Spherical joint

By designing a spherical joint and using the spherical space to arrange the driving motor and transmission structure, the existing multi-degree-of-freedom motion joints have large size and poor flexibility, achieving smaller volume and higher flexibility.

CN119704250BActive Publication Date: 2025-06-13ROBOT TIME BEIJING TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202510238877.2
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-03-03
Publication Date
2025-06-13
Estimated Expiration
2045-03-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The overall size of the existing multi-degree-of-freedom movement joint is large, occupying a lot of space, and has poor flexibility in use.

Method used

A spherical joint is designed, and the rotary billiard shell, the output ball shell and the output disc are respectively used to arrange the driving motor and the transmission structure by using the spherical space surrounded by the fixed ball shell and the rotary billiard shell to achieve the output of multiple degrees of freedom movement.

Benefits of technology

It reduces the overall volume and space of spherical joints, increases joint flexibility, and makes the surface of spherical joints relatively flat, making it easy to install and use.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present invention discloses a spherical joint, comprising: a base, the base including a fixed spherical shell; a motor bracket, the motor bracket being disposed within the fixed spherical shell, and a first driving motor, a second driving motor and a third driving motor being arranged on the motor bracket; a rotating spherical shell, the rotating spherical shell and the fixed spherical shell enclosing a spherical space; a first transmission structure, the first transmission structure being disposed within the spherical space; an output spherical shell, the output spherical shell being arranged on the rotating spherical shell and capable of rotating about a second axis; a second transmission structure, the second transmission structure being disposed within the spherical space; an output disk, the output disk being arranged on the output spherical shell and capable of rotating about a third axis; a third transmission structure, a part of the third transmission structure being located within the spherical space and another part being located outside the rotating spherical shell, and the third driving motor driving the output disk to rotate about the third axis through the third transmission structure. The present invention achieves the technical effects of reducing the overall volume and occupied space of the spherical joint and increasing the flexibility of the joint.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of moving joints, and more particularly, to a spherical joint. Background Art

[0002] In a multi-dimensional motion environment, a joint structure with multiple degrees of freedom needs to be configured for a motion device. For example, in the motion of a robotic arm, a three-degree-of-freedom motion joint is required to connect multiple robotic arms, and the multi-dimensional motion is provided for the robotic arm through the motion joint. Similarly, in the pan-tilt device of a camera, multi-dimensional motion is also required through the motion joint to ensure the stability of the camera during motion.

[0003] In the related art, a spherical joint capable of outputting three-axis motion generally includes a series connection of multiple motion components. After a driving motor and a transmission structure are configured for each motion component, the overall volume of the joint is relatively large, occupying a large amount of space and having poor flexibility in use. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main object of the present invention is to provide a spherical joint to solve the problems in the related art that the overall volume of a multi-degree-of-freedom motion joint is relatively large, occupying a large amount of space and having poor flexibility in use.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a spherical joint, including:

[0006] A base, the base including a fixed spherical shell;

[0007] A motor bracket, the motor bracket being disposed inside the fixed spherical shell, and a first driving motor, a second driving motor, and a third driving motor being arranged on the motor bracket;

[0008] A rotating spherical shell, the rotating spherical shell facing the fixed spherical shell and enclosing a spherical space, and the rotating spherical shell being rotatable about a first axis;

[0009] A first transmission structure, the first transmission structure being disposed inside the spherical space, and the first driving motor driving the rotating spherical shell to rotate about the first axis through the first transmission structure;

[0010] An output spherical shell, the output spherical shell being arranged on the rotating spherical shell and being rotatable about a second axis, the second axis not being collinear with the first axis;

[0011] A second transmission structure, the second transmission structure being disposed inside the spherical space, and the second driving motor driving the output spherical shell to rotate about the second axis through the second transmission structure;

[0012] An output disk, the output disk being arranged on the output spherical shell and being rotatable about a third axis;

[0013] The third transmission structure, a part of the third transmission structure is located within the spherical space, and another part is located outside the rotating ball shell. The third driving motor drives the output disk to rotate around the third axis through the third transmission structure.

[0014] Furthermore, the first transmission structure includes a ball shell gear ring and a first gear. The ball shell gear ring is fixedly arranged on the inner side of the rotating ball shell, the first gear is fixedly arranged on the output shaft of the first driving motor, and the first gear meshes with the ball shell gear ring.

[0015] Furthermore, a first bearing is sleeved and fixed on the motor frame, and the lower end of the rotating ball shell is sleeved and fixed on the outer ring of the first bearing.

[0016] Furthermore, a first shaft body is fixedly arranged on the motor frame. The axis of the first shaft body is the first axis. A second bearing is sleeved and fixed on the upper end of the first shaft body, and the upper end of the rotating ball shell is sleeved and fixed on the outer ring of the second bearing.

