Damping device for a robot arm

Abstract

The application provides a damping device of a mechanical arm, which comprises a first inner damping part, a second inner damping part, an outer damping part, an inner ring, an intermediate ring and an outer ring, all of which are elastic; the inner ring, the intermediate ring and the outer ring are coaxially and spacedly sleeved, an inner annular gap exists between the inner ring and the intermediate ring, and an outer annular gap exists between the intermediate ring and the outer ring; the first inner damping part and the second inner damping part are equal in number and multiple in quantity, and are annularly and spacedly distributed in the inner annular gap around the inner ring; the outer damping part is multiple in quantity, is annularly and spacedly distributed in the outer annular gap around the intermediate ring, and is fixedly connected at both ends to the intermediate ring and the outer ring respectively. The damping device has a two-stage damping structure and good damping effect.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The embodiment of the present application relates to the technical field of mechanical arm, in particular to a damping device of a mechanical arm. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of medical technology, the application of surgical robots is more and more widely. The surgical robot has three parts: a surgical trolley, a mechanical arm and an optical tracking positioning system.

[0003] The front end of the mechanical arm is installed on the surgical trolley, the end of the mechanical arm is connected with a connecting assembly, and the connecting assembly is connected with a surgical tool. Obviously, the mechanical arm plays the role of an arm. During the operation, the mechanical arm needs to adjust the posture under the action of the driving mechanism to drive the surgical tool through the connecting assembly to complete the corresponding operation task.

[0004] Among them, the first, the mechanical arm generates a large amount of heat after a long time of work; second, in the process of being driven by the driving mechanism, the mechanical arm will vibrate, although the vibration amplitude is not very large, it will still affect the precision of the surgical tool, which is an important factor affecting the operation precision, therefore, it is crucial for the mechanical arm to have good damping performance. SUMMARY

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the damping device of the mechanical arm is provided to at least partially solve the above problems.

[0006] One or more embodiments of the present application provide a damping device of a mechanical arm, the damping device comprising a first inner damping member, a second inner damping member, an outer damping member, an inner sleeve ring, an intermediate sleeve ring and an outer sleeve ring, all of which have elasticity; the inner sleeve ring, the intermediate sleeve ring and the outer sleeve ring are coaxially spaced sleeves, there is an inner annular gap between the inner sleeve ring and the intermediate sleeve ring, and there is an outer annular gap between the intermediate sleeve ring and the outer sleeve ring; the number of the first inner damping member and the second inner damping member is the same and both are multiple, the first inner damping member and the second inner damping member are annularly and spacedly distributed in the inner annular gap around the inner sleeve ring, and the first inner damping member and the second inner damping member are alternately distributed, both ends of the first inner damping member are fixedly connected to the inner sleeve ring and the intermediate sleeve ring respectively, and both ends of the second inner damping member are fixedly connected to the inner sleeve ring and the intermediate sleeve ring respectively; the elastic coefficients of the first inner damping member and the second inner damping member are different; the number of the outer damping member is multiple, the outer damping member is annularly and spacedly distributed in the outer annular gap around the intermediate sleeve ring, and both ends of the outer damping member are fixedly connected to the intermediate sleeve ring and the outer sleeve ring respectively.

[0007] Optionally, the plurality of outer damping members are uniformly distributed, and the plurality of first inner damping members are uniformly distributed; and the outer annular gap comprises first regions and second regions which are alternately distributed, the first regions correspond to the first inner damping members, the second regions correspond to gaps between adjacent two first inner damping members, and the first regions and the second regions both have the outer damping members distributed therein.

[0008] Optionally, the number of the outer damping members is greater than the number of the first inner damping members, and a central angle corresponding to one first inner damping member is greater than twice a central angle corresponding to one outer damping member.

[0009] Optionally, the damping device further comprises springs, the number of the springs is the same as the number of the first inner damping members, and the plurality of springs and the plurality of first inner damping members are alternately and spacedly distributed in the inner annular gap in a ring shape, and two ends of each spring are fixedly connected with the inner sleeve ring and the intermediate sleeve ring respectively.

