Corrosion resistant exoskeleton arm linkage assembly

Abstract

A system for shielding a robot arm against being splashed with fluids comprises a protective shell-like cover of thin-walled plastic material impervious to fluids which is removably attached to the robot arm. The protective cover has a contoured shape generally conforming to the configuration of the robot arm and includes an upper member overlying the upwardly facing surfaces of the robot arm and an integral continuous side member proximally overlying the sidewall of the robot arm and extending to a lower rim generally coplanar with the downwardly facing surfaces of the robot arm. The upper member of the protective cover generally overlies the upwardly facing surface of the robot arm while the peripherally extending sidewall generally overlies the outwardly facing surface of the peripherally extending sidewall. In similar fashion, a protective plate of thin-walled plastic material impervious to fluids may also be removably attached to the downwardly facing surfaces of the robot arm and includes a peripheral rim generally coextensive with the peripherally extending sidewall of the link and proximate the lower rim of the protective cover when both the protective cover and the protective plate are so attached. With this construction, any splashing issuing from any direction and directed toward the robot arm is caused to impinge upon the protective cover and the protective plate thereby protecting the link of the robot arm to which it is attached.