Tendon drive mechanism, dexterous hand and robot
The tendon-rope drive mechanism with worm gear transmission solves the problem of insufficient self-locking ability in the dexterous hand, achieves the maintenance of gripping force without the need for continuous motor output power, and reduces the size of the tendon-rope drive mechanism and the dexterous hand.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410742172.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-07
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-21
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-06-07
AI Technical Summary
The existing tendon-driven mechanism in the dexterous hand lacks self-locking capability, which requires the motor to continuously output power to maintain gripping force. In addition, the size of the dexterous hand is limited and it is impossible to install a large motor.
The tendon rope drive mechanism adopts a worm gear transmission, which drives the worm wheel to rotate through the worm. The self-locking property of the worm gear is used to maintain the gripping force when the motor stops outputting power, and the two-way movement of the knuckle is achieved through the worm gear transmission, which simplifies the structure and reduces the size.
This achieves the goal of maintaining grip force without the need for continuous motor output power, reducing the load requirements of the drive components and reducing the size of the tendon drive mechanism and the dexterous hand.
Smart Images

Figure CN118636176B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the field of robotics technology, and in particular to a tendon-rope drive mechanism, a dexterous hand, and a robot. Background Art
[0002] Human hand joints are driven by tendons. Some dexterous hands utilize tendon cables to simulate human hand joints. These cables are typically driven by a motor. Specifically, the motor drives the tendon cable assembly, which then drives the fingers of the dexterous hand to grasp. During grasping, the fingers must maintain a certain grip to prevent the object from falling. To maintain this grip, the motor must maintain a high output power.
[0003] However, the limited size of the dexterous hand and the limited space occupied by the motor within it mean that the motor cannot be too large, which in turn limits its load capacity and may make it impossible to maintain a high output power. Therefore, the tendon drive mechanism needs to have a certain self-locking capability to maintain the finger's grip. However, current tendon drive mechanisms do not have this self-locking capability. Summary of the Invention
[0004] In view of this, the embodiments of the present application provide a tendon-wire drive mechanism, a dexterous hand, and a robot, which solve the problem that the tendon-wire drive mechanism of the dexterous hand does not have the self-locking capability.
[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a tendon drive mechanism for use in a dexterous hand, wherein the dexterous hand includes a support member and a finger joint, and the finger joint is rotatably connected to the support member around a rotation axis; wherein the tendon drive mechanism includes: a base; a drive assembly, disposed on the base; an axle, rotatably connected to the base; a worm wheel, coaxially connected to the axle, so as to be rotatably connected to the base through the axle; a worm, connected to the drive assembly and meshing with the worm wheel, the worm rotates under the drive of the drive assembly and drives the worm wheel to rotate; a tendon assembly, connected to the axle, and the tendon assembly includes a first tendon segment and a second tendon segment. The first tendon segment is connected to the finger joint by passing one side of the rotation axis from the first side of the wheel axle, and the second tendon segment is connected to the finger joint by passing the other side of the rotation axis from the second side of the wheel axle, and the first side of the wheel axle and the second side of the wheel axle are arranged opposite to each other; wherein, when the wheel axle rotates counterclockwise, the wheel axle pulls the finger joint through the first tendon segment so that the finger joint rotates around the support member in a first direction; when the wheel axle rotates clockwise, the wheel axle pulls the finger joint through the second tendon segment so that the finger joint rotates around the support member in a second direction, and the first direction is opposite to the second direction.
[0006] In some embodiments, the worm gear is located between the first tendon segment and the second tendon segment, the first tendon segment is close to one end surface of the worm gear, and the second tendon segment is close to the other end surface of the worm gear.
[0007] In some embodiments, the first tendon segment and the second tendon segment are separately arranged, the first end of the first tendon segment has a first knot, and the first end of the second tendon segment has a second knot; wherein the wheel axle has a first tendon groove and a second tendon groove, and the worm gear is located between the first tendon groove and the second tendon groove, the first tendon groove is close to one end face of the worm gear, and the second tendon groove is close to the other end face of the worm gear; wherein the first end of the first tendon segment passes through the first tendon groove and is clamped with the first tendon groove through the first knot, and the first end of the second tendon segment passes through the second tendon groove and is clamped with the second tendon groove through the second knot.
[0008] In some embodiments, the tendon drive mechanism further includes: a pre-tightening assembly, disposed on the base, configured to pre-tighten the tendon assembly.
[0009] In some embodiments, the base has at least two long slots; the pre-tensioning assembly includes: at least one pre-tensioning shaft, the two ends of the pre-tensioning shaft respectively extending into the two long slots so that the pre-tensioning shaft can slide along the long slots, and the first tendon segment and the second tendon segment are both abutted against the pre-tensioning shaft; at least one elastic member, one end of the elastic member is connected to the base, and the other end of the elastic member is connected to the pre-tensioning shaft, and the elastic member is configured to provide tension to the pre-tensioning shaft so that the pre-tensioning shaft can tension the first tendon segment and the second tendon segment.
