Linear driving device and mechanical execution device

Abstract

The invention provides a linear driving device and a mechanical execution device. The linear driving device comprises a base, a driving device and a driving device, the moving assembly is arranged on the base, the moving assembly comprises a moving part, and the moving part can linearly move in the extending direction of the base; and the driver is arranged at one end of the base, the driver comprises a driving rod and a buffer assembly, the driving rod is connected with the buffer assembly, and the buffer assembly is fixedly connected with the moving part, so that the driving rod is in non-rigid connection with the moving part. The driving rod and the moving part are connected through the buffer assembly, so that the driving rod and the moving part are in non-rigid connection, the problems that when structural deviation occurs between the moving assembly and the driver, moving is difficult, and the moving precision is reduced are solved through the design, and therefore the stability and reliability in the linear motion process are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of linear motion equipment technology, and in particular to a linear drive device and a mechanical actuator. Background Technology

[0002] Linear guides are mechanical components used for high-precision linear motion to guide end effectors to perform reciprocating linear motion in a given direction. They are widely used in industrial automation, precision instruments and other fields.

[0003] The following problems exist with existing devices that use linear guides: during long-term use, the track and the moving components may become misaligned, which leads to difficulties in movement and reduced movement accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this application is to provide a linear drive device and a mechanical actuator that improves the stability and reliability of linear motion, thereby ensuring the accuracy of controlling linear movement.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, in a first aspect, this application provides a linear drive device, comprising: Base; A movable component is disposed on the base, the movable component includes a movable member, the movable member being capable of linear movement along the extension direction of the base; A driver is located at one end of the base. The driver includes a drive rod and a buffer assembly. The drive rod is connected to the buffer assembly, and the buffer assembly is fixedly connected to the moving part, so that the drive rod and the moving part are non-rigidly connected. In some embodiments of this application, the buffer assembly includes a connector and a buffer. The buffer has a fixing part, a buffer part and a limiting part arranged in sequence, and the diameter of the fixing part is smaller than the diameter of the buffer part, and the diameter of the buffer part is smaller than the diameter of the limiting part; The moving part has a connection hole on the side wall near the driver; The connector has a mounting hole corresponding to the connecting hole. The diameter of the mounting hole is smaller than the diameter of the limiting part and larger than the diameter of the buffer part. During assembly, the fixing part is passed through the mounting hole and connected to the connecting hole, the buffer part is located in the mounting hole, and the limiting part is in contact with the connecting member.

[0006] In some embodiments of this application, the buffer assembly further includes an elastic coil; The elastic ring is disposed on the buffer portion and contacts the limiting portion and the connecting member.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, one end of the base is provided with a mounting frame, and the other end is provided with a protrusion, with a moving space between the mounting frame and the protrusion; The driver is mounted on the mounting frame; The moving component further includes a linear track connected to the base and a slider slidably disposed on the linear track, the linear track being located in the moving space; The movable component is fixedly connected to the slider.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the driver includes a drive motor, and the connector is a lead screw and nut; The moving part has a through hole along the extension direction of the straight track; The lead screw nut has an insert portion that passes through the through hole so that the threaded hole of the lead screw nut is coaxial with the through hole; The drive rod is a lead screw that matches the lead screw nut. One end of the lead screw is connected to the drive motor, and the other end passes through the lead screw nut and is rotatably connected to the protrusion.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the linear drive device further includes a cover plate; The cover plate is provided on the base, and the cover plate has openings spaced apart corresponding to the moving component. There is a shielding structure between two adjacent openings to shield the drive rod. The movable component has a mounting portion that extends into the mounting port for mounting an end effector.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, a limiting straight groove is formed on the base along its extending direction; The linear track is detachably installed within the limiting straight groove.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the linear drive device further includes several limiting pins; Limiting holes are provided at intervals on both sides of the limiting straight groove; Several limiting pins are inserted into the limiting holes and abut against both sides of the linear track.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the buffer assembly of the linear drive device further includes an adjustment shim; The buffer is inserted through the adjusting shim so that the adjusting shim is located between the elastic ring and the limiting part.

[0013] In a second aspect, embodiments of this application provide a mechanical actuator, including an end effector and the linear drive device, wherein the end effector is fixedly mounted on the moving member.

