Trunk structure and robot
By designing the drive and transmission components of the torso structure, multi-axis rotation of the arm is achieved, solving the problem of insufficient degrees of freedom in desktop robots and improving the interactive experience.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511294839.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-11
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-11
AI Technical Summary
Existing desktop robots have limited degrees of freedom, which affects the interactive experience.
Design a torso structure comprising a torso body, a movable arm, and a drive unit. The drive unit is connected to the arm via a transmission unit, enabling the arm to rotate about a first axis and a second axis, mimicking human arm swinging and raising movements.
It increases the range of motion in the arms and improves the interactive experience.
Smart Images

Figure CN120921350A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of desktop robot technology, and particularly relates to a torso structure and robot. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, with the development of science and technology, robotics is gradually being applied to various fields, such as industrial and household applications.
[0003] In the home appliance sector, there is a type of robot designed for limited spaces (such as desktop or car dashboard scenarios), which is small in size (usually 10-50cm in overall size) and focuses on lightweight tasks. Its core feature is that it is adaptable to limited spaces and can run directly on a small flat surface, emphasizing "desktop-level" interaction or companionship functions.
[0004] In existing technologies, such "desktop" robots are generally humanoid in structure with a small torso (width is generally less than 50mm) and limited internal space, resulting in fewer drive mechanisms that can be installed and fewer degrees of freedom for the arms, which affects the interactive experience. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a torso structure and robot, which aims to solve the problem of limited degrees of freedom in existing desktop robots.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is: to provide a torso structure for use in a robot, comprising: a torso body with an internal accommodating space; an arm movably connected to the torso body; and a drive unit disposed in the accommodating space, the drive unit being tractively connected to the arm to drive the arm to rotate relative to the torso body about a first axis, and / or drive the arm to rotate relative to the torso body about a second axis.
[0007] Optionally, the torso structure further includes a transmission unit, which includes a transmission body; The torso body has an opening, the transmission body is rotatably disposed in the opening, and the drive unit is connected to the arm via the transmission body.
[0008] Optionally, the driving part includes a first driving member, which is fixed in the receiving space; the output end of the first driving member is connected to one end of the transmission body to drive the transmission body to rotate along the first axis in the opening, and the arm is connected to the other end of the transmission body.
[0009] Optionally, the driving unit includes a second driving member and a rotating member. The second driving member is fixed in the receiving space, and the output end of the second driving member is connected to the rotating member in a transmission manner. The rotating member is connected to the arm. The transmission body is provided with a first groove, which is located at one end of the transmission body facing the arm. The rotating member is rotatably disposed in the first groove, and the rotating member rotates along the second axis in the first groove under the drive of the second driving member.
[0010] Optionally, the transmission body is further provided with a second groove, the second groove connecting the first groove and the outside of the transmission body; the second driving member and the rotating member are spaced apart; the driving part further includes a connecting member, one end of the connecting member is connected to the output end of the second driving member, and the other end of the connecting member is connected to the rotating member via the second groove.
[0011] Optionally, the transmission body is provided with a third groove, which is located at one end of the transmission body facing the first driving member, and the third groove is used to connect to the output end of the first driving member.
[0012] Optionally, the transmission body is further provided with a fourth groove, which penetrates the transmission body and connects to the third groove.
[0013] Optionally, the torso body includes a mounting portion disposed within the accommodating space, the mounting portion having a through hole, and the outer side wall of the transmission body being matched and connected to the through hole.
[0014] Optionally, the outer side wall of the transmission body is provided with a fifth groove, the mounting part extends into the fifth groove, and the inner side wall of the through hole abuts against the bottom wall of the fifth groove.
[0015] This application also provides a robot including the torso structure described above.
