Joint actuator, execution assembly and robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a joint actuator, an execution assembly and a robot, and relates to the technical field of mechanical devices.The joint actuator comprises a shell, a driving assembly and a transmission assembly, the driving assembly is arranged in the shell, and the transmission assembly comprises a first output part, a second output part and a third output part which are connected with the driving assembly; the driving assembly is used for driving the first output part, the second output part and the third output part to independently rotate around respective rotating axes, a first opening, a second opening and a third opening are formed in the shell, the first output part is arranged at the first opening, and the second output part is arranged at the second opening and coincides with the rotating axis of the first output part; and the third output piece is arranged at the third opening, and the rotating axis of the third output piece intersects with the rotating axis of the first output piece, so that a physical model of the joint actuator is simpler, and the construction difficulty and the mass production difficulty of a multi-degree-of-freedom complex robot are greatly simplified.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of mechanical devices, and in particular to a joint actuator, an actuator assembly and a robot. Background Art

[0002] Current joint actuators can usually only provide motion control of a single degree of freedom, which means that multiple joint actuators are required to be linked and combined to achieve multi-degree-of-freedom motion. However, the existing combined joint structure not only increases the complexity and manufacturing cost of the entire system, but may also affect the motion flexibility and response speed of the robot arm to a certain extent. In addition, when performing robot kinematic analysis, motion control, designing motion controllers, and designing motion control models, designers need to consider the distributed layout of each joint degree of freedom, and the design of combined structures requires the introduction of more complex physical models and mathematical descriptions. This process significantly increases the computational difficulty of kinematic simulation and motion control, and increases the complexity of design and optimization. Summary of the invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to propose a joint actuator, an actuator assembly and a robot, aiming to solve the problem of difficulty in designing and manufacturing complex robots with multiple degrees of freedom.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the joint actuator proposed by the present invention comprises:

[0005] A housing having a mounting cavity and a first opening, a second opening and a third opening communicating with the mounting cavity;

[0006] A drive assembly, at least partially disposed in the mounting cavity;

[0007] A transmission assembly comprises a first output member, a second output member and a third output member respectively connected to the driving assembly, the driving assembly is used to respectively drive the first output member, the second output member and the third output member to rotate, the first output member is arranged at the first opening, the second output member is arranged at the second opening, the third output member is arranged at the third opening, the rotation axis of the first output member and the rotation axis of the second output member are arranged to overlap, the first output member and the second output member are arranged on opposite sides of the shell, and the rotation axis of the first output member intersects with the rotation axis of the third output member.

[0008] In one embodiment, the rotation axis of the first output member and the rotation axis of the third output member are arranged perpendicular to each other.

[0009] In one embodiment, the transmission assembly also includes a fourth output member, which is extended along the rotation axis direction of the first output member, one end of the fourth output member is fixedly connected to the second output member, and the other end of the fourth output member is arranged at the first opening, and the first output member is rotatably sleeved on the fourth output member.

[0010] In one embodiment, a first connection portion is provided on a side of the first output member facing outside the housing, a second connection portion is provided on an end of the fourth output member away from the second output member, and the first connection portion and the second connection portion are spaced apart.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first connection portion and the second connection portion are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the first output member, or the first connection portion and the second connection portion are spaced apart from each other in the radial direction of the first output member.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first output member includes a first flange, which is rotatably mounted on the fourth output member, the first connecting portion is arranged on a side of the first flange facing outside the shell, and the second connecting portion is arranged on an end of the fourth output member that passes through the first flange.

[0013] In one embodiment, the joint actuator also includes a control component and a feedback component, the control component is electrically connected to the feedback component and the drive component, the feedback component is used to respectively detect the rotation angles of the first output member, the second output member and the third output member, and the control component is used to control the operation of the drive component according to the detection results.

[0014] In one embodiment, the feedback component includes a plurality of encoders spaced apart in the housing, and the plurality of encoders are used to respectively detect the rotation of the first output member, the second output member, and the third output member, and send the detection information to the control component.

[0015] In one embodiment, the joint actuator further includes a first transmission member disposed in the housing, the feedback assembly includes a first magnetic encoder, the first magnetic encoder includes a first magnetic induction member and a first magnetic element disposed in the housing, the first magnetic element is disposed on the first transmission member and is spaced relative to the first magnetic induction member, and the first output member is drivingly connected to the first transmission member to drive the first transmission member to rotate;

[0016] And / or, the joint actuator further comprises a second transmission member disposed in the housing, the feedback assembly comprises a second magnetic encoder, the second magnetic encoder comprises a second magnetic induction member and a second magnetic element disposed in the housing, the second magnetic element is disposed on the second transmission member and is spaced relative to the second magnetic induction member, and the second output member is drivingly connected to the second transmission member to drive the second transmission member to rotate;

[0017] And / or, the feedback component includes a third magnetic encoder, the third magnetic encoder includes a third magnetic induction component and a third magnetic element arranged in the shell, and the third magnetic element is arranged on the third output component and is relatively spaced from the third magnetic induction component.

