Seal arrangement for a robot joint

Inventors: Shanghua Li (Västerås, SE); Jiangwei Huang (Västerås, SE); Arne Trangärd (Västerås, SE)

Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG

B25J19/0075 B25J11/0045 B25J17/02

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12691596
App. No.: 17/593,264
Granted: Jul 28, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A robot joint including a first robot part and a second robot part arranged to have a relative movement in between, a joint gap separating the first robot part and the second robot part from each other, and a seal arrangement for sealing the joint gap against external impact. The seal arrangement includes a first side element being part of the first robot part and immobile in relation to the same, and a gap element extending across the joint gap. One of the first side element and the gap element includes a first surface in a food grade material, and the other one of the first side element and the gap element includes a first sealing element configured to be in sliding contact with the first surface.

Claims (39)

1 . A robot joint comprising:

a first robot part and a second robot part arranged to have a relative movement in between,

a joint gap separating the first robot part and the second robot part from each other,

a seal arrangement for sealing the joint gap against external impact, the seal arrangement including a first side element being part of the first robot part and immobile in relation to the same, and a gap element extending across the joint gap, wherein the first side element includes a first surface in a food grade material, and the gap element includes a first seal element configured to be in sliding contact with the first surface, and

an energizing mechanism configured to increase contact pressure between the first surface and the first seal element;

wherein the gap element is in the form of a face seal: and

wherein the first robot part comprises a first recess partly accommodating the gap element.

2 . The robot joint according to claim 1 , wherein the first side element is integral with the first robot part.

3 . The robot joint according to claim 2 , wherein the first robot part comprises a first recess partly accommodating the gap element.

4 . The robot joint according to claim 1 , wherein the first robot part comprises a first robot interface configured to receive the first side element.

5 . The robot joint according to claim 1 , wherein the food grade material comprises hardened stainless-steel.

6 . The robot joint according to claim 1 , wherein the energizing mechanism is integrated in the gap element.

7 . The robot joint according to claim 1 , wherein the seal arrangement comprises a second side element being part of the second robot part and immobile in relation to the same, one of the second side element and the gap element including a second surface in a food grade material, and the other one of the second side element and the gap element including a second seal element configured to be in sliding contact with the second surface.

8 . The robot joint according to claim 1 , wherein the first seal element is a rubber gasket.

9 . The robot joint according to claim 1 , wherein the energizing mechanism is a spring or an elastic tube.

10 . The robot joint according to claim 1 , wherein the gap element comprises a body and two legs extending out from the body, wherein one of the two legs includes the first seal element configured for sliding contact with the first surface, and wherein the body forms an external side of the gap element.

11 . A robot joint comprising:

a first robot part and a second robot part arranged to have a relative movement in between,

a joint gap separating the first robot part and the second robot part from each other, and

wherein one of the first side element and the gap element includes a first surface in a food grade material, and the other one of the first side element and the gap element includes a first seal element configured to be in sliding contact with the first surface,

wherein the seal arrangement comprises a second side element being part of the second robot part and immobile in relation to the same, one of the second side element and the gap element including a second surface in a food grade material, and the other one of the second side element and the gap element including a second seal element configured to be in sliding contact with the second surface.

12 . The robot joint according to claim 11 , wherein the second side element is integral with the second robot part.

13 . The robot joint according to claim 11 , wherein the second robot part comprises a second robot interface configured to receive the second side element.

14 . The robot joint according to claim 1 , wherein the second robot part comprises a second recess partly accommodating the gap element.

15 . The robot joint according to claim 11 , wherein the first surface and/or the second surface has a surface hardness of at least 800 HV0.05.

16 . The robot joint according to claim 11 , wherein the first surface and/or the second surface has a surface roughness expressed as an R a value of at most 0.8 μm.

17 . A robot joint comprising:

a first robot part and a second robot part arranged to have a relative movement in between,

a joint gap separating the first robot part and the second robot part from each other, and

wherein the first side element includes a first surface in a food grade material, and the gap element includes a first seal element configured to be in sliding contact with the first surface,

wherein a second side element being part of the second robot part and immobile in relation to the same includes a second surface in a food grade material, and the gap element includes a second seal element configured to be in sliding contact with the second surface.

18 . A robot joint comprising:

a first robot part and a second robot part arranged to have a relative movement in between,

a joint gap separating the first robot part and the second robot part from each other, and

wherein the gap element includes a first surface in a food grade material, and the first side element includes a first seal element configured to be in sliding contact with the first surface,

wherein the gap element comprises a second surface in a food grade material, and a second side element being part of the second robot part and immobile in relation to the same includes a second seal element configured to be in sliding contact with the second surface.