Compact Robot Cell With Nested Arms For Human Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robot systems require significant changes to manufacturing lines and incur high costs and time when replacing human workers with robot cells, due to larger installation spaces compared to human workspaces.
Innovation Solution
A robot system with a compact robot cell design, where the robot cell's installation area is minimized by using a configuration with rotatable arms and a base, allowing for easy replacement of human workers without major changes to the manufacturing line, and including a positioning part and movement mechanism for precise placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If robot cells are used to replace human workers in manufacturing lines, then automation and productivity are improved, but the installation space required becomes larger than human workspaces
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm components are arranged in a nested configuration where the second arm can overlap with the first arm when rotated 180 degrees about the first rotation shaft. This nesting arrangement allows the robot to achieve a full range of motion while minimizing the footprint of the cell, reducing the installation space to be comparable to or smaller than human workspaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes vertical space by arranging rotation shafts at different heights and orientations. The first rotation shaft is positioned vertically, while the second rotation shaft is positioned horizontally at a different elevation, allowing the robot arms to operate in three-dimensional space rather than being constrained to a single plane, thereby reducing the horizontal installation footprint.
2Extent of automation
If robot cells are installed to replace human workers, then automation is improved, but major changes to the entire manufacturing line are required
Solution Approach 1:
The robot cell is designed as a modular, self-contained unit with the robot base, arms, and control systems integrated within a defined workspace boundary. This segmentation allows the robot cell to be installed as a discrete replacement for human workstations without requiring reconfiguration of the entire manufacturing line, thereby reducing the complexity of implementation.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot cell is designed with a universal interface and standardized mounting provisions that allow it to be installed in various locations along the manufacturing line. The cell can perform multiple functions including grasping, moving, and assembling components, making it a versatile replacement for different types of human workstations without requiring custom modifications for each application.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the robot arm configuration uses multiple arms with different lengths, then the workspace flexibility is improved, but the space for preventing interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot employs asymmetric arm length configuration where the first arm is longer than the second arm. This asymmetric design allows the longer first arm to reach broader areas of the workspace while the shorter second arm operates in more confined spaces, optimizing workspace flexibility without requiring excessive clearance for interference prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot arm configuration allows dynamic adjustment of the workspace envelope by rotating the second arm 180 degrees about the first rotation shaft. This dynamic repositioning capability enables the robot to access different regions of the workspace at different times, reducing the need for permanent clearance zones that would be required if both arms operated simultaneously in the same plane.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot system includes a robot cell that includes a robot and a cell in which the robot is provided and enables coexistence with a human, and an installation area of the robot cell is less than 637,500 mm2 and the robot cell is movable. Further, the robot includes an n-th (n is an integer number equal to or more than one) arm rotatable about an n-th rotation shaft and an (n+1)th arm provided on the n-th arm rotatably about an (n+1)th rotation shaft in a shaft direction different from a shaft direction of the n-th rotation shaft, and a length of the n-th arm is longer than a length of the (n+1)th arm and the n-th arm and the (n+1)th arm can overlap as seen from the (n+1)th rotation shaft.