Spaced Coil Return Springs for Robot Cable Guides
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable guiding devices for industrial robots have return springs with large surfaces that accumulate contaminants, making them difficult to clean, particularly in food and drug production environments.
Innovation Solution
The return springs' wire turns are spaced apart to maintain a minimum distance, allowing for effective cleaning, and multiple springs can be used in parallel to increase restoring force without increasing size, with a stop preventing pivoting in the opposite direction and notches to prevent slippage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the return spring is designed as a conventional torsion coil spring with closely wound coils, then the spring can provide sufficient restoring force, but the coils accumulate contaminants and are difficult to clean
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the return spring by spacing the coils at distances of at least 3 mm (preferably at least 4 mm) from one another in the rest position of the pivot arm. This parameter change maintains the restoring force capability while creating gaps that allow cleaning agents to reach all surfaces of the spring wire, solving the cleanability problem without sacrificing mechanical performance
2Force
If multiple return springs are used in parallel to increase restoring force, then the total force increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the restoring force function by using multiple identical return springs arranged in parallel. Each spring is independently constructed with spaced coils, and together they provide the total required restoring force. This segmentation allows the system to achieve higher force without requiring a single oversized spring that would be difficult to clean, while the modular identical design minimizes complexity through standardization
3Adaptability or versatility
If the pivot arm is allowed to pivot freely in both directions, then the robot has full movement range, but the spring coils may come into contact and accumulate contaminants
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by pre-spacing the spring coils at distances of at least 3 mm before any contamination can occur. This preventive geometric design ensures that even when the pivot arm moves through its full range of motion, the coils maintain sufficient separation to allow cleaning agents to access all surfaces, preventing contaminant accumulation before it becomes a problem
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 enables easy cleaning of the return springs and enhances the stability and durability of the cable guiding system by maintaining a consistent distance between wire turns and distributing the restoring force effectively.
Implementation Method 1
at least one return spring (38), against whose restoring force the pivot arm (22) can be pivoted from a rest position
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a
Figure 2b
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (14) for guiding cables (16) on an industrial robot (10) with a swivel arm (22) for mounting on a robot axis (12) in an arrangement pivotable about a pivot axis (24) fixed to the robot axis, with a holder (26) for the cables (16) mounted on the swivel arm (22), and with at least one return spring (38) against whose return force the swivel arm (22) can be pivoted from a rest position in a first pivoting direction (44). According to the invention, the at least one return spring (38) is a tension spring designed as a helical spring, extendable against the return force in a longitudinal direction (46), the coils of which are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction (46) in the rest position of the swivel arm (22).