[0010] Optionally, the outer damping member is a spherical ball, the inner surface of the outer sleeve ring is provided with a spherical groove matched with the spherical ball, and the spherical ball is fixedly connected in the spherical groove.

[0011] Optionally, the first inner damping member has an arc-shaped inner surface and an arc-shaped outer surface to respectively adapt to and fit the outer surface of the inner sleeve ring and the inner surface of the intermediate sleeve ring.

[0012] Optionally, the first inner damping member, the inner sleeve ring and the intermediate sleeve ring are integrally formed.

[0013] Optionally, the maximum elastic deformation of the intermediate sleeve ring is greater than the maximum elastic deformation of the outer sleeve ring.

[0014] Optionally, the damping device further comprises a phase change material layer, and the phase change material layer is arranged on the inner surface of the inner sleeve ring.

[0015] Optionally, the phase change material layer is annular.

[0016] Based on the above damping device provided in the application, the inner sleeve ring, the intermediate sleeve ring and the outer sleeve ring are indirectly connected with each other to form a whole, and a two-stage damping structure is formed between the inner sleeve ring and the outer sleeve ring, that is, the inner sleeve ring, the first inner damping member and the intermediate sleeve ring form a first-stage damping structure, and the intermediate sleeve ring, the outer damping member and the outer sleeve ring form a second-stage damping structure; the two-stage damping structure can improve the damping effect and reduce the influence of the vibration of the mechanical arm on the connecting assembly, thereby being conducive to improving the operation precision of the surgical tool. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] The following drawings are only intended to illustrate and explain the application, and do not limit the scope of the application. Among them,

[0018] Figure 1 is a structural schematic view of a damping device of a mechanical arm provided by an embodiment of the application.

[0019] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] 11-inner sleeve, 111-diamond cavity, 12-intermediate sleeve, 13-outer sleeve, 14-phase change material layer, 15-rigid outer ring,

[0021] 21-first inner damping member, 22-outer damping member, 23-second inner damping member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to have a clearer understanding of the technical features, objects and effects of the embodiments of the present application, the specific implementation manners of the embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] In this document, "illustrative" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other solutions. Any aspect or embodiment described herein as "illustrative" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other solutions.

[0024] In order to make the drawing simple, only the parts related to the present application are schematically shown in each drawing, which does not represent the actual structure of the product. In addition, in order to make the drawing simple and easy to understand, in some drawings, only one or more of the components with the same structure or function are schematically shown, or only one or more of them are marked.

[0025] In view of the problems raised in the background art, the present application provides a damping device for a mechanical arm, with reference to Figure 1 The damping device comprises a first inner damping member 21, a second inner damping member 23, an outer damping member 22, an inner sleeve 11, an intermediate sleeve 12, and an outer sleeve 13, all of which have elasticity. The inner sleeve 11, the intermediate sleeve 12, and the outer sleeve 13 are coaxially and spacedly sleeved, and there is an inner annular gap between the inner sleeve 11 and the intermediate sleeve 12, and an outer annular gap between the intermediate sleeve 12 and the outer sleeve 13. The first inner damping member 21 and the second inner damping member 23 are the same in number and are multiple, and both of them are annularly and spacedly distributed in the inner annular gap around the inner sleeve 11, and the first inner damping member 21 and the second inner damping member 23 are alternately distributed, and both ends of the first inner damping member 21 are fixedly connected to the inner sleeve 11 and the intermediate sleeve 12, respectively. Both ends of the second inner damping member 23 are fixedly connected to the inner sleeve 11 and the intermediate sleeve 12, respectively. The elastic coefficients of the first inner damping member 21 and the second inner damping member 23 are different. The outer damping member 22 is multiple in number, annularly and spacedly distributed in the outer annular gap around the intermediate sleeve 12, and both ends of the outer damping member 22 are fixedly connected to the intermediate sleeve 12 and the outer sleeve 13, respectively.

