Robot Cable Routing With Cable Glands for Liquid-Tight Wrist Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robot linear-object routing methods face challenges in ensuring a reliable liquid-tight seal for cables routing, particularly in environments where the robot's wrist unit is exposed to liquids, leading to potential dust, splash, and moisture ingress.
Innovation Solution
A robot linear-object unit with a flexible sheath-covered first part, loose cable groups in a second part housed within a casing, and third parts with flexible piping tubes, all sealed using cable glands, providing improved dust-proof and splash-proof performance without the need for heat-shrinkable tubes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heat-shrinkable tubes are used for sealing cables, then a liquid-tight seal can be achieved, but the manufacturing process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat-shrinkable tube from the cable sealing system and replaces it with a dedicated sealing structure consisting of a sealing member and sealing groove. This eliminates the need for thermal shrinking processes while maintaining liquid-tight sealing reliability, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing production time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the sealing mechanism from thermal contraction (heat-shrinkable tubes) to mechanical deformation (sealing member deforming under compression). The sealing member is pressed into the sealing groove to create a mechanical seal, transforming the sealing parameter from temperature-dependent to force-dependent, which simplifies the manufacturing process.
2Ease of operation
If cables are routed without proper sealing structures, then the installation process is simple, but dust, splash, and moisture ingress occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates sealing grooves and sealing members into the cable routing structure during manufacturing, before installation. This preliminary preparation ensures that when cables are installed, the sealing function is already in place, preventing dust and moisture ingress without complicating the installation process. The sealing structure is pre-configured to work automatically upon cable insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member acts as an intermediary element between the cable and the external environment. It is positioned in the sealing groove to create a barrier that prevents harmful factors (dust, splash, moisture) from reaching the cables and internal components, while allowing the cable to pass through freely.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If complex sealing structures are implemented, then protection against dust and splashes is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies sealing structures only at specific locations where cables penetrate the robot body, rather than implementing a complex sealing system throughout the entire device. The sealing grooves and sealing members are localized to the cable routing areas, providing targeted protection against dust and splashes without unnecessarily increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member is designed as a flexible component that can deform under compression to create an effective seal. This flexible sealing approach provides robust protection against dust and splashes while maintaining a simple structural design, avoiding the need for complex rigid sealing mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot linear-object unit includes: a first part including cables, which lead to motors, that are covered by a flexible sheath having a circular outer shape in cross section; a second part including the cables in a loose state at one end of the first part; a plurality of third parts each including one or more of the cables of the second part bundled together for a connector connected to corresponding one of the motors, the third parts being covered by flexible covering materials having circular outer shapes in cross section; and a casing that accommodates the second part and is fixed to a movable part. The casing is provided with a plurality of through holes that allow the first and the third parts to pass through the casing. Spaces between the through holes, the sheath, and the covering materials are fixed in a liquid-tight state by cable glands.