Wire body processing member, wire body processing structure, and wire body processing method

Abstract

This wire body processing member is for laying a plurality of wire bodies through a hollow section disposed along a predetermined axis between a first member and a second member that rotate relatively about the axis, the wire bodies having one side in the longitudinal direction held by the first member and the other side held by the second member. The wire body processing member comprises a sheet-like first portion and a second portion that fixes the first portion to the first member or the second member, wherein the first portion is disposed inside the hollow section and partitions a space inside the hollow section into at least two small spaces in a direction that crosses the axis, and at least one wire body passes through the partitioned small spaces.

Description

Strut processing member, Strut processing structure, and Strut processing method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wire member processing member, a wire member processing structure, and a wire member processing method.

[0002] A processing device for placing a wire between two members that rotate relatively around a predetermined axis of a robot is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This processing device has a double-structure pipe member, with an inner pipe member and an outer pipe member of different diameters arranged concentrically, and is arranged concentrically with the axis of relative rotation. A first group of wires is passed through the hollow portion of the inner pipe member, and a second group of wires is passed through the gap between the inner pipe member and the outer pipe member, thereby preventing abnormal wear due to friction between the wires.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-276233

[0004] When the inner pipe member is fixed concentrically inside the outer pipe member, it is necessary to construct the inner pipe member with high rigidity and firmly fix it so that it does not deform or displace due to the force applied by the wire. However, because the internal space of a robot is limited, increasing the wall thickness of the inner pipe member to increase its rigidity narrows the space through which the wire passes. In addition, the fixing member that firmly fixes the inner pipe member to the outer pipe member also narrows the space inside the outer pipe member. Therefore, it is desirable to process wiring without excessively narrowing the space inside the hollow portion through which the wire passes and without causing abnormal wear on the multiple wires.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a wire processing member for wiring a plurality of wires, one longitudinal side of which is held by the first member and the other longitudinal side of which is held by the second member, through a hollow portion arranged along a predetermined axis between a first member and a second member that rotate relative to each other about the axis, the wire processing member comprising: a sheet-like first portion; and a second portion that fixes the first portion to the first member or the second member, the first portion being arranged within the hollow portion; the first portion dividing the space within the hollow portion into at least two small spaces in a direction intersecting the axis; and one or more of the wires being passed through each of the divided small spaces.

[0006] 1. A schematic longitudinal sectional view showing an example of an umbilical member processing structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 2. A perspective view showing a state in which an umbilical member is aligned at an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction with the first portion of the umbilical member processing member of FIG. 2. 3. A perspective view showing a process of rolling the first portion of the umbilical member processing member of FIG. 2 into a cylindrical shape. 4. A perspective view showing a state in which the first portion of FIG. 4 has been rolled into a cylindrical shape and bound. 5. A cross sectional view showing a small space partitioned in the internal space of the hollow member in the umbilical member processing structure of FIG. 1. 6. A perspective view showing a modified example of the umbilical member processing member of FIG. 2. 7. A perspective view showing a umbilical member processing structure in which the umbilical member processing member of FIG. 7 is assembled to a hollow member. 8. A cross sectional view showing a small space partitioned in the internal space of the hollow member in the umbilical member processing structure of FIG. 9. 9. A cross sectional view showing a modified example of FIG. 9. 10. An exploded perspective view showing a modified example of the umbilical member processing structure of FIG. 8. 11. A perspective view showing the umbilical member processing structure of FIG. 11.

[0007] A wire member processing member, a wire member processing structure 1, and a wire member processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The wire member processing structure 1 according to this embodiment is a structure for processing a wire member C wired between two members that rotate relative to each other about a vertical axis A of a robot, as shown in Fig. 1 . The two members of the robot are, for example, a fixed housing (first member) 2 and a movable housing (second member) 3 arranged above and below each other.

[0008] The wire C includes at least one of a mechanical cable, a signal cable, and a long, bendable linear member such as an air tube. The wire processing structure 1 of this embodiment is a structure for processing two or more types of wire C, such as a thin, flexible cable C1 (with a small bending radius) and a thick, rigid air tube C2 (with a large bending radius). Hereinafter, they will also be referred to as wires C1 and C2.

[0009] The wire body processing structure 1 includes a cylindrical hollow member 4 fixed to the movable housing 3, and a wire body processing member 5 at least a portion of which is disposed in the internal space (hollow portion) S of the hollow member 4. The hollow member 4 is disposed with its central axis coinciding with the axis A, and is supported by a bearing 6 on the fixed housing 2 so as to be rotatable about the axis A.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 2, the wire body processing member 5 according to this embodiment is made of a flexible sheet-like material made of a low-friction material. The material may be a tetrafluoroethylene resin sheet having a thickness of 1 mm or less, for example, 0.5 mm. The wire body processing member 5 is manufactured as a single unit by cutting it out from the sheet-like material. Note that the wire body processing member 5 may be made of any low-friction material other than tetrafluoroethylene resin or other materials.

