A rope-driven swing joint module
By designing a rope-driven swing joint module with a simple structure, using symmetrical joint stands and gear plates to drive, the problem of insufficient flexibility of robot joint modules in the prior art is solved, and the cost reduction and wide application effect is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN201910900058.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2019-09-23
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-20
- Estimated Expiration
- 2039-09-23
AI Technical Summary
The existing robot joint modules are fixed in terms of configuration, size and freedom, lack flexibility, expansion and scalability. The traditional driving method leads to high costs, high noise, insufficient system flexibility, and no modularization.
A simple structure of rope-driven swing joint module is designed, using front and rear symmetrical joint frame and gear plate transmission, combined with pulley set and pre-tightening device to realize the elastic adjustment of the rope, and the motor drives the rope to achieve flexible swing of the joints.
It improves the flexibility, expansion and work efficiency of the robot joint module, reduces costs, and has a structure similar to that of the human arm and elbow joint. It is suitable for humanoid robotic arms and general operating arms, and has a wide range of applications.
Smart Images
Figure CN110666832B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of robot joint modules, and in particular to a rope-driven swing joint module. Background Art
[0002] At present, robots designed by traditional methods are fixed in configuration, size and degrees of freedom, which leads to defects such as poor fault tolerance and inconvenient maintenance. Different designs are required for specific requirements such as different sizes and loads, which ultimately lacks flexibility, extensibility and scalability in system construction.
[0003] The existing technology adopts modularization method to overcome the shortcomings of traditional technology, which is conducive to large-scale and standardized production and reduces production and maintenance costs. In modular design, a series of robot joint modules have been developed at home and abroad. For example, patents ZL201010242196.7 and ZL201010242208.6 disclose a swing joint and a rotary joint module respectively. The joint modules in these patent schemes have good performance, but due to the use of traditional harmonic reducers and gear transmission, they ultimately lead to high costs, high noise, insufficient system flexibility, large mass and moment of inertia, low load-to-weight ratio and other problems, and their application in production and life services is subject to certain restrictions.
[0004] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional driving method and improve the safety performance of the system, the existing technology also uses a rope drive method to develop robots and has become a new attempt that has attracted much attention. For example, patent CN106514703A discloses a spoke-type flexible mechanical arm based on rope drive. The mechanical arm uses three ropes to penetrate the entire mechanism, and each rope is driven by a motor. However, the patent technical solution has defects such as the driving device is too large, the rope connection is too complicated, and the application field is limited. For example, CN200710063781.9 discloses a rope-driven redundant mechanical arm. The swing joint is driven by a single pulley, but the structure size is not close to that of a human arm and the degree of freedom is also different. The rope-driven operating arm disclosed in patent US12328792 uses a series joint to connect the entire mechanical arm in series, but the structure of the first few joints is very loose and the routing is complicated. The end load capacity is low and the load-to-weight ratio is small, which is difficult to use in industry and cannot be used in humanoid robots. The current rope-driven robots have not achieved modularization. Although the driving method and structure bring some advantages, the flexibility, extensibility and scalability of system construction existing in traditional design and manufacturing have not been solved. Summary of the invention
[0005] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a rope-driven swing joint module with simple structure and reliable operation, aiming to improve the flexibility, expansibility and scalability of the robot joint module design and improve the working efficiency of the robot joint module.
[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention proposes a rope-driven swing joint module, comprising a plurality of joint bases symmetrically arranged front and back and on both sides, joint transmission mechanisms symmetrically arranged front and back are arranged between the joint bases, a pulley group is also provided inside the joint transmission mechanism to slide with the bypassed rope, the joint transmission mechanism is connected to a distance-maintaining device to ensure that the front and back symmetrical structure maintains a stable action spacing, the fixed end of the joint transmission mechanism is fixedly connected to one end of the motor cabin shell through the joint base, the pre-tensioning device adjusts the tightness of the rope, and a motor is provided inside the motor cabin shell to drive the rope and make the fixed end and the swing end of the joint transmission mechanism swing relative to each other.
[0007] Preferably, the joint transmission mechanism includes two gear plates symmetrically arranged front and back, and the opposite ends of the two gear plates are respectively provided with external gear teeth for meshing transmission. The rotation centers of the two gear plates respectively pass through a central axis, and the two ends of the central axis are respectively connected to the joint base frames symmetrically arranged left and right. The swing end of the joint transmission mechanism is respectively provided with two sets of movable pulleys at the end angle positions of the gear plates, and the fixed end of the joint transmission mechanism is respectively provided with two sets of fixed pulleys at the end angles of the gear plates. The movable pulleys and the fixed pulleys are arranged on the same side, and the rope starts from the upper fixed pulley and bypasses the upper movable pulley and then enters the pretensioning device, then bypasses the lower movable pulley, and then bypasses the lower fixed pulley.
