Joint rotation module

Abstract

This invention discloses a joint rotation module, including a housing, a harmonic reducer, a driver, and a control unit. The driver includes a stator, a rotor, and a drive shaft. The joint rotation module also includes a liquid cooling circulation unit, which comprises: a circulation loop including a medium flow channel and a liquid pump. The liquid pump is integrated in a cavity and driven by the drive shaft, causing the cooling medium to circulate within the medium flow channel. Part of the medium flow channel is distributed on the housing around the driver. A heat dissipation assembly is disposed on the housing, and the control unit and the medium flow channel are thermally coupled to the heat dissipation assembly. By connecting the liquid pump to the drive shaft, this invention allows the driver to drive the liquid pump while outputting rotation. The liquid pump only needs an impeller to operate, achieving the circulation of the cooling medium within the medium flow channel, thereby cooling the joint rotation module. This significantly reduces the size of the liquid pump, allowing it to be integrated within the joint rotation module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of transmission equipment, and specifically relates to joint rotation modules. Background Technology

[0002] The joint rotation module is the core execution unit of a robot's motion system. As an electromechanical integrated component, it combines a motor, reducer, sensor, and control unit. It is primarily used to achieve precise rotational movements of joints such as the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle. Its performance directly determines the robot's motion flexibility, response speed, and control accuracy. Because the joint rotation module needs to be installed at the robot's joints, its size must be sufficiently small. However, since the joint rotation module contains an actuator, the stator and rotor of which generate a significant amount of heat during operation, a heat dissipation structure is required to cool the actuator.

[0003] Currently, although large motors can integrate liquid pumps for liquid cooling, these pumps require separate motors to drive them, resulting in large volumes that cannot be integrated into the joint rotation module for driver cooling. The joint rotation module must then rely on natural convection or air cooling. However, natural convection and air cooling are inefficient within the confined space of the joint rotation module, leading to poor driver cooling. Heat accumulated inside the driver is difficult to dissipate quickly, and excessively high driver temperatures can easily cause demagnetization of the permanent magnets, resulting in jamming or damage to the joint rotation module. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a joint rotation module to solve the problem of poor heat dissipation of the joint rotation module.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a joint rotation module, including a housing, a harmonic reducer with a wave generator, a driver, and a control unit for controlling the driver. The driver includes a stator, a rotor, and a drive shaft fixed to the rotor. The drive shaft is drively connected to the wave generator. The housing has a cavity for accommodating the driver and the control unit. The joint rotation module also includes a liquid cooling circulation unit, which includes: a circulation loop, including a medium flow channel and a liquid pump connected in series on the medium flow channel. The liquid pump is integrated in the cavity and driven by the drive shaft, causing the cooling medium to circulate within the medium flow channel. Part of the medium flow channel is distributed on the housing around the driver for heat dissipation of the driver; a heat dissipation assembly is disposed on the housing, and the control unit and the medium flow channel are thermally coupled to the heat dissipation assembly, so that the control unit and the medium flow channel share the heat dissipation assembly. This technical solution has the following technical effects: Because the joint rotation module is relatively small, this invention combines a liquid cooling circulation unit with a liquid pump, distributing some of the medium flow channels on the housing around the driver. The liquid pump is connected to the drive shaft, allowing the driver to drive the liquid pump while rotating. The liquid pump only needs an impeller and does not require a motor to operate, thus achieving the circulation of the cooling medium within the medium flow channels and cooling the joint rotation module. This significantly reduces the size of the liquid pump, allowing it to be integrated into the joint rotation module.

[0006] The control unit shares a heat dissipation component with the medium flow channel, allowing the heat dissipation component to cool both the control unit and the cooling medium within the medium flow channel. This eliminates the need for a separate heat dissipation structure for the medium flow channel, resulting in a smaller space requirement for the medium flow channel and its integration into the joint rotation module. Furthermore, sharing a heat dissipation component with the medium flow channel is not only for the compact design of the joint rotation module. Conventional heat dissipation components often rely on inefficient passive cooling. After the heat dissipation component is thermally coupled with the medium flow channel, when the temperature of the cooling medium flowing through the medium flow channel is lower than the temperature of the heat dissipation component, the cooling medium flowing through the medium flow channel can continuously carry away the heat from the heat dissipation component, significantly reducing the base temperature of the heat dissipation component. For the control unit, the thermal coupling between the heat dissipation component and the medium flow channel constitutes an active cooling structure. Compared to heat dissipation components that rely on passive cooling, the heat dissipation efficiency is higher when the control unit and the medium flow channel are thermally coupled to the heat dissipation component separately.

[0007] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, the medium flow channel is completely enclosed by the housing or contained within the cavity of the housing, ensuring that the medium flow channel is not exposed to the external surface of the housing. Because robots need to interact with humans frequently during operation, if the medium flow channel of the joint rotation module installed at the robot's joints is exposed to the outside of the joint rotation module, it is not only prone to aging but also susceptible to impacts during human interaction, leading to leakage of the cooling medium. Therefore, by ensuring that the medium flow channel is not exposed to the external surface of the housing, it can be protected, reducing the risk of cooling medium leakage.

[0008] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, the medium flow channel includes a first connecting flow channel, a second connecting flow channel, and a main flow channel. The liquid pump has a first interface and a second interface, and the main flow channel has a first port and a second port. The first connecting flow channel connects the first interface and the first port, and the second connecting flow channel connects the second interface and the second port. The first connecting flow channel or the second connecting flow channel is thermally coupled to the heat dissipation component.

[0009] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, the main flow channel includes independently configured pipes, which are embedded inside the shell wall or attached to the inner surface of the shell. By configuring the pipes, the cooling medium flows through them to achieve circulation within the flow channel. The pipes seal the periphery of the cooling medium, which reduces the sealing requirements of the main flow channel and thus greatly reduces the assembly difficulty of the inner and outer ring walls.

[0010] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, the housing includes a cylindrical body surrounding the driver. The cylindrical body comprises a separate inner ring wall and an outer ring wall. The main flow channel is integrally formed on the outer surface of the inner ring wall and / or the inner surface of the outer ring wall. The inner and outer ring walls are sealed together, confining the main flow channel within the wall of the cylindrical body. The main flow channel and the cavity are completely isolated by the inner ring wall, ensuring that the cooling medium in the main flow channel circulates only within the wall of the cylindrical body. Because the joint rotation module employs a highly integrated design, the heat generated by the stator and rotor of the driver accumulates inside the driver during operation and is difficult to dissipate quickly. By placing the main flow channel on the cylindrical body, the cooling medium exchanges heat with the cylindrical body surrounding the stator during its flow, carrying away the heat transferred from the stator and rotor to the cylindrical body. This achieves rapid cooling of the cylindrical body, thereby rapidly cooling the stator and rotor inside the driver and preventing damage caused by abnormal temperature rise in the driver. The main flow channel is confined within the cylindrical body by the sealing connection of the inner and outer ring walls. This ensures that the cooling medium can only flow within the cylindrical body, eliminating the need for structures on the stator and rotor inside the actuator to facilitate cooling medium flow and reducing the difficulty of actuator manufacturing. The main flow channel is integrally formed on the outer surface of the inner ring wall. When the outer ring wall is fitted onto the outer circumference of the inner ring wall, it forms a sealed cover over the main flow channel, thus creating the main flow channel for the cooling medium and reducing manufacturing complexity.

