Robot Rotary Joint Stopper for Rotation Beyond ±360°
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical stoppers in industrial robots cannot set the operating angle of the turning flange to 360 degrees or more, limiting the robot's ability to achieve a full 360-degree rotation, which is necessary for certain applications.
Innovation Solution
A stopper apparatus with a rotary protrusion, ring-like orbit, and two sliders, where the rotary protrusion can push the second slider to rotate but not the first, and the stop protrusion allows the first slider to be obstructed, enabling a wider rotation range beyond ±360 degrees by allowing the shaft and housing to rotate without obstruction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical stopper is used to limit the operating angle of the turning flange, then the robot joint cannot rotate 360 degrees or more in a single direction, but the operating angle can be mechanically limited to protect the drive cable
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper mechanism is segmented into multiple components: a stopper body with multiple stopper protrusions arranged at different angular positions, and a corresponding number of sliders. This segmentation allows the system to provide multiple stopping positions within a single rotation cycle, enabling the robot to achieve full 360-degree rotation while still mechanically limiting the operating angle to protect the cable.
Solution Approach 2:
The stopper mechanism transitions from a static single-position stopper to a dynamic multi-position stopper. The stopper body can rotate along with the turning flange, and the sliders can move along the circular orbit. This dynamic design allows the stopper to adapt to different rotation requirements while maintaining cable protection functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the operating angle is set to a value close to or beyond ±360 degrees, then the robot can achieve full-circle rotation, but the mechanical stopper structure cannot be implemented with conventional designs
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper mechanism serves multiple functions: it limits the operating angle to protect the cable, enables full 360-degree rotation, and provides multiple programmable stopping positions. The same structural components (stopper body, sliders, circular orbit) achieve both cable protection and full-circle rotation capabilities, reducing the need for separate mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliders act as intermediaries between the stopper protrusions and the turning flange. They transmit the limiting force while allowing smooth motion along the circular orbit, enabling the complex function of multi-position stopping within a simplified structural framework.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
A stopper apparatus for robot rotary joint (1), for limiting the rotation angle of a turning shaft (3). The stopper apparatus comprises: a rotary protrusion (4), fixed to the shaft (3) and extended from an outer circumference surface of the shaft (3); an ring-like orbit (2), fixed to a mounting housing (8) of the robot rotary joint (1), inserting the shaft (3) therein; a first slider (6) and a second slider (7), rotatably accommodated in the orbit (2) and able to push each other to rotate; a stop protrusion (5), fixed to the housing (8) of a robot rotary joint (1) and extended in the direction of the center of the shaft (3); wherein, the rotary protrusion (4) is able to directly push the second slider (7) to rotate, while it is not able to directly push the first slider (6) to rotate; the shaft (3), the rotary protrusion (4) and the second slider (7) cannot be obstructed by the stop protrusion (5) when rotate, while the first slider (6) is able to be obstructed by the stop protrusion (5) when rotate, thereby the relative rotation between the shaft (3) and the housing (8) can be stopped. The present invention also provides a rotary joint and a robot. Compared with the existing prior arts, the proposed solution enables a rotation range larger than ±360 degrees.