[0018] In one embodiment, the driving assembly includes a first motor, the transmission assembly also includes a first gear set, the first output member is provided with a first output gear, and the first motor is drivingly connected to the first output gear through the first gear set;

[0019] And / or, the driving assembly further includes a second motor, the transmission assembly further includes a second gear set, the second output member is provided with a second output gear, and the second motor is drivingly connected to the second output gear through the second gear set;

[0020] And / or, the driving assembly includes a third motor, the transmission assembly also includes a third gear set, the third output member is provided with a third output gear, and the third motor is drivingly connected to the third output gear via the third gear set.

[0021] In one embodiment, the shell is configured to be spherical.

[0022] In one embodiment, the intersection of the rotation axis of the first output member and the rotation axis of the third output member coincides with the spherical center of the housing.

[0023] The present invention further provides an actuator assembly, comprising a connecting member and the joint actuator in any of the aforementioned embodiments, wherein the connecting member is drivingly connected to one or more of the first output member, the second output member and the third output member.

[0024] The present invention also provides a robot, comprising the joint actuator in any one of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0025] The technical solution of the present invention adopts two coaxially arranged output members to make the joint actuator compatible. Specifically, the joint actuator includes a shell, a drive assembly and a transmission assembly. The shell is hollow inside to form a accommodating chamber. The drive assembly is at least partially arranged in the accommodating chamber. The transmission assembly includes a first output member, a second output member and a third output member respectively connected to the drive assembly. The drive assembly is used to drive the first output member, the second output member and the third output member to rotate independently around their respective rotation axes. The shell is provided with a first opening, a second opening and a third opening. The first output member is arranged at the first opening, the second output member is arranged at the second opening and coincides with the rotation axis of the first output line. The first output member and the second output member are arranged on opposite sides of the shell, and the third output member is arranged at the third opening. The rotation axis of the third output member intersects with the rotation axis of the first output member, so that the physical model of the joint actuator is simpler and easier for structural analysis and design, which greatly reduces the calculation amount of kinematic simulation and motion control, and greatly simplifies the construction difficulty and mass production difficulty of complex robots with multiple degrees of freedom. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] 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 the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.

[0027] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a joint actuator provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 A top view of an embodiment of a joint actuator provided by the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the housing and internal components of an embodiment of the joint actuator provided by the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the split structure of the driving assembly and the transmission assembly in an embodiment of the joint actuator provided by the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the split structure of the third output member, the third motor and the third gear set in an embodiment of the joint actuator provided by the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the split structure of the first output member, the fourth output member, the first motor and the first gear set in an embodiment of the joint actuator provided by the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second output member, the fourth output member, the second motor and the second gear set in an embodiment of the joint actuator provided by the present invention;

[0034] Figure 8 for Figure 2 Sectional view in the AA direction;

[0035] Fig. 9 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional view along the BB direction.

[0036] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0037] 100, joint actuator; 110, housing; 110a, mounting cavity; 110b, first opening; 110c, second opening; 110d, third opening; 110e, fourth opening; 120, drive assembly; 121, first motor; 122, second motor; 123, third motor; 130, transmission assembly; 131, first output member; 1311, first connecting portion; 1312, first flange; 1313, first output gear; 1314, first transmission gear; 132, second output member; 1321, second flange; 1322, second output gear; 1323, second transmission gear; 133, third output member ;1331, third flange;1332, third output gear;1333, transmission shaft;134, fourth output member;1341, second connecting portion;135, first gear set;136, second gear set;137, third gear set;140, feedback assembly;141, first magnetic induction member;142, first magnetic element;143, second magnetic induction member;144, second magnetic element;145, third magnetic induction member;146, third magnetic element;150, first transmission member;160, second transmission member;170, control assembly;171, control circuit board;172, wiring;180, bearing;190, fourth flange.

[0038] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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 in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0041] 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 limited to "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, if "and / or" or "and / or" appears in the full text, its meaning 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 this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0042] The invention provides a joint actuator.