[0011] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, one of the outer surface of the inner ring wall and the inner surface of the outer ring wall has a groove formed along the main flow path, and the other seals and covers the groove to form the main flow path; alternatively, one of the outer surface of the inner ring wall and the inner surface of the outer ring wall has multiple protruding ribs along the main flow path, and the other seals and engages with the radial end face of the protruding ribs, so that the gap between adjacent protruding ribs constitutes the main flow path. The arrangement of the protruding ribs allows a flow channel to be formed between the inner and outer ring walls without reducing the thickness of the inner and outer ring walls, ensuring the thickness of the inner and outer ring walls, thereby ensuring the strength of the cylindrical body and preventing deformation of the cylindrical body.

[0012] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, the main flow channel includes: multiple branch channels extending from one axial end of the cylindrical body to the other axial end, and spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body; and at least one confluence channel, arranged along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body and connected to the multiple branch channels. The multiple branch channels spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body can cool various locations in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body through the cooling medium flowing through each branch channel. The different branch channels are connected through the confluence channel, allowing the cooling medium to flow through different branch channels via the confluence channel, extending the flow time of the cooling medium inside the wall of the cylindrical body, thereby ensuring sufficient heat exchange between the cooling medium and the cylindrical body and improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0013] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, the main flow channel includes: multiple annular branch channels, each extending circumferentially along the cylindrical body, and the multiple annular branch channels are spaced apart in the axial direction of the cylindrical body; a first main flow channel connecting the medium inlet, extending from one axial end of the cylindrical body to the other axial end and connecting all the annular branch channels; and a second main flow channel connecting the medium outlet, extending from one axial end of the cylindrical body to the other axial end and connecting all the annular branch channels. The multiple annular branch channels are spaced apart in the axial direction of the cylindrical body to increase the heat exchange area between the channels and the cylindrical body. The cooling medium flowing through the first main flow channel, the second main flow channel, and each annular branch channel cools various positions along the axial direction of the cylindrical body, ensuring effective heat dissipation.

[0014] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, the main flow channel extends continuously and meanderingly within the wall of the cylindrical body. The beginning and end of the main flow channel form an inlet connecting to the supply channel and an outlet connecting to the return channel, respectively. After flowing into the main flow channel, the cooling medium must pass through the entire wall of the cylindrical body before flowing out, maximizing the flow path of the cooling medium within the main flow channel to ensure sufficient heat exchange between the cooling medium and the cylindrical body, thereby improving heat dissipation.

[0015] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, the heat dissipation component includes a finned heat sink. The thermal coupling between the medium flow channel and the heat dissipation component is configured such that the medium flow channel meanders through multiple fins of the finned heat sink. By meandering through the finned heat sink, the flow length of the medium flow channel within the finned heat sink is increased, allowing the cooling medium to flow within the finned heat sink for an extended period. This ensures that each fin of the finned heat sink can effectively dissipate heat from the cooling medium, guaranteeing its heat dissipation effect. Consequently, when the cooling medium flows through the driver, it can carry away a significant amount of heat from the driver, thus providing sufficient heat dissipation for the driver.

[0016] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, the heat dissipation assembly also includes a cooling fan for forced air cooling of the finned heatsink. The cooling fan is located on the side of the finned heatsink facing out of the housing and covers multiple fins to force air cooling of the finned heatsink, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the heat dissipation assembly.

[0017] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, a portion of the end wall of the housing away from the harmonic reducer is recessed to form a cavity for mounting the heat dissipation component. The control unit includes a circuit board carrying electronic components. The thermal coupling between the control unit and the heat dissipation component is configured such that the electronic components are in thermally conductive contact with the portion of the housing forming the cavity. By positioning the cavity housing the heat dissipation component on the end wall of the housing away from the harmonic reducer and opening towards the outside of the joint rotation module, the heat dissipation component can fully contact the external environment. After the electronic components transfer heat to the heat dissipation component, the heat dissipation component can quickly exchange heat with the outside air, thereby achieving rapid heat dissipation and improving heat dissipation efficiency.

[0018] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, the liquid pump is a vortex liquid pump, comprising a pump casing and an impeller rotatably disposed within the pump casing. The pump casing has an annular pump cavity surrounding the impeller, and the impeller is coaxially connected to the drive shaft. The unique vortex flow channel design of the vortex liquid pump gives it the advantage of high head. By using a vortex liquid pump to pressurize the cooling medium in the medium flow channel, not only can the space occupied by the liquid pump be reduced, but sufficient pressure can also be provided to the cooling medium in the medium flow channel to ensure smooth flow of the cooling medium and improve the heat dissipation effect of the cooling medium on the driver.

[0019] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, the impeller has a first blade group and a second blade group arranged axially at intervals, with the first and second blade groups rotating in opposite directions. When the drive shaft rotates forward, the first blade group drives the cooling medium to flow in a first direction within the pump casing, causing the cooling medium to circulate forward in the circulation loop. When the drive shaft rotates in reverse, the second blade group drives the cooling medium to flow in a second direction opposite to the first direction within the pump casing, causing the cooling medium to circulate in the reverse direction in the circulation loop. In a traditional single-row impeller vortex pump, when the motor rotates forward, the impeller rotates forward, and the blades on the impeller push the liquid to flow within the vortex pump. The liquid flow direction is: the liquid enters the pump chamber from the inlet, then flows circumferentially within the pump chamber, and finally exits from the outlet. If the motor rotates in reverse, the liquid flow direction is also reversed. However, the blade angle design of a single-row impeller typically only considers the efficiency of a single flow direction, so the flow efficiency will significantly decrease when the liquid flows in reverse. Furthermore, because the joint rotation module is installed at the robot's joints, the actuator frequently needs to change its rotation direction. This can lead to a slowdown in the flow rate of the cooling medium within the vortex pump when the actuator rotates in one direction, reducing the cooling medium's heat dissipation effect. By setting two sets of blades with opposite rotation directions on the impeller, when the impeller rotates clockwise, the first set of blades primarily drives the flow of the cooling medium, while the second set assists. When rotating counterclockwise, the second set of blades primarily drives the flow of the cooling medium, while the first set assists. This ensures that the flow rates in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions are essentially the same. Consequently, regardless of whether the actuator rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, the pump can provide similar cooling medium flow rates and pressures, ensuring that the cooling medium's heat dissipation performance is not affected by the actuator's rotation direction, thus guaranteeing stable heat dissipation from the actuator. Compared to solutions with two independent pumps, two independent impellers, or reversing valves, integrating the first and second blade groups onto the same impeller increases the axial dimension of the vortex pump almost entirely, while also maintaining its radial dimension. This structure can adapt to situations where the internal space of the rotating module is extremely limited. Compared to external pumps or dual-pump solutions, integrating the first and second blade groups onto the same impeller makes the pump structure more compact, enhances its spatial adaptability, and makes it more suitable for integration into the small space inside the joint rotating module.