[0010] In some embodiments, the pre-tightening assembly further comprises: at least one first sliding guide sleeve, which is sleeved on the pre-tightening shaft, and the first tendon segment and the second tendon segment are both in contact with the outer surface of the first sliding guide sleeve.
[0011] In some embodiments, the long groove has a groove bottom, and the two end surfaces of the preload shaft are slidably connected to the groove bottoms of the two long grooves respectively.
[0012] In some embodiments, the tendon drive mechanism also includes: at least one guide shaft, connected to the base, arranged parallel to the pre-tensioning shaft, and arranged above and / or below the pre-tensioning shaft; wherein the guide shaft abuts against the first tendon segment and / or the second tendon segment.
[0013] In some embodiments, the tendon drive mechanism further includes: a first guide member connected to the base, arranged between the worm gear and the pre-tensioning assembly, wherein the first guide member has at least two first guide holes, and the first tendon segment and the second tendon segment respectively pass through at least two first guide holes; and / or, the tendon drive mechanism further includes: a second guide member connected to the base, arranged on the side of the pre-tensioning assembly away from the worm gear, wherein the second guide member has at least two second guide holes, and the first tendon segment and the second tendon segment respectively pass through at least two second guide holes.
[0014] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a dexterous hand, comprising: a support member; a finger joint, rotatably connected to the support member around a rotation axis; the tendon drive mechanism mentioned in the first aspect, wherein the first tendon segment of the tendon drive mechanism bypasses one side of the rotation axis and is connected to the finger joint, and the second tendon segment bypasses the other side of the rotation axis and is connected to the finger joint, so as to drive the finger joint to rotate around the support member.
[0015] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a robot comprising: a main body; and at least one dexterous hand mentioned in the second aspect, connected to the main body.
[0016] A tendon drive mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application is applied to a dexterous hand, wherein the dexterous hand includes a support member and a finger joint, and the finger joint is rotatably connected to the support member around a rotation axis. The tendon drive mechanism includes: a base, a drive assembly, a wheel axle, a worm wheel, a worm, and a tendon assembly. The drive assembly is arranged on the base, the wheel axle is rotatably connected to the base, the worm wheel is coaxially connected to the wheel axle so as to be rotatably connected to the base through the wheel axle, the worm is connected to the drive assembly and meshes with the worm wheel, the worm rotates under the drive of the drive assembly and drives the worm wheel to rotate, the tendon assembly is connected to the wheel axle, the tendon assembly includes a first tendon segment and a second tendon segment, the first tendon segment is connected to the finger joint from the first side of the wheel axle around one side of the rotation axis, the second tendon segment is connected to the finger joint from the second side of the wheel axle around the other side of the rotation axis, and the first side of the wheel axle and the second side of the wheel axle are arranged opposite to each other.
[0017] The tendon rope drive mechanism drives the worm wheel to move through the worm, and then drives the tendon rope assembly to move. When the drive assembly stops outputting power, the worm stops rotating and the worm wheel also stops rotating. Since the worm gear transmission is self-locking, the worm wheel cannot drive the worm to rotate in the opposite direction under the reaction force of the tendon rope assembly, thereby achieving self-locking of the tendon rope drive mechanism, and then maintaining the state of the tendon rope assembly and maintaining the gripping force of the dexterous hand fingers driven by the tendon rope assembly, that is, achieving the gripping force of the dexterous hand fingers driven by the tendon rope assembly when the drive assembly does not output power.
[0018] In addition, when the wheel axle rotates counterclockwise, the wheel axle pulls the knuckles through the first tendon segment so that the knuckles rotate in a first direction around the support member; when the wheel axle rotates clockwise, the wheel axle pulls the knuckles through the second tendon segment so that the knuckles rotate in a second direction around the support member. The first direction is opposite to the second direction, that is, the bidirectional movement of the knuckles is achieved through a drive component, which simplifies the structure of the tendon drive mechanism, reduces the size of the tendon drive mechanism, and thus reduces the size of the dexterous hand. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The above and other purposes, features, and advantages of the present application will become more apparent by describing the embodiments of the present application in more detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present application and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present application, they are used to explain the present application and do not constitute a limitation of the present application. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components.
[0020] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a tendon rope drive mechanism provided in one embodiment of the present application.
[0021] Figure 2 Shown is a schematic diagram of a tendon rope drive mechanism provided in one embodiment of the present application.
[0022] Figure 3 Shown is a schematic diagram of a tendon rope drive mechanism provided in another embodiment of the present application.
[0023] Figure 4 Shown is a front view of a tendon rope drive mechanism provided in one embodiment of the present application.
[0024] Figure 5 Shown Figure 4 The cross-sectional schematic diagram of the tendon drive mechanism in the AA direction is shown.
[0025] Figure 6 Shown Figure 4 The cross-sectional schematic diagram of the tendon drive mechanism in the BB direction is shown.
[0026] Figure 7 Shown is a schematic diagram of a tendon rope driving mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present application without a base.
[0027] Figure 8 Shown is a front view of the tendon rope driving mechanism provided by one embodiment of the present application without the base.
