Robots and leg assemblies therefor

Abstract

The application provides a robot and a leg assembly thereof; the leg assembly comprises a first leg connecting piece, a second leg connecting piece and a protection piece; the first leg connecting piece and the second leg connecting piece are hingedly connected through a hinge shaft, the protection piece is arranged around the hinge shaft and is fixedly connected with the second leg connecting piece, and the protection piece is used for protecting the hinge joint of the first leg connecting piece and the second leg connecting piece. The leg assembly of the robot provided in the embodiment of the application can realize protection of the hinge joint of the leg connecting piece by arranging the protection piece structure between the two leg connecting pieces, so that hand clamping and foreign matter entering are avoided, and the leg connecting piece is prevented from being stuck.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of robot leg structures, specifically to a robot and its leg components. Background Technology

[0002] In conventional quadruped robot dog structures, a single leg module comprises three parts: the hip joint, the thigh, and the lower leg. Each of these three joints requires a separate external rotor brushless DC motor for power. The hip joint and the thigh and lower leg are integrated within the torso, with the leg modules suspended externally. The typical arrangement is as follows: the thigh motor is located on the inside, driving the thigh's rotation; the lower leg motor is connected to the thigh motor's output via a flange, and its output is transmitted to the lower leg via a four-bar linkage / belt, driving the lower leg's rotation. In conventional transmission structures, a gap is unavoidable near the connection point between the thigh and lower leg, specifically near the knee joint.

[0003] Because of the gap here, it is easy for something to get caught during rotation. If you are adjusting the machine and need to rotate it manually frequently, it is easy to get your hand caught here, so you must be careful to avoid it. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A first aspect of this application provides a leg assembly for a robot, the leg assembly including: a first leg connector, a second leg connector, and a protective member; the first leg connector and the second leg connector are hinged together by a hinge axis, the protective member is disposed around the hinge axis and fixedly connected to the second leg connector, the protective member is used to protect the hinge joint of the first leg connector and the second leg connector.

[0005] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a robot, which includes the leg assembly described in any of the above embodiments.

[0006] The robot leg assembly provided in this application embodiment can protect the hinge joint of the leg connector by setting a protective structure between the two leg connectors, thereby preventing fingers from being pinched and preventing foreign objects from entering and causing the leg connector to be jammed. Attached Figure Description

[0007] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0008] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the leg assembly of the robot of this application;

[0009] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the first leg connector of the leg assembly in the embodiment;

[0010] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the protective component in the embodiment;

[0011] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the protective component and the second leg connector.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure where the protective component and the second leg connector work together from another perspective;

[0013] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 A partial structural diagram of the leg component in the embodiment;

[0014] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the embodiment;

[0015] Figure 8 yes Figure 3 A partial structural diagram of the cooperation between the protective component and the second leg connector in the embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be particularly noted that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the application. Similarly, the following embodiments are only some, not all, embodiments of the present application, and all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0017] The terms "first," "second," and "third" used in the embodiments of this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. All directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movement of components in a specific posture (as shown in the figures). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly. The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the embodiments of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or components inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0018] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0019] In the structure of a robot, how to enclose the gap at the connection between the thigh and lower leg to prevent foreign objects from easily entering during rotation is a challenging problem. Therefore, this application provides a leg assembly for a robot; please refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the leg component of the robot in this application. It should be noted that the robot in this embodiment can be a machine device capable of walking, running, jumping, and other functions under the control of a control system. A typical robot structure is a robot dog, which is a robot structure including a torso and four legs (the leg component in this embodiment). Of course, the robot in this embodiment can also have two, three, or more legs, or even just one leg; no specific limitation is made here. This embodiment only describes the structure of the leg component.

[0020] Specifically, the leg assembly 10 includes: a first leg connector 100 (which can be the robot's thigh), a second leg connector (which can be the robot's lower leg), and a protective member 300. Please refer to the following: Figure 2 , Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The internal structure diagram of the first leg connector of the leg assembly in the embodiment is shown. The first leg connector 100 and the second leg connector 200 are hinged together by a hinge shaft 102. The protective member 300 is arranged around the hinge shaft 102 and is fixedly connected to the second leg connector 200 to rotate synchronously with the second leg connector 200. The protective member 300 is used to protect the hinge joint of the first leg connector 100 and the second leg connector 200.

[0021] Optionally, please refer to the following as well. Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The protective component in this embodiment is a circular ring structure, and the center of the ring coincides with the axis of the hinge shaft 102 of the first leg connector 100 and the second leg connector 200.

[0022] Optionally, the protective component 300 in this embodiment can be made of rubber (such as silicone) or soft resin (such as PE, PI, etc.). Optionally, the protective component 300 is provided with a metal insert (not shown in the figure) to increase the structural strength of the protective component 300. The function of the metal insert is to prevent the soft rubber protective component from undergoing large deformation and interfering with the moving parts. The metal insert can be a sheet or strip structure made of materials such as aluminum alloy or stainless steel. Specifically, the metal insert can be first processed by CNC or molding, then fixed onto the soft rubber mold, and then injection molded to form an integral shape.

[0023] Please refer to the following: Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the protective component and the second leg connector 200. The protective component 300 has a connecting portion 310 extending inwards towards the ring. The connecting portion 310 is fixedly connected to the second leg connector 200, specifically by adhesive bonding. There can be two connecting portions 310, which are bonded to the second leg connector 200 from both sides.