[0016] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: Compared with the limited arm-raising movements of traditional "desktop" robots, the torso structure of this application can drive the arm to rotate around the first axis through the drive unit, thereby mimicking the arm-swinging movement of humans. Furthermore, the arm can also be driven to rotate around the second axis through the drive unit, thereby mimicking the arm-raising movement of humans. It can be understood that the arm-raising movement and the arm-swinging movement can be performed simultaneously, thereby increasing the range of motion of the arm and improving the interactive experience. Attached Figure Description
[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or exemplary technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0018] Figure 1 A perspective view of the robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of the robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the torso structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This diagram illustrates the fit between the mounting section and the transmission body in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission body according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0019] The following are the labeling elements in the figure: 10. Trunk structure; 110. Torso body; 111. Opening; 112. First shell; 113. Second shell; 120. Drive unit; 121. First drive component; 122. Second drive component; 123. Rotating component; 124. Connecting component; 130. Arm; 140. Transmission unit; 141. Transmission body; 142. First slot; 143. Second slot; 144. Third slot; 145. Fourth slot; 146. Fifth slot; 150. Mounting part; 151. Through hole; 20. Robot. Detailed Implementation
[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.
[0021] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly or indirectly attached to that other component. When a component is referred to as "connected to" another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to that other component. The terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," etc., indicate orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are for ease of description only, not to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances. The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features. "A plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.
[0022] Before describing the technical solution of this application, to facilitate the description of the positions of each component, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions are introduced to illustrate the positions of each component. The directions indicated by the arrows are positive directions. It should be understood that these directions are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the technical solution. In some possible examples, the first axis refers to the Y-axis or an axis parallel to the Y-axis, and the second axis refers to the X-axis or an axis parallel to the X-axis. The first and second axes can be perpendicular to each other. It should be noted that in this example, the Y-axis can refer to the width direction of the torso structure.
[0023] Please see Figures 1 to 3 This application provides a torso structure 10 for use in a robot 20, including a torso body 110, an arm 130, and a drive unit 120. Optionally, the torso structure 10 can be made of polypropylene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, or polycarbonate, which are non-toxic, impact-resistant, drop-resistant, and have good long-term stability.
[0024] The torso body 110 described above is roughly shaped like a human torso. In this example, the torso body 110 is a cylindrical shell, and the size of the torso body 110 can gradually decrease along the positive Z-axis.
[0025] The cross-sectional shape of the torso 110 can be selected as needed; it can be either a regular shape or an irregular shape.
[0026] The torso body 110 has an internal accommodating space. It can be understood that the shape of the accommodating space depends on the shape of the torso body 110. When the cross-sectional shape of the torso body 110 is circular, the accommodating space is a cylindrical space.
[0027] The torso body 110 can be assembled from a first shell 112 and a second shell 113, thereby reducing the difficulty of mold manufacturing and facilitating assembly. In some possible examples, the first shell 112 and the second shell 113 are similar in shape and symmetrically arranged, and are connected by threads, defining the aforementioned receiving space between the first shell 112 and the second shell 113.
[0028] The arm 130 is movably connected to the torso body 110.
[0029] The shape of the arm 130 can resemble that of a human arm. In particular, since the overall size of the "desktop-level" robot 20 is small, the arm 130 in this embodiment can be a rod-shaped structure without elbow or wrist joints. The relative movement between the arm 130 and the torso 110 can mimic human arm swinging or raising movements.
[0030] Optionally, the arm 130 can be a solid arm 130 or a hollow arm 130, depending on the specific circumstances, and this application does not impose any restrictions.
[0031] The aforementioned drive unit 120 is disposed within the receiving space.
[0032] The drive unit 120 is connected to the arm 130 to drive the arm 130 to rotate relative to the torso body 110 about a first axis, and / or drive the arm 130 to rotate relative to the torso body 110 about a second axis.
[0033] When the drive unit 120 drives the arm 130 to rotate around the first axis, it can mimic the swinging motion of a human arm.
[0034] When the drive unit 120 drives the arm unit 130 to rotate around the second axis, it can mimic the human arm-raising motion.
[0035] It is understandable that, compared to the limited arm-raising movements of traditional "desktop" robots 20, the torso structure 10 of this application can drive the arm 130 to rotate around the first axis via the drive unit 120, thereby mimicking human arm-swinging movements. Furthermore, the arm 130 can also be driven to rotate around the second axis via the drive unit 120, thereby mimicking human arm-raising movements. It is understood that arm-raising and arm-swinging movements can be performed simultaneously, thereby increasing the activity space of the arm 130 and improving the interactive experience.
[0036] The torso structure 10 of the present invention will be described below with reference to specific embodiments.
