Finger joint transmission mechanism of humanoid manipulator

Abstract

The invention discloses a finger joint transmission structure of a humanoid manipulator, which is formed by pivoting a first knuckle and a second knuckle, the pivoting part of the first knuckle is provided with an arc-shaped tooth row, the second knuckle is internally provided with a speed reducer and a motor which are connected with each other, the speed reducer is provided with a transmission shaft which convexly extends towards the tooth row, and the transmission shaft is connected with the motor. And a transmission gear meshed with the tooth row is connected to the transmission shaft, so that when the motor drives the transmission shaft to rotate through the speed reducer, the transmission gear is synchronously driven to move along the tooth row, and further the second knuckle is driven to perform up-and-down pivoting motion at a preset angle relative to the first knuckle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a humanoid manipulator mechanism, and particularly to a finger joint transmission structure of a humanoid manipulator. Background Art

[0002] With the booming development of the robotics industry, an anthropomorphic robot hand imitates the structure of a human palm so that it can perform specific tasks like a human palm. The research on multi-finger manipulators focuses on the function of dexterous operation.

[0003] For existing humanoid manipulators, they are designed for grasping objects, with each finger joint pivotally connected to each other and capable of being driven to move under a predetermined degree of freedom. For example, the bionic finger device disclosed in Chinese Patent No. CN108189065 pivotally connects the finger joints of the finger with connecting rods, and then connects a linear drive assembly to the connecting rod of the first finger joint. When the linear drive assembly operates, through the mutual pulling of the connecting rods, the finger joints can be relatively driven to bend or straighten. However, although the manipulator composed of this structure can achieve the effect of simulating a human hand grasping an object, the finger joints driven by the connecting rods not only have a small degree of freedom, but also the bending actions of the finger joints cannot be individually controlled and accurately positioned, so it can only perform simple grasping tasks.

[0004] In addition, currently, there is also a design that pulls the pivotally connected finger joints through ropes to achieve bending or straightening actions. It mainly simulates the way of human hand tendons to pull the finger joints to generate corresponding pivotal swinging actions. However, the driving device for winding the ropes of such manipulators is relatively large in volume, and the ropes for driving each finger must be separately wound and arranged on the manipulator, making the overall composition of such manipulators more complex, and the bending actions of the finger joints cannot be individually controlled and accurately positioned, still having deficiencies.

[0005] In view of this, how to solve the above problems is the primary subject to be solved by the present invention. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main object of the present invention is to provide a finger joint transmission structure of a humanoid manipulator, which has the effects of simplifying the structural composition, effectively utilizing space to reduce the volume and ensure the reduction ratio, and at the same time having high flexibility and achieving precise control.

[0007] To achieve the foregoing object, the present invention provides a finger joint transmission structure of a humanoid manipulator, comprising:

[0008] A first finger joint having a first pivot portion and a first joint portion at one end thereof, and a tooth row arranged in an arc shape along a Y-axis direction is provided on the first joint portion;

[0009] A second finger joint extends along an X axis and is hollow, forming an accommodation space inside. The second finger joint has a head end and a tail end opposite to the head end along the X axis. The second finger joint is pivotally connected to the first pivotal connection portion of the first finger joint with its head end, and a second pivotal connection portion and a second joint portion are formed at the tail end; and

[0010] A transmission assembly is disposed in the accommodation space. The transmission assembly includes a speed reducer unit and a motor unit that are linked to each other along the X axis. The speed reducer unit has a transmission shaft protruding toward the first joint portion, and the central axis of the transmission shaft is orthogonal to the Y axis. A transmission gear meshing with the tooth row is connected to the transmission shaft. The speed reducer unit is used to reduce the speed of the motor unit and output power by the transmission shaft. When the motor unit drives its transmission shaft to rotate through the speed reducer unit, the transmission gear will be synchronously driven to move along the tooth row, and further drive the second finger joint to pivot upward or downward relative to the first finger joint by a predetermined angle.

[0011] The first pivotal connection portion protrudes in a convex column shape along a Z axis toward two opposite sides of the second finger joint, and the first joint portion protrudes forward in a plate shape along an X axis. The second finger joint is pivotally connected to the first pivotal connection portion of the first finger joint through a through hole at its head end, so that the first joint portion is relatively accommodated in the head end.

[0012] The speed reducer unit and the motor unit are connected in series with the same central axis and disposed in the accommodation space.

[0013] The other end of the first finger joint has a bearing seat. A driving tooth row is arranged in an arc shape along a Z axis on the bearing seat. A driving assembly includes a driving motor and a second speed reducer unit connected to the driving motor. The second speed reducer unit has an output shaft, and an output gear is arranged around the outer circumference of the output shaft. The output gear meshes with the driving tooth row. When the driving motor drives the output shaft to operate through the second speed reducer unit, the driving tooth row is pushed through the output gear to drive the first finger joint to tilt left or right relative to the driving assembly by a predetermined angle.