[0020] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, the impeller is coaxially and directly driven to the drive shaft, with the impeller directly mounted on the drive shaft. By coaxially and directly driving the impeller to the drive shaft, no other transmission structure is required between them. This simplifies the structure, facilitates assembly, and reduces the overall size of the pump and driver after connection, allowing the pump and driver to be integrated into the joint rotation module.

[0021] In the aforementioned joint rotation module, the impeller and drive shaft are coaxially connected via a reduction gear. The reduction gear includes a planetary gear reducer and a reduction output shaft. The sun gear of the planetary gear reducer is connected to the drive shaft, and the planetary gears are connected to the reduction output shaft. The impeller is mounted on the reduction output shaft. Within a certain flow rate range, the faster the cooling medium flows, the better its heat dissipation effect on the driver. However, when the cooling medium's flow rate is too high and exceeds this range, the heat dissipation effect will not improve significantly due to the increased flow rate. Instead, the increased flow rate will cause greater flow resistance, reducing motor output efficiency. Therefore, a reduction gear is installed between the impeller and the drive shaft to reduce the speed transmitted from the drive shaft to the impeller, ensuring a reasonable impeller speed. This, in turn, ensures that the cooling medium flow rate within the medium channel remains within a reasonable range, preventing excessive flow resistance due to excessive impeller speed, which could lead to a decrease in driver performance. Planetary reducers can achieve efficient speed reduction and torque amplification in a compact space. The speed reduction device uses a planetary gear reducer, which ensures that the impeller and drive shaft are connected coaxially through the planetary reducer, and the size is still small, so that it can be integrated into the joint rotation module.

[0022] The features and advantages of the present invention will be disclosed in detail in the following specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments: Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the joint rotation module in Embodiment 1; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the joint rotation module in Embodiment 1; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the joint rotation module in Embodiment 1; Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the impeller in Example 1; Figure 5 This is an assembly diagram of the driver and the cylindrical body in Embodiment 1; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the driver and the cylindrical body in the assembled state in Embodiment 1; Figure 7 As in Example 1 Figure 2 Enlarged view of part A; Figure 8 This is an exploded view of the driver and the cylindrical body in Embodiment 1; Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the driver and the cylindrical body in the assembly state in Embodiment 1; Figure 10 The three-dimensional inner ring wall in Example 3 Figure 1 ; Figure 11The three-dimensional inner ring wall in Example 3 Figure 2 ; Figure 12 This is a three-dimensional view of the inner annular wall when the main flow channel is constructed as a spiral flow channel in Example 4; Figure 13 This is a three-dimensional view of the inner ring wall when the main flow channel is constructed into a serpentine flow channel in Example 4.

[0024] Figure label: 100. Shell; 110. Cavity; 120. Cylindrical body; 121. Inner annular wall; 122. Outer annular wall; 130. Concave cavity; 200. Harmonic reducer; 210. Wave generator; 300, Driver; 310, Stator; 320, Rotor; 330, Drive Shaft; 400. Control unit; 410. Circuit board; 420. Electronic components; 500, Loop; 600, Medium flow channel; 610, First connecting flow channel; 620, Second connecting flow channel; 630, Main flow channel; 631, First port; 632, Second port; 633, Branch flow channel; 6341, First confluence flow channel; 6342, Second confluence flow channel; 635, Annular branch flow channel; 636, First main flow channel; 637, Second main flow channel; 638, Spiral flow channel; 639, Serpentine flow channel; 700, Liquid pump; 710, First port; 720, Second port; 730, Pump casing; 740, Impeller; 741, First blade group; 742, Second blade group; 800. Heat dissipation components; 810. Finned heat sink; 820. Cooling fan; 900. Reduction gear; 910. Planetary gear reducer; 920. Reduction output shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0025] This invention proposes a joint rotation module, comprising a housing, a harmonic reducer with a wave generator, a driver, and a control unit for controlling the driver. The driver includes a stator, a rotor, and a drive shaft fixed to the rotor. The drive shaft is drively connected to the wave generator. The housing has a cavity for housing the driver and the control unit. The joint rotation module also includes a liquid cooling circulation unit, which includes: a circulation loop including a medium flow channel and a liquid pump connected in series on the medium flow channel. The liquid pump is integrated in the cavity and driven by the drive shaft to circulate the cooling medium within the medium flow channel. Part of the medium flow channel is distributed on the housing around the driver for heat dissipation of the driver; and a heat dissipation assembly disposed on the housing. The control unit and the medium flow channel are thermally coupled to the heat dissipation assembly, allowing the control unit and the medium flow channel to share the heat dissipation assembly. Because the joint rotation module is relatively small, this invention combines a liquid cooling circulation unit with a liquid pump, distributing some of the medium flow channels on the housing around the driver. The liquid pump is connected to the drive shaft, allowing the driver to drive the liquid pump while rotating. The liquid pump only needs an impeller and does not require a motor to operate, thus achieving the circulation of the cooling medium within the medium flow channels and cooling the joint rotation module. This significantly reduces the size of the liquid pump, allowing it to be integrated into the joint rotation module. The control unit shares a heat dissipation component with the medium flow channel, allowing the heat dissipation component to cool both the control unit and the cooling medium within the medium flow channel. This eliminates the need for a separate heat dissipation structure for the medium flow channel, resulting in a smaller space requirement for the medium flow channel and its integration into the joint rotation module. Furthermore, sharing a heat dissipation component with the medium flow channel is not only for the compact design of the joint rotation module. Conventional heat dissipation components often rely on inefficient passive cooling. After the heat dissipation component is thermally coupled with the medium flow channel, when the temperature of the cooling medium flowing through the medium flow channel is lower than the temperature of the heat dissipation component, the cooling medium flowing through the medium flow channel can continuously carry away the heat from the heat dissipation component, significantly reducing the base temperature of the heat dissipation component. For the control unit, the thermal coupling between the heat dissipation component and the medium flow channel constitutes an active cooling structure. Compared to heat dissipation components that rely on passive cooling, the heat dissipation efficiency is higher when the control unit and the medium flow channel are thermally coupled to the heat dissipation component separately.