[0037] Please see Figures 2 to 5 In some possible examples, the torso structure 10 also includes a transmission 140, through which the drive 120 is connected to the arm 130.
[0038] In this example, the drive unit 120 is not directly connected to the arm 130, but is indirectly connected to the arm 130 through the transmission unit 140, providing a structural basis for imitating arm swinging and lifting movements.
[0039] Specifically, the transmission unit 140 includes a transmission body 141. Since the movement of the arm 130 is rotation, the transmission body 141, as an intermediate connecting member 124, also needs to rotate relative to the torso body 110. Therefore, the transmission body 141 can be cylindrical. In one possible example, the torso body 110 has an opening 111, and the cylindrical transmission body 141 is rotatably disposed in the opening 111.
[0040] Please see Figure 3 In some possible examples, the drive unit 120 includes a first drive member 121, a second drive member 122, and a rotating member 123.
[0041] The first driving component 121 can be a motor or a combination of a motor and a reducer.
[0042] In order to output torque, the first drive member 121 needs to be fixed in the receiving space so that the torque is output through its output end. Optionally, a groove can be provided on the inner wall of the torso body 110 so that the first drive member 121 can be embedded in the torso body 110.
[0043] The output shaft of the first driving member 121 is set along the first axis direction, thereby driving the transmission body 141 to rotate around the first axis as the axis, and the first axis is parallel to the Y axis.
[0044] Optionally, the output end of the first driving member 121 is directly connected to one end of the transmission body 141, thereby driving the transmission body 141 to rotate within the opening 111. Since the arm 130 is connected to the other end of the transmission body 141, the transmission body 141 drives the arm 130 to rotate around the first axis, thereby mimicking the swinging motion of a human arm.
[0045] It should be noted that since there are generally two arm parts 130 symmetrically arranged, there are also generally two first drive members 121 and two transmission parts 140 symmetrically arranged. By arranging both first drive members 121 along the first axis, the narrow width space inside the torso can be made reasonable use.
[0046] The second driving component 122 can be a motor, or a combination of a motor and a reducer. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the dashed line represents the motor, which drives the winding reel to rotate, thereby enabling the connection to be extended and retracted.
[0047] In order to output torque, the second drive member 122 needs to be fixed within the receiving space, so that torque is output through its output end. Optionally, the fixing method of the second drive member 122 is the same as that of the first drive member 121. Since the inventive point of this application is not in this respect, it will not be described in detail.
[0048] The rotating part 123 is roughly disc-shaped and has a certain thickness. The specific thickness can be selected according to the actual situation, and this application does not impose any restrictions.
[0049] like Figure 5 As shown, the transmission body 141 is provided with a first groove 142. The shape of the first groove 142 matches the shape of the rotating member 123. The groove depth of the first groove 142 can be approximately equal to the thickness of the rotating member 123, so that the rotating member 123 can be accommodated in the first groove 142 and rotate in the first groove 142. When the rotating member 123 is disposed in the first groove 142, the axis of the rotating member 123 is parallel to the X-axis.
[0050] It should be noted that, Figure 5 There can be two transmission bodies 141. The other transmission body 141 is disposed on the first housing 112. When the first housing 112 is connected to the second housing 113, the two transmission bodies 141 are fastened together to form a columnar whole.
[0051] The first groove 142 is located at the end of the transmission body 141 facing the arm 130, thereby facilitating the connection of the rotating member 123 to the arm 130. Optionally, a rotating shaft may be provided in the first groove 142, and a shaft hole may be provided on the rotating member 123. When the rotating member 123 is received in the first groove 142, the rotating shaft and the shaft hole are matched and connected, thereby making the rotation of the rotating member 123 smoother and preventing it from colliding with the groove wall of the first groove 142 during rotation.
[0052] In this embodiment, the output end of the second driving member 122 is connected to the rotating member 123 via a transmission connection. The second driving member 122 drives the rotating member 123 to rotate within the first groove 142 of the rotating body. Since the rotating member 123 is connected to the arm 130, it can drive the arm 130 to rotate around the second axis, thereby mimicking the arm-raising action. This embodiment can achieve the arm-raising action based on the arm-swinging action, making full use of the narrow space and ensuring that the movements between the first driving member 121 and the second driving member 122 do not interfere with each other. It should be noted that this embodiment requires a separate second driving member 122 fixed to the transmission body 141 to directly drive the rotating member 123, so it is suitable for scenarios where the connection between the arm 130 and the torso body 110 has a large space.