[0014] The advantages of the linear drive device and mechanical actuator provided in this application are as follows: 1. This application uses a buffer assembly to connect the drive rod and the moving part, so that the connection between the drive rod and the moving part is non-rigid. This design overcomes the problem of movement difficulty and reduced movement accuracy caused by structural misalignment between the moving part and the driver, thereby improving the stability and reliability of linear motion.

[0015] 2. This application uses a cover plate placed on the base to shield the drive rod, preventing contaminants such as metal particles and metal shavings from falling directly onto the drive rod and affecting linear drive, thereby ensuring the reliability of linear motion.

[0016] 3. This application provides a limiting groove on the base and limiting holes spaced apart on both sides of the limiting groove. The limiting pins abut against both sides of the linear track to ensure the stability of the linear track when it is installed on the base. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the linear drive device provided in this application from a first-view perspective; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the linear drive device provided in this application from a second perspective; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the buffer element after the elastic ring and adjusting shim are fitted onto it, as provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the drive rod connected to the moving part via a buffer assembly, as provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a linear drive device with a cover plate installed in an embodiment provided in this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the mechanical actuator provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0018] Figure label: Base 1, mounting frame 11, protrusion 12, limiting hole 13, moving component 2, moving part 21, through hole 211, mounting part 212, connecting hole 213, linear track 22, slider 23, driver 3, drive rod 31, buffer component 32, connector 321, mounting hole 3211, buffer part 322, fixing part 3221, buffer part 3222, limiting part 3223, elastic ring 323, adjusting shim 324, cover plate 4, opening 41, shielding structure 42, limiting pin 5, end effector 100, linear drive device 200. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein should have the ordinary meaning understood by those skilled in the art to which this application pertains. The terms "comprising" and similar expressions used herein mean that the element or object preceding the word covers the element or object listed after the word and its equivalents, but does not exclude other elements or objects. Unless otherwise specified, the term "connection" as used herein can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection, i.e., a connection through an intermediate object.

[0020] Furthermore, it should be understood that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer" in this document are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. The terms "first" and "second" in this document are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more.

[0021] To address the problems existing in the prior art, embodiments of this application provide a linear drive device, including a base 1, a moving component 2, and a driver 3. The base 1 is an elongated plate-like structure. The moving component 2 is fixedly mounted on the base 1 and includes a moving member 21, which can move linearly along the extension direction of the base 1. The driver 3 is located at one end of the base 1 and includes a drive rod 31 and a buffer assembly 32. The drive rod 31 is connected to the buffer assembly 32, and the buffer assembly 32 is fixedly connected to the moving member 21. The buffer assembly 32 ensures a non-rigid connection between the drive rod 31 and the moving member 21.

[0022] In this embodiment, by setting a buffer component 32 to make the connection between the drive rod 31 and the moving part 21 non-rigid, the problem of movement difficulty and reduced movement accuracy caused by structural displacement between the moving part 2 and the driver 3 during long-term use is overcome, thereby improving the stability and reliability of linear motion.

[0023] More importantly, by incorporating the buffer component 32, damage to the moving component 2 and the entire device structure is prevented from occurring due to the impact force generated by the start-up, stop, or load changes of the driver 3. This improves the service life of the linear drive device and reduces maintenance costs, making the linear drive device provided in this application suitable for applications requiring high motion accuracy and stability and subject to large load variations. For example, joint drives in robotic arms.

[0024] refer to Figures 1 to 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the buffer assembly 32 includes a connector 321 and a buffer 322. The buffer 322 has a bolt-type structure and has a fixing part 3221, a buffer part 3222, and a limiting part 3223 arranged sequentially. The diameter of the fixing part 3221 is smaller than the diameter of the buffer part 3222, and the diameter of the buffer part 3222 is smaller than the diameter of the limiting part 3223. The moving part 21 has a block structure. A connecting hole 213 is provided on one side wall of the moving part 21 near the driver 3. The connecting hole 213 can be connected to the fixing part 3221. The connector 321 has a mounting hole 3211 corresponding to the connecting hole 213. The diameter of the mounting hole 3211 is smaller than the diameter of the limiting part 3223 and larger than the diameter of the buffer part 3222.

[0025] When the buffer assembly 32 is assembled and connected to the moving part 21, the connector 321 is first placed against one side wall of the moving part 21, and then the fixing part 3221 is connected to the connecting hole 213 through the mounting hole 3211. At this time, the limiting part 3223 contacts the connector 321, and the buffer part 3222 is located in the mounting hole 3211 to fix the connector 321 to the side wall of the moving part 21.

