A reduction gear box for a robot

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of gear box structure, in particular to a reduction gear box for robots, which comprises a shell, the shell is divided into a first cavity and a second cavity by a first partition plate. A longitudinal input assembly is arranged at one end of the first cavity, and a primary and a secondary transverse output assembly are sequentially arranged in the direction away from the longitudinal input assembly. A worm of the longitudinal input assembly is engaged with a turbine of the primary transverse output assembly; a primary gear of the primary transverse output assembly is engaged with an adjacent secondary gear. A first helical gear is arranged at the end of the second cavity into which a primary transverse output shaft extends, and is engaged with a second helical gear of the longitudinal output assembly. The application divides the internal region of the shell by the partition plate, realizes the driving of multiple transverse and longitudinal output shafts by a single input shaft, has high structural integration and compact size, can meet the demand of the synchronous transmission of multiple shafts of the robot in limited space, and improves the load holding capacity and safety by using the self-locking characteristics of the worm gear.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of gearbox structure, specifically a reduction gearbox for robots. Background Technology

[0002] In the fields of industrial automation and robotics, there are often situations where multiple actuators need to move synchronously or in conjunction within a confined space. For example, in the wrist or end effector of a multi-joint robotic arm, a servo motor is often required as a power source to simultaneously drive the rotation of the end effector joint, multiple gripper opening and closing mechanisms, or synchronous pulleys. This scenario requires a reduction gearbox capable of driving multiple output shafts from a single input shaft.

[0003] In existing technologies, to achieve single-input multiple-output, a combination structure of multi-stage parallel shaft gear transmission or planetary gear train combined with bevel gear reversal is typically used. However, such structures have the following shortcomings: First, to achieve multiple outputs and ensure that the output direction meets specific requirements (e.g., rotation in the same direction or in opposite directions), existing solutions often require the addition of additional idler gears or bridge gears, resulting in a large gearbox volume and complex housing structure, making it difficult to meet the robot's design requirements for lightweight and compactness; Second, some transmission schemes, when achieving multi-stage lateral output, often arrange the gears sequentially along the axial direction, resulting in a long axial length of the gearbox, which not only increases the moment of inertia but also reduces the rigidity of the housing; Third, in existing structures, the support layout between the input shaft and the multiple output shafts is relatively dispersed, and the accuracy of the bearing mounting holes is affected by the cumulative error of multiple layers of partitions, resulting in poor transmission smoothness and noise control performance.

[0004] Therefore, how to design a reduction gearbox with a compact structure, high transmission efficiency, and the ability to stably drive multiple vertical and horizontal output shafts from a single input shaft within a limited space is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a reduction gearbox for robots to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A reduction gearbox for a robot includes: two housings assembled vertically, a first partition provided in the middle of the inner cavity of the housing, and the inner cavity of the housing is divided into a first cavity and a second cavity to the left and right by the first partition; A longitudinal input component is installed at one end of the first cavity, and a primary lateral output component and several secondary lateral output components are sequentially arranged in the middle of the first cavity along its length direction that gradually moves away from the longitudinal input component. One end of the primary lateral output component and one end of several secondary lateral output components extend outside the housing; One end of the longitudinal input component is driven to one end of the primary lateral output component, the primary lateral output component is driven to the adjacent secondary lateral output component, and two adjacent secondary lateral output components are driven to each other. The second cavity is provided with a plurality of longitudinal output components. One end of the longitudinal output component is connected to the other end of the first-level transverse output component, and the other end of the longitudinal output component extends to the outside of the housing.

[0007] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the longitudinal input assembly includes an input shaft, a worm gear installed in the middle of the input shaft, and first bearings installed at both ends of the input shaft; The inner wall of the housing is provided with a mounting sleeve for installing the first bearing at the end of the first cavity.

[0008] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the primary lateral output assembly includes a primary lateral output shaft, second bearings installed at both ends of the primary lateral output shaft, and a turbine and a primary gear installed in the middle of the primary lateral output shaft; The turbine meshes with the worm gear.