[0008] Preferably, the distance-keeping device comprises distance-keeping plates respectively arranged on both sides of the gear plate, and both ends of the distance-keeping plates are respectively connected to the central shaft.
[0009] Preferably, the pretensioning device includes two universal wheels that pass through the motor compartment shell and are arranged up and down. The universal wheels are also connected to threaded pretensioning parts that radially pass through the wall panel of the motor compartment shell. A pulley holder is also provided in the installation cavity to constrain the universal wheels. The threaded pretensioning parts are spirally rotated so that the universal wheels and the pulley holder can adjust the tension of the rope. A winding wheel is also provided in the installation cavity on one side of the motor compartment shell and is tightly connected to the rope entering the pretensioning device. The winding wheel is connected to a motor whose shaft end passes through the motor compartment shell and is driven to rotate by the motor.
[0010] Preferably, the meshing transmission ratio of the two gear plates is 1:1.
[0011] The technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages over the prior art:
[0012] The technical solution of the present invention adopts rope drive and gear plate transmission, which makes the structure simple, light and small, and the rope drive has certain flexibility, so it is safer to use; the technical solution of the present invention replaces the traditional expensive harmonic reducer and RV reducer with rope drive and gear plate transmission, and the joint cost is low;
[0013] The technical solution of the present invention has a wide range of applications. Since its configuration is similar to the elbow joint of a human arm, it can be used as the elbow joint of a humanoid robot arm; since it can swing in both directions, it can also be used as the swing joint of a general operating arm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.
[0015] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the rope-driven swing joint module of the present invention;
[0016] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the joint transmission mechanism of the present invention;
[0017] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the pre-tightening device of the present invention;
[0018] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the winding method of the rope-driven swing joint module of the present invention.
[0019] Description of Figure Numbers:
[0020] Label name Label name 1 Joint base 10 Distance protection board 2 Joint transmission mechanism 11 Fixed pulley 3 Distance protection device 12 Motor shaft 4 rope 13 Winding reel 5 Preload device 14 Pulley Cage 6 Modular interface 15 Universal wheel 7 Gear 16 Threaded preload 8 Movable pulley M Motor compartment housing 9 Central axis R Rope winding method
[0021] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0023] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.
[0024] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in the field to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.
[0025] The invention provides a rope-driven swivel joint module.
[0026] See also Figure 1 The rope-driven swing joint module of the embodiment of the present invention includes four joint base frames 1 that are symmetrically arranged front and back and symmetrically arranged on both sides. Joint transmission mechanisms 2 that are symmetrically arranged front and back are arranged between the joint base frames 1. The joint transmission mechanism 2 of this embodiment is also provided with a pulley group inside to slide with the bypassed rope 4. The joint transmission mechanism 2 is connected to the distance-keeping device 3 to ensure that the front and back symmetrical structure maintains a stable action spacing. The fixed end of the joint transmission mechanism 2 is fixedly connected to one end of the motor cabin shell M through the joint base frame 1. The motor cabin shell M is provided with a motor-driven adjustment rope 4 to make the fixed end and the swing end of the joint transmission mechanism 2 engage and swing relative to each other. Therefore, the joint base frame 1, the joint transmission mechanism 2, the distance-keeping device 3 and the pre-tightening device 5 together constitute the rope-driven swing joint module of this embodiment, which has a working range and flexibility beyond that of human arms.
[0027] See also Figures 2 to 4 Specifically, the joint transmission mechanism 2 of the present embodiment includes two gear plates 7 symmetrically arranged front and back, and the opposite ends of the two gear plates 7 are respectively provided with external gear teeth for meshing transmission. Preferably, the meshing transmission ratio of the two gear plates 7 of the present embodiment is 1:1. The rotation centers of the two gear plates 7 pass through a central axis 9 respectively, and the two ends of the central axis 9 are respectively connected to the joint base frame 1 symmetrically arranged left and right. The swing end of the joint transmission mechanism 2 is respectively provided with two sets of movable pulleys at the end corners of the gear plate 7, and the fixed end of the joint transmission mechanism 2 is respectively provided with two sets of fixed pulleys at the end corners of the gear plate 7. The movable pulley 8 and the fixed pulley 11 are arranged on the same side, and the rope 4 starts from the upper fixed pulley 11 and bypasses the upper movable pulley 8, then extends into the interior of the pre-tensioning device 5, then bypasses the lower movable pulley 8, and then bypasses the lower fixed pulley 11 to be fixedly connected to the fixed pulley 11. For the specific rope routing method, please refer to Figure 4 The rope winding method R. Therefore, through the drive of the rope 4, the two opposite gear pieces 7 are made to swing relative to each other.