[0028] Figure 9 Shown is a left view of the tendon rope drive mechanism provided in one embodiment of the present application.
[0029] Figure 10 Shown Figure 9The cross-sectional schematic diagram of the tendon drive mechanism in the CC direction is shown.
[0030] Figure 11 Shown Figure 9 The cross-sectional schematic diagram of the tendon drive mechanism in the DD direction is shown.
[0031] Figure 12 Shown Figure 9 The cross-sectional schematic diagram of the tendon drive mechanism in the EE direction is shown.
[0032] Figure 13 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of a robot provided in one embodiment of the present application.
[0033] Reference numerals:
[0034] 1. Robot; 2. Main body; 3. Dexterous hand; 10. Tendon rope drive mechanism; 100. Base; 110. Long groove; 111. Groove bottom; 200. Drive assembly; 300. Axle; 310. First side of the axle; 320. Second side of the axle; 330. First tendon rope groove; 340. Second tendon rope groove; 400. Worm gear; 410. First end face of the worm gear; 420. Second end face of the worm gear; 500. Worm; 600. Tendon rope assembly; 610. First tendon rope segment; 611. First end of the first tendon rope segment; 6110. First knot; 6 20. Second tendon segment; 621. First end of second tendon segment; 6210. Second knot; 700. Preload assembly; 710. Preload shaft; 720. Elastic member; 730. First sliding guide sleeve; 800. Guide shaft; 810. Second sliding guide sleeve; 910. First guide member; 911. First guide hole; 920. Second guide member; 921. Second guide hole; 20. Support member; 30. Knuckle; 31. Rotation axis; 32. One side of the rotation axis; 33. The other side of the rotation axis; X1. First direction; X2. Second direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0036] Human hand joints are driven by tendons. Some humanoid dexterous hands employ tendon-tethered transmission to simulate human hand joints. Currently, these robotic dexterous hands often use a motor-driven reel to pull the tendon-tethered joints, a motor-driven lead screw nut, or a linear mechanism like an electric push rod to pull the tendon-tethered joints. These drive methods have insufficient or even no self-locking capability. Therefore, the motor must be fully engaged to maintain continuous power output during grasping, placing high demands on the motor's load capacity.
[0037] However, the active driving force that can be applied by the main power of the motor alone is limited. When grasping requires a large load, a drive mechanism without self-locking capability often cannot meet the load requirements. In addition, the size of the dexterous hand is limited, and the space occupied by the motor in the dexterous hand is limited, which means that the size of the motor cannot be too large, which in turn leads to the limited load capacity of the motor, and it may not be possible to maintain a high output power continuously. Therefore, the tendon drive mechanism needs to have a certain self-locking ability to maintain the grip of the fingers. However, the current tendon drive mechanism does not have self-locking ability.
[0038] In response to the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a tendon drive mechanism, which is applied to a dexterous hand. The dexterous hand includes a support member and a finger joint, and the finger joint is rotatably connected to the support member around a rotation axis. The tendon drive mechanism includes: a base, a drive assembly, a wheel axle, a worm wheel, a worm, and a tendon assembly. The drive assembly is arranged on the base, the wheel axle is rotatably connected to the base, the worm wheel is coaxially connected to the wheel axle, and is rotatably connected to the base through the wheel axle, the worm is connected to the drive assembly and meshes with the worm wheel, the worm rotates under the drive of the drive assembly, and drives the worm wheel to rotate, the tendon assembly is connected to the wheel axle, the tendon assembly includes a first tendon segment and a second tendon segment, the first tendon segment is connected from the first side of the wheel axle to one side of the rotation axis and connected to the finger joint, the second tendon segment is connected from the second side of the wheel axle to the other side of the rotation axis and connected to the finger joint, and the first side of the wheel axle and the second side of the wheel axle are arranged opposite to each other.
[0039] The tendon drive mechanism drives the worm wheel to move through the worm, thereby driving the tendon assembly to move. When the drive assembly stops outputting power, the worm stops rotating and the worm wheel also stops rotating. Since the worm wheel transmission has a self-locking property, the worm wheel cannot reversely drive the worm to rotate under the reaction force of the tendon assembly, thereby achieving self-locking of the tendon drive mechanism, thereby maintaining the state of the tendon assembly and maintaining the gripping force of the dexterous hand fingers driven by the tendon assembly. In other words, since the tendon drive mechanism adopts a worm wheel transmission and has a self-locking ability, when the dexterous hand grasps an object, the drive assembly does not need to be fully started to maintain the active grip of the dexterous hand fingers, thereby reducing the load capacity requirements of the drive assembly and the size of the drive assembly, thereby reducing the size of the tendon drive mechanism and the size of the dexterous hand.
[0040] In addition, when the wheel axle rotates counterclockwise, the wheel axle pulls the knuckles through the first tendon segment so that the knuckles rotate in a first direction around the support member; when the wheel axle rotates clockwise, the wheel axle pulls the knuckles through the second tendon segment so that the knuckles rotate in a second direction around the support member. The first direction is opposite to the second direction, that is, bidirectional movement of the knuckles is achieved through a drive component, for example, bending and extending the knuckles, which simplifies the structure of the tendon drive mechanism, reduces the size of the tendon drive mechanism, and thus reduces the size of the dexterous hand.
