Flexible guide structure and tendon rope driven dexterous hand

Abstract

The invention provides a flexible guide structure and a tendon rope driven dexterous hand, and the flexible guide structure comprises an inner layer which is a flexible hollow pipe through which a tendon rope of the dexterous hand passes; the outer reinforcing layer is arranged on the periphery of the inner layer in a sleeving mode, the outer reinforcing layer is divided into a middle section and end portions located on the two sides of the middle section, and the strength of the end portions is larger than that of the middle section. The flexible guide structure provided by the invention has excellent flexibility and strength, the bending radius is reduced while collapse of the sleeve is avoided, the internal routing process of the tendon rope of the whole hand can be simplified, the size of the whole palm and the arrangement difficulty of the tendon rope are reduced, and the anti-fatigue life of the tendon rope is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of robotic dexterous hands, specifically to a flexible guiding structure and a tendon-driven dexterous hand. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, existing robotic dexterous hands typically employ one of three actuation methods for their fingers: linkage, gear, and chord actuation. Linkage-driven dexterous hands generally have a large size, heavy weight, and low degrees of freedom. Gear-driven dexterous hands use rigid transmission, resulting in a lack of passive compliance, making them prone to jamming or damage when encountering accidental collisions or uncertain contacts. Chord-driven dexterous hands, with their lightweight, high flexibility, and human-like manipulation capabilities, show broad application prospects in industrial assembly, medical rehabilitation, and hazardous environment operations. Their core working principle involves a drive motor that causes the chords to contract and relax, transmitting power to the finger joints to achieve multi-degree-of-freedom grasping and manipulation movements. The guidance and constraint of the chords directly determine the power transmission efficiency, operational accuracy, and system stability, making them a key technical aspect of dexterous hand design. Chord actuation is generally unidirectional or bidirectional, especially for bidirectional chord actuation structures, where the complex routing of the chords within the hand results in a large overall hand size and increases the risk of chord fatigue fracture due to the complex wiring.

[0003] To address the issues of large overall hand size and susceptibility to fatigue and breakage caused by the complex tendon routing in chord-driven dexterous hands, current technologies employ sleeve structures as guide structures. For example, Chinese patent application CN118769276A discloses a dexterous hand and robot. The dexterous hand includes: a tendon guide disposed on the side of the palm base near the second tendon drive assembly, wherein the tendon guide has multiple tendon holes; and multiple sleeves, each passing through one of the tendon holes. Multiple second tendons are passed through the sleeves by multiple phalanges and connected to the multiple second tendon drive assemblies. The sleeves are made of a flexible lubricating material. However, this single-sleeve structure has low strength, especially at the fixed ends of the sleeves, where the sleeves may collapse during actual gripping due to the low strength of the sleeve material. Some products also use high-strength metal materials added to the sleeve to increase strength. For example, Chinese patent application CN120395941A discloses a dexterous hand finger, a dexterous hand, and a robot. The dexterous hand finger includes a tendon cord sleeve assembly, which includes a sleeve and a connector. The sleeve includes an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve. The inner sleeve can be made of Teflon, and the outer sleeve can be made of metal, such as stainless steel or aluminum. Although double sleeves can improve strength, adding metal material outside the inner sleeve reduces the overall flexibility of the sleeve, leading to an increase in the bending radius of the sleeve, which may affect the overall size of the dexterous hand. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the deficiencies / one of the existing technologies, the purpose of this application is to provide a flexible guiding structure and a tendon-driven dexterous hand.

[0005] A first aspect of this application provides a flexible guiding structure, comprising: The inner layer is a flexible hollow tube through which the tendons of a dexterous hand pass; An outer reinforcing layer is fitted around the outer periphery of the inner layer. The outer reinforcing layer is divided into a middle section and ends located on both sides of the middle section. The strength of the ends is greater than that of the middle section.

[0006] Optionally, the inner layer is a hollow tube made of a flexible lubricating material.

[0007] Optionally, the inner diameter of the inner layer is 0.5mm-1.5mm, and the outer diameter is 1mm-2.5mm.

[0008] Optionally, the outer reinforcing layer is made of wire tension spring, and the number of turns of the wire tension spring at the ends is greater than the number of turns in the middle section.

