Parallel Link Robot Ball Joint Housing Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing parallel link robots face issues with ball joints separating under external forces, particularly in sanitary environments like food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, and require lightweight construction for high-speed operation while preventing wear debris dispersion.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates ball joints with a housing that covers at least half of the ball's surface, including the maximum diameter, and a sealing covering part to prevent separation and debris dispersion, eliminating the need for springs and using elongated plates to stabilize driven links, ensuring the robot remains lightweight and operates efficiently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If springs are used to connect facing cups to prevent separation, then ball joint separation is prevented, but device complexity increases and weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveball joint separation preventionVSAvoidspring connection mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes the springs from the ball joint structure. Instead of using springs to connect facing cups, the patent uses a simple cup structure that covers the ball, eliminating the need for spring connections while maintaining prevention of ball separation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The cup structure is designed to cover at least half of the ball surface including the maximum diameter part, providing localized coverage where it is most needed to prevent separation, rather than using a complex spring mechanism throughout the entire structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If cups are made smaller than half spheres to increase range of movement, then range of movement increases, but ball separation risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverange of movementVSAvoidball joint separation prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cup covers at least half of the ball surface including the maximum diameter part, providing excessive coverage compared to traditional designs. This partial coverage is sufficient to prevent ball separation while still allowing the needed range of motion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Speed

If driven links and movable part are made lighter for high-speed operation, then speed increases, but structural stability may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation speedVSAvoidstructural stability

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs composite material construction for the driven links and movable part, combining materials that provide both light weight for high-speed operation and sufficient structural stability to maintain integrity during rapid movement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS9737985B2Parallel link robot connected by ball joints

Publication Date: 2017.08.22 FANUC LTD

AI summary

A parallel link robot (10) including ball joints (42a to 42d) which are arranged between driven links (22a, 23a) and a drive link (21a) and between a driven link and a movable part (12), at least one of these ball joints including a ball (44a) and a housing (42a) which covers at least half of the surface of the ball including the maximum diameter part and further including with a covering part (45a) which covers the area around the ball of the ball joint.