Joint module for flexible robot

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of joints for robots, and particularly relates to a joint module for a flexible robot, which comprises a body joint, a first joint rotationally arranged on the body joint, a driving motor arranged on the first joint and a harmonic reducer, and the driving motor drives the first joint to rotate relative to the body joint through the harmonic reducer. The body joint comprises a supporting arm; a joint arm is mounted at the top end of the supporting arm, and a first joint is rotationally arranged on the joint arm; adjusting assemblies are arranged on the two sides of the joint arm and can improve the rigidity of the joint module after flexible adjustment is completed, and then the load capacity of the joint module is improved, so that the stability and accuracy of the flexible robot are improved when the flexible robot conducts precise operation such as sorting and transferring.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of robot joints, in particular to a joint module for a flexible robot. Background Art

[0002] In the field of robotics, flexible robots have attracted much attention because of their ability to adapt to complex environments and perform diverse tasks. At present, flexible robot joint modules often face the problems of insufficient rigidity adjustment ability and poor structural stability when achieving highly flexible movements. Traditional solutions mostly use hydraulic or pneumatic mechanisms to adjust joint rigidity, which have the defects of slow response speed, large size and easy leakage; while joint modules based on pure mechanical adjustment generally have the problems of low transmission efficiency and weak dynamic compensation ability, especially in multi-degree-of-freedom coordinated movement, which is prone to rigidity mutation, resulting in reduced positioning accuracy. Although the prior art attempts to improve flexibility through rope traction, the rope tensioning mechanism is separated from the joint drive system, resulting in adjustment lag and easy friction loss. At the same time, there is a lack of effective impact buffering mechanism, which is easy to cause structural fatigue under long-term operation. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an integrated, highly dynamic joint module that can quickly switch between flexible movement and rigid support, and has self-buffering and impact resistance characteristics to improve system reliability and service life. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to make up for the deficiencies of the prior art and solve the problems of insufficient rigidity adjustment capability and poor structural stability of robot joints in delicate occasions such as electronic manufacturing and surgical assistance, the present invention proposes a joint module for a flexible robot.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problem is: a joint module for a flexible robot, comprising a body joint, a first joint rotatably arranged on the body joint, a driving motor and a harmonic reducer arranged on the first joint, the driving motor drives the first joint to rotate relative to the body joint via the harmonic reducer, the body joint comprises a support arm; a joint arm is installed at the top of the support arm, and the first joint is rotatably arranged on the joint arm;

[0005] Adjustment components are provided on both sides of the articulated arm; the adjustment component includes starting gears provided on both sides of the articulated arm, two starting gears are symmetrically installed on each side of the articulated arm, a second motor is provided on one side of one of the starting gears, a rotating gear is meshed and installed on one side of the starting gear, a fixing component is provided on the other side of the starting gear away from the rotating gear, an auxiliary component is provided on the end of the rotating gear away from the starting gear, a mounting shaft is fixedly installed on one side of the rotating gear away from one end of the starting gear, a rotating block is fixedly installed on the other side of the rotating gear, and an extrusion rod is fixedly installed on one end of the rotating block; after completing the flexible adjustment, the rigidity of the joint module can be improved, thereby improving the load capacity of the joint module, so that the stability and accuracy of the flexible robot can be improved when performing precise operations such as sorting and delivery.

[0006] Preferably, it also includes a support frame, which is fixedly installed on the top of the support arm, a rotating shaft is rotatably installed on one side of the support frame, and a flexible mechanism is arranged on the top of the support frame; the rotating gear rotates around the installation shaft, the rotating gear drives the rotating block to rotate, and the rotating block drives the extrusion rod to rotate in the direction close to the flexible mechanism, and the extrusion rod abuts and squeezes the flexible mechanism to improve the rigidity of the joint module.

[0007] The flexible mechanism includes a winding device, a tether seat and a connecting rod. The winding device is fixedly installed on the top of the support frame. A first motor is installed on one side of the winding device, and the first motor is connected to an external power supply through a wire. The tether seat is symmetrically installed on both sides of the joint arm. Four tether seats are symmetrically installed. The connecting rod is symmetrically installed on the inner side of the support frame. Ring pulleys are symmetrically installed on the outer walls of the connecting rods. Ropes are wrapped around the outer walls of the winding device. One end of the rope is installed on the tether seat around one side of the ring pulley, and the extrusion rod abuts and squeezes the rope; the joints of the robot are flexible and can be flexibly bent, stretched and twisted, and are suitable for a variety of complex scenes.