[0009] Optionally, the diameter of the wire in the wire spring is 0.1mm-0.5mm, the diameter of the inner hole of the wire spring is the same as or greater than the outer diameter of the inner layer by a preset value, and the inner layer is inserted into the wire spring.

[0010] A second aspect of this application provides a chord-driven dexterous hand, including the aforementioned flexible guiding structure, and further comprising: The palm part is connected to the wrist part via a rotating component; The finger section, fixed to the palm section, includes multiple fingers, each of which has a finger-rotating winch; A chord drive source is fixed inside the wrist via a drive source bracket, and the chord drive source includes a drive source winch. One end of the flexible guide structure is fixed to the base of the finger, and the other end is fixed to the drive source bracket; The tendon cord has one end wrapped around the drive source winch and the other end passing through the flexible guide structure and connected to the finger rotating winch; or, both ends of the tendon cord are fixed inside the finger rotating winch and the middle part of the tendon cord is wrapped around the surface of the drive source winch.

[0011] Optionally, the drive source bracket is provided with a first mounting hole, the finger is connected to the palm part through a finger support frame, the finger support frame is provided with a second mounting hole, one end of the flexible guide structure is inserted into the first mounting hole, and the other end is inserted into the second mounting hole.

[0012] Optionally, the tendon cord is vertically guided into the flexible guide structure via a first guide wheel.

[0013] Optionally, the finger support frame is provided with a second guide wheel, which is used to guide the tendon rope tangentially into the finger rotating winch.

[0014] Optionally, the dexterous hand has chord-driven single-drive fingers or chord-driven dual-drive fingers.

[0015] The flexible guide structure provided in this application adopts a flexible inner hollow tube and a segmented outer reinforcing layer with varying strength. The tendon cord passes through the inner hollow tube. The middle section of the outer reinforcing layer has good flexibility while the ends ensure high strength. By improving the strength at key stress points through differentiated reinforcement structure, the flexible guide structure has both excellent flexibility and strength. It reduces the bending radius while avoiding tube collapse, which can simplify the internal wiring process of the tendon cord, reduce the overall palm size and tendon cord arrangement difficulty, and improve the fatigue life of the tendon cord.

[0016] Other technical effects resulting from the additional features will be further illustrated in the corresponding embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a flexible guiding structure according to an exemplary embodiment; Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flexible guide structure according to an exemplary embodiment; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a tendon-driven dexterous hand according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 ; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a tendon-driven dexterous hand according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 ; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a tendon-driven dexterous hand according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 ; Figure 6 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a tendon-driven dexterous hand according to an exemplary embodiment; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a double-tendon cord finger according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 ; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a finger structure according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 ; Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a finger structure according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 ; Figure 10 for Figure 9 Corresponding cross-sectional structural diagram; Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a finger structure according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 4 ; Figure 12 for Figure 11 Corresponding cross-sectional structural diagram; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a single tendon cord finger structure according to an exemplary embodiment; Figure 14 for Figure 13 Corresponding cross-sectional structural diagram; In the diagram: 5A-10 is the end section, 5A-20 is the middle section, 5A-2 is the inner layer, 1 is the finger part, 2 is the palm part, 3 is the rotating component, 4 is the wrist part, 5A is the first flexible guide structure, 5B is the second flexible guide structure, 6 is the tendon cable drive source, 7 is the drive source winch, 8 is the drive source bracket, 8-1 is the first mounting hole, 9 is the drive source winch support frame, 10 is the tendon cable, 10-1 is one end of the tendon cable, 10-2 is the other end of the tendon cable, 11 is the first guide wheel, 12 is the finger support frame, 13 is the second guide wheel one, 14 is the second guide wheel two, 15 is the finger rotating winch, and 16 is the rotating bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present application will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present application, but do not limit the present application in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present application. Parts not described in detail in the following embodiments can be implemented using existing technology.

[0019] Existing guide structures for tendon-driven dexterous hands cannot balance strength and flexibility. Single-layer sleeve structures are prone to end collapse due to insufficient strength; while double-layer sleeves can improve overall strength and prevent sleeve deformation, they limit the bending capacity of the guide structure, leading to an increased bending radius, increased system volume, and reduced dexterity. To address these issues, this application provides a flexible guide structure to solve the aforementioned problems.

