ARTICULATED ARM ROBOT JOINT ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

A joint arrangement for an articulated arm robot includes a first structural member and a second structural member which is mounted, in particular floatingly mounted, in a pivot bearing on the first structural member. A first cable has a first cable portion arranged on the first structural member and a second cable portion arranged on the second structural member. The first and second cable portions are connected in a first cable loop. In one embodiment the joint arrangement has a torque sensor.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A joint arrangement for an articulated arm robot, comprising: a first structural member of the robot; a second structural member mounted on the first structural member in a pivot bearing; at least one first cable having a first cable portion arranged on the first structural member and a second cable portion arranged on the second structural member; wherein the first and second cable portions are connected in a first cable loop; and at least one of: a torque sensor configured for recording an axial torque between the first and second structural member, or an electric drive configured for adjusting the first and second structural member with respect to one another.

12. The joint arrangement of claim 11, wherein the second structural member is mounted on the first structural member in a cantilever manner.

13. The joint arrangement of claim 12, wherein at least one of the torque sensor or electronic drive is at least partly covered by the first cable loop.

14. The joint arrangement of claim 11, wherein: the at least one first cable comprises a plurality of first cables, each having respective first and second cable portions connected in a cable loop; and at least one of: the cable loops are arranged one inside the other, the cable loops are curved in the same direction, the cable loops extend in the same direction, or the cable loops encompass the pivot bearing in the same direction.

15. The joint arrangement of claim 14, wherein a radial offset between at least one of the first cable portions, between the second cable portions, or between the cable loops is smaller than a diameter of the first cable.

16. The joint arrangement according to claim 11, further comprising: at least one second cable, the second cable comprising a first cable portion arranged on the first structural member and a second cable portion arranged on the second structural member; wherein the first and second cable portions of the second cable are connected in a second cable loop; and wherein the first and second cable loops are arranged such that the first and second cable loops curve in directions opposite one another.

17. The joint arrangement of claim 16, wherein the oppositely curved first and second cable loops do not overlap.

18. The joint arrangement of claim 11, wherein the first cable comprises at least one electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic line.

19. The joint arrangement of claim 18, wherein the at least one electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic line is configured for supplying a robot drive.

20. An articulated arm robot, comprising: at least one joint arrangement according to claim 11; wherein an axis of rotation of the pivot bearing of the joint arrangement is an articulation axis of the robot.

21. The articulated arm robot of claim 20, comprising at least two joint arrangements; wherein the axes of rotation of the joint arrangements are in parallel or are perpendicular to one another.

22. A method for assembling a joint arrangement for an articulated arm robot, the method comprising: mounting a second structural member on a first structural member of the robot in a pivot bearing; arranging a first cable portion of at least one first cable on the first structural member; arranging a second cable portion of the at least one first cable on the second structural member; and connecting the first and second cable portions in a first cable loop.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0032] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an articulated arm robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] FIG. 2 depicts a joint arrangement of the articulated arm robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0034] FIG. 3 depicts a joint arrangement of the articulated arm robot according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] FIG. 1 shows, by way of example, a six-axis articulated arm robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. The axes of the robot or of the pivot bearing are denoted A1, . . . , A6, and the structural members are denoted 11, . . . , 17.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a plan view, perpendicular to the axis of rotation thereof, of a joint arrangement of the articulated arm robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the axis of rotation Ai of FIG. 2 can in particular be the articulation axis A5.

[0037] The joint arrangement comprises a pivot bearing 100 which is shown only schematically and in which a first structural member 1i and a second structural member 1 (i+1) of the robot, i.e. for example the structural members 15, 16, are mounted in a cantilever manner against one another.

[0038] In addition or alternatively, a torque sensor for recording an axial torque between the first and second structural member, and/or an electric drive for adjusting the first and second structural member with respect to one another, can also be indicated or denoted by 100.

[0039] The joint arrangement comprises a total of four cables 20, 30, 40, 50, each comprising a first cable portion (of which, for the sake of clarity, only the first cable portion 51 of the cable 50 is denoted in FIG. 2) arranged on the first structural member 1i, and a second cable portion (of which, for the sake of clarity, in turn only the second cable portion 52 of the cable 50 is denoted in FIG. 2) arranged on the second structural member 1 (i+1), the first and second cable portion in each case being connected in a cable loop 23, 33, 43 or 53.

[0040] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the cable loops 23, 33, 43, and 53 of the cables 20, 30, 40, 50 are arranged one inside the other and are curved in the same direction, extend or roll up in the same direction or on one side, and encompass the pivot bearing in the same direction or on the same side.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows, in a view corresponding to FIG. 2, a joint arrangement of the articulated arm robot according to a further embodiment of the present invention, again, for the sake of clarity, only the first cable portion 31 or 51 and the second cable portion 32 or 52 of the cable 30 or 50, respectively, being denoted. In this case, the axis of rotation Ai of FIG. 3 can in particular be the articulation axis A2 or A3. Mutually corresponding features are identified by the same reference signs, such that reference is made to the above description, and only differences are discussed in the following.

[0042] In the joint arrangement of FIG. 3, the cable loops 23, 33, 43 and 53 are arranged such that the cable loop 23 and the cable loop 33 are always opposite the cable loops 43 and 53 without any overlap, and accordingly, vice versa, the cable loop 43 and the cable loop 53 are always opposite the cable loops 23 and 33 without any overlap.

[0043] Although embodiments given by way of example have been explained in the preceding description, it is noted that a plurality of modifications are possible. It should furthermore be noted that the embodiments given by way of example are merely examples which are not intended to restrict the scope of protection, the applications and the structure in any ways. Instead, the above description provides guidance for a person skilled in the art to implement at least one embodiment given by way of example, it being possible for various amendments to be made, in particular in view of the function and arrangement of the described components, without departing from the scope of protection as emerges from the claims and the combinations of features equivalent thereto.

[0044] While the present invention has been illustrated by a description of various embodiments, and while these embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such de-tail. The various features shown and described herein may be used alone or in any combination. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative example shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit and scope of the general inventive concept.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0045] 11-17, 1i, 1 (i+1) structural member [0046] A1-A6, Ai axis of rotation [0047] 20, 30, 40, 50 cable [0048] 31, 51 first cable portion [0049] 32, 52 second cable portion [0050] 23, 33, 43, 53 cable loop [0051] 100 pivot bearing/torque sensor/electrical drive