[0008] Preferably, the fixing assembly includes a pushing rod arranged on one side of the starting gear, and the pushing rod is slidably installed on one side of the joint arm, and a first extrusion block is fixedly installed on the bottom end of the pushing rod; after the joint module completes the flexible adjustment, the rotating shaft can be fixed, thereby fixing the joint module, and further increasing the rigidity and load capacity of the joint module after the flexible adjustment is completed.

[0009] Preferably, the number of teeth on one side of the push rod is smaller than the number of teeth on one side of the rotating gear, and reciprocating tooth blocks are slidably installed on both sides of the top end of the push rod, and the reciprocating tooth blocks and the push rod are connected by a rebound spring, and the rebound springs are all wound around the outer wall of the protective rod, and the protective rod is fixedly installed on the top end of the push rod; after the push rod drives the first extrusion block to abut against the top end of the rotating shaft, the extrusion rod can abut against the rope again, and avoid the push rod from obstructing the starting gear after stopping moving, causing motion interference.

[0010] Preferably, the auxiliary component includes a connecting block arranged at one end of the rotating gear away from the starting gear, a connecting shell is fixedly installed on the bottom end of the connecting block, a second extrusion block is slidably installed on the other end of the connecting shell away from the connecting block, and a buffer component is arranged on the side of the second extrusion block close to the connecting shell; it can further assist in enhancing the fixing effect of the joint module, thereby improving the rigidity and load capacity of the joint module and improving the working effect.

[0011] Preferably, the buffer assembly includes a buffer plate arranged on the side of the buffer plate close to the connecting shell, gaps are arranged between the two sides of the buffer plate and the connecting shell, the buffer plate and the connecting shell are connected by a buffer spring, and a group of buffer springs are arranged on both sides of the buffer plate, and each group of buffer springs is arranged with two; it can buffer the impact when the joint module is subjected to a large impact, and through the elastic performance of the buffer spring, the joint module is driven to reset through the buffer plate, the second extrusion block and the rotating shaft, thereby improving the working effect of the joint module.

[0012] Preferably, a guide rod is provided on the inner side of the buffer spring, and both ends of the guide rod are at buffer plates and extend to the inner wall of the connecting shell, and both ends of the guide rod are fixedly installed on the inner walls of both sides of the connecting shell; the movement trajectory of the second extrusion block and the buffer plate can be guided and restricted to prevent the second extrusion block and the buffer plate from moving out from the inner wall of the connecting shell, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the module.

[0013] Preferably, the second extrusion block is provided with a first groove on one side close to the rotating shaft, the inner wall of the first groove is abutted with a guide ring, the guide ring is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the rotating shaft, and the bottom end of the first extrusion block is provided with a second groove;

[0014] The guide ring is composed of an outer ring and an inner ring, the length between the two sides of the cross section of the outer ring is greater than the length between the two sides of the cross section of the inner ring, the first groove and the second groove are both composed of a circular groove and a square groove, the circular groove cross sections of the first groove and the second groove are consistent with the cross section of the outer ring of the guide ring, the distance between the circular groove cross sections of the first groove is greater than the distance between the two sides of the square groove, and the distance between the two sides of the circular groove of the second groove is equal to the distance between the two sides of the square groove; it can increase the contact area and connection strength between the second extrusion block and the guide ring, improve the buffering effect of the buffer assembly on impact, and reduce the contact area and connection strength between the first extrusion block and the guide ring, reduce the wear of the first extrusion block, and extend the service life of the first extrusion block.

[0015] An elastic contact head is provided on the outside of the extrusion rod. The elastic contact head is made of rubber or silicone and has anti-slip patterns on its surface. The elastic contact head is detachably mounted on the outside of the extrusion rod by snaps or threads. The elastic contact head is used to prevent rigid extrusion from damaging the flexible mechanism.

[0016] The elastic contact head is made of rubber or silicone, and its elastic modulus is much lower than that of the metal extrusion rod. It can provide buffering when squeezing flexible mechanisms (such as ropes), avoiding rope wear, wire breakage or surface scratches caused by rigid contact, and extending the service life of the flexible mechanism. The elastic material absorbs high-frequency vibration energy during the extrusion process, reduces the operating noise of the mechanism, and reduces the impact interference of vibration on the precision components inside the joint module (such as motors and sensors).

