Robot Joint Assembly With Axial Fastening for Lightweight Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic arms are cumbersome, costly, and lack flexibility and reliability, particularly in lightweight collaborative robots.
Innovation Solution
A robotic arm design featuring a plurality of joints with integrated permanent magnet AC motors and strain wave gearing, along with a compact joint assembly that includes a housing system with aligned assembly holes and fastening elements, reducing weight and manufacturing complexity while enhancing reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If traditional robotic arm designs are used, then structural strength and stability are maintained, but weight increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple housing parts (first housing part, second housing part, third housing part) into an integrated joint assembly structure. The housing parts are mechanically fastened together using fastening elements that pass through aligned assembly holes, creating a unified structural unit that reduces overall complexity while maintaining strength. This merging approach allows the robotic arm to achieve lightweight design without sacrificing structural integrity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If integrated motors and gear systems are used in each joint, then compactness and flexibility are improved, but manufacturing precision requirements and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The joint assembly is segmented into multiple independent housing parts, each accommodating specific components (motors, strain wave gearing, bearing assemblies). The first housing part contains the motor and strain wave gear, the second housing part contains the bearing assembly, and the third housing part provides additional structural support. This segmentation allows each part to be manufactured and assembled separately with standard precision tolerances, then combined through the fastening element system, thereby reducing overall manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining robotic arm flexibility.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple housing parts are used in the joint assembly, then ease of assembly and manufacturing are improved, but the number of fastening elements and assembly steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening elements serve multiple functions simultaneously: they mechanically fasten the first housing part to the second housing part, provide alignment guidance during assembly, and structurally connect the joint assembly to the robotic arm body. The aligned assembly holes in each housing part create a universal interface that accommodates these multiple functions with a single fastening system, thereby simplifying the overall assembly process despite using multiple housing parts.
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
The design enables easier production, reduced material costs, and improved reliability with enhanced flexibility and reduced failure risk, facilitating compact and efficient robotic arm operation.
Implementation Method 1
integrated permanent magnet AC motors
Implementation Method 2
strain wave gearing system comprising: a flexspline fastened to the output part, and extending between an open flexspline end and a flexspline base, the flexspline is forming a flexspline cavity
Data Source
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AI summary
A robot joint assembly and a robotic arm with the joint assembly are disclosed. Also, a robot comprising the robotic arm is disclosed. The joint assembly extends along a joint axis between a primary joint assembly end and a secondary joint assembly end and comprises a housing including a first housing part and a second housing part, and an output part arranged at the secondary joint assembly end. The joint assembly also comprises a motor and a strain wave gearing system. The first housing part comprises a plurality of first assembly holes arranged circumferentially around the joint axis and each of the plurality of first assembly holes extending parallel to the joint axis, and wherein the second housing part comprises a plurality of second assembly holes arranged circumferentially around the joint axis and each of the plurality of second assembly holes extending parallel to the joint axis. Each first assembly hole of the plurality of first assembly holes is aligned with a corresponding second assembly hole of the plurality of second assembly holes and is adapted to receive a primary fastening element being inserted parallel to the joint axis from the secondary joint assembly end towards the primary joint assembly end into the first assembly hole and the second assembly hole to mechanically fastening together the first housing part and the second housing part.