DELTA ROBOT FOR INCREASED REQUIREMENTS ON DYNAMICS, HYGIENE AND PROTECTION AGAINST THE CONSEQUENCES OF COLLISION

• US 20110277581A1
• Filed: 01/27/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Automation GmbH (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric Automation GmbH (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Bunsendal, Jens, Hombach, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,904,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/490.05
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0266 comprising more than two actuating or connecting rods
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 18/00 Arms
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/06 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0009 Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0051 with kinematics chains of the type rotary-universal-universal or rotary-spherical-spherical, e.g. Delta type manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/14 Arm movement, spatial
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20305 Robotic arm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20329 Joint between elements

Abstract

Delta robot for increased requirements on dynamics, hygiene and protection against the consequences of collision, comprising a stationary housing, in which at least three drives are installed and on which at least three upper arms are mounted such that they are pivotable about an axle in each case and are in each case connected to a drive, and at their free ends are connected to a pair of elongate and mutually parallel lower arms via one ball joint in each case, and at their other end are connected to a movable parallel plate via a further ball joint in each case, a ball head or a ball socket being fixed at both ends of each underarm as part of a ball joint, the lower arms comprising in each case a stainless steel tube, the inner space of which is sealed in a watertight manner, by means of a ball head or a ball socket at both ends of the stainless steel tube, and which is plastically deformable.

Claims

1. Delta robot for increased requirements on dynamics, hygiene and protection against the consequences of collision, comprising:

a stationary housing, in which,

at least three drives are installed, and

on which at least three elongate upper arms

are in each case mounted so as to be pivotable about an axle and

are connected to a drive in each case and

are connected, at their free ends, to one pair of elongate and mutually parallel lower arms via one ball joint in each case, which at their other end are in each case connected via a further ball joint to

a movable parallel plate,

a ball head or a ball socket being attached at both ends of each lower arm as part of a ball joint,

characterised in that;

the lower arms comprise in each case a stainless steel tube,

the inner space of which is sealed in a watertight manner, by means of a ball head or a ball socket at both ends of the stainless steel tube, and which is plastically deformable.

2. Delta robot according to claim 1, characterised in that the ball head or the ball socket is connected to an end face of the stainless steel tube via a weld seam.

3. Delta robot according to claim 2 characterised in that the weld seam extends over the entire end face of the stainless steel tube.

4. Delta robot according to claim 3, characterised in that, from the ball head or the ball socket,

only a centring spigot or,

only three guide lugs,

project into or enclose the stainless steel tube.

5. Delta robot according to claim 4, characterised in that the ball centre point of the ball head or of the ball socket is displaced with respect to the centre axis of the tube in the radial direction to the extent that the resulting force exerted by the ball head or the ball socket runs along the centre axis.

6. Delta robot according to claim 1, characterised in that the ball head or ball socket is connected to a stainless steel tube by means of:

a soldered joint, or,

an adhesive bond or,

a shrink fit.

7. Delta robot according to claim 6 characterized in that part of the ball head or of the ball socket is telescopically inserted into the stainless steel tube or encloses it externally.

8. Delta robot according to claim 1, characterised in that outer surface of the stainless steel tube is smooth and a plurality of ribs are integrally formed on the inner surface, which extend in the longitudinal direct and are radially oriented.

9. Delta robot according to claim 1, characterised in that the interior of the stainless steel tube contains further co-supporting elements, for example a CRP tube.

10. Delta robot according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one ball head is internally hollow.

11. Delta robot according to claim 1, characterised in that:

a plurality of radially oriented ribs are integrally moulded onto the inner surface of the ball head.

12. Delta robot according to claim 1, characterised in that:

a ball socket comprises two openings and encloses the ball head approximately annularly.

13. Delta robot according to claim 1, characterised in that:

the ball socket encloses the ball head with an angle of about 180°

based on the ball centre point.

14. Delta robot according to claim 1, characterised in that:

an elastic and very slidable plastic layer is introduced in the interior surface of a ball socket.

15. Delta robot according to claim 1, characterised in that:

the plastic layer is mounted in the ball socket was a plastic insert.

16. Delta robot according to claim 1, characterised in that the profile of the stainless steel tube is

a circle or,

an oval or,

an ellipse or,

a rectangle.

17. Delta robot according to claim 1, characterised in that the drive is a rotating servo motor or a linear motor or a stepping motor or another electric drive or a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder or a piezo crystal.