[0017] Furthermore, the second transmission structure includes a second gear, a third gear, and a fourth gear;

[0018] A second shaft body is arranged inside the output ball shell. The axis of the second shaft body is the second axis. The end of the second shaft body passes through the rotating ball shell and extends into the spherical space. The second shaft body is rotatably connected to the rotating ball shell;

[0019] The second gear is fixed on the output shaft of the second driving motor. The third gear is rotatably arranged on the first shaft body and meshes with the second gear. The fourth gear is fixedly arranged on the second shaft body and meshes with the third gear.

[0020] Furthermore, the third gear includes a straight tooth section and a bevel tooth section. The fourth gear is arranged as a bevel gear. The straight tooth section meshes with the second gear, and the bevel tooth section meshes with the fourth gear.

[0021] Furthermore, a third shaft body is arranged outside the output ball shell. The axis of the third shaft body is the third axis. The output disk is rotatably arranged on the third shaft body;

[0022] The third transmission structure includes a fifth gear, a sixth gear, a seventh gear, and an eighth gear. The fifth gear is fixed on the output shaft of the third driving motor. The sixth gear is rotatably arranged on the first shaft body and meshes with the sixth gear. The seventh gear is rotatably arranged on the second shaft body and meshes with the sixth gear;

[0023] The eighth gear is fixedly arranged on the inner side of the output disk and meshes with the seventh gear.

[0024] Further, the sixth gear includes a driving lower tooth and a driving upper tooth. The driving lower tooth meshes with the fifth gear, and the driving upper tooth and the seventh gear are bevel gears and mesh with each other.

[0025] The third gear is rotatably sleeved outside the sixth gear and is located between the driving lower tooth and the driving upper tooth.

[0026] Further, the seventh gear includes a driving inner tooth and a driving outer tooth. The driving inner tooth meshes with the driving upper tooth, and the driving outer tooth is located outside the rotating ball housing and meshes with the eighth gear.

[0027] Further, the eighth gear includes an arc-shaped disc. The inner arc surface of the arc-shaped disc and the outer arc surface of the rotating ball housing are concentric arc surfaces. Teeth are provided at the edge of the arc-shaped disc, and a connecting protrusion is provided in the middle of the arc-shaped disc. The connecting protrusion is fixedly connected to the output disc and is rotatably connected to the third shaft body.

[0028] In the present invention, by using the rotating ball housing, the output ball housing, and the output disc as components for outputting a one-degree-of-freedom motion respectively, a spherical space is formed by the fixed ball housing and the rotating ball housing. The first driving motor, the second driving motor, and the third driving motor responsible for driving are all arranged in this spherical space, and a part of the first transmission structure, the second transmission structure, and the third transmission structure responsible for transmission is arranged in the spherical space. The purpose of fully utilizing the spherical space formed by the fixed ball housing and the rotating ball housing to arrange the driving motors and the transmission structure is achieved. Thereby, the overall volume and occupied space of the spherical joint are reduced, the flexibility of the joint is increased, and after the driving motors and the transmission structure are arranged inside, the surface of the spherical joint is relatively flat, which is beneficial to the installation and use of the spherical joint in the motion device. The technical effect is achieved, and further, the problems in the related art that the overall volume of the multi-degree-of-freedom motion joint is relatively large, occupies a large amount of space, and has poor use flexibility are solved.

[0029] On the other hand, in the present invention, the rotating ball housing and the output ball housing are used as components for outputting two degrees of freedom of motion respectively. The output ball housing can rotate around a fixed axis on the rotating ball housing. When the inner arc surface of the output ball housing and the outer arc surface of the rotating ball housing are concentric arc surfaces, a relatively small distance is designed between the output ball housing and the rotating ball housing, and the free rotation of the output ball housing can be satisfied, thereby further reducing the volume of the entire spherical joint. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The drawings constituting a part of the present invention are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention, making other features, objectives, and advantages of the present invention more obvious. The schematic embodiments and descriptions of the present invention are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0031] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the spherical joint according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the layout structure of the motor bracket and the drive motor of the spherical joint according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 is one of the cross-sectional structure schematic diagrams of the spherical joint according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 is one of the cross-sectional structure schematic diagrams of the spherical joint according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 is one of the cross-sectional structure schematic diagrams of the spherical joint according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 is one of the cross-sectional structure schematic diagrams of the spherical joint according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of different actions of the spherical joint according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Wherein, 1 is the base, 101 is the fixed spherical shell, 2 is the rotating ball shell, 3 is the output ball shell, 4 is the output disk, 5 is the motor bracket, 6 is the first drive motor, 7 is the second drive motor, 8 is the third drive motor, 9 is the first shaft body, 10 is the first bearing, 11 is the second bearing, 12 is the spherical space, 13 is the first transmission structure, 130 is the first gear, 131 is the spherical shell gear ring, 14 is the second transmission structure, 140 is the second gear, 141 is the third gear, 1410 is the straight tooth section, 1411 is the bevel tooth section, 142 is the fourth gear, 15 is the third transmission structure, 150 is the fifth gear, 151 is the sixth gear, 1510 is the transmission lower tooth, 1511 is the transmission upper tooth, 152 is the seventh gear, 1520 is the transmission inner tooth, 1521 is the transmission outer tooth, 153 is the eighth gear, 1530 is the arc-shaped disk, 1531 is the connecting protrusion, 16 is the second shaft body, 17 is the third shaft body. Detailed implementation manners

