Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16H—GEARING
  • F16H57/00—General details of gearing
  • F16H57/04—Features relating to lubrication or cooling or heating
  • F16H57/0402—Cleaning of lubricants, e.g. filters or magnets
  • F16H57/0404—Lubricant filters
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16H—GEARING
  • F16H57/00—General details of gearing
  • F16H57/04—Features relating to lubrication or cooling or heating
  • F16H57/0434—Features relating to lubrication or cooling or heating relating to lubrication supply, e.g. pumps; Pressure control
  • F16H57/0441—Arrangements of pumps
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16N—LUBRICATING
  • F16N13/00—Lubricating-pumps
  • F16N13/02—Lubricating-pumps with reciprocating piston
  • F16N13/06—Actuation of lubricating-pumps
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16N—LUBRICATING
  • F16N39/00—Arrangements for conditioning of lubricants in the lubricating system
  • F16N39/06—Arrangements for conditioning of lubricants in the lubricating system by filtration
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16N—LUBRICATING
  • F16N7/00—Arrangements for supplying oil or unspecified lubricant from a stationary reservoir or the equivalent in or on the machine or member to be lubricated
  • F16N7/38—Arrangements for supplying oil or unspecified lubricant from a stationary reservoir or the equivalent in or on the machine or member to be lubricated with a separate pump; Central lubrication systems
  • F16N7/40—Arrangements for supplying oil or unspecified lubricant from a stationary reservoir or the equivalent in or on the machine or member to be lubricated with a separate pump; Central lubrication systems in a closed circulation system
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16N—LUBRICATING
  • F16N13/00—Lubricating-pumps
  • F16N13/02—Lubricating-pumps with reciprocating piston
  • F16N13/06—Actuation of lubricating-pumps
  • F16N2013/063—Actuation of lubricating-pumps with electrical drive
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16N—LUBRICATING
  • F16N2210/00—Applications
  • F16N2210/12—Gearings
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16N—LUBRICATING
  • F16N2210/00—Applications
  • F16N2210/14—Bearings
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16N—LUBRICATING
  • F16N2250/00—Measuring
  • F16N2250/04—Pressure
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16N—LUBRICATING
  • F16N2250/00—Measuring
  • F16N2250/08—Temperature
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16N—LUBRICATING
  • F16N2250/00—Measuring
  • F16N2250/18—Level
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16N—LUBRICATING
  • F16N2250/00—Measuring
  • F16N2250/30—Dialectricum
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16N—LUBRICATING
  • F16N2270/00—Controlling
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16N—LUBRICATING
  • F16N2280/00—Valves

Definitions

• the invention concerns separation and removal of impurities from the oil in gearboxes and/or bearing boxes, especially from the oil filling of gearboxes and/or bearing boxes and modules of industrial robots and manipulators.
• the subject matter of the technical solution is also the method of separation of the impurities and similar undesired mechanical particles from the box with oil filling, which in the operational regime serves the purpose of lubrication of moving parts and/or of cooling.
• Gearboxes and bearing boxes of industrial robots and manipulators have oil filling which serves the purpose of lubricating and cooling of the moving parts.
• the oil filling is replaced in planned maintenance intervals so that the sudden failure of the robot on the production line is prevented.
• the maintenance operations usually require stopping of the whole production process, and the change of oil produces a waste which must be further ecologically processed.
• Patent file JP2016196087A discloses the system with the oil state sensors in the gearbox of the robot, which improves the diagnostic of the state of the oil filling and planning of the maintenance, but it does not solve the removal of impurities from the oil filling.
• Publication KR920005146B1 discloses the device with the hydraulic pump and filter, by means of which the impurities can be removed from the gear of the robot. In case of multi-axis robots, such device causes problems with difficulty and reliability, and it leads to lower allowed load of the robot in the operation.
• the device according to invention is defined in claims 1 to 20 and the method according to the invention is defined in claims 21 to 24.
• the deficiencies in the prior art are significantly remedied by the device for separation of the impurities from the oil filling of the gearboxes and/or bearing boxes, mainly boxes of the industrial robots, where the box is equipped by the input and output oil opening according to this technical solution, which essence lies in the fact that it includes an oil pump with electric engine, the input and output of the oil, the element for separation of the impurities, and the independent and/or portable electric power source for propulsion of the electric engine of the pump, whereby the oil pump and the element for separation of impurities can be placed in a single body which is designed for connection to the construction carrying the gearbox and/or the bearing box, or to the construction of the industrial robot, and the input and output oil piping of the device is designed for connection to the input and output oil opening in the gearbox and/or bearing box.
• the device preferably includes at least one flexible oil piping.
• the connection of the device with the oil filling of the box can be indirect, too, for example in such a way that the oil filling of the box flows through the external oil vessel and the device is connected to the vessel in such a way that it filters the oil in an independent circuit in which the oil flows from the vessel to the device and subsequently, after purification, it flows back into the vessel.
