Arm module for a modular robot arm of an industrial robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12290920-B2
Application number	US-202217991048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2022
Priority date	Jun 10, 2020
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

An arm module includes a housing with a first connection side controllably rotatable relative to a second connection side, about an axis of rotation. The first connection side has a rotatable first connection device. The second connection side has a second connection device fixed to the housing, with a rotation-compatible data transmission device for transmitting data signals along at least one transmission path between the first and second connection sides. The transmission path includes at least one wireless transmission sub-path for wireless transmission of data signals, and at least one wire-guided transmission sub-path for wire-guided transmission of data signals. The rotation-compatible data transmission device includes at least one first wireless transmission unit and at least one second wireless transmission unit, interconnected via the transmission path and arranged to wirelessly transmit and receive data signals along the wireless transmission sub-path. An industrial robot can have a plurality of such arm modules.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An arm module having a housing, which comprises:
at least a first connection side, and
at least a second connection side;
wherein the first connection side is configured to be rotated controllably about an axis of rotation relative to the second connection side,
wherein the first connection side comprises a rotatable first connection device and the second connection side comprises a second connection device which is rotationally fixed to the housing and having a rotation-compatible data transmission device for transmitting data signals along a transmission path between the first connection side and the second connection side,
wherein the transmission path comprises at least one wireless transmission sub-path for wirelessly transmitting data signals and at least one wire-guided transmission sub-path for wire-guided transmission of data signals, and
wherein the rotation-compatible data transmission device comprises at least a first wireless transceiver unit and at least a second wireless transceiver unit, each of which is connected to one another via the transmission path and is configured to wirelessly transmit and receive data signals along the at least one wireless transmission sub-path;
wherein the first rotatable connection device is connected to a drive shaft of a drive device of the arm module in an un-rotatable manner, and wherein the first connection side is rotatable relative to the housing via the first connection device.

2. The arm module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the drive shaft forms a portion of the rotationally compatible data transmission device, and
the at least one wireless transmission sub-path or the at least one wire-guided transmission sub-path of the transmission path of the rotationally compatible data transmission device is guided through a central longitudinal passage recess of the drive shaft.

3. The arm module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the drive shaft comprises a shaft end arranged opposite to the first connection device of the first connection side,
wherein the first wireless transceiver unit is arranged at the shaft end of the drive shaft,
wherein the second wireless transceiver unit is arranged at the housing in an un-rotatable manner, and
wherein the wireless transmission sub-path is defined between the first wireless transceiver unit and the second wireless transceiver unit.

4. The arm module according to claim 3 , wherein:
the transmission path comprises at least one first wire-guided transmission sub-path and at least one second wire-guided transmission sub-path,
wherein the first wire-guided transmission sub-path connects the first wireless transceiver unit to the first connection device of the first connection side, and
wherein the second wire-guided transmission sub-path connects the second wireless transceiver unit to the second connection device of the second connection side.

5. The arm module according to claim 4 , wherein the first wire-guided transmission sub-path passes through the central longitudinal passage recess of the drive shaft.

6. The arm module according to claim 5 , wherein:
the first wireless transceiver unit and the second wireless transceiver unit are arranged opposite to each other on a first axis of rotation of the drive shaft, and
wherein the wireless transmission sub-path is oriented in parallel to the first axis of rotation.

7. The arm module according to claim 5 , wherein:
the first wireless transceiver unit is arranged on a first axis of rotation of the drive shaft,
wherein the second wireless transceiver unit is arranged at an angle to the first axis of rotation,
wherein the rotationally compatible data transmission device comprises a deflection device disposed on the first rotational axis for deflecting wirelessly transmittable data signals, and
wherein the wireless transmission sub-path is defined between the first wireless transceiver unit, the deflection device, and the second wireless transceiver unit.

8. The arm module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first wire-guided transmission sub-path comprises at least a first transmission line and at least a first contacting unit,
wherein the second wire-guided transmission sub-path comprises at least a second transmission line and at least a second contacting unit,
wherein the first contacting unit is arranged at the first connection device, and
wherein the second contacting unit is arranged at the second connection device.

9. The arm module according to claim 5 , wherein:
the first contacting unit and the second contacting unit each comprise at least two transmitting channels and/or at least two receiving channels for transmitting and/or receiving data signals, and
wherein the first transmission line and the second transmission line each comprise a plurality of twisted pair wires.

10. The arm module according to claim 1 , wherein:
the drive shaft comprises a shaft end arranged opposite to the first connection device of the first connection side,
wherein the first wireless transceiver unit is arranged opposite to the shaft end of the drive shaft at the housing in an un-rotatable manner,
wherein the second wireless transceiver unit is disposed opposite the second connection device at the housing in an un-rotatable manner, and
wherein the wire-guided transmission sub-path is defined between the first wireless transceiver unit and the second wireless transceiver unit.

11. The arm module according to claim 10 , wherein:
the transmission path comprises at least a first wireless transmission sub-path and at least a second wireless transmission sub-path,
wherein the first wireless transmission sub-path is defined between the first wireless transceiver unit and a first data interface device of the first connection device and passes through the central longitudinal passage recess of the drive shaft,
wherein the second wireless transmission sub-path is defined between the second wireless transceiver unit and a second data interface device of the second connection device, and
wherein the first data interface device is disposed on the first axis of rotation of the first connection side and the second data interface device is disposed on a second axis of rotation of the second connection side.

12. The arm module according to claim 10 , wherein:
the wire-guided transmission sub-path is formed by a transmission line, and
wherein the first wire-guided transmission unit and the second wire-guided transmission unit are connected to one another via the transmission line.

13. The arm module according to claim 1 , wherein the first wire transceiver unit and the second wire transceiver unit are configured as a first optical transceiver unit and a second optical transceiver unit, respectively, which are set up to wirelessly transmit and/or receive light signals as data signals.

14. The arm module according to claim 13 , wherein the wireless transmission sub-path is formed by a light guide.

15. The arm module according to claim 1 , wherein the first wireless transceiver unit and the second wireless transceiver unit are configured as a first antenna unit and a second antenna unit, which are arranged to wirelessly transmit and/or receive radio signals as data signals.

16. An industrial robot having at least one modular robot arm comprising a plurality of arm modules according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Beckhoff Automation Gmbh

Inventors

• Kastler Peter
• Maier Clemens
• Zech Christoph
• Morscher Thomas
• Pehlivan Armin
• JäGER MICHAEL
• Fischer Peter
• Rettig Thomas
• Bunte Thorsten
• Pohl Christopher

Classifications

• H04B3/60

  Systems for communication between relatively movable stations, e.g. for communication with lift (H04B3/54 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B25J19/021

  Optical sensing devices · CPC title

• B25J13/08

  by means of sensing devices, e.g. viewing or touching devices · CPC title

• B25J9/047

  the pivoting axis of the first arm being offset to the vertical axis · CPC title

• B25J9/0048

  with kinematics chains of the type rotary-rotary-rotary · CPC title