Modularized mechanical arm section

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of manipulators, and particularly discloses a modular mechanical arm section which comprises a first shell, a second shell and a driving joint. The driving joint comprises a rotary platform, a connecting platform, a rotary mechanism and a plurality of branched chains; the multiple branch chains are connected in parallel, and the composite motion of the multiple branch chains forms the output motion of the connecting platform. The rotary platform and the connecting platform are located in the first shell and the second shell correspondingly, and the rotary platform and the connecting platform are detachably connected with the first shell and the second shell correspondingly. Each branch chain comprises an electric telescopic rod, a connecting rod and a universal joint, the tail end of the electric telescopic rod and the tail end of the connecting rod are fixedly connected with the two ends of the universal joint respectively, the head end of the electric telescopic rod is fixedly connected with the rotary platform, and the connecting rod is rotationally connected with the connecting platform; the modular mechanical arm section adopts a modular design, and is good in disassembly and assembly convenience and easy to maintain.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic arm technology, specifically to a modular robotic arm segment. Background Technology

[0002] As the most widely used automated mechanical device in the field of robotics, robotic arms are frequently seen in many fields such as industrial manufacturing, medical treatment, entertainment services, military, semiconductor manufacturing, and space exploration. Although they vary in form, they all share a common characteristic: they can receive commands and accurately locate a point in three-dimensional space to carry out operations.

[0003] Modularization is one of the main development trends of robotic arms. Currently, common modular robotic arm segments are usually composed of multiple modular joint segments connected together. Each joint is only responsible for a portion of the overall movement angle of the robotic arm, and the flexibility of a single joint is not good. Therefore, it is necessary to improve them. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a modular robotic arm segment, which adopts a modular design, is easy to assemble and disassemble, has high flexibility, and is easy to maintain.

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A modular robotic arm segment includes: a first housing, a second housing, and a drive joint.

[0006] The drive joint includes a rotary platform, a connecting platform, a rotary mechanism, and multiple branches; The multiple branches are connected in parallel, and the combined motion of the multiple branches constitutes the output motion of the connecting platform.

[0007] The rotating platform and the connecting platform are located inside the first housing and the second housing, respectively, and the rotating platform and the connecting platform are detachably connected to the first housing and the second housing, respectively.

[0008] Each branch includes an electric telescopic rod, a connecting rod, and a universal joint. The ends of the electric telescopic rod and the connecting rod are fixedly connected to the two ends of the universal joint, respectively. The head end of the electric telescopic rod is fixedly connected to the rotating platform, and the connecting rod is rotatably connected to the connecting platform.

[0009] The slewing mechanism is used to drive the multiple branches to rotate along the slewing platform.

[0010] In at least one embodiment of the modular robotic arm provided in this disclosure: a plurality of first connecting blocks are provided inside the first housing, and both the first housing and the rotary platform are bolted to the first connecting blocks.

[0011] The second housing contains a plurality of second connecting blocks, and both the second housing and the connecting platform are bolted to the second connecting blocks.

[0012] In at least one embodiment of the modular robotic arm provided in this disclosure, the rotary mechanism includes: a connecting cover, an internal gear ring, a sun gear, a planetary carrier, planetary gears, a servo motor, and a positioning plate.

[0013] The connecting cover is fixedly connected to the inner toothed ring, and the connecting cover is detachably connected to the first housing.

[0014] The planetary carrier and planetary gears are rotatably connected, and the electric telescopic rod is slidably connected to the planetary carrier.

[0015] The output shaft of the servo motor is connected to a drive shaft, which is fixedly connected to the sun gear. The sun gear and planet gears are both located inside the internal gear ring. The sun gear is located at the center of the internal gear ring, and the planet gears mesh with the sun gear and with the internal gear ring.

[0016] The drive shaft is rotatably connected to the planetary carrier.

[0017] The servo motor and the electric telescopic rod are both fixedly connected to the positioning plate.

[0018] In at least one embodiment of the modular robotic arm provided in this disclosure: the connecting cover has an outlet, and all branches pass through the connecting cover via the outlet.

