Flexible line guide for industrial robot
AssigneeABB AB
InventorsChrister Lundstrom, Gunnar Thiede
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Guide (20) for a loop of a flexible line (40) between a pair of rotatable parts (12, 14) of an industrial robot (10) that rotate relative to one another around an axis (18), whereby the loop includes a pair of strands (42, 44) of the line joined by a bend (46) that extend around axis (18) with their outsides engaged with the respective parts so that the loop is caused to perform a movement around the axis (18) when the parts rotate relative to one another. To reduce wear on the cover of the line and to facilitate replacing the line, it is suggested that, among other things, the engagement consists of a separate groove (22, 32) arranged for each strand (42 respectively 44).
Claims13
Guide for a loop of a flexible continuous line between a pair of rotatable parts of an industrial robot that rotate relative to one another around an axis, whereby the loop includes a pair of strands of the line joined by a bend that extend around the axis, said guide comprising:
- means engaging outer sides of each of the strands with a respective part so that the loop is caused to perform a movement around the axis when the parts rotate relative to one another, wherein said engaging means comprises a pair of spaced and separate rigid annular grooves facing each other, a first of said pair of grooves engaging a first of the pair of strands, and a second of said pair of grooves engaging a second of the pair of strands, and wherein the grooves extend with mutually different distances from the axis.
Guide for a loop of a flexible continuous line between a pair of rotatable parts of an industrial robot that rotate relative to one another around an axis, whereby the loop includes a pair of strands of the line joined by a bend that extend around the axis, said guide comprising:
- means engaging outer sides of each of the strands with a respective part so that the loop is caused to perform a movement around the axis when the parts rotate relative to one another, wherein said engaging means comprises a pair of spaced and separate rigid annular grooves facing each other, a first of said pair of grooves engaging a first of the pair of strands, and a second of said pair of grooves engaging a second of the pair of strands and wherein at least one of the grooves extends about 180° around the robot.
Guide for a loop of a flexible continuous line between a pair of rotatable parts of an industrial robot that rotate relative to one another around an axis, whereby the loop includes a pair of strands of the line joined by a bend that extend around the axis, said guide comprising:
- means engaging outer sides of each of the strands with a respective part so that the loop is caused to perform a movement around the axis when the parts rotate relative to one another, wherein said engaging means comprises a pair of spaced and separate rigid annular grooves facing each other, a first of said pair of grooves engaging a first of the pair of strands, and a second of said pair of grooves engaging a second of the pair of strands, and wherein at least one of the grooves has convex flanks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.