[0041] The specific structure of the tendon rope drive mechanism and the robot will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0042] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a tendon rope drive mechanism provided in one embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 Shown is a schematic diagram of a tendon rope drive mechanism provided in one embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 Shown is a schematic diagram of a tendon rope drive mechanism provided in another embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 Shown is a front view of a tendon rope drive mechanism provided in one embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 Shown Figure 4 The cross-sectional schematic diagram of the tendon drive mechanism in the AA direction is shown. Figure 6 Shown Figure 4 The cross-sectional schematic diagram of the tendon drive mechanism in the BB direction is shown. Figure 7 Shown is a schematic diagram of a tendon rope driving mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present application without a base. Figure 8 Shown is a front view of the tendon rope driving mechanism provided by one embodiment of the present application without the base. Figure 9 Shown is a left view of the tendon rope drive mechanism provided in one embodiment of the present application. Figure 10 Shown Figure 9The cross-sectional schematic diagram of the tendon drive mechanism in the CC direction is shown. Figure 11 Shown Figure 9 The cross-sectional schematic diagram of the tendon drive mechanism in the DD direction is shown. Figure 12 Shown Figure 9 The cross-sectional schematic diagram of the tendon drive mechanism in the EE direction is shown. Figure 13 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a robot provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figures 1 to 13 As shown, the tendon drive mechanism 10 includes a base 100 , a drive assembly 200 , an axle 300 , a worm gear 400 , a worm 500 and a tendon assembly 600 .
[0043] The tendon drive mechanism 10 is applied to the dexterous hand 3. The dexterous hand 3 is applied to the robot 1. Exemplarily, the robot 1 includes a main body 2 and at least one dexterous hand 3, and the dexterous hand 3 is arranged on the main body 2. The main body 2 can be the structure of the body part of a humanoid robot, or the structure of the arm part of an industrial robot, which is not specifically limited in this application. The dexterous hand 3 includes a support member 20, a finger joint 30 and a tendon drive mechanism 10. The support member 20 can be connected to the main body 2. The support member 20 can be a plate-like structure similar to a palm, or it can be another finger joint. The finger joint 30 is rotatably connected to the support member 20 around a rotation axis 31. The finger joint 30 can be a mounting base for the fingers of the dexterous hand 3, or it can be at least a partial structure of the fingers of the dexterous hand 3.
[0044] The base 100 can be connected to the support 20, or to other supporting structures of the dexterous hand 3. The driving assembly 200 is arranged on the base 100. The driving assembly 200 can be a motor, a rotary electric cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, etc., as long as it can drive the worm 500 to rotate. This application does not specifically limit the structure of the driving assembly 200. The axle 300 is rotatably connected to the base 100. For example, the base 100 can have an axial hole, and the axle 300 can be inserted into the axial hole of the base 100 to achieve a rotatable connection between the axle 300 and the base 100. In some embodiments, the axle 300 can be connected to the base 100 through a bearing. Specifically, the inner ring of the bearing is mounted on the axle 300; the outer ring of the bearing is installed in the axial hole of the base 100 and is interference-connected with the axial hole of the base 100.
[0045] The worm gear 400 is coaxially connected to the wheel shaft 300 to be rotatably connected to the base 100 through the wheel shaft 300. For example, the worm gear 400 can be mounted on the wheel shaft 300, the wheel shaft 300 can have a first keyway, and the worm gear 400 can have a second keyway. The key is installed in the first keyway and the second keyway to fix the worm gear 400 to the wheel shaft 300.
[0046] The worm 500 is connected to the driving assembly 200 and meshes with the worm wheel 400, so that the worm 500 and the worm wheel 400 form a worm gear transmission. The worm 500 rotates under the drive of the driving assembly 200 and drives the worm wheel 400 to rotate.
[0047] The self-locking property of a worm gear transmission primarily relies on the helix angle of the worm 500 and the coefficient of friction between the worm wheel 400 and the worm 500. In the present application, the helix angle of the worm 500 is smaller than the friction angle between the worm wheel 400 and the worm 500. When the helix angle of the worm 500 is smaller than the friction angle between the worm wheel 400 and the worm 500, the worm wheel 400 and the worm 500 become self-locking. This is because during the transmission process, the helical surface of the worm 500 exerts normal pressure on the worm wheel 400, thereby generating friction. When the helix angle of the worm 500 is smaller than the friction angle, the friction force prevents the worm wheel 400 from reversing, thereby achieving self-locking of the worm wheel 400 and the worm 500.
[0048] The worm gear 400 and worm 500 transmission also features a high transmission ratio, line contact, and smooth transmission. First, the worm gear 400 and worm 500 transmission can achieve a high transmission ratio, making the worm gear 400 and worm 500 transmission more compact. Second, the meshing tooth surfaces of the worm gear 400 and worm 500 are in line contact, which gives the worm gear 400 and worm 500 transmission a high load-bearing capacity. Finally, the worm gear 400 and worm 500 transmission is equivalent to a helical transmission, with multiple teeth meshing, providing smooth transmission and low noise.