[0017] The contact surface of the second extrusion block is an arc-shaped surface, and a ball array is embedded in the outer surface. The ball array rolls in contact with the outer ring of the guide ring to reduce friction loss between the second extrusion block and the guide ring. The ball is made of ceramic or cemented carbide.

[0018] The ball array converts the sliding friction between the second extrusion block and the guide ring into rolling friction, reducing the friction coefficient by about 60%-80%, reducing contact surface wear, and extending the service life of the guide ring and the extrusion block, which is especially suitable for high-frequency, high-load joint movement scenarios. The high hardness of ceramic or carbide balls (ceramic ball hardness ≥ HRA90) and surface finish (Ra ≤ 0.05μm) ensure that the resistance during rolling contact is extremely small, avoiding the phenomenon of stagnation, and ensuring the smoothness and positioning accuracy of the joint module rigidity adjustment action.

[0019] The rope of the winding device is made of shape memory alloy material, and its surface is coated with wear-resistant thermal conductive coating; when the flexible mechanism is subjected to external impact, the shape memory alloy rope is heated by electric current to trigger phase change, actively contracts to enhance the instantaneous rigidity of the joint module, and restores its initial shape after the impact disappears.

[0020] A shock absorbing assembly is also provided under the support arm, and the shock absorbing assembly includes a first shock absorbing layer, a second shock absorbing layer, and a third shock absorbing layer close to the support arm; the second shock absorbing layer is arranged on a side of the first shock absorbing layer away from the support arm, and the third shock absorbing layer is arranged on a side of the second shock absorbing layer away from the first shock absorbing layer; the first shock absorbing layer adopts shape memory alloy (SMA), the second shock absorbing layer adopts magnetorheological elastomer (MRE), and the third shock absorbing layer adopts superelastic polymer (SE); the first shock absorbing layer (SMA) is embedded with distributed micro-resistance heating wires, which are arranged in a serpentine shape along the surface of the first shock absorbing layer, with a coverage rate of ≥90%; the phase change temperature of the SMA is controlled by the micro-resistance heating wires, thereby rapidly changing its phase change state to achieve a shock absorbing effect; the second shock absorbing layer (MRE) is surrounded by an electromagnetic coil array on the outside, and the stiffness of the MRE can be dynamically adjusted by adjusting the magnetic field strength generated by the electromagnetic coil, thereby achieving further control of vibration.

[0021] The first shock-absorbing layer (SMA) suppresses low-frequency vibrations, the second shock-absorbing layer (MRE) dissipates mid-frequency energy, and the third shock-absorbing layer (SE) absorbs high-frequency impacts. The three work together to reduce the resonance amplitude by 60%.

[0022] The present invention is beneficial in that:

[0023] 1. The present invention sets an adjustment component. After the flexibility adjustment is completed, the second motor can be started, so that the second motor drives the starting gear to rotate, and the starting gear drives the rotating gear to rotate, so that the rotating gear rotates with the installation shaft as the axis, and the rotating gear drives the rotating block to rotate, and the rotating block drives the extrusion rod to rotate in the direction close to the rope, so that the extrusion rod abuts and squeezes the rope, thereby improving the rigidity of the joint module, and then improving the load capacity of the joint module, so that the stability and accuracy of the flexible robot are improved when performing precise operations such as sorting and delivery;

[0024] 2. The present invention provides a buffer component. When the joint module is deflected by a large impact, the impact can be buffered by the cooperation of the second extrusion block, the buffer plate and the buffer spring. This avoids the problem that when the second extrusion block is rigidly connected to the connecting shell, external impacts easily cause large wear, thereby reducing the service life of the joint module. The elastic properties of the buffer spring are used to drive the joint module to reset through the buffer plate, the second extrusion block and the rotating shaft, thereby improving the working effect of the joint module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0026] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the body joint and the articulated arm of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 It is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the regulating assembly of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 2 The enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0030] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the top end of the push rod of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 It is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the buffer assembly of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the first extrusion block, the second extrusion block and the guide ring of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shock absorbing assembly of the present invention.

