End-of-line guide

Abstract

This invention discloses an end-effector guide, including a quick-release assembly for quick-release connection to the end of a preceding structure. The quick-release assembly includes: an adapter, one end of which is fixedly connected to the end of the preceding structure, and a locking groove is formed on its side wall; and a quick-release member abutting against the other end of the adapter, with a locking member rotatably mounted therein at a position corresponding to the locking groove of the adapter. One end of the locking member engages with the locking groove for locking, and the other end controls the rotation of the locking member for unlocking. This invention, through the design of the adapter and quick-release assembly, allows for quick installation and disassembly without any disassembly tools. Furthermore, the designed locking and unlocking shaft ensures a locked state after installation, guaranteeing a secure and reliable connection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, and more particularly to an end effector. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing adoption of orthopedic surgical robots in hospitals, the application of robot-assisted surgery is becoming more and more widespread. The end effector, as a crucial component of the surgical robot, is primarily used to provide guidance and positioning for sleeves or Kirschner wires. During normal use, the end effector needs to be disassembled after each surgery, and it also needs to be sterilized before being reinstalled on the robotic arm. Therefore, the end effector typically needs to meet the following requirements: 1. It can be easily and quickly installed on the visual tracker without any disassembly tools; 2. After installation, it must be robust, reliable, and highly stable, ensuring system accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Purpose of the invention: To address the above-mentioned shortcomings, this invention proposes an end effector that can be easily and quickly installed and removed without any disassembly tools via a quick-release method.

[0004] Technical solution:

[0005] The end guide includes a quick-release assembly for quick-release connection to the end of a preceding structure, the quick-release assembly comprising:

[0006] The adapter has one end face fixedly connected to the end of the preceding structure, and a locking groove is provided on its side wall.

[0007] The quick-release component abuts against the other end face of the adapter, and a locking component is rotatably installed inside it at a position corresponding to the locking groove of the adapter. One end of the locking component cooperates with the locking groove for locking, and the other end controls the rotation of the locking component for unlocking.

[0008] The quick-release component is provided with a locking / unlocking component that restricts the rotation of the locking component or releases the corresponding restriction by switching states.

[0009] The locking and unlocking component is a locking and unlocking shaft that is slidably installed in the quick-release component along the installation direction, and a transmission component is slidably abutting between the locking end of the locking component and the side wall of the locking and unlocking shaft.

[0010] The locking and unlocking shaft has a stepped structure, and the width difference between the steps is such that when the transmission component comes into contact with it, the rotation angle of the locking component is such that the locking end of the locking component leaves the locking groove of the adapter component.

[0011] An unlocking component for controlling the sliding of the locking / unlocking shaft is provided at the end of the locking / unlocking shaft.

[0012] The stepped position of the locking and unlocking axis is designed with a gradually changing width.

[0013] The locking and unlocking shaft is provided with a tension spring at both ends, which is connected to the quick-release component and the locking and unlocking shaft respectively. The locking and unlocking shaft is in two extreme positions in the natural state and the stretched state, respectively.

[0014] The locking and unlocking shaft has a cylindrical structure.

[0015] The quick-release component also has an unlocking slot for mounting the unlocking component;

[0016] The unlocking component is rotatably mounted on the end of the locking and unlocking shaft. During its rotation, its two end faces abut against the groove of the unlocking component, and the distance between the two end faces and the rotation point is such that the locking and unlocking shaft is located at its two extreme positions.

[0017] The unlocking element extends outward to form a pull end for operation.

[0018] The locking and unlocking shaft has a cylindrical stepped structure.

[0019] The locking and unlocking component is a locking and unlocking shaft that is rotatably installed in the quick-release component about the installation direction. A transmission component is slidably abutted between the locking end of the locking component and the side wall of the locking and unlocking shaft.

[0020] The locking and unlocking shaft is a cylindrical structure with symmetrical fan-shaped annular grooves on its outer wall. The depth of the fan-shaped annular grooves is such that when the transmitting member abuts against it, the rotation angle of the locking member is such that the locking end of the locking member leaves the locking groove of the adapter.

[0021] An unlocking component for controlling the rotation of the locking / unlocking shaft is provided at the end of the locking / unlocking shaft.

[0022] A through locking / unlocking groove is provided in the middle of the quick-release component along the installation direction, and the locking / unlocking shaft is installed in the locking / unlocking groove; a through groove is provided in the quick-release component at the position corresponding to the unlocking end of the locking component and between the locking / unlocking groove, and the transmission component is slidably disposed in the through groove, with its two ends abutting against the unlocking end of the locking component and the side wall of the locking / unlocking shaft, respectively.

