Closure device for attaching to a robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12559971-B2
Application number	US-201716464320-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2017
Priority date	Dec 9, 2016
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a closure device for attaching to a robot, preferably quick closure device and/or for overpressure-tight closing of a cavity of the robot up to at least 175, 200 or 225 mbar. The closure device comprises a removable covering element for covering a cavity of the robot and a fastening apparatus for fastening the covering element to the robot, wherein the fastening apparatus comprises a rotatable closure element. The fastening apparatus is characterized in particular in that it has a rotational closing movement between 45° and 215° and thus can be moved by a rotational closing movement between 45° and 215° into a closure position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . Closure device for a cavity of a robot, the closure device comprising:
a removable covering element covering the cavity of the robot; and a fastening apparatus fastening the covering element to the robot, the fastening apparatus having a rotatable closure element with a rotational closing movement between 45° and 215° into a closure position; wherein the closure element has a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring between which the covering element is arranged, wherein at least one of the first and second bearing rings includes a radial slot intersecting a circumferential slot; the fastening apparatus and the removable covering element close the cavity of the robot at least to a pressure of 175 mbar; the fastening apparatus has a cylindrical closure bushing for receiving and fastening of the closure element in sections; the closure bushing has at least one slope construction, contained within the cylindrical closure bushing, for at least one nose of the closure element in order to generate a closing stroke of the closure element; the at least one slope construction has a slope towards a high or turning point, wherein the at least one slope construction has a sub-section with a reduced or negative pitch in the closing rotational direction of the closure element behind the high or turning point; and the at least one slope construction has at least one abrupt discontinuity which is haptically noticeable by an operator during passing of the at least one nose so that the operator is communicated in a haptically noticeable manner of a reaching of the closure position or the progression of a closing process during a rotation of the closure element.

2 . Closure device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the fastening apparatus has a rotational closing movement between 60° and 120°, and thus is movable by a rotational closing movement between 60° and 120° into the closure position.

3 . Closure device according to claim 2 , characterised in that the closure element has at least one nose, wherein the at least one nose is rotatable together with the closure element and serves to pre-centre the closure element or for fastening in the closure bushing of the fastening apparatus.

4 . Closure device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the at least one slope construction leads to a locking depression for locking the at least one nose or a locking of the at least one nose in the closure bushing by friction.

5 . Closure device according to claim 1 , characterised in that at least two discontinuities are formed by the high or turning point and an additional turning point in the closing rotational direction of the closure element behind the sub-region or in the closing rotational direction of the closure element in front of the locking depression.

6 . Closure device according to claim 1 , characterised in that a reaching of the closure position as a result of an interlocking of at least one nose of the closure element or a stop for the at least one nose is haptically noticeable for an operator.

7 . Closure device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the locking depression is formed in the closing rotational direction of the closure element behind the high or turning point, behind the sub-section or behind the additional turning point.

8 . Closure device according to claim 7 , characterised in that the closure bushing has at least one stop for the at least one nose in order to restrict the closing rotational movement of the closure element.

9 . Closure device according to claim 8 , characterised in that the closure bushing comprises at least one centring opening for the at least one nose for pre-centring of the closure element.

10 . Closure device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the fastening apparatus has an actuation element for the generation of a force in the direction of the covering element.

11 . Closure device according to claim 10 , characterised in that the actuation element comprises at least one of the following:
a spring, a spiral spring, a plate spring, an elastically deformable plastic component.

12 . Closure device according to claim 1 , characterised by at least one of the following features:
two noses, two slope constructions, two centring openings.

13 . Closure device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the closure device comprises a seal between the covering element and the robot, the seal pressed by the fastening apparatus, the seal sealing the cavity of the robot at least to a pressure of 200 mbar.

14 . Closure device according to claim 13 , characterised in that the seal is an air chamber seal, has at least one sealing lip or runs in a groove.

15 . Closure device according to claim 14 , characterised in that the seal has a distance from the fastening apparatus for sufficient seal contact and is shielded from the outside of the robot by the covering element.

16 . Closure device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the closure element has a head section with a tool engagement structure and a shaft section, wherein the at least one nose projects from the shaft section, the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring are arranged around the shaft section.

17 . An assembly, comprising:
a coating robot having a cavity; a removable cover sealing the cavity; a fastening apparatus fastening the removable cover to the robot, the fastening apparatus having a rotatable closure element with a rotational closing movement between 45° and 215° into a closure position; wherein the closure element has a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring between which the removable cover is arranged, wherein at least one of the first and second bearing rings includes a radial slot intersecting a circumferential slot; the fastening apparatus and the removable cover close the cavity of the robot at least to a pressure of 175 mbar; the fastening apparatus has a cylindrical closure bushing for receiving and fastening of the closure element in sections; the closure bushing has at least one slope construction, contained within the cylindrical closure bushing, for at least one nose of the closure element in order to generate a closing stroke of the closure element; the at least one slope construction has a slope towards a high or turning point, wherein the at least one slope construction has a sub-section with a reduced or negative pitch in the closing rotational direction of the closure element behind the high or turning point; and the at least one slope construction has at least one abrupt discontinuity which is haptically noticeable by an operator during passing of the at least one nose so that the operator is communicated in a haptically noticeable manner of a reaching of the closure position or the progression of a closing process during a rotation of the closure element.

18 . The assembly according to claim 17 , characterised in that the at least one slope construction has a second discontinuity in the closing rotational direction of the closure element which is haptically noticeable by an operator during passing of the at least one nose.

Assignees

• Duerr Systems Ag

Inventors

• Hezel Thomas
• Haas Jürgen

Classifications

• F16B21/02

  Releasable fastening devices locking by rotation (with snap-action F16B21/06; studs or coupling pins with resilient protrusions F16B21/08) · CPC title

• F16B5/0208

  using panel fasteners, i.e. permanent attachments allowing for quick assembly · CPC title

• Y10T292/1039

  Swinging and camming · CPC title

• Y10T292/1099

  Screw · CPC title

• F16B21/04 Primary

  with bayonet catch · CPC title