[0034] In the figure: 1. support arm; 2. support frame; 3. rotating shaft; 4. joint arm; 5. rope seat; 6. connecting rod; 7. rope pulley; 8. winding device; 9. first motor; 10. starting gear; 11. rotating gear; 12. mounting shaft; 13. rotating block; 14. extrusion rod; 15. pushing rod; 16. first extrusion block; 17. reciprocating gear block; 18. rebound spring; 19. protection rod; 20. connecting block; 21. connecting shell; 22. second extrusion block; 23. buffer plate; 24. buffer spring; 25. guide rod; 26. first groove; 27. guide ring; 100. body joint; 101. first joint; 102. shock absorbing assembly; 103; first shock absorbing layer; 104. second shock absorbing layer; 105. third shock absorbing layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0037] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connection", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0038] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the meaning of "and, or" appearing in the full text includes three parallel solutions. Taking "A and, or B" as an example, it includes solution A, solution B, or solutions that satisfy both A and B. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in the field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0039] The present invention proposes a joint module for a flexible robot, in which adjustment components are provided on both sides of the joint arm 4 of the joint module, so that after the joint module is adjusted, the rigidity of the joint module can be enhanced, thereby improving the stability and load capacity of the joint module, thereby improving the working effect of the joint module in complex occasions such as electronic production and surgical assistance.

[0040] In this embodiment, the structure of the joint module is as follows: Figures 1 to 8 As shown, Figures 3 to 5Only a part of the joint module is shown, mainly showing the part related to the present invention. A joint module for a flexible robot of the present invention comprises a body joint 100, a first joint 101 rotatably arranged on the body joint 100, a driving motor and a harmonic reducer arranged on the first joint 101, the driving motor drives the first joint 101 to rotate relative to the body joint 100 via the harmonic reducer, the body joint 100 comprises a support arm 1; a joint arm 4 is installed at the top end of the support arm 1, and the first joint 101 is rotatably arranged on the joint arm (4);

[0041] Both sides of the articulated arm 4 are provided with adjustment components, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the joint module also includes a support frame 2, which is fixedly mounted on the top of the support arm 1, a rotating shaft 3 is rotatably mounted on one side of the support frame 2, and a flexible mechanism is provided on the top of the support frame 2;

[0042] The flexible mechanism includes a winding device 8, a tether seat 5 and a connecting rod 6. The winding device 8 is fixedly installed on the top of the support frame 2. A first motor 9 is installed on one side of the winding device 8. The first motor 9 is connected to an external power supply through a wire. The tether seat 5 is symmetrically installed on both sides of the joint arm 4. Four tether seats 5 are symmetrically installed. The connecting rod 6 is symmetrically installed on the inner side of the support frame 2. The outer wall of the connecting rod 6 is symmetrically installed with a ring rope wheel 7. The outer wall of the winding device 8 is wound with a rope. One end of the rope is installed on the tether seat 5 after passing through one side of the ring rope wheel 7. Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the adjustment component includes a starting gear 10 arranged on both sides of the joint arm 4, and two starting gears 10 are symmetrically installed on each side of the joint arm 4, one side of one of the starting gears 10 is provided with a second motor, one side of the starting gear 10 is meshed with a rotating gear 11, and the other side of the starting gear 10 is provided with a fixing component, and the end of the rotating gear 11 away from the starting gear 10 is provided with an auxiliary component, and the side of the rotating gear 11 away from the end of the starting gear 10 is fixedly installed with a mounting shaft 12, and the mounting shaft 12 is rotatably installed on one side of the support frame 2, and the other side of the rotating gear 11 is fixedly installed with a rotating block 13, and one end of the rotating block 13 is fixedly installed with an extrusion rod 14. The joint module in the prior art is only provided with a flexible mechanism, and in some mechanical In working environments where the joints have a certain rigidity and load capacity, it is easy for the robot arm to deviate and the joints to wear, which will affect the working effect. After the joint module adopts the adjustment component of this embodiment, the second motor can be started after the flexible adjustment is completed, so that the second motor drives the starting gear 10 to rotate, and the starting gear 10 drives the rotating gear 11 to rotate, so that the rotating gear 11 rotates around the mounting shaft 12, and the rotating gear 11 drives the rotating block 13 to rotate, and the rotating block 13 drives the extrusion rod 14 to rotate in the direction close to the rope, so that the extrusion rod 14 abuts and squeezes the rope, thereby improving the rigidity of the joint module, and then improving the load capacity of the joint module, so that the stability and accuracy of the flexible robot are improved when performing precise operations such as sorting and delivery.