[0009] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the secondary lateral output assembly includes a secondary lateral output shaft, third bearings installed at both ends of the secondary lateral output shaft, and a secondary gear installed in the middle of the secondary lateral output shaft. The secondary gear closest to the primary lateral output assembly meshes with the primary gear, and the secondary gears of two adjacent secondary lateral output assemblies mesh.

[0010] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the longitudinal output assembly includes a longitudinal output shaft, fourth bearings mounted at both ends of the longitudinal output shaft, and a second helical gear mounted at one end of the longitudinal output shaft; One end of the first-stage transverse output shaft extends into the second cavity and is connected to a first helical gear, which meshes with the second helical gear.

[0011] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the side of the housing corresponding to the first cavity and the first partition plate are provided with a first mounting groove for mounting the second bearing and a plurality of second mounting grooves for mounting the third bearing.

[0012] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the second cavity is provided with a second partition, and a third mounting groove for mounting the fourth bearing is installed on the side of the housing corresponding to the second cavity and on the second partition.

[0013] The present invention has the following advantages: 1. Highly integrated structure and compact size: By cleverly designing a first partition, the housing is divided into a first cavity and a second cavity. This allows the longitudinal input component, primary and secondary lateral output components to be integrated into the first cavity, while the longitudinal output component is integrated into the second cavity. This layout makes full use of the internal space of the housing, integrating the worm gear reducer, parallel shaft gear transmission mechanism, and bevel gear reversing mechanism into a compact housing profile, significantly reducing the overall size of the gearbox. It is particularly suitable for robot joints or end effectors with strict installation space constraints.

[0014] 2. Achieving Single Input with Multiple Output Types: This invention utilizes a primary lateral output shaft as a transmission hub. One end receives input torque via a worm gear, while the middle section transmits power sequentially to each secondary lateral output component via a primary gear. The other end drives the longitudinal output component via a first helical gear. This innovative design allows a single motor input to simultaneously drive multiple laterally extending output shafts (for grasping or conveying) and one or more vertical output shafts (for attitude adjustment), meeting the needs of multi-degree-of-freedom collaborative robot operations. It eliminates the need for multiple independent motors, reducing system cost and weight.

[0015] 3. Smooth Transmission and High Support Rigidity: The design explicitly includes first, second, and third mounting slots on the inner wall of the housing and on the first and second partitions. By directly creating bearing mounting slots within the integrated housing and partitions, the bearing holes at both ends of each transmission shaft (input shaft, transverse output shaft, and longitudinal output shaft) achieve extremely high coaxiality and positional accuracy, reducing accumulated errors from multi-layer assembly. This effectively reduces off-center loading and vibration during gear meshing, improves transmission efficiency, reduces operating noise, and extends the gearbox's service life.

[0016] 4. Excellent self-locking performance and high safety: The longitudinal input component adopts a worm gear and worm wheel meshing structure. Worm gear transmission has a natural reverse self-locking characteristic. When the motor stops supplying power, the load reaction torque on the output end cannot drive the worm gear to rotate in the reverse direction, thus allowing each output shaft to maintain its current position without slipping. This characteristic is crucial for robots to grasp heavy objects or maintain a hovering posture, greatly improving the safety and reliability of equipment operation and reducing energy consumption. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a top view of the overall internal structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the overall internal structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the shell structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] In the diagram: 1. Housing; 101. First cavity; 102. Second cavity; 103. First partition; 104. Second partition; 105. Mounting sleeve; 106. First mounting slot; 107. Second mounting slot; 108. Third mounting slot; 2. Longitudinal input assembly; 201. Input shaft; 202. First bearing; 203. Worm gear; 3. Primary transverse output assembly; 301. Primary transverse output shaft; 302. Turbine; 303. Primary gear; 304. First helical gear; 305. Second bearing; 4. Secondary transverse output assembly; 401. Secondary transverse output shaft; 402. Secondary gear; 403. Third bearing; 5. Longitudinal output assembly; 501. Longitudinal output shaft; 502. Second helical gear; 503. Fourth bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0022] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" 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 will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0023] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0024] Example: Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 A reduction gearbox for robots includes two housings 1 assembled vertically. A first partition 103 is provided in the middle of the inner cavity of each housing 1. The inner cavity of each housing 1 is divided into a first cavity 101 and a second cavity 102 on the left and right sides by the first partition 103. The two housings 1 can be fastened together by bolts or pins arranged circumferentially. The joint surfaces of the two housings 1 are coated with sealant or provided with sealing gaskets to ensure that the internal lubricating grease does not leak.

