Cable harness management module and robot

Abstract

A cable harness management module (200) for a robot joint and a robot. A cable harness management module (200) includes a substrate (210) and a rotatable element (230). At least the substrate (210) and the rotatable element (230) form a space for accommodating a cable harness (240) comprising a first end (241) and a second end (242). When the rotatable element (230) rotates with the robot joint, the cable harness (240) may be wound on or unwound from the rotatable element (230). The cable harness management module (200) may further include mounting members (211b-1, 211b-2, 211b-3, 211b-4) for removably mounting the substrate (210) to a robot joint. A cable harness management module (200) protects a cable harness from wear and extends the life of the cable harness in a compact space.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of application number 201780086076.2, filed on April 28, 2017, with the title "Cable harness management module and robot". TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The non-limiting and exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of industrial robots, and more particularly to a cable harness management module for a robot joint and a robot comprising at least one robot joint having such a management module therein. BACKGROUND

[0003] This section introduces aspects that can be helpful in understanding the present disclosure. Thus, the statements in this section are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art or what is not part of the prior art.

[0004] Robots are nowadays widely used in many fields, such as welding, assembly, transport, painting, laser processing, etc. An industrial robot typically comprises one or more robot joints. Generally, a robot joint comprises a fixed part and a rotatable part rotating with respect to the fixed part about an axis. A cable harness is routed in and extends through the robot joint to provide power for driving the rotatable part or to transmit control signals for controlling the rotatable part.

[0005] Due to the frequent movements of the robot joint, the cable harness can be subject to wear or even breakage, and thus there is a need to provide a cable harness with suitable toughness and appropriate cable harness protection solutions to reduce the likelihood of damage to the cable harness. In existing solutions, the cable harness on the robot joint is protected by some kind of net, which is however quite insufficient. Therefore, there is a need to improve the cable harness management in the prior art. SUMMARY

[0006] The various embodiments of the present disclosure are mainly directed to providing a solution for cable harness management for a robot joint to solve or at least partially alleviate at least some of the problems in the prior art. Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will also be understood from the following description of specific embodiments, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure by way of example.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a cable harness management module for a robot joint is provided. The cable harness management module can include a base plate and a rotatable element. The rotatable element is matched with the base plate and rotatable relative to the base plate, wherein at least the base plate and the rotatable element form a space for accommodating a cable harness including a first end and a second end. The cable harness management module can further include a first fastening member for fastening the first end to the base plate, and a second fastening member for fastening the second end to the rotatable element. The cable harness can be wound on or unwound from the rotatable element as the rotatable element rotates with the robot joint. The cable harness management module can further include a mounting member for detachably mounting the base plate to the robot joint.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cable harness management module can further include a cover for at least partially covering the base plate and the rotatable element, wherein the space for accommodating the cable harness is further limited by the cover.

[0009] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of the first fastening member and the second fastening member can include a strap.

[0010] In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of the first fastening member and the second fastening member can further include an elastic member having a hole for the cable harness.

[0011] In a still further embodiment of the present disclosure, the rotatable element can include a rotatable hollow shaft having a collar for guiding the winding and unwinding of the cable harness on the rotatable hollow shaft.

[0012] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the rotatable hollow shaft can have an opening or a cutout on its periphery for exposing a terminal of the second end.

[0013] In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the cover can include an opening or a cutout for exposing a terminal of the first end.

[0014] In a still further embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of the first fastening member and the second fastening member can be configured to detachably fasten a corresponding one of the first end and the second end.

[0015] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the cable harness management module can further include the cable harness.

[0016] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the cable harness management module can further include at least one tube for delivering any one of air, oil, and water.

[0017] In further embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein the substrate can have an arcuate edge or cutout corresponding to a perimeter of the rotatable element.

[0018] In still further embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein the rotatable element can extend through an opening in the substrate.