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be explained and described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and not all of them. Other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in the implementation methods without creative effort are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0027] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0028] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless explicitly defined otherwise.

[0029] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0030] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0031] Example 1:

[0032] Joint rotation module, such as Figures 1 to 9As shown, the device includes a housing 100, a harmonic reducer 200, a driver 300, and a control unit 400. The housing 100 has a cavity 110 for housing the driver 300 and the control unit 400. The harmonic reducer 200 has a wave generator 210, a flexible wheel, and a steel wheel. The driver 300 includes a stator 310, a rotor 320, and a drive shaft 330. The drive shaft 330 is fixed at the center of the rotor 320 to be linked with the rotor 320. The drive shaft 330 is drively connected to the wave generator 210. The control unit 400 is used to control the driver 300. Under the control of the control unit 400, the drive shaft 330 of the driver 300 outputs rotation to the wave generator 210 of the harmonic reducer 200. The wave generator 210 drives the flexible wheel to elastically deform to achieve power transmission between it and the steel wheel.

[0033] The joint rotation module also includes a liquid cooling circulation unit, which includes a circulation loop 500 and a heat dissipation component 800. The circulation loop 500 includes a medium flow channel 600 and a liquid pump 700. The liquid pump 700 is connected in series with the medium flow channel 600 and is integrated in the cavity 110 and connected to the drive shaft 330 so that it can be driven by the drive shaft 330. When the drive shaft 330 rotates, the impeller 740 of the liquid pump 700 rotates under the drive of the drive shaft 330, so that the cooling medium (cooling water, refrigerant, mineral oil, etc.) circulates in the medium flow channel 600. Part of the medium flow channel 600 is distributed on the housing 100 around the driver 300, so that the cooling medium can exchange heat with the driver 300 while circulating in the medium flow channel 600 to dissipate heat from the driver 300. A heat dissipation assembly 800 is mounted on the housing 100. The control unit 400 and the medium flow channel 600 are thermally coupled to the heat dissipation assembly 800, allowing the control unit 400 and the medium flow channel 600 to share the heat dissipation assembly 800. When the cooling medium absorbing heat from the driver 300 passes through the heat dissipation assembly 800, the heat can be transferred to the heat dissipation assembly 800 through heat exchange. At the same time, the heat generated by the control unit 400 can also be transferred to the heat dissipation assembly 800 through heat exchange, achieving synchronous cooling of the high-temperature cooling medium in the control unit 400 and the medium flow channel 600 by the heat dissipation assembly 800.

[0034] Because the joint rotation module is relatively small, this invention combines a liquid cooling circulation unit with a medium flow channel 600 and a liquid pump 700. Part of the medium flow channel 600 is distributed on the housing 100 around the driver 300. The liquid pump 700 is connected to the drive shaft 330, so that the driver 300 can drive the liquid pump 700 while outputting rotation. The liquid pump 700 only needs to be equipped with an impeller 740 and does not need to be equipped with a motor to work, so as to realize the circulation of the cooling medium in the medium flow channel 600, thereby cooling the joint rotation module. This greatly reduces the size of the liquid pump 700, allowing the liquid pump 700 to be integrated into the joint rotation module.

[0035] The control unit 400 shares a heat dissipation component 800 with the medium flow channel 600. This allows the heat dissipation component 800 to dissipate heat from both the control unit 400 and the cooling medium within the medium flow channel 600, eliminating the need for a separate heat dissipation structure for the medium flow channel 600. This reduces the space occupied by the medium flow channel 600, allowing it to be integrated into the joint rotation module. Furthermore, the sharing of a single heat dissipation component 800 between the control unit 400 and the medium flow channel 600 is not only for the compact design of the joint rotation module, but also because conventional heat dissipation structures often rely on inefficient passive cooling. After the heat dissipation component 800 is thermally coupled to the medium flow channel 600, when the temperature of the cooling medium flowing through the medium flow channel 600 is lower than the temperature of the heat dissipation component 800, the cooling medium flowing through the medium flow channel 600 can continuously remove the heat from the heat dissipation component 800, thus significantly reducing the base temperature of the heat dissipation component 800. For the control unit 400, the thermal coupling of the heat dissipation component 800 and the medium flow channel 600 constitutes an active heat dissipation structure. Compared with a heat dissipation structure that relies on passive heat dissipation, the heat dissipation efficiency is higher when the control unit 400 and the medium flow channel 600 are thermally coupled to the heat dissipation component 800 respectively.

[0036] like Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, the medium flow channel 600 is completely covered by the housing 100. The medium flow channel 600 includes a first connecting flow channel 610, a second connecting flow channel 620, and a main flow channel 630. The liquid pump 700 has a first interface 710 and a second interface 720. The main flow channel 630 has a first port 631 and a second port 632. The first connecting flow channel 610 is used to connect the first interface 710 of the liquid pump 700 to the first port 631 of the main flow channel 630. The second connecting flow channel 620 is used to connect the second interface 720 of the liquid pump 700 to the second port 632 of the main flow channel 630. That is, the main flow channel... One end of the 630 with a first port 631 is connected to the first connecting channel 610, and one end of the main channel 630 with a second port 632 is connected to the second connecting channel 620. The three are connected to form a medium flow channel 600. One end of the medium flow channel 600 with the first connecting channel 610 is connected to the first interface 710 of the liquid pump 700, and one end of the medium flow channel 600 with the second connecting channel 620 is connected to the second interface 720 of the liquid pump 700, so as to realize the connection between the medium flow channel 600 and the liquid pump 700, so that the cooling medium passes through the liquid pump 700 when circulating in the medium flow channel 600.

[0037] The cooling medium can flow in the following directions: the cooling medium in the liquid pump 700 first flows into the first connecting channel 610 through the first port 710, then into the main channel 630 through the first port 631, then into the second connecting channel 620 through the second port 632, and finally flows back into the liquid pump 700 through the second port 720. Alternatively, the cooling medium can flow in the reverse direction: the cooling medium in the liquid pump 700 first flows into the second connecting channel 620 through the second port 720, then into the main channel 630 through the second port 632, then into the first connecting channel 610 through the first port 631, and finally flows back into the liquid pump 700 through the first port 710. To dissipate heat from the cooling medium during its flow, the heat dissipation assembly 800 can thermally couple the first connecting channel 610 to the heat dissipation assembly 800, or the second connecting channel 620 to the heat dissipation assembly 800. That is, the cooling medium flows between the main channel 630 and the liquid pump 700, passing through the heat dissipation assembly 800. In this embodiment, the second connecting channel 620 is preferably thermally coupled to the heat dissipation assembly 800.