[0049] The tendon assembly 600 is connected to the axle 300. The tendon assembly 600 includes a first tendon segment 610 and a second tendon segment 620. The first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 can be integrally formed, meaning that the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 are a single tendon connected to each other. In other words, the tendon assembly 600 is a single tendon. The first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 can also be separate, meaning that the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 are two separate tendons. In other words, the tendon assembly 600 is two tendons. The first tendon segment 610 is connected to the knuckle 30 from the first side 310 of the axle, around one side 32 of the rotation axis. The second tendon segment 620 is connected to the knuckle 30 from the second side 320 of the axle, around the other side 33 of the rotation axis. The first side 310 and the second side 320 of the axle are disposed opposite each other. The first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 can be flexible long strip structures such as rope-like structures, line-like structures, and filament-like structures.
[0050] like Figure 1As shown, when the axle 300 rotates counterclockwise, the axle 300 pulls the knuckle 30 via the first tendon segment 610, causing the knuckle 30 to rotate about the support member 20 in a first direction X1. When the axle 300 rotates clockwise, the axle 300 pulls the knuckle 30 via the second tendon segment 620, causing the knuckle 30 to rotate about the support member 20 in a second direction X2. The first direction X1 is opposite to the second direction X2, thus achieving bidirectional rotation of the knuckle 30. For example, the first direction X1 can be clockwise, and the second direction X2 can be counterclockwise.
[0051] The tendon drive mechanism 10 drives the worm wheel 400 to move through the worm 500, and then drives the tendon assembly 600 to move. When the drive assembly 200 stops outputting power, the worm 500 stops rotating and the worm wheel 400 also stops rotating. Since the worm gear transmission has a self-locking property, the worm wheel 400 cannot drive the worm 500 to rotate in the opposite direction under the reaction force of the tendon assembly 600, thereby achieving self-locking of the tendon drive mechanism 10, and then maintaining the state of the tendon assembly 600, maintaining the gripping force of the finger joint 30 driven by the tendon assembly 600, that is, achieving the gripping force of the finger joint 30 driven by the tendon assembly 600 when the drive assembly 200 does not output power. In other words, since the tendon drive mechanism 10 adopts a worm gear transmission and has self-locking capability, when the dexterous hand 3 grasps an object, the drive component 200 does not need to be fully started to maintain the active grasping of the dexterous hand fingers, which reduces the load capacity requirements of the drive component 200 and reduces the size of the drive component 200, thereby reducing the size of the tendon drive mechanism 10, and further reducing the size of the dexterous hand 3.
[0052] In addition, when the axle 300 rotates counterclockwise, the axle 300 pulls the knuckle 30 through the first tendon segment 610 so that the knuckle 30 rotates around the support member 20 in the first direction X1; when the axle 300 rotates clockwise, the axle 300 pulls the knuckle 30 through the second tendon segment 620 so that the knuckle 30 rotates around the support member 20 in the second direction X2. The first direction X1 is opposite to the second direction X2, that is, the bidirectional movement of the knuckle 30 is achieved through a drive component 200, which simplifies the structure of the tendon drive mechanism 10, reduces the size of the tendon drive mechanism 10, and thus reduces the size of the dexterous hand 3.
[0053] For example, the bidirectional movement of the knuckle 30 can achieve bending and stretching of the finger including the knuckle 30 , and can also achieve bidirectional sideways swing of the finger including the knuckle 30 .
[0054] In some embodiments, as Figure 6As shown, the worm gear 400 is located between a first tendon segment 610 and a second tendon segment 620, with the first tendon segment 610 being close to one end face of the worm gear 400 and the second tendon segment 620 being close to the other end face of the worm gear 400. For example, the first tendon segment 610 is close to the first end face 410 of the worm gear and the second tendon segment 620 is close to the second end face 420 of the worm gear.
[0055] By arranging the worm wheel 400 between the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620, the worm gear transmission mechanism can evenly transmit the driving force to the wheel shaft 300, thereby evenly transmitting the driving force to the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620. In addition, arranging the worm wheel 400 between the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 can also prevent the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 from interfering with each other. In other words, the worm wheel 400 serves to isolate the first tendon segment 610 from the second tendon segment 620, eliminating the need for an additional structure to isolate the first tendon segment 610 from the second tendon segment 620. This simplifies the structure of the tendon drive mechanism 10 and reduces its size.
[0056] For example, the axle 300 is integrally formed and can be fixedly connected to the worm gear 400 to receive the driving force transmitted by the worm gear 400, and can also be fixedly connected to the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 to transmit the driving force to the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620. The integrally formed axle 300 has a simple structure and high coaxiality.
[0057] For example, the axle 300 is provided in separate parts. For example, the axle 300 may include multiple interconnected sub-axles, one of which is fixedly connected to the worm gear 400 to receive the driving force transmitted by the worm gear 400, one of which is fixedly connected to the first tendon segment 610 to transmit the driving force to the first tendon segment 610, and one of which is fixedly connected to the second tendon segment 620 to transmit the driving force to the second tendon segment 620. The separate configuration of the axle 300 facilitates manufacturing and assembly.