[0043] In this embodiment, if Figure 2 and Figure 3 The fixing component includes a pushing rod 15 arranged on one side of the starting gear 10, and the pushing rod 15 is slidably installed on one side of the joint arm 4. The bottom end of the pushing rod 15 is fixedly installed with a first extrusion block 16. With this design, when the second motor drives the starting gear 10 to rotate, the starting gear 10 can drive the pushing rod 15 to move, and the pushing rod 15 drives the first extrusion block 16 to move toward the direction close to the rotating shaft 3, so that the first extrusion block 16 abuts against the top of the rotating shaft 3, fixes the rotating shaft 3, and thus fixes the joint module. This design can further increase the rigidity and load capacity of the joint module after completing the flexibility adjustment.

[0044] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the number of teeth on one side of the push rod 15 is smaller than the number of teeth on one side of the rotating gear 11, and reciprocating tooth blocks 17 are slidably installed on both sides of the top of the push rod 15, and the reciprocating tooth blocks 17 and the push rod 15 are connected by rebound springs 18, and the rebound springs 18 are all wound around the outer wall of the protection rod 19, and the protection rod 19 is fixedly installed on the top of the push rod 15. In this design, on the one hand, by setting the number of tooth blocks of the push rod 15, after the push rod 15 drives the first extrusion block 16 to abut against the top of the rotating shaft 3, the extrusion rod 14 can abut against the rope again, thereby preventing the extrusion rod 14 from extruding the rope, and the rope easily drives the joint arm 4 to deviate through the tether seat 5 when the extrusion rod 14 squeezes the rope, so that the shape of the joint module after the flexibility adjustment changes, affecting the working effect of the flexible robot. On the other hand, by setting the reciprocating tooth block 17 , rebound spring 18 and protection rod 19. After the push rod 15 drives the first extrusion block 16 to abut against the top of the rotating shaft 3, the second motor continues to drive the starting gear 10 to rotate. At this time, the starting gear 10 is engaged with the reciprocating tooth block 17. The starting gear 10 drives the reciprocating tooth block 17 to move downward, so that the reciprocating tooth block 17 squeezes the rebound spring 18, causing the rebound spring 18 to undergo elastic deformation and accumulate elastic performance. When one side of the starting gear 10 is not engaged with the reciprocating tooth block 17, the rebound spring 18 releases its elastic potential energy, undergoes elastic deformation, and pushes the reciprocating tooth block 17 to reset, so that the reciprocating tooth block 17 can engage with the starting gear 10 again. This design can keep the starting gear 10 engaged with both sides of the push rod 15 at all times, and can also avoid the push rod 15 from obstructing the starting gear 10 after it stops moving, resulting in motion interference.

[0045] In this embodiment, if Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the auxiliary component includes a connecting block 20 arranged at one end of the rotating gear 11 away from the starting gear 10, a connecting shell 21 is fixedly installed on the bottom end of the connecting block 20, a second extrusion block 22 is slidably installed on one end of the connecting shell 21, and a buffer component is arranged on the side of the second extrusion block 22 close to the connecting shell 21. In this design, when the starting gear 10 drives the fixing component to operate, the starting gear 10 also drives the connecting block 20 to rotate through the rotating gear 11, the connecting block 20 drives the connecting shell 21 to move, and the connecting shell 21 drives the second extrusion block 22 to rotate to one side of the rotating shaft 3, thereby further assisting in enhancing the fixing effect of the joint module, thereby improving the rigidity and load capacity of the joint module, and improving the working effect.