[0038] In this embodiment, the housing 100 includes a cylindrical body 120, and a main flow channel 630 is disposed on the cylindrical body 120. The cylindrical body 120 surrounds the driver 300. The cylindrical body 120 includes a separate inner ring wall 121 and an outer ring wall 122. The outer ring wall 122 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the inner ring wall 121, and the inner ring wall 121 and the outer ring wall 122 are sealed together to confine the main flow channel 630 inside the wall of the cylindrical body 120. The cavity 110 enclosed by the housing 100 and the main flow channel 630 are completely isolated by the inner ring wall 121, so that the cooling medium in the flow channel only flows inside the wall of the cylindrical body 120. That is, the cooling medium, blocked by the inner ring wall 121 and the outer ring wall 122, will only flow inside the wall of the cylindrical body 120 and will not enter the cavity 110 enclosed by the housing. Because the joint rotation module adopts a highly integrated design, the heat generated by the stator 310 and rotor 320 of the driver 300 accumulates inside the driver 300 during its operation and is difficult to dissipate quickly. By setting the main channel 630 on the cylindrical body 120, the cooling medium exchanges heat with the cylindrical body 120 around the stator 310 during the flow of the main channel 630, so as to remove the heat transferred from the stator 310 and rotor 320 to the cylindrical body 120, thereby achieving rapid cooling of the cylindrical body 120, and thus achieving rapid cooling of the stator 310 and rotor 320 inside the driver 300, avoiding abnormal temperature rise of the driver 300 and damage. The main flow channel 630 is confined to the inside of the cylindrical body 120 by the sealing connection of the inner ring wall 121 and the outer ring wall 122, so that the cooling medium can only flow inside the wall of the cylindrical body 120. There is no need to set up a structure for the flow of cooling medium on the stator 310 and rotor 320 inside the driver 300, which reduces the processing difficulty of the driver 300.

[0039] In this preferred embodiment, the main channel 630 is integrally formed on the outer surface of the inner ring wall 121. When the outer ring wall 122 is fitted onto the outer periphery of the inner ring wall 121, it forms a sealed cover for the main channel 630, thus forming the main channel 630 for the flow of cooling medium, reducing manufacturing difficulty. In another embodiment, the main channel can also be integrally formed on the inner surface of the outer ring wall. When the inner ring wall is fitted onto the inner periphery of the outer ring wall, it forms a sealed cover for the main channel. The main channel can also be integrally formed on the outer surface of the inner ring wall and the inner surface of the outer ring wall respectively. When the inner and outer ring walls are fitted together, the main channel on the outer surface of the inner ring wall and the main channel on the inner surface of the outer ring wall are sealed together to jointly form the main channel for the flow of cooling medium.

[0040] In this preferred embodiment, a groove is formed on the outer surface of the inner ring wall 121 along the main flow channel 630. When the outer ring wall 122 is fitted onto the outer periphery of the inner ring wall 121, the outer ring wall 122 forms a sealed cover over the groove, thus forming the main flow channel 630. Of course, it is understood that in other embodiments, the groove can also be provided on the inner periphery of the outer ring wall, with the inner ring wall forming a sealed cover over the groove; or grooves can be formed on both the outer surface of the inner ring wall and the inner surface of the outer ring wall along the main flow channel. When the inner and outer ring walls are fitted together, the grooves on the outer surface of the inner ring wall and the grooves on the inner surface of the outer ring wall align to jointly form the main flow channel for the cooling medium.

[0041] Because the joint rotation module is very small, the main channel 630 arranged on its housing 100 needs to adopt a microchannel structure. Currently, existing microchannel structures can only be directly processed on flat plates, and cannot be directly processed on cylindrical shells. By setting the cylindrical body 120 into a structure with a split inner ring wall 121 and an outer ring wall 122, the outer wall of the inner ring wall 121 and / or the inner wall of the outer ring wall 122 can be laser etched to form grooves before assembling the two. When the inner ring wall 121 and the outer ring wall 122 are fitted together, A sealing cover is formed on the side of the groove, thereby forming a main channel 630 located inside the wall of the cylindrical body 120. The main channel 630 has a microchannel structure, which gives it an extremely high specific surface area. The main channel 630 is distributed inside the wall of the cylindrical body 120, which can achieve a heat dissipation efficiency far exceeding that of traditional air cooling and conventional liquid cooling. This greatly improves the heat dissipation effect of the driver 300 of the joint rotation module, avoids the heat accumulation inside the driver 300 which is difficult to dissipate quickly, and thus avoids the joint rotation module from jamming or being damaged, extending the service life of the joint rotation module.

[0042] In this embodiment, the main channel 630 includes multiple branch channels 633 and at least one confluence channel. The branch channels 633 extend along the axial direction of the cylindrical body 120 from one end of the cylindrical body 120 to the other end. The multiple branch channels 633 are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body 120 so that the multiple branch channels 633 are arranged in parallel. The confluence channel extends along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body 120 and passes through the multiple branch channels 633 in sequence so as to communicate with the multiple branch channels 633 at the same time. The branch channels 633 can be connected to each other through the confluence channel. The confluence channel can be a ring that is connected end to end, or an arc that is not connected end to end. Multiple branch channels 633 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body 120. The cooling medium flowing through each branch channel 633 can cool various positions along the circumference of the cylindrical body 120. The different branch channels 633 are connected by a confluence channel, allowing the cooling medium to flow through the confluence channel in different branch channels 633. This prolongs the flow time of the cooling medium inside the wall of the cylindrical body 120, so that the cooling medium can fully exchange heat with the cylindrical body 120 and improve the heat dissipation effect.

[0043] Preferably, such as Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, there are two manifolds, namely the first manifold 6341 and the second manifold 6342. The first manifold 6341 and the second manifold 6342 are respectively located near the two axial ends of the cylindrical body 120. The first manifold 6341 is located at the front of the cylindrical body 120, and the second manifold 6342 is located at the rear of the cylindrical body 120. All branch channels 633 extend axially between the first manifold 6341 and the second manifold 6342. That is, the first manifold 6341 is connected to one end of all branch channels 633, and the second manifold 6342 is connected to the other end of all branch channels 633. The stator 310 is within the axial length range of the branch channels 633. By setting the first confluence channel 6341 and the second confluence channel 6342, the connection between the branch channels 633 is better. The cooling medium can flow through one branch channel 633 completely and then flow into other branch channels 633 through the first confluence channel 6341 or the second confluence channel 6342 at the end. Since the stator 310 is within the axial length range of the branch channels 633, the cooling medium can fully absorb the heat transferred from the stator 310 to the cylindrical body 120 when it passes through each branch channel 633, further improving the heat dissipation effect of the driver 300.

[0044] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the heat dissipation assembly 800 includes a finned heat sink 810. A medium flow channel 600 meanders through multiple fins of the finned heat sink 810, so that the medium flow channel 600 and the heat dissipation assembly 800 form a thermal coupling. By meandering through the finned heat sink 810, the flow length of the medium flow channel 600 within the finned heat sink 810 is increased, allowing the cooling medium to flow within the finned heat sink 810 for a long time. This allows each fin of the finned heat sink 810 to fully dissipate heat from the cooling medium, ensuring that the cooling medium is reduced to a lower temperature. Consequently, when the cooling medium flows through the driver 300, it can carry away a large amount of heat from the driver 300, thus fully dissipating heat from the driver 300.

