Bionic finger, manipulator and robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a bionic finger, a robot hand and a robot, and the bionic finger comprises a knuckle which comprises a finger base part and a fingernail part, and the finger base part and the fingernail part are integrated; a support body attached to the nail part; the circuit board is located on the side, away from the fingernail part, of the supporting body; the induction wrapping body is connected with the supporting body, wraps the circuit board and the supporting body and abuts against the edge of the finger base part and the edge of the fingernail part. The sensing wrapping body is configured to simulate the skin of a real finger and assist in realizing a touch sensing function; the sensing wrapping body is arranged to abut against the fingernail part, and skin and fingernails of real fingers are simulated. The fingernail part is located on the upper surface of the finger end part, and the induction wrapping body covers the front surface, the lower surface, the left surface and the right surface of the finger end part. And a supporting body is configured to assemble the circuit board and the induction wrapping body on the knuckles. The induction wrapping body is connected with the supporting body, so that the circuit board is clamped in the supporting body and the induction wrapping body. The bionic finger has a high bionic effect in form and function.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, and more particularly to a bionic finger, robotic hand, and robot. Background Technology

[0002] Robotic arms are used in fields such as robotics or prostheses, enabling robots to become bionic robots and prostheses to assist people with disabilities in their daily lives.

[0003] In existing technologies, fingers have touch functions but are relatively small in size. Bionic fingers cannot simultaneously achieve both touch function and shape, so the bionic effect of bionic fingers still needs to be improved.

[0004] Therefore, existing technologies still need improvement and development. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a bionic finger, robotic hand and robot in view of the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, so as to solve the problem that the bionic effect of the existing bionic finger is still not good enough because it is difficult to take into account both touch function and shape.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve the technical problem is as follows: A bionic finger, comprising: A knuckle, comprising a base and a nail portion, wherein the base and the nail portion are integrally formed; A support body is installed on the nail portion; The circuit board is located on the side of the support body opposite to the nail portion; The sensing envelope is connected to the support and wraps around the circuit board and the support, and abuts against the edge of the finger base and the edge of the nail.

[0007] The bionic finger, wherein the sensing envelope comprises: A rigid portion, on which a via is formed; A flexible conductive part is located on the side of the via that faces away from the circuit board; An insulating wrapping layer is provided to enclose the rigid portion and the flexible conductive portion. The rigid part, the flexible conductive part, and the insulating wrapping layer are formed into an integral structure by in-mold injection molding.

[0008] The bionic finger, wherein the flexible conductive portion comprises: A shell layer is provided around the via; The platform section is located within the shell layer; A protrusion is provided on the platform portion; The surface of the platform is parallel to the circuit board.

[0009] The bionic finger has two platform portions, each of which has a protrusion.

[0010] The bionic finger, wherein the rigid part is formed with a placement groove, and the through hole is located at the bottom of the placement groove; Both the circuit board and the support are placed in the placement slot.

[0011] The bionic finger, wherein the support body forms a clearance groove at the position facing the through hole.

[0012] The bionic finger, wherein the front end of the circuit board is engaged with the rigid part, or the front end of the support body is engaged with the rigid part; The rear end of the circuit board and the rear end of the support are both connected to the rigid part; The top of the support is connected to the nail portion.

[0013] The bionic finger, wherein the knuckles are made of metal; Both the support and the rigid part are made of plastic; The flexible conductive part is made of conductive silicone. The insulating wrapping layer is made of insulating silicone.

[0014] A robotic hand, comprising: a bionic finger as described in any of the above.

[0015] A robot, comprising: a bionic finger as described in any of the above or a robotic hand as described above.

[0016] Beneficial effects: The sensor-emulating wrapper mimics the skin of a real finger and assists in achieving touch sensing functionality; the sensor-emulating wrapper abuts against the nail, mimicking the skin and nail of a real finger. The nail is located on the upper surface of the fingertip, and the sensor-emulating wrapper covers the front, lower, left, and right surfaces of the fingertip. A support structure is provided to assemble the circuit board and the sensor-emulating wrapper onto the knuckle. The sensor-emulating wrapper connects to the support structure, so that the circuit board is held within the support structure and the sensor-emulating wrapper, thus achieving circuit board mounting. The bionic finger exhibits high biomimicry in both morphology and function. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional view of the bionic finger in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a top view of the bionic finger in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Sectional view along line A.