[0025] A longitudinal input component 2 is installed at one end of the first cavity 101, and a primary lateral output component 3 and several secondary lateral output components 4 are sequentially arranged in the middle of the first cavity 101 along its length direction that gradually moves away from the longitudinal input component 2. One end of the primary lateral output component 3 and one end of several secondary lateral output components 4 extend to the outside of the housing 1; specifically, the side wall of the housing 1 is provided with a through hole for the primary lateral output shaft 301 and the secondary lateral output shaft 401 to extend out, and a rotating shaft lip seal is embedded in the through hole to prevent external dust from entering the interior of the housing 1.

[0026] One end of the longitudinal input component 2 is driven to one end of the primary lateral output component 3, the primary lateral output component 3 is driven to the adjacent secondary lateral output component 4, and two adjacent secondary lateral output components 4 are driven to each other. The second cavity 102 is provided with a plurality of longitudinal output components 5. One end of each longitudinal output component 5 is connected to the other end of the first-stage transverse output component 3, and the other end of each longitudinal output component 5 extends outside the housing 1. Specifically, the bottom or side wall of the housing 1 is provided with a through hole for the longitudinal output shaft 501 to extend out, and a rotating shaft lip seal is also embedded in the through hole.

[0027] The longitudinal input assembly 2 includes an input shaft 201, a worm gear 203 mounted in the middle of the input shaft 201, and first bearings 202 mounted at both ends of the input shaft 201. One end of the input shaft 201 extends to the outside of the housing 1, and the shaft end of the extended end is machined with a keyway or D-shaped cut surface for connecting a drive motor. The worm gear 203 and the input shaft 201 can be an integrally formed structure to increase torsional strength, or they can be designed separately and connected by a flat key to reduce machining difficulty.

[0028] The inner wall of the housing 1 is provided with a mounting sleeve 105 for mounting the first bearing 202 at the end of the first cavity 101. The mounting sleeve 105 and the housing 1 are integrally cast or machined. The first bearing 202 is a deep groove ball bearing or an angular contact ball bearing. Its outer ring is axially limited by a retaining ring or the inner stepped surface of the mounting sleeve 105, and its inner ring is axially limited by a retaining ring or the shoulder of the input shaft 201.

[0029] The primary lateral output assembly 3 includes a primary lateral output shaft 301, second bearings 305 installed at both ends of the primary lateral output shaft 301, and a turbine 302 and a primary gear 303 installed in the middle of the primary lateral output shaft 301. The turbine 302 meshes with the worm gear 203. The turbine 302 is circumferentially fixed to the first-stage transverse output shaft 301 via a key or spline to prevent relative rotation. The turbine 302 is axially positioned on both sides by shoulders and sleeves to prevent axial movement under meshing force. The first-stage gear 303 is also fixedly mounted on the first-stage transverse output shaft 301 via a key. The turbine 302 is typically made of tin bronze to reduce the coefficient of friction and wear when meshing with the steel worm gear 203. The first-stage gear 303 is made of alloy steel and undergoes surface hardening treatment to improve contact fatigue strength.