[0026] In this embodiment, the connecting hole 213 can be a threaded hole, and the fixing part 3221 is a threaded structure that matches the threaded hole. Since the diameter of the buffer part 3222 is smaller than the diameter of the mounting hole 3211, when the buffer part 3222 is located inside the mounting hole 3211, there will be a buffer space between the outer side wall of the buffer part 3222 and the inner side wall of the mounting hole 3211. The existence of the buffer space allows the moving component 2 and the driver 3 to be offset without affecting the linear motion of the linear drive device. Therefore, it overcomes the problem of movement difficulty and reduced movement accuracy caused by structural offset between the moving component 2 and the driver 3.

[0027] Further, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the buffer assembly 32 also includes an elastic ring 323. The elastic ring 323 is sleeved on the buffer portion 3222 and contacts the limiting portion 3223 and the connecting member 321.

[0028] In this embodiment, the elastic ring 323 is an O-ring. By providing the elastic ring 323 between the limiting part 3223 and the connector 321, the elastic ring 323 provides elastic buffering, so that when the driver 3 drives the moving component 2 to move, the impact force caused by the sudden start, stop or load change of the driver 3 is avoided from damaging the structure of the moving component 2 and the entire device.

[0029] Continue to refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the buffer assembly 32 of the linear drive device further includes an adjusting shim 324, with the buffer member 322 passing through the adjusting shim 324 so that the adjusting shim 324 is located between the elastic ring 323 and the limiting portion 3223.

[0030] In this embodiment, an adjusting shim 324 is provided between the elastic ring 323 and the limiting part 3223 to adjust the parallelism of the connector 321 and the moving part 21 after they are connected.

[0031] refer to Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, one end of the base 1 is provided with a mounting frame 11, and the other end is provided with a protrusion 12. A moving space exists between the mounting frame 11 and the protrusion 12, and the driver 3 is disposed within the mounting frame 11. The moving component 2 also includes a linear track 22 connected to the base 1 and a slider 23 slidably disposed on the linear track 22. The linear track 22 is located within the moving space, allowing the slider 23 to move linearly within the moving space. The moving component 21 is fixedly connected to the slider 23.

[0032] In this embodiment, the driver 3 includes a drive motor, which is fixedly mounted within the mounting frame 11. The drive rod 31 is a lead screw, with one end fixedly connected to the drive motor via a coupling and the other end rotatably connected to the protrusion 12. The moving part 21 has a through hole 211 along the extension direction of the linear track 22, and the through hole 211 is coaxially arranged with the lead screw. The connecting part 321 is a lead screw nut that can be connected to the lead screw. The lead screw nut has an insert portion that passes through the through hole 211, so that the threaded hole of the lead screw nut is coaxial with the through hole 211, and the lead screw is connected to the lead screw nut. The side wall of the lead screw nut is provided with a connecting plate in annular shape, and a plurality of mounting holes 3211 are provided on the connecting plate at intervals.

[0033] When the moving part 21 needs to move, the control system sends a signal to the drive motor, which rotates in the set direction and speed, and drives the lead screw to rotate through the coupling. The rotational motion of the lead screw is converted into linear movement of the moving part 21 through the lead screw nut. During the movement, if there is an impact force generated by load changes or motor start-stop, the elastic ring 323 can absorb and dissipate the impact energy, keeping the movement of the moving part 21 smooth. When the moving part 21 reaches the designated position, the stepper motor stops rotating, and the moving part 21 stops moving.

[0034] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the linear drive device further includes a cover plate 4, which is mounted on the base 1 and covers the moving component 2. The cover plate 4 has openings 41 spaced apart corresponding to the moving component 2, and a shielding structure 42 is provided between two adjacent openings 41 to shield the drive rod 31. The moving component 21 has a mounting portion 212, which extends into a mounting port for mounting an end effector, which may be a gripper or a pipette, etc.

[0035] In this embodiment, the cover plate 4 is made of metal and is detachably connected to the base 1 by bolts. This embodiment uses the cover plate 4 to cover the base 1 to shield the drive rod 31, preventing metal particles, metal shavings, and other contaminants from falling directly onto the drive rod 31 and affecting linear drive, thus ensuring the reliability of linear motion.

