Industrial Robot Manipulator Power Supply Relocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional industrial robots have large manipulator casings due to power supply sections for encoders being disposed near motors, making them prone to damage from impacts and dust, and requiring multiple battery placements for power backup.
Innovation Solution
The power supply section for encoders is relocated to a fixed base section of the manipulator, eliminating the need for casing-mounted power supplies and allowing a single, accessible battery placement, with noise reduction via filters and constant voltage elements on printed boards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If power supply sections are disposed near motors in movable parts of the manipulator, then noise can be filtered immediately before power is input into encoders, but the manipulator casing becomes large and power supply sections are prone to damage from impacts and dust
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply section is extracted from the movable manipulator casing and relocated to the fixed base section. This separation removes the harmful element (power supply section) from the movable part, eliminating the need for large protective casing while maintaining the filtering function through separate noise filtration components in the base section
Solution Approach 2:
A dedicated noise filter is introduced as an intermediary component between the connection cable and the power supply section in the base. This mediator handles the noise filtering function, allowing the power supply section to be safely positioned in the fixed base rather than requiring placement near motors in the movable manipulator
2Reliability
If power supply sections are disposed near motors in movable parts of the manipulator, then noise can be filtered immediately before power is input into encoders, but power supply sections can be damaged due to impact during operation and intrusion of dirt or dust
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply section is extracted from the movable manipulator and relocated to the fixed base section. This removes it from the impact and dust-prone environment of moving parts while maintaining its noise filtering function through dedicated filtration components positioned in the protected base area
Solution Approach 2:
The fixed base section provides inherent protection against impact and dust intrusion for the power supply section. By positioning the power supply in the stationary base rather than movable manipulator, the design beforehand cushions the power supply from mechanical impacts and environmental contaminants that occur during manipulator operation
3Reliability
If multiple batteries are disposed near each power supply section for power backup, then encoder power supply continuity is maintained, but device complexity and maintenance difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple batteries that would be separately disposed near each power supply section are merged into a single centralized battery placement in the base. This consolidation reduces the number of battery compartments and cabling connections from multiple distributed locations to one centralized location, simplifying the overall power backup system while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The single centralized battery in the base serves as a universal power backup source for all encoder power supply sections. Rather than requiring dedicated batteries at each power supply location, one multi-functional battery system provides backup power to multiple encoders through the power supply sections, reducing complexity while maintaining the same reliability function
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 design reduces manipulator casing size, enhances durability against impacts and dust, simplifies cabling, and facilitates efficient battery replacement, while maintaining noise immunity and compactness.
Implementation Method 1
The filter removes noise occurring between control device 102 and power supply section 10
Implementation Method 2
The constant voltage element is a power source for encoder 9-1 to 9-6, and outputs fluctuating input voltage as a constant voltage
Data Source
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AI summary
An industrial robot of the present invention includes a manipulator, a control device for controlling the manipulator, and a connection cable that connects the manipulator to the control device. The manipulator includes a fixed base section, a first motor, a first detecting section, a power supply section, a first casing, and a power supply cable. The first motor operates the manipulator. The first detecting section detects the state of the first motor. The power supply section supplies electric power to the first detecting section. The first casing stores the first motor and the first detecting section. The first power supply cable connects the first detecting section to the power supply section. The power supply section is disposed in the base section.