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, in order to further improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the finned heat sink 810, the heat dissipation assembly 800 may also include a cooling fan 820. The finned heat sink 810 is embedded in the end of the housing 100, and the cooling fan 820 is located on the side of the finned heat sink 810 facing out of the housing 100, while covering multiple fins, so as to perform forced air cooling on the finned heat sink 810 and realize heat dissipation of the finned heat sink 810.

[0046] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 As shown, the end wall of the housing 100 away from the harmonic reducer 200 is partially recessed into the cavity 110 to form a recess 130. The heat dissipation assembly 800 is disposed within the recess 130. The control unit 400 includes a circuit board 410 carrying electronic components 420. The electronic components 420 are in thermally conductive contact with the portion of the housing 100 forming the recess 130 to achieve thermal coupling between the control unit 400 and the heat dissipation assembly 800. By positioning the recess 130 housing the heat dissipation assembly 800 on the end wall of the housing 100 away from the harmonic reducer 200 and opening towards the outside of the joint rotation module, the heat dissipation assembly 800 can fully contact the external environment. After the electronic components 420 transfer heat to the heat dissipation assembly 800, the heat dissipation assembly 800 can quickly exchange heat with the outside air to achieve rapid heat dissipation of the heat dissipation assembly 800 and improve heat dissipation efficiency.

[0047] In this embodiment, the liquid pump 700 is a vortex liquid pump. The liquid pump 700 includes a pump casing 730 and an impeller 740 rotatably disposed within the pump casing 730. The pump casing 730 has an annular pump chamber surrounding the impeller 740. The impeller 740 is connected to the drive shaft 330 for coaxial transmission. The unique vortex flow channel design of the vortex liquid pump gives it the advantage of high head. By using a vortex liquid pump to pressurize the cooling medium in the medium flow channel 600, not only can the space occupied by the liquid pump 700 be reduced, but sufficient pressure can also be provided to the cooling medium in the medium flow channel 600 to ensure smooth flow of the cooling medium and improve the heat dissipation effect of the cooling medium on the driver 300.

[0048] In this embodiment, as Figure 4 As shown, the vortex pump 700 includes an impeller 740 with a first blade group 741 and a second blade group 742. The first blade group 741 and the second blade group 742 are axially spaced apart, and their rotation directions are opposite. Specifically, the first blade group 741 and the second blade group 742 are two rows of blades integrated onto the same impeller 740. The opposite rotation directions mean that the blade angle and bending direction of the first blade group 741 are opposite to those of the second blade group 742. By setting the blade angle and bending direction of the first blade group 741 to be opposite to those of the second blade group 742, the design of the first blade group 741 considers the forward rotation of the drive shaft 330, with the blade angle and bending direction adapted to the flow characteristics of the cooling medium during forward rotation. Similarly, the design of the second blade group 742 considers the reverse rotation of the drive shaft 330, with the blade angle and bending direction adapted to the flow characteristics of the cooling medium during reverse rotation.

[0049] In traditional single-row impeller vortex pumps, when the motor rotates forward, the impeller also rotates forward. The blades on the impeller push the liquid to flow within the pump. The liquid flows from the pump inlet into the pump chamber, then circumferentially along the pump chamber, and finally exits from the pump outlet. If the motor rotates in reverse, the liquid flow direction is also reversed. However, the blade angle design of a single-row impeller typically only considers efficiency in one flow direction, so the flow efficiency drops significantly when the liquid flows in the opposite direction. Furthermore, because the joint rotation module is installed at the robot's joints, the actuator frequently needs to change its rotation direction. This results in a slowdown in the flow rate of the cooling medium within the vortex pump when the actuator rotates in one direction, reducing the cooling effect of the medium. By setting two sets of blades with opposite rotation directions on the impeller 740, when the impeller 740 rotates forward, the first set of blades 741 acts as the main force to drive the flow of the cooling medium, and the second set of blades 742 acts as the auxiliary force to drive the flow of the cooling medium; when rotating in reverse, the second set of blades 742 acts as the main force to drive the flow of the cooling medium, and the first set of blades 741 acts as the auxiliary force to drive the flow of the cooling medium. This makes the flow rate in both forward and reverse rotation basically the same, so that the liquid pump 700 can provide similar flow rate and pressure of the cooling medium regardless of whether the driver 300 rotates forward or in reverse. This ensures that the heat dissipation performance of the cooling medium is not affected by the rotation direction of the driver 300, and thus guarantees stable heat dissipation of the driver 300 by the cooling medium.

[0050] Compared to solutions with two independent liquid pumps, two independent impellers, or reversing valves, the solution of integrating the first blade group 741 and the second blade group 742 onto the same impeller 740 increases the axial dimension of the vortex liquid pump almost without changing its radial dimension. This structure can adapt to situations where the internal space of the rotating module is extremely limited. Compared to external liquid pumps or dual-pump solutions, the solution of integrating the first blade group 741 and the second blade group 742 onto the same impeller 740 makes the structure of the liquid pump 700 more compact, enhances the spatial adaptability of the liquid pump 700, and makes the liquid pump 700 more suitable for integration into the small space inside the joint rotating module.

[0051] In this embodiment, when the drive shaft 330 rotates forward, the first blade group 741 drives the cooling medium to flow in the first direction within the pump housing 730, causing the cooling medium to circulate in the circulation loop 500 in a forward direction. During forward circulation, the flow direction of the medium is as follows: the cooling medium in the liquid pump 700 first flows into the first connecting channel 610 through the first interface 710, and then flows into the main channel 630 through the first port 631. During the flow of the cooling medium in the main channel 630, the driver 300 is cooled. Then, it flows into the second connecting channel 620 through the second port 632. When the cooling medium flows through the second connecting channel 620, the heat dissipation component 800 cools the cooling medium. Finally, it flows back into the liquid pump 700 through the second interface 720. When the drive shaft 330 reverses, the second vane group 742 drives the cooling medium to flow in a second direction opposite to the first direction within the pump housing 730, causing the cooling medium to circulate in reverse in the circulation loop 500. During reverse circulation, the flow direction of the medium is as follows: the cooling medium in the liquid pump 700 first flows into the second connecting channel 620 through the second interface 720. When the cooling medium flows through the second connecting channel 620, the heat dissipation component 800 cools the cooling medium. Then, it flows into the main channel 630 through the second port 632. During the flow of the cooling medium in the main channel 630, it cools the driver 300. Then, it flows into the first connecting channel 610 through the first port 631. Finally, it flows back into the liquid pump 700 through the first interface 710.