[0036] In some embodiments, a limiting straight groove is formed on the base 1 along its extending direction. The limiting straight groove is a straight groove structure, and the straight track 22 is detachably disposed in the limiting straight groove.

[0037] In this embodiment, by setting a limiting straight groove on the base 1, precise linear guidance is provided for the movement of the moving component 2, and the probability of positional deviation of the linear track 22 during long-term use is reduced.

[0038] Further, refer to Figure 2As shown, the linear drive device also includes several limiting pins 5. Limiting holes 13 are provided at intervals on both sides of the limiting straight groove. Several limiting pins 5 are inserted into the limiting holes 13 and abut against both sides of the linear track 22.

[0039] In this embodiment, the stability of the linear track 22 is ensured by abutting the limiting pin 5 against both sides of the linear track 22.

[0040] refer to Figure 6 As shown, in another embodiment provided in this application, a mechanical actuator is provided, including an end effector 100 and a linear drive device 200 as provided in the above embodiments, wherein the end effector 100 is fixedly mounted on a movable part of the linear drive device 200.

[0041] In this embodiment, by using a linear drive device 200 to drive the end effector 100 to move, the accuracy of controlling the movement of the end effector to grasp objects is ensured.

[0042] It should be noted that the end effector 100 can be a mechanical gripper or a pipette. In this embodiment, the end effector 100 is a pipette used to transfer biopharmaceutical solutions.

[0043] The above description is merely a specific implementation of the embodiments of this application, but the protection scope of the embodiments of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of this application should be covered within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of the embodiments of this application should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A linear drive device, characterized in that, include: Base; A movable component is disposed on the base, the movable component includes a movable member, the movable member being capable of linear movement along the extension direction of the base; A driver is located at one end of the base. The driver includes a drive rod and a buffer assembly. The drive rod is connected to the buffer assembly, and the buffer assembly is fixedly connected to the moving part, so that the drive rod and the moving part are non-rigidly connected.

2. The linear drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The buffer assembly includes a connector and a buffer component; The buffer has a fixing part, a buffer part and a limiting part arranged in sequence, and the diameter of the fixing part is smaller than the diameter of the buffer part, and the diameter of the buffer part is smaller than the diameter of the limiting part; The moving part has a connection hole on the side wall near the driver; The connector has a mounting hole corresponding to the connecting hole. The diameter of the mounting hole is smaller than the diameter of the limiting part and larger than the diameter of the buffer part. During assembly, the fixing part is passed through the mounting hole and connected to the connecting hole, the buffer part is located in the mounting hole, and the limiting part is in contact with the connecting member.

3. The linear drive device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The buffer assembly also includes an elastic coil; The elastic ring is disposed on the buffer portion and contacts the limiting portion and the connecting member.

4. The linear drive device according to claim 3, characterized in that, One end of the base is provided with a mounting frame, and the other end is provided with a protrusion, with a moving space between the mounting frame and the protrusion; The driver is mounted on the mounting frame; The moving component further includes a linear track connected to the base and a slider slidably disposed on the linear track, the linear track being located in the moving space; The movable component is fixedly connected to the slider.

5. The linear drive device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The driver includes a drive motor, and the connecting component is a lead screw and nut; The moving part has a through hole along the extension direction of the straight track; The lead screw nut has an insert portion that passes through the through hole so that the threaded hole of the lead screw nut is coaxial with the through hole; The drive rod is a lead screw that matches the lead screw nut. One end of the lead screw is connected to the drive motor, and the other end passes through the lead screw nut and is rotatably connected to the protrusion.

6. The linear drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a cover plate; The cover plate is provided on the base, and the cover plate has openings spaced apart corresponding to the moving component. There is a shielding structure between two adjacent openings to shield the drive rod. The movable component has a mounting portion that extends into the mounting port for mounting an end effector.

7. The linear drive device according to claim 4, characterized in that, A limiting groove is formed on the base along its extending direction; The linear track is detachably installed within the limiting straight groove.

8. The linear drive device according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes several limit pins; Limiting holes are provided at intervals on both sides of the limiting straight groove; Several limiting pins are inserted into the limiting holes and abut against both sides of the linear track.

9. The linear drive device according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that, The buffer assembly also includes an adjustment shim; The buffer is inserted through the adjusting shim so that the adjusting shim is located between the elastic ring and the limiting part.

10. A mechanical actuator, characterized in that, It includes an end effector and a linear drive device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the end effector is fixedly mounted on the moving member.

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