[0020] Figure 4 This is the first exploded view of the bionic finger in this embodiment of the invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This is the second exploded view of the bionic finger in this embodiment of the invention.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sensing envelope in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 7 This is the first exploded view of the inductive package in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 8 This is the second exploded view of the inductive package in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a first cross-sectional view of the sensing package in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 10 This is a second cross-sectional view of the sensing package in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the finger joint in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the first structure of the support in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the second structure of the support in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the robotic arm in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the robot in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 10. knuckle; 11. base of finger; 12. nail; 20. Support body; 21. Clearance groove; 30. Circuit board; 40. Sensing envelope; 41. Rigid part; 411. Through hole; 412. Placement slot; 413. Card slot; 414. T-shaped hole; 415. Vertical wall; 416. First support platform; 42. Flexible conductive part; 421. Shell layer; 422. Platform part; 423. Protrusion; 424. T-shaped part; 425. Second support platform; 43. Insulating wrapping layer; 431. Limiting part. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer and more explicit, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to 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 invention.

[0034] Please also refer to Figures 1-13 This invention provides some embodiments of a bionic finger.

[0035] like Figures 1-3 and Figure 11 As shown, the bionic finger of the present invention includes: The finger joint 10 includes a base 11 and a nail portion 12, wherein the base 11 and the nail portion 12 are integrally formed; Support body 20 is installed on the nail portion 12; Circuit board 30 is located on the side of the support 20 opposite to the nail portion 12; The sensing envelope 40 is connected to the support 20 and wraps around the circuit board 30 and the support 20, and abuts against the edge of the finger base 11 and the edge of the nail portion 12.

[0036] Specifically, the knuckle 10 is the very end segment of the finger. A real finger primarily uses the very end knuckle 10 for touching, and this very end knuckle 10 is equipped with a nail. To enhance the biomimetic effect of the finger, a sensory envelope 40 is configured to mimic the skin of a real finger and assist in achieving touch perception. The sensory envelope 40 abuts against the nail portion 12, mimicking the skin and nail of a real finger. The nail portion 12 is located on the upper surface of the fingertip, and the sensory envelope 40 covers the front, lower, left, and right surfaces of the fingertip. A support body 20 is configured to assemble the circuit board 30 and the sensory envelope 40 onto the knuckle 10. The sensory envelope 40 is connected to the support body 20, so that the circuit board 30 is held within the support body 20 and the sensory envelope 40, thus achieving the installation of the circuit board 30. The biomimetic finger exhibits a high degree of biomimicry in both form and function.

[0037] In a preferred implementation of this invention, such as Figures 6-10 As shown, the sensing envelope 40 includes: A rigid portion 41, on which a through hole 411 is formed; The flexible conductive part 42 is located on the side of the via 411 away from the circuit board 30; An insulating wrapping layer 43 wraps the rigid part 41 and the flexible conductive part 42; The rigid part 41, the flexible conductive part 42, and the insulating wrapping layer 43 are formed into an integral structure by in-mold injection molding.

[0038] Specifically, the sensing envelope 40 is a single, integrated structure that cannot be disassembled. First, a rigid portion 41 is prepared, for example, by injection molding. Then, the rigid portion 41 is placed in a mold, and a first in-mold injection molding process is used to form a flexible conductive portion 42 on top of the rigid portion 41. Finally, the rigid portion 41 and the flexible conductive portion 42 are placed in another mold, and a second in-mold injection molding process is used to form an insulating envelope layer 43 on top of the rigid portion 41 and the flexible conductive portion 42. These two in-mold injection molding processes form a single integrated structure of the rigid portion 41, the flexible conductive portion 42, and the insulating envelope layer 43 within the mold. The rigid portion 41 is connected to the support 20. When the insulating envelope layer 43 is compressed, it causes the flexible conductive portion 42 to deform and move, passing through the through-hole 411 and being pressed against the circuit board 30. The rigid portion 41 is made of a rigid material, such as plastic. The flexible conductive portion 42 can be made of a flexible conductive material, such as conductive silicone. The insulating envelope layer 43 is made of a flexible insulating material, such as insulating silicone. Using the same base material, such as silicone, for both the flexible conductive material and the flexible insulating material can enhance the connection strength between the flexible conductive part 42 and the insulating wrapping layer 43. Conductive silicone is made by adding conductive dopants to the base material (silicone), thereby achieving conductivity.