[0020] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, in one embodiment of this application, a flexible guiding structure is provided, including an inner layer 5A-2 and an outer reinforcing layer, wherein: the inner layer 5A-2 is a flexible hollow tube through which the tendon rope 10 of the dexterous hand passes; the outer reinforcing layer is sleeved on the outer periphery of the inner layer 5A-2, and the outer reinforcing layer is divided into a middle section 5A-20 and end sections 5A-10 located on both sides of the middle section 5A-20, the strength of the end sections 5A-10 being greater than the strength of the middle section 5A-20.

[0021] Specifically, the flexibility of the inner layer 5A-2 allows the structure to deform freely with a small bending radius. The hollow tube refers to a tubular structure with a continuous through-channel inside, which can be manufactured using an extrusion molding process. The hollow design maintains the flexibility of the tube while providing an unobstructed passageway for the tendon rope 10. The outer reinforcing layer is a segmented reinforcing structure fitted around the outer periphery of the inner layer 5A-2. Since the end 5A-10 of the flexible guiding structure needs to connect with the components on the dexterous hand and bears greater stress, while the middle section 5A-20 only needs to maintain its basic shape, local reinforcement is applied to the vulnerable end while maintaining low strength in the middle section to preserve flexibility. This allows the overall structure to bend flexibly and adapt to the multi-degree-of-freedom movement requirements of the dexterous hand. Through the segmented strength design of the outer reinforcing layer, when the guiding structure is bent under stress, the middle section 5A-20 preferentially undergoes elastic deformation, while the end 5A-10 maintains structural stability. This solves the problem of end collapse and avoids an increase in the bending radius due to excessive overall rigidity.

[0022] The outer sleeve material has higher strength than the inner layer, and the friction coefficient of the inner layer is lower than that of the outer layer. During the dexterous hand grasping process, the tendon rope 10 slides smoothly on the low-friction inner layer 5A-2, the end of the outer reinforcing layer withstands the stress at the mounting point without deformation, and the middle section 5A-20 bends freely with the finger joints, thus achieving a balance between efficient power transmission and a compact structural layout.

[0023] For example, the end is 1 / 5 of the total length and not less than 20 mm.

[0024] It should be noted that if the force transmitted by the tendon rope is relatively large, such as a tension greater than 100N, the aforementioned flexible guide structure can achieve a good guiding effect. If the force transmitted by the tendon rope is relatively small, the flexible guide structure can also be completed by the inner layer 5A-2 alone. The length division of the end 5A-10 is related to the force on the wire rope and can be flexibly set according to the actual situation.

[0025] In the above embodiments of this application, a flexible inner hollow tube and a segmented outer reinforcing layer with varying strength are used. The tendon cord 10 passes through the inner hollow tube. The middle section 5A-20 of the outer reinforcing layer has good flexibility, while the end section 5A-10 ensures high strength. By using a differentiated reinforcing structure to improve strength at key stress points, the flexible guiding structure combines excellent flexibility and strength. This reduces the bending radius while preventing the sleeve from collapsing, simplifies the internal wiring process of the tendon cord, reduces the overall hand size and the difficulty of tendon cord arrangement, and improves the fatigue life of the tendon cord.

[0026] In order to maintain the flexibility of the guide structure and ensure the stability of the power transmission path, in some specific embodiments of this application, the inner layer 5A-2 is a hollow tube made of flexible lubricating material.

[0027] Specifically, flexible lubricating materials refer to non-metallic materials with low coefficient of friction and elastic deformation. They can be achieved by using high-lubricity polymer plastic composite materials such as POM, PEEK, and PPS. These materials form a lubricating layer on the contact surface to reduce the sliding resistance of the tendon chords.

[0028] In the above embodiments of this application, the inner layer 5A-2 is made of a hollow tube using a flexible lubricating material. During the passage of the tendon rope, a low-friction interface is formed between the material surface and the tendon rope, reducing energy loss during power transmission. Since the friction loss between the tendon rope and the tube wall is reduced, the service life of the tendon rope can also be extended.

[0029] In order to solve the problem of frictional resistance between the guide structure and the tendon rope and to make it meet the strength requirements, in some specific embodiments of this application, the inner diameter of the inner layer 5A-2 is 0.5mm-1.5mm and the outer diameter is 1mm-2.5mm.