[0030] The secondary lateral output assembly 4 includes a secondary lateral output shaft 401, third bearings 403 installed at both ends of the secondary lateral output shaft 401, and a secondary gear 402 installed in the middle of the secondary lateral output shaft 401; the secondary gear 402 and the secondary lateral output shaft 401 are circumferentially fixed by a flat key or spline.

[0031] The secondary gear 402 near the primary lateral output component 3 meshes with the primary gear 303, and the secondary gears 402 of two adjacent secondary lateral output components 4 mesh.

[0032] The longitudinal output assembly 5 includes a longitudinal output shaft 501, fourth bearings 503 installed at both ends of the longitudinal output shaft 501, and a second helical gear 502 installed at one end of the longitudinal output shaft 501. One end of the primary transverse output shaft 301 extends into the second cavity 102 and is connected to a first helical gear 304, which meshes with a second helical gear 502. The first helical gear 304 is fixedly connected to the extended end of the primary transverse output shaft 301 via a flat key, and the end of the extended end may be provided with a threaded hole. Bolts and a pressure plate are used to axially press the first helical gear 304 to ensure its axial stability at high speeds. The second helical gear 502 is also circumferentially fixed to the longitudinal output shaft 501 using a flat key.

[0033] The housing 1 has a first mounting groove 106 for mounting the second bearing 305 and several second mounting grooves 107 for mounting the third bearing 403 on the side corresponding to the first cavity 101 and on the first partition plate 103. Both the first mounting groove 106 and the second mounting groove 107 are stepped hole structures, with a hole diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the second bearing 305 and the third bearing 403, and the stepped end face is perpendicular to the axis to ensure the perpendicularity and support rigidity of the bearings after installation.

[0034] The second cavity 102 is provided with a second partition 104. A third mounting groove 108 for mounting the fourth bearing 503 is installed on both the side of the housing 1 corresponding to the second cavity 102 and on the second partition 104. The two ends of the second partition 104 are integrally connected to the inner wall of the housing 1 or positioned via a slot structure, thereby strengthening the rigidity of the housing 1 at the second cavity 102. The structure of the third mounting groove 108 is similar to that of the first mounting groove 106, and it is used for precise positioning of the outer ring of the fourth bearing 503.

[0035] The working principle of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings: When the external drive motor (not shown in the figure) starts, power is transmitted to the input shaft 201 of the longitudinal input assembly 2 via a coupling or key, and the input shaft 201 rotates around its own axis. Since the worm gear 203 rotates synchronously with the input shaft 201, the worm gear 203 transmits power to the mating turbine 302 through its meshing tooth surfaces. Based on the reduction ratio between the worm gear 203 and the turbine 302, the high input speed is converted into a low-speed, high-torque output from the first-stage transverse output shaft 301.

[0036] After the first-stage transverse output shaft 301 receives torque, its power flow is transmitted simultaneously in two paths: The first power flow acts in the lateral output direction. A primary gear 303, fixedly mounted in the middle of the primary lateral output shaft 301, rotates with the shaft. This primary gear 303 drives the secondary gear 402 on the first secondary lateral output assembly 4, which meshes with it, to rotate, thereby causing the secondary lateral output shaft 401 to rotate. Subsequently, the secondary gear 402 on the second adjacent secondary lateral output assembly 4 drives the secondary gear 402 on the second adjacent secondary lateral output assembly 4 to rotate, and so on, achieving the function of a single power source driving the synchronous rotation of multiple parallel lateral output shafts. Adjacent secondary gears 402 mesh externally, so adjacent secondary lateral output shafts 401 rotate in opposite directions. This characteristic can meet the specific action requirements of the robot's end effector, such as the opening and closing of the gripper.