[0019] In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is further provided a robot having at least one robot joint, the robot joint having the cable harness management module of any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0020] With embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a mechanism for managing a cable harness that can guide movement of the cable harness within a compact space, thereby protecting the cable harness from wear and tear and extending the life of the cable harness. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] The above and other aspects, features, and benefits of various embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent from the detailed description, which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and from the claims below, by merely way of example and illustration of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The drawings are not to scale and are not necessarily drawn to accurate scale, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 An example 6-axis / joint industrial robot in the art is schematically illustrated;

[0023] Figure 2 A diagram of an example cable harness management module according to embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated in perspective view;

[0024] Figure 3 A diagram of an example cable harness management module according to embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated in front view;

[0025] Figure 4 A diagram of an example cable harness management module according to embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated in rear view;

[0026] Figure 5 A diagram of an example cable harness management module according to embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated in bottom view;

[0027] Figure 6 A diagram of an example cable harness management module according to embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated in perspective view with the cover removed;

[0028] Figure 7 A diagram of an example cable harness management module according to embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated in front view with the cover removed;

[0029] Figure 8A top view schematically illustrates a diagram of an example cable harness management module according to embodiments of the present disclosure with a cover removed;

[0030] Figure 9 A bottom view schematically illustrates a diagram of an example cable harness management module according to embodiments of the present disclosure with a cover removed;

[0031] Figure 10 A perspective view schematically illustrates a diagram of a fastening element of an example cable harness management module according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 11 A front view schematically illustrates a diagram of a fastening element of an example cable harness management module according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 12 A perspective view schematically illustrates a diagram of a cable inlet and a cable outlet of an example cable harness management module according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 13 A robot joint of an industrial robot according to embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated in which no cable harness management module is installed;

[0035] Figure 14 A robot joint of an industrial robot according to embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated in which a cable harness management module is installed;

[0036] Figure 15 An industrial robot according to embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated comprising at least one robot joint with a cable harness management module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Hereinafter, the principles and spirit of the present disclosure will be described with reference to illustrative embodiments. It should be understood that all these embodiments are only for a better understanding and further implementation of the present disclosure by those skilled in the art, and are not used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the features shown or described as part of one embodiment can be combined with another embodiment to produce yet another embodiment. For the sake of clarity, not all features of actual implementations are described in this specification.

[0038] References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc. indicate that the embodiment described can include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment can not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of those in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other

[0039] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second” etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element without departing from the scope of the example embodiments. The term “and / or” as used herein, when used between two or more elements, includes all of the following permutations of those elements. For example, A and / or B includes A alone, B alone, and A and B together.

[0040] The terminology used in the disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used in the disclosure, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “have,” “having,” “containing” and / or “contains” when used in this disclosure specify the presence of stated features, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. It should also be understood that when used in this disclosure, the term “connected” and / or “coupled” and / or “connecting” and / or “coupling” and / or other similar terms, unless specifically stated to the contrary, merely indicates that two elements are in electrical connection and they can be directly or indirectly connected.

[0041] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0042] As mentioned in the background section, due to frequent movement of the robot joints, the cable harnesses are likely to get worn out or even broken, and hence there is a need to provide cable harnesses with suitable toughness and appropriate cable harness protection solutions to reduce the likelihood of damage to the cable harnesses. However, in the existing solutions, the cable harnesses on the robot joints are protected only by some nets, which is quite insufficient. Hence, in the present disclosure, an improved cable harness management solution is provided for providing enhanced protection to the cable harnesses. In the following, the cable harness management solution provided by the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 15 However, before that, a brief description of the robot joint will be given first. Figure 1An example 6-axis industrial robot in the art is described to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the state of the art.

[0043] Figure 1 An example 6-axis / Articulated industrial robot 100 in the art is schematically shown. As Figure 1 shown, the robot 100 comprises a base 110, an upper arm 120, an elbow 130, a forearm 140 and a wrist 150. The upper arm 120 is rotatably connected with the base 110 and the elbow 130 is rotatably connected with the upper arm 120. The forearm 140 is rotatably connected with the elbow 130 and the wrist 150 is further rotatably connected with the forearm 140. On the wrist 150, a hand (not shown) or a tool for performing a desired process can be further mounted.