[0011] The wire body handling member 5 includes a home-base-shaped first portion 7 having a predetermined width and length, and a second portion 8 spaced apart in the longitudinal direction from the first portion 7. The wire body handling member 5 also includes a long, strip-shaped third portion 9 having a constant width that is sufficiently smaller than that of the first portion 7 and connecting the first portion 7 and the second portion 8.

[0012] By forming the first portion 7 in the shape of a home plate, the angle at the connection with the third portion 9 can be formed at an obtuse angle, thereby reducing stress concentration. The first portion 7 has two tabs 7a on each end in the width direction. Each tab 7a has a through-hole 7b penetrating in the thickness direction.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 3, the first portion 7 is formed into a cylindrical shape by rolling the filament C1 in one direction around an axis along the longitudinal direction, as shown in Fig. 4, with the intermediate position in the longitudinal direction aligned. Then, as shown in Fig. 5, the first portion 7 is formed into a closed cylindrical shape by matching the tabs 7a at both ends in the width direction and fastening, for example, a cable tie 7c that passes through the through holes 7b of both tabs 7a.

[0014] The first portion 7 has a width dimension that allows it to surround one or more filaments C1 disposed inside with a radial gap when formed into a cylindrical shape. The length dimension of the first portion 7 is set to be equal to or less than the length dimension of the hollow member 4, for example.

[0015] The first portion 7 is arranged in the hollow member 4 in a cylindrically bound state surrounding a portion C1 of the plurality of filaments C that are to pass through the hollow member 4. As a result, as shown in Fig. 6, the space S in the hollow member 4 is divided into a first small space S1 surrounded by the first portion 7 and a second small space S2 between the hollow member 4 and the first portion 7 within the length dimension of the first portion 7.

[0016] 2 to 5, the second portion 8 is formed to have a width dimension larger than that of the third portion 9 and has a plurality of through holes 8a penetrating in the thickness direction. The second portion 8 can be fixed above the hollow member 4 to, for example, a metal plate 10 fixed to the movable-side housing 3 using, for example, a cable tie 8b, by utilizing the through holes 8a.

[0017] The third part 9 is a part that maintains the first part 7 in a fixed position relative to the fixed second part 8, and is flexible and easily deforms under the force received from the filament C, displacing the first part 7 in accordance with the filament C.

[0018] The following describes a wire processing method using the wire processing member 5 and wire processing structure 1 according to this embodiment. The wire processing method according to this embodiment is a method for processing a plurality of wires C that vertically pass through the internal space S of the hollow member 4 that is vertically disposed between the fixed housing 2 and the movable housing 3 that rotate relative to each other about the vertical axis A.

[0019] The filament C includes a plurality of thin, flexible cables C1 (small bending radius) and a plurality of thick, rigid air tubes C2 (large bending radius). The number of cables C1 and air tubes C2 may be any number equal to or greater than one. Furthermore, instead of or in addition to the air tubes C2, a thick, rigid cable (not shown) (large bending radius) may be included.

[0020] These wire bodies C are held by, for example, cable ties 15, on one side in the longitudinal direction to a metal plate 11 fixed to the fixed side housing 2 and on the other side to a metal plate 10 fixed to the movable side housing 3.

[0021] In this embodiment, the first portion 7 of the wire member processing member 5 is rolled into a cylindrical shape so as to surround the thin and flexible cables C1, and both ends in the width direction are bound together. Then, the strip-shaped third portion 9 is extended upward, and the second portion 8 located at the tip is fixed to a metal plate 10 fixed to the movable housing 3 outside the hollow member 4 with a cable tie 8b.

[0022] As a result, the first portion 7 is suspended by the third portion 9 which hangs from the second portion 8, and is disposed within the internal space S of the hollow member 4. The space disposed in the longitudinal direction of the first portion 7 is divided into a first small space S1 surrounded by the first portion 7, and a second small annular space S2 disposed between the hollow member 4 and the first portion 7.

[0023] That is, the thin and flexible cables C1 penetrate the hollow member 4 at radial positions that penetrate the first small space S1, and the thick and rigid air tubes C2 penetrate the hollow member 4 at radial positions that penetrate the second small space S2.

[0024] According to the wire object processing member 5, wire object processing structure 1, and wire object processing method of this embodiment, the internal space S of the hollow member 4, through which the wire object C passes, is divided into a plurality of small spaces S1, S2 by the flexible sheet-like wire object processing member 5. The flexible sheet-like wire object processing member 5 can be made thin, and compared to a rigid pipe material, it can divide the internal space S of the hollow member 4 into a plurality of small spaces S1, S2 without narrowing it.

