Robot transmission with a pressure compensation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9387586-B2
Application number	US-201213984404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2012
Priority date	Mar 2, 2011
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a robot transmission ( 1 ) for a multi-axis robot, in particular for a painting robot or a hand-held robot of a painting system for painting motor vehicle body components. Said transmission comprises a transmission housing ( 6 ) which is filled, when in operation, at least partially with a lubricant according to an operationally-dependent lubricant pressure, in order to lubricate the robot transmission ( 1 ), and has a construction-defined maximum pressure for the lubrication pressure. The transmission housing ( 6 ) is not air-tight if the lubrication pressure in the transmission housing ( 6 ) exceeds the maximum pressure. According to the invention, the robot transmission also comprises a pressure compensation device ( 7 ) which compensates the pressure in the transmission housing ( 6 ) and thus prevents the lubrication pressure in the transmission housing ( 6 ) from exceeding the maximum pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multi-axis robot having a plurality of separate axes, the multi-axis robot comprising:
a first gear box associated with a first robot axis, the first gear box configured to be filled at least in part during operation with a lubricant at an operation-dependent lubricant pressure;
a second gear box associated with a second robot axis, the second gear box configured to be filled at least in part during operation with the lubricant at the operation-dependent lubricant pressure;
a pressure compensation vessel fluidily connected to the first and second gear boxes and configured to allow pressure compensation in the gear boxes, the vessel having a lubricant side and a gas side, the lubricant side and gas side separated by a resilient separation element and the gas side being exposed to ambient pressure.

2. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the pressure compensation device is arranged inside the robot.

3. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the pressure compensation device is arranged in a swivel joint of the robot.

4. The robot of claim 1 , wherein:
the gas side of the pressure compensation vessel is connected with an ambient atmosphere through an external opening;
the external opening of the pressure compensation vessel is configured to be closed by a pressure compensation element;
the pressure compensation element is gas-permeable, thereby allowing pressure compensation between the gear boxes and the ambient atmosphere; and
the pressure compensation element is impermeable by the lubricant, thereby preventing leakage of the lubricant even upon failure of the separation element between the lubricant side and the gas side of the pressure compensation vessel.

5. The robot of claim 4 , wherein the pressure compensation element is configured such that a gearbox-side lubricant impingement at the pressure compensation element is visually recognizable from outside the robot gear.

6. The robot of claim 4 , wherein the pressure compensation element is an elastic membrane.

7. The robot of claim 6 , wherein the membrane consists of a woven fabric.

8. The robot of claim 6 , wherein the membrane is transparent, whereby, upon a failure of the separation element in the pressure compensation vessel between the lubricant side and the gas side, a lubricant impingement of the membrane due to leakage is visually recognizable.

9. The robot of claim 4 , wherein the pressure compensation element is bidirectionally gas-permeable, thereby allowing pressure compensation for cooling the lubricant and also for heating the lubricant.

Assignees

• Collmer Andreas
• Hezel Thomas
• Duerr Systems Gmbh

Inventors

• Collmer Andreas
• Hezel Thomas

Classifications

• B25J19/0062

  Lubrication means · CPC title

• F16H57/027

  characterised by means for venting gearboxes, e.g. air breathers · CPC title

• F16H57/045

  Lubricant storage reservoirs, e.g. reservoirs in addition to a gear sump for collecting lubricant in the upper part of a gear case · CPC title

• B25J9/102 Primary

  Gears specially adapted therefor, e.g. reduction gears (gearings in general F16H) · CPC title

• B25J9/10 Primary

  characterised by positioning means for manipulator elements · CPC title