[0044] On top of the base 110, a first axis (shown as axis 1) is arranged around which the upper arm 120 as a whole is rotatable relative to the base towards the inner or outer side of the page as indicated by arrows 161a, 161b. Between the upper arm 120 and the first axis, a second axis (shown as axis 2) is arranged around which the upper arm 120 is swingable towards the right or left side of the page as indicated by arrows 162a, 162b. Between the upper arm 120 and the elbow 130, a third axis (shown as axis 3) is arranged around which the elbow 130 is rotatable up and down as indicated by arrows 163a, 163b. Between the elbow 130 and the forearm 140, a fourth axis (shown as axis 4) is arranged around which the forearm 140 as a whole is rotatable relative to the elbow 130 towards the inner or outer side of the page as indicated by arrows 164a, 164b. Between the forearm 140 and the wrist 150, a fifth axis is present around which the wrist 150 is rotatable up and down. At the end of the wrist 150, a sixth axis (shown as axis 6) is arranged around which the hand or tool to be attached is rotatable in the directions indicated by arrows 166a, 166b.

[0045] It will be appreciated that although Figure 6 a 6-axis industrial robot is described in the background, it is given for illustrative purposes only and an industrial robot can comprise more or less axes, e.g. 1-axis, 2-axis, 3-axis, 4-axis, 5-axis or 7-axis or even more. The cable harness management solution presented in the present disclosure can be applied to any type of industrial robot having any number of axes.

[0046] Next, reference will also be made to Figures 2 to 12An example cable harness management module according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. It should be understood that the example cable harness management module is given only for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the cable harness management solutions presented in the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and a great number of modifications, deletions, additions or changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure taught in the present disclosure.

[0047] Figures 2 to 5 Figures showing an example cable harness management module according to embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in perspective view, front view, rear view and bottom view, respectively.

[0048] Reference will first be made to Figure 2 As shown, the example cable harness management module 200 comprises a base plate 210, a cover 220 and a rotatable element 230. In the cable harness management module 200, it can house a cable harness 240.

[0049] The base plate 210 is a static plate to be mounted on a fixed part of a robot joint. The base plate 210 can support the cable harness 240 and the cover 220, and the input end of the cable harness 240 is fixed to the base plate 210.

[0050] The cover 220 is a covering element or a shroud that at least partially covers the base plate 210 and the rotatable element 230. The cover 220 is shaped to cover the base plate 210 and the rotatable element 230. In Figure 2 In the example shown in FIG. 2, the cover 210 is shown as a covering element that almost completely covers the base plate 210 and the rotatable element 230; however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The cover 210 can take any other form as long as it can function to further define the space for housing the cable harness. For example, it can cover only some parts of the base plate 210 and / or the rotatable element 230, or take the form of a plate with holes or a grid. In some cases, the plate provides sufficient space limitation that the cover 220 can even be omitted.

[0051] On the main surface of the cover 220, there are one or more holes 222a-1, 222a-2 and 222a-3 for filling, for example, lubricant or the like. There are also one or more holes 222b-1, 222b-2, 222b-3 and 222b-4 that can expose mounting holes on the rotatable element 230 so that the rotatable element 230 can be mounted on the rotatable part of the robot joint.

[0052] The rotatable element 230 is an element to be mounted to the rotatable part of the robot joint and capable of rotating with respect to the base plate 210 as a static support element. The cable output end of the cable harness 240 will be fixed to the rotatable element 230. On the rotatable element 230, one or more mounting holes 231a-1, 231a-2, 231a-3 and 231a-4 are provided (asFigure 4 The fastening elements can be used with one or more of the mounting holes 231a-1, 231a-2, 231a-3, and 231a-4 to mount the rotatable element 230 to a stationary portion of a robot joint.

