MECHANICAL MANIPULATOR WITH CABLE PROTECTION STRUCTURE

• US 20130098190A1
• Filed: 06/27/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: PAN, XIAO-PENG
• Application Number:
  US13/534,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20130098190A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/490.02
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/0025 Means for supplying energy to the end effector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20311 including power cable or connector

Abstract

A mechanical manipulator includes a base seat, a connecting arm, a mechanical arm, an electric cable, and a cable protection structure. The connecting arm has a first end rotatably hinged to the base seat, a second end opposite to the first end, and a side surface, the connecting arm defines a cable receiving slot in the side surface. The mechanical arm is rotatably hinged to the second end of the connecting arm. The electric cable is partially received within the cable receiving slot. Two ends of the electric cable are exposed from two ends of the cable receiving slot and then enter into the base seat and the mechanical arm respectively. The cable protection structure is fixed to the connecting arm and resists against the electric cable toward the cable receiving slot, for preventing the electric cable emerging from the cable receiving slot.

Claims

1. A mechanical manipulator comprising:

a base seat;

a connecting arm having a first end rotatably hinged to the base seat, a second end that is opposite to the first end, and a side surface; and

the connecting arm defines a cable receiving slot in the side surface;

a mechanical arm rotatably hinged to the second end of the connecting arm;

an electric cable partially received within the cable receiving slot, with two ends of the electric cable running out from the two ends of the cable receiving slot and entering the base seat and the mechanical arm; and

a cable protection structure fixed to the connecting arm and resisting against the electric cable toward the cable receiving slot, for preventing the electric cable emerging from the cable receiving slot.

2. The mechanical manipulator of claim 1, wherein the connecting arm comprises a mounting side surface, the cable receiving slot is recessed from the mounting side surface, two ends of the cable receiving slot are respectively located adjacent to the first end and the second end of the connecting arm;

the cable protection structure comprises a fixing member and a guiding member extending from a first end of the fixing member, the fixing member is fixed to the mounting side surface, and the guiding member enters into the cable receiving slot and resists against the electric cable.

3. The mechanical manipulator of claim 2, wherein the two ends of the cable receiving slot are substantially dovetail shaped.

4. The mechanical manipulator of claim 2, wherein each end of the cable receiving slot forms a slightly inclined guiding surface, connecting a bottom surface of the cable receiving slot and the mounting side surface together, and thereby facilitating two ends of the electric cable running out from two ends of the cable receiving slot.

5. The mechanical manipulator of claim 4, wherein the cable protection structure further comprises an elastic arm extending from an opposite second end of the fixing member and being bent toward one side of the fixing member;

the elastic arm faces toward a cable receiving slot first end, and cooperatively defines a cable passing opening with the cable receiving slot for facilitating one end of the electric cable passing therethrough.

6. The mechanical manipulator of claim 5, wherein the cable protection structure further comprises two fixing arms, that are parallel, extending from two sides of the second end of the fixing member, and the two fixing arms are coplanar with the fixing member and form an acute angle with the elastic arm.

7. The mechanical manipulator of claim 6, wherein the mounting side surface of the connecting arm further defines a plurality of mounting holes, adjacent to two sides of two ends of the cable receiving slot;

the two fixing arms define a plurality of fixing holes corresponding to the plurality of mounting holes of the connecting arm; and

the fixing member is fixed to the mounting side surface by a plurality of fixing members.

8. The mechanical manipulator of claim 6, wherein the elastic arm further comprises a substantially arc-shaped guiding portion formed at a distal end of the elastic arm, and the guiding portion is positioned adjacent to the cable passing opening for decreasing a frictional force generated between the electric cable and the elastic arm.

9. The mechanical manipulator of claim 5, wherein the guiding member is bent toward the other side of the fixing member, away from the elastic arm;

and a resisting portion extends from a distal end of the guiding member;

the cable protection structure further comprises a positioning member detachably mounted on the resisting portion, and the positioning member and the resisting portion cooperatively defines a cable passing hole facilitating the electric cable passing therethrough.

10. The mechanical manipulator of claim 9, wherein the positioning member comprises a substantially U-shaped main portion and two positioning portions oppositely located at two ends of the U-shaped main portion, the two positioning portions are fixed with the resisting portion, the main portion and the resisting portion cooperatively defines the cable passing hole.

11. A mechanical manipulator comprising:

a base seat;

a connecting arm having a first end rotatably hinged to the base seat, a second end that is opposite to the first end, and a side surface; and

the connecting arm defines a cable receiving slot in the side surface;

a mechanical arm rotatably hinged to the second end of the connecting arm;

an electric cable partially received within the cable receiving slot, with two ends of the electric cable running out from two ends of the cable receiving slot and entering into the base seat and the mechanical arm; and

a cable protection structure fixed to the connecting arm and resisting against the electric cable toward the cable receiving slot, for preventing the electric cable emerging from the cable receiving slot;

wherein, the cable protection structure comprises a first positioning mechanism and a second positioning mechanism, the first positioning mechanism and the second positioning mechanism are oppositely fixed to two ends of the cable receiving slot of the connecting arm;

the first positioning mechanism and the second positioning mechanism each form a cable passing opening with one corresponding end of the cable receiving slot, such that, two ends of the electric cable are capable of respectively passing through the two cable passing openings and further connected with the base seat and the mechanical arm.

12. The mechanical manipulator of claim 11, wherein the connecting arm comprises a mounting side surface, the cable receiving slot is recessed from the mounting side surface, two ends of the cable receiving slot are respectively located adjacent to the first end and the second end of the connecting arm;

the first positioning mechanism comprises a fixing member fixed to the mounting side surface adjacent to one end of the cable receiving slot, and a guiding member extending from a first end of the fixing member, the guiding member enters into the cable receiving slot and resists against the electric cable;

the second positioning mechanism comprises a base body fixed to the mounting side surface adjacent to the other end of the cable receiving slot, and an elastic body extending from one end of the base body, and the elastic body resists against the electric cable and forms an acute angle with the base body.

13. The mechanical manipulator of claim 12, wherein the two ends of the cable receiving slot are substantially dovetail shaped.

14. The mechanical manipulator of claim 12, wherein each end of the cable receiving slot forms a slightly inclined guiding surface connecting a bottom surface of the cable receiving slot and the mounting side surface together, thereby facilitating two ends of the electric cable running out from two ends of the cable receiving slot.

15. The mechanical manipulator of claim 14, wherein the first positioning mechanism further comprise an elastic arm extending from an opposite second end of the fixing member and being bent toward one side of the fixing member;

the elastic arm faces toward one end of the cable receiving slot, and cooperatively defines the cable passing opening with the cable receiving slot for facilitating one end of the electric cable passing therethrough.

16. The mechanical manipulator of claim 15, wherein the first positioning mechanism further comprises two fixing arms parallely extending from two sides of the second end of the fixing member, the two fixing arms are coplanar with the fixing member, and the fixing member forms an acute angle with the elastic arm.

17. The mechanical manipulator of claim 16, wherein the elastic arm further comprises a substantially arc-shaped guiding portion formed at a distal end of the elastic arm, and the guiding portion is positioned adjacent to the cable passing opening for decreasing a frictional force generated between the electric cable and the elastic arm.

18. The mechanical manipulator of claim 16, wherein the guiding member is bent toward the other side of the fixing member, away from the elastic arm, a resisting portion extends from a distal end of the guiding member;

the first positioning mechanism further comprises a positioning member detachably mounted on the resisting portion, and the positioning member and the resisting portion cooperatively defines a cable passing hole facilitating the electric cable passing therethrough.