[0019] In at least one embodiment of the modular robotic arm provided in this disclosure, the internal toothed ring is located between the first housing and the second housing.

[0020] In at least one embodiment of the modular robotic arm provided in this disclosure, a turntable bearing is provided on the planetary carrier.

[0021] The planetary gear is fixedly connected to the turntable bearing, and the planet carrier is rotatably connected to the planetary gear through the turntable bearing.

[0022] In at least one embodiment of the modular robotic arm provided in this disclosure, a linear bearing is fixedly mounted on the planetary carrier.

[0023] The linear bearing passes through the turntable bearing.

[0024] The telescopic section of the electric telescopic rod passes through the linear bearing, and the telescopic section of the electric telescopic rod is slidably connected to the planetary carrier through the linear bearing.

[0025] The planetary gear has a through hole in the middle, and the linear bearing is inserted into the through hole with a clearance fit.

[0026] In at least one embodiment of the modular robotic arm provided in this disclosure, the connecting platform has a buffer structure.

[0027] In at least one embodiment of the modular robotic arm provided in this disclosure, the branches are provided with three.

[0028] The three branches are arranged in a circular array on the rotary mechanism with the central axis of the rotary mechanism as the center.

[0029] The modular robotic arm segment provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure further includes a cage.

[0030] The retainer is detachably connected to the internal toothed ring, the retainer is suspended between the internal toothed ring and the second housing, and the telescopic section of the electric telescopic rod is slidably connected to the retainer.

[0031] The advantages of this invention are: it adopts a modular design, which makes it easy to assemble and disassemble and easy to maintain.

[0032] The arm joint has high flexibility, allowing it to bend in all directions and rotate, thus meeting a variety of mission requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0033] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0034] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a modular robotic arm segment in Example 1.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a modular robotic arm segment in Example 1.

[0036] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a modular robotic arm segment in Example 1.

[0037] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the drive joint.

[0038] Figure 5 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the drive joint.

[0039] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0040] Figure 7 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a modular robotic arm segment in Example 2.

[0041] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the drive joint and the cage in Example 3.

[0042] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the cage.

[0043] In the picture: 10. First housing; 11. First connecting block; 12. Perforation; 20. Second housing; 21. Second connecting block; 30. Drive joint; 31. Rotary platform; 32. Connecting platform; 33. Rotation mechanism; 34. Branch chain; 341. Electric telescopic rod; 342. Connecting rod; 343. Universal joint; 331. Connecting cover; 332. Internal gear ring; 333. Sun gear; 334. Planetary carrier; 335. Planetary gear; 336. Servo motor; 337. Positioning plate; 338. Drive shaft; 3311. Through-hole; 3341. Turntable bearing; 3342. First linear bearing; 321. Upper base plate; 322. Lower base plate; 323. Buffer rubber pad; 40. Cage; 41. Second linear bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments, not all embodiments. Example

[0045] like Figure 1-6 As shown, this embodiment provides a modular robotic arm segment, including a first housing 10, a second housing 20, and a drive joint 30.

[0046] The structure of the drive joint 30 will be further explained below.

[0047] Specifically, the drive joint 30 includes a rotary platform 31, a connecting platform 32, a rotary mechanism 33, and three branches 34. The rotary platform 31 uses a turntable bearing.

[0048] Three branches 34 are arranged in a circular array on the rotary mechanism 33, centered on the central axis of the rotary mechanism 33. The three branches 34 are connected in parallel, and the combined motion of multiple branches 34 constitutes the output motion of the connecting platform 32.

[0049] The rotating platform 31 and the connecting platform 32 are located inside the first housing 10 and the second housing 20, respectively, and the rotating platform 31 and the connecting platform 32 are detachably connected to the first housing 10 and the second housing 20, respectively.

[0050] Each branch 34 includes an electric telescopic rod 341, a connecting rod 342, and a universal joint 343. The ends of the electric telescopic rod 341 and the connecting rod 342 are fixedly connected to the two ends of the universal joint 343, respectively. The head end of the electric telescopic rod 341 is fixedly connected to the rotary platform 31, and the head end of the connecting rod 342 is rotatably connected to the connecting platform 32.