[0030] Specifically, the inner diameter of the inner 5A-2 layer refers to the diameter of the internal channel of the hollow tube through which the tendon cord passes. The lower limit of the inner diameter prevents excessive contact between the tendon cord and the tube wall, thus avoiding frictional loss. The upper limit prevents insufficient resistance to compression due to an excessively thin tube wall. Based on the strength and lifespan requirements of the tendon cord (steel wire rope), an outer diameter between 0.5mm and 1.2mm is preferred. For example, using a steel wire rope with an outer diameter of 0.76mm, the aforementioned inner diameter setting ensures that the tendon cord maintains an appropriate gap with the tube wall during movement, preventing increased frictional resistance due to insufficient space. The outer diameter of the inner 5A-2 layer refers to the outer contour diameter of the hollow tube. The lower limit of the outer diameter ensures the guide tube has basic structural strength to resist external extrusion deformation, while the upper limit controls the overall volume of the guide tube, allowing it to form a compact assembly with the outer reinforcing layer. The outer diameter dimension and the outer reinforcing layer work together to provide sufficient compressive strength while ensuring the flexibility of the guiding structure, resulting in superior overall strength and bending radius.

[0031] In the above embodiments of this application, the inner and outer diameter settings of the inner layer 5A-2 effectively reduce the movement resistance of the tendon cord within the guide structure and prevent the conduit from collapsing due to external pressure or bending deformation, thereby extending the service life of the tendon cord drive system and ensuring that the dexterous hand maintains stable power transmission performance during complex operations.

[0032] In order to achieve a balance between strength and flexibility of the external reinforcing layer, in some specific embodiments of this application, the external reinforcing layer adopts a steel wire tension spring, and the number of turns of the steel wire tension spring at the end 5A-10 is greater than the number of turns of the middle section 5A-20.

[0033] Specifically, a wire tension spring is an elastic element formed by spirally winding metal wire. Its spiral structure undergoes elastic deformation under axial compression. Turn density refers to the number of turns of the spiral coil per unit length. The end region achieves a denser structure by increasing the number of turns. The wire tension spring acts as an outer reinforcing layer surrounding the inner layer 5A-2. In the end region, increasing the coil winding density creates localized rigid support to resist shear stress concentration during the installation and fixation of the end layer 5A-10. In the middle region, reducing the coil winding density preserves the axial compressive flexibility of the spiral structure, allowing the guide structure to bend flexibly during finger joint movement.

[0034] Existing sleeve structures use a metal layer with uniform wall thickness to cover the inner layer. Although the overall strength is improved, the bending radius is increased. In contrast, the above-mentioned embodiments of this application replace the continuous metal tube with a helical steel wire tension spring. Through the helical characteristics and density gradient design of the steel wire tension spring, local compressive support is formed in the high-density areas at both ends, while the flexible bending capacity is retained in the low-density area in the middle. This solves the problem of collapse at the fixed end and avoids the negative impact of the overall rigidity increase on bending performance.

[0035] It should be noted that in some other implementations, a flexible sleeve design (such as copper) can also be used, with the wall thickness at both ends of the sleeve being greater than that in the middle.

[0036] In the above embodiments of this application, anti-collapse support structures are formed at both ends of the tendon guide structure to prevent plastic deformation of the sleeve at the fixing hole; the middle section 5A-20 retains the gap space of the spiral coil, so that the guide structure can achieve small radius bending when the finger joint is bent, avoiding the problem of increased dexterity hand volume due to excessive overall rigidity.

[0037] To ensure the strength of the guide structure, in some specific embodiments of this application, the diameter of the wire in the wire tension spring is 0.1mm-0.5mm, the diameter of the inner hole of the wire tension spring is the same as or greater than the outer diameter of the inner layer 5A-2 (preset value), and the inner layer 5A-2 is inserted into the wire tension spring.

[0038] Specifically, the wire diameter refers to the cross-sectional dimension of the metal wire that makes up the tension spring. This dimension allows the tension spring to maintain the elasticity required for bending deformation while possessing sufficient compressive strength. The matching relationship between the inner hole diameter and the outer diameter of the inner layer ensures the assembly stability of the inner layer and the tension spring, while also preventing structural loosening due to excessive gaps. The inner layer 5A-2 is inserted into the wire tension spring, and the two are embedded into the tension spring through an interference fit or a clearance fit, thus forming a composite guiding structure with nested inner and outer layers working synergistically.