[0039] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0040] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the description, claims and the above-mentioned drawings of the present invention are used to distinguish similar objects, and do not necessarily describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, so as to implement the embodiments of the present invention described herein.

[0041] In the present invention, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. These terms are mainly used to better describe the present invention and its embodiments, and are not used to limit that the indicated devices, elements or components must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0042] Moreover, in addition to being used to represent the orientation or positional relationship, some of the above terms may also be used to represent other meanings. For example, the term "upper" may also be used to represent a certain attachment relationship or connection relationship in some cases. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of these terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0043] In addition, the terms "arranged", "provided with", "connected", "fixed", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connected" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or there is an internal connection between two devices, elements or components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0044] In addition, the meaning of the term "plurality" should be two or more.

[0045] It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments in the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0046] To solve the related technical problems, as Figures 1 to 4 shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a spherical joint, including:

[0047] A base 1, and the base 1 includes a fixed spherical shell 101;

[0048] A motor frame 5, the motor frame 5 is arranged in the fixed spherical shell 101, and a first driving motor 6, a second driving motor 7 and a third driving motor 8 are arranged on the motor frame 5;

[0049] A rotating spherical shell 2, the rotating spherical shell 2 is opposite to the fixed spherical shell 101 and encloses a spherical space 12, and the rotating spherical shell 2 can rotate around a first axis;

[0050] The first transmission structure 13 is disposed within the spherical space 12. The first drive motor 6 drives the rotating ball shell 2 to rotate about the first axis through the first transmission structure 13;

[0051] The output ball shell 3 is arranged on the rotating ball shell 2 and can rotate about the second axis, and the second axis is not collinear with the first axis;

[0052] The second transmission structure 14 is disposed within the spherical space 12. The second drive motor 7 drives the output ball shell 3 to rotate about the second axis through the second transmission structure 14;

[0053] The output disk 4 is arranged on the output ball shell 3 and can rotate about the third axis;

[0054] A part of the third transmission structure 15 is located within the spherical space 12, and the other part is located outside the rotating ball shell 2. The third drive motor 8 drives the output disk 4 to rotate about the third axis through the third transmission structure 15.

[0055] In this embodiment, the base 1 serves as a fixed end and includes a fixed ball shell 101 and a base fixed to the lower end of the fixed ball shell 101, and the base can be fixed to a moving device. The fixed ball shell 101 can be a hemispherical shell structure or a spherical shell structure with any proportion. The motor frame 5 is fixedly installed within the fixed ball shell 101, and the lower end of the motor frame 5 is fixedly connected to the fixed ball shell 101. To reasonably allocate space, the motor frame 5 can be fixed at the middle position of the fixed ball shell 101, so that a uniform space is formed between the periphery of the motor frame 5 and the fixed ball shell 101. The motor frame 5 serves as a structure for installing drive motors, and three installation positions for installing drive motors can be formed on the motor frame 5. The installation positions can be installation grooves, installation holes, etc. provided on the motor frame 5. Installing drive motors through structures such as installation grooves or installation holes can reasonably utilize the internal space and reduce the space occupied by the drive motors.

[0056] In this embodiment, three drive motors are provided, namely the first drive motor 6, the second drive motor 7, and the third drive motor 8. The three drive motors can separately output rotational motion, and after being connected to the corresponding output components through the corresponding transmission structures, they can respectively achieve the motion output of three degrees of freedom. Of course, the three drive motors can also be linked in some cases to achieve more complex motion outputs. As Figure 2 shown, the three drive motors can be circumferentially arranged on the motor frame 5, and the output axes of the three drive motors are parallel.

