Umbilical Member Guide Device for Industrial Robot Wrist

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing umbilical member guide devices in industrial robots require cumbersome bending and detachment procedures for umbilical members due to perpendicular orientation changes, leading to difficulties in replacing and managing these components.

Innovation Solution

An umbilical member guide device with a guide body featuring a first plate part, a second plate part, and a connecting part that forms a perpendicular opening, allowing umbilical members to pass through and be easily detached by restoring them to a straight state, preventing kinking and facilitating easy replacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If umbilical members are laid through perpendicular opening parts in the intermediate member, then the structural compactness is improved, but the ease of operation for changing umbilical members deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural compactnessVSAvoidease of changing umbilical members

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The guide body is divided into a first plate part, second plate part, and connecting part, creating separate through holes and opening parts that allow umbilical members to be accessed and changed in a straight configuration rather than requiring 90-degree bends

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a new spatial arrangement with opening parts that open in directions perpendicular to the axial line, creating additional access dimensions for umbilical members without requiring them to bend at 90 degrees within the intermediate member

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Volume of moving object

If umbilical members are routed through the shaft member and intermediate member with perpendicular openings, then the space utilization is improved, but the risk of damage to umbilical members increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespace utilizationVSAvoidrisk of damage to umbilical members

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The guide body acts as an intermediary component between the shaft member and end effector, providing protected pathways (through holes and opening parts) that allow umbilical members to pass through without being exposed to bending stresses and damage risks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Length of stationary object

If the umbilical members are bent at 90 degrees at the intermediate member, then the routing path is compact, but the time required for changing umbilical members increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverouting path lengthVSAvoidtime for changing umbilical members

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of stationary objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The guide body is pre-configured with opening parts that open toward the outside of the robot, allowing umbilical members to be pulled out in a straight state without requiring bending operations during the changing process, thus reducing the time required for replacement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9197052B2Umbilical member guide device at front end part of wrist of industrial robot and industrial robot

Publication Date: 2015.11.24 FANUC LTD

AI summary

An umbilical member guide device of an industrial robot including an umbilical member guide body interposed between a shaft member and an end effector. The umbilical member guide body includes a first plate part having a first through hole through which the umbilical member passing through the shaft member passes, a second plate part arranged facing the first plate part, and a connecting part connecting the first plate part and the second plate part together and forming an opening part between the first plate part and the second plate part, and the second plate part further has a second through hole and a communicating part communicating the opening part and the second through hole.