Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Multiple controlling elements for single controlled element
Patent
1996-07-31
1998-10-20
Herrmann, Allan D.
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Multiple controlling elements for single controlled element
901 23, 901 50, B25J 1100
Patent
active
058230602
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates generally to structures adapted for use in guiding and distributing processing wire leads from an arm of an industrial robot in an associative swivel base section thereof, and more particularly to lead wire guide/distribution structures for robots with enhanced drip-protection.
One typical prior-art lead wire distribution processing device or structure for use in industrial robots is arranged as shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2 the numeral 1 designates a swivel base which may be swivelably or rotatably mounted on a fixed base not shown, wherein the swivel base 1 has a bottom section 2 and an interior space 3 therein. Numeral 4 indicates an arm disposed so that it is rotatably attached at its lower end to said swivel base; arm 4 comes with a plurality of lead wires 5 for drive motors for other arms and a wrist not shown, which wires are drawn out of the lower section of arm 4. The lead wires drawn from the lower section of arm 4 are guided to extend downward substantially straight toward bottom 2 and then enter the inside of the fixed base through a lead wire penetration hole 6 as formed in bottom section 2 of swivel base 1. Note in this drawing that the numeral 7 denotes a clamper for bundling lead wires 5 together, said clamper being fixed on bottom section 2.
However, the prior art lead wire guide structure is faced with the following several problems: 5 to enter the fixed base by way of lead wire penetration hole 6 of swivel base 1. modifications in structure may be attained either by adding a cover that closes lead wire penetration hole 6, by adding thereto a seal made of silicon or the like, or by attaching thereto a drip-proof connector; unfortunately, it remains difficult to attain a completely sealed environment due to the fact that a plurality of lead wires must be used, affecting the outer appearance. Furthermore, the necessary assembly steps in the manufacture thereof are increased, necessitating troublesome and time-consuming disassembly in the maintenance stage.
Still further, a drip-proof connector is incapable of completely excluding water intrusion through possible gaps between lead wires and/or through gaps as defined between such lead wires and the connector. This may be avoided by bundling these lead wires together and then clamping them with the connector after insertion into a cable sheath; however, the resulting manufacture will require more steps and subsequently increase costs.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lead wire guide structure for use in industrial robots capable of simply and reliably achieving enhanced drip-proofing without requiring any significant changes or modifications of the swivel base structure.
To attain the foregoing object, the present invention provides a lead wireguide structure for an industrial robot having a fixed base, a swivel base movably mounted on said fixed base with a bottom and a space therein, and an arm attached to said swivel base with its lower section being rotatably held therein, characterized in that a partition wall plate is provided on the upper bottom surface of said swivel base at a position offset toward the outer periphery thereof from a position of said arm within said space, that a lead wire penetration section is defined in said partition wall plate at a higher position than the upper bottom, and that a lead wire penetration hole is further provided at a position outward from said partition wall plate of said bottom section for causing lead wires drawn out of the lower section of said arm in said space to extend downward to a position being positionally identical to or lower than the lead wire penetration section of said partition wall plate, while allowing the lead wires to be separated from each other to extend upward or horizontally so that a resulting lead wire portion passes through the lead wire penetration hole to enter the inside of said fixed base.
The aforesaid means advantageously serve to force any drip of water as transferred from the inside of the arm along the bun
REFERENCES:
patent: 4659279 (1987-04-01), Akeel et al.
patent: 4864888 (1989-09-01), Iwata
patent: 4969795 (1990-11-01), Toyoda et al.
patent: 5006035 (1991-04-01), Nakashima et al.
patent: 5437207 (1995-08-01), Zimmer
Ichibangase Atsushi
Ogawa Masahiro
Herrmann Allan D.
Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
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