Industrial Robot Cable Routing via Hollow Arm Connector
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial robots face challenges in maintaining and replacing cables due to complex routing and integration with motors, which requires significant time and effort, and exposes cables to damage from peripherals.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a second arm with a hollow portion and a through-hole for cable routing, allowing the cable to be relayed by a connector fixed to the wall section, enabling easy maintenance and replacement without disassembling the internal cable connections, and using a single cable for both power and signals to reduce complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cable is integrated and wired from the base to motors in upper sections, then the robot structure is compact and cables are protected, but maintenance and replacement of cables require significant time and effort due to complex routing
Solution Approach 1:
The cable system is divided into multiple segments: a first cable from the base to the first arm, a second cable from the first arm to the second arm, and a third cable from the second arm to the wrist. This segmentation allows individual cable sections to be maintained or replaced independently without affecting the entire cable system, resolving the contradiction between cable protection and ease of repair.
2Device complexity
If the cable routing is integrated within the robot structure, then the robot has a compact design, but cable replacement requires disassembly of internal connections
Solution Approach 1:
Connection boxes are pre-installed at strategic locations (first arm, second arm, wrist) with cable connection terminals prepared in advance. These connection boxes are positioned to be accessible from the outside of the robot, allowing cable connections to be made or changed without disassembling the internal structure, thus maintaining compact design while enabling easy cable replacement.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cables are used for power and signals, then the robot has sufficient connectivity, but the cable system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cables (power cable and signal cable) are merged into a single integrated cable assembly that runs from the base through the arms to the wrist. This consolidation maintains all necessary connectivity functions while reducing the overall complexity of the cable system by eliminating the need for separate cable routing for power and signals.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an industrial robot that includes: a second arm that is provided, at the distal end of a first arm pivotable about a first axis, in a pivotable manner about a second axis parallel to the first axis; and a wrist that is disposed at the distal end of the second arm and that has a plurality of wrist elements, and including the first wrist element provided in a rotatable manner about a longitudinal axis of the second arm. Motors and that drive the wrist elements, are accommodated in a space inside the first wrist element. The second arm is provided with a hollow portion that communicates with the space. A cable to be wired to the motors is wired into the hollow portion from the outside of the second arm and is relayed by a connector fixed to the wall section at the position of the through-hole.