Hose Guiding Element for Paint Robot Wrist Axes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hoses in robot wrist axes are prone to looping, pinching, and twisting, leading to mechanical stress and wear due to axial stretching and compression, especially during bending and rotation, which results in premature wear and friction.
Innovation Solution
A hose guiding element with axially aligned guide passages and mechanically connected guide plates, optionally with a central elastic inner tensioning core, and a spiral circumferential guide lip, designed to laterally guide hoses and accommodate bending flexibility, while preventing jamming and friction through oversized passages and lubrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If hoses are routed through rigid metal tubes in the robot wrist axis, then the hoses are positioned and protected, but the hoses are subjected to high mechanical loads due to tight radii and sharp-edged transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The hose conduit is divided into multiple separate conduit elements arranged in parallel, each with its own guide passage. This segmentation allows each element to be simpler in structure while collectively providing the necessary guidance and protection, reducing sharp edges and tight radii that cause mechanical stress on hoses
Solution Approach 2:
The conduit elements are nested within a flexible protective hose that surrounds them. This nested structure provides external protection while allowing the inner conduit elements to maintain their simplified geometry, reducing mechanical loads on the routed hoses
2Strength
If hoses are routed in a flexible protective hose in the wrist axis, then the passageway has continuous shape with larger bend radii, but the hoses still change position in the conduit causing loops and pinching
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible protective hose is divided into multiple discrete conduit elements with guide passages. This segmentation provides lateral guidance at multiple points along the hose length, preventing position changes and loop formation while maintaining the flexibility and large bend radii of the overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The conduit elements act as intermediary structures between the flexible protective hose and the routed hoses. They provide lateral guidance and positional stability to the hoses while being flexibly supported by the surrounding protective hose, preventing loops and pinching
3Reliability
If the hose guiding element uses multiple guide plates mechanically connected, then lateral guidance is provided along the entire conduit length, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each conduit element serves multiple functions: it provides lateral guidance through its guide passage, maintains hose position stability, and contributes to the overall flexibility of the assembly. The repeated modular structure allows these functions to be achieved without proportionally increasing complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A hose guiding element for routing at least one hose in a hose passageway of a robot. The hose guiding element has a least one guide passage running axially to receive the hose to be routed. The element has particular use in a wrist axis of a painting robot.