[0023] An elastic element for resetting the locking member is provided between the outer side of the end of the locking member that mates with the locking groove and the side wall of the quick-release member.

[0024] An unlock button is provided on the side wall of the quick-release component at a position corresponding to the unlocking end of the locking component.

[0025] The quick-release component has a slot on its side wall that is longer than the unlock button along the installation direction.

[0026] A locking groove is provided on the outer side walls of both the left and right sides of the adapter. A receiving groove is provided in the quick-release component at the position corresponding to the locking groove along the installation direction. A locking component is rotatably installed in each receiving groove.

[0027] The locking groove on the outer side wall of the adapter is an annular groove.

[0028] Beneficial effects: The design of the adapter and quick-release components allows for quick installation and disassembly without any disassembly tools. Furthermore, the designed locking and unlocking shaft ensures that the device remains locked after installation, guaranteeing a secure and reliable installation. The designed unlocking component allows for easy manual and quick disassembly and installation. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the end-guide;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the end effector structure;

[0031] Figure 3 A top cross-sectional view of the end effector in the locked state;

[0032] Figure 4 A top-view cross-sectional view of the unlocked state of the end effector;

[0033] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the unlocking component.

[0034] In the image, 10. End-effector, 20. Robotic arm, 30. End-effector tracker, 40. Surgical instrument;

[0035] 11. Quick-release assembly; 12. Guide base;

[0036] 111. Adapter, 112. Mounting base, 113. Locking / unlocking axis, 114. Snap-fit, 115. Sliding component, 116. Unlock button, 117. Unlocking component;

[0037] 121. Tool mounting base; 122. Fixing nut;

[0038] 1121. Locking / Unlocking Slot, 1122. Unlocking Slot, 1123. Receiving Slot, 1124. Slotting, 1125. Unlocking Part Slot, 1126. Mounting Plate, 1127. First Ear;

[0039] 1131. Tension spring groove; 1132. Second ear; 1133. Tension spring;

[0040] 1141. Pin, 1142. Locking end, 1143. Unlocking end, 1144. Compression spring;

[0041] 1151. Slider; 1152. Roller;

[0042] 1171. Installation end; 1172. Pulling end; 31. Base; 32. Tracking ball. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The present invention will be further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the end-guide, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the end effector 30 is fixedly mounted on the end of the robotic arm 20 with screws, and the end effector guide 10 of the present invention is installed on the end effector 30 via a quick-release mechanism. The end effector 30 uses a base 31 to mount a tracking ball 32, wherein the tracking ball 32 can be an active light-emitting ball or a reflective ball. In the present invention, the tracking ball 32 can be directly mounted on the housing of the end effector guide 10, and the end effector guide 10 is installed on the end of the robotic arm 20 via a quick-release mechanism.

[0045] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, the end guide 10 includes a quick-release assembly 11 for quick-release installation and a guide base 12 for installing a surgical tool 40, which is fixedly connected to the quick-release assembly 11. The guide base 12 has a through hole for installing a tool mounting seat 121. The tool mounting seat 121 has a central hole for inserting the surgical tool 40. In this invention, a fixing nut is also provided on the guide base 12 on the side of the through hole. When the tool mounting seat 121 is installed in the through hole, it is fixed by the end of the fixing nut abutting against the side wall of the tool mounting seat 121.

[0046] like Figure 2 , 3 As shown in Figure 4, the quick-release assembly 11 includes an adapter 111 fixedly connected to the end of the preceding structure (the end of the robotic arm 20 or the end tracker 30 in this invention) by screws, a mounting base 112 fixedly connected to the adapter 111 by screws, a buckle 114 mounted on the mounting base 112 for locking and unlocking in cooperation with the adapter 111, and an unlock button 116 for unlocking.

[0047] In the diagram, the vertical direction is defined as up and down, and the horizontal direction as left and right. The upper end face of the adapter 111 is fixedly connected to the end face of the preceding structure via screws, and the lower end face is fixedly connected to the upper end face of the mounting base 112 via screws. A locking groove is formed on the outer walls of both sides of the adapter 111. A receiving groove 1123 is formed in the mounting base 112 at a position corresponding to the locking groove on the adapter 111, running vertically. A latch 114 is rotatably installed in each receiving groove 1123 via a pin 1141. The fastener includes a locking end 1142 at the upper end and an unlocking end 1143 at the lower end. The buckle 114 is rotatably mounted on the pin 1141 in the middle. The end of the locking end 1142 is inclined inward. A compression spring 1144 is provided between its outer side and the side wall of the mounting base 112. When the compression spring 1144 is in its natural state, the end of the locking end 1142 is just locked in the locking groove on the adapter 111. The unlocking end 1143 abuts against the side wall of the mounting base 112, thereby realizing the locking between the adapter 111 and the mounting base 112 and completing the locking installation of the quick-release assembly.

