A multi-degree of freedom robot

Abstract

A multi-degree-of-freedom robot includes a first joint seat, a second joint seat, and a third joint seat arranged sequentially. A degree-of-freedom adjustment mechanism is installed between adjacent joint seats. An operating tool is connected to the third joint seat via a disassembly mechanism. A counterweight mechanism for adjusting the center of gravity is also installed on the first joint seat. The three joint seats form three relatively movable mechanical joints, with each joint seat moving the next via the degree-of-freedom adjustment mechanism. Two linear motors in the degree-of-freedom adjustment mechanism generate linear or rotary outputs through synchronous or asynchronous motion, thereby achieving multi-degree-of-freedom movement. This multi-degree-of-freedom robot exhibits high motion accuracy and good stability, significantly improving the robot's positioning accuracy and meeting operational requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to automated robots, and more particularly to a robot having multiple degrees of freedom of motion. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of automation technology, automated robots are being applied to various industries. In the medical field, ophthalmic surgical robots are a new type of medical device that assists doctors in performing ophthalmic surgeries such as cataract surgery, macular degeneration, retinal surgery, and glaucoma surgery. However, existing robots often suffer from limited RCM (Remote Center of Motion) movement due to their initial posture, resulting in restricted RCM motion and a small range of motion, making them unsuitable for scenarios requiring RCM movement. Currently, most serial-parallel ophthalmic surgical robots designed for RCM movement based on the characteristics of ophthalmic surgery are three-degree-of-freedom parallelogram structures. Their RCM fixation is mechanical, using a specific parallelogram structure to allow the robot's end effector to move around a fixed RCM point. Because it's a mechanical fixation, once the structure is determined, the position of the robot's RCM point cannot be changed, and the robot cannot perform movements other than RCM movement, significantly limiting its application. Because the RCM point in ophthalmic surgery is located at the entrance of the ocular surface tunnel, the robot must move the RCM point at the end of the instrument to the tunnel before entering the eye. However, due to the limitations of mechanical positioning, auxiliary equipment must be used to move the robot body to move the end point of the robot to the tunnel entrance. This method has two main drawbacks. First, it places high demands on the auxiliary equipment, requiring precise and stable movement of the robot to the required position. Otherwise, incorrect positioning of the robot's RCM may cause the instrument to pull on the tunnel during the operation, increasing damage to the eyeball and affecting the surgical outcome. Second, because the instrument end needs to be moved to the tunnel on the ocular surface, the distance from the eyeball is almost zero, resulting in a very low tolerance for operational errors. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-degree-of-freedom robot that allows for convenient adjustment of the RCM point position, thereby improving positioning accuracy and operational stability.

[0004] The multi-degree-of-freedom robot of the present invention includes a first joint seat, a second joint seat, and a third joint seat arranged sequentially, with degree-of-freedom adjustment mechanisms installed between adjacent joint seats. The degree-of-freedom adjustment mechanism includes two linear motors arranged side by side on one of the joint seats, and a fixed block and a guide rail fixedly installed on adjacent joint seats. A slider is movably installed on the guide rail. The two linear motors are respectively hinged to the fixed block and the slider through connecting blocks, and the two hinged ends are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the guide rail. A linear motor is also installed on the third joint seat, and the linear motors on each joint seat are arranged perpendicular to each other.

[0005] The multi-degree-of-freedom robot has an end-effector guide rail and an end-effector slider that moves along the end-effector guide rail on the third joint seat. The end-effector slider is fixedly mounted with a disassembly mechanism, which can be disassembled and assembled to connect to operating instruments, such as syringes in surgical operations or paintbrushes in painting operations.

[0006] The multi-degree-of-freedom robot has a counterweight mechanism for adjusting the center of gravity installed on the first joint seat. It includes two fixed plates that are respectively hinged to the first joint seat. One of the fixed plates is provided with a vertically arranged slide rail and a slide rail block that moves along the slide rail. The counterweight block is connected to the slide rail block and is fixedly connected to the other fixed plate.