[0053] On the base plate 210 and the cover 220, there are a number of mounting members for detachably mounting the cable harness management module to a robot joint, or for assembling the base plate 210 and the cover 220 together, which can be described in further detail below with reference to Figures 3 to 5 .

[0054] As shown in Figures 3 to 5 , on the cover 220, there are one or more mounting members 221a-1, 221a-2, and 221a-3. Each of the mounting members 221a-1, 221a-2, and 221a-3 is in the form of a mounting hole and is an integral part of the cover 220. In other implementations, the mounting elements can be attached to the cover 220 by, for example, welding or the like.

[0055] On the base plate 210, there are also mounting members and reference can be made to Figures 3 to 5 . As shown, there are mounting members 211a-1, 211a-2, and 211a-3 (shown in Figure 4 ) and 211b-1, 211b-2, 211b-3, and 211b-4 (shown in Figures 3 to 5 ). Of these mounting members, the mounting members 211a-1, 211a-2, and 211a-3 are mounting members to be used with the mounting members 221a-1, 221a-2, and 221a-3 on the cover 220 (shown in Figure 5 ) in order to assemble the base plate 210 and the cover 220 together; while the mounting members 211b-1, 211b-2, 211b-3, and 211b-4 are for mounting the base plate 210, and thus the cable harness management module 200, to a robot joint.

[0056] Similar to the mounting members 221a-1, 221a-2, and 221a-3, all of these mounting members 211a-1, 211a-2, 211a-3, 211b-1, 211b-2, 211b-3, and 211b-4 are in the form of mounting holes and are integral parts of the base plate 220. It is also to be understood that the mounting elements 211a-1, 211a-2, 211a-3, 211b-1, 211b-2, 211b-3, and 211b-4 can also be attached to the base plate 210 by, for example, welding or the like.

[0057] It is understood that the mounting members on the base plate 210 and the cover 220 are not limited to mounting holes, and other forms of mounting elements, such as snap-fit structures, etc., can be used.

[0058] In the following, the internal arrangement of the example cable harness management module 200 will be described, which further shows diagrams of the example cable harness management module with the cover removed according to embodiments of the present disclosure in perspective view, front view, rear view and bottom view. Figures 6 to 9 The internal arrangement of the example cable harness management module 200 will be described, which further shows diagrams of the example cable harness management module with the cover removed according to embodiments of the present disclosure in perspective view, front view, rear view and bottom view.

[0059] Referring to Figure 6 And as shown, the base plate 210 is a static support plate, which is substantially flat and mounted to a fixed portion of a robot joint. It is understood that the shape of the base plate is merely an example, and in actual applications, the base plate can be shaped and sized according to the available space within the robot joint. For example, in another embodiment of the present disclosure, the base plate can have sidewalls protruding from its periphery.

[0060] The cable harness 240 is a cable bundle comprising a plurality of cables, which are shown as an example as three cables. The cable harness 240 has a cable input end 241 and a cable output end 242. The cable input end 241 is fastened to the base plate 210 by the fastening member 212, while the cable output end 242 is fastened to the periphery of the rotatable element 230 by another fastening member 232. The rotatable element 230 is mounted on a rotatable portion of a robot joint, and thus can rotate relative to the base plate 210. The base plate 210 and the rotatable element 230 form a space for accommodating the cable harness 240.

[0061] When the rotatable element 230 rotates with the robot joint (not shown), the cable harness 240 can be wound on or unwound from the rotatable element 230. Therefore, the cable harness 240 should have a suitable length so as to have a suitable margin when the rotatable element 230 reaches its maximum rotation stroke, while not causing a space problem when the cable harness is completely unwound from the rotatable element 230.

[0062] To ensure that the rotatable element 230 rotates with the rotatable portion of the robot joint, the rotatable element 230 should match the base plate 210 so that the rotational movement of the rotatable element 230 is not interfered. As shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8 The base plate 210 can have an arc-shaped edge or a cutout 214 corresponding to the periphery of the rotatable element 230. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. An opening can also be provided in the base plate 210, through which the rotatable element 230 can extend.