[0026] In the technical solution, the inner sleeve ring 11, the intermediate sleeve ring 12 and the outer sleeve ring 13 are indirectly connected to each other to form a whole, a two-stage damping structure is formed between the inner sleeve ring 11 and the outer sleeve ring 13, that is, the inner sleeve ring 11, the first inner damping part 21, the second inner damping part 23 and the intermediate sleeve ring 12 form a first-stage damping structure, and the intermediate sleeve ring 12, the outer damping part 22 and the outer sleeve ring 13 form a second-stage damping structure; and because the first inner damping part 21 and the second inner damping part 23 have different elastic coefficients and are alternately distributed, different damping requirements in different radial directions can be met, and the damping capacity can be improved. Therefore, the two-stage damping structure can improve the damping effect, reduce the influence of the vibration of the mechanical arm on the connecting assembly, and thus improve the operation accuracy of the surgical tool. Specifically, in use, the inner sleeve ring 11 is sleeved on the terminal shaft of the mechanical arm, the connecting assembly is connected to the outer sleeve ring 13, when the mechanical arm vibrates, the inner sleeve ring 11 is first subjected to a pressing force and elastically deformed to buffer and damp, and the pressing force is sequentially transmitted to the first inner damping part 21, the intermediate sleeve ring 12, the outer damping part 22 and the outer sleeve ring 13, the first inner damping part 21, the intermediate sleeve ring 12, the outer damping part 22 and the outer sleeve ring 13 can all elastically deform to absorb the pressing force and reduce the vibration, thereby reducing the vibration transmitted from the outer sleeve ring 13 to the connecting assembly, achieving the purpose of reducing the vibration of the connecting assembly and improving the accuracy of the surgical tool.

[0027] Preferably, the first inner damping part 21, the outer damping part 22, the inner sleeve ring 11, the intermediate sleeve ring 12 and the outer sleeve ring 13 are all made of rubber.

[0028] Preferably, the second inner damping part 23 is a spring, and the first inner damping part 21 is a rubber block. The two ends of the spring are fixedly connected with the inner sleeve ring 11 and the intermediate sleeve ring 12 respectively. The axial direction of the spring is the same as the radial direction of the inner sleeve ring 11. The spring and the first inner damping part 21 are alternately distributed, and can both absorb the vibration pressing force and transmit the vibration pressing force in the radial direction to the intermediate sleeve ring 12, so as to disperse the vibration pressing force and improve the damping effect. In addition, the radial direction in the present application refers to the radial direction of the inner sleeve ring 11.

[0029] Preferably, the inner sleeve ring 11 can be provided with a plurality of annularly spaced cavities in the inside, and the air in the cavities can play a damping role, so as to improve the damping capacity of the inner sleeve ring 11. The cavities can be rhombic, circular or triangular. When the cavities are rhombic, adjacent rhombic cavities can be arranged at opposite angles. Similarly, the intermediate sleeve ring 12 and the outer sleeve ring 13 can also be provided with a plurality of annularly spaced cavities in the inside, which will not be described here.

[0030] In an embodiment of the present application, the plurality of outer damping members 22 are evenly distributed, and the plurality of first inner damping members 21 are evenly distributed; and the outer annular gap comprises alternating first regions and second regions, the first regions correspond to the first inner damping members 21, the second regions correspond to the gaps between adjacent two first inner damping members 21, and the first regions and the second regions are both provided with the outer damping members 22. In this way, since the outer damping members 22 are distributed in the first regions and the second regions, the extrusion force transmitted by the first inner damping members 21 can be dispersed and transmitted to each outer damping member 22 through the intermediate sleeve 12, and then transmitted to the outer sleeve 13 through the plurality of evenly distributed outer damping members 22, so that the extrusion force is dispersed in the circumferential direction of the outer sleeve 13, and the vibration is reduced and the damping effect is improved.

[0031] Optionally, the number of the outer damping members 22 is greater than the number of the first inner damping members 21, and the central angle corresponding to one first inner damping member 21 is greater than twice the central angle corresponding to one outer damping member 22. In other words, the first inner damping members 21 are longer and fewer in number, while the outer damping members 22 are shorter and more in number. In this way, one first inner damping member 21 corresponds to at least two outer damping members 22, and the extrusion force of the first inner damping member 21 outward in the radial direction can be simultaneously transmitted to at least two outer damping members 22; in addition, the force balance on the inner and outer sides of the intermediate sleeve 12 can be achieved, which is beneficial to maintaining the structural stability of the intermediate sleeve 12. For example, the first inner damping member 21 can be an arc-shaped rubber block, and the outer damping member 22 can be a spherical ball, the number of the rubber blocks can be four, and the number of the spherical balls can be twenty-five.