[0007] The multi-degree-of-freedom robot of this invention comprises three relatively movable mechanical joints: a first joint seat, a second joint seat, and a third joint seat. These three joint seats are arranged sequentially, with the first two joint seats each equipped with a degree-of-freedom adjustment mechanism to drive the movement of the next joint seat. In this mechanism, two linear motors are arranged side-by-side and hinged to the next joint seat via a fixed block and a slider, respectively. When the two linear motors move synchronously, their combined output is linear motion, driving the next joint seat to move linearly. When the two linear motors move asynchronously, their output is rotational motion, thereby driving the next joint seat to rotate. Different rotation angles can be achieved by controlling the displacement difference between the two linear motors to meet positioning requirements. On the other hand, the third joint seat is connected to the robot's end effector, such as a surgical instrument in a medical robot, via a linear motor, driving the instrument to move linearly. This multi-degree-of-freedom robot provides linear or rotational output through two parallel linear motors with different motion modes. The end effector moves via linear motors perpendicular to each other at different joints, enabling multi-degree-of-freedom motion with high precision and smooth operation, significantly improving positioning accuracy and meeting operational requirements. Furthermore, a counterweight mechanism balances the weight between the second and third joints during movement, preventing excessive torsional torque on the linear motor at the first joint, thus enhancing the safety and lifespan of the linear motors and the entire robot. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-degree-of-freedom robot.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a side view schematic diagram of a multi-degree-of-freedom robot.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the first joint seat and the components mounted on it.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the second and third articulatory seats.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the working state structure of a multi-degree-of-freedom robot. Detailed Implementation

[0013] A multi-degree-of-freedom robot includes a first joint seat 1, a second joint seat 2, and a third joint seat 3 arranged sequentially. A degree-of-freedom adjustment mechanism is installed between adjacent joint seats. Each degree-of-freedom adjustment mechanism includes two linear motors 4 arranged side-by-side on one of the joint seats, and a fixed block 5 and a guide rail 6 fixedly mounted on adjacent joint seats. A slider 7 is movably mounted on the guide rail. The two linear motors are hinged to the fixed block and the slider respectively via connecting blocks 8, with the two hinged ends parallel to each other and perpendicular to the guide rail. A linear motor is also installed on the third joint seat, and the linear motors on each joint seat are mutually... The device is vertically positioned. Additionally, the third joint seat 3 is equipped with an end guide rail 9 and an end slider 10 that moves along the end guide rail. A mounting / dismounting mechanism 11 is fixedly mounted on the end slider. This mechanism can be detachably connected to an operating instrument 12, such as a syringe in surgical operations or a paintbrush in painting. The mounting / dismounting mechanism 11 is a clamp, which is simple in structure and easy to operate. Furthermore, the end slider 10 is equipped with a grooved plate 13, on which the mounting / dismounting mechanism 11 is movably mounted. This allows for adjustment of the relative position of the mounting / dismounting mechanism and its operating instrument to the third joint seat, thereby meeting specific work requirements.

[0014] The multi-degree-of-freedom robot has a counterweight mechanism for adjusting the center of gravity installed on the first joint seat 1. It includes two fixed plates 14 that are respectively hinged to the first joint seat 1. One of the fixed plates is provided with a vertically arranged slide rail 15 and a slide rail block 16 that moves along the slide rail. The counterweight block 17 is connected to the slide rail block and fixedly connected to the other fixed plate.

[0015] like Figure 1-4 As shown, the first, second, and third joint seats form three relatively movable mechanical joints, arranged in a sequential order. The first two joint seats each have a degree-of-freedom adjustment mechanism that drives the movement of the next joint seat. In this mechanism, two linear motors are arranged side-by-side and hinged to the next joint seat via a fixed block and a slider, respectively. When the two linear motors move synchronously, their combined output is linear motion, driving the next joint seat to move linearly. When the two linear motors move asynchronously, their output is rotational motion, thus driving the next joint seat to rotate. Figure 5As shown, different rotation angles can be formed by controlling the displacement difference of the two linear motors to meet the positioning requirements; on the other hand, the third joint seat is connected to the robot's operating end via a linear motor, such as a surgical instrument in a medical robot, and the linear motor drives the operating instrument to move linearly.