[0053] Please see Figure 4-5In scenarios where the space at the connection between the arm 130 and the torso 110 is too small to accommodate the second drive member 122, in order to solve this problem: in some possible examples, the drive member 120 also includes a connector 124, and the second drive member 122 and the rotating member 123 are spaced apart and connected by the connector 124.
[0054] Optionally, the connector 124 can be a connecting rope or a connecting belt. Furthermore, the connector 124 can have a certain degree of elasticity, thereby increasing the smoothness of transmission and impact resistance. Optionally, a connecting post (stud) can be provided at a non-axial position on the end face of the rotating member 123 opposite to the first groove 142, allowing the end of the connector 124 to be attached to the connecting post.
[0055] The transmission body 141 is provided with a second groove 143. The second groove 143 connects the first groove 142 and the outside of the transmission body 141. It can be understood that one end of the connector 124 is connected to the output end of the second drive member 122 and passes through the second groove 143 into the transmission body 141, so that the other end of the connector 124 can be connected to the rotating member 123.
[0056] Optionally, the orientation of the second groove 143 can be parallel to the direction of the line connecting the second drive member 122 and the rotating member 123, thereby increasing the smoothness of the transmission.
[0057] For example, the second groove 143 can be columnar, and the edge of the second groove 143 can be chamfered to reduce damage to the connector 124 by the sharp edge.
[0058] When the output end of the second drive member 122 rotates clockwise (or counterclockwise), the length of the connector 124 is shortened, and then the tension on the connector 124 drives the rotating member 123 to rotate in the first groove 142, so as to drive the arm 130 to rotate around the axis of the rotating member 123, thereby simulating the lifting action.
[0059] When the output end of the second drive member 122 rotates counterclockwise (or clockwise), the length of the connecting member 124 is extended, thereby eliminating the tension on the rotating member 123. Due to gravity, the arm 130 falls naturally, causing the rotating member 123 to rotate in the first groove 142, thereby maintaining the taut state of the connecting member 124.
[0060] In some possible examples, a torsion spring is provided between the rotating part 123 and the rotating shaft. When the arm is raised, the torsion spring is compressed. When the arm is raised, the torsion spring extends and retracts as the tension gradually disappears, thereby driving the arm 130 to quickly return to its original position.
[0061] In this example, connecting the rotating component 123 via the connector 124 reduces transmission costs. The second driving component 122 can be positioned further away from the transmission body 141, reducing the possibility of motion interference between the first driving component 121 and the second driving component 122, thus making efficient use of the storage space. Furthermore, since the first driving component 121, the second driving component 122, and the transmission body 141 (which only rotates) do not swing with the arm 130, the remaining space can accommodate other components such as circuit boards, further improving the efficiency of space utilization.
[0062] Please see Figure 5 In some possible examples, the transmission body 141 is provided with a third groove 144, which can be a circular groove. It is understood that since the first driving member 121 is directly connected to the transmission body 141, the third groove 144 is provided at the end of the transmission body 141 facing the first driving member 121, and the output end of the first driving member 121 can be partially embedded in the third groove 144, so that the third groove 144 has a positioning function for the first driving member 121.
[0063] Please see Figure 5 In some possible examples, the transmission body 141 may also have a fourth groove 145 inside.
[0064] The fourth groove 145 can be roughly in the shape of a regular column, such as a cylindrical or cuboid column, which makes it easy to design the corresponding mold.
[0065] The fourth groove 145 can be arranged along the axial direction of the transmission body 141. Since the fourth groove 145 passes through the transmission body 141, the fourth groove 145 is connected to the third groove 144, and the fourth groove 145 is also connected to the first groove 142, thereby reducing the weight of the transmission body 141 and thus reducing the overall weight of the torso structure 10.
[0066] In addition, since the output end of the first driving member 121 can be partially embedded in the third slot 144, making disassembly inconvenient, the output end of the first driving member 121 can be pushed out of the third slot 144 by inserting a ejector pin through the fourth slot 145.
