Collaborative Robot Line Routing Without Heavy Conduits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for managing flexible lines in collaborative robots result in increased stiffness and weight, limiting the payload capacity when heavy tooling is used, as lines are bundled in a conduit, which can exceed the robot's payload capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A collaborative robot line management system comprising brackets with apertures and line clamps that securely route and manage flexible lines independently, reducing overall stiffness and weight, allowing for tooling that approaches the robot's payload without the need for a conduit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flexible lines are bundled in a conduit to protect and manage them, then line protection and organization are improved, but the overall stiffness and weight increase, reducing payload capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the conduit from the system entirely, extracting the protective function and replacing it with individual line management through brackets and clips. This eliminates the heavy enclosing structure while maintaining line protection through alternative means.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the bundled lines into individual managed elements, with each line routed separately through brackets and secured with clips. This segmentation allows each line to be managed independently, reducing overall stiffness while maintaining protection.
2Ease of operation
If flexible lines are bundled in a conduit, then line organization is improved, but the robot's payload capacity is reduced due to increased weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent organizes lines individually using separate brackets and clips for each line, replacing the bundled conduit approach. This segmentation maintains clear organization while eliminating the heavy conduit structure, thereby preserving payload capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses thin, flexible mounting brackets and clips instead of a rigid conduit enclosure. These thin film-like structures provide necessary organization and protection without the weight penalty of a solid conduit.
3Reliability
If a conduit is used to manage flexible lines, then line protection is improved, but the robot's available payload is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the protective function from the heavy conduit and implements it through lightweight brackets and clips. This allows the system to maintain line protection while significantly reducing weight, thereby expanding tooling options and payload capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the line management system by replacing a heavy, rigid conduit with lightweight, flexible mounting elements. This parameter change reduces weight and stiffness while maintaining protective functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A collaborative robot line management system comprises a first bracket and a second bracket. The collaborative robot line management system is operable to manage the positioning and routing of a plurality of flexible lines relative to a collaborative robot. The first bracket comprises a support portion having a plurality of apertures formed therein, and a collaborative robot mounting portion configured to interface with a first mount of a collaborative robot. The second bracket comprises a support portion having a plurality of apertures formed therein, and a collaborative robot mounting portion configured to interface with a second mount of a collaborative robot. The collaborative robot mounting portions of the first and second brackets facilitate mounting of the first and second brackets to the collaborative robot at first and second mounting locations, respectively.