One-Piece Robot Base With Integrated Gear Cavities for Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing parallel kinematics robots suffer from reduced accuracy and stiffness due to tolerances at interfaces between discrete gear boxes and fixtures, as well as bolt couplings, which affect the precision of relative positions and overall performance.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece base made of homogeneous material with integrated gear cavities and through holes for shafts, eliminating interfaces and enhancing structural integrity, combined with a design that includes a plurality of covers forming gear housings and actuators to actuate gears within these housings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If discrete gear boxes are attached to a common fixture by means of bolts, then the robot structure is easier to manufacture and assemble, but the tolerances at interfaces and bolt couplings decrease the stiffness and accuracy of the robot
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple discrete gear boxes and the common fixture into a single integrated base structure made of one piece of homogeneous material. The gear cavities are formed directly within the base, eliminating the need for separate fixtures and bolt connections. This integration removes interface tolerances and coupling errors, thereby improving manufacturing precision and robot accuracy while maintaining ease of manufacture through the one-piece construction.
2Ease of manufacture
If discrete gear boxes are attached to a common fixture by means of bolts, then the robot structure is easier to manufacture and assemble, but the bolt couplings decrease the stiffness of the robot
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the fixture and gear boxes into a unified one-piece base structure. By integrating the gear cavities directly into the base, the design eliminates bolt couplings entirely. This removal of discrete connections increases the overall stiffness of the robot structure, as there are no weak coupling points, while the one-piece manufacturing approach maintains ease of production.
3Ease of operation
If gear boxes are machined before attachment to the fixture, then the gear components can be pre-assembled and tested, but the tolerances at interfaces add to errors in relative positions of machined surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the gear cavities and bearing seats directly into the one-piece base structure, eliminating the need for separate gear box assemblies and their subsequent attachment to a fixture. This integration ensures that all critical surfaces (bearing seats, shaft holes) are machined as integral parts of the base, eliminating interface tolerance accumulation and ensuring high relative position accuracy between all gear components.
Data Source
AI summary
A base for a parallel kinematics robot including a plurality of gear cavities. Each gear cavity having a first bearing seat configured to receive an output shaft bearing. The base consists of one piece in homogeneous material, and thereby interfaces negatively affecting the accuracy of the robot are omitted.