[0057] The moving components in this embodiment include the rotating ball shell 2, the output ball shell 3, and the output disk 4, wherein the rotating ball shell 2 is a hemispherical shell structure or a spherical shell structure with any proportion. As Figure 3As shown, the rotating billiard ball shell 2 and the fixed ball shell 101 are arranged opposite to each other, thus enclosing a spherical space 12. The motor frame 5 is located within this spherical space 12, and the first driving motor 6, the second driving motor 7, and the third driving motor 8 are also located within this spherical space 12. The rotating billiard ball shell 2 can rotate about a fixed axis relative to the fixed ball shell 101, and its rotation axis is the first axis. In one implementation, the inner side of the rotating billiard ball shell 2 can be rotatably connected to the motor frame 5 through a bearing, and the axis of this bearing is the first axis. The lower end surface of the rotating billiard ball shell 2 corresponds to and is close to the upper end surface of the fixed ball shell 101 up and down. In another implementation, the lower end surface of the rotating billiard ball shell 2 is rotatably connected to the upper end surface of the fixed ball shell 101 through a planar bearing, and the rotating billiard ball shell 2 realizes rotation about a fixed axis through a corresponding shaft or retaining ring. The axis of the planar bearing is the first axis.

[0058] As Figure 3 shown, the output ball shell 3 is installed on the rotating billiard ball shell 2 and can rotate about a fixed axis relative to the rotating billiard ball shell 2. The rotation axis of the output ball shell 3 is the second axis. To achieve the output of multi-degree-of-freedom motion, after the rotating ball shell can output rotational motion about the first axis, the output ball shell 3 needs to output rotational motion about another axis. Therefore, the second axis and the first axis are not collinear, and there is a certain angle between them. In one implementation, a rotating shaft can be provided on the rotating billiard ball shell 2 to connect the output ball shell 3 through the rotating shaft, or a rotating shaft can be provided on the output ball shell 3 to connect the rotating billiard ball shell 2 through the rotating shaft.

[0059] As Figure 3 shown, the output disk 4 is installed on the output ball shell 3 and can rotate about a fixed axis relative to the output ball shell 3. The rotation axis of the output disk 4 is the third axis. The output disk 4 and the output ball shell 3 can be connected through a corresponding shaft, and the axis of this shaft is used as the third axis. The third axis and the second axis are not collinear. The output disk 4 is the end motion structure of the spherical joint, and the motions of the rotating ball shell and the output ball shell 3 can also act on the output disk 4. Therefore, the output disk 4 can be connected to the end of the motion device, such as being connected to the movable robotic arm of a robot, or being connected to the end effector of the robotic arm, etc.

[0060] To drive the rotation of the rotating ball shell 2, the output ball shell 3 and the output disk 4, corresponding transmission structures need to be configured in this embodiment. Specifically, the transmission structure includes a first transmission structure 13, a second transmission structure 14, and a third transmission structure 15. Among them, the first transmission structure 13 is used to transmit the rotational force of the first drive motor 6 to the rotating ball shell 2 to drive the rotating ball shell 2 to rotate around the first axis. The second transmission structure 14 is used to transmit the rotational force of the second drive motor 7 to the output ball shell 3 to drive the output ball shell 3 to rotate around the second axis. Both the first transmission structure 13 and the second transmission structure 14 can be completely arranged within the spherical space 12. The third transmission structure 15 is used to transmit the rotational force of the third drive motor 8 to the output disk 4. Since the output disk 4 is installed on the output ball shell 3 and the third drive motor 8 is installed within the spherical space 12, a part of the third transmission structure 15 needs to be located between the rotating ball shell 2 and the output ball shell 3, and a part needs to be located within the spherical space 12. The part located between the rotating ball shell 2 and the output ball shell 3 can be covered by the output ball shell 3 to avoid exposure.

[0061] There are various arrangement ways for the first transmission structure 13, the second transmission structure 14, and the third transmission structure 15, as long as the transmission of rotational power can be achieved. In one implementation, the first transmission structure 13, the second transmission structure 14, and the third transmission structure 15 are all gear transmission structures, and the gear transmission structure has the advantages of high transmission accuracy and easy control.

[0062] In the present invention, by taking the rotating ball shell 2, the output ball shell 3, and the output disk 4 as components for outputting one-degree-of-freedom motion respectively, the spherical space 12 is formed by the fixed ball shell 101 and the rotating ball shell 2. The first drive motor 6, the second drive motor 7, and the third drive motor 8 responsible for driving are all arranged within this spherical space 12, and a part of the first transmission structure 13, the second transmission structure 14, and the third transmission structure 15 responsible for transmission is arranged within the spherical space 12. The purpose of fully utilizing the spherical space 12 formed by the fixed ball shell 101 and the rotating ball shell 2 to arrange the drive motors and the transmission structure is achieved. Thus, the overall volume and occupied space of the spherical joint are reduced, the flexibility of the joint is increased, and the surface of the spherical joint is relatively flat after the drive motors and the transmission structure are arranged inside, which is beneficial to the installation and use of the spherical joint in motion equipment. Furthermore, the problem in the related art that the overall volume of the multi-degree-of-freedom motion joint is relatively large, occupies a large amount of space, and has poor use flexibility is solved.