[0043] See also Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment of the present invention, the joint actuator 100 includes a shell 110, a driving assembly 120 and a transmission assembly 130. The shell 110 is hollow inside to form an accommodating chamber. The driving assembly 120 is at least partially disposed in the accommodating chamber. The transmission assembly 130 includes a first output member 131, a second output member 132 and a third output member 133 respectively connected to the driving assembly 120. The driving assembly 120 is used to drive the first output member 131, the second output member 132 and the third output member 133 to rotate independently around their respective rotation axes. The shell 110 is provided with a first opening 110b, a second opening 110c and a third opening 110d. The first output member 131 is disposed at the first opening 110b, the second output member 132 is disposed at the second opening 110c and coincides with the rotation axis of the first output line, and the third output member 133 is disposed at the third opening 110d. The rotation axis of the third output member 133 intersects with the rotation axis of the first output member 131.

[0044] The joint actuator 100 in this solution can be used to connect the body and the mechanical arm of the robot. In one embodiment, the joint actuator 100 is applied to a quadruped robot, and the body of the robot is connected by the third output member 133, and the mechanical arm is connected by the first output member 131 and the second output member 132. Since the axes of the first output member 131 and the third output member 133 intersect, and the axes of the first output member 131 and the second output member 132 coincide, the joint actuator 100 can provide multi-degree-of-freedom motion control for the mechanical arm. Furthermore, since the axes of the first output member 131 and the third output member 133 intersect, and the axes of the first output member 131 and the second output member 132 coincide, the physical model of the joint actuator 100 is simpler, which greatly reduces the calculation amount of kinematic simulation and motion control, and greatly simplifies the construction difficulty and mass production difficulty of complex robots with multiple degrees of freedom. The joint actuator 100 enables the robot to be modularly assembled, and the structure is simpler and convenient to assemble. On the other hand, the simple mathematical model is also conducive to reducing the load of the controller and reducing energy consumption.

[0045] In one embodiment, the rotation axis of the first output member 131 and the rotation axis of the third output member 133 are disposed perpendicular to each other.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the rotation axes of the first output member 131 and the third output member 133 are arranged perpendicular to each other. Specifically, the angle between the rotation axis of the first output member 131 and the rotation axis of the third output member 133 is α, and the value of α is 90° in an ideal state. Considering factors such as actual processing and assembly errors, in one embodiment, α satisfies: 89°≤α≤91°, that is, the value of α can be 89°, 90° or 91°, or any value within the aforementioned range, and when the value of the angle α is within the range, the rotation axes of the first output member 131 and the third output member 133 are considered to be arranged vertically. In some other embodiments of the present invention, α can also be less than 89° or greater than 91°, which is subject to the actual product and is not specifically limited here. The axis is vertical so that the physical model of the joint actuator 100 is further simplified and the structure is more reasonable.

[0047] It is understandable that the first output member 131 and the second output member 132 rotate 180° around the rotation axis direction of the third output member 133, and the positions of the first output member 131 and the second output member 132 before and after the rotation are symmetrical, which is compatible with the connection requirements of the robot arm and the robot body at different positions. The joint actuator 100 can not only adapt to the connection of different robot arms, but also can be used to connect the head, tail, waist and other positions of the robot body. In addition to conventional humanoid robots, automated production lines, and bionic robots, the joint actuator 100 can also be used in medical equipment, precision machinery, aerospace and other scenes that require high flexibility and precise control.

[0048] In one embodiment, the transmission assembly 130 also includes a fourth output member 134, which is extended along the rotation axis direction of the first output member 131, one end of the fourth output member 134 is fixedly connected to the second output member 132, and the other end of the fourth output member 134 is disposed at the first opening 110b, and the first output member 131 is rotatably sleeved on the fourth output member 134.

[0049] like Figure 4 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the transmission assembly 130 further includes a fourth output member 134, which is configured as an output shaft extending along the rotation axis direction of the first output member 131, and one end of the fourth output member 134 is fixedly connected to the second output member 132, and the connection method can be welding, plug-in, screw connection, pin connection, etc., or the fourth output member 134 can also be integrally formed with the second output member 132, so that when the second output member 132 rotates around the rotation axis, it can drive the fourth output member 134 to rotate. The first output member 131 is provided with a through hole along the direction of the rotation axis, and one end of the fourth output member 134 away from the second output member 132 is passed through the through hole. The first output member 131 is rotatably sleeved on the end of the fourth output member 134. The second output member 132 and the fourth output member 134 rotate at the same speed. The end of the second output member 132 away from the first output member 131 is used to connect with an external device. Similarly, the ends of the fourth output member 134 and the first output member 131 away from the second output member 132 are respectively used to connect with external devices.