[0039] To further enhance the connection strength between the components in the sensing enclosure 40, a T-shaped hole 414 is formed on the rigid part 41, and a T-shaped part 424 is formed on the flexible conductive part 42. The T-shaped part 424 is located within the T-shaped hole 414, which limits the horizontal direction of the flexible conductive part 42. A vertical wall 415 is formed on the rigid part 41, and a limiting part 431 is formed on the insulating wrapping layer 43, located above the vertical wall 415. The vertical wall 415 extends along the edge of the rigid part 41 to form a placement groove 412. The upper surface edge of the flexible conductive part 42 is attached to the lower surface edge of the rigid part 41. The lower surface of the rigid part 41 and the upper surface of the vertical wall 415 limit the vertical direction of the flexible conductive part 42 and the insulating wrapping layer 43, respectively.

[0040] In a preferred implementation of this invention, such as Figures 9-10 As shown, the flexible conductive part 42 includes: A shell layer 421 is disposed around the via 411; Platform section 422 is disposed within the shell layer 421; A protrusion 423 is provided on the platform portion 422; The surface of the platform portion 422 is parallel to the circuit board 30.

[0041] Specifically, the shell 421 is convex, resembling the shape of the pad of a real finger. The surface of the platform portion 422 is flat, and the protrusion 423 protrudes from the surface of the platform portion 422 and faces the circuit board 30. The surface of the protrusion 423 is curved, specifically it can be spherical or ellipsoidal.

[0042] Two first support platforms 416 are formed on the rigid portion 41, located on either side of the T-shaped hole 414. Two second support platforms 425 are formed on the shell layer 421, corresponding to the positions of the first support platforms 416. The first and second support platforms 416 increase the contact area between the rigid portion 41 and the shell layer 421, thereby improving their connection strength. The first support platforms 416 obstruct the T-shaped portion 424, increasing the difficulty for the T-shaped portion 424 to disengage from the T-shaped hole 414.

[0043] In a preferred implementation of this invention, such as Figures 9-10 As shown, there are two platform portions 422, and each platform portion 422 has one protrusion 423.

[0044] Specifically, there can be one or more platform sections 422, for example, two platform sections 422. Each platform section 422 is provided with a protrusion 423, and with two platform sections 422, there are two protrusions 423. Electrodes exist on the circuit board 30, and each protrusion 423 corresponds to at least two electrodes. There is an electric field between the two electrodes. Due to the movement of the protrusion 423, the electric field distribution between the two electrodes is changed, resulting in a change in the capacitance between the two electrodes.

[0045] In a preferred implementation of this invention, such as Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 9 As shown, the rigid part 41 has a placement groove 412, and the through hole 411 is located at the bottom of the placement groove 412; the circuit board 30 and the support 20 are both placed in the placement groove 412.

[0046] Specifically, a placement groove 412 is formed on the upper surface of the rigid part 41, the circuit board 30 and the support 20 are placed in the placement groove 412, and the support 20 and the rigid part 41 are connected by a locking attachment.

[0047] In a preferred implementation of this invention, such as Figure 3 , Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the support body 20 forms a relief groove 21 at the position facing the through hole 411.

[0048] Specifically, a relief groove 21 is formed on the support body 20 at the position corresponding to the through hole 411. The relief groove 21 can accommodate electronic devices on the circuit board 30 and can also avoid deformation of the circuit board 30.

[0049] In a preferred implementation of this invention, such as Figure 3 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the front end of the circuit board 30 is engaged with the rigid part 41, or the front end of the support 20 is engaged with the rigid part 41.

[0050] Specifically, a slot 413 is formed on the rigid part 41, and the front end of the circuit board 30 or the front end of the support 20 is inserted into the slot 413, so that the sensing envelope 40 is engaged with the front end of the circuit board 30 (or the front end of the support 20).