[0063] On the other hand, in the present invention, the rotating ball housing 2 and the output ball housing 3 are components that respectively output two degrees of freedom of motion. The output ball housing 3 can rotate about a fixed axis on the rotating ball housing 2. When the inner arc surface of the output ball housing 3 and the outer arc surface of the rotating ball housing 2 are concentric arc surfaces, a small spacing is designed between the output ball housing 3 and the rotating ball housing 2, and then the free rotation of the output ball housing 3 can be satisfied, thereby further reducing the volume of the entire spherical joint.

[0064] In an embodiment of the first transmission structure 13, as Figure 4 shown, the first transmission structure 13 includes a ball housing gear ring 131 and a first gear 130. The ball housing gear ring 131 is fixedly arranged inside the rotating ball housing 2, and the first gear 130 is fixedly arranged on the output shaft of the first driving motor 6. The first gear 130 meshes with the ball housing gear ring 131.

[0065] Specifically, in this embodiment, the ball housing gear ring 131 is fixed inside the rotating ball housing 2 and is located at the lower part of the rotating ball housing 2. The ball housing gear ring 131 and the rotating ball housing 2 can be of an integrally formed structure. The first gear 130 is sleeved and fixed on the output shaft of the first driving motor 6. The first driving motor 6 drives the first gear 130 to rotate about a fixed axis, thereby driving the ball housing gear ring 131 meshing with it to rotate about the first axis, and further driving the rotating ball housing 2 to rotate about the first axis to complete the action 2 as Figure 7 shown. It can be understood that since both the output ball housing 3 and the output disk 4 are arranged on the rotating ball housing 2, during the rotation of the rotating ball housing 2, the output ball housing 3 and the output disk 4 rotate synchronously.

[0066] In an embodiment, as Figure 3 shown, a first bearing 10 is sleeved and fixed on the motor bracket 5, and the lower end of the rotating ball housing 2 is sleeved and fixed on the outer ring of the first bearing 10.

[0067] Specifically, in this embodiment, the upper part of the motor bracket 5 is sleeved and fixed with a first bearing 10, and the lower part of the rotating ball housing 2 is sleeved and fixed on the outer ring of the first bearing 10, so that the rotating ball housing 2 can rotate relative to the fixed ball housing 101.

[0068] While serving as a moving component, the rotating ball housing 2 also serves as the installation base for two other moving components. Therefore, the rotating ball housing 2 needs to have high structural stability to improve the motion accuracy of the spherical joint. For this purpose, in this embodiment, as Figure 3 shown, a first shaft body 9 is fixedly arranged on the motor bracket 5. The axis of the first shaft body 9 is the first axis. A second bearing 11 is sleeved and fixed on the upper end of the first shaft body 9, and the upper end of the rotating ball housing 2 is sleeved and fixed on the outer ring of the second bearing 11.

[0069] Specifically, in this embodiment, the first shaft body 9 is located in the middle of the motor frame 5 and extends upward. The upper end of the rotating ball shell 2 is rotationally connected to the upper end of the first shaft body 9 through the second bearing 11, and the lower end of the rotating ball shell 2 is rotationally connected to the motor frame 5 through the first bearing 10, so that the rotating ball shell 2 has high rotational stability. Grooves or holes can be formed in the upper end of the rotating ball shell 2 for the installation of the first shaft body 9 and the second bearing 11.

[0070] As Figure 4 shown, in an embodiment of the second transmission structure 14, the second transmission structure 14 includes a second gear 140, a third gear 141, and a fourth gear 142;

[0071] A second shaft body 16 is disposed inside the output ball shell 3. The axis of the second shaft body 16 is the second axis. The end of the second shaft body 16 passes through the rotating ball shell 2 and extends into the spherical space 12. The second shaft body 16 is rotationally connected to the rotating ball shell 2;

[0072] The second gear 140 is fixed to the output shaft of the second driving motor 7. The third gear 141 is rotatably disposed on the first shaft body 9 and meshes with the second gear 140. The fourth gear 142 is fixed to the second shaft body 16 and meshes with the third gear 141.