[0050] For example, in a six-axis robot arm, a motor is provided at the connection between each arm section, but the arm is usually connected to one side of the motor, which will cause torque imbalance. Excessive torque at the joint will increase the wear of the robot arm. Torque imbalance may occur under large loads or high-speed motion, affecting the control accuracy and effect. In this embodiment, the fourth output member 134 and the second output member 132 are used to run coaxially at the same speed, so that the robot arm can be connected to both sides of the joint actuator 100, and torque balance can be achieved, so that the joint actuator 100 has stronger torque output and better stability, while maintaining high control accuracy.

[0051] In one embodiment, a first connection portion 1311 is disposed on a side of the first output member 131 facing outside the housing 110 , a second connection portion 1341 is disposed on an end of the fourth output member 134 away from the second output member 132 , and the first connection portion 1311 and the second connection portion 1341 are spaced apart.

[0052] Some existing robots use a multi-link structure for transmission. In order to avoid interference between the links, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, a first connection portion 1311 is provided on a side of the first output member 131 facing outside the housing 110, and a second connection portion 1341 is provided on an end of the fourth output member 134 away from the second output member 132. The first connection portion 1311 and the second connection portion 1341 are arranged at intervals. In this embodiment, the first output member 131 is a flange structure, and the fourth output member 134 is an output shaft arranged through the flange. The first connection portion 1311 is a plurality of through holes provided on the flange, and the connecting rod of the robot arm can be connected by passing through holes provided by screws, bolts and other structures; and the second connection portion 1341 is a spline structure circumferentially arranged at the end of the fourth output member 134, and a spline groove is provided on another connecting rod of the corresponding robot arm, and the spline is inserted into the spline groove for transmission.

[0053] It can be seen from the above that the first connection part 1311 and the second connection part 1341 are arranged at intervals so that the connecting rod on the first output member 131 and the connecting rod on the fourth output member 134 can be independently rotated 360° around the rotation axis without interference. In addition, the second connection part 1341 can also be configured to be detachably connected to the fourth output member to replace the structure of the second connection part 1341.

[0054] In one embodiment, the first connection portion 1311 and the second connection portion 1341 are spaced apart from each other along the axial direction of the first output member 131 , or the first connection portion 1311 and the second connection portion 1341 are spaced apart from each other along the radial direction of the first output member 131 .

[0055] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first connecting portion 1311 and the second connecting portion 1341 are spaced apart along the rotation axis direction of the first output member 131. Figure 8 If the two connecting rods of the robot arm are respectively connected to the first output member 131 and the fourth output member 134, the end of one of the connecting rods can be set as a ring structure with a perforated hole in the middle and sleeved on the fourth output member 134, and connected to the first output member 131 by screws and other components, and the end of the other connecting rod can be set with a spline groove to engage with the spline of the fourth output member 134.

[0056] In some other embodiments of the present invention, the first connection portion 1311 and the second connection portion 1341 are arranged at intervals along the radial direction of the first output member 131. For example, the second connection portion 1341 can also adopt a flange structure, and a through hole is opened on the second connection portion 1341. The outer surfaces of the two flanges are flush, and the through holes on the two flanges are arranged at intervals along the radial direction of the first output member 131. At this time, the two connecting rods of the robotic arm can be connected to the two flanges by screws or bolts. Alternatively, the outer ring of the first output member 131 can also be provided with splines, and spline grooves can be respectively provided on the connecting rods corresponding to the robotic arm. Therefore, in addition to using flanges and setting splines, the first output member 131 and the fourth output member 134 can also adopt other similar structures for outputting torque, and this conclusion is also applicable to the second output member 132 and the third output member 133, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0057] In one embodiment, the first output member 131 includes a first flange 1312, which is rotatably mounted on the fourth output member 134. The first flange 1312 is provided with a first connection portion 1311 on the side facing the outside of the shell 110, and the fourth output member 134 is provided with a second connection portion 1341 at one end passing through the first flange 1312.

[0058] In order to avoid limiting the rotation angle of the robot arm, such as Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the first output member 131 includes a first flange 1312. Specifically, a through hole is provided at the center of the first flange 1312. The diameter of the through hole is greater than the diameter of the fourth output member 134. The fourth output member 134 is provided with an end of a first connecting portion 1311 passing through the first flange 1312 through the through hole. The second output member 132 includes a second flange 1321. An end of the fourth output member 134 away from the first connecting portion 1311 is connected to the second flange 1321. The first flange 1312, the second flange 1321 and the fourth output member 134 are connected to each other. The rotation axis coincides with that of the first flange 1312, and the driving assembly 120 is used to drive the second flange 1321 and the fourth output member 134 to rotate together, and drive the first flange 1312 to rotate independently around the rotation axis, so that the rotation speed and rotation direction of the fourth output member 134 and the first flange 1312 can be the same or different, and two of the connecting rods of the robotic arm can be connected to the fourth output member 134 and the first flange 1312 respectively, and both of the two connecting rods can realize 360° rotation in both directions, so that the rotation angle of the robotic arm is not restricted, and the movement of the robot is more flexible and changeable, and can adapt to more complex application scenarios.

