Parallel Robot Supply Line Protection via Hollow Actuator Conduits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial robots with parallel kinematics face challenges in cleaning their supply lines, which are prone to contamination and damage due to their guidance along actuating units or transfer devices, and require special materials for hygiene compliance in food processing environments.
Innovation Solution
The use of an elongated hollow body connected to the robot base and a moveable joint with internal cavities guides supply lines from the base to the carrier element, protecting them from contamination and damage while allowing for flexible movement and torque transmission, and featuring telescoping tubes or flexible drive shafts for length adjustment and reduced wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If supply lines are guided along actuating units or transfer device, then supply lines can be connected from robot base to carrier element, but dirt collects in gaps causing contamination and cleaning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The supply lines are extracted from the external path along actuating units and transferred inside the hollow actuating units themselves. The hollow interior of the actuating units serves as a protected conduit, eliminating exposure to external contaminants and making cleaning straightforward by allowing cleaning fluids to flow through the internal passages.
Solution Approach 2:
The supply lines are nested within the hollow actuating units. The actuating units serve as protective housings that contain the supply lines, similar to nested dolls where one object is placed inside another. This nesting arrangement protects the supply lines from external contamination while maintaining their functional connection.
2Reliability
If supply lines are guided along actuating units, then connection is achieved, but supply lines are prone to damage during cleaning and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The supply lines are extracted from the vulnerable external position and placed inside the protective hollow structure of the actuating units. This extraction removes them from the harmful environment where cleaning activities and mechanical contact could cause damage or wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow actuating units provide beforehand cushioning and protection for the supply lines. By pre-establishing this protective enclosure, the supply lines are shielded from potential damage during cleaning operations and normal operation, reducing wear and extending service life.
3Ease of manufacture
If supply lines are guided freely without guidance, then installation is simple, but they lack protection from contamination and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating units serve multiple functions: they provide the mechanical actuation function and simultaneously serve as protective conduits for the supply lines. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate protective tubing while maintaining installation simplicity, as the protection is integrated into the existing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The supply lines are nested within the hollow actuating units, which provides protection without adding external components. This nesting approach maintains installation simplicity while achieving reliable protection from contamination and damage.
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial robot having parallel kinematics, comprising a robot base, a carrier element for accommodating a gripper or a tool, several movable, elongated actuating units, which are connected at one end thereof to drive units arranged on the robot base, and the other end of which is movably connected to the carrier element; an elongated hollow body, which has a continuous cavity and which is flexibly connected to the robot base; a joint, which has a continuous cavity and several degrees of freedom, by means of which joint the elongated hollow body is movably connected to the carrier element; and at least one supply line for a gripper arranged on the carrier element or a tool arranged on the carrier element, the supply line being guided through the cavity of the elongated hollow body and the cavity of the hollow joint from the robot base to the carrier element.