[0058] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 are provided separately. The first end 611 of the first tendon segment has a first knot 6110, and the first end 621 of the second tendon segment has a second knot 6210. The axle 300 has a first tendon groove 330 and a second tendon groove 340. For example, the first tendon groove 330 and the second tendon groove 340 can be located on the same side of the worm gear 400. For example, the first tendon groove 330 and the second tendon groove 340 can both be located on the side where the first end surface 410 of the worm gear is located, or the first tendon groove 330 and the second tendon groove 340 can both be located on the side where the second end surface 420 of the worm gear is located.
[0059] Exemplarily, the worm wheel 400 is located between the first ligament groove 330 and the second ligament groove 340, with the first ligament groove 330 being close to one end surface of the worm wheel 400 and the second ligament groove 340 being close to the other end surface of the worm wheel 400. For example, the first ligament groove 330 is close to the first end surface 410 of the worm wheel, and the second ligament groove 340 is close to the second end surface 420 of the worm wheel. For another example, the first ligament groove 330 is close to the second end surface 420 of the worm wheel, and the second ligament groove 340 is close to the first end surface 410 of the worm wheel.
[0060] The first end 611 of the first tendon segment passes through the first tendon groove 330 and is engaged with the first tendon groove 330 via a first knot 6110. The first end 621 of the second tendon segment passes through the second tendon groove 340 and is engaged with the second tendon groove 340 via a second knot 6210. This connection method is simple and reliable, and also prevents interference between the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620.
[0061] In some embodiments, the first end 611 of the first tendon segment can also be fixed to the axle 300 by screws, bonding, etc. The first end 621 of the second tendon segment can also be fixed to the axle 300 by screws, bonding, etc.
[0062] In some embodiments, as Figures 7 to 11 As shown, the tendon drive mechanism 10 further includes a pre-tensioning assembly 700. The pre-tensioning assembly 700 is disposed on the base 100 and is configured to pre-tighten the tendon assembly 600. In actual use, the tendon assembly 600 may become loose due to its own characteristics, such as elongation caused by creep. The pre-tensioning assembly 700 can pre-tighten the tendon assembly 600, maintaining it in a taut state.
[0063] The dexterous hand 3 may also include structures such as guide wheels and rollers. The tendon rope assembly 600 is wrapped around structures such as guide wheels or rollers to achieve functions such as guiding the tendon rope assembly 600. By keeping the tendon rope assembly 600 in a tensioned state, the tendon rope assembly 600 can be prevented from falling off structures such as guide wheels or rollers.
[0064] In some embodiments, the base 100 has at least two long slots 110 . The pre-tightening assembly 700 includes at least one pre-tightening shaft 710 and at least one elastic member 720 .
[0065] The two ends of the pre-tensioning shaft 710 extend into the two long slots 110, respectively, so that the pre-tensioning shaft 710 can slide along the long slots 110. The first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 both abut against the pre-tensioning shaft 710. One end of the elastic member 720 is connected to the base 100, and the other end of the elastic member 720 is connected to the pre-tensioning shaft 710. The elastic member 720 is configured to provide tension to the pre-tensioning shaft 710, so that the pre-tensioning shaft 710 tensions the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620.
[0066] The elastic member 720 may be a spring, or an elastic rope or other elastic structure.
[0067] For example, Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the elastic member 720 pulls the preload shaft 710, causing it to tension the first and second tendon segments 610, 620. When the first and second tendon segments 610, 620 are in tension, the preload shaft 710 can be located at the end of the slot 110 near the elastic member 720. The first and second tendon segments 610, 620 are wound around the preload shaft 710, and the portions wound around the preload shaft 710 are in a bent state. After the drive assembly 200 is activated, if the axle 300 rotates counterclockwise, the axle 300 pulls the first tendon segment 610. Under the tension, the first tendon segment 610 drives the preload shaft 710 to slide along the slot 110, away from the elastic member 720. After the driving assembly 200 is started, if the wheel axle 300 rotates clockwise, the wheel axle 300 pulls the second tendon segment 620 , and the second tendon segment 620 drives the preload shaft 710 to slide along the long slot 110 in a direction away from the elastic member 720 under the action of tension.
[0068] By making the pre-tightening assembly 700 include at least one pre-tightening shaft 710 and at least one elastic member 720, the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 can be tensioned. The pre-tightening structure is simple and compact, and the pre-tightening effect is good.
[0069] In some embodiments, there can be multiple pre-tensioning shafts 710, and each pre-tensioning shaft 710 cooperates with an elastic member 720 to achieve tensioning of the first tendon segment 610 or the second tendon segment 620. That is, by setting multiple pre-tensioning shafts 710 and multiple elastic members 720, the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 can be tensioned separately.
