TWM673495U - Pneumatic hydraulic rotary joint - Google Patents

Abstract

A pneumatic hydraulic rotary joint is mounted on a rotating mechanism and has a stator, a rotor, and a circular channel. The stator is securely mounted on the rotating mechanism and has an inlet channel. The inlet channel extends to a side wall of the stator and a surface of the stator away from the rotating mechanism. The rotor rotates with a shaft of the rotating mechanism. The rotor abuts the stator and has at least one outlet channel. Two ends of the outlet channel are respectively formed on the side wall of the rotor and a surface of the rotor abutting the stator. The circular channel extends circumferentially around the shaft of the rotating mechanism and are formed on the surface of the stator away from the base or the surface of the rotor abutting the stator. Each one of the circular channels is connected to the inlet channels and the outlet channels. When the rotor is rotating, the inlet channel and the outlet channel can be kept connected with the circular channel. Therefore, the invention does not need to thread the pipelines into the stator and the rotor, and the pipelines will not be entangled with each other.

Description

Pneumatic and hydraulic swivel joints

This invention relates to a joint, in particular to a pneumatic-hydraulic rotary joint.

To provide rotational motion and supply air or hydraulic pressure, a robotic arm is mounted on a rotary joint. Today's rotary joints typically consist of a rotor and a stator. The rotor pivots on the stator and can rotate 360 degrees. The robotic arm is then mounted on the rotor, allowing it to rotate with the rotor.

Since the robot arm needs to be supplied with air pressure or hydraulic pressure at the same time, at least one inlet is provided on the outer surface of the stator and at least one outlet is provided on the outer surface of the rotor. The stator inlet and the rotor outlet are connected using flexible pipes such as hoses.

However, since the rotor rotates 360 degrees, the pipes are also pulled and pulled when the rotor rotates. When multiple pipes are pulled and rotated simultaneously, the pipes may become entangled with each other, resulting in problems such as limited rotation angle, complex piping, or the need for a larger volume.

In view of this, proposing a better improvement solution is an urgent problem to be solved in this industry.

The main purpose of this invention is to propose a pneumatic-hydraulic rotary joint that solves the problem of the pipeline being pulled and pulled when the rotor rotates, resulting in limited rotation angle, complex piping, or the need for a large volume.

To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the invention proposes a gas-hydraulic rotary joint, which is used to connect a rotating mechanism, and has a base and a rotating shaft. The base is located at one end of the rotating mechanism, and the rotating shaft is connected to the base; the gas-hydraulic rotary joint has: a stator, which is fixed on the base of the rotating mechanism and has: a stator abutting surface, which is the side of the stator away from the base; at least one inlet channel, the two ends of which are respectively formed on the side wall of the stator and the stator abutting surface; a rotor, which is connected to the rotating mechanism The rotor is adapted to fit the stator and the stator, and has a rotor abutting surface, which is a surface of the rotor abutting the stator; at least one outlet channel, two ends of which are formed on the side wall of the rotor and the rotor abutting surface, respectively; and at least one annular channel, which extends around the rotation axis of the rotating mechanism and is formed on the stator abutting surface or the rotor abutting surface; each annular channel is connected to one of the inlet channels and one of the outlet channels.

In the aforementioned pneumatic-hydraulic rotary joint, the stator further comprises: a stator housing; a stator sealing block disposed within the stator housing; a stator abutment surface formed on a side of the stator sealing block remote from the base; one end of the at least one inlet passage penetrating a sidewall of the stator sealing block and a sidewall of the stator housing; and an elastic member disposed within the stator housing and located between the stator sealing block and the base, the elastic member tending to push the stator sealing block away from the base to abut against the rotor abutment surface.

In the aforementioned gas-hydraulic rotary joint, the elastic member is a disc spring or a conical compression spring.

In the aforementioned pneumatic-hydraulic rotary joint, the rotor further comprises: a rotor housing; a rotor sealing block disposed within the rotor housing, and the elastic member tends to push against the stator sealing block to adhere to the rotor sealing block.

In the aforementioned gas-hydraulic rotary joint, the material strength of the rotor sealing block is lower than the material strength of the stator sealing block.

In the aforementioned gas-hydraulic rotary joint, the stator sealing block is made of metal, ceramic or engineering plastic.

In the aforementioned gas-hydraulic rotary joint, the stator further comprises: at least one positioning hole extending through the stator housing and formed on the surface of the stator sealing block; and at least one positioning pin, each of which can be positioned in one of the positioning holes to secure the stator sealing block.

