Cap for a robot arm
The invention relates to as a cap removably connectable to a robot arm element, the robot arm element comprises a housing having an outer surface and an inner surface. The cap is removably connectable to the outer surface via an upper cavity connectable to an upper protrusion and via at least a first lower cavity connectable to a first lower protrusion. When the cap is connected to the robot arm element, the upper protrusion is fixed in an engaged position in the upper cavity and the first lower protrusion is fixed in an engaged position in the at least first lower cavity by a flexible suspension element.
1 . A system comprising:
a cap that is removably connectable to an element of a robotic arm, the element comprising an upper cavity comprising a protruding part and a lower cavity, the cap comprising:
an upper protrusion; and
a lower protrusion; and
a flexible suspension element,
wherein:
the upper protrusion is connectable to the upper cavity;
the lower protrusion is connectable to the lower cavity; and
the flexible suspension element is flexible relative to the upper protrusion to hold the upper protrusion in the upper cavity by forcing the upper protrusion against the protruding part of the upper cavity.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises the element, wherein the element comprises a robotic joint or a robotic link.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the robotic joint comprises a single hollow tubular element comprising two openings.
4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein a width of the cap is less than a diameter of the robotic joint.
5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the upper cavity extends into an interior of the robotic joint.
6 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the robotic joint comprises the lower cavity.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the lower cavity is a first lower cavity; and
wherein the robotic joint comprises a second lower cavity.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the robotic joint comprises a screw tower.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cap comprises an arm identification cap.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the cap has a shape that is complementary to a shape of an outer curvature of the element.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cap comprises a seal.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cap comprises a universal attachment arrangement.
13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cap is shock-absorbing.
14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cap is made of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, Polycarbonate, or Polylactic acid.
15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the upper cavity comprises a first upper cavity part and a second upper cavity part; and
wherein the upper cavity comprises an upper cavity suspension rest part for holding the flexible suspension element via the first upper cavity part and the second upper cavity part.
16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cap comprises the flexible suspension element.
17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the upper cavity comprises the flexible suspension element.
18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein an angle between a lower cavity plane of the lower cavity and an upper cavity plane of the upper cavity is between 80 degrees and 125 degrees.
19 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the upper protrusion and the upper cavity are configured to be aligned when the cap and the element are connected.
20 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible suspension element comprises a compression spring.
21 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible suspension element is rotatably mounted in the cap.
22 . A method of applying a cap to an element of a robotic arm, where the cap comprises an upper protrusion and a lower protrusion, where the element of the robotic arm comprises an outer surface comprising an upper cavity and a lower cavity, and where the upper cavity comprises an upper cavity protruding part and an upper cavity suspension rest part, the method comprising:
causing a flexible suspension element to contact the upper cavity suspension rest part;
applying a force to the flexible suspension element towards the upper cavity suspension rest part;
causing the upper protrusion to engage with the upper cavity protruding part and the lower protrusion to engage with the lower cavity; and
releasing the force (i) to allow the flexible suspension element to maintain engagement of the upper protrusion with the upper cavity protruding part and (ii) to maintain engagement of the lower protrusion with the lower cavity.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the force is applied manually.
24 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
removing the cap by applying a force to the cap toward the upper cavity suspension rest part, or toward a first upper cavity part of the upper cavity, or toward a second upper cavity part of the upper cavity.
25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the flexible suspension element is replaceable.
26 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising engaging a second lower protrusion of the cap with a second lower cavity of the element of the robotic arm.
27 . A system comprising:
a cap that is removably connectable to an element of a robotic arm, the element comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface comprising an upper cavity and a lower cavity; and
a flexible suspension element;
where the cap comprises:
an upper protrusion; and
a lower protrusion; and
wherein:
the upper protrusion is connectable to the upper cavity;
the lower protrusion is connectable to the lower cavity; and
the flexible suspension element is configured to perform one or both of the following functions: (i) to force at least a part of the upper protrusion against a part of the upper cavity or (ii) to force at least a part of the lower protrusion against a part of the lower cavity.
28 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the element comprises a robotic joint or a robotic link.
29 . The system of claim 28 , wherein the robotic joint comprises a single hollow tubular element comprising two openings.
30 . The system of claim 28 , wherein a width of the cap is less than a diameter of the robotic joint.
31 . The system of claim 28 , wherein the upper cavity extends into an interior of the robotic joint.
32 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the cap comprises an arm identification cap.
33 . The system of claim 27 , wherein at least a part of the cap has a shape that is complementary to a shape of an outer curvature of the element.
34 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the cap comprises a seal.
35 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the cap comprises a universal attachment arrangement.
36 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the cap is shock-absorbing.
37 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the cap is made of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, Polycarbonate, or Polylactic acid.
38 . The system of claim 27 , wherein an angle between a lower cavity plane of the lower cavity and an upper cavity plane of the upper cavity is between 80 degrees and 125 degrees.
39 . The system of claim 38 , wherein the upper protrusion and the upper cavity are configured to be aligned when the cap and the element are connected.
40 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the flexible suspension element comprises a compression spring.
41 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the flexible suspension element is rotatably mounted in the cap.