[0070] In some embodiments, as Figure 12 As shown, the long groove 110 has a groove bottom 111, and the two end faces of the preload shaft 710 are slidably connected to the groove bottom 111 of the two long grooves 110, that is, the preload shaft 710 is guided by the groove bottom 111, thereby improving the sliding accuracy of the preload shaft 710 along the long groove 110 and preventing the preload shaft 710 from getting stuck.
[0071] In some embodiments, as Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the pre-tightening assembly 700 further includes: at least one first sliding guide sleeve 730 . The first sliding guide sleeve 730 is sleeved on the pre-tightening shaft 710 , and the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 are in contact with the outer surface of the first sliding guide sleeve 730 .
[0072] The first sliding guide sleeve 730 consists of an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve. The inner sleeve supports the bearing or sliding component, while the outer sleeve secures and supports the inner sleeve. An oil groove is located within the first sliding guide sleeve 730 to ensure good lubrication. The inner bore of the inner sleeve slides over the preload shaft 710.
[0073] By providing the first sliding guide sleeve 730 , the friction force when the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 move can be reduced.
[0074] In some embodiments, the tendon drive mechanism 10 further includes: at least one guide shaft 800. The guide shaft 800 is connected to the base 100, is arranged parallel to the pre-tightening shaft 710, and is arranged above and / or below the pre-tightening shaft 710. The guide shaft 800 abuts against the first tendon segment 610 and / or the second tendon segment 620. Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, a guide shaft 800 is provided above and below the preload shaft 710. By providing the guide shaft 800, the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 can be guided.
[0075] In some embodiments, the tendon drive mechanism 10 further includes: a second sliding guide sleeve 810. The second sliding guide sleeve 810 is mounted on the guide shaft 800. The second sliding guide sleeve 810 can also be composed of an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve. The inner sleeve is the supporting part of the bearing or sliding component, and the outer sleeve is a sleeve used to fix and support the inner sleeve. There is an oil groove inside the second sliding guide sleeve 810 to maintain good lubrication. The inner hole of the inner sleeve is matched with the guide shaft 800 in a sliding manner. By providing the second sliding guide sleeve 810, the friction force during the movement of the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 can be reduced.
[0076] In some embodiments, as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the tendon drive mechanism 10 further includes a first guide member 910. The first guide member 910 is connected to the base 100 and disposed between the worm gear 400 and the preload assembly 700. The first guide member 910 has at least two first guide holes 911. The first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 respectively pass through the at least two first guide holes 911, providing guidance for the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620.
[0077] By using the first guide hole 911 to guide the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620, the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 can be limited in 360 degrees. Compared with the guiding method of the guide shaft, the guiding effect is better.
[0078] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 As shown, the tendon drive mechanism 10 further includes a second guide member 920. The second guide member 920 is connected to the base 100 and is disposed on a side of the preload assembly 700 away from the worm gear 400. The second guide member 920 has at least two second guide holes 921, through which the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 respectively pass, thereby guiding the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620.
[0079] By using the second guide hole 921 to guide the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620, the first tendon segment 610 and the second tendon segment 620 can be limited by 360 degrees. Compared with the guiding method of the guide shaft, the guiding effect is better.
[0080] The embodiment of the present application also provides a dexterous hand 3, which is applied to the robot 1. Figure 13 As shown, the dexterous hand 3 includes: a support member 20, a finger joint 30 and the tendon drive mechanism 10 mentioned in the above embodiment. The robot 1 includes a main body 2 and at least one dexterous hand 3, and the dexterous hand 3 is arranged on the main body 2. The main body 2 can be the structure of the body part of a humanoid robot, or the structure of the arm part of an industrial robot, which is not specifically limited in this application. The support member 20 can be connected to the main body 2. The finger joint 30 is rotatably connected to the support member 20 around the rotation axis 31. The first tendon segment 610 of the tendon drive mechanism 10 is connected to the finger joint 30 around one side 32 of the rotation axis, and the second tendon segment 620 is connected to the finger joint 30 around the other side 33 of the rotation axis to drive the finger joint 30 to rotate around the support member 20.
[0081] Since the dexterous hand 3 includes the tendon-cord drive mechanism 10 , the dexterous hand 3 has all the technical features and technical effects of the tendon-cord drive mechanism 10 , which will not be described in detail here.
[0082] The embodiment of the present application also provides a robot 1. Figure 13 As shown, the robot 1 includes a main body 2 and at least one dexterous hand 3 mentioned in the above embodiment. The dexterous hand 3 is connected to the main body 2.
[0083] Since the robot 1 includes the dexterous hand 3 mentioned in the above embodiment, the robot 1 has all the technical features and technical effects of the dexterous hand 3, which will not be described in detail here.
[0084] In the various embodiments of the present application, if the connection form is not clearly defined, the connection form may be a detachable connection form such as bolts and nuts, screws, snaps, magnets, etc. If there is no special requirement for a non-detachable connection form in some connections, non-detachable connections may be achieved through welding, bonding, etc.
[0085] References in the specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," and the like indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments, whether explicitly described or not.