[0073] Specifically, in this embodiment, a shaft hole is provided on the rotating ball shell 2. The second shaft body 16 passes through the shaft hole and is rotationally connected to the shaft hole. A fourth gear 142 is fixedly disposed on the part of the second shaft body 16 extending into the spherical space 12. By driving the fourth gear 142 to rotate, the second shaft body 16 is driven to rotate in the shaft hole, and then the output ball shell 3 is driven to rotate. To achieve the driving of the fourth gear 142, in this embodiment, a second gear 140 is fixed to the output shaft of the second driving motor 7. Due to space limitations, to transmit the power of the second gear 140 to the fourth gear 142, a third gear 141 is provided on the first shaft body 9 in this embodiment. The third gear 141 can be connected to the first shaft body 9 through a bearing, so that the third gear 141 can rotate on the first shaft body 9. At the same time, both ends of the third gear 141 are respectively meshed with the second gear 140 and the fourth gear 142. By driving the second gear 140 to rotate by the second driving motor 7, the third gear 141 is driven to rotate on the first shaft body 9, and then the fourth gear 142 and the second shaft body 16 are driven to rotate, and finally the output ball shell 3 is driven to rotate around the second axis to complete the action 1 as Figure 7 shown.

[0074] As Figure 5As shown in the figure, since there is a certain angle between the second shaft body 16 and the first shaft body 9, and the first shaft body 9 is parallel to the output shaft of the second drive motor 7, and at the same time, it is necessary to transfer the power from the third gear 141 mounted on the first shaft body 9 to the fourth gear 142 sleeved on the second shaft body 16. Therefore, in this embodiment, the third gear 141 includes a straight tooth section 1410 and a bevel tooth section 1411, the fourth gear 142 is set as a bevel gear, the straight tooth section 1410 meshes with the second gear 140, and the bevel tooth section 1411 meshes with the fourth gear 142.

[0075] Specifically, in this embodiment, the fourth gear 142 is a bevel gear, and the third gear 141 can be formed by combining a straight gear and a bevel gear. The straight gear can be key-connected or welded and fixed at the lower end of the bevel gear. As the straight tooth section 1410 meshes with the second gear 140, and the bevel gear serves as the bevel tooth section 1411 to mesh with the fourth gear 142, so as to realize the power transmission when there is an angle in the power transmission direction.

[0076] In one implementation manner, the second shaft body 16 forms a 45° angle with the first shaft body 9. Of course, the two can also form other angles, and the present invention does not limit this here.

[0077] In one implementation manner, as Figure 5 shown, a third shaft body 17 is provided on the outer side of the output spherical shell 3, the axis of the third shaft body 17 is the third axis, and the output disc 4 is rotatably arranged on the third shaft body 17;

[0078] The third transmission structure 15 includes a fifth gear 150, a sixth gear 151, a seventh gear 152 and an eighth gear 153. The fifth gear 150 is fixed on the output shaft of the third drive motor 8, the sixth gear 151 is rotatably arranged on the first shaft body 9 and meshes with the sixth gear 151, and the seventh gear 152 is rotatably arranged on the second shaft body 16 and meshes with the sixth gear 151;

[0079] The eighth gear 153 is fixedly arranged on the inner side of the output disc 4 and meshes with the seventh gear 152.

[0080] Specifically, in this embodiment, the output spherical shell 3 is connected to the output disk 4 through the third shaft body 17. The third shaft body 17 can be a shaft-like structure fixed to the top of the output spherical shell 3, and the output disk 4 can be rotatably mounted on the third shaft body 17 through a bearing. There is a space between the output spherical shell 3 and the rotating spherical shell 2 for installing a part of the structure of the third transmission structure 15 located outside the rotating spherical shell 2. Specifically, in this embodiment, this space is used to install the eighth gear 153 in the third transmission structure 15 and at least a part of the seventh gear 152. In the third transmission structure 15, the fifth gear 150 is fixed to the output shaft of the third drive motor 8, the sixth gear 151 is rotatably connected to the first shaft body 9 through a bearing, the seventh gear 152 is rotatably connected to the second shaft body 16 through a bearing. The third drive motor 8 drives the fifth gear 150 to rotate, thereby driving the sixth gear 151 to rotate, and then the seventh gear 152 to rotate, and then driving the eighth gear 153 to rotate, and finally driving the output disk 4 fixedly connected to the eighth gear 153 to rotate to complete the action 3 as Figure 7 shown.

[0081] Since the sixth gear 151 is installed on the first shaft body 9 and the seventh gear 152 is installed on the second shaft body 16, the axes of the sixth gear 151 and the seventh gear 152 also have a certain included angle. And since the output shaft of the third drive motor 8 is parallel to the first shaft body 9, in order for the third drive motor 8 to drive the seventh gear 152 to rotate, the sixth gear 151 and the seventh gear 152 also need to be meshed through the bevel gear section 1411. Therefore, in this embodiment, the sixth gear 151 includes a driving lower tooth 1510 and a driving upper tooth 1511. The driving lower tooth 1510 meshes with the fifth gear 150, and the driving upper tooth 1511 and the seventh gear 152 are bevel gears and mesh with each other.

