Hygienic assembly and hygienic robot
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robots in fields like food, beverage, and healthcare require improved hygienic standards to prevent substance accumulation and bacterial growth on exposed surfaces, which should also be easy to clean.
Innovation Solution
A hygienic assembly comprising a housing, flange, and seal member is designed to cover the reduction box of a robot's joint, featuring a tubular member, ring member, and gasket to create a shield structure that prevents substance accumulation and bacterial growth, with easy disassembly for cleaning and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the reduction box is exposed without covering, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but substances accumulate on the surface and bacteria can grow
Solution Approach 1:
A housing structure is provided that covers the reduction box, creating a shield that prevents substance accumulation and bacterial growth on exposed surfaces while maintaining ease of cleaning through smooth, non-porous surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is divided into multiple components including a tubular member, ring member, and flange that can be separately manufactured and assembled, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while providing complete coverage
2Reliability
If the housing is made as a single integrated piece, then the seal is better, but the manufacturing and assembly become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into a tubular member, ring member, and flange that can be manufactured separately using standard machining processes, then assembled together with simple fastening methods, maintaining both manufacturing ease and sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
A seal member is introduced as an intermediary component between the housing parts and the reduction box, providing reliable sealing without requiring complex integrated sealing features in each component
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the housing is tightly sealed, then bacteria prevention is improved, but cleaning and maintenance become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented housing design allows easy disassembly into separate components (tubular member, ring member, flange) that can be individually removed for thorough cleaning and maintenance while maintaining effective sealing during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member acts as a removable intermediary that can be easily detached for cleaning purposes, allowing the housing to be disassembled for maintenance while providing effective sealing during normal operation
Data Source
AI summary
A hygienic assembly and a hygienic robot. The hygienic assembly includes a housing adapted to be connected to a reduction box of a joint of the robot, an opening, and a flange having a first end for connecting to an output member of the reduction box and a second end for connecting to an end effector. The assembly also includes a seal member which includes an outer ring fixed to an inner circumferential surface of the opening and a seal lip slidably contacting an outer circumferential surface of the flange.