Rotary Joint Assembly With Internal Fluid Routing for Robot Grippers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional delta robots suffer from external hose connections that restrict gripper motion, cause collisions, and require time-consuming hose attachment/disconnection, leading to inefficiencies and potential wear.
Innovation Solution
A rotary joint assembly with an outer and inner body design that allows for internal fluid connections, enabling torque transmission and fluid guidance, eliminating external hoses and allowing unrestricted gripper rotation, with a compact and lightweight structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If external hose connections are used to supply fluids to the gripper, then fluid supply is enabled, but the gripper's range of motion is restricted and collisions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fluid supply function from external hose connections and integrates it into the rotary joint assembly itself. The fluid connections are now internal to the rotary joint, allowing the gripper to rotate freely without external hoses restricting its motion or causing collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotary joint assembly acts as an intermediary structure that provides both mechanical support and fluid supply functions. By integrating the fluid connections into the rotary joint, it mediates between the stationary fluid supply system and the moving gripper, enabling unrestricted motion while maintaining fluid supply.
2Adaptability or versatility
If hose connections are attached and detached externally, then gripper replacement is possible, but time is lost and wear occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the mechanical coupling function with the fluid connection function into a single integrated rotary joint assembly. When the gripper is coupled to the rotary joint, both mechanical attachment and fluid connections are established simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate hose attachment operations and reducing coupling time.
3Productivity
If a compact rotary joint assembly is designed with internal fluid connections, then gripper coupling is faster and unrestricted motion is enabled, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The rotary joint assembly is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides mechanical support, torque transmission, and fluid supply functions. This universal design consolidates multiple functions into a single structure, improving coupling speed and enabling unrestricted motion while managing complexity through functional integration.
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
Facilitates faster gripper coupling, reduces wear, prevents collisions, and enables unrestricted gripper motion, enhancing operational efficiency and precision.
Implementation Method 1
Each first fluid connection is fluid-connected via a fluid line penetrating the outer body and/or the inner body to a second fluid connection on the inner body associated with the respective first fluid connection
Data Source
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AI summary
A rotary joint assembly (2) for a robot (1) comprises an outer body (5) with a cavity (25) and an inner body (20) contained in the cavity (25), wherein the inner body (20) is rotatable about an axis (A) relative to the outer body (5). The rotary joint assembly (2) is characterized by the fact that one or more first fluid connections (13) are provided on the outer body (5), that a joint structure (6) for coupling one or more robot arms (3) is provided on the outer body (5), that the inner body (20) has a coupling (11) for coupling a gripper (10), that one or more second fluid connections (33) are provided on the inner body (20), and that each first fluid connection (13) is fluidly connected via a fluid line (28) penetrating the outer body (5) and/or the inner body (20) to an associated second fluid connection (33) on the inner body (20).