[0063] In addition, the rotatable element 230 is a rotatable hollow shaft 234 with a collar 236a and a collar 236b. As shown in Figure 6, 7 As shown in Figure 9, collar 236 is configured to guide the winding and unwinding of cable harness 240 on rotatable hollow shaft 234. Collar 236b has one or more mounting members 231a-1, 231a-2, 231a-3, and 231a-4 for mounting rotatable element 230 to the rotatable portion of the robot joint. Collars 236a and 236b together with the periphery of rotatable hollow shaft 234 form a groove 238 (in... Figure 9 (As shown in the figure). In this way, the winding and unwinding of the cable harness on the rotatable hollow shaft 234 can be well guided. However, it is understood that the rotatable element is not limited to a hollow shaft and may take other forms, such as a shaft in which part is hollow and the rest is solid, as long as it provides mounting elements and cable exit.

[0064] The fastening members 212 and 232 can be of any form, as long as they can secure the cable input and output ends 241 and 242 to the base plate 210 and the rotatable element 230, respectively. Reference will be made below. Figure 10 and 11 Example structures for fastening members 212 and 232 are described below.

[0065] like Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, in this embodiment, at least one of the fastening members 212 and 232 includes a strap. As shown, fastening member 212 includes a strap 212a, which can be detachably attached to the substrate 210. Similarly, fastening member 232 includes a strap 232a, which can also be detachably attached to the rotatable element 230. By pulling one end of the straps 212a and 232a through the loop at the other end, the cable input and output terminals 241 and 242 can be secured to the substrate 210 and the rotatable element 230, respectively.

[0066] Preferably, each of the fastening members 212 and 232 may also be provided with an elastic member having holes for the cable harness. As shown, fastening member 212 includes an elastic member 212b that provides three holes for the three cables in the cable harness; fastening member 232 includes an elastic member 232b that provides three holes for the three cables in the cable harness. As shown, a strap 212a secures the cable input end 241 to the base plate 210 at a portion of the cable harness 240 protected by the elastic member 212b, and a strap 232a secures the cable output end 242 to the rotatable element 230 at a portion of the cable harness 240 protected by the elastic member 232b. In this way, the cable harness can be further protected by the elastic members 212b and 232b, and the fastening performance of fastening members 212 and 232 can be enhanced at the same time.

[0067] The fastening members 212, 232 can be configured to detachably fasten the corresponding one of the first and second ends, so that the cable harness can be easily replaced when it is damaged.

[0068] Further, the cover 210 can further include an opening or a cutout for protecting the terminals 241a of the cable input end 241. The rotatable hollow shaft can also have an opening or a cutout on its periphery for exposing the terminals 242a of the cable output end 242. The openings or cutouts for the cable input and output ends 241 and 242 can be described with reference to Figure 12

[0069] As Figure 12 shown, the terminals 241a of the cable input end 241 can be exposed through the opening or cutout 227 in the cover 220. The opening or cutout 227 can also be referred to as a cable inlet. Thus, the terminals 241a of the cable input end 241 can protrude and electrically connect with the cable harness in the previous robot joint. Similarly, the terminals 242a of the cable output end 242 can be exposed through the opening or cutout 237 in the periphery of the rotatable element 230. The opening or cutout 237 can also be referred to as a cable outlet. Through this opening or cutout 237, the terminals of the cable output end 242 can protrude and electrically connect with the cable harness within the rotatable portion.

[0070] Further, the cable harness management module 200 can further include at least one tube for transmitting any one of air, oil, and water that is generally required within the robot joint.