[0039] For example, the outer diameter of the inner layer is 1.6 mm and the inner diameter is 1 mm, the inner diameter of the wire tension spring is 1.62 mm, and the diameter of the wire rope is 0.2 mm.

[0040] In the embodiments described above, the design of the inner layer and the tension spring reduces frictional resistance during relative movement, extending the service life of the tendon rope. The layered structure allows the guide device to distribute and transmit pressure through the helical structure of the tension spring when subjected to external loads, preventing material failure caused by localized stress concentration.

[0041] In the embodiments described above, the inner layer uses a flexible material with a low coefficient of friction to ensure free sliding of the tendon ligaments within. The outer layer, a steel wire tension spring, forms locally reinforced areas at both fixed ends by increasing coil density, effectively resisting deformation caused by external pressure. A lower coil density is maintained in the middle section to preserve overall bending flexibility. When the guide structure is subjected to bending loads, the helical structure of the outer tension spring allows it to maintain axial rigidity while achieving radial bending deformation. The inner layer compensates for internal space changes caused by spring deformation through material elasticity, thereby maintaining the integrity of the tendon ligament channel. This reduces the bending radius while preventing sleeve collapse, simplifies the internal wiring process of the tendon ligaments, reduces overall hand size and tendon ligament arrangement difficulty, and improves the fatigue life of the tendon ligaments.

[0042] Based on the same concept, another embodiment of this application provides a tendon-driven dexterous hand, referring to... Figures 3-14The dexterous hand includes the flexible guiding structure in any of the above embodiments, and also includes a palm portion 2, a finger portion 1, a tendon cord drive source 6, and a tendon cord 10, etc., wherein: the palm portion 2 and the wrist portion 4 are connected by a rotating component 3; the finger portion 1 is fixed on the palm portion 2 and includes multiple fingers, each finger having a finger rotating winch 15; the tendon cord drive source 6 is fixed inside the wrist by a drive source bracket 8, and the tendon cord drive source 6 includes a drive source winch 7, which is disposed on a drive source winch support frame 9, and the drive source winch support frame 9 has a rotating bearing 16 inside for supporting the drive source winch 7; one end of the flexible guiding structure is fixed to the base of the finger, and the other end is fixed to the drive source bracket 8; one end 10-1 of the tendon cord is wound around the drive source winch 7, and the other end 10-2 of the tendon cord passes through the flexible guiding structure and is connected to the finger rotating winch 15; or, both ends of the tendon cord are fixed inside the finger rotating winch 15, and the middle part of the tendon cord 10 is wound around the surface of the drive source winch 7.

[0043] Specifically, the rotating component 3 of the palm portion 2 and the wrist portion 4 employs a hinge or bearing structure to achieve multi-angle rotation of the palm relative to the wrist. The tendon cable drive source 6 is fixed inside the wrist. For example, the drive motor and drive source winch 7 are integrated into the drive source bracket 8 on the wrist portion 4. This layout separates the drive component from the fingers, avoiding the problem of the drive component occupying palm space in traditional designs, thereby reducing the volume of the palm portion 2. The fixed ends of the flexible guide structure form a directional guide channel from the tendon cable drive source 6 to the fingers. This retains the flexible bending ability of the guide structure to adapt to path changes during wrist rotation, while the fixed ends prevent the ends of the guide structure from collapsing under stress. The tendon cable 10 is led out from the drive source winch 7, inserted into the guide structure, and extends to the finger rotation winch 15. The forward and reverse rotation of the winch achieves linear traction and retraction of the tendon cable 10, preventing path confusion caused by free hanging of the tendon cable. At the same time, it can also reduce friction between the tendon cable and the surrounding structure, thereby improving transmission efficiency and extending the life of the tendon cable.

[0044] It should be noted that each finger's active rotational component corresponds to one tendon ligament; if there are multiple active rotational components, then multiple tendon ligaments will be used. A single-drive tendon ligament corresponds to at least one flexible guide structure, and multiple flexible guide structures can also be used, with intermediate transitions between them. A dual-drive tendon ligament corresponds to at least two flexible guide structures, and more flexible guide structures can also be used, with intermediate transitions between them.

[0045] In the above embodiments of this application, by separating the drive source from the fingers, the two ends of the flexible guide structure are fixed to the drive source bracket 8 and the base of the fingers respectively, which effectively reduces the size of the palm and solves the problem of excessive size of the dexterous hand caused by the complex tendon cable routing. Moreover, the guide structure reduces tendon cable friction loss and maintains tendon cable path stability, thereby improving tendon cable power transmission efficiency.

