Clutch type worm gear joint drive mechanism

Abstract

The present invention is a clutch-type joint drive mechanism, which adopts a worm gear reduction scheme, and mainly includes a U-shaped bracket, a sub-joint bracket, a drive motor, a worm assembly, a turbine assembly, a joint separation mechanism, a transmission motor and an elastic column assembly. The U-shaped bracket is fixed to the joint bracket to form a space for accommodating related structures; the transmission motor is fixed to the sub-joint bracket; the worm assembly, the turbine assembly and the joint separation mechanism are assembled together, and the power of the drive motor drives the turbine assembly to rotate through the worm, and the elastic column assembly fixed on the turbine assembly can be inserted into the driving hole of the joint when cooperating with the joint to drive the joint to rotate; the transmission motor drives the worm assembly and the turbine assembly to move along the joint axis through the joint separation mechanism, so that the joint drive mechanism enters or exits the cooperation with the joint. It enters the cooperation state when the joint needs to be controlled, and separates when it is not needed to avoid interfering with the passive movement of the joint.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of robots and relates to a robot joint driving mechanism. Background Art

[0002] In the field of robotics, the reliability and flexibility of joints have a significant impact on robot performance. When the robot joints need to have passive environmental adaptability, it is usually achieved mainly by the role of elastic elements. In existing joint drives, the driving motor and the controlled joint are often always connected, and the motor and reducer hinder the normal operation of the elastic element. In situations where the load is large, the motor is required to provide a larger torque, and the resistance of the motor in the power-off state is also large. In severe cases, the joint may lose its passive adaptability. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention creatively provides a clutch-type robot joint drive mechanism, the main purpose of which is to improve the passive adaptability of the robot joint, eliminate the influence of the resistance of the joint drive mechanism on the joint rotation, and solve the problem in the prior art that it is impossible to increase the joint drive torque when active control is not required and reduce the joint resistance when active control is not required.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention adopts a scheme of a clutch type worm gear joint drive mechanism, which mainly includes a U-shaped bracket, a sub-joint bracket, a drive motor, a worm assembly, a turbine assembly, a joint separation mechanism, a transmission motor and an elastic column assembly. The U-shaped bracket is fixed to the joint bracket 2, the sub-joint bracket is used to support another joint, the transmission motor is fixed thereon, the worm assembly, the turbine assembly and the joint separation mechanism are assembled together, and the elastic column assembly is fixed to the turbine assembly.

[0005] In one example, the worm assembly mainly includes a worm and a worm assembly bracket, the worm is assembled on the worm assembly bracket through a bearing, the drive motor is fixed to the worm assembly bracket, and drives the worm to rotate, and the worm is split, consisting of a worm body and a worm shaft. The turbine assembly mainly consists of a turbine and a bearing cover, which is assembled on the drive nut through a bearing, and the turbine is designed with a number of through holes and fixing holes for installing the elastic column assembly.

[0006] In one example, the joint separation mechanism mainly includes a transmission nut and a screw rod. The screw rod is mounted on a U-shaped bracket and a sub-joint bracket through a bearing. The transmission motor can be fixed on either the U-shaped bracket or the sub-joint bracket. The end structure of the transmission nut is in contact with the U-shaped bracket.

[0007] In one embodiment, the elastic column assembly includes an elastic column housing, a column pin, a spring, a front plug and a rear plug. A guide groove is designed on the inner side of the elastic column housing, a limiting structure is provided at the tail of the column pin, and a guide structure is designed at the head.

[0008] In one embodiment, the number of driving holes for inserting the pins on the joint is greater than the number of elastic column components, and the hole openings are designed with chamfers that are convenient for inserting the pins.