In the aforementioned gas-hydraulic rotary joint, the number of the at least one inlet channel is plural, the number of the at least one outlet channel is plural, and the number of the at least one annular channel is plural.

In the aforementioned gas-hydraulic rotary joint, the opening of the at least one inlet channel on the stator contact surface extends in an arc shape with the rotation of the rotary mechanism as the center.

In the aforementioned gas-hydraulic rotary joint, the opening of the at least one outlet channel on the rotor contact surface extends in an arc shape with the rotation of the rotary mechanism as the center.

When this invention is used, two pipes are connected to the stator's inlet channel, located at an opening in the stator's side wall, and the rotor's outlet channel, located at an opening in the rotor's side wall. Gas or liquid is then transported from the stator's inlet channel to generate air or liquid pressure. The transported gas or liquid flows along the inlet channel into the annular channel, and then from the annular channel to the rotor's outlet channel, affecting the air or liquid pressure in the outlet channel. Because the annular channel extends around the rotating axis of the rotating mechanism, when the rotor rotates around the rotating axis of the rotating mechanism, both the inlet channel and the outlet channel can rotate in a manner that fits the annular channel. Moreover, regardless of the angle to which the rotor rotates, the inlet channel and the outlet channel can remain connected to the annular channel, thereby allowing the inlet channel and the outlet channel to be connected to each other. Therefore, this invention does not require pipelines to be inserted into the stator and rotor, and therefore does not cause the problem of pipelines being entangled with each other.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 3. This invention proposes a gas-hydraulic rotary joint for connecting a rotating mechanism A. Rotating mechanism A has a base A1 and a rotating shaft A2. Rotating shaft A2 is connected to base A1 of rotating mechanism A. The gas-hydraulic rotary joint has a stator 10, a rotor 20, and at least one annular channel 30.

The stator 10 is fixed to the base A1 of the rotating mechanism A. The rotor 20 is connected to the rotating axis A2 of the rotating mechanism A and rotates along the rotating axis A2 of the rotating mechanism A. The rotor 20 can fit closely with the stator 10. In this embodiment, the stator 10 comprises a stator housing 11, a stator sealing block 12, a stator contact surface 13, at least one inlet channel 14, an elastic member 15, at least one positioning hole 16, and at least one positioning pin 17. In other embodiments, the stator 10 may comprise only a stator contact surface 13 and at least one inlet channel 14.

Please refer to Figures 2 to 4. The stator sealing block 12 is disposed within the stator housing 11. The stator abutment surface 13 is the side of the stator 10 that is away from the base A1. Specifically, the stator abutment surface 13 is formed on the side of the stator sealing block 12 that is away from the base A1. In this embodiment, the material of the stator sealing block 12 is metal, ceramic, or engineering plastic. In other embodiments, the material of the stator sealing block 12 is not limited thereto, and other high-strength, low-heat-generating, low-friction-coefficient, or low-wear materials may also be selected. In addition, by dividing the stator 10 into the stator housing 11 and the stator sealing block 12, different materials can be selected for the stator housing 11 and the stator sealing block 12 according to different requirements. In other embodiments, the stator 10 may not be divided into two phase-separated components, but may be formed as a single piece.

The inlet channel 14 has two ends formed on the sidewall of the stator 10 and the stator contact surface 13, respectively. Preferably, one end of the inlet channel 14 penetrates the sidewall of the stator sealing block 12 and the sidewall of the stator housing 11. In this embodiment, the stator 10 has eight inlet channels 14, which are arranged at equal angular intervals. However, in other embodiments, the number and position of the inlet channels 14 are not limited to this. In this embodiment, the opening of the inlet channel 14 on the stator contact surface 13 extends in an arc shape with the rotation axis A2 of the rotating mechanism A as the center. This increases the flow rate of gas or liquid transmitted by the inlet channel 14. In other embodiments, the opening of the inlet channel 14 on the stator contact surface 13 can also be circular or have other shapes instead of an arc.

The elastic member 15 is disposed within the stator housing 11, between the stator sealing block 12 and the base A1. The elastic member 15 tends to push the stator sealing block 12 away from the base A1 and against the rotor 20. This ensures that the stator sealing block 12 maintains contact with the rotor 20, creating a seal and preventing leakage due to wear on the stator contact surface 13. In this embodiment, the elastic member 15 is a disc spring or a conical compression spring, but in other embodiments, the elastic member 15 is not limited to this form.