• the element for separation of impurities from the oil is preferably a filtration element with the removable filtration insert or centrifugal separator or any other element designed for separation of impurities and other undesired mechanical particles. It is preferable if the filtration element has an insert with separation size 0,5 mm to 1 pm, preferably 5 to 10 pm.
• impurities in this file denotes any alien substance in the oil filling, mainly metal particles, splinters, solidified clots, and so on.
• the independent source of the electric power can in some of the preferable arrangements be placed in the body of the device together with other elements of the device, or it can be separated and connected with the body of the device by means of a connector or a cable.
• the element for separation of the impurities can include filtration element, preferably removable filtration element, and also bypass valve for protection during the clotted filtration element.
• a pressure sensor which can assess the permeability of the element can be part of the element for separation of impurities.
• the element for separation of impurities can also include elements known in the filtration systems.
• the significant feature of the proposed technical solution is the arrangement with its own source of electric power to propel the oil pump.
• the independent source of the electric power will be battery and/or accumulator, preferably rechargeable accumulator.
• a single removable accumulator inserts or multiple removable accumulator inserts are used, as in the electric hand tools.
• multiple accumulator cells are connected into a circuit and placed in the removable casing with the contacts on the outer surface of the casing, which is designed for insertion into a slot with respective electric contacts.
• independent portable electric power source in this text means a source which is portable, and which one can manipulate with, during the common maintenance of the device, whereby it will be possible to carry it in a single hand.
• Typical forms of such electric power source according to this invention are accu packs used with accumulator hand tools (accu tool). However, they can also be typical lead accumulators, such as gel accumulators able to function in any position.
• Disclosed basic arrangement significantly simplifies the use of the device. Thanks to its own electric power source, no connection to the electrical network is necessary during the maintenance of the gearbox or bearing box.
• the connection to the electrical network is basically always available within the vicinity of e g. industrial robot, but the connection to the moving parts, such as moving arms of the industrial robot, is in principle impossible - it would rule out the free movement of individual axes, respectively.
• the proposed technical solution allows for the device to connect to any gearbox and/or bearing box and the industrial robot still has full freedom of movement.
• the device can be deployed in such a way that the separation of the impurities takes place during common operation of the machine or industrial robot, respectively.
• the own electric power source mainly in form of DC voltage from a rechargeable accumulator, allows high operational and movement freedom to the device, and ability to work without taking the electric power from the system within the production line.
• Body of the device is adjusted for attachment to the construction of the machine or to the construction of the industrial robot, for example by means of connecting plate with the openings or by means of a sleeve or by means of a hanging eye or by means of a magnet, straps, suction cup, and so on.
• the device with such connecting possibilities is only freely placed on the machine or by the machine or on the base of the industrial robot or in its vicinity.
• the box or the module or the arm of the robot are equipped by a holder, a hook, a hinge, on which the device is then attached.
• the input and output openings of the box are equipped by hydraulic couplings to connect the hoses of the device with the box.
• the input and output oil piping of the device is equipped by respective endings in order to connect to the oil filling of the box. It suffices for the cooperation of the device according to this solution with the machine or the industrial robot if the input and output opening of the box is equipped by hydraulic couplings, for example in such a way that the blanking nuts of the openings in the box are removed and hydraulic couplings are screwed in their place, whereby they also fulfill the role of closure unless a corresponding counterpart from the device side is connected to these couplings.
• the direct connection of the device is possible, where the opening in the device and the opening in the box are connected by a hollow screw.
• the use of the hydraulic couplings in a box of the industrial robot is not necessary, since the box can during the installation be rotated to the position where the oil does not flow out from the openings in the box.
• the hoses with plugs can be connected to the openings, whereby the plugs are demounted in the position where the end of the hose is higher than the level of the oil in the box.
• the device according to this technical solution allows for autonomous cleaning of the oil filling without the need for change of the oil itself, which significantly decreases the amount of waste. It is also important that the device can pump the oil even during the movement of the machine or industrial robot, respectively, where the inside of the box is washed more effectively and the impurities from the mechanical parts of the gear or the bearing flow into the oil filling, and they are subsequently pumped into the separation element.
• this device together with the connection of oil fillings of multiple boxes of the industrial robot, as disclosed in the earlier inventions of the applicant of this technical solution.
• the oil filling of at least two boxes is connected with the oil piping into a common circuit.
• the connection can be permanent in the preferable arrangement, not only for the period of maintenance.
• the device is equipped by sensors of the oil’s features and/or sensors of the state of the element for separation of impurities and/or pressure sensors and/or flow sensors.
• the device can have a control unit which assesses and controls the state of the oil pumping, controls the pressure and flow of the oil, and assesses the permeability of the element for separation of impurities.
• the device has contactless communication module for the connection with the control and display element. This allows one to control the device remotely, or control multiple devices in a single operation at the same time.
• the contactless module can be Wi-Fi or Bluetooth module with various protocols.
• a smartphone, notebook, desktop computer, tablet or similar device with contactless communication channel can be used as control and display element.
• the device can be part of a set which includes also at least one spare rechargeable accumulator, charger and control and display element in the form of a mobile phone.
