Cable Guide Device for Articulated Robot Arms
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for guiding hose packages in industrial robots face challenges in achieving a suitable restoring force, particularly at the retracted position, while maintaining a compact design and minimizing force increase in the extended position, due to the need for high spring hardness and linear restoring force according to Hooke's law.
Innovation Solution
A device with a guide unit and slide element, featuring a flexible, strand-shaped connecting element that deflects around a deflection element, allowing for adjustable restoring force through a translation mechanism, enabling a lower spring hardness and maintaining a constant restoring force over the adjustment path, with optional elastic connecting elements and multiple deflection rollers for enhanced force transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the overall device length is reduced for compact design, then the adjustment path for the elastic restoring unit is limited, but this makes it difficult to achieve sufficient restoring force with appropriate spring hardness
Solution Approach 1:
The deflection element creates a curved transmission path for the connecting element, effectively utilizing spatial arrangement rather than just linear length. This allows the system to achieve adequate restoring force with a shorter overall device length by optimizing the force transmission geometry rather than relying solely on increased spring preload or longer adjustment paths
2Volume of moving object
If a compact device design is used, then space is minimized, but achieving the largest possible compensation lengths becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic cable routing mechanism where the deflection element can adjust its position or orientation, allowing the system to provide variable compensation lengths within a compact form factor. This dynamic adaptability enables the device to accommodate different hose package lengths without requiring a large fixed structure
Solution Approach 2:
The deflection element is integrated within the compact device structure, with the connecting element routing through the available internal space. This nested arrangement maximizes the use of available volume to achieve the required compensation length while maintaining a compact external dimensions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for a suitable adjustment of restoring force in both retracted and extended positions, ensuring reliable hose package guidance with reduced friction and tilting moments, while maintaining a compact design and optimal spring hardness, thus addressing the conflicting requirements of space efficiency and compensation length.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic restoring unit is arranged, which is arranged to act between the guide unit and the slide element, i.e. exerts a restoring force on the slide element
Implementation Method 2
The elastic restoring units, such as coil springs, are typically subject to Hooke's law, so the restoring force increases linearly with the path
Implementation Method 3
The flexible, strand-shaped connecting element which is guided around the deflection element and connected to the slide element. The elastic restoring force is exerted on the slide element via this flexible, strand-shaped connecting element
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
To exert a suitable restoring force on a device (10) for guiding at least one cable of an articulated robot arm (1), a restoring mechanism (40) is designed to exert an elastic restoring force. This mechanism comprises a guide unit (42, 20) and a sliding element (28) slidably mounted thereon. An elastic restoring unit is arranged between the sliding element (28) and the guide unit (42, 20), which has at least one deflection element, preferably designed as a deflection roller (44, 60), and a flexible, strand-shaped connecting element (46, 66).