[0009] The above description is an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. The clutch-type worm gear joint drive mechanism provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects: the joint can enter and exit the matching state flexibly, no alignment is required, and there is no problem of loose connection, and the joint drive is reliable. The U-shaped bracket is fixed on the joint bracket to form a space for accommodating related structures, and can be used as a sliding track of the separation mechanism to provide guidance and support; the auxiliary joint bracket is used to support another joint, and the transmission motor is fixed on it; the worm assembly, the turbine assembly and the joint separation mechanism are assembled together, and the power of the driving motor drives the turbine assembly to rotate through the worm, and the elastic column assembly fixed on the turbine assembly can be inserted into the driving hole of the joint when matching with the joint to drive the joint to rotate; the joint separation mechanism drives the worm assembly and the turbine assembly to move along the joint axis direction under the action of the transmission motor to achieve entry and exit with the joint. Due to the elastic effect of the compression spring inside the elastic column assembly, when the joint enters the matching state, even if the column pin is not aligned with the driving hole, it will not hinder the normal action of the separation mechanism. When the turbine rotates a certain angle, there will be an opportunity for alignment between the elastic column and the driving hole, and the matching state can be entered, and the action is flexible. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, 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 these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0011] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a clutch-type worm gear joint drive mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0012] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a worm gear assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 3 It is a side view of a clutch-type worm gear joint drive mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 4 A side cross-sectional view of a clutch-type worm gear joint drive mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 5 It is an exploded view of the elastic pin assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention clearer, the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve the predetermined invention purpose are explained, and the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. In the following description, different "one embodiment" or "embodiment" does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, the specific features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments may be combined in any suitable form. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0017] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0018] Example 1.

[0019] This embodiment provides a clutch type robot joint drive mechanism. Figures 1 to 5 The clutch-type worm gear joint drive mechanism shown is used as an example for explanation. The joint drive mechanism in this embodiment mainly includes a U-shaped bracket (6), a sub-joint bracket (3), a drive motor (8), a worm assembly (4), a turbine assembly, a joint separation mechanism, a transmission motor (2) and an elastic column assembly (9). The worm gear scheme can obtain a large joint driving force and make the structure simple and compact. When it is necessary to control the autonomous movement of the joint, the joint drive mechanism and the joint enter a coordinated state to achieve autonomous control of the joint; when it is not necessary to control the joint, the joint drive mechanism is separated from the joint to avoid interference with the passive movement of the joint, so that the movement of the joint is flexible and free.

[0020] The U-shaped bracket (6) is fixed to the joint bracket 2 (7) and is the main supporting part of the mechanism. It forms a space for accommodating related structures and can serve as a sliding track for the separation mechanism. The auxiliary joint bracket (3) is used to support the joint bracket 1 (1) and fix the transmission motor (2). The worm assembly (4), the turbine assembly and the joint separation mechanism are assembled together, and the power of the driving motor (8) is transmitted through the worm shaft (13) and the worm body (12) to drive the turbine assembly to rotate.

[0021] The worm assembly mainly includes a worm and a worm assembly bracket (14). The worm is assembled on the worm assembly bracket (14) through a bearing. The drive motor (8) is fixed on the worm assembly bracket (14) to drive the worm to rotate. The worm is a split type, consisting of a worm body (12) and a worm shaft (13). The turbine assembly mainly includes a turbine (10) and a bearing cover (11). It is assembled on the transmission nut (5) through a bearing. The turbine (10) is designed with a plurality of through holes and fixing holes for installing the elastic column assembly (9). The joint separation mechanism mainly includes a transmission nut (5) and a screw (15). The screw (15) is mounted on the U-shaped bracket (6) and the sub-joint bracket (3) through a bearing. The transmission motor (2) can be fixed on either the U-shaped bracket (6) or the sub-joint bracket (3). The end structure of the transmission nut (5) is in contact with the U-shaped bracket (6).

[0022] The transmission motor (2) controls the action of the joint separation mechanism, drives the lead screw (15) to rotate, drives the transmission nut (5) coaxially matched with the lead screw to move axially, and then causes the worm assembly (4) and the turbine assembly to move together along the joint axis direction, so as to realize the clutch-type joint drive mechanism entering and exiting the matching state with the controlled joint.