[0052] At the instant the driver 300 switches between forward and reverse rotation, the load on the control unit 400 changes drastically due to current / voltage surges, resulting in a high instantaneous temperature for the control unit 400. During the cooling medium circulation process, regardless of whether the rotation is forward or reverse, the high-temperature cooling medium is drawn into the heat dissipation assembly 800 for forced air cooling, causing the temperature of the cooling medium at the inlet end of the heat dissipation assembly 800 to be higher than that at the outlet end. Therefore, at the instant the driver 300 switches between forward and reverse rotation, the cooling medium flows in the opposite direction, causing the cooling medium at the lower-temperature end of the heat dissipation assembly 800 to instantly flow back into the heat dissipation assembly 800. This utilizes the lower-temperature cooling medium just flowing out of the heat dissipation assembly 800 to remove the heat generated by the drastic load change in the control unit 400, providing heat dissipation for the control unit 400 and alleviating the instantaneous high heat load generated on the control unit 400 during the forward / reverse rotation. This prevents the temperature of the control unit 400 from rising abnormally at the instant of the forward / reverse rotation switch.

[0053] In some embodiments, the impeller and the drive shaft can be coaxially and directly driven, that is, the impeller is directly mounted on the drive shaft, so that the drive shaft directly drives the impeller to rotate. In other embodiments, the impeller can also be coaxially driven to the drive shaft through a reduction gear. In this embodiment, as shown... Figure 3As shown, the impeller 740 and the drive shaft 330 are coaxially connected via a reduction gear 900. Within a certain flow rate range, the faster the flow rate of the cooling medium, the better its heat dissipation effect on the driver. However, when the flow rate of the cooling medium is too fast and exceeds this range, the heat dissipation effect of the cooling medium will not be improved due to the excessive flow rate. Instead, the excessive flow rate will cause greater flow resistance and reduce the motor output efficiency. Therefore, a reduction gear 900 is set between the impeller 740 and the drive shaft 330 to reduce the speed transmitted from the drive shaft 330 to the impeller 740, so as to ensure that the speed of the impeller 740 is reasonable. This ensures that the flow rate of the cooling medium in the medium flow channel 600 is within a reasonable range, and avoids the performance degradation of the driver 300 caused by excessive flow resistance of the cooling medium due to excessive speed of the impeller 740.

[0054] To avoid the reduction device 900 occupying too much space between the impeller 740 and the drive shaft 330, resulting in an excessively large overall size of the connected liquid pump 700 and driver 300, this embodiment preferably includes a planetary gear reducer 910 and a reduction output shaft 920. The sun gear of the planetary gear reducer 910 is connected to the drive shaft 330, and the planet gears of the planetary gear reducer 910 are connected to the reduction output shaft 920. The impeller 740 is mounted on the reduction output shaft 920 to move in conjunction with the reduction output shaft 920. The working process of the reduction device 900 is as follows: the drive shaft 330 drives the sun gear of the planetary gear reducer 910 to rotate at high speed. The multiple planet gears of the planetary gear reducer 910 rotate under the drive of the sun gear and revolve around the sun gear to output low-speed, high-torque rotational motion to the reduction output shaft 920. Planetary reducers can achieve efficient speed reduction and torque amplification in a compact space. The speed reduction device 900 uses a planetary gear reducer 910, which ensures that the impeller 740 and the drive shaft 330 are connected by coaxial transmission through the planetary reducer, and the size is still small, so that it can be integrated into the joint rotation module.

[0055] Example 2:

[0056] The difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment is that, in this embodiment, multiple ribs are provided on the outer surface of the inner ring wall. These ribs protrude from the outer surface of the inner ring wall and extend along the flow path. A groove is formed between two adjacent ribs. When the inner ring wall is fitted onto the outer periphery of the inner ring wall, the inner surface of the inner ring wall abuts against the radial end face of the rib, so that the inner ring wall seals and covers the groove, forming a main flow channel. That is, the gap between adjacent ribs forms a main flow channel for the cooling medium. The ribs allow a main flow channel to be formed between the inner and outer ring walls without reducing their thickness, ensuring the thickness of the inner and outer ring walls, thereby ensuring the strength of the cylindrical body and preventing deformation.

[0057] Of course, it is understood that in other embodiments, the ribs may also protrude from the inner surface of the outer ring wall; the ribs may also be provided on both the outer surface of the inner ring wall and the inner surface of the outer ring wall. When the inner and outer ring walls are fitted together, the ribs on the outer surface of the inner ring wall and the ribs on the inner surface of the outer ring wall are sealed together, so that the grooves between adjacent ribs on the outer surface of the inner ring wall align with the grooves between adjacent ribs on the inner surface of the outer ring wall, thereby forming a flow channel for the cooling medium to flow.

[0058] Example 3:

[0059] The difference between this embodiment and the above embodiments is that, Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, in this embodiment, the flow channel includes multiple annular branch flow channels 635, a first main flow channel 636, and a second main flow channel 637. The annular branch flow channels 635 extend along the circumferential direction of the inner annular wall 121 to surround the central axis of the cylindrical body. The multiple annular branch flow channels 635 are arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the cylindrical body. The first port 631 is located at the end of the first main flow channel 636, and the first main flow channel 636 is connected to the first connecting flow channel through the first port 631. The second main flow channel 637 extends along the axial direction of the cylindrical body from one end of the cylindrical body to the other end, so as to pass through all the annular branch flow channels 635 in sequence, thereby realizing the connection between the annular branch flow channels 635. The second port 632 is located at the end of the second main flow channel 637, and the second main flow channel 637 extends along the axial direction of the cylindrical body from one end of the cylindrical body to the other end, so as to pass through all the annular branch flow channels 635 in sequence, thereby realizing the connection between the annular branch flow channels 635. The cooling medium flowing in through the first port 631 can flow into each annular branch channel 635 through the first main channel 636. Then, the cooling medium in each annular branch channel 635 can flow to the second port 632 through the second main channel 637. Multiple annular branch channels 635 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the cylindrical body to increase the heat exchange area between the channels and the cylindrical body. The cooling medium flowing through the first main channel 636, the second main channel 637, and each annular branch channel 635 cools various positions along the axial direction of the cylindrical body, ensuring effective heat dissipation.

[0060] Example 4:

[0061] The difference between this embodiment and the above embodiment is that, in this embodiment, the main channel extends continuously and meanderingly inside the wall of the cylindrical body. The first port 631 and the second port 632 are respectively located at the beginning and end of the main channel, so that the first port 631 serves as the medium inlet of the main channel and the second port 632 serves as the medium outlet of the main channel. After the cooling medium flows into the main channel through the first port 631 at one end of the main channel, it needs to pass through the entire wall of the cylindrical body and then flow out of the main channel through the second port 632 at the other end of the main channel. This maximizes the flow path of the cooling medium in the main channel so that the cooling medium can fully exchange heat with the cylindrical body.