[0059] In one embodiment, the joint actuator 100 also includes a control component 170 and a feedback component 140. The control component 170 is electrically connected to the feedback component 140 and the drive component 120. The feedback component 140 is used to respectively detect the rotation angles of the first output component 131, the second output component 132, and the third output component 133. The control component 170 is used to control the operation of the drive component 120 according to the detection results.

[0060] like Figures 4 to 8 As shown, the joint actuator 100 also includes a control component 170 and a feedback component 140. Specifically, the control component 170 is electrically connected to the feedback component 140 and the drive component 120, respectively. The control component 170 is used to receive external signals and generate control instructions, and control the drive component 120 and the transmission component 130 to complete a specified action according to the instructions. The feedback component 140 is arranged in the shell 110 to respectively detect the actual position and speed of the first output member 131, the second output member 132 and the third output member 133 and other information. The feedback component 140 sends this information to the control component 170. In addition to receiving external signals, the control component 170 also receives detection information from the feedback component 140. The control component 170 obtains the rotation angle, rotation speed, rotation time and other parameters of the first output member 131, the second output member 132 and the third output member 133 according to this information, and controls and adjusts the operation of the drive component 120 in real time according to these parameters and external signals to achieve closed-loop control.

[0061] In one embodiment, the feedback component 140 includes a plurality of encoders spaced apart in the housing 110 , and the plurality of encoders are used to respectively detect the rotation of the first output member 131 , the second output member 132 , and the third output member 133 , and send the detection information to the control component 170 .

[0062] In one embodiment of the present invention, the feedback component 140 may use one or more encoders such as a magnetic encoder, a photoelectric encoder, an eddy current encoder, a rotary encoder, etc. for detection. Of course, in addition to the aforementioned multiple encoders, in some other embodiments of the present invention, a speed sensor, a Hall sensor, etc. may also be used to detect the rotation angle, rotation speed and other parameters of the first output member 131, the second output member 132, and the third output member 133. No specific limitation is made here, and it can be selected according to actual needs. In addition, in addition to detecting the rotation of the output member, the feedback component 140 also includes conventional auxiliary detection devices in the motor such as temperature sensors and force sensors, which will not be described in detail here. In this embodiment, a magnetic encoder is used for detection, which is explained in detail below.

[0063] In one embodiment, the joint actuator 100 further includes a first transmission member 150 disposed in the housing 110, the feedback assembly 140 includes a first magnetic encoder, the first magnetic encoder includes a first magnetic induction member 141 and a first magnetic element 142 disposed in the housing 110, the first magnetic element 142 is disposed on the first transmission member 150 and is spaced relative to the first magnetic induction member 141, and the first output member 131 is drivingly connected to the first transmission member 150 to drive the first transmission member 150 to rotate;

[0064] And / or, the joint actuator 100 further includes a second transmission member 160 disposed in the housing 110, the feedback assembly 140 includes a second magnetic encoder, the second magnetic encoder includes a second magnetic induction member 143 and a second magnetic element 144 disposed in the housing 110, the second magnetic element 144 is disposed on the second transmission member 160 and is spaced relative to the second magnetic induction member 143, and the second output member 132 is drivingly connected to the second transmission member 160 to drive the second transmission member 160 to rotate;

[0065] And / or, the feedback component 140 includes a third magnetic encoder, which includes a third magnetic induction component 145 and a third magnetic element 146 disposed in the housing 110 , and the third magnetic element 146 is disposed on the third output component 133 and is spaced relative to the third magnetic induction component 145 .

[0066] like Figures 4 to 8 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the feedback component 140 uses multiple sets of magnetic encoders to detect the rotation of each output member, the first magnetic encoder includes a first magnetic sensing member 141 and a first magnetic element 142, the second magnetic encoder includes a second magnetic sensing member 143 and a second magnetic element 144, the third magnetic encoder includes a third magnetic sensing member 145 and a third magnetic element 146, the first magnetic sensing member 141, the second magnetic sensing member 143 and the third magnetic sensing member 145 are all configured as magnetic field sensors, and the first magnetic element 142, the second magnetic element 144 and the third magnetic element 146 are all circular magnet sheets.

