Expandable Metal-Infused Elastomer Cover for Industrial Robots

Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial robot covers cannot be rigid and damage-resistant while allowing the robot to change posture, and broken cover fragments can be difficult to detect as foreign substances, especially in clean environments like the food industry.

Innovation Solution

A wearable robot cover made of expandable material with metal powder kneaded into a rubber, resin, or elastomer substrate, allowing detection by metal detectors even if fragments are scattered or mixed into workpieces, and a detection system using existing metal detectors in production lines.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the cover is made of rigid and damage resistant structure, then the cover strength is improved, but the robot cannot change its posture due to interference with movable parts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecover strengthVSAvoidrobot posture change capability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a flexible cover made of elastomer material that can deform and adapt to the robot's movable parts during posture changes, while still providing protection against grease scattering. The flexibility of the elastomer allows the cover to conform to the changing geometry of the robot without interfering with its motion, resolving the contradiction between structural strength and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite material consisting of elastomer base material with dispersed metal particles (such as iron powder). This composite structure combines the flexibility and elasticity of elastomer with the detectability of metal particles, creating a cover that is both adaptable to robot motion and detectable by metal detectors if broken.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If the cover is made of non-metallic material to allow flexibility, then the robot posture change is enabled, but broken pieces cannot be detected by metal detectors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverobot posture change capabilityVSAvoidforeign substance detection capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses composite material consisting of elastomer base material with dispersed metal particles (such as iron powder). This composite structure combines the flexibility and elasticity of elastomer with the detectability of metal particles, creating a cover that is both adaptable to robot motion and detectable by metal detectors if broken.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces metal particles locally distributed within the elastomer cover material. This local addition of metallic properties to specific regions of the cover enables detection by metal detectors while maintaining the overall flexible and elastic properties of the elastomer base material necessary for robot posture changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If the cover is made of soft material to avoid interference with robot movement, then the robot posture change is enabled, but the cover may break more easily

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverobot posture change capabilityVSAvoidcover durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses composite material consisting of elastomer base material with dispersed metal particles (such as iron powder). This composite structure combines the flexibility and elasticity of elastomer with the detectability of metal particles, creating a cover that is both adaptable to robot motion and detectable by metal detectors if broken.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates metal particles within the elastomer cover as a form of beforehand cushioning. These dispersed metal particles provide structural reinforcement to the soft elastomer material, enhancing the cover's durability and resistance to breaking while the robot changes posture, without compromising the flexibility needed for movement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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 reliable detection of broken cover fragments as foreign substances without interfering with the robot's posture changes and reduces cleaning intensity by using existing metal detection infrastructure, suitable for industries like food processing.

Implementation Method 1

since a metal can be detected by a metal detector or the like, the broken piece can be detected even if it is scattered and attached to or mixed into the workpiece

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMetal detection: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS11707855B2Cover for robots and detection system

Publication Date: 2023.07.25 DENSO WAVE INC

AI summary

Provided is a cover for an industrial robot, in which the cover does not interfere with robot movements, and ensures a fragment broken from the cover to be detected as a foreign substance, even if the fragment is mixed into a workpiece. Further provided is a detection system for detecting a fragment of the broken cover. In the robot, as an exemplary embodiment, an upper bellows cover and a lower bellows cover, which are members for enclosing a movable part of the robot, are configured to be wearable on the robot which is, for example, an industrial four-axis robot. A portion of the cover, enclosing such movable part as a shaft of the robot, is configured to be expandable, and made of a material in which a metal powder is kneaded into a substrate, which is a sheet made of rubber, resin, or elastomer.