Magnetic Rotational Hardstop for Robot Shoulder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cylindrical robots with limited 360° rotation range require complex slip ring assemblies and restrict accessible range due to hardstop assemblies, leading to inefficient path reversal and potential cable breakage or entanglement, limiting their throughput and accessibility.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of rotational hardstop assemblies using opposing magnets for non-contact engagement, allowing greater than 360° non-continuous rotation without wear or noise, enabling robots to access locations from either direction and extending their operational range up to 720°.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a structural hardstop assembly is used to prevent over-rotation, then the robot arm is prevented from over-rotating, but the robot must reverse course and travel longer paths, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical hardstop assemblies with magnetic fields. Magnets are positioned on the stationary member and rotatable member to create magnetic repulsion forces that prevent over-rotation without physical contact. This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical engagement and disengagement, allowing the robot to reverse direction more quickly and efficiently, thereby improving throughput while maintaining over-rotation prevention.
2Adaptability or versatility
If cables are routed through the shoulder for power and control, then electrical connections are provided, but rotating over 360° will lead to breakage and entanglement of the cables
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical cable routing through the shoulder with wireless communication and power transmission technologies. This substitution allows the robot arm to rotate freely beyond 360° without cable entanglement or breakage, while maintaining reliable electrical connections for power and control signals.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a moving hardstop is used to provide non-continuous rotation, then rotation over 360° is enabled, but mechanical contact causes wear and contact noise over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact between moving and stationary hardstops with magnetic field interactions. Magnets are positioned on both the stationary member and rotatable member to create magnetic repulsion forces that prevent over-rotation without physical contact. This substitution eliminates mechanical wear and contact noise, significantly extending the service life of the hardstop mechanism while maintaining the ability to provide non-continuous rotation beyond 360°.
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
Enables efficient and noise-free continuous rotation beyond 360°, reducing path reversal distances and maintaining high-speed operations without mechanical wear, thus enhancing the robot's accessibility and throughput in semiconductor processing and wafer transfer systems.
Implementation Method 1
The rotational hardstop assemblies include opposing magnets. According to various embodiments, the opposing magnets provide non-contact engagement and produce no contact noise nor have any wear over time.
Data Source
AI summary
Rotational hardstop assemblies that provide greater than 360 degrees of non-continuous rotation for rotating mechanisms are provided. In certain embodiments, an assembly is used to provide 630 or more degrees of rotation for the shoulder axis of a robot, such as a wafer transfer robot. The rotational hardstop assemblies include opposing magnets as springs. According to various embodiments, the opposing magnets provide non-contact engagement and produce no contact noise nor have any wear over time. The rotational hardstop assemblies provide the ability to location from either direction of rotation of a robot cylindrical coordinate system.