[0067] Since the rotation axes of the first output member 131, the second output member 132 and the fourth output member 134 coincide, the first magnetic element 142 is installed in the housing 110 of the joint actuator 100 by setting the first transmission member 150. Figures 6 to 8The first transmission member 150 is provided with a gear plate, a rotating shaft is provided in the axial direction of the gear plate, the first magnetic element 142 is provided on the rotating shaft and is coaxially arranged with the rotating shaft, the first output member 131 is also provided with a first transmission gear 1314 meshing with the gear plate, when the first output member 131 rotates around the rotation axis, it drives the first transmission member 150 to rotate at the same speed, the first magnetic induction member 141 is provided in the housing 110 and is arranged relative to the first magnetic element 142, the first magnetic induction member 141 can detect the rotation of the first magnetic element 142 on the first transmission member 150, and then obtain information such as the rotation angle of the first output member 131.

[0068] And / or, similarly, since the rotation axes of the first output member 131, the second output member 132 and the fourth output member 134 coincide, but the second output member 132 rotates independently relative to the first output member 131, the second magnetic element 144 is installed in the housing 110 of the joint actuator 100 by setting a second transmission member 160, please refer to Figures 6 to 8 The second transmission member 160 is also provided with a gear plate and a rotating shaft arranged along the axial direction of the gear plate. The second magnetic element 144 is provided on the rotating shaft of the second transmission member 160 and is coaxially arranged with the rotating shaft. The second output member 132 is also provided with a second transmission gear 1323 meshing with the gear plate of the second transmission member 160. When the second output member 132 rotates around the rotation axis, it drives the second transmission member 160 to rotate at the same speed. The second magnetic induction member 143 is provided in the housing 110 and is arranged relative to the second magnetic element 144. The second magnetic induction member 143 can detect the rotation of the first magnetic element 142 on the second transmission member 160, and then obtain information such as the rotation angle of the second output member 132 and the fourth output member 134.

[0069] and / or, if Fig. 9 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the third output member 133 includes a third flange 1331 and a transmission shaft 1333, one end of the transmission shaft 1333 is fixedly connected to the axial hole of the third flange 1331 so that the two are coaxially arranged, and an installation groove is provided at one end of the transmission shaft 1333 facing the shell 110, and the third magnetic element 146 is embedded in the installation groove and is coaxially arranged with the third output member 133. The third output member 133 can drive the third magnetic element 146 to rotate at the same speed around the rotation axis, and the third magnetic induction member 145 is arranged in the shell 110 and is spaced relative to the third magnetic element 146. The third magnetic induction member 145 can detect the rotation of the third magnetic element 146 on the transmission shaft 1333, thereby obtaining information such as the rotation angle of the third output member 133.

[0070] like Figure 4As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the control component 170 includes a control circuit board 171 arranged in the shell 110. Specifically, the control circuit board 171 is electrically connected to the feedback component 140 and the drive component 120 respectively, and the first magnetic induction component 141, the second magnetic induction component 143, and the third magnetic induction component 145 are arranged at intervals in the shell 110. This embodiment adopts a flexible circuit board (not shown) to connect with the control circuit board 161, and the first magnetic induction component 141, the second magnetic induction component 143, and the third magnetic induction component 145 are arranged at intervals on the flexible circuit board. The bendable characteristics of the flexible circuit board are conducive to the assembly of components.

[0071] In addition, if Fig. 9 As shown, a fourth opening 110e is provided on the shell 110 at the opposite side of the third output member 133, and a wiring 172 is provided on the control circuit board 171. The wiring 172 passes through the shell 110 at the fourth opening 110e to connect with an external device, and is mainly used for the control circuit board 161 to receive external signals and connect to an external power supply. The fourth opening 110e is provided on the opposite side of the third output member 133 so that the wiring 172 is subjected to less torsion when the joint actuator 100 rotates, and is less likely to be pulled and broken.

[0072] In one embodiment, the driving assembly 120 includes a first motor 121, the transmission assembly 130 also includes a first gear set 122, the first output member 131 is provided with a first output gear 1313, and the first motor 121 is drivingly connected to the first output gear 1313 through the first gear set 122;

[0073] And / or, the driving assembly 120 further includes a second motor 123, the transmission assembly 130 further includes a second gear set 124, the second output member 132 is provided with a second output gear 1322, and the second motor 123 is drivingly connected to the second output gear 1322 via the second gear set 124;

[0074] And / or, the driving assembly 120 includes a third motor 125 , the transmission assembly 130 also includes a third gear set 126 , the third output member 133 is provided with a third output gear 1332 , and the third motor 125 is drivingly connected to the third output gear 1332 via the third gear set 126 .