[0086] It should be understood that “on,” “above,” and “over” in this disclosure should be interpreted in the broadest manner, so that “on” means not only “directly on something,” but also includes the meaning of “on something” with intervening features or layers therebetween, and “above” or “over” includes not only the meaning of “above” or “over,” but also includes the meaning of “above” or “over” with no intervening features or layers therebetween (i.e., directly on something).
[0087] Additionally, spatially relative terms, such as "below," "beneath," "beneath," "above," and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of one component or feature relative to other components or features as depicted in the figures. Spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of a component in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.
[0088] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising the element.
[0089] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.
Claims
1. A tendon rope drive mechanism, characterized in that: Applied to a dexterous hand, the dexterous hand comprises a support member and a finger joint, wherein the finger joint is rotatably connected to the support member around a rotation axis; Wherein, the tendon rope driving mechanism includes: base; A driving assembly, disposed on the base; an axle, rotatably connected to the base; a worm gear coaxially connected to the wheel shaft so as to be rotatably connected to the base through the wheel shaft; a worm connected to the drive assembly and meshing with the worm wheel, wherein the worm rotates under the drive of the drive assembly and drives the worm wheel to rotate; a tendon cord assembly connected to the wheel axle, the tendon cord assembly comprising a first tendon cord segment and a second tendon cord segment, the first tendon cord segment passing from a first side of the wheel axle around one side of the rotation axis to be connected to the finger joint, the second tendon cord segment passing from a second side of the wheel axle around the other side of the rotation axis to be connected to the finger joint, the first side of the wheel axle and the second side of the wheel axle being arranged opposite to each other; Wherein, when the wheel axle rotates counterclockwise, the wheel axle pulls the finger joint through the first tendon segment, so that the finger joint rotates around the support member in a first direction; when the wheel axle rotates clockwise, the wheel axle pulls the finger joint through the second tendon segment, so that the finger joint rotates around the support member in a second direction, and the first direction is opposite to the second direction; Wherein, the tendon rope driving mechanism further comprises: a pre-tightening assembly, disposed on the base and configured to pre-tighten the tendon assembly; Wherein, the base has at least two long slots, and the pre-tightening assembly includes: at least one pre-tightening shaft, with both ends of the pre-tightening shaft extending into the two long slots respectively, so that the pre-tightening shaft can slide along the long slots, and the first tendon segment and the second tendon segment both abut against the pre-tightening shaft; At least one elastic member, one end of the elastic member is connected to the base, and the other end of the elastic member is connected to the preload shaft, and the elastic member is configured to provide tension to the preload shaft so that the preload shaft tensions the first tendon segment and the second tendon segment.
2. The tendon cable drive mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The worm wheel is located between the first tendon segment and the second tendon segment. The first tendon segment is close to one end surface of the worm wheel, and the second tendon segment is close to the other end surface of the worm wheel.
3. The tendon rope driving mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first tendon segment and the second tendon segment are provided separately, the first end of the first tendon segment has a first knot, and the first end of the second tendon segment has a second knot; The wheel shaft has a first tendon rope groove and a second tendon rope groove, and the worm wheel is located between the first tendon rope groove and the second tendon rope groove, the first tendon rope groove is close to one end surface of the worm wheel, and the second tendon rope groove is close to the other end surface of the worm wheel; The first end of the first tendon segment passes through the first tendon groove and is clamped with the first tendon groove through the first knot, and the first end of the second tendon segment passes through the second tendon groove and is clamped with the second tendon groove through the second knot.
4. The tendon cable driving mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pre-tightening assembly further comprises: At least one first sliding guide sleeve is sleeved on the preload shaft, and the first tendon segment and the second tendon segment are both in contact with the outer surface of the first sliding guide sleeve.
5. The tendon cable driving mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The long groove has a groove bottom, and the two end surfaces of the preload shaft are slidably connected to the groove bottoms of the two long grooves respectively.
6. The tendon drive mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: at least one guide shaft connected to the base, arranged parallel to the preload shaft, and arranged above and / or below the preload shaft; Wherein, the guide shaft abuts against the first tendon segment and / or the second tendon segment.
7. The tendon cable driving mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: a first guide member connected to the base and disposed between the worm gear and the preload assembly, wherein the first guide member has at least two first guide holes, and the first tendon segment and the second tendon segment respectively pass through the at least two first guide holes; and / or, The tendon cable drive mechanism further comprises: A second guide member is connected to the base and is arranged on a side of the pre-tightening assembly away from the worm gear, wherein the second guide member has at least two second guide holes, and the first tendon segment and the second tendon segment respectively pass through the at least two second guide holes.
8. A dexterous hand, characterized in that: include: Support members; a finger joint, rotatably connected to the support member about a rotation axis; The tendon drive mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first tendon segment of the tendon drive mechanism is connected to the finger joint by bypassing one side of the rotation axis, and the second tendon segment is connected to the finger joint by bypassing the other side of the rotation axis to drive the finger joint to rotate around the support member.
9. A robot, characterized in that: include: main body; At least one dexterous hand according to claim 8, connected to the main body.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Artificial finger driving structure
CN101912321A
Robot Hand Module
US20230044228A1