[0037] The second power flow acts in the longitudinal output direction. As the primary transverse output shaft 301 rotates, its extended end into the second cavity 102 drives the first helical gear 304 to rotate synchronously. The first helical gear 304 and the second helical gear 502 at the end of the longitudinal output assembly 5 are in orthogonal meshing, thereby converting the horizontal rotational motion of the primary transverse output shaft 301 into the vertical rotational motion of the longitudinal output shaft 501, achieving a 90° reversal of the transmission direction.

[0038] Through the above structural layout and transmission path, the gearbox provided in this embodiment successfully realizes the function of driving multiple transverse output shafts and multiple longitudinal output shafts with a single input shaft. It has a compact structure, high transmission efficiency, and is particularly suitable for scenarios of multi-joint cooperative motion of robots.

[0039] All components of this invention are general standard parts or parts known to those skilled in the art. Their structure and principles are readily known to those skilled in the art through technical manuals or conventional experimental methods. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that this invention is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and that it can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects. The scope of this invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and thus all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within this invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0040] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A reduction gearbox for a robot, comprising: The two shells (1) assembled vertically are characterized in that a first partition (103) is provided in the middle of the inner cavity of the shell (1), and the inner cavity of the shell (1) is divided into a first cavity (101) and a second cavity (102) on the left and right sides by the first partition (103). A longitudinal input component (2) is installed at one end of the first cavity (101), and a primary lateral output component (3) and several secondary lateral output components (4) are sequentially arranged in the middle of the first cavity (101) along its length direction that gradually moves away from the longitudinal input component (2). One end of the primary lateral output component (3) and one end of several secondary lateral output components (4) extend outside the housing (1); One end of the longitudinal input component (2) is connected to one end of the primary lateral output component (3), the primary lateral output component (3) is connected to the adjacent secondary lateral output component (4), and two adjacent secondary lateral output components (4) are connected. The second cavity (102) is provided with a plurality of longitudinal output components (5), one end of the longitudinal output component (5) is connected to the other end of the first-level transverse output component (3) and the other end of the longitudinal output component (5) extends to the outside of the housing (1).

2. The reduction gearbox for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The longitudinal input assembly (2) includes an input shaft (201), a worm gear (203) installed in the middle of the input shaft (201), and first bearings (202) installed at both ends of the input shaft (201). The inner wall of the housing (1) is provided with a mounting sleeve (105) for installing the first bearing (202) at the end of the first cavity (101).

3. A reduction gearbox for a robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first-stage lateral output assembly (3) includes a first-stage lateral output shaft (301), second bearings (305) installed at both ends of the first-stage lateral output shaft (301), and a turbine (302) and a first-stage gear (303) installed in the middle of the first-stage lateral output shaft (301). The turbine (302) meshes with the worm (203).

4. A reduction gearbox for a robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The secondary lateral output assembly (4) includes a secondary lateral output shaft (401), third bearings (403) installed at both ends of the secondary lateral output shaft (401), and a secondary gear (402) installed in the middle of the secondary lateral output shaft (401). The secondary gear (402) near the primary lateral output assembly (3) meshes with the primary gear (303), and the secondary gears (402) of two adjacent secondary lateral output assemblies (4) mesh.

5. A reduction gearbox for a robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The longitudinal output assembly (5) includes a longitudinal output shaft (501), fourth bearings (503) installed at both ends of the longitudinal output shaft (501), and a second helical gear (502) installed at one end of the longitudinal output shaft (501). One end of the first-stage transverse output shaft (301) extends into the second cavity (102) and is connected to a first helical gear (304), which meshes with the second helical gear (502).

6. A reduction gearbox for a robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The housing (1) is provided with a first mounting groove (106) for mounting the second bearing (305) and a plurality of second mounting grooves (107) for mounting the third bearing (403) on the side corresponding to the first cavity (101) and on the first partition plate (103).

7. A reduction gearbox for a robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second cavity (102) is provided with a second partition (104), and the housing (1) on the side corresponding to the second cavity (102) and on the second partition (104) are both provided with a third mounting groove (108) for mounting the fourth bearing (503).

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