Embedded-Cable Robot Arm Link for Simplified Routing and Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The design of robot arm links faces challenges in routing cables without affecting the rotation range and increasing the risk of premature cable failure, particularly in small robots, where cable assembly is time-consuming and prone to deformation, requiring operator expertise and frequent disassembly for maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A robot arm link with a transmission cable embedded within a non-metallic body, featuring connectors for electrical connection to other arm links, sensors, or power sources, eliminating the need for external cable routing and simplifying assembly and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If cables are routed externally in robot arm links, then cable replacement is simple, but cable routing design becomes complex and affects rotation range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cable with the arm link structure by embedding the cable inside the arm link body. The cable is integrated into the arm link such that it moves together with the arm link during rotation, eliminating the need for separate cable routing design. This integration resolves the contradiction by simplifying the overall structure while maintaining ease of cable replacement through modular arm link design.
2Reliability
If cables are routed through the whole robot from base to wrist, then signal and power transmission are established, but assembly and maintenance require frequent disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cable system into modular units embedded in each arm link. Each arm link contains its own embedded cable, allowing individual arm links to be assembled and maintained independently. This segmentation enables rapid assembly by simply connecting arm links together without requiring disassembly of the entire robot structure, thus reducing assembly and maintenance time while maintaining reliable signal and power transmission through the segmented cable paths.
3Ease of operation
If cables are made flexible for ease of routing, then cable assembly becomes easier, but cables are prone to deformation from initial shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the cable to match the specific routing path within the arm link before final assembly. The cable is shaped in advance to fit the predetermined route inside the arm link body, eliminating the need for complex routing during assembly. This pre-shaping maintains cable stability by preventing deformation from initial shapes while keeping the assembly process simple, as the pre-formed cable simply needs to be inserted into its designated path.
Data Source
AI summary
Robot arm link (100) comprises a body made of non-metallic material, a transmission cable (102) made of conducive material and embedded within the body (101), and at least one connector (103) arranged on the body (101) and coupled to the transmission cable (102), each connector (103) adapted to be electrically connected to a connector (1031) of a further robot arm link (1001) of a same specification, a sensor (301), or a power source (302) of the robot (200). By embedding the transmission cable (102) within the non-metallic material to form the robot arm link (100), there is no need to consider how to route the cable (102) and thus the difficulty of cable routing design can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, the efficiency of robot assembly and maintenance can be increased accordingly. In addition, the cables (102) arranged in the robot arm links (101) are not easily damaged, thereby increasing the service life of the robot.