[0075] like Figures 4 to 8As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the driving assembly 120 includes a first motor 121, a second motor 123 and a third motor 125, and the transmission assembly 130 includes a first gear set 122, a second gear set 124 and a third gear set 126. Specifically, a bracket (not shown) is further provided in the housing 110, and the driving assembly 120 and the transmission assembly 130 are both provided on the bracket. A first output gear 1313 is provided on a first flange 1312 on the first output member 131, and the first gear set 122 is connected to the first motor 121 and the first output gear 1313 respectively. The first motor 121 is connected to the first gear set 124 through the first gear set 126. 2 drives the first output member 131 to rotate; and / or, a second output gear 1322 is provided on the second flange 1321 of the second output member 132, the second gear set 124 is connected to the second motor 123 and the second output gear 1322 respectively, and the second motor 123 drives the second output member 132 to rotate through the second gear set 124; and / or, a third output gear 1332 is provided on the third flange 1331 of the third output member 133, the third gear set 126 is connected to the third motor 125 and the third output gear 1332 respectively, and the third motor 125 drives the third output member 133 to rotate through the third gear set 126. It can be seen from the above that the three output members can be driven to rotate independently through the three motors and gear sets, and there is no interference between them. It should be noted that the three gear sets constitute independent reducer mechanisms, which are used to reduce the high speed of the three motors to the required low speed to meet the specific requirements of speed and torque in different application occasions.

[0076] Furthermore, in order to reduce the friction of each output member during rotation, the joint actuator 100 further includes a plurality of bearings 180, specifically, Figure 5 As shown, the third output member 133 is provided with bearings 180 at both ends along the rotation axis; Figure 6 As shown, the first output member 131 is provided with bearings 180 at both ends along the rotation axis, one of the bearings 180 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the first flange 1312, and the other bearing 180 is sleeved on the fourth output member 134 and located in the shaft hole of the first flange 1312, so as to reduce the friction between the first flange 1312 and the fourth output member 134; Figure 7 As shown, a bearing 180 is also provided on the side of the second flange 1321 of the second output member 132 away from the housing 110; in addition, bearings 180 are also provided at both ends of the rotating shafts of the first transmission member 150 and the second transmission member 160. It can be understood that the above-mentioned multiple bearings 180 are all used for the installation of various components and for reducing friction, and their size specifications can be set according to the requirements of the corresponding components.

[0077] Furthermore, in order to facilitate the connection of the joint actuator 100 to the robot's body and robotic arm, a fourth flange 190 is also provided at the fourth opening 110e of the shell 110. The fourth flange 190 is arranged to coincide with the rotation axis of the third flange 1331 of the third output member 133, and a bearing 180 is also sleeved on the fourth flange 190. The first flange 1312, the second flange 1321 and the fourth output member 134 are respectively used to connect the robotic arm, the third flange 1331 and the fourth flange 190 are used to connect the robot's body so that the robot can control the robotic arm to perform lateral swing arm movement, and the wiring 172 can be passed through the axial hole of the fourth flange 190 for convenient connection with external devices.

[0078] In one embodiment, the housing 110 is configured to be spherical.

[0079] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the shell 110 is configured as a sphere as a whole, and the spherical joint actuator 100 allows the joint to rotate in multiple directions, which can provide higher flexibility than traditional single-degree-of-freedom or multi-degree-of-freedom motors, so that the mechanical system can perform complex movements that are closer to the natural movements of humans or animals. The spherical structure allows the joints to be combined together in a more compact and efficient manner, saving space, and for applications that require high-precision operations, the spherical joint actuator 100 can more flexibly control angle changes, thereby providing a precise motion trajectory. Of course, in some other embodiments of the present invention, the shape of the shell 110 can also adopt a polyhedron structure such as a regular cube, or it can be an irregular shape, which can be designed according to actual needs.

[0080] In one embodiment, the intersection of the rotation axis of the first output member 131 and the rotation axis of the third output member 133 coincides with the center of the sphere of the housing 110 .

[0081] In one embodiment of the present invention, the shell 110 adopts a spherical structure, and the rotation axis of the first output member 131 and the rotation axis of the third output member 133 intersect vertically and the intersection coincides with the center of the shell 110, so that the entire system has a high degree of symmetry, which makes the calculation simpler, and this structure can optimize the mechanical properties, ensure the balanced and uniform transmission of force, so that the joint actuator 100 has good stability, and can simplify the relevant mechanical model during modeling, reducing unnecessary complex situations. With the spherical shell structure, the structure of the robot joint is simpler and has extremely high compatibility.

[0082] The present invention also proposes an execution assembly, which includes a connecting member and a joint actuator 100. The specific structure of the joint actuator 100 refers to the above embodiment. Since the present execution assembly adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it at least has all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here. Among them, the connecting member can be spliced ​​with connecting rods, and multiple connecting rods are rotatably connected to form a mechanical arm and are respectively connected to one or more of the first output member 131, the second output member 132 and the third output member 133 to form an execution assembly, which is used to be assembled to the body of the robot to perform corresponding actions.