Positioning holes 16 extend through the stator housing 11 and are formed on the surface of the stator seal block 12. Each positioning pin 17 can be positioned in one of the positioning holes 16 to secure the stator seal block 12. This prevents the stator 10 from rotating due to its contact with the rotor 20 as the rotor 20 rotates along the axis of rotation A2 of the rotating mechanism A.

Please refer to Figures 1, 3, and 4. The rotor 20 has a rotor housing 21, a rotor sealing block 22, a rotor contact surface 23, and at least one outlet passage 24. The rotor sealing block 22 is disposed within the rotor housing 21, and the elastic member 15 tends to push the stator sealing block 12 against the rotor sealing block 22. Preferably, the material strength of the rotor sealing block 22 is lower than that of the stator sealing block 12. This ensures a tight fit between the stator sealing block 12 and the rotor sealing block 22, preventing gas or liquid leakage at the joint between the stator sealing block 12 and the rotor sealing block 22, which could affect the pressure in the inlet passage 14 and the outlet passage 24. The rotor housing 21 and the stator housing 11 can be made of the same material and are used to protect the stator sealing block 12 and the rotor sealing block 22.

The rotor contact surface 23 is the side of the rotor 20 that contacts the stator 10. Specifically, the rotor contact surface 23 is formed on the side of the rotor sealing block 22 that contacts the stator 10. The outlet channel 24 has two ends formed on the sidewall of the rotor 20 and the rotor contact surface 23, respectively. Preferably, one end of the outlet channel 24 penetrates the sidewall of the rotor sealing block 22 and the sidewall of the rotor housing 21. In this embodiment, the rotor 20 has eight outlet channels 24, spaced at equal angles. However, in other embodiments, the number and position of the outlet channels 24 are not limited to this. In this embodiment, the outlet channels 24 extend in an arc shape from their openings on the rotor contact surface 23, centered about the rotation axis A2 of the rotating mechanism A. Thereby, the flow rate of the outlet channel 24 in transmitting gas or liquid can be increased. In other embodiments, the opening of the outlet channel 24 on the rotor contact surface 23 may not be arc-shaped, but circular or other shapes.

Please refer to Figures 2, 4, and 5. The annular channel 30 extends around the rotation axis A2 of the rotating mechanism A and is formed on the stator contact surface 13 or the rotor contact surface 23. Specifically, in this embodiment, the annular channel 30 is an annular groove formed on the stator contact surface 13. In other embodiments, the annular groove may be formed only on the rotor contact surface 23, or two corresponding annular grooves may be formed on the stator contact surface 13 and the rotor contact surface 23, respectively, and these two annular grooves may be combined to form an annular channel 30.

Each annular channel 30 is connected to one of the inlet channels 14 and one of the outlet channels 24. In other words, gas or liquid can enter the stator 10 through one of the inlet channels 14, flow to the corresponding annular channel 30, and finally flow to one of the outlet channels 24 corresponding to that annular channel 30, and then flow out of the rotor 20. In this embodiment, the present invention has eight annular channels 30, which are concentrically arranged at equal intervals around the rotation axis A2 of the rotating mechanism A. However, in other embodiments, the number of annular channels 30 and the distance between any two annular channels 30 are not limited to this.

When this invention is used, two pipes are connected to the inlet channel 14 of the stator 10, located at an opening on the side wall of the stator 10, and the outlet channel 24 of the rotor 20, located at an opening on the side wall of the rotor 20. Gas or liquid is then transported from the inlet channel 14 of the stator 10 to generate air pressure or liquid pressure. The transported gas or liquid flows along the inlet channel 14 into the annular channel 30, and then flows from the annular channel 30 to the outlet channel 24 of the rotor 20, affecting the air pressure or liquid pressure in the outlet channel 24. Because the annular channel 30 extends around the rotation axis A2 of the rotating mechanism A, when the rotor 20 rotates around the rotation axis A2 of the rotating mechanism A, both the inlet channel 14 and the outlet channel 24 can rotate in contact with the annular channel 30. Moreover, regardless of the angle to which the rotor 20 rotates, the inlet channel 14 and the outlet channel 24 can remain connected to the annular channel 30, thereby allowing the inlet channel 14 and the outlet channel 24 to be connected to each other. Therefore, this invention does not require pipelines to be inserted into the stator 10 and the rotor 20, and therefore does not cause the problem of pipeline entanglement.