• the set is stored in a portable case.
• Deficiencies in the prior art are remedied by a new method of separation of the impurities from the oil filling of gearboxes and/or bearing boxes, mainly boxes of industrial robots, too, where the oil filling is pumped in a closed circuit through an element for separation of impurities placed outside the box according to this technical solution, whose essence lies in the fact that the oil is pumped through oil pump which is propelled by the portable electric power source. It is preferable if the electric energy with DC voltage is supplied from a rechargeable accumulator.
• the pumping of the oil is at least partially realized during the operation of the machine or movement of the industrial robot. It is also preferable if the period of the pumping is set according to the volume of the oil in the respective box, for example, in order to achieve at least 5 times exchange of the volume of the box, and at the same time the quality of the oil at the output from the device is measured. If the pumping of the oil is realized during common operation of the machine, for example robot, it is preferable if the device contains fresh or filtered oil in the amount which roughly corresponds to the volume in the circuit within the device, preferably volume including the oil in the piping. That basically means that the device is not launched dry, but that it is filled with oil in such a way that during the pumping of the oil from the box there is no significant decrease in the oil level in the box, which could cause lubrication problems during operation.
• a significant advantage of the proposed invention is increase and reliability of the strained gears and bearings.
• a significant advantage is also the reducing of the environmental burden, where the overall consumption of the oil is decreased.
• a significant advantage of the proposed invention is also high flexibility of the application; the device and method according to this technical solution can be used with already installed industrial robots, whereby the small adjustment of the gearbox or bearing module or the box need not to be supplied with anything else, or adjusted in any way.
• FIGS 1 to 3 schematically depicted the connection of the device into variously structured oil circuits of gearboxes of the industrial robot.
• the dotted line suggests an interface of the removable accumulator, which is adjusted for being pulled out of the slot of the device.
• a robot with axes a1 to a6 is depicted for illustration purposes.
• the second filter of the circuit without the position mark depicts thick filter, such as sifter for protection of the oil pump.
• FIG 1 On figure 1 at the top, there is a connection where the oil fillings of three gearboxes of a robot for three different axes are connected. By means of couplings the device is connected to an oil pump.
• Figure 1 at the bottom left corner, depicts simple connection of the device to a single gearbox of the robot (axis a1).
• Figure 2 depicts the connection where six axes a1 to a6 are mutually connected in series, one after another, by means of oil piping.
• the oil in the common oil filling can be purified by an independent bypass branch which is depicted on the left bottom, and/or by a direct branch, which is depicted on the right and produces the flowing of the oil in connected oil pipings.
• the electric power source for the propulsion of the pump on the right side is not depicted as separable from the device, but it still holds that it is independent and portable, that is, portable together with the body of the device.
• a filtration element can be placed, too (it is not depicted on fig. 2), or this branch can only ensure the flow of the oil in the circuit with multiple boxes.
• Figure 3 is a schema of connection of six boxes of the robot in axes a1 to a6, without independent branch with the oil.
• Figure 4 is a view of the body of the device and the display element. On the left, in the lower part, there are couplings for the guiding of the oil protruding from the body.
• the body 4 has metal sheathing and it is adjusted for common rough treatment in the industrial environment.
• the body 4 is equipped by connecting connectors for connection of the input and output flexible piping 9.
• Each box 6 has one input and one output opening designed for pumping the oil filling to the circuit.
• the electric power source 3 is accumulator with DC voltage of 12V, which is removable from the slot in the body 4.
• the body 4 has a compact shape, whereby it collates most of the elements in the device except for connecting piping 9.
• the control of the pump 1 and the gathering of the data from the sensors, are connected with the control unit, to which a communication module 8 is connected by a Bluetooth channel.
• the element 5 for separation of impurities is a filter with the filtration insert with density of 5 to 10 ⁇ m.
• Use of the device also prevents the situations where new oil is wrongly specified during the oil exchange. During the filtration by means of the device, the original oil specification is maintained, only the contaminating substances are removed from the oil.
• An accumulator in the casing which is used in accumulator tool by a particular producer is used as an electric power source 3, whereby the available casing, slot and connector are used.
• the device has distributed structure, the oil pump 1 and the electric engine 2 form a single whole which is designed for connection to the arm of the robot by means of two adjustable straps.
• the element 5 for separation of impurities is adjusted for independent attachment to the box 6 or also to the arm of the robot.
• the electric power source 3 is placed as an independent element by the leg of the robot, but it can also be connected to the arm of the robot.
• the electric power source 3 is connected by a cable with the electric engine 2.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Details Of Gearings (AREA)
• Magnetic Bearings And Hydrostatic Bearings (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=85803080

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2022
  • 2022-11-30 SK SK50095-2022U patent/SK9823Y1/sk unknown
• 2023
  • 2023-11-24 KR KR1020257021549A patent/KR20250121343A/ko active Pending
  • 2023-11-24 WO PCT/IB2023/061870 patent/WO2024116039A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2023-11-24 EP EP23841046.8A patent/EP4627232A1/de active Pending

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