[0083] The present invention also proposes a robot, including a joint actuator 100. The specific structure of the joint actuator 100 refers to the above-mentioned embodiment. Since the robot adopts all the technical solutions of all the above-mentioned embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0084] The above description is only an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the technical concept of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A joint actuator for adjusting the joints of a robot's mechanical arm, characterized in that: include: A housing having a mounting cavity and a first opening, a second opening and a third opening communicating with the mounting cavity; A drive assembly, at least partially disposed in the mounting cavity; A transmission assembly comprises a first output member, a second output member and a third output member respectively connected to the driving assembly, the driving assembly is used to respectively drive the first output member, the second output member and the third output member to rotate, the first output member is arranged at the first opening, the second output member is arranged at the second opening, the third output member is arranged at the third opening, the rotation axis of the first output member and the rotation axis of the second output member are arranged to overlap, the first output member and the second output member are arranged on opposite sides of the shell, and the rotation axis of the first output member intersects with the rotation axis of the third output member.

2. The joint actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotation axis of the first output member and the rotation axis of the third output member are arranged perpendicular to each other.

3. The joint actuator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The transmission assembly also includes a fourth output member, which is extended along the rotation axis direction of the first output member, one end of the fourth output member is fixedly connected to the second output member, the other end of the fourth output member is arranged at the first opening, and the first output member is rotatably sleeved on the fourth output member.

4. The joint actuator according to claim 3, characterized in that: A first connection portion is disposed on a side of the first output member facing outside the housing, a second connection portion is disposed on an end of the fourth output member away from the second output member, and the first connection portion and the second connection portion are spaced apart.

5. The joint actuator according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first connection portion and the second connection portion are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the first output member, or the first connection portion and the second connection portion are arranged at intervals along the radial direction of the first output member.

6. The joint actuator according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first output member includes a first flange, which is rotatably mounted on the fourth output member. The first flange is provided with the first connection portion on a side facing outside the housing, and the second connection portion is provided on an end of the fourth output member that passes through the first flange.

7. The joint actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The joint actuator also includes a control component and a feedback component. The control component is electrically connected to the feedback component and the drive component. The feedback component is used to detect the rotation angles of the first output member, the second output member and the third output member respectively. The control component is used to control the operation of the drive component according to the detection results.

8. The joint actuator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The feedback component includes a plurality of encoders spaced apart in the housing, and the plurality of encoders are used to respectively detect the rotation of the first output member, the second output member, and the third output member, and send the detection information to the control component.

9. The joint actuator according to claim 8, characterized in that: The joint actuator further includes a first transmission member disposed in the housing, the feedback assembly includes a first magnetic encoder, the first magnetic encoder includes a first magnetic induction member and a first magnetic element disposed in the housing, the first magnetic element is disposed on the first transmission member and is spaced relative to the first magnetic induction member, and the first output member is drivingly connected to the first transmission member to drive the first transmission member to rotate; And / or, the joint actuator further comprises a second transmission member disposed in the housing, the feedback assembly comprises a second magnetic encoder, the second magnetic encoder comprises a second magnetic induction member and a second magnetic element disposed in the housing, the second magnetic element is disposed on the second transmission member and is spaced relative to the second magnetic induction member, and the second output member is drivingly connected to the second transmission member to drive the second transmission member to rotate; And / or, the feedback component includes a third magnetic encoder, the third magnetic encoder includes a third magnetic induction component and a third magnetic element arranged in the shell, and the third magnetic element is arranged on the third output component and is relatively spaced from the third magnetic induction component.

10. The joint actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving assembly includes a first motor, the transmission assembly also includes a first gear set, the first output member is provided with a first output gear, and the first motor is drivingly connected to the first output gear through the first gear set; And / or, the driving assembly further includes a second motor, the transmission assembly further includes a second gear set, the second output member is provided with a second output gear, and the second motor is drivingly connected to the second output gear through the second gear set; And / or, the driving assembly includes a third motor, the transmission assembly also includes a third gear set, the third output member is provided with a third output gear, and the third motor is drivingly connected to the third output gear via the third gear set.

11. The joint actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell is configured to be spherical.

12. The joint actuator according to claim 11, characterized in that: The intersection of the rotation axis of the first output member and the rotation axis of the third output member coincides with the spherical center of the housing.

13. An execution component, characterized in that: The invention comprises a connecting member and the joint actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the connecting member is drivingly connected to one or more of the first output member, the second output member and the third output member.

14. A robot, characterized in that: The invention comprises a joint actuator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12.

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