[0071] Next, the installation of an example cable harness management module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described further with reference to Figures 13 to 14

[0072] Figure 13 A robot joint 1350 of an industrial robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in which a cable harness management module is not installed is schematically shown. Figure 13 The robot joint 1350 shown in FIG. 13B is a robot joint at axis 5 of a six-axis robot, for example. The robot joint 1350 includes a fixed portion 1351 and a rotatable portion 1352. In addition, on the robot joint 1350, installation members 1353a-1, 1353a-2, 1353a-3, 1353a-4, 1353b-1, 1353b-2, 1353b-3, 1353b-4, 1353c-1, 1353c-2, 1353c-3, and 1353c-4 are also provided. The installation members are all in the form of installation holes. However, similar to the installation members on the base plate 210 and the cover 220, other forms of installation elements can be used, such as a snap-fit structure, etc. ​​

[0073] Among these mounting members, mounting members 1353a-1, 1353a-2, and 1353a-3 and 1353a-4 can be used with mounting members 211b-1, 211b-2, 211b-3, and 211b-4 on the base plate 210 in order to mount the base plate and, thus, the cable harness management module to the robot joint. On the other hand, mounting members 1353b-1, 1353b-2, 1353b-3, 1353b-4 will be used with corresponding mounting members on the joint cover (as Figure 15 shown) in order to cover the internal components within the robot joint. Additionally, mounting members 1353c-1, 1353c-2, 1353c-3, 1353c-4 can be used with mounting members 231a-1, 231a-2, 231a-3, and 231a-4 in order to mount the rotatable element 230 to the rotatable portion 1352.

[0074] As Figure 14 shown, mounting members 231a-1, 231a-2, 231a-3, and 231a-4 on the rotatable element 230 can be aligned with mounting members 1353c-1, 1353c-2, 1353c-3, and 1353c-4 on the rotatable portion 1352 of the robot joint 1350. With fastening members such as screws, the rotatable 230 can be mounted to the rotatable portion 1320 of the robot joint such that the rotatable element can rotate with the rotatable portion 1320. Mounting members 221a-1, 221a-2, and 221a-3 on the cover 220 and mounting members 211a-1, 211a-2, and 211a-3 on the base plate 210 can be aligned with each other, thus the cover 220 and the base plate 210 can be assembled together. Mounting members 211b-1, 211b-2, 211b-3, and 211b-4 on the base plate 210 can be aligned with mounting members 1353b-1, 1353b-2, 1353b-3, and 1353b-4 on the rotatable portion 1352. With fastening members such as screws, the base plate 210 and, thus, the cable harness management module 200 can be mounted on the stationary portion 1352 of the robot joint.

[0075] After the fastening components are secured, the terminals of the cable harness can be electrically connected with the terminals of the other cable harnesses. Then, as Figure 15As shown, the mounting members 1371c-1, 1371c-2, 1371c-3, 1371c-4 on the joint cover 1370 can be aligned with the mounting members 1353b-1, 1353b-2, 1353b-3, 1353b-4 on the robot joint 1350, and the joint cover 1370 can be mounted onto the robot joint 1350 using fastening members such as screws. Thus, the installation of the cable harness management module 200 is completed and the robot joint is ready for use.

[0076] In the present disclosure, the cable harness management module is a separate module from the robot joint and can be mounted thereon in a detachable manner. With such a cable harness management module, the cable harness can be well protected during rotation of the rotatable portion of the robot joint, the possibility and degree of abrasion can be significantly reduced, and thus the service life of the cable harness can be prolonged.

[0077] It should be understood that although in the above description, the cable harness management module 200 is used for the shaft 5 (i.e., the robot joint 1350), the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In fact, the cable harness management module 200 can also be shaped and sized so as to be applied in any other robot joint (such as 1310, 1320, 1330, 1340, 1360), or in other robot joints in a robot having more or fewer robot joints.

[0078] It should be understood that although in the above description, the cable harness management module is shown as containing the cable harness; however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In actual applications, the cable harness can also be provided as a separate assembly, rather than being provided together with the cable harness management module.

[0079] In addition, in the case where the base plate has a wall protruding from its periphery, the opening or cutout for exposing the terminals 241a of the cable harness 240 can be arranged on the wall.