[0051] The slewing mechanism 33 is used to drive multiple branches 34 to rotate along the slewing platform 31.

[0052] The drive joint 30 has a simple structure and is a closed-loop mechanism with multiple degrees of freedom that are driven in parallel. The moving parts of the drive joint 30 are lightweight, have high speed, and good dynamic response.

[0053] The entire drive joint has a compact structure, high rigidity, large load-bearing capacity, and good isotropy.

[0054] The structure of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 will be further described below.

[0055] The first housing 10 has multiple first connecting blocks 11, and both the first housing 10 and the rotating platform 31 are bolted to the first connecting blocks 11. The second housing 20 has multiple second connecting blocks 21, and both the second housing 20 and the connecting platform 32 are bolted to the second connecting blocks 21.

[0056] Both the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are provided with vertically arranged through holes 12, and both the first connecting block 11 and the second connecting block 21 are provided with screw holes (not shown). During assembly, the first connecting block 11 and the second connecting block 21 can be installed by passing bolts through the through holes and screwing them into the screw holes, which makes the connection convenient.

[0057] Both the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 adopt a tubular structure.

[0058] Since the two ends of the branch chain 34 are located in the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 respectively, the length of the entire arm section can be effectively shortened. At the same time, the length of the entire arm section can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the first connecting block 11 and the second connecting block 21, which has excellent flexibility.

[0059] The structure of the rotary mechanism 33 will be further explained below.

[0060] The rotating mechanism 33 is combined with the three branches 34. The rotating mechanism can provide support for the three branches 34 and improve their stability. The rotating mechanism 33 can effectively distribute the force on the three branches 34 and alleviate the disadvantage of the weak force in the middle of the branches 34.

[0061] By integrating the three parallel branches 34 into the transmission structure of the planetary gear, the entire rotary mechanism is small in size, has a large load-bearing capacity, operates smoothly, and can play a self-locking role, which is conducive to improving working accuracy.

[0062] Specifically, the rotary mechanism 33 includes a connecting cover 331, an internal gear ring 332, a sun gear 333, a planetary carrier 334, a planetary gear 335, a servo motor 336, and a positioning plate 337.

[0063] The connecting cover 331 is fixedly connected to the inner toothed ring 332, and the connecting cover 331 is detachably connected to the first housing 10.

[0064] The planetary carrier 334 and the planetary gear 335 are rotatably connected, and the electric telescopic rod 341 is slidably connected to the planetary carrier 334.

[0065] The output shaft of the servo motor 336 is connected to the drive shaft 338, which is fixedly connected to the sun gear. The sun gear 333 and the planet gear 335 are both located inside the internal gear ring 332. The sun gear 333 is located at the center of the internal gear ring 332. The planet gear 335 meshes with the sun gear 333 and meshes with the internal gear ring 332.

[0066] The drive shaft 338 is rotatably connected to the planetary carrier 334. The servo motor 336 and the electric telescopic rod 341 are both fixedly connected to the positioning plate 337, which provides support for the branch chain 34 and improves the stability of the branch chain.

[0067] The connecting cover 331 has an outlet 3311, through which the branches 34 pass.

[0068] The internal toothed ring 332 is located between the first housing 10 and the second housing 20.

[0069] A planetary carrier 334 is provided with a rotary bearing 3341. The planetary gear 335 is fixedly connected to the rotary bearing 3341, and the planetary carrier 334 is rotatably connected to the planetary gear 335 through the rotary bearing 3341. A first linear bearing 3342 is fixedly provided on the planetary carrier 334, and the first linear bearing 3342 passes through the rotary bearing 3341.

[0070] The telescopic section of the electric telescopic rod 341 passes through the first linear bearing 3342, and the telescopic section of the electric telescopic rod 341 is slidably connected to the planetary carrier 334 through the first linear bearing 3342.

[0071] The planetary gear 335 has a through hole (not shown) in the middle, and the first linear bearing 3342 is inserted into the through hole with clearance fit. Example

[0072] like Figure 7 As shown, this embodiment provides a modular robotic arm segment, which differs from Embodiment 1 in that the connecting platform 32 has a buffer structure, which can play a buffering role and can withstand part of the axial impact force.