[0046] In this embodiment, if Figure 5As shown, the buffer assembly includes a buffer plate 23 arranged on the second extrusion block 22 near the side of the connecting shell 21, and gaps are arranged between the two sides of the buffer plate 23 and the connecting shell 21. The buffer plate 23 is connected to the connecting shell 21 through a buffer spring 24. A group of buffer springs 24 are arranged on both sides of the buffer plate 23, and each group of buffer springs 24 is arranged with two. In this design, when the joint module is deflected by a large impact, the rotating shaft 3 drives the second extrusion block 22 to deflect, and the second extrusion block 22 drives the buffer plate 23 to move. The buffer plate 23 squeezes the buffer spring 24 on one side, so that the buffer spring 24 undergoes elastic deformation, accumulates elastic potential energy, and then buffers The spring 24 releases its elastic potential energy and undergoes elastic deformation to drive the buffer plate 23 to reset, so that the buffer plate 23 drives the rotating shaft 3 to reset through the second extrusion block 22. Through this design, not only when the joint module is subjected to a large impact, the impact can be buffered through the cooperation of the second extrusion block 22, the buffer plate 23 and the buffer spring 24, thereby avoiding the problem of external impact causing large wear when the second extrusion block 22 and the connecting shell 21 are rigidly connected, thereby reducing the service life of the joint module. In addition, the elastic properties of the buffer spring 24 can be used to drive the joint module to reset through the buffer plate 23, the second extrusion block 22 and the rotating shaft 3, thereby improving the working effect of the joint module.

[0047] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, guide rods 25 are provided on the inner side of the buffer spring 24, both ends of the guide rods 25 pass through the buffer plate 23 and extend to the inner wall of the connecting shell 21, and the guide rods 25 are fixedly installed on the inner wall of the connecting shell 21. Such a design can guide and limit the movement trajectory of the second extrusion block 22 and the buffer plate 23, so that the second extrusion block 22 and the buffer plate 23 can only rotate around the rotating shaft 3 and cannot move horizontally along the direction of the connecting shell 21, thereby preventing the second extrusion block 22 and the buffer plate 23 from moving out from the inner wall of the connecting shell 21, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the module.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if Figure 6 As shown, the second extrusion block 22 is provided with a first groove 26 on one side close to the rotating shaft 3, the inner wall of the first groove 26 is abutted with a guide ring 27, and the guide ring 27 is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the rotating shaft 3, and the bottom end of the first extrusion block 16 is provided with a second groove;

[0049] The guide ring 27 is composed of an outer ring and an inner ring, and the length between the two sides of the outer ring cross section is greater than the length between the two sides of the inner ring cross section. The first groove 26 and the second groove are both composed of a circular groove and a square groove. The circular groove cross sections of the first groove 26 and the second groove are consistent with the outer ring cross section of the guide ring 27. The distance between the circular groove cross sections of the first groove 26 is greater than the distance between the two sides of the square groove, and the distance between the two sides of the circular groove of the second groove is equal to the distance between the two sides of the square groove. This design can, on the one hand, increase the contact area and connection strength between the second extrusion block 22 and the guide ring 27, and improve the buffering effect of the buffer assembly on impact. On the other hand, it can reduce the contact area and connection strength between the first extrusion block 16 and the guide ring 27, so that when the joint module is subjected to external impact and the rotating shaft 3 is offset, the impact on the first extrusion block 16 is reduced, thereby reducing the wear on the first extrusion block 16 and extending the service life of the first extrusion block 16.

[0050] Furthermore, an elastic contact head is provided on the outside of the extrusion rod 14. The elastic contact head is made of rubber or silicone and has anti-slip texture on its surface. The elastic contact head can be detachably installed on the outside of the extrusion rod 14 by snap fasteners or threads. The elastic contact head is used to prevent rigid extrusion from damaging the flexible mechanism.

[0051] The elastic contact head is made of rubber or silicone, and its elastic modulus is much lower than that of the metal extrusion rod 14. It can provide buffering when squeezing the flexible mechanism (such as a rope), avoiding rope wear, wire breakage or surface scratches caused by rigid contact, and extending the service life of the flexible mechanism. The elastic material absorbs high-frequency vibration energy during the extrusion process, reduces the operating noise of the mechanism, and reduces the impact interference of vibration on the precision components inside the joint module (such as motors and sensors).

[0052] The contact surface of the second extrusion block 22 is an arc-shaped surface, and a ball array is embedded in the outer surface. The ball array rolls in contact with the outer ring of the guide ring 27 to reduce the friction loss between the second extrusion block 22 and the guide ring 27. The ball is made of ceramic or cemented carbide.

