Robot Arm Cable Routing via Rotation Shaft Groove
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robot designs with rotatable arms face challenges in maintaining the longevity of cables due to twisting and pulling forces when the rotary housing rotates, leading to a short cable life.
Innovation Solution
A robot configuration where an elongated object, such as a cable, is bound in two positions on the rotation shaft, ensuring it remains linear and is not pulled by other components during arm rotation, thereby reducing stress and extending its lifespan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cable is inserted into the crankshaft and the rotary housing rotates, then the arm can rotate with respect to the base, but the side wall of the crankshaft comes into contact with the cable causing twisting and pulling forces that reduce cable life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cable from the crankshaft interior and routes it externally along the rotation shaft. The cable is guided through a groove formed on the rotation shaft's outer surface, separating it from the crankshaft's rotating side wall that causes twisting and pulling forces. This extraction eliminates the harmful contact between the cable and crankshaft side wall during arm rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a groove structure as an intermediary element on the rotation shaft to guide and constrain the cable's position. This groove acts as a mediator that allows the cable to rotate with the arm while maintaining a fixed relative position, preventing twisting and pulling forces. The groove serves as a protective pathway that accommodates the cable's movement during rotation.
2Device complexity
If the cable is routed through the crankshaft, then the structure is compact, but the cable is subjected to twisting and pulling forces during rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is extracted from the crankshaft interior and routed externally along the rotation shaft. This extraction removes the cable from the problematic environment inside the crankshaft where it would be subjected to twisting and pulling forces from the rotating side wall, while still maintaining a relatively compact structure through the use of the rotation shaft's outer surface as a guide.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove formed on the rotation shaft acts as a flexible guiding structure that accommodates the cable's movement during rotation. The groove's geometry allows the cable to bend and follow the rotation shaft's contour without experiencing excessive stress, protecting the cable's integrity while maintaining structural compactness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cable is allowed to move freely during arm rotation, then the arm has full range of motion, but the cable becomes twisted and pulled reducing its lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The groove on the rotation shaft serves as an intermediary guiding structure that constrains the cable's movement path. This groove allows the cable to move with the arm through the full range of motion while preventing free twisting and pulling. The groove acts as a controlled pathway that maintains cable integrity during rotation, extending cable lifespan without limiting arm adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable routing system is designed to be dynamic, following the rotation shaft's movement during arm rotation. The groove's geometry and positioning allow the cable to adapt its position dynamically as the arm rotates, maintaining optimal alignment and preventing excessive stress accumulation that would reduce cable lifespan.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot includes: a base; an arm which is provided to be rotatable with respect to the base using a predetermined rotation shaft as the center of rotation; and an elongated object including a portion present in the base and in the arm, in which the elongated object is bound in a first binding position which is on the rotation shaft and in the base and a second binding position which is on the rotation shaft and in the arm.