[0032] In a possible embodiment, the outer damping member 22 is a spherical ball, the inner surface of the outer sleeve 13 is provided with a spherical recess matched with the shape of the spherical ball, and the spherical ball is fixedly connected in the spherical recess. The spherical recess can be used to facilitate the fixing of the spherical ball on the inner surface of the outer sleeve 13. The spherical ball can be bonded with the inner surface of the spherical recess. Similarly, the inner side of the spherical ball can also be bonded with the outer surface of the intermediate sleeve 12, or fixed on the outer surface of the intermediate sleeve 12 by other fixing members, which is not limited in the present application. Alternatively, the outer damping member 22 can also be a cylinder, and the inner surface of the outer sleeve 13 is provided with an arc-shaped recess matched with the shape of the cylinder, so as to facilitate the fixing of the outer damping member 22.

[0033] In a possible embodiment, the first inner damping member 21 has an arc-shaped inner surface and an arc-shaped outer surface, so as to be adapted and fitted with the outer surface of the inner sleeve 11 and the inner surface of the intermediate sleeve 12, respectively. In this way, the first inner damping member 21 can be stably supported between the inner sleeve 11 and the outer sleeve 13, and the first inner damping member 21, the inner sleeve 11 and the outer sleeve 13 can have a larger contact area, which can play a role in dispersing the extrusion force and improving the damping effect.

[0034] The first inner damping member 21 can be bonded to the inner sleeve 11 and the intermediate sleeve 12 respectively. Alternatively, the first inner damping member 21 can be integrally formed with the inner sleeve 11 and the intermediate sleeve 12, for example, all of them are made of rubber material, and the damping effect is better after being integrally formed. The outer damping member 22 can be bonded to the intermediate sleeve 12 and the outer sleeve 13 respectively, or can be fixedly connected by other fasteners.

[0035] In a possible embodiment, the maximum elastic deformation of the intermediate sleeve 12 is greater than the maximum elastic deformation of the outer sleeve 13. That is, the intermediate sleeve 12 has greater elasticity and can be deformed under the joint action of the first inner damping member 21 and the outer damping member 22 to absorb the extrusion force; and the outer sleeve 13 can have smaller elasticity, because the extrusion force corresponding to the vibration has been reduced after being absorbed by the first inner damping member 21 and the outer damping member 22, and the intermediate sleeve 12 and the inner sleeve 11, and the outer sleeve 13 can have smaller elasticity to meet the damping requirement.

[0036] Optionally, the damping device can further include a rigid outer ring 15, the outer sleeve 13 is coaxially sleeved with the rigid outer ring 15, and the outer sleeve 13 is fixed on the inner surface of the rigid outer ring 15. The rigid outer ring 15 can play a supporting role, and the outer surface of the rigid outer ring 15 can be coated with a rust-proof layer, or the rigid outer ring 15 can be made of rust-proof material.

[0037] In a possible implementation, the damping device further includes a phase change material layer 14 arranged on the inner surface of the inner sleeve 11. The phase change material (PCM-Phase Change Material) refers to a substance that changes its state and can provide latent heat with temperature change. The phase change material has the ability to change its physical state within a certain temperature range. Taking the solid-liquid phase change as an example, when heated to the melting temperature, the phase change from solid to liquid occurs, and during the melting process, the phase change material absorbs and stores a large amount of latent heat; when the phase change material cools down, the stored heat is dissipated to the environment within a certain temperature range, and the reverse phase change from liquid to solid occurs. In these two phase change processes, the energy stored or released is called phase change latent heat. When the physical state changes, the temperature of the material itself remains almost unchanged before the phase change is completed, forming a wide temperature platform. Although the temperature does not change, the latent heat absorbed or released is quite large.

[0038] Therefore, by using the characteristics of the phase change material, after the mechanical arm works for a long time and generates heat, the phase change material layer 14 can absorb the heat of the mechanical arm, reducing the adverse effects of the heat on the elastic deformation of the damping device.

