Wiring structure for robot arm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10160120-B2
Application number	US-201414454290-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A wiring structure for a robot arm includes a pair of arm members that each have a hollow shaft shape including a first end section and a second end section, and that are arranged to be parallel to each other. A wire-shaped body is introduced into the arm member from the first end section and led out of the arm member through the second end section so as to penetrate at least one of the pair of arm members in an axis direction of the arm member. A regulating member is provided at least in an intermediate region of the arm member in the longitudinal direction to regulate a displacement of the wire-shaped body within the arm member in a radial direction of the arm member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wiring structure for a robot arm, comprising:
a pair of arm members that each have a hollow shaft shape including a first end section and a second end section, and that are arranged to be parallel to each other;
a wire-shaped body introduced into the arm member from the first end section and led out of the arm member through the second end section to penetrate at least one of the pair of arm members in a longitudinal axis direction of the arm member; and
a regulating member regulating a position of the wire-shaped body approximately parallel with a central axis of the arm member, wherein
the arm member includes a rod having a hollow portion extending through in the longitudinal axis direction of the arm member, and a pair of end caps fixedly attached to opposite ends of the rod to thereby form the first end section and the second end section,
the regulating member is a buffer material formed of a foamed resin, is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the rod entirely in a longitudinal axis direction of the rod, and is in contact with an entirety of the wire-shaped body disposed in the rod in a longitudinal axis direction of the wire-shaped body,
each of the pair of end caps has a cylinder-shaped section extending in the longitudinal axis direction of the rod to receive the rod inserted therein, and a socket section to form a ball joint in cooperation with a ball stud at one end portion of the cylinder-shaped section opposite to another end portion thereof where the rod is located,
the socket section having one side surface formed with a ball receiving section to receive a ball head section of the ball stud in the at least one of the pair of the arm members in such a manner as to face another of the pair of the arm members, and
the cylinder-shaped section having a stepped hole defined by a large diameter section and a small diameter section continuous to the large diameter section, a step portion located between the large diameter section and the small diameter section in such a manner as to be in contact with a tip end of the rod and with a tip end of the regulating member, and an opening section formed through one circumferential surface of the cylinder-shaped section opposite to the other circumferential surface thereof where the ball receiving section is formed in such a manner that the small diameter section of the stepped hole communicates with an outside of the cylinder-shaped section, and
the wire-shaped body is inserted into the small diameter portion of the stepped hole through the opening section and further extends from the tip end of the rod to reach an inside thereof through the small diameter portion.

2. The wiring structure for the robot arm according to claim 1 , wherein a tapered guide section for assisting the wire-shaped body to be introduced into the regulating member is formed at a terminal portion of an end section of the regulating member on a side of the first end section.

3. The wiring structure for the robot arm according to claim 1 , wherein a surface of the regulating member that contacts the wire-shaped body is a smooth surface.

4. The wiring structure for the robot arm according to claim 1 , wherein a sectional shape of the inner circumferential surface of the rod in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis direction of the rod is a circle.

5. The wiring structure for the robot arm according to claim 1 , further comprising a protective member that protects the wire-shaped body, wherein
the wire-shaped body is inserted in a bent state to the arm member through the opening section, and
the protective member is attached to the opening section that is located on an outside of a bent portion of the wire-shaped body.

6. The wiring structure for the robot arm according to claim 5 , wherein the protective member surrounds the wire-shaped body at least at an edge of the opening section.

7. The wiring structure for the robot arm according to claim 6 , wherein a thickness of the protective member in a first direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis direction of the arm member that is a thickness of a portion of the protective member that is located on the outside of the bent portion of the wire-shaped body is larger than a thickness of the protective member in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction.

8. The wiring structure for the robot arm according to claim 7 , wherein the opening section is a long hole elongated in the first direction, and
the thickness of the protective member in the first direction is larger than the thickness thereof in the second direction.

9. The wiring structure for the robot arm according to claim 5 , wherein an angle of the bent portion of the wire-shaped body is an obtuse angle.

10. The wiring structure for the robot arm according to claim 5 , wherein the protective member includes an insertion hole through which the wire-shaped body passes, and
the insertion hole is formed such that a central axis thereof intersects with the central axis of the arm member at an obtuse angle.

11. The wiring structure for the robot arm according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tube surrounding the wire-shaped body to protect the wire-shaped body outside the arm member, a tip end of the tube located in the opening section of the end cap.

12. The wiring structure for the robot arm according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a protective member attached to the end cap in a state of being interposed between an inner circumferential surface of the opening section and the tube to protect the wire-shaped body.

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hirano Akifumi

Classifications

• B25J9/0012

  making use of synthetic construction materials, e.g. plastics, composites · CPC title

• Y10T74/20311

  including power cable or connector · CPC title

• B25J18/00

  Arms · CPC title

• B25J19/0025

  Means for supplying energy to the end effector · CPC title

• B25J9/0051

  with kinematics chains of the type rotary-universal-universal or rotary-spherical-spherical, e.g. Delta type manipulators · CPC title