[0025] Furthermore, according to the wire body processing structure 1 of this embodiment, the second part 8 is fixed to the metal plate 10 above the outside of the hollow member 4, and the first part 7 is suspended within the hollow member 4 by the third part 9. As a result, the second part 8 that fixes the wire body processing member 5 is not disposed inside the hollow member 4, and therefore, the internal space S of the hollow member 4 can be prevented from being narrowed by the second part 8.

[0026] As a result, a wide space can be secured in which the different filaments C1, C2 passing through the different small spaces S1, S2 can be displaced as the movable housing 3 rotates relative to the fixed housing 2. In other words, the filament C displacing within the hollow member 4 is not excessively constrained, and the load on the filament C can be reduced.

[0027] One longitudinal side of the filament C is held by the fixed housing 2, and the other longitudinal side is held by the movable housing 3. Therefore, when the movable housing 3 rotates relative to the fixed housing 2 about the axis A, twisting and bending also occur in the filament C that penetrates the inside of the hollow member 4, causing it to displace within the hollow member 4.

[0028] According to this embodiment, the first portion 7 surrounding the cable C1 is suspended by the flexible, band-shaped third portion 9, so that the first portion 7 displaces and deforms in accordance with the displacement of the filament C. The different filaments C1 and C2 are kept separated from each other, which prevents the filaments C1 and C2 from rubbing against each other when passing through the different small spaces S1 and S2.

[0029] That is, the thin and flexible cable C1 surrounded by the first portion 7 can be prevented from being pressed strongly against the outer surface of the thick and hard air tube C2 arranged outside the first portion 7, thereby suppressing abnormal wear of the cable C1. In particular, by forming the wire body processing member 5 from a low-friction material, friction between the wire bodies C1 and C2 passing through the different small spaces S1 and S2 can be effectively suppressed.

[0030] Furthermore, the wire member processing member 5 according to this embodiment can enclose a midpoint in the longitudinal direction of the wire member C1 by rolling the flattened first portion 7 into a cylindrical shape. Therefore, even if a connector (not shown) is attached to the end of the wire member C1, the midpoint in the longitudinal direction of the wire member C1 can be easily enclosed by the cylindrical first portion 7, which has a smaller diameter than the connector. In other words, there is no need to prepare a cylindrical member with a large inner diameter that can pass through the connector, and the wire member processing member 5 can be easily applied to mechanical parts in which the size of the internal space S of the hollow member 4 is limited, such as small robots or wrist units.

[0031] In this embodiment, the cable C1 with a small bending radius is surrounded by the first portion 7 of the wire body processing member 5, and is isolated from the air tube C2 with a large bending radius that is arranged outside the first portion 7. Alternatively, when there are multiple wire bodies C with large surface friction, one of the wire bodies C may be surrounded by the first portion 7 so that these wire bodies C pass through different small spaces S1 and S2.

[0032] In addition, in this embodiment, one first part 7 is placed in the internal space S of the hollow member 4, thereby dividing the internal space S into two small spaces S1 and S2, but two or more first parts 7 may be placed to divide the internal space S into three or more small spaces.

[0033] In the present embodiment, the sheet-like first portion 7 is rolled into a cylindrical shape to surround a portion of the filament C1, but this is not limiting. In addition, although the case where the second portion 8 is fixed to the metal plate 10 above the outside of the hollow member 4 has been exemplified, the second portion 8 may instead be fixed to the hollow member 4.

[0034] That is, as shown in Fig. 7 , the wire body processing member 5 may include a flexible, rectangular, sheet-like first portion 7 and tab-like second portions 8 protruding from both widthwise ends of the first portion 7. Then, as shown in Fig. 8 , the second portion 8 may be fixed to the hollow member 4 by, for example, a cable tie 8b using holes 12 and 13 that penetrate the hollow member 4 in the radial direction.

[0035] In this case, the shape of the wire object processing member 5 can be changed depending on the positions of the holes 12, 13 provided in the hollow member 4. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, the wire object processing member 5 may be disposed in the hollow member 4 in the form of a flat diaphragm, thereby dividing the internal space S of the hollow member 4 into two small spaces S1, S2 each having a semicircular cross section.

[0036] 10, the wire member processing member 5 may be arranged in the shape of a curved diaphragm inside the hollow member 4 to divide the hollow member 4 into two small spaces S1 and S2 having different cross-sectional shapes. Furthermore, by using two or more wire member processing members 5, the internal space S of the hollow member 4 may be divided into three or more small spaces.