[0048] In this invention, the locking groove on the outer side wall of the adapter 111 can be designed as an annular groove, thereby enabling locking installation between the mounting base 112 and the adapter 111 at any angle; furthermore, the adapter 111 can be designed as a cylindrical structure.

[0049] A slot 1124 is provided on the side wall of the mounting base 112 at the position corresponding to the unlocking end 1143 of the buckle 114. An unlocking button 116 is fixedly connected to the unlocking end 1143 of the buckle 114 in the slot 112. The length of the slot 1124 in the vertical direction is greater than the length of the unlocking button 116.

[0050] A locking / unlocking groove 1121 extending vertically through the center of the mounting base 112 is provided, and a locking / unlocking shaft 113 passes through it. Figure 3 , 4As shown, the width of the locking / unlocking shaft 113 is less than or equal to the width of the locking / unlocking slot 1121, so that it can be inserted into the locking / unlocking slot 1121. The lower width of the locking / unlocking shaft 113 is less than its upper width, and the width difference ensures that the horizontal movement distance of the unlocking end 1143 at the lower end of the latch 114 is exactly such that the locking end at its upper end leaves the locking slot of the adapter 111. A tension spring groove 1131 in the middle of the locking / unlocking shaft 113 is provided, which... A tension spring 1133 is inserted; a mounting plate 1126 is fixedly installed at the upper end of the mounting base 112 at the locking / unlocking groove 1121 by screws. A first ear 1127 is provided on the inner side of the mounting plate 1126. One end of the tension spring 1133 is hooked to the first ear 1127, and the other end is hooked to the second ear 1132 provided at the lower end of the tension spring groove 1131. When the tension spring 1133 is in its natural state, the upper end face of the locking / unlocking shaft 113 abuts against the inner side of the mounting plate 1126.

[0051] In this invention, the locking / unlocking groove 1121 can be designed as a cylindrical structure, and the locking / unlocking shaft 113 is designed accordingly.

[0052] In this invention, there is a tapered portion between the upper and lower parts of the locking and unlocking shaft 113, and the length of the tapered portion is such that when the locking and unlocking shaft 113 is in the two extreme positions, its upper and lower parts are aligned with the unlocking end 1143 of the buckle 114 respectively.

[0053] Furthermore, the locking grooves on the outer side wall of the adapter 111 can be provided not only on the left and right outer side walls of the adapter 111, but also designed as multiple pairs of mutually symmetrical locking grooves along the circumferential direction on the outer side wall of the adapter 111, with the buckle 114 in the mounting base 112 correspondingly designed. Then the width of the locking and unlocking shaft 113 in the corresponding direction is as described above.

[0054] Of course, it is also possible to set only one set of mutually cooperating locking slots and buckles 114, but this solution has the problem of unilateral locking force and is not very stable. Therefore, in the specific embodiment of the present invention, at least one pair of mutually symmetrical locking slots are designed, and corresponding buckles 114 are set to ensure stability.

[0055] An unlocking slot is also provided on the lower end face of the mounting base 112. This unlocking slot is connected to the locking unlocking slot, and an unlocking component 117 is provided in the unlocking slot. Figure 5As shown, the unlocking component 117 includes an installation end 1171 sleeved on the lower end of the locking unlocking shaft 113 and a pull end 1172 for manual operation. The installation end 1171 and the lower end of the locking unlocking shaft 113 are rotatably connected by a pin. During the rotation of the unlocking component 117, the two end faces of the installation end 1171 abut against the unlocking component groove, and the distances between the two end faces and the rotation point are unequal. The corresponding distances are such that the aforementioned locking unlocking shaft 113 is located at the two extreme positions in the vertical direction.

[0056] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the included angle between the two end faces of the mounting end 1171 is 90°, so the rotation angle of the unlocking member 117 is also 90°. Furthermore, it can be designed to rotate from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction. Even more so, when the unlocking member 117 is in the vertical direction, the distance between the end face of the unlocking member 117 that abuts against the unlocking member groove and the rotation point is small. Then, when the unlocking member 117 is in the horizontal direction, the difference between the distance between the end face of the unlocking member 117 that abuts against the unlocking member groove and the rotation point and the distance in the vertical direction is the difference between the two extreme positions of the aforementioned locking and unlocking shaft 113 in the up and down directions.

