is set in the shape of a tip, which can achieve a smaller contact area between the seal 21 and the stationary part 23, and can also reduce the influence of the seal 21 on the rotation of the robot joint 20.

[0037] In this embodiment, as Figure 4 、 Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the lip 212 is bent to extend axially along the seal 21 and extend radially inwards. In other embodiments, optionally, the lip 212 is inclined to extend axially along the seal 21 and extend radially inwards. In other embodiments, the lip 212 can also extend axially along the seal 21 and extend radially inwards through structures such as stepped or wavy structures. As long as the lip 212 extends axially along the seal 21 and extends radially inwards, when a high pressure is generated inside the robot 10, under the action of the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the robot joint 20, the lip 212 can be deformed from the inner side of the robot joint 20 to the outer side of the robot joint 20. The overall deformation of the lip 212 can make the end of the lip 212 fit more closely against the stationary part 23 of the robot joint 20, thereby using the high pressure inside the robot joint 20 to enhance the sealing effect of the seal 21 in turn.

[0038] In this embodiment, the number of lips 212 of the seal 21 is one. The base 211 of the seal 21 is connected to the moving part 24 of the robot joint 20, and the lip 212 is connected to the stationary part 23 of the robot joint 20. In other embodiments, optionally, when the number of lips 212 of the seal 21 is one, the base 211 of the seal 21 can be connected to the stationary part 23 of the robot joint 20, and the lip 212 can be connected to the moving part 24 of the robot joint 20. The specific installation orientation of the seal 21 can be selected according to the shape design of the moving part 24 of the robot joint 20, the shape design of the stationary part 23, the installation process, etc., which will not have a destructive effect on the technical effect of the seal 21, and the seal 21 can achieve the effect of enhancing the sealing performance under the state of generating high pressure inside.

[0039] In this embodiment, as Figure 4 、 Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown, the width of the lip 212 is set to be equal in the extending direction of the lip 212, and the pointed part at the end of the lip 212 is realized through the bent posture of the lip 212. The pointed part at the end of the lip 212 is essentially the corner part at the end of the lip 212. However, since the lip 212 extends axially along the seal 21 and extends radially inwards, such as being bent or inclined, the corner part of the lip 212 forms a pointed part relative to the stationary part 23 of the robot joint 20.

[0040] In other embodiments, optionally, the width of the lip 212 can also gradually narrow at the end in the extending direction of the lip 212. As long as the lip 212 extends axially along the seal 21 and extends radially inwards, the corner part or edge of the lip 212 can form a pointed part to contact the stationary part 23 of the robot joint 20.

[0041] In this embodiment, the seal 21 is made of fluororubber material, which has excellent heat resistance, chemical resistance, solvent resistance, fluorination resistance, vacuum resistance, oil resistance, aging resistance and other properties, ensuring the reliability and reliable cleanliness performance of the seal 21. In other embodiments, optionally, the seal 21 may also be made of other materials such as hydrogenated nitrile rubber.

[0042] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 shown, the stationary part 23 includes an abutting member 22, and the lip 212 abuts against the abutting member 22. Specifically, the abutting member 22 can be made of wear-resistant materials such as polyetheretherketone and polyphenylene sulfide to reduce the wear of the relative movement between the abutting member 22 and the lip 212. Using an independent abutting member 22 makes it easier to control performance parameters such as the smoothness of the surface of the abutting member 22, and it is more convenient to cooperate with the lip 212 to achieve a sealing effect. Figure 7 is a front view of the abutting member 22 of the robot joint 20 provided by the embodiment of the present invention, Figure 8 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the abutting member 22 of the robot joint 20 provided by the embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 7 and Figure 8 shown, the abutting member 22 is also a ring-shaped material, and a connecting portion can be provided on the outer periphery of the abutting member 22 to connect with the stationary part 23 of the robot joint 20.

[0043] In other embodiments, optionally, when the base 211 of the seal 21 is connected to the stationary part 23 of the robot joint 20 and the lip 212 is connected to the moving part 24 of the robot joint 20, the abutting member 22 can be provided on the moving part 24 of the robot joint 20.

[0044] In other embodiments, optionally, the moving part 24 or the stationary part 23 includes an abutting surface, and the lip 212 directly abuts against the abutting surface, so that the lip 212 directly abuts against the moving part 24 or the stationary part 23 without providing the abutting member 22.

[0045] In this embodiment, the robot joint 20 includes a harmonic reducer. The moving part 24 of the robot joint 20 is the output part of the harmonic reducer, and the stationary part 23 of the robot joint 20 is the fixed part of the harmonic reducer.

[0046] In other embodiments, optionally, the robot joint 20 may also adopt other specific drive forms such as RV reducers, planetary reducers, and worm and worm gear reducers.

[0047] In other embodiments, optionally, the number of lips 212 of the seal 21 is two, and the two lips 212 respectively abut against the moving part 24 and the stationary part 23. Thus, the deformation of the lips 212 can be utilized to achieve a high sealing performance at the same time at the connection between the seal 21 and the moving part 24 and the stationary part 23. Specifically, the base 211 of the seal 21 is connected to one of the moving part 24 or the stationary part 23. One lip is arranged inside the base 211, and the other lip is connected to the other of the moving part 24 or the stationary part 23. When high pressure is generated inside the robot joint 20, both lips will deform to enhance the sealing performance. In this way, the requirement for the sealing performance of the base 211 can be reduced, and the overall sealing performance of the seal 21 can be improved.

[0048] A robot 10 This embodiment provides a robot 10, as Figure 1 shown, including the robot joint 20 in any one or any non-conflicting combination of the above embodiments.

[0049] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot joint, characterized in that: The invention comprises a moving part (24) and a stationary part (23), wherein the moving part (24) is rotatable relative to the stationary part (23), an annular sealing member (21) is provided between the moving part (24) and the stationary part (23), the sealing member (21) comprising a base (211) and at least one deformable lip (212), the lip (212) extending in the axial direction of the sealing member (21) and extending radially inward, the end of the lip (212) forming a tip, the tip of the end of the lip (212) abutting against one of the moving part (24) and the stationary part (23), and the base (211) abutting against at least the other of the moving part (24) and the stationary part (23).

2. The robot joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lip (212) is arranged obliquely; or, the lip (212) is arranged curved.

3. The robot joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The width of the lip (212) is arranged to be equal in the extension direction of the lip (212).

4. The robot joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the lip portion (212) of the sealing member (21) is one, the base portion (211) is connected to any one of the moving portion (24) and the static portion (23), and the lip portion (212) abuts against the other of the moving portion (24) and the static portion (23).

5. The robot joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the lips (212) of the sealing member (21) is two, and the two lips (212) respectively abut against the moving part (24) and the static part (23).

6. The robot joint according to claim 5, characterized in that: The base (211) of the sealing member (21) is connected to the moving part (24) or the static part (23), and at least one of the lips is arranged on the inner side of the base (211).

7. The robot joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealing element (21) is made of fluororubber material.

8. The robot joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The moving part (24) or the static part (23) comprises an abutment surface, and the lip (212) abuts against the abutment surface; or the moving part (24) or the static part (23) comprises an abutment member (22), and the lip (212) abuts against the abutment member (22).

9. The robot joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: It comprises a harmonic reducer, the dynamic part (24) being the output part of the harmonic reducer, and the static part (23) being the fixed part of the harmonic reducer.

10. A robot (10), characterized in that: Comprising a robot joint according to any one of claims 1-9.

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