[0024] Please refer to the following: Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram from another perspective of the structure where the protective component and the second leg connector work together. Figure 6 yes Figure 2The partial structural diagram of the leg assembly in this embodiment shows that, optionally, the protective member 300 in this embodiment is provided with a clearance groove 320. The clearance groove 320 extends circumferentially along the ring, and is used to avoid the driving component 200a of the second leg connector 200. The driving component 200a is not limited to the connecting rod (structure in the illustrated embodiment), belt drive, chain drive, crank-slider drive, and other transmission mechanisms. The detailed structure of the driving component 200a is within the understanding of those skilled in the art and will not be described here. In this embodiment, the clearance groove 320 is a nearly half-circle clearance waist ring, which is for the clearance of the connecting rod (or other driving component 200a) during movement, and the connecting rod rotates within this waist ring space.

[0025] Alternatively, please continue reading Figure 3 and Figure 5 The protective component 300 also has a clearance hole 330. The second leg connector 200 is inserted into the annular structure of the protective component 300 through the clearance hole 330. The clearance hole 330 is adjacent to the clearance groove 320, and a gap 340 is provided between the clearance hole 330 and the clearance groove 320. The two ends of the gap 340 are respectively connected to the clearance hole 330 and the clearance groove 320. Since the protective component 300 is made of soft rubber, the gap 340 is for easy assembly. This position can be pried open during installation to facilitate the insertion of the end of the second leg connector 200 with a large head structure into the clearance hole 330. Specifically, the protective component 300 is wrapped around the end of the second leg connector 200 (i.e., the lower leg) that is hinged to the first leg connector 100, and the joint between the clearance hole 330 and the second leg connector 200 is sealed with glue. The connecting part 310 may be embedded in the corresponding groove (not shown in the figure) of the second leg connector 200 and bonded by adhesive.

[0026] Optionally, please refer to the following as well. Figure 3 , Figure 5 as well as Figure 7 , Figure 7 yes Figure 5 The enlarged structural diagram at point A in the embodiment shows that a portion of the metal insert protrudes from the inner wall of the annular part of the protective member 300. Specifically, it has a connecting protrusion 350 extending inward toward the annular part. The second leg connector 200 has a connecting hole (not shown in the figure), and the connecting protrusion 350 is inserted into the connecting hole and is interference-fitted with the connecting hole. This achieves the positioning and fixed connection between the protective member 300 and the second leg connector 200.

[0027] See Figure 3 and Figure 8 , Figure 8 yes Figure 3The partial structural diagram of the protective member and the second leg connector in the embodiment is shown. Optionally, the protective member 300 in this embodiment is further provided with abutment portion 360. The abutment portion 360 extends toward the interior of the ring and is disposed adjacent to the clearance hole 330. The abutment portion 360 is used to abut against the second leg connector 200, thereby increasing the effective area between the protective member 300 and the second leg connector 200 and reducing the risk of deformation of the protective member 300. The abutment portion 360 may also be bonded and fixed to the side of the second leg connector 200.

[0028] The assembly process of the protective member 300 and the second leg connector 200 in this embodiment is as follows: First, because the protective member is made of soft rubber and has a gap 340, the ring is pried open along the gap 340 to create a large gap. The protective member 300 is then inserted into the lower leg (the end of the second leg connector 200) at the clearance hole 330. Then, glue is applied to the gap 340 to prevent it from falling off. Next, glue is applied to the contact areas between the protective member 300 and the second leg connector 200. Then, the connecting protrusion 350 of the metal insert is inserted into the corresponding connecting hole of the second leg connector 200. This completes the assembly of the protective member and the second leg connector.

[0029] The leg assembly in this embodiment can protect the hinge joint of the leg connector by setting a protective structure between the two leg connectors, thus preventing fingers from being pinched and preventing foreign objects from entering and causing the leg connector to be jammed.

[0030] In addition, because the protective parts are made of soft rubber, they can provide some cushioning upon impact. The soft rubber material has a shock-absorbing effect, so when landing, the lower leg strikes the ground, which helps to cushion the impact and protect the lower leg to some extent. Furthermore, the protective parts can also serve as decorative elements, moving with the lower leg and providing a pleasing appearance.

[0031] The above description is only a part of the embodiments of this application and does not limit the scope of protection of this application. Any equivalent device or equivalent process transformation made based on the content of this application specification and drawings, or direct or indirect application in other related technical fields, are similarly included in the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A leg assembly for a robot, characterized in that, The leg assembly includes: a first leg connector, a second leg connector, and a protective member; the first leg connector and the second leg connector are hinged together by a hinge axis, the protective member is arranged around the hinge axis and fixedly connected to the second leg connector, and the protective member is used to protect the hinge joint of the first leg connector and the second leg connector; The protective component is a circular ring structure, and the center of the ring coincides with the axis of the hinge of the first leg connector and the second leg connector; the protective component is provided with a connecting part extending toward the inside of the ring, and the connecting part is fixedly connected to the second leg connector.

2. The leg assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective component is made of rubber or soft resin.

3. The leg assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protective component has a metal insert to increase its structural strength.

4. The leg assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The metal insert has a connecting protrusion extending toward the inside of the ring, and the second leg connector has a connecting hole. The connecting protrusion is inserted into the connecting hole and is interference-fitted with the connecting hole.

5. The leg assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protective component is provided with a clearance groove, which extends circumferentially along the ring.

6. The leg assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The protective component is also provided with a clearance hole. The second leg connector is inserted into the annular structure of the protective component through the clearance hole. The clearance hole and the clearance groove are arranged adjacent to each other, and a gap is provided between the clearance hole and the clearance groove. The two ends of the gap are respectively connected to the clearance hole and the clearance groove.

7. The leg assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The protective component also has a stop portion that extends toward the interior of the ring and is adjacent to the clearance hole. The stop portion is used to abut against the second leg connector.

8. A robot, characterized in that, The robot includes the leg assembly as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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