[0028] The distance-keeping device of this embodiment includes distance-keeping plates 10 respectively arranged on both sides of the gear piece 7, and both ends of the distance-keeping plates 10 are respectively connected to the central axis 9. Therefore, the two distance-keeping plates 10 can make the two central axes 9 arranged in the front and rear have a relatively constant axial distance, and are also positioned by the shaft sleeve 9 to ensure that the gear piece 7 will not be axially offset, and the constraint teeth on the gear piece 7 ensure that it will not be radially offset.
[0029] The preload device 5 of this embodiment includes two universal wheels 15 arranged inside the motor compartment housing M and arranged up and down. The universal wheels 15 are also connected to the threaded preload member 16 that radially passes through the wall plate of the motor compartment housing M. A pulley holder 14 is also provided in the installation cavity to constrain the universal wheels 15. The threaded preload member 16 is spirally rotated so that the universal wheels 15 and the pulley holder 14 can adjust the tension of the rope 4. A winding wheel 13 is also provided in the installation cavity on one side of the motor compartment housing M and is connected to the rope 4 entering the preload device 5. Part of the rope 4 will be wound around the outer circumference of the winding wheel 13, and the winding wheel 13 is connected to the motor that axially passes through the motor compartment housing M. The motor shaft 12 of the motor generates a rotational force on the winding wheel 13. The motor of this embodiment is fixedly connected to the motor compartment housing M.
[0030] The four joint bases 1 of this embodiment are provided with modular interfaces 6 at the end surfaces to facilitate quick connection with subsequent modules.
[0031] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the concept of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A rope-driven swing joint module, characterized in that: It includes a plurality of joint base frames symmetrically arranged front and back and on both sides, joint transmission mechanisms symmetrically arranged front and back are arranged between the joint base frames, a pulley block is also arranged inside the joint transmission mechanism to slide with the bypassed rope, the joint transmission mechanism is connected to a distance-keeping device to ensure that the front and rear symmetrical structure maintains a stable action spacing, the fixed end of the joint transmission mechanism is fixedly connected to one end of the motor cabin shell through the joint base frame, the pre-tightening device adjusts the tightness of the rope, and a motor is arranged inside the motor cabin shell to drive the rope and make the fixed end and the swing end of the joint transmission mechanism swing relative to each other; The joint transmission mechanism includes two gear plates symmetrically arranged front and back, and the opposite ends of the two gear plates are respectively provided with external gear teeth for meshing transmission. The rotation centers of the two gear plates respectively pass through a central axis, and the two ends of the central axis are respectively connected to the joint base frame symmetrically arranged left and right. The swing end of the joint transmission mechanism is respectively provided with two sets of movable pulleys at the end angle positions of the gear plates, and the fixed end of the joint transmission mechanism is respectively provided with two sets of fixed pulleys at the end angles of the gear plates. The movable pulleys and the fixed pulleys are arranged on the same side, and the rope starts from the upper fixed pulley and bypasses the upper movable pulley and then enters the pre-tightening device, and then bypasses the lower movable pulley, and then bypasses the lower fixed pulley; The joint base is provided with a modular interface at the end surface position.
2. The cable-driven swivel joint module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance-keeping device comprises distance-keeping plates respectively arranged on both sides of the gear plate, and both ends of the distance-keeping plates are respectively connected to the central shaft.
3. The cable-driven swivel joint module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pretensioning device includes two universal wheels that pass through the motor compartment shell and are arranged up and down. The universal wheels are also connected to threaded pretensioning parts that radially pass through the wall panel of the motor compartment shell. A pulley holder is also provided in the installation cavity to constrain the universal wheels. The threaded pretensioning parts are spirally rotated so that the universal wheels and the pulley holder can adjust the tension of the rope. A winding wheel is also provided in the installation cavity on one side of the motor compartment shell and is tightly connected to the rope entering the pretensioning device. The winding wheel is connected to a motor whose shaft end passes through the motor compartment shell and is driven to rotate by the motor.
4. The cable-driven swivel joint module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The meshing transmission ratio of the two gear plates is 1:1.