[0039] Optionally, the phase change material layer 14 can be annular, so that it can be in circumferential contact with the end shaft of the mechanical arm, and has a large contact area and good heat absorption performance.

[0040] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein are intended to have the same meaning as one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present application belongs. The terms used in the specification of the present application are only for the purpose of describing the specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0041] It should be noted that, although the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it should not be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present application. Various modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art within the scope described in the claims are still within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0042] It should be understood that, although the present specification is described in terms of various embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution, and the description of the specification is only for the purpose of clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be combined appropriately to form other embodiments that those skilled in the art can understand.

[0043] The examples of the embodiments of the present application are intended to simply illustrate the technical features of the embodiments of the present application, so that those skilled in the art can intuitively understand the technical features of the embodiments of the present application, and are not improper limitations of the embodiments of the present application.

[0044] Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and not to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that: it can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent replacement for part of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A shock absorbing device for a robotic arm, characterized in that: It comprises a first inner shock absorbing member (21), a second inner shock absorbing member (23), an outer shock absorbing member (22), an inner sleeve ring (11), an intermediate sleeve ring (12) and an outer sleeve ring (13), all of which are elastic. The inner ring (11), the middle ring (12) and the outer ring (13) are coaxially spaced and arranged, an inner annular gap exists between the inner ring (11) and the middle ring (12), and an outer annular gap exists between the middle ring (12) and the outer ring (13); The number of the first inner shock absorbing member (21) and the second inner shock absorbing member (23) is the same and both are multiple. The first inner shock absorbing member (21) and the second inner shock absorbing member (23) are both distributed in the inner annular gap in an annular manner around the inner ring (11), and the first inner shock absorbing member (21) and the second inner shock absorbing member (23) are alternately distributed. The two ends of the first inner shock absorbing member (21) are respectively fixedly connected to the inner ring (11) and the intermediate ring (12), and the two ends of the second inner shock absorbing member (23) are respectively fixedly connected to the inner ring (11) and the intermediate ring (12); the elastic coefficients of the first inner shock absorbing member (21) and the second inner shock absorbing member (23) are different. The second inner shock absorbing member (23) is a spring, the first inner shock absorbing member (21) is a rubber block, and the axial direction of the spring is the same as the radial direction of the inner ring (11); The first inner shock-absorbing member (21) has an arc-shaped inner surface and an outer surface, so as to respectively fit in with the outer surface of the inner ring (11) and the inner surface of the middle ring (12); There are multiple outer shock absorbing members (22), which are distributed in the outer annular gap in an annular manner around the middle collar (12), and two ends of the outer shock absorbing member (22) are respectively fixedly connected to the middle collar (12) and the outer collar (13); The shock absorbing device further comprises a phase change material layer (14), wherein the phase change material layer (14) is arranged on the inner surface of the inner ring (11), and the phase change material layer (14) is annular.

2. The shock absorbing device for a robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of outer shock absorbing members (22) are evenly distributed, and the plurality of the first inner shock absorbing members (21) are evenly distributed; and, The outer annular gap comprises a first area and a second area that are alternately distributed, wherein the first area corresponds to the first inner shock absorbing member (21), and the second area corresponds to the gap between two adjacent first inner shock absorbing members (21), and the outer shock absorbing members (22) are distributed in both the first area and the second area.

3. The shock absorbing device for a robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the outer shock absorbing members (22) is greater than the number of the first inner shock absorbing members (21), and the central angle corresponding to one of the first inner shock absorbing members (21) is greater than twice the central angle corresponding to one of the outer shock absorbing members (22).

4. The shock absorbing device for a robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer shock-absorbing member (22) is a sphere, and a spherical groove matching the shape of the sphere is provided on the inner surface of the outer ring (13), and the sphere is fixedly connected in the spherical groove.

5. The shock absorbing device for a robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first inner shock-absorbing member (21), the inner sleeve ring (11) and the intermediate sleeve ring (12) are integrally formed.

6. The shock absorbing device for a robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The maximum elastic deformation of the middle ring (12) is greater than the maximum elastic deformation of the outer ring (13).

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