[0053] The ball array converts the sliding friction between the second extrusion block 22 and the guide ring 27 into rolling friction, reducing the friction coefficient by about 60%-80%, reducing contact surface wear, and extending the service life of the guide ring 27 and the extrusion block, which is especially suitable for high-frequency, high-load joint movement scenarios. The high hardness (ceramic ball hardness ≥ HRA90) and surface finish (Ra ≤ 0.05μm) of ceramic or carbide balls ensure that the resistance during rolling contact is extremely small, avoiding the phenomenon of stagnation, and ensuring the smoothness and positioning accuracy of the joint module rigidity adjustment action.

[0054] The rope of the winding device 8 is made of shape memory alloy material, and its surface is coated with a wear-resistant and thermally conductive coating; when the flexible mechanism is subjected to external impact, the shape memory alloy rope triggers phase change through electric current heating, actively contracts to enhance the instantaneous rigidity of the joint module, and restores its original shape after the impact disappears.

[0055] A shock absorbing component 102 is also provided under the support arm 1, and the shock absorbing component 102 includes a first shock absorbing layer 103, a second shock absorbing layer 104, and a third shock absorbing layer 105 close to the support arm 1; the second shock absorbing layer 104 is arranged on a side of the first shock absorbing layer 103 away from the support arm 1, and the third shock absorbing layer 105 is arranged on a side of the second shock absorbing layer 104 away from the first shock absorbing layer 103; the first shock absorbing layer 103 is made of shape memory alloy (SMA), the second shock absorbing layer 104 is made of magnetorheological elastomer (MRE), and the third shock absorbing layer 105 is made of magnetorheological elastomer (MRE). Layer 105 is made of superelastic polymer (SE), and the first shock-absorbing layer 103 (SMA) is embedded with distributed micro-resistance heating wires, which are arranged in a serpentine shape along the surface of the first shock-absorbing layer 103, with a coverage rate of ≥90%. The SMA phase change temperature is controlled by the micro-resistance heating wires, so that its phase change state is quickly changed to achieve a shock-absorbing effect; the second shock-absorbing layer 104 (MRE) is surrounded by an electromagnetic coil array on the outside, and the stiffness of the MRE can be dynamically adjusted by adjusting the magnetic field strength generated by the electromagnetic coil, thereby achieving further control of vibration.

[0056] The first shock absorbing layer 103 (SMA) suppresses low-frequency vibrations, the second shock absorbing layer 104 (MRE) dissipates medium-frequency energy, and the third shock absorbing layer 105 (SE) absorbs high-frequency impacts. The three work together to reduce the resonance amplitude by 60%.

[0057] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "example", "specific example", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0058] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the above embodiments and descriptions are only for explaining the principles of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the present invention may have various changes and improvements, and these changes and improvements all fall within the scope of the present invention to be protected.

Claims

1. A joint module for a flexible robot, characterized in that: The invention comprises a body joint (100), a first joint (101) rotatably arranged on the body joint (100), a driving motor and a harmonic reducer arranged on the first joint (101), wherein the driving motor drives the first joint (101) to rotate relative to the body joint (100) via the harmonic reducer, and the body joint (100) comprises a support arm (1); a joint arm (4) is mounted on the top end of the support arm (1), and the first joint (101) is rotatably arranged on the joint arm (4); Both sides of the articulated arm (4) are provided with adjustment components; the adjustment components include starting gears (10) arranged on both sides of the articulated arm (4); two starting gears (10) are symmetrically installed on each side of the articulated arm (4); a second motor is arranged on one side of one of the starting gears (10); a rotating gear (11) is meshedly installed on one side of the starting gear (10); a fixing component is arranged on the other side of the starting gear (10) away from the rotating gear (11); an auxiliary component is arranged on one end of the rotating gear (11) away from the starting gear (10); a mounting shaft (12) is fixedly installed on one side of the rotating gear (11) away from the starting gear (10); a rotating block (13) is fixedly installed on the mounting shaft (12); and an extrusion rod (14) is fixedly installed on one end of the rotating block (13); The joint module also includes a support frame (2), the support frame (2) is fixedly mounted on the top of the support arm (1), a rotating shaft (3) is rotatably mounted on one side of the support frame (2), and a flexible mechanism is arranged at the top of the support frame (2); a rotating gear (11) rotates around the mounting shaft (12), the rotating gear (11) drives a rotating block (13) to rotate, the rotating block (13) drives an extrusion rod (14) to rotate in a direction close to the flexible mechanism, and the extrusion rod (14) abuts against and squeezes the flexible mechanism to improve the rigidity of the joint module.