[0057] More specifically, the thickness of the pull end 1172 of the unlocking member 117 is less than the depth of the unlocking member groove.

[0058] In another embodiment, the unlocking groove is designed as an L-shaped groove, with its inner groove connected to the locking unlocking groove; correspondingly, the thickness of the pull end 1172 of the unlocking member 117 can be designed to be less than the depth of the outer groove of the unlocking member groove. An unlocking groove 1122, extending in the left-right direction and connected to the locking unlocking groove 1121, is also provided in the mounting base 112. Each of the unlocking grooves 1122 on both sides of the locking unlocking groove 1121 is provided with a sliding member 115 that can slide left and right. When the buckle 114 is engaged in the locking groove of the adapter 111, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the two ends of the slider 115 abut against the inner side of the unlocking end 1143 at the lower end of the buckle 114 and the outer wall of the locking and unlocking shaft 113, respectively. At this time, it is in a mechanical dead point state, and the slider 115 cannot slide, thus ensuring the locking effect. Figure 3 , 4 As shown, sliding grooves are provided on the side walls of the unlocking grooves 1122 on both sides of the locking and unlocking groove 1121 in the left and right direction. The sliding member 115 is slidably installed in the sliding grooves by the sliders 1151 on both sides of it, thereby realizing the sliding installation of the sliding member 115. A roller 1152 is installed at both ends of the sliding member 115 by bearings. The roller 1152 is designed to realize the rolling cooperation between the sliding member 115 and the unlocking end 1143 at the lower end of the buckle 114 and the tapered part of the outer wall of the locking and unlocking shaft 113, thereby achieving the effect of effortless operation.

[0059] In another embodiment, the present invention also provides a novel locking and unlocking scheme. The locking and unlocking shaft 113 can be designed as a cylinder, with symmetrical fan-shaped annular grooves dug axially at symmetrical positions on its outer side wall, thereby forming structures with different diameters, and the difference between the two diameters is consistent with the difference between the upper and lower widths of the locking and unlocking shaft 113 in the aforementioned embodiment; the unlocking member 117 is designed as a structure that is fixedly connected to the lower end of the locking and unlocking shaft 113 to control its rotation, thereby enabling the restriction and release of the sliding member 115, that is, enabling the restriction and release of the rotation of the buckle 114.

[0060] In this invention, the quick-release assembly 11 and the guide base 12 are designed as an integrated structure.

[0061] Furthermore, a housing is provided outside the quick-release assembly 11 to protect the quick-release assembly 11.

[0062] The working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0063] like Figure 3 As shown, in the locked state, the unlocking member 117 is in a horizontal position. At this time, the outer side of the pull end 1172 of the unlocking member 117 is flush with the lower end face of the mounting base 112. At this time, the end face of the mounting end of the unlocking member 117 that is farther away from the pivot point abuts against the unlocking member groove, thereby pulling the tension spring 1133 in the locking unlocking shaft 113, causing the locking unlocking shaft 113 to slide downward, so that the upper side wall of the locking unlocking shaft 113 abuts against the end of the sliding member 115. At this time, the upper part of the locking unlocking shaft 113, the sliding member 115, and the unlocking end 1143 at the lower end of the buckle 114 are on the same horizontal plane, creating a mechanical dead point. The sliding member 115 cannot slide, that is, the unlocking button 116 cannot be pressed, thereby achieving the purpose of locking the adapter 111 and ensuring the locking effect.

[0064] like Figure 4As shown, when unlocking is required, the pull end 1172 of the unlocking component 117 needs to be rotated to the vertical position. At this time, the end face of the mounting end of the unlocking component 117 that is closer to the pivot point abuts against the unlocking component groove, thereby releasing the tension on the locking unlocking shaft 113. The tension spring 1133 retracts under its own elastic force, causing the locking unlocking shaft 113 to move upward, so that its lower part is on the same horizontal plane as the unlocking end 1143 of the lower end of the sliding component 115 and the buckle 114. At this time, the sliding component 115 has sliding space, so the unlocking button 116 can be pressed, thereby causing the unlocking end 1143 of the lower end of the buckle 114 to move inward. The locking end 1142 of the latch 114 will rotate outward, at which time the opening will increase and the locking end 1142 of the latch 114 will leave the locking groove of the adapter 111, so that the adapter 111 can be disassembled. When the unlocking button 116 is released, under the action of the spring 1144 on the locking end 1142 of the latch 114, the locking end 1142 of the latch 114 will move inward. So if it is necessary to lock the adapter 111, align it, so that the locking end 1142 of the latch 114 and the locking groove of the adapter 111 will cooperate and lock. At this time, the pulling end 1172 of the unlocking member 117 can maintain the locked state when it is in a horizontal position.