[0046] In order to achieve the installation of the flexible guide structure, in some specific embodiments of this application, the drive source bracket 8 is provided with a first mounting hole 8-1, the finger is connected to the palm part 2 through the finger support frame 12, the finger support frame 12 is provided with a second mounting hole, one end of the flexible guide structure is inserted into the first mounting hole 8-1, and the other end is inserted into the second mounting hole.

[0047] Specifically, the first mounting hole 8-1 refers to the through-hole structure on the drive source bracket 8, and the second mounting hole refers to the positioning hole structure on the finger support frame 12. The first mounting hole 8-1 of the drive source bracket 8 and the second mounting hole of the finger support frame 12 form a spatial positioning reference, and the two ends of the flexible guide structure are respectively fixed in the two rigid mounting holes. When the drive source winch 7 drives the tendon cable 10 to move, the middle section of the flexible guide structure can bend freely with the movement of the finger joint, while the two ends remain fixed in a fixed posture under the constraint of the mounting holes. The direct insertion structure makes installation relatively convenient, and the mounting holes also serve as support surfaces, protecting the flexible guide tube.

[0048] The embodiments described above enhance the bending resistance of the guide structure's ends through the rigid constraint of the mounting holes, further preventing the flexible guide structure from collapsing at the connection between the drive source bracket 8 and the finger support frame 12, while maintaining the flexible bending characteristics of the middle section. This structure ensures that the tendon rope 10 does not generate shear stress on the sleeve end when sliding inside the guide structure, thus ensuring the stability of power transmission in complex movements of the dexterous hand.

[0049] In order to reduce frictional loss of the tendon cord and improve transmission efficiency, in some specific embodiments of this application, the tendon cord 10 is vertically guided into the flexible guide structure by the first guide wheel 11.

[0050] Specifically, the first guide wheel 11 refers to a pulley with a grooved structure, which adjusts the traction direction of the tendon rope by rotating. Vertical guidance means that the path of the tendon rope 10 into the flexible guide structure is orthogonal to the axis of the guide structure. During the tendon rope driving process, after the tendon rope 10 is led out from the drive source winch 7, it first passes around the first guide wheel 11, and the rotation of the wheel guides the change of the tendon rope's movement trajectory. The installation position of the first guide wheel 11 is set so that when the tendon rope 10 enters the entrance of the flexible guide structure, its traction direction is perpendicular to the axis of the guide structure. This vertical path adjustment eliminates the tilt angle between the tendon rope and the entrance of the guide structure, avoiding lateral friction caused by the tendon rope at the entrance due to deflection. Since the contact direction between the tendon rope and the inner wall of the guide structure is adjusted to be axially aligned, the tendon rope only bears axial tension during movement, reducing local stress concentration caused by non-axial contact, thereby reducing the risk of tendon rope wear and improving the straightness of power transmission. The structure of introducing the tendon rope with a guide wheel allows the tendon rope to enter the interior of the flexible guide tube perpendicular to the surface of the flexible guide tube, preventing pressure friction between the tendon rope and the end of the flexible guide tube.

[0051] In the above embodiments of this application, by adding a first guide wheel 11 to forcibly adjust the direction of the tendon rope entering the guide structure, the tendon rope and the guide structure are kept perpendicular and aligned. This solves the problem of friction loss caused by angular deviation when the tendon rope enters the guide structure, reduces unnecessary contact resistance between the tendon rope and the guide structure, improves transmission efficiency, and extends the service life of the tendon rope in repeated extension and contraction movements.

[0052] In order to reduce the sliding friction of the tendon rope entering the finger rotating winch, in some specific embodiments of this application, a second guide wheel is provided in the finger support frame 12. The second guide wheel is used to guide the tendon rope 10 tangentially into the finger rotating winch 15.

[0053] Specifically, the second guide wheel refers to a pulley structure installed inside the internal cavity of the finger support frame 12, which constrains the movement trajectory of the tendon rope by creating a rope groove on the surface of the wheel. Integrating the guide wheel within the internal space of the finger support frame 12 avoids external attachments taking up hand space. Tangential guidance refers to adjusting the consistency of the tangential direction at the contact point between the tendon rope and the winch, ensuring that the winding direction of the tendon rope is perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the winch. Since the tendon rope only generates a tangential tension component when winding around the winch, it avoids sliding friction caused by radial forces due to non-tangential contact. For dual-drive fingers, the finger support frame 12 is equipped with a first guide wheel 13 and a second guide wheel 14.