[0016] The multi-degree-of-freedom robot has two motor mounting plates 18 fixedly installed on the first joint seat 1 and the second joint seat, respectively. Two linear motors 4 are fixed to the first joint seat / second joint seat and the two motor mounting plates, respectively, to improve the installation stability of the linear motors and the connection strength between the components. An end plate 19 is fixedly installed on the third joint seat 3. The linear motors 4 are fixedly installed on the third joint seat and the end plate 19. End guide rails 9 are respectively provided on two adjacent sides of the end plate 19. The end slider 10 is connected to the two end guide rails to improve the movement stability of the end slider and the operating device on it.

[0017] This multi-degree-of-freedom robot provides linear or rotational output through two parallel linear motors with different motion modes. The end effector moves via linear motors perpendicular to each other at different joints, enabling multi-degree-of-freedom motion with high precision and smooth operation, significantly improving positioning accuracy and meeting operational requirements. Furthermore, a counterweight mechanism balances the weight between the second and third joints during movement, preventing excessive torsional torque on the linear motor at the first joint, thus enhancing the safety and lifespan of the linear motors and the entire robot.

Claims

1. A multi-degree-of-freedom robot, characterized in that: The system includes a first joint seat (1), a second joint seat (2), and a third joint seat (3) arranged sequentially. Each adjacent joint seat is equipped with a degree-of-freedom adjustment mechanism. The degree-of-freedom adjustment mechanism includes two linear motors (4) arranged side by side on one of the joint seats, and a fixed block (5) and a guide rail (6) fixedly arranged on the adjacent joint seats. A slider (7) is movably installed on the guide rail. The two linear motors are respectively hinged to the fixed block and the slider through a connecting block (8), and the two hinged ends are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the guide rail. A linear motor is also installed on the third joint seat, and the linear motors on each joint seat are arranged perpendicular to each other. An operating device (12) is also installed on the third joint seat.

2. The multi-degree-of-freedom robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The third joint seat (3) is provided with an end guide rail (9) and an end slider (10) that moves along the end guide rail. An assembly / disassembly mechanism (11) is fixedly installed on the end slider. The assembly / disassembly mechanism can be detachably connected to the operating tool (12).

3. The multi-degree-of-freedom robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The assembly / disassembly mechanism (11) is a clamp.

4. The multi-degree-of-freedom robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The end slider (10) is equipped with a groove plate (13) with a sliding groove, and the mounting and dismounting mechanism (11) is movably mounted on the groove plate.

5. The multi-degree-of-freedom robot according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: The first joint seat (1) is equipped with a counterweight mechanism for adjusting the center of gravity.

6. The multi-degree-of-freedom robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The counterweight mechanism includes two fixed plates (14) respectively hinged to the first joint seat (1). One of the fixed plates is provided with a slide rail (15) and a slide rail block (16) that moves along the slide rail. The counterweight block (17) is connected to the slide rail block and fixedly connected to the other fixed plate.

7. The multi-degree-of-freedom robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The slide rail (15) is set vertically.

8. The multi-degree-of-freedom robot according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: Two motor mounting plates (18) are fixedly installed on the first joint seat (1) and the second joint seat respectively. Two linear motors (4) are fixed on the first joint seat / second joint seat and the two motor mounting plates respectively.

9. The multi-degree-of-freedom robot according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: An end plate (19) is fixedly installed on the third joint seat (3), and a linear motor (4) is fixedly installed on the third joint seat and the end plate.

10. The multi-degree-of-freedom robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The two adjacent sides of the end fixing plate (19) are respectively provided with end guide rails (9), and the end slider (10) is connected to the two end guide rails at the same time.

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