[0082] Specifically, in this embodiment, the driving lower tooth 1510 can be a spur gear, the driving upper tooth 1511 is a bevel gear, and the seventh gear 152 includes a bevel gear that can mesh with the driving upper tooth 1511. In one implementation, the driving upper tooth 1511 and the driving lower tooth 1510 are two gears. The lower end of the driving upper tooth 1511 can be key-connected or welded to the upper end of the driving lower tooth 1510 and can be rotatably connected to the first shaft body 9 through a bearing respectively.

[0083] Similarly, since the seventh gear 152 needs to mesh with the eighth gear 153 while maintaining the meshing relationship with the driving upper tooth 1511, in this embodiment, the seventh gear 152 includes a driving inner tooth 1520 and a driving outer tooth 1521. The driving inner tooth 1520 meshes with the driving upper tooth 1511, and the driving outer tooth 1521 is located outside the rotating spherical shell 2 and meshes with the eighth gear 153.

[0084] Specifically, in this embodiment, the driving internal teeth 1520 and the driving external teeth 1521 can be two gears. The outer end of the driving internal teeth 1520 and the inner end of the driving external teeth 1521 can be fixedly connected by a key or welded and are respectively rotatably connected to the second shaft body 16 through a bearing. The tooth part of the driving internal teeth 1520 is located within the spherical space 12 and meshes with the driving upper teeth 1511, and the tooth part of the driving external teeth 1521 is located outside the rotating ball shell 2 and meshes with the eighth gear 153.

[0085] In one embodiment, the fourth gear 142 is fixedly arranged at the end of the second shaft body 16. The driving internal teeth 1520 can be mounted on the fourth gear 142 through a bearing, and the driving external teeth 1521 are mounted on the second shaft body 16 through a bearing, so as to reasonably separate and combine the axial space of the fourth gear 142, reduce the length requirement for the second shaft body 16, and further reduce the volume and space occupation.

[0086] Since in the present invention, the third gear 141 is mounted on the first shaft body 9 through a bearing, and the driving internal teeth 1520 and the driving external teeth 1521 are also mounted on the first shaft body 9 through a bearing, in order to reasonably utilize the axial space of the first shaft body 9 and reasonably perform power transmission, the third gear 141 is rotatably sleeved outside the sixth gear 151 and is located between the driving lower teeth 1510 and the driving upper teeth 1511.

[0087] Specifically, in this embodiment, the height of the second gear 140 is higher than that of the fifth gear 150, so that the meshing of the second gear 140 and the third gear 141 will not interfere with the meshing of the fifth gear 150 and the sixth gear 151. The fourth gear 142 is closer to the center of the spherical space 12 relative to the driving internal teeth 1520, so that the meshing of the fourth gear 142 and the third gear 141 will not interfere with the meshing of the driving upper teeth 1511 and the driving internal teeth 1520. By this layout method, the spherical space 12 is fully utilized, the volume and space occupation of the transmission structure are reduced, and the volume of the spherical space 12 is further reduced.

[0088] Since the output ball shell 3 needs to rotate about the axis of the second shaft body 16 on the rotating ball shell 2, and the output disk 4 is mounted on the output ball shell 3, during the rotation of the output ball shell 3, the output disk 4, and the eighth gear 153 fixedly connected to the output disk 4 also need to rotate relative to the rotating ball shell 2. At the same time, since at least a part of the eighth gear 153 needs to be located between the rotating ball shell 2 and the output ball shell 3, in order to enable the eighth gear 153 to rotate smoothly relative to the rotating ball shell 2 and reduce the space occupation, as Figure 6As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the eighth gear 153 includes an arc-shaped disk 1530. The inner arc surface of the arc-shaped disk 1530 and the outer arc surface of the rotating ball housing 2 are concentric arc surfaces. Teeth are provided on the edge of the arc-shaped disk 1530, and a connecting protrusion 1531 is provided in the middle of the arc-shaped disk 1530. The connecting protrusion 1531 is fixedly connected to the output disk 4 and is rotatably connected to the third shaft body 17.