[0065] The end effector designed in this invention, through its designed adapter and quick-release components, can be installed conveniently and quickly without any disassembly tools. Furthermore, the designed locking and unlocking shaft structure can maintain the locked state, making it more robust and reliable, thereby ensuring system accuracy.

[0066] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, various equivalent transformations (such as quantity, shape, position, etc.) can be made to the technical solution of the present invention, and these equivalent transformations all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An end-effector, characterized in that: Includes a quick-release assembly for quick-release connection to the end of a preceding structure, the quick-release assembly comprising: The adapter has one end face fixedly connected to the end of the preceding structure, and a locking groove is provided on its side wall. The quick-release component abuts against the other end face of the adapter, and a locking component is rotatably installed inside it at a position corresponding to the locking groove of the adapter. One end of the locking component engages with the locking groove for locking, and the other end controls the rotation of the locking component for unlocking. The quick-release component is provided with a locking and unlocking component that restricts the rotation of the locking component or releases the corresponding restriction by switching states. The locking and unlocking component is a locking and unlocking shaft that is slidably installed in the quick-release component along the installation direction. A transmission component is slidably abutted between the unlocking end of the locking component and the side wall of the locking and unlocking shaft. The locking and unlocking shaft has a stepped structure, and the width difference between the steps is such that when the transmission member abuts against it, the rotation angle of the locking member is such that its locking end is engaged with or disengaged from the locking groove of the adapter. At the end of the locking and unlocking shaft, there is an unlocking member for controlling the sliding of the locking and unlocking shaft. Alternatively, the outer wall of the locking / unlocking shaft is provided with symmetrical fan-shaped annular grooves. The depth of the fan-shaped annular grooves is such that when the transmitting member abuts against it, the rotation angle of the locking member is such that its locking end is engaged with or disengaged from the locking groove of the adapter. The unlocking member is designed to be fixedly connected to the lower end of the locking / unlocking shaft to control its rotation.

2. The end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stepped position of the locking and unlocking axis is designed with a gradually changing width.

3. The end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking and unlocking shaft is provided with a tension spring at both ends, which is connected to the quick-release component and the locking and unlocking shaft respectively. The locking and unlocking shaft is in two extreme positions in the natural state and the stretched state, respectively.

4. The end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking and unlocking shaft has a cylindrical structure.

5. The end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The quick-release component also has an unlocking slot for mounting the unlocking component; The unlocking component is rotatably mounted on the end of the locking and unlocking shaft. During its rotation, its two end faces abut against the groove of the unlocking component, and the distance between the two end faces and the rotation point is such that the locking and unlocking shaft is located at its two extreme positions.

6. The end effector according to claim 5, characterized in that: The unlocking element extends outward to form a pull end for operation.

7. The end-effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking and unlocking shaft has a cylindrical stepped structure.

8. The end-effector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: A through locking / unlocking groove is provided in the middle of the quick-release component along the installation direction, and the locking / unlocking shaft is installed in the locking / unlocking groove; a through groove is provided in the quick-release component at the position corresponding to the unlocking end of the locking component and between the locking / unlocking groove, and the transmission component is slidably disposed in the through groove, with its two ends abutting against the unlocking end of the locking component and the side wall of the locking / unlocking shaft, respectively.

9. The end-effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: An elastic element for resetting the locking member is provided between the outer side of the end of the locking member that mates with the locking groove and the side wall of the quick-release member.

10. The end-effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: An unlock button is provided on the side wall of the quick-release component at a position corresponding to the unlocking end of the locking component.

11. The end effector according to claim 10, characterized in that: The quick-release component has a slot on its side wall that is longer than the unlock button along the installation direction.

12. The end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: A locking groove is provided on the outer side walls of both the left and right sides of the adapter. A receiving groove is provided in the quick-release component at the position corresponding to the locking groove along the installation direction. A locking component is rotatably installed in each receiving groove.

13. The end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking groove on the outer side wall of the adapter is an annular groove.

Images