Industrial Robot Arm Extension Drive Arrangement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial robots face challenges in achieving a large working area while maintaining a compact size, as existing designs often result in protruding drive housings that limit the robot's ability to be swiveled into overhead positions due to collisions with carousels.
Innovation Solution
The motor shaft of the second hand link drive is aligned perpendicularly to the axis of rotation and arranged on the arm extension at a distance from the axis of rotation, allowing for the flanging of drives such as the arm extension drive, first hand limb drive, and second hand limb drive in a way that creates space for accommodating these drives near the joint connecting the arm extension to the rocker arm without the drive housing protruding beyond the robot arm's contour, enabling a compact rocker design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If drive motors are arranged in the boom with conventional configurations, then the robot achieves adequate driving capability, but the drive housings protrude beyond the robot arm's contour, limiting the swing arm's ability to pivot into overhead positions
Solution Approach 1:
The drive motors are arranged in a different spatial configuration where at least one drive motor is positioned axially offset forward towards the robot hand relative to other drive motors. The drive shafts are designed as straight shafts running parallel to each other, terminating at essentially the same axial height. This repositioning in three-dimensional space allows the drive housings to be contained within the robot arm's contour while maintaining all necessary driving functions.
2Volume of moving object
If the robot is designed with a compact size, then the overall dimensions are reduced, but the working range becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple drive motors are nested within the boom structure in a compact arrangement. The drive shafts are arranged parallel to each other and terminate at essentially the same axial height, allowing the drive housings to be contained within the robot arm's contour. This nested configuration maintains a compact robot size while preserving the full working range through optimized spatial utilization.
3Power
If drive housings are positioned to accommodate all drive motors, then driving capability is sufficient, but the swing arm cannot pivot into inverted positions due to collision with the carousel
Solution Approach 1:
The drive motors are repositioned in three-dimensional space with at least one motor axially offset forward towards the robot hand. The drive shafts run parallel and terminate at the same axial height, creating a compact drive housing arrangement that does not protrude beyond the robot arm's contour. This spatial reconfiguration eliminates collision risks during overhead positioning while maintaining all driving functions.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an industrial robot (1) having a robot arm (2) that has multiple elements which are connected via joints and one element of which is designed as a linkage (5) and another element of which is designed as an arm extension (6). The arm extension is mounted on one side of the linkage (5) in a pivotal manner about a rotational axis (A3) by means of one of the joints and supports at least two other elements which form hand elements of the robot arm (2). The industrial robot additionally has an arm extension drive (13), which is arranged on the arm extension (6) and which is designed to pivot the arm extension (6) relative to the linkage (5), and a first hand element drive (14), which is arranged on the arm extension (6) and which is designed to move one of the hand elements (21, 22, 23) relative to the arm extension (6). A motor shaft (13a) of the arm extension drive (13) is arranged on the arm extension (6) so as to run parallel to the rotational axis (A3) at a distance therefrom in an offset manner, and a motor shaft (14a) of the first hand element drive (14) is arranged on the arm extension (6) so as to be oriented perpendicularly to the rotational axis (A3) and run at a distance from the rotational axis (A3).