[0037] Furthermore, instead of fixing the second portion 8 to the metal plate 10 above the outside of the hollow member 4, the second portion 8 may be fixed to a wire C2 such as a thick and hard air tube by, for example, a cable tie (not shown). In this case, the second portion 8 may be located inside the hollow member 4.

[0038] Furthermore, although the length of the first portion 7 is configured to be shorter than the length of the hollow member 4, it may be the same as or longer than the length of the hollow member 4.

[0039] Furthermore, although the first part 7, the second part 8, and the third part 9 are cut out integrally from the same sheet-like material, the sheet-like first part 7, the second part 8, and the third part 9 may alternatively be made from separate materials and joined together to form the filament processing member 5.

[0040] In this embodiment, at least the first portion 7 is formed in a flexible sheet shape, but this is not limiting. The filament processing member 5 may be formed in a relatively thick, elastically deformable sheet shape made of a low-friction material such as tetrafluoroethylene resin, as shown in Fig. 11 .

[0041] In the example shown in Fig. 11, the wire object processing member 5 has a rectangular, flat first portion 7 and protruding second portions 8 that protrude outward in the width direction from both widthwise edges of the first portion 7. The hollow member 4 also has a through-hole 14 that penetrates radially. The first portion 7 of the wire object processing member 5 is slightly elastically deformed and inserted into the hollow member 4, and then the elastic deformation is restored to its original state so that the second portion 8 fits into the through-hole 14. This allows the internal space S of the hollow member 4 to be divided into two small spaces S1 and S2, as shown in Fig. 12.

[0042] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. Various additions, substitutions, modifications, partial deletions, etc. are possible to these embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention or the concept and spirit of the present invention derived from the content of the claims and their equivalents. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the order of each operation, the order of each process, the omission or addition of some operations depending on conditions, and the omission or addition of some processes depending on conditions are possible without being bound by the above examples.

[0043] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Wire body processing structure 2 Fixed side housing (first member) 3 Movable side housing (second member) 4 Hollow member 5 Wire body processing member 7 First part 8 Second part 9 Third part A Axis C Wire body C1 Cable (wire body) C2 Air tube (wire body) S Internal space (hollow part) S1 First small space S2 Second small space

Claims

1. A wire processing member for wiring a plurality of wires, one side of which in a length direction is held by the first member and the other side is held by the second member, the wire processing member penetrating a hollow portion disposed along a predetermined axis between a first member and a second member which rotate relatively about the axis, a sheet-like first portion and a second portion for fixing the first portion to the first member or the second member; The first portion is disposed within the hollow portion, the hollow portion is divided into at least two small spaces in a direction intersecting the axis, and one or more of the filaments are passed through each of the divided small spaces.

2. 2. The member for handling a wire according to claim 1, which is made of a flexible material.

3. 3. The wire member processing member according to claim 1, wherein the first portion is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the one or more wire members with a gap therebetween, thereby defining the small spaces on the inside and outside, respectively.

4. 4. The wire-shaped member according to claim 3, wherein the first portion has a shape that is opened flat, and is formed into a cylindrical shape by rolling it in one direction and binding both ends.

5. 3. The wire member processing member according to claim 1, wherein the second portion is fixed to the outside of the hollow portion.

6. The second portion is fixed to an upper portion of the hollow portion arranged in a vertical direction, 3. The wire member processing member according to claim 1, further comprising a third portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, the third portion suspending the first member movably in a horizontal direction.

7. The third portion is configured in a band shape, 7. The wire member processing member according to claim 6, wherein the first portion, the second portion and the third portion are cut out from a same sheet-like material and integrally configured.

8. 3. The wire member processing member according to claim 1, wherein at least the first portion is made of a low-friction material.

9. A wire processing structure for wiring a plurality of wires, one side of which in a length direction is held by a first member and the other side of which is held by the second member, between a first member and a second member which rotate relatively around a predetermined axis, comprising: a hollow member having a hollow portion disposed along the axis and fixed to the first member or the second member; A filament processing member, the filament processing member includes a sheet-like first portion disposed in the hollow portion, and a second portion fixing the first portion to the first member or the second member, The first portion is disposed within the hollow portion, the space within the hollow portion is divided into at least two small spaces in a direction intersecting the axis, and one or more of the filaments are passed through each of the divided small spaces.

10. 1. A wire processing method for wiring a plurality of wires, one side of which in a length direction is held by the first member and the other side is held by the second member, through a hollow portion disposed along a predetermined axis between a first member and a second member which rotate relatively about the axis, the method comprising: A method for processing a filamentary object, comprising: dividing the space within the hollow portion into at least two small spaces in a direction intersecting the axis using a sheet-like filamentary object processing member; and passing one or more of the filaments through each of the divided small spaces.