[0062] Specifically, such as Figure 12 As shown, the main channel can be constructed as a spiral flow channel 638, which surrounds the inner annular wall 121. The central axis of the spiral flow channel 638 is coaxial with the central axis of the cylindrical body. The cooling medium flows into the spiral flow channel 638 from the first port 631 at one axial end of the cylindrical body, rotates around the central axis to pass through various positions of the cylindrical body, and finally flows out from the second port 632 at the other axial end of the cylindrical body. Figure 13 As shown, the flow channel can also be constructed as a serpentine flow channel 639, which extends in an alternating spiral pattern along the axial direction of the inner annular wall 121. Of course, the serpentine flow channel can also be configured to extend in an alternating spiral pattern along the circumference of the cylindrical body.

[0063] Example 5:

[0064] The difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment is that the main channel in this embodiment also includes an independently configured pipe. This pipe is installed within the main channel and embedded inside the shell wall. The cooling medium flows through the pipe to achieve heat exchange with the cylindrical body. By installing a pipe within the main channel, the cooling medium can circulate within the main channel. The pipe seals the periphery of the cooling medium, reducing the sealing requirements of the main channel and thus significantly reducing the assembly difficulty of the inner and outer ring walls. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the pipe may not be embedded inside the shell wall but may be attached to the inner surface of the shell, greatly reducing the manufacturing difficulty of the shell.

[0065] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions falling within the scope of the present invention's concept are within the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, any improvements and modifications made without departing from the principles of the present invention should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A joint rotation module, comprising a housing, a harmonic reducer with a wave generator, a driver, and a control unit for controlling the driver, the driver comprising a stator, a rotor, and a drive shaft fixed to the rotor, the drive shaft being drively connected to the wave generator, the housing having a cavity for housing the driver and the control unit, characterized in that, The joint rotation module further includes a liquid cooling circulation unit, which comprises: The circulation loop includes a medium flow channel and a liquid pump connected in series on the medium flow channel. The liquid pump is integrated in the cavity and driven by the drive shaft to circulate the cooling medium in the medium flow channel. Part of the medium flow channel is distributed on the housing around the driver for heat dissipation of the driver. A heat dissipation assembly is disposed on the housing. The control unit and the medium flow channel are thermally coupled to the heat dissipation assembly, so that the control unit and the medium flow channel share the heat dissipation assembly.

2. The joint rotation module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The medium flow channel is completely covered by the housing or contained inside the cavity of the housing, so that the medium flow channel as a whole is not exposed to the outer surface of the housing.

3. The joint rotation module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The medium flow channel includes a first connecting flow channel, a second connecting flow channel, and a main flow channel. The liquid pump has a first interface and a second interface. The main flow channel has a first port and a second port. The first connecting flow channel connects the first interface and the first port. The second connecting flow channel connects the second interface and the second port. The first connecting flow channel or the second connecting flow channel is thermally coupled to the heat dissipation component.

4. The joint rotation module as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The main channel includes an independently configured pipe, which is embedded inside the wall of the housing or attached to the inner surface of the housing.

5. The joint rotation module as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The housing includes a cylindrical body surrounding the driver. The cylindrical body includes a separate inner ring wall and an outer ring wall. The main flow channel is integrally formed on the outer surface of the inner ring wall and / or the inner surface of the outer ring wall. The inner ring wall and the outer ring wall are sealed together to confine the main flow channel inside the wall of the cylindrical body. The main flow channel and the cavity are completely isolated by the inner ring wall, so that the cooling medium in the main flow channel flows only inside the wall of the cylindrical body.

6. The joint rotation module as described in claim 5, characterized in that, A groove is formed on one of the outer surface of the inner ring wall and the inner surface of the outer ring wall along the main channel path, and the other is sealed to cover the groove to form the main channel; Alternatively, one of the outer surface of the inner ring wall and the inner surface of the outer ring wall may be provided with a plurality of ribs along the main channel path, and the other may be sealed and joined to the radial end face of the ribs, so that the gap between adjacent ribs constitutes the main channel.

7. The joint rotation module as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The main channels include: Multiple branch channels extend from one axial end of the cylindrical body to the other axial end and are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body. At least one confluence channel is arranged along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body and is connected to the multiple branch channels.

8. The joint rotation module as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The main channels include: Multiple annular branch channels extend along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body, and the multiple annular branch channels are arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the cylindrical body. The first main channel connecting the medium inlet extends from one axial end of the cylindrical body to the other axial end and connects all annular branch channels. The second main channel, which connects to the outlet of the medium, extends from one axial end of the cylindrical body to the other axial end and connects to all annular branch channels.

9. The joint rotation module as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The main channel extends continuously and meanderingly inside the wall of the cylindrical body, with its beginning and end forming an inlet connecting to the supply channel and an outlet connecting to the return channel, respectively.

10. The joint rotation module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The heat dissipation assembly includes a finned radiator, and the medium flow channel is thermally coupled to the heat dissipation assembly in such a way that the medium flow channel meanders through multiple fins of the finned radiator.

11. The joint rotation module as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The heat dissipation assembly also includes a cooling fan for forced air cooling of the finned heat sink.

12. The joint rotation module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The end wall of the housing away from the harmonic reducer is partially recessed to form a cavity for mounting the heat dissipation assembly. The control unit includes a circuit board carrying electronic components. The thermal coupling between the control unit and the heat dissipation assembly is configured such that the electronic components are in thermal contact with the portion of the housing that forms the cavity.

13. The joint rotation module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid pump is a vortex liquid pump, including a pump casing and an impeller rotatably disposed within the pump casing. The pump casing has an annular pump cavity surrounding the impeller, and the impeller is coaxially connected to the drive shaft.

14. The joint rotation module as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The impeller has a first blade group and a second blade group arranged axially spaced apart, and the first blade group and the second blade group rotate in opposite directions. When the drive shaft rotates forward, the first blade group drives the cooling medium to flow in the first direction within the pump casing, so that the cooling medium circulates in the circulation loop in the forward direction. When the drive shaft reverses, the second blade assembly drives the cooling medium to flow in a second direction opposite to the first direction within the pump casing, causing the cooling medium to circulate in reverse in the circulation loop.

15. The joint rotation module as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The impeller is coaxially and directly driven to the drive shaft, and the impeller is directly mounted on the drive shaft.

16. The joint rotation module as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The impeller and the drive shaft are coaxially connected via a reduction gear. The reduction gear includes a planetary gear reducer and a reduction output shaft. The sun gear of the planetary gear reducer is connected to the drive shaft, and the planet gears of the planetary gear reducer are connected to the reduction output shaft. The impeller is mounted on the reduction output shaft.

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