Robot Link Sealing Structure for Clean, Low-Wear Dynamic Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial robots face challenges in maintaining high sealing performance to prevent dust, water, and contaminants from entering their bodies, especially in harsh environments, which can cause damage and contamination, and in applications requiring high cleanliness, such as medical treatment and precision electronics manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A sealing device is designed with a first and second sealing component made of different materials, where the first component is fixedly connected to a metal member and the second component is made of plastic, forming dynamic seals in the circumferential direction, utilizing shapes like O-rings, U-rings, and junk rings to ensure effective sealing between robot links, reducing friction and wear, and using materials like PVCTE for low friction and wear resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sealing structures are used between robot links, then the structure is simple, but the sealing performance is insufficient to prevent dust, water, and contaminants from entering the robot body in harsh environments
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device is divided into multiple independent sealing components: a first sealing component (including first and second sealing portions) and a second sealing component (including third and fourth sealing portions). Each sealing portion can be made of different materials and performs specific sealing functions in different directions, allowing the system to achieve high sealing performance through modular composition rather than a single complex seal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction where different sealing portions are made of different materials optimized for their specific functions. The first sealing portion uses one material while the second sealing portion uses another material with different properties. This allows each material to be selected for its optimal performance characteristics, achieving superior overall sealing performance that would not be possible with a single material.
2Strength
If metal sealing components are used to ensure durability, then strength is improved, but friction and wear between moving parts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters of the sealing components by using different materials for different sealing portions. This material parameter variation allows optimization of both strength and friction characteristics, as different materials have different coefficients of friction and wear resistance properties.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the sealing device have different material qualities tailored to their specific functional requirements. The first sealing portion has material properties optimized for its sealing function while the second sealing portion has material properties optimized for its sealing function, allowing local optimization of both strength and friction characteristics rather than using a uniform material throughout.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If sealing components are made of plastic to reduce friction, then wear resistance is improved, but the structural strength and rigidity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device segments the plastic material application into specific portions (second sealing portion and fourth sealing portion) where friction reduction is most critical, while other portions (first sealing portion and third sealing portion) can use different materials that provide structural support and strength, achieving a balance between friction reduction and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material construction where plastic materials are combined with other materials in a multi-portion sealing structure. This allows the plastic portions to provide low-friction sealing surfaces while other portions provide structural strength, achieving a synergistic effect that overcomes the limitations of using plastic alone.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a single sealing component design is used, then device complexity is low, but adaptability to different sealing requirements and environments is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device is segmented into multiple independent sealing portions that can be configured in different arrangements depending on the specific sealing requirements. Each portion can address different sealing challenges (radial sealing, axial sealing, dynamic sealing), allowing the overall structure to be adapted to various applications by selecting and configuring appropriate portions while maintaining a modular, manageable complexity level.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a sealing device, an apparatus and a robot having the same. The sealing device for use between first and second members includes a first sealing component configured to be sealingly connected to the first member; and a second sealing component configured to be sealingly connected to the second member. The first and second sealing components are configured to form at least one dynamic seal with each other in a circumferential direction of the first and second members. The apparatus includes the sealing device. The robot includes a robot arm including at least a first link and the sealing device, wherein the first member is the first link and the second member is a second link, a base or an end-effector connected to the first link.