[0014] Advantages of the present invention: A finger joint transmission mechanism of a humanoid manipulator obtained by the present invention has the effects of simplifying the structural composition, effectively utilizing space to reduce the volume and ensuring its reduction ratio, and at the same time has high flexibility and can achieve precise control. Description of the Drawings

[0015] Figure 1 It is an exploded schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional appearance of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the composition structure of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 is Figure 3 Partial enlarged schematic diagram of

[0019] Figure 5 、 Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the action when each finger joint of the present invention pivots downward.

[0020] Figure 7 、 Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the action when the first finger joint of the present invention tilts laterally relative to the driving component.

[0021] First finger joint 11 First pivot joint 12

[0022] First joint 13 Tooth row 14

[0023] Bearing seat 15 Driving tooth row 16

[0024] Second finger joint 21 First half shell 211

[0025] Second half shell 212 Accommodation space 22

[0026] Head ends 23, 33, 43 Perforation 231

[0027] Tail ends 24, 34 Second pivot joint 26

[0028] Second joint 27 Tooth row 28

[0029] Third finger joint 31 Fourth finger joint 41

[0030] Transmission component 51 Reducer unit 52

[0031] Drive shaft 521 Motor unit 53

[0032] Drive gear 54 Driving component 71

[0033] Drive motor 72 Second reducer unit 73

[0034] Output shaft 74 Output gear 75

[0035] Central axis L Detailed implementation manner

[0036] Such as Figures 1 to 4As shown in the figure, the present invention provides a finger joint transmission structure of a humanoid manipulator, which is mainly composed of a first finger joint 11, a second finger joint 21, a third finger joint 31 and a fourth finger joint 41 pivotally connected in sequence. And a transmission component 51 is respectively arranged inside the first finger joint 11, the second finger joint 21, the third finger joint 31 and the fourth finger joint 41, where:

[0037] The first finger joint 11 has, at one end thereof, a first pivot portion 12 protruding in a convex column shape toward its left and right sides along a Z axis, and a first joint portion 13 protruding forward in a plate shape along an X axis. And a tooth row 14 is arranged on the first joint portion 13 in an arc shape along a Y axis.

[0038] The second finger joint 21 extends in a hollow shape along the X axis and forms an accommodation space 22 extending in the X-axis direction inside it. In this embodiment, the second finger joint 21 is formed by splicing a first half shell 211 and a second half shell 212. And in other feasible embodiments, the second finger joint 21 can also be integrally formed by a hollow cylinder with at least one open end, or by a truss-type support frame. The present creation is not limited to the composition structure or manufacturing method of the finger joint itself. And the two ends of the second finger joint 21 along the X axis respectively form a head end 23 and a tail end 24 opposite to the head end 23. The second finger joint 21 is pivotally connected to the first pivot portion 12 of the first finger joint 11 through a through hole 231 at its head end 23, so that the first joint portion 13 can be relatively accommodated in the head end 23. And a second pivot portion 26 protruding in a convex column shape toward its two opposite sides along the Z axis and a second joint portion 27 protruding forward in a plate shape along the X axis are formed at the tail end 24. And another tooth row 28 is arranged on the second joint portion 27 in an arc shape along the Y axis.

[0039] The transmission assembly 51 is correspondingly disposed in the accommodation space 22. The transmission assembly 51 can be composed of a reduction motor or a combination of a motor and a reduction gear. The transmission assembly 51 includes a reduction gear unit 52 and a motor unit 53 that are connected to each other along the X-axis and arranged in series with the same central axis L. The motor unit 53 can be composed of a servo motor. The reduction gear unit 52 has a transmission shaft 521 that protrudes toward the first joint portion and is located on its central axis L. The central axis L of the transmission shaft 521 is orthogonal to the Y-axis. A transmission gear 54 that meshes with the tooth row 14 is connected to the transmission shaft 521. The transmission gear 54 can be composed of a bevel gear or a spur gear. A default reduction gear set (not shown in the figure) is arranged inside the reduction gear unit 52. The reduction gear unit 52 can be used to reduce the rotational speed of the motor unit 53 and then output power through the transmission shaft 521. The reduction gear unit 52 can adopt a commonly used reduction gear as long as it can reduce the rotational speed of the motor unit 53 to output a predetermined torque. By arranging the reduction gear unit 52 and the motor unit 53 in series with the same central axis L in the accommodation space 22, the transmission assembly 51 can not only effectively utilize the space to reduce the overall volume during assembly, but also reduce the loss caused by the complex component composition, so as to ensure that a sufficiently large reduction ratio can be provided during the transmission process. When the motor unit 53 drives its transmission shaft 521 to rotate through the reduction gear unit 52, it will drive the transmission gear 54 to move along the tooth row 14, so as to stably drive the second finger joint 21 to pivot upward or downward by a predetermined angle along the Y-axis relative to the first finger joint 11, so that the second finger joint 21 can pivot between a straight position A and a bent position B relative to the first finger joint 11. When the second finger joint 21 is in the straight position A, the central axis L of the transmission shaft 521 will be orthogonal to the Y-axis. The motor unit 53 can be further provided with an angle sensor to precisely control the moving position of the finger joint, and then accurately simulate the bending and straightening actions of the human finger joint.