[0073] Specifically, the connecting platform 32 includes an upper substrate 321, a lower substrate 322 and a buffer rubber pad 323, with the buffer rubber pad 323 sandwiched between the upper substrate 321 and the lower substrate 322, and the upper substrate 321 and the lower substrate 322 are bolted together. Example

[0074] like Figure 8 and 9 As shown, this embodiment provides a modular robotic arm segment, which differs from Embodiment 1 in that it further includes a retainer 40.

[0075] The retainer 40 is detachably connected to the internal gear ring 332. The retainer 40 is suspended between the internal gear ring 332 and the second housing 20. The telescopic section of the electric telescopic rod 341 is slidably connected to the retainer 40 through the second linear bearing 41.

[0076] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, the scope of protection of this invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be conceived without inventive effort should be covered within the scope of protection of this invention. Unless expressly stated otherwise, no element, action or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or necessary.

Claims

1. A modular robotic arm segment, characterized in that, include: First housing, second housing, and drive joint; The drive joint includes a rotary platform, a connecting platform, a rotary mechanism, and multiple branches; The multiple branches are connected in parallel, and the combined motion of the multiple branches constitutes the output motion of the connecting platform; The rotating platform and the connecting platform are located inside the first housing and the second housing, respectively, and the rotating platform and the connecting platform are detachably connected to the first housing and the second housing, respectively. Each branch includes an electric telescopic rod, a connecting rod, and a universal joint. The ends of the electric telescopic rod and the connecting rod are fixedly connected to the two ends of the universal joint, respectively. The head end of the electric telescopic rod is fixedly connected to the rotary platform, and the connecting rod is rotatably connected to the connecting platform. The slewing mechanism is used to drive the multiple branches to rotate along the slewing platform.

2. The modular robotic arm segment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first housing is provided with a plurality of first connecting blocks, and both the first housing and the rotating platform are bolted to the first connecting blocks; The second housing contains a plurality of second connecting blocks, and both the second housing and the connecting platform are bolted to the second connecting blocks.

3. A modular robotic arm segment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotary mechanism includes: Connecting cover, internal gear ring, sun gear, planetary carrier, planetary gears, servo motor and positioning plate; The connecting cover is fixedly connected to the inner toothed ring, and the connecting cover is detachably connected to the first housing. The planetary carrier and planetary gears are rotatably connected, and the electric telescopic rod is slidably connected to the planetary carrier; The output shaft of the servo motor is connected to a transmission shaft, which is fixedly connected to the sun gear. The sun gear and planet gears are both located inside the internal gear ring. The sun gear is located at the center of the internal gear ring, and the planet gears mesh with the sun gear and with the internal gear ring. The drive shaft is rotatably connected to the planetary carrier; The servo motor and the electric telescopic rod are both fixedly connected to the positioning plate.

4. A modular robotic arm segment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The connecting cover has an outlet, through which all the branches pass.

5. A modular robotic arm segment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The internal toothed ring is located between the first housing and the second housing.

6. A modular robotic arm segment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The planetary carrier is equipped with a turntable bearing; The planetary gear is fixedly connected to the turntable bearing, and the planet carrier is rotatably connected to the planetary gear through the turntable bearing.

7. A modular robotic arm segment according to claim 6, characterized in that, A linear bearing is fixedly mounted on the planetary carrier; The linear bearing passes through the turntable bearing; The telescopic section of the electric telescopic rod passes through the linear bearing, and the telescopic section of the electric telescopic rod is slidably connected to the planetary carrier through the linear bearing; The planetary gear has a through hole in the middle, and the linear bearing is inserted into the through hole with a clearance fit.

8. A modular robotic arm segment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connection platform has a buffer structure.

9. A modular robotic arm segment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The branch has three branches; The three branches are arranged in a circular array on the rotary mechanism with the central axis of the rotary mechanism as the center.

10. A modular robotic arm segment according to claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: cage; The retainer is detachably connected to the internal toothed ring, the retainer is suspended between the internal toothed ring and the second housing, and the telescopic section of the electric telescopic rod is slidably connected to the retainer.

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