[0054] In the embodiments described above, the integrated guide wheels within the finger support frame 12 create spatial angular constraints, dynamically matching the tendon cable path with the winch's motion trajectory. This effectively reduces sliding friction losses when the tendon cable contacts the winch, preventing lateral tendon cable offset and winch jamming caused by radial force, thus improving tendon cable transmission efficiency and service life. Simultaneously, the integrated guide wheel design within the support frame maintains the compactness of the hand components, making it suitable for the spatial layout requirements of multi-degree-of-freedom dexterity hands.

[0055] In some specific embodiments of this application, the dexterous hand has chord-driven single-drive fingers or chord-driven dual-drive fingers.

[0056] Specifically, a single-drive chord finger refers to a finger that can be driven to grasp or extend in either the forward or reverse direction by a single drive source winch in conjunction with single chord traction. A dual-drive chord finger refers to a finger that has both ends designed inside a finger-rotating winch, with the middle of the chord wound around the surface of the drive source winch.

[0057] To better understand the technical solutions in the above embodiments of this application, a finger with a dual-drive tendon cord system is used as an example. The dual-drive tendon cord dexterous hand includes a finger portion 1, a palm portion 2, a rotating component 3 between the palm portion 2 and the wrist portion 4, a first flexible guide structure 5A, a second flexible guide structure 5B, a drive source, a drive source winch 7, and a drive source bracket 8. A finger support frame 12 is fixed to the palm portion 2, and the drive source bracket 8 is fixed to the wrist portion 4. The finger support frame 12 and the drive source bracket 8 are connected by the first flexible guide structure 5A and the second flexible guide structure 5B, respectively. The tendon cord connects the finger rotating winch 15 to the drive source winch 7 through the flexible guide structures. The function of the two flexible guide structures is to ensure that the tendon cord position remains consistent with the flexible guide structures when the tendon cord is under force, and that the tendon cord can transmit force between the two flexible guide structures. The flexible guide structure is a tendon cord support device that can arbitrarily arrange the tendon cord position and state according to spatial needs. The finger support frame 12 has a hole structure, and the drive source bracket 8 also has a hole structure. Two flexible guide structures are inserted into the hole of the finger support frame at one end and into the hole of the drive source bracket 8 at the other end, connecting the finger part 1 to the drive source winch 7.

[0058] It should be noted that the entire device has multiple drive sources, as well as multiple first flexible guide structures 5A and second flexible guide structures 5B. Here, only one set is used for illustrative explanation.

[0059] The finger flexion and extension movements of the dexterous hand with the aforementioned tendon-and-wire dual-drive structure are as follows: The rotational motion of the proximal fingertip (i.e., the rotational joint near the palm part 2) is used for explanation; the remaining parts operate on a similar principle as the distal fingertip rotation. The proximal fingertip rotating winch is fixed to the finger part 1, and the finger part 1 can rotate via the winch's axis. The tendon cord is wound around the surface of the drive source winch 7, with at least one full turn. Two ends of the tendon cord exit from the surface of the drive source winch 7; one end passes through the first guide wheel 11 and enters the second flexible guide structure 5B. The second guide wheel vertically guides the tendon cord from the surface of the drive source winch 7 into the flexible guide structure (the other end of the tendon cord is guided into the first flexible guide structure 5A in a similar manner). Through the flexible guide structure, the tendon cord can be connected to the finger support in any orientation. Two second guide wheels are provided within the finger support, tangentially guiding the tendon cord into the finger rotating winch 15. Both ends of the tendon cord are embedded and fixed within the finger rotating winch 15, while the middle part of the tendon cord is wound around the surface of the drive source winch 7. When the drive source winch 7 rotates clockwise, one end of the tendon rope will cause the finger to rotate the winch 15. Figure 14 When the winch rotates counterclockwise, the other end of the tendon rope will drive the fingers to rotate the winch 15 times. Figure 14Extend and rotate to complete the bending and stretching movements of your fingers.