[0040] Further, the third finger joint 31 is pivotally connected to the second pivot portion 26 at its head end 33, and the fourth finger joint 41 is pivotally connected to the tail end 34 of the third finger joint at its head end 43. The third finger joint 31 and the fourth finger joint 41 are respectively provided with the same transmission assembly 51 as the second finger joint 21. The third finger joint 31 is provided with a tooth row 28 in the same arc shape as the second finger joint 21 at its tail end 34. The third finger joint 31 and the fourth finger joint 41 can also move along the corresponding tooth rows 28 through their respective transmission gears 54 to drive the third finger joint 31 and the fourth finger joint 41 to pivot upward or downward by a predetermined angle along the Y-axis respectively. And with reference to Figure 5 、 Figure 6As shown, by means of the transmission assembly 51 of the second finger joint 21, the third finger joint 31 and the fourth finger joint 41, under the drive of forward or reverse rotation, the corresponding finger joints can be driven to bend or straighten. Moreover, each joint position of the finger part formed by the present invention can be independently driven, which has the advantages of high flexibility and precise control.

[0041] In addition, at the other end of the first finger joint 11, a bearing seat 15 protrudes. On the bearing seat 15, a driving tooth row 16 is arranged in an arc shape along the Z axis. A driving assembly 71 includes a driving motor 72 and a second reduction gear unit 73 connected to the driving motor 72. The second reduction gear unit 73 has an output shaft 74 protruding along the X axis. The output shaft 74 and the transmission shaft 521 have the same central axis L. An output gear 75 composed of bevel gears or spur gears is connected to the outer periphery of the output shaft 74. The output gear 75 and the driving tooth row 16 are engaged with each other. When the driving motor 72 drives the output shaft 74 to rotate through the reduction gear unit 73, as Figure 7 , Figure 8 shown, by relatively pushing the driving tooth row 16 to move through the output gear 75, the first finger joint 11 can be stably driven to tilt left or right by a predetermined angle along the Z axis relative to the driving assembly 71, and then the other finger joints can be driven to perform a lateral deflection action, so as to improve the flexibility of its movement.

Claims

1. A finger joint drive structure of a humanoid manipulator, characterized in that, it includes: a first finger joint having a first pivot portion and a first joint portion at one end thereof, and a row of teeth arranged in an arc shape along a Y axis is provided on the first joint portion; a second finger joint extending in a hollow shape along an X axis and having an accommodation space formed therein. The second finger joint has a head end and a tail end opposite to the head end along the X axis. The second finger joint is pivotally connected to the first pivot portion of the first finger joint with its head end, and a second pivot portion and a second joint portion are formed at the tail end; and a transmission assembly disposed in the accommodation space. The transmission assembly includes a reduction gear unit and a motor unit connected to each other along the X axis. The reduction gear unit has a transmission shaft protruding toward the first joint portion, and the central axis of the transmission shaft is orthogonal to the Y axis. A transmission gear meshing with the row of teeth is connected to the transmission shaft. The reduction gear unit is used to reduce the rotational speed of the motor unit and output power by the transmission shaft. When the motor unit drives its transmission shaft to rotate through the reduction gear unit, the transmission gear will be synchronously driven to move along the row of teeth, and further drive the second finger joint to pivot upward or downward by a predetermined angle relative to the first finger joint. Another row of teeth arranged in an arc shape along the Y axis is provided on the second joint portion, and a third finger joint is pivotally connected to the second pivot portion with its head end, and a transmission assembly the same as that of the second finger joint is provided in the third finger joint. When the transmission gear of the third finger joint rotates, it will move along the other row of teeth, and further drive the third finger joint to pivot upward or downward by a predetermined angle relative to the second finger joint.

2. The finger joint drive structure of a humanoid manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: the first pivot portion protrudes in a convex column shape along a Z axis toward two opposite sides of the second finger joint, and the first joint portion protrudes forward in a plate shape along the X axis. The second finger joint is pivotally connected to the first pivot portion of the first finger joint with a through hole at its head end, and the first joint portion is relatively accommodated in the head end.

3. The finger joint drive structure of a humanoid manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: the reduction gear unit and the motor unit are connected in series with the same central axis and arranged in the accommodation space.

4. The finger joint drive structure of a humanoid manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: the other end of the first finger joint has a bearing seat, and a driving row of teeth arranged in an arc shape along a Z axis is provided on the bearing seat. A driving assembly includes a driving motor and a second reduction gear unit connected to the driving motor. The second reduction gear unit has an output shaft, and an output gear is provided around the outer circumference of the output shaft. The output gear meshes with the driving row of teeth. When the driving motor drives the output shaft to operate through the second reduction gear unit, the driving row of teeth is pushed through the output gear to drive the first finger joint to tilt left or right by a predetermined angle relative to the driving assembly.

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