Maintenance Jig for Robot Balancer Using Counteracting Spring
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large vertical articulated robots, removing a balancer with a locked reduction gear is challenging due to the inability to change the robot's posture, requiring removal at a position where the robot is at rest, and existing jigs do not effectively manage the forces generated by the balancer during maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A maintenance jig with a cylindrical casing, a movable member, a rod, and a force generating member, including a first member with a screw hole and a second member with a male screw and rotational force input portion, uses trapezoidal screws and a thrust bearing to balance and reduce forces, allowing easy removal and assembly of the balancer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the robot posture is changed to minimize balancer force before removal, then the removal process becomes easier and safer, but this is impossible when the reduction gear is locked and broken down
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance jig applies a preliminary counteracting force through the compression coil spring to balance the balancer's pulling force before removal. The jig is installed on the rod, and the compression coil spring generates a force that opposes the balancer's elastic force, enabling safe removal even when the robot cannot be repositioned due to locked reduction gear.
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance jig acts as an intermediary device between the balancer and the rod. It includes a fixing member that attaches to the rod and a compression coil spring that mediates the force interaction, allowing the balancer to be removed without directly confronting the full elastic force.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the balancer is removed at a position where the robot is at rest, then removal can proceed without moving the robot, but the balancer generates large elastic forces that make removal difficult and dangerous
Solution Approach 1:
The compression coil spring in the maintenance jig generates a counteracting force that balances the balancer's elastic force before removal begins. This preliminary anti-action reduces the net force to a manageable level, allowing safe removal while the robot remains in its current stable position.
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance jig dynamically adjusts the force balance during removal. The compression coil spring can be compressed or extended to match the balancer's elastic force at different positions, maintaining equilibrium throughout the removal process rather than relying on a fixed force balance.
3Device complexity
If the balancer is removed without proper force management, then the removal process is simpler, but the elastic forces cause dangerous movements and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance jig is installed and the compression coil spring is pre-compressed to generate the necessary counteracting force before the balancer removal begins. This preliminary action ensures that the elastic forces are already balanced, making the subsequent removal process simple and safe.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression coil spring acts as a cushioning element that absorbs and balances the elastic force of the balancer before removal. By preparing this force-balancing mechanism in advance, the system prevents dangerous movements and ensures safe removal without complex procedures.
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 the balancer to be easily removed and assembled without generating elastic forces, facilitating the return of the robot to a normal assembly posture for maintenance, even when the reduction gear is locked, by balancing and reducing the forces exerted by the compression coil spring.
Implementation Method 1
a force generating member that is accommodated in the casing and that generates a pulling force that pulls the rod into the casing in accordance with the amount of movement of the movable member
Implementation Method 2
a friction reducing portion that reduces sliding friction against the movable member may be disposed at the distal end of the second member
Data Source
AI summary
A maintenance jig for a balancer of a robot includes a balancer with a casing closed at both ends by two end plates, each having a through hole, a movable member disposed in the casing, movable in an axial direction of the casing, a rod, one end of which is fixed to the movable member and another end of which is disposed outside the casing, and a force generating member accommodated in the casing. The force generating member generates a pulling force that pulls the rod into the casing. The maintenance jig includes a first member detachably fixed to the other end plate, a second member includes a male screw portion to be fastened to a screw hole of the first member, and a rotational force input unit through which a rotational force is input.