[0080] In the foregoing, embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of examples. It should be understood that, although the present specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of any invention or claimable scope, but rather as a description of features that can be part of a particular embodiment of a specific invention. Certain features described in the context of separate embodiments of the present specification can also be implemented in combination. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented separately or in any suitable subcombination in multiple embodiments. Furthermore, although the above features can be described as functioning in certain combinations or even initially so protected, in some cases one or more features from a claimed combination can be removed therefrom, and the claimed combination can be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

[0081] Various modifications, adaptations, and adjustments of the foregoing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the relevant art in view of the foregoing description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Any and all modifications will still fall within the scope of, and be encompassed by, the non-limiting and exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Further, other embodiments of the disclosure herein disclosed will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein presented.

[0082] Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the particular examples disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

1. A cable harness management module (200) for a robot joint, comprising: The base plate (210) is adapted to be mounted to the fixed portion of the robot joint and adapted to support the cable harness (240). A rotatable element (230) is adapted to be mounted to the rotatable portion of the robot joint and mates with the base plate (210) and is rotatable relative to the base plate (210). At least the substrate (210) and the rotatable element (230) form a space for accommodating a cable harness (240) including a first end (241) and a second end (242), wherein the cable harness (240) is capable of being wound around or unwound from the rotatable element (230) as the rotatable element (230) rotates with the robot joint; and The substrate (210) further includes first mounting members (211b-1, 211b-2, 211b-3, 211b-4) for detachably mounting the substrate (210) to the robot joint.

2. The cable harness management module (200) according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable element (230) is shaped to match the substrate (210) so that the rotational movement of the rotatable element (230) is not interfered with by the substrate (210).

3. The cable harness management module (200) according to claim 2, wherein the substrate (210) has an arcuate edge or cutout (214) corresponding to the periphery of the rotatable element (230).

4. The cable harness management module (200) according to claim 2, wherein the rotatable element (230) extends through an opening in the substrate (210).

5. The cable harness management module (200) according to any one of claims 1-4, further comprising: A cover (220) for at least partially covering the substrate (210) and the rotatable element (230), wherein the space for accommodating the cable harness (240) is further defined by the cover (220); The substrate further includes second mounting members (211a-1, 211a-2 and 211a-3) for mounting the cover (220) to the substrate (210).

6. The cable harness management module (200) according to any one of claims 1-4, further comprising: A first fastening member (212) is used to fasten the first end (241) to the substrate (210); and a second fastening member (232) for fastening the second end (242) to the rotatable element (230); At least one of the first fastening member (212) and the second fastening member (232) includes straps (212a, 232a).

7. The cable harness management module (200) according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the first fastening member (212) and the second fastening member (232) further comprises an elastic member (212b, 232b) having a hole for the cable harness (240).

8. The cable harness management module (200) according to any one of claims 1-4 and 7, wherein the rotatable element (230) includes a rotatable hollow shaft (234) having a collar (236a) for guiding the cable harness (240) to be wound and unwound on the rotatable hollow shaft (234).

9. The cable harness management module (200) according to claim 8, wherein the rotatable hollow shaft (234) has an opening or cutout (237) on its periphery for exposing the terminal (242a) of the second end (242).

10. The cable harness management module (200) according to claim 5, wherein the cover includes an opening or cutout (227) for exposing the terminal (241a) of the first end (241).

11. The cable harness management module (200) according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the first fastening member (212) and the second fastening member (232) is configured to detachably fasten the corresponding ends of the first end (241) and the second end (242).

12. The cable harness management module (200) according to any one of claims 1-4, 7, 9-11, further comprising the cable harness (240).

13. The cable harness management module (200) according to any one of claims 1-4, 7, 9-11, further comprising at least one conduit for transmitting any one of air, oil, and water.

14. A robotic joint, comprising: Fixed part; Rotatable parts; as well as The cable harness management module (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A robot (1500) having at least one robot joint (1550) having a cable harness management module (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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