Robot Lubrication System for Ceiling and Floor Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robots with rotatable arms installed on a floor face challenges in lubricating oil distribution when used in environments where they are suspended from a ceiling, leading to inadequate lubrication and potential wear of sliding parts within reducers.
Innovation Solution
A robot design that allows lubricating oil to be supplied from the opposite side or arm side to the sliding parts, with optional configurations for ceiling or floor installation, and includes grooves to prevent fluid entry and maintain operational reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the robot is installed on the floor with a single oil supply port, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the lubricating oil cannot be sufficiently supplied to sliding parts when the robot is suspended from the ceiling
Solution Approach 1:
The single oil supply port is divided into multiple oil supply ports positioned at different locations (first oil supply port and second oil supply port). This segmentation allows lubricating oil to be supplied from multiple directions, ensuring adequate lubrication regardless of whether the robot is installed on the floor or suspended from the ceiling.
Solution Approach 2:
The base is designed with multiple oil supply ports that can accommodate both floor-mounted and ceiling-suspended installations. The same base structure serves universal installation purposes by providing lubrication capability in multiple orientations, eliminating the need for different base designs for different installation methods.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the robot is suspended from the ceiling, then installation flexibility is improved, but lubricating oil distribution to sliding parts becomes insufficient leading to wear
Solution Approach 1:
The lubrication system is segmented into multiple oil supply ports positioned at different locations within the base. When the robot is suspended from the ceiling, the lubricating oil can be supplied from the first oil supply port, ensuring that oil reaches the sliding parts despite the inverted orientation, thereby preventing wear.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of relying on a single oil supply port that assumes floor-mounted orientation, the invention inverts the approach by providing multiple oil supply ports that can supply oil from different directions. This inversion of the single-point supply concept ensures lubrication effectiveness in both floor-mounted and ceiling-suspended configurations.
3Reliability
If grooves are added to prevent fluid entry, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A seal member (flexible element) is incorporated into the groove structure to prevent fluid from entering between the base and the object. The seal member flexes to maintain contact and sealing effectiveness, providing reliable fluid protection without requiring a completely rigid or complex structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove is designed with an asymmetric cross-sectional shape that, in combination with the seal member, creates an effective barrier against fluid entry. The asymmetric geometry works together with the flexible seal to prevent fluid infiltration while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
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 ensures effective lubrication of sliding parts, reducing wear and preventing fluid-related failures, regardless of the installation environment, thereby enhancing the robot's operational versatility and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
a lubricating oil can be supplied to the sliding part from an opposite side to the arm with respect to the sliding part... reduce wear of the sliding part by the lubricating oil
Data Source
AI summary
A robot includes a base, an arm provided on the base, and a reducer having a sliding part and decelerating driving of the arm, wherein a lubricating oil can be supplied to the sliding part from an opposite side to the arm with respect to the sliding part.