Annular Robot Joint Cooling Path for Motor and Gear Heat Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cooling structure integrated with the reduction gear in articulated robots is inefficient for cooling the motor and increases manufacturing costs, requiring additional cooling structures and manual disassembly for maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A cooling medium flow path structure that is annularly or tubularly shaped, surrounding the motor and reduction gear, with an internal cooling medium flow path, allowing for efficient cooling and easy mounting without disassembling the robot's components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a cooling structure integrated with the reduction gear is used, then the reduction gear can be cooled effectively, but the motor cannot be efficiently cooled and another cooling structure must be mounted on the motor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the motor cooling function and reduction gear cooling function into a single integrated cooling structure. The cooling structure includes a cooling water flow path that contacts both the motor outer peripheral surface and the reduction gear, allowing one cooling system to serve both components simultaneously, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining effective cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling structure is designed with multi-functionality to cool both the motor and reduction gear through a single system. The flow path structure is configured to thermally contact both components, enabling the same cooling medium circulation system to perform multiple cooling functions, thus avoiding the need for separate cooling structures.
2Temperature
If another cooling structure is mounted on the motor to cool the motor efficiently, then the motor can be cooled, but the manufacturing cost of the robot increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines motor cooling and reduction gear cooling into one integrated cooling structure, eliminating the need for separate cooling systems. This merger reduces the total number of components, simplifies assembly procedures, and lowers manufacturing costs while ensuring efficient cooling of both the motor and reduction gear through a unified thermal management system.
3Temperature
If the cooling structure is integrated with the reduction gear, then the reduction gear can be cooled, but the worker needs to remove the reduction gear from the robot to cool the reduction gear
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated cooling structure is designed as a unified component that can be mounted as a single assembly rather than requiring separate installation of multiple cooling systems. The flow path structure with its multiple contact portions is configured to be installed together with the motor and reduction gear, allowing workers to cool both components without disassembling the robot or removing individual components, thereby improving ease of operation and maintenance.
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
This solution reduces worker burden, increases mounting efficiency, and lowers manufacturing costs by efficiently cooling both the motor and reduction gear through heat transfer, eliminating the need for separate cooling structures.
Implementation Method 1
the motor can be cooled efficiently. In the case where a reduction gear is located on the surface of the first wall that faces the N+1-th link, the reduction gear can be cooled efficiently through heat transfer from the first wall
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling medium flow path structure is for use at a joint of a robot. The joint of the robot includes an N-th link and an N+1-th link. A tubular projection extends from a first wall constituting the N-th link, and a motor is located on the first wall. The cooling medium flow path structure is annularly or tubularly shaped such that an inner peripheral surface of the cooling medium flow path structure is located outside an outer peripheral surface of the motor. The cooling medium flow path structure includes an internal cooling medium flow path through which a cooling medium flows.