The advantage of this invention lies in the annular channel 30 provided at the junction between the stator 10 and the rotor 20. This allows the stator 10's inlet channel 14 and the rotor 20's outlet channel 24 to remain connected to the annular channel 30 even when the rotor 20 rotates, thereby maintaining a constant connection between the stator 10's inlet channel 14 and the rotor 20's outlet channel 24. Furthermore, by providing an elastic member 15 at the junction of the stator sealing block 12 and the base A1, the elastic member 15 pushes the stator sealing block 12 toward the rotor sealing block 22, thereby ensuring a tight fit between the inlet channel 14, the annular channel 30, and the outlet channel 24. This prevents leakage caused by wear between the stator and rotor contact surfaces 13 and 23.

A: Rotating mechanism A1: Base A2: Rotating axis 10: Stator 11: Stator housing 12: Stator sealing block 13: Stator contact surface 14: Inlet channel 15: Elastic member 16: Positioning hole 17: Positioning pin 20: Rotor 21: Rotor housing 22: Rotor sealing block 23: Rotor contact surface 24: Outlet channel 30: Annular channel

Figure 1 is a top view of this creation; Figure 2 is a top view of a stator of this creation; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of this creation; Figure 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of this creation; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of this creation from another angle.

A: Rotating mechanism

A1: Base

A2: Rotation axis

10: Stator

11: Stator housing

12: Stator sealing block

13: Stator contact surface

14: Import Channel

15: Elastic parts

16: Positioning hole

17: Positioning pin

20: Rotor

21: Rotor housing

22: Rotor sealing block

23: Rotor contact surface

24: Exit Channel

30: Circular Channel

Claims (10)

A gas-hydraulic rotary joint is used to connect a rotating mechanism. It has a base and a rotating shaft. The base is located at one end of the rotating mechanism, and the rotating shaft is connected to the base. The gas-hydraulic rotary joint has: a stator, which is fixed to the base of the rotating mechanism and has: a stator abutment surface, which is the side of the stator away from the base; at least one inlet channel, whose two ends are respectively formed on the side wall of the stator and the stator abutment surface; a rotor, which is connected to the rotating shaft of the rotating mechanism and rotates with the rotating shaft of the rotating mechanism; the rotor can fit with the stator and has: a A rotor abutment surface is a surface of the rotor that abuts the stator; at least one outlet channel has its ends formed on the side wall of the rotor and the rotor abutment surface respectively; at least one annular channel extends around the rotation axis of the rotating mechanism and is formed on the stator abutment surface or the rotor abutment surface; each annular channel is connected to one of the inlet channels and one of the outlet channels. The pneumatic-hydraulic rotary joint as described in claim 1, wherein the stator further comprises: a stator housing; a stator sealing block disposed within the stator housing; the stator abutment surface formed on a side of the stator sealing block remote from the base; one end of the at least one inlet channel penetrating the side wall of the stator sealing block and the side wall of the stator housing; and an elastic member disposed within the stator housing and located between the stator sealing block and the base, wherein the elastic member tends to push the stator sealing block away from the base to abut against the rotor abutment surface. The pneumatic-hydraulic rotary joint as described in claim 2, wherein the elastic member is a disc spring or a conical compression spring. As described in claim 2 or 3, the pneumatic-hydraulic rotary joint further comprises: a rotor housing; a rotor sealing block disposed within the rotor housing, and the elastic member tends to push against the stator sealing block to adhere to the rotor sealing block. The gas-hydraulic rotating joint as described in claim 4, wherein the material strength of the rotor sealing block is lower than the material strength of the stator sealing block. The gas-hydraulic rotating joint as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the material of the stator sealing block is metal, ceramic or engineering plastic. A pneumatic-hydraulic rotary joint as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the stator further comprises: at least one positioning hole extending through the stator housing and formed on the surface of the stator sealing block; and at least one positioning pin, each of which can be positioned in one of the positioning holes and secure the stator sealing block. A gas-hydraulic rotary joint as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the number of the at least one inlet channel is plural, the number of the at least one outlet channel is plural, and the number of the at least one annular channel is plural. A pneumatic-hydraulic rotary joint as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the opening of the at least one inlet channel at the stator contact surface extends in an arc shape with the rotation axis of the rotating mechanism as the center. A pneumatic-hydraulic rotary joint as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the opening of the at least one outlet channel at the rotor contact surface extends in an arc shape with the rotation axis of the rotating mechanism as the center.