Hose Guide Element Rod Arrangement for Industrial Robot
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for guiding hose assemblies in industrial robots lack flexibility and stability, often requiring additional components and specific configurations for different applications, leading to increased costs and potential uncontrolled looping or wrapping of hoses.
Innovation Solution
A device with a guide element featuring at least three guide rods, where the hose can move against a restoring force, providing lateral outlet openings for supply lines and allowing flexible guidance without additional components like housings, offering high stability and symmetry for universal application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a two-part guide element with housing and lateral deflecting is used, then the supply lines are protected from soiling, but the device complexity increases and flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the housing and lateral deflecting components from the guide element, eliminating the need for a two-part construction. The guide element consists only of guide rods that clamp between holding elements, removing unnecessary components while maintaining supply line protection through the rod arrangement itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rods serve multiple functions: they provide structural support, guide the hose assembly longitudinally, and create lateral outlet openings between adjacent rods. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate housing components, reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If additional components like housing are added to the guide element, then stability is improved, but the adaptability and flexibility for different applications are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element with a variable number of guide rods (at least three) can be adapted to different applications by adjusting the rod count and arrangement. The same basic structure provides stable guidance while accommodating various hose configurations and outlet requirements through simple structural adjustments rather than complete redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide element design allows dynamic adaptation between different configurations. By varying the number of guide rods and their spacing, the system can be optimized for different stability requirements while maintaining the same fundamental structure, enabling flexibility across applications without adding complex components.
3Stability of the object's composition
If more guide rods are added to increase stability, then the hose guidance becomes more reliable, but the number of lateral outlet openings increases complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Each guide rod serves dual purposes: providing structural stability and creating lateral outlet openings with adjacent rods. This eliminates the need for separate outlet components, as the outlet openings are naturally formed by the arrangement of guide rods themselves, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining stability.
4Manufacturing precision
If a fixed guide element configuration is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the ease of operation and flexibility for different robot types is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element design with variable guide rod configurations allows the same manufacturing process to produce different stable structures. By adjusting the number and spacing of guide rods within the same basic design framework, the system maintains manufacturing precision while adapting to different robot types and application requirements.
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
The solution provides secure, flexible, and reliable guidance of hose assemblies close to the robot arm, preventing uncontrolled movements and allowing easy adjustment and universal compatibility across various industrial robot types and applications, reducing costs and complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a restoring element, in particular a spring element, providing a restoring force
Data Source
AI summary
In order to allow, in particular in the case of an industrial robot for a hose assembly to be used, a simply constructed guide element which is flexible is provided. The guide element has longitudinal compensation for the hose assembly and is formed by preferably four guide rods which are distributed uniformly on a circular line and are respectively fastened at their ends to a holding ring. The supply lines running in the hose assembly can be flexibly guided laterally out from the guide element, to any desired sides, between the guide rods. A helical spring which surrounds the hose assembly in the guide element, is provided for a restoring movement.