[0023] The elastic column assembly (9) fixed on the turbine assembly can be inserted into the driving hole of the joint when cooperating with the joint, so as to drive the joint bracket 1 (1) to rotate. The elastic column assembly (9) includes an elastic column housing (18), a column pin (17), a compression spring (19), a front plug (16) and a rear plug (20). The inner side of the elastic column housing (18) is designed with a guide groove, the tail of the column pin (17) is provided with a limiting structure, and the head is designed with a guiding structure. The front plug (16) and the rear plug (20) play a limiting role. Due to the elastic effect of the compression spring (19) inside the elastic column assembly (9), when the driving mechanism enters the process of cooperating with the joint, even if the column pin (17) and the driving hole are not aligned, the normal action of the separation mechanism will not be hindered. When the turbine (10) rotates a certain angle, the column pin (17) and the driving hole will have a chance to align, and the cooperating state can be entered, and there is no need for alignment and no problem of loose connection, which is fast and reliable.

[0024] Example 2.

[0025] Preferably, this embodiment provides a robot joint driving mechanism. Compared with the previous embodiment, this embodiment is further designed as follows:

[0026] Preferably, the sub-joint bracket (3) and the U-shaped joint bracket (6) in this embodiment are combined together, and the controlled joint is placed on the outside of the clutch-type worm gear joint drive mechanism. A rolling adapter plate fixedly connected to the joint bracket is designed and assembled on the sub-joint bracket (3). The movement of the turbine is transmitted to the controlled joint through the rolling adapter plate, thereby achieving the control effect on the joint, making the structure of the clutch-type worm gear joint drive mechanism more compact, so that the mechanism provided in the previous embodiment is simpler. This design is easy to install and the structural stability of the entire joint drive mechanism is better.

Claims

1. A clutch type worm gear joint drive mechanism, characterized in that: It mainly includes a U-shaped bracket, a sub-joint bracket, a drive motor, a worm assembly, a turbine assembly, a joint separation mechanism, a transmission motor and an elastic column assembly; the joint separation mechanism is mainly composed of a transmission nut and a screw, which are installed on the U-shaped bracket and the sub-joint bracket through a bearing, the transmission motor is fixed to either the U-shaped bracket or the sub-joint bracket, and the end structure of the transmission nut is in contact with the U-shaped bracket; the turbine assembly is mainly composed of a turbine and a bearing cover, which is assembled on the transmission nut through a bearing, and the turbine is designed with a number of through holes and fixings for installing the elastic column assembly hole; the U-shaped bracket is fixed to the joint bracket 2, the sub-joint bracket is used to support another joint, the worm assembly, the turbine assembly and the joint separation mechanism are assembled together, and the elastic column assembly is fixed to the turbine assembly; the transmission motor controls the action of the joint separation mechanism, drives the screw to rotate, drives the transmission nut coaxially assembled with the screw to move axially, and then makes the worm assembly and the turbine assembly move together along the joint axis direction, so as to realize the clutch-type worm gear joint drive mechanism entering and exiting the matching state with the controlled joint.

2. The joint drive mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The worm assembly mainly includes a worm and a worm assembly bracket. The worm is assembled on the worm assembly bracket through a bearing. The drive motor is fixed to the worm assembly bracket to drive the worm to rotate. The worm is of a split type and consists of a worm body and a worm shaft.

3. The joint drive mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic column assembly includes an elastic column housing, a column pin, a spring, a front plug and a rear plug. A guide groove is designed on the inner side of the elastic column housing, a limiting structure is provided at the tail of the column pin, and a guide structure is designed at the head.

4. The joint drive mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of driving holes on the joint for inserting column pins is greater than the number of elastic column components, and the hole design is conducive to the chamfering of the column pin insertion.

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