[0051] In a preferred implementation of this invention, such as Figures 3-5 As shown, the rear end of the circuit board 30 and the rear end of the support 20 are both connected to the rigid part 41.

[0052] Specifically, the rear end of the support 20 is connected to the rigid part 41 and clamps and fixes the circuit board 30. For example, a locking attachment can be used to pass through the support 20 and the circuit board 30 and lock onto the rigid part 41.

[0053] In a preferred implementation of this invention, such as Figures 2-5 As shown, the top of the support 20 is connected to the nail portion 12.

[0054] Specifically, the top of the support 20 is connected to the nail portion 12. For example, a locking attachment can be used to pass through the nail portion 12 and lock onto the top of the support 20.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the knuckle 10 is made of a metal material.

[0056] Specifically, the knuckle 10 is made of a rigid material, such as plastic or metal.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, both the support 20 and the rigid part 41 are made of plastic.

[0058] Specifically, both the support 20 and the rigid part 41 are made of rigid materials, such as plastic.

[0059] Based on the bionic finger described in any of the above embodiments, the present invention also provides an embodiment of a robotic hand.

[0060] The robotic hand of the present invention includes bionic fingers as described in any of the above embodiments. The robotic hand can be a single-finger robotic hand or a multi-finger robotic hand, such as a two-finger robotic hand or a three-finger robotic hand. The robotic hand can perform expected tasks such as grasping or moving objects, operating tools, and displaying different gestures. Figure 14 The robotic hand has five fingers, any one of which can be a bionic finger as described in any of the above embodiments. For example, the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger can be bionic fingers as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0061] Based on the bionic finger or robotic hand described in any of the above embodiments, the present invention also provides an embodiment of a robot.

[0062] The robot of this invention includes a bionic finger or robotic hand as described in any of the above embodiments. The robot can be a special robot, a wheeled robot, a legged robot, a crawler robot, a squirming robot, a flying robot, a floating robot, a diving robot, a ground robot, an underground robot, a space robot, a SCARA robot, a parallel robot, a master-slaverobot, a collaborative robot, etc. The robot can be a single-armed robot or a multi-armed robot. Figure 15 It is a wheeled robot with bionic arms, wherein either bionic arm can be the robotic hand or the bionic finger described in any of the above embodiments.

[0063] It should be understood that the application of the present invention is not limited to the examples above. Those skilled in the art can make improvements or modifications based on the above description, and all such improvements and modifications should fall within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A bionic finger, characterized in that, include: A knuckle, comprising a base and a nail portion, wherein the base and the nail portion are integrally formed; A support body is installed on the nail portion; The circuit board is located on the side of the support body opposite to the nail portion; The sensing envelope is connected to the support and wraps around the circuit board and the support, and abuts against the edge of the finger base and the edge of the nail.

2. The bionic finger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensing envelope includes: A rigid portion, on which a via is formed; A flexible conductive part is located on the side of the via that faces away from the circuit board; An insulating wrapping layer is provided to enclose the rigid portion and the flexible conductive portion. The rigid part, the flexible conductive part, and the insulating wrapping layer are formed into an integral structure by in-mold injection molding.

3. The bionic finger according to claim 2, characterized in that, The flexible conductive part includes: A shell layer is provided around the via; The platform section is located within the shell layer; A protrusion is provided on the platform portion; The surface of the platform is parallel to the circuit board.

4. The bionic finger according to claim 3, characterized in that, There are two platform sections, and each platform section has one protrusion.

5. The bionic finger according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rigid part is formed with a placement groove, and the through hole is located at the bottom of the placement groove; Both the circuit board and the support are placed in the placement slot.

6. The bionic finger according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support body forms a clearance groove at the position facing the through hole.

7. The bionic finger according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, The front end of the circuit board is engaged with the rigid part, or the front end of the support is engaged with the rigid part; The rear end of the circuit board and the rear end of the support are both connected to the rigid part; The top of the support is connected to the nail portion.

8. The bionic finger according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, The knuckles are made of metal. Both the support and the rigid part are made of plastic; The flexible conductive part is made of conductive silicone. The insulating wrapping layer is made of insulating silicone.

9. A robotic arm, characterized in that, include: The bionic finger as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A robot, characterized in that, include: The bionic finger as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 or the robotic hand as described in claim 9.

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