[0089] Specifically, in this embodiment, a hole is provided at the top of the output ball housing 3. The third shaft body 17 is fixed to the top of the output ball housing 3 and the third shaft body 17 has a through shaft hole, and the shaft hole corresponds to the hole at the top of the output ball housing 3. The arc-shaped disk 1530 of the eighth gear 153 is located between the rotating ball housing 2 and the output ball housing 3. The connecting protrusion 1531 is located at the top of the arc-shaped disk 1530 and is fixedly connected to the output disk 4 after passing through the shaft hole of the third shaft body 17. The outer side of the connecting protrusion 1531 is rotatably connected to the third shaft body 17 through a bearing.

[0090] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can have various changes and modifications. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spherical joint, characterized in that: include: A base, the base comprising a fixed spherical shell; A motor frame, wherein the motor frame is mounted in the fixed spherical shell, and a first drive motor, a second drive motor and a third drive motor are arranged on the motor frame; A turntable spherical shell, the turntable spherical shell is opposite to the fixed spherical shell and encloses a spherical space, and the turntable spherical shell can rotate around a first axis; A first transmission structure, wherein the first transmission structure is disposed in the spherical space, and the first driving motor drives the turntable spherical shell to rotate around the first axis through the first transmission structure; An output spherical shell, the output spherical shell is arranged on the turntable spherical shell and can rotate around a second axis; a second transmission structure, wherein the second transmission structure is disposed in the spherical space, and the second drive motor drives the output spherical shell to rotate around the second axis through the second transmission structure; an output disk, the output disk being disposed on the output spherical shell and being rotatable about a third axis; A third transmission structure, a part of which is located in the spherical space, and another part of which is located outside the turntable shell, and the third drive motor drives the output disc to rotate around a third axis through the third transmission structure.

2. The spherical joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first transmission structure includes a spherical shell gear ring and a first gear. The spherical shell gear ring is fixedly arranged on the inner side of the turntable spherical shell. The first gear is fixedly arranged on the output shaft of the first driving motor. The first gear is meshed with the spherical shell gear ring.

3. The spherical joint according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first bearing is sleeved and fixed on the motor frame, and the lower end of the turntable ball shell is sleeved and fixed on the outer ring of the first bearing.

4. The spherical joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first shaft body is fixed on the motor frame, the axis of the first shaft body is the first axis, a second bearing is sleeved and fixed on the upper end of the first shaft body, and the upper end of the turntable ball shell is sleeved and fixed on the outer ring of the second bearing.

5. The spherical joint according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second transmission structure includes a second gear, a third gear and a fourth gear; A second shaft body is disposed inside the output spherical shell, the axis of the second shaft body is the second axis, the end of the second shaft body passes through the turntable spherical shell and extends into the spherical space, and the second shaft body is rotatably connected to the turntable spherical shell; The second gear is fixed to the output shaft of the second driving motor, the third gear is rotatably disposed on the first shaft and meshes with the second gear, and the fourth gear is fixed on the second shaft and meshes with the third gear.

6. The spherical joint according to claim 5, characterized in that: The third gear includes a spur gear segment and a bevel gear segment, the fourth gear is configured as a bevel gear, the spur gear segment is meshed with the second gear, and the bevel gear segment is meshed with the fourth gear.

7. The spherical joint according to claim 5, characterized in that: A third shaft body is arranged on the outer side of the output spherical shell, the axis of the third shaft body is the third axis, and the output disc is rotatably arranged on the third shaft body; The third transmission structure includes a fifth gear, a sixth gear, a seventh gear and an eighth gear, wherein the fifth gear is fixed to the output shaft of the third driving motor, the sixth gear is rotatably disposed on the first shaft and meshed with the sixth gear, and the seventh gear is rotatably disposed on the second shaft and meshed with the sixth gear; The eighth gear is fixedly disposed on the inner side of the output disk and meshes with the seventh gear.

8. The spherical joint according to claim 7, characterized in that: The sixth gear comprises a transmission lower tooth and a transmission upper tooth, the transmission lower tooth meshes with the fifth gear, and the transmission upper tooth and the seventh gear are bevel gears and mesh with each other; The third gear is rotatably sleeved on the outer side of the sixth gear and is located between the transmission lower teeth and the transmission upper teeth.

9. The spherical joint according to claim 8, characterized in that: The seventh gear includes inner transmission teeth and outer transmission teeth, the inner transmission teeth are meshed with the upper transmission teeth, and the outer transmission teeth are located on the outer side of the turntable ball shell and meshed with the eighth gear.

10. The spherical joint according to claim 9, characterized in that: The eighth gear includes an arc-shaped disk, the inner arc surface of the arc-shaped disk is concentric with the outer arc surface of the turntable spherical shell, the edge of the arc-shaped disk is provided with teeth, and the middle of the arc-shaped disk is provided with a connecting protrusion, the connecting protrusion is fixedly connected to the output disk and rotatably connected to the third shaft.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

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