[0067] Please see Figure 4 In some possible examples, the torso body 110 includes a mounting section 150.
[0068] The mounting portion 150 may be plate-shaped and have a certain thickness. The specific thickness can be selected according to actual conditions, and this application does not impose any restrictions. The mounting portion 150 is disposed within the receiving space and connected to the inner wall of the torso body 110. Exemplarily, the mounting portion 150 may be parallel to the XOZ plane.
[0069] The mounting part 150 is provided with a through hole 151, the axis of which can be on the extension line of the first shaft, and the outer wall of the transmission body 141 is matched and connected with the through hole 151.
[0070] When the output end of the first driving member 121 rotates, the transmission body 141 rotates within the through hole 151. The mounting part 150 and the through hole 151 allow the transmission body 141 to rotate substantially along the first axis, reducing the radial sway amplitude of the transmission body 141.
[0071] Please see Figure 4 In some possible examples, since the arm 130 may be pulled outward toward the torso body 110 along the first axis, the transmission body 141 also moves outward toward the torso body 110. Since the first drive member 121 is fixed, this could cause damage to the first drive member 121. To solve this problem, the outer wall of the transmission body 141 is provided with a fifth groove 146, and the mounting part 150 extends into the fifth groove 146. The inner wall of the through hole 151 abuts against the bottom wall of the fifth groove 146. It can be understood that when the transmission body 141 is subjected to external pulling force, the mounting part 150 limits the transmission body 141 through the fifth groove 146.
[0072] Optionally, the mounting part 150 and the arm part 130 are spaced apart, so that the setting posture of the transmission body 141 can be better maintained, and the first groove 142 on the transmission body 141 can be located more in the receiving space, so that most of the rotating part 123 is set in the receiving space, the rotating part 123 can be better hidden, and the overall appearance is better.
[0073] The present invention also proposes a robot 20, which includes the torso structure 10 described above. The specific structure of the torso structure 10 is as described in the above embodiments. Since the present invention adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it also has all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.
[0074] The above are merely optional embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.
Claims
1. A torso structure for use in a robot, characterized in that, include: The torso itself has internal storage space; The arm part is movably connected to the torso body; as well as A drive unit disposed in the accommodating space is connected to the arm in a transmission manner to drive the arm to rotate relative to the torso body about a first axis, and / or drive the arm to rotate relative to the torso body about a second axis.
2. The torso structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The torso structure also includes a transmission unit, which includes a transmission body; The torso body has an opening, the transmission body is rotatably disposed in the opening, and the drive unit is connected to the arm via the transmission body.
3. The torso structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The driving unit includes a first driving member, which is fixedly disposed in the accommodating space; The output end of the first driving member is connected to one end of the transmission body to drive the transmission body to rotate along the first axis within the opening, and the arm is connected to the other end of the transmission body.
4. The torso structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The driving unit includes a second driving member and a rotating member. The second driving member is fixedly disposed in the receiving space. The output end of the second driving member is connected to the rotating member in a transmission connection. The rotating member is connected to the arm. The transmission body is provided with a first groove, which is located at one end of the transmission body facing the arm. The rotating member is rotatably disposed in the first groove, and the rotating member rotates along the second axis in the first groove under the drive of the second driving member.
5. The torso structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The transmission body is further provided with a second groove, which connects the first groove with the outside of the transmission body; The second driving member and the rotating member are spaced apart; the driving part further includes a connecting member, one end of which is connected to the output end of the second driving member, and the other end of which is connected to the rotating member via the second groove.
6. The torso structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The transmission body is provided with a third groove, which is located at the end of the transmission body facing the first driving member, and the third groove is used to connect to the output end of the first driving member.
7. The torso structure as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The transmission body is further provided with a fourth groove, which penetrates the transmission body and connects to the third groove.
8. The torso structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The torso body includes a mounting part disposed within the accommodating space. The mounting part has a through hole, and the outer side wall of the transmission body is matched and connected to the through hole.
9. The torso structure as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The outer side wall of the transmission body is provided with a fifth groove, the mounting part extends into the fifth groove, and the inner side wall of the through hole abuts against the bottom wall of the fifth groove.
10. A robot, characterized in that, Includes the torso structure as described in any one of claims 1-9.