[0060] It should be noted that both the dual-drive and single-drive structures use only one tendon cord. In the dual-drive configuration, both ends of the tendon cord are designed within the finger rotating winch 15, with the middle of the tendon cord wound around the surface of the drive source winch 7. For fingers using the tendon cord single-drive solution, simply remove the second flexible guide structure portion (retaining the first flexible guide structure portion) from the above dual-drive configuration. One end of the tendon cord is fixed within the finger rotating winch 15, and the other end is on the surface of the drive source winch 7, achieving the same flexible guide effect.

[0061] The above embodiments of this application solve the problems of large overall hand volume, complex tendon routing, and easy fatigue and breakage in single-drive or dual-drive finger structures by setting an outer layer of segmented reinforced flexible guide structure in the dexterous hand.

[0062] In the embodiments described above, the flexible guide structure comprises an inner flexible tube and an outer, locally modified reinforcing structure. The external reinforcing structures at both ends of the guide structure ensure strength, while the middle portion maintains good flexibility. Using this flexible guide structure in a dexterous hand simplifies the internal wiring process of the tendon cords and allows the tendon cord drive source to be positioned away from the fingers, reducing the overall hand size and the difficulty of tendon cord placement, improving the fatigue life of the tendon cords, increasing finger freedom, and reducing the overall hand space required.

[0063] The preferred features in the above embodiments can be used individually in any embodiment, or in any combination thereof, provided they do not conflict with each other. Furthermore, parts not described in detail in the embodiments can be implemented using existing technologies.

[0064] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not 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.

[0065] Furthermore, 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 indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0066] In the description of the embodiments in this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. In this application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "linked," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0067] The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the embodiments of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0068] The foregoing has described some specific embodiments of this application. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications or variations within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the substantive content of this application. The above-described preferred features can be used in any combination without conflict.

Claims

1. A flexible guiding structure, characterized in that, include: The inner layer is a flexible hollow tube through which the tendons of a dexterous hand pass; An outer reinforcing layer is fitted around the outer periphery of the inner layer. The outer reinforcing layer is divided into a middle section and ends located on both sides of the middle section. The strength of the ends is greater than that of the middle section.

2. The flexible guiding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner layer is a hollow tube made of a flexible lubricating material.

3. The flexible guiding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the inner layer is 0.5mm-1.5mm, and the outer diameter is 1mm-2.5mm.

4. The flexible guiding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer reinforcing layer is made of steel wire tension springs, and the number of turns at the ends of the steel wire tension springs is greater than the number of turns in the middle section.

5. The flexible guiding structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, The wire diameter of the wire spring is 0.1mm-0.5mm. The diameter of the inner hole of the wire spring is the same as or greater than the outer diameter of the inner layer by a preset value. The inner layer is inserted into the wire spring.

6. A tendon-driven dexterous hand, characterized in that, Including the flexible guiding structure according to any one of claims 1-5, it further includes: The palm part is connected to the wrist part via a rotating component; The finger section, fixed to the palm section, includes multiple fingers, each of which has a finger-rotating winch; A chord drive source is fixed inside the wrist via a drive source bracket, and the chord drive source includes a drive source winch. One end of the flexible guide structure is fixed to the base of the finger, and the other end is fixed to the drive source bracket; The tendon cord has one end wrapped around the drive source winch and the other end passing through the flexible guide structure and connected to the finger rotating winch; or, both ends of the tendon cord are fixed inside the finger rotating winch and the middle part of the tendon cord is wrapped around the surface of the drive source winch.

7. The tendon-driven dexterous hand according to claim 6, characterized in that, The drive source bracket is provided with a first mounting hole. The finger is connected to the palm part through a finger support frame. The finger support frame is provided with a second mounting hole. One end of the flexible guide structure is inserted into the first mounting hole, and the other end is inserted into the second mounting hole.

8. The tendon-driven dexterous hand according to claim 6, characterized in that, The tendon cord is vertically guided into the flexible guide structure via the first guide wheel.

9. The tendon-driven dexterous hand according to claim 7, characterized in that, The finger support frame is equipped with a second guide wheel, which is used to guide the tendon rope tangentially into the finger rotating winch.

10. The tendon-driven dexterous hand according to claim 6, characterized in that, The dexterous hand has chord-driven single-drive fingers or chord-driven double-drive fingers.

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