2. A joint module for a flexible robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible mechanism comprises a winding device (8), a rope seat (5) and a connecting rod (6); the winding device (8) is fixedly mounted on the top of the support frame (2); a first motor (9) is mounted on one side of the winding device (8); the first motor (9) is connected to an external power source through a wire; the rope seat (5) is symmetrically mounted on both sides of the articulated arm (4); four rope seats (5) are symmetrically mounted; the connecting rod (6) is symmetrically mounted on the inner side of the support frame (2); a rope wheel (7) is symmetrically mounted on the outer wall of the connecting rod (6); a rope is wound around the outer wall of the winding device (8); one end of the rope is passed around one side of the rope wheel (7) and mounted on the rope seat (5); and the squeezing rod (14) abuts against and squeezes the rope.

3. A joint module for a flexible robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing assembly comprises a push rod (15) arranged on one side of the starting gear (10), the push rod (15) is slidably mounted on one side of the joint arm (4), and a first extrusion block (16) is fixedly mounted on the bottom end of the push rod (15).

4. A joint module for a flexible robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The number of teeth on one side of the push rod (15) is smaller than the number of teeth on one side of the rotating gear (11). Reciprocating tooth blocks (17) are slidably mounted on both sides of the top of the push rod (15). The reciprocating tooth blocks (17) and the push rod (15) are connected via a rebound spring (18). The rebound springs (18) are wound around the outer wall of a protective rod (19). The protective rod (19) is fixedly mounted on the top of the push rod (15).

5. A joint module for a flexible robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The auxiliary component comprises a connecting block (20) arranged at one end of the rotating gear (11) away from the starting gear (10), a connecting shell (21) is fixedly mounted on the bottom end of the connecting block (20), a second extrusion block (22) is slidably mounted on the other end of the connecting shell (21) away from the connecting block (20), and a buffer component is arranged on a side of the second extrusion block (22) close to the connecting shell (21).

6. A joint module for a flexible robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The buffer assembly comprises a buffer plate (23) arranged on a side of the second extrusion block (22) close to the connecting shell (21), gaps are arranged between the two sides of the buffer plate (23) and the connecting shell (21), the buffer plate (23) and the connecting shell (21) are connected via a buffer spring (24), a group of buffer springs (24) are arranged on both sides of the buffer plate (23), and each group of buffer springs (24) has two buffer springs.

7. A joint module for a flexible robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: A guide rod (25) is provided on the inner side of the buffer spring (24), both ends of the guide rod (25) pass through the buffer plate (23) and extend to the inner wall of the connecting shell (21), and both ends of the guide rod (25) are fixedly mounted on the inner walls of both sides of the connecting shell (21).

8. The joint module for a flexible robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second extrusion block (22) is provided with a first groove (26) on one side close to the rotating shaft (3); the inner wall of the first groove (26) is in contact with a guide ring (27); the guide ring (27) is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the rotating shaft (3); and the bottom end of the first extrusion block (16) is provided with a second groove; The guide ring (27) is composed of an outer ring and an inner ring, the length between the two sides of the cross section of the outer ring is greater than the length between the two sides of the cross section of the inner ring, the first groove (26) and the second groove are both composed of a circular groove and a square groove, the circular groove cross sections of the first groove (26) and the second groove are consistent with the cross section of the outer ring of the guide ring (27), the distance between the circular groove cross sections of the first groove (26) is greater than the distance between the two sides of the square groove, and the distance between the two sides of the circular groove of the second groove is equal to the distance between the two sides of the square groove.

9. The joint module for a flexible robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: An elastic contact head is provided on the outside of the extrusion rod (14), the elastic contact head is made of rubber or silicone, and has anti-slip patterns on its surface. The elastic contact head is detachably mounted on the outside of the extrusion rod (14) by means of a buckle or a thread, and the elastic contact head is used to prevent rigid extrusion from damaging the flexible mechanism.

10. The joint module for a flexible robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The contact surface of the second extrusion block (22) is an arc-shaped surface, and a ball array is embedded in the outer surface. The ball array is in rolling contact with the outer ring of the guide ring (27) to reduce the friction loss between the second extrusion block (22) and the guide ring (27). The ball is made of ceramic or hard alloy.

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