Ankle joint assembly of humanoid robot and humanoid robot
By using a differential gearbox and parallel motor-driven ankle joint assembly, combined with a cushioning design of steel cables and damping springs, the problem of limited ankle joint range of motion and poor cushioning effect in humanoid robots has been solved, enabling large-angle pitch and tilt, and improving walking flexibility and stability.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HESHI THINKING (BEIJING) TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-19
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, the ankle joint components of humanoid robots have limited range of motion due to the restricted motor arrangement, and the foot cushioning effect is poor, affecting walking comfort and stability.
It adopts a combination design of lower leg bar, foot plate, joint mechanism and buffer mechanism. The large-angle pitch and tilt of the ankle joint is achieved by differential gear box and parallel motor drive. Combined with the buffer mechanism of steel wire rope and shock-absorbing spring, it simulates the human walking posture and reduces vibration.
It significantly improves the robot's flexibility and stability, increases the range of motion of the ankle joint, reduces vibration, extends service life, and enhances terrain adaptability and natural walking.
Smart Images

Figure CN122231960A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic arm technology, specifically to an ankle joint assembly for a humanoid robot and the humanoid robot itself. Background Technology
[0002] As humanoid intelligent equipment, the mobility and walking stability of a humanoid robot's lower leg structure directly determine its ground adaptability, gait naturalness, and ability to operate in complex scenarios. The ankle joint, as the core connection between the lower leg and foot, needs to achieve two key degrees of freedom: pitch (forward / backward) and roll (left / right). The range of motion of these two degrees of freedom directly affects the quality of the robot's actions, such as climbing stairs, walking on slopes, and overcoming obstacles, as well as its ability to maintain balance on uneven ground.
[0003] In existing technologies, the dual-degree-of-freedom (roll and pitch) drive of the ankle joint of humanoid robots generally adopts a "dual-motor + cross-axis linkage" structure. Specifically, it includes two independently arranged drive motors (corresponding to the roll and pitch directions respectively), a cross-axis connector, a linkage assembly, and an ankle joint shell. The two drive motors are fixed to different positions on the lower leg's main frame (usually arranged alternately in the forward / backward and left / right directions). The two orthogonal ends of the cross-axis connector are connected to the corresponding drive motor output shafts via the linkage assembly. The central part of the cross-axis connector is fixedly connected to the foot assembly. The ankle joint shell encloses the internal transmission structure and provides limiting support.
[0004] Because the linkage assembly is a rigid connection structure, its motion trajectory is limited by both the motor mounting position, the linkage length, and the rotation angle of the cross shaft. Furthermore, there is a risk of spatial interference between the linkage movements in both directions. Therefore, sufficient clearance must be provided for the linkage, resulting in the rotation angles of the ankle joint's two degrees of freedom being strictly limited to a small range. Simultaneously, during the robot's landing, the impact load generated when the foot contacts the ground is transmitted to the body through the lower leg. If the cushioning effect is inadequate, it will not only affect walking comfort but may also lead to body vibration, accelerated wear of parts, and even reduced motion control accuracy. Therefore, foot cushioning design is also one of the core requirements for ankle joint structural optimization. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an ankle joint component for a humanoid robot that facilitates improved walking flexibility and stability, and to address the problems mentioned in the background art.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an ankle joint assembly for a humanoid robot, comprising a lower leg rod, a foot plate, a joint mechanism, and a buffer mechanism. A connecting frame is fixedly connected to the upper side of the foot plate. The joint mechanism is mounted on the lower leg rod and is used to control the connecting frame to perform multi-directional rotational adjustment. The buffer mechanism includes a toe plate and a heel plate respectively mounted at both ends of the foot plate. The toe plate and the heel plate are respectively provided with connecting parts that are rotatably connected to the foot plate. The buffer mechanism can control the rotational state of the toe plate and the heel plate and store force to buffer during robot walking, reduce vibration during walking, alleviate damage to the joint mechanism, and facilitate improved walking flexibility and stability.
[0007] Preferably, the connector includes a fixed shaft fixedly installed on the upper side of both ends of the foot plate, a fixed ring fixedly connected to the toe plate and the heel plate respectively and rotatably connected to the outer wall of the fixed shaft, a device groove is opened inside the foot plate, a steel wire rope is fixedly connected to both the toe plate and the heel plate respectively, a guide wheel rotatably connected to the fixed shaft and slidingly fitting against the outer wall of the steel wire rope, and the buffer mechanism is used to buffer the toe plate and the heel plate respectively, so as to facilitate the connection of the toe plate and the heel plate to the foot plate.
[0008] Preferably, the buffer mechanism further includes a push-pull plate fixedly installed at one end of the wire rope. A damping spring is fixedly connected to the end of the push-pull plate near the wire rope, and an adjusting plate is fixedly connected to the end of the damping spring away from the push-pull plate. Both the push-pull plate and the adjusting plate are slidably connected to the inner wall of the device groove in a horizontal direction. The wire rope passes through the adjusting plate and does not contact the inner wall of the adjusting plate. The device groove is provided with an adjusting component for synchronously adjusting the elastic strength of the damping springs on both sides, which facilitates the control of the rotation state of the toe plate and the heel plate and the storage of energy for buffering during robot walking, reducing vibration during walking and alleviating damage to the joint mechanism.
[0009] Preferably, the adjusting component includes a drive motor fixedly installed inside the foot plate. A first rotating shaft and two sets of second rotating shafts are rotatably connected in the device slot. The two sets of second rotating shafts are located on both sides of the first rotating shaft. The first rotating shaft passes through both sets of adjusting plates, and the second rotating shaft passes through one side of the adjusting plate. The first rotating shaft has two sets of first threaded grooves with opposite thread directions and both threadedly connected to the adjusting plate. The second rotating shaft has second threaded grooves threadedly connected to the adjusting plate. The first and second rotating shafts on the same adjusting plate are diagonally arranged and connected with each other, and the thread directions of the first and second threaded grooves are the same. One end of the first rotating shaft is connected to two sets of synchronous belts that are respectively connected to the top pulleys of the second rotating shafts on both sides via a pulley drive. The output end of the drive motor is coaxially fixedly connected to the end of any set of second rotating shafts to facilitate synchronous adjustment of the spring strength of the damping springs on both sides.
[0010] Preferably, the joint mechanism includes a connecting shaft fixedly mounted on the connecting frame, a differential gearbox rotatably connected to the lower leg rod, the connecting shaft passing through the differential gearbox and rotatably connected to the inner wall of the differential gearbox, the axis of rotation between the differential gearbox and the lower leg rod being perpendicular to the axis of the connecting shaft, a first differential gear being coaxially fixedly connected to the connecting shaft, and two sets of second differential gears meshing with the first differential gear being rotatably connected to the inner wall of the differential gearbox, the axes of the two sets of second differential gears being on the same straight line and perpendicular to the axis of the first differential gear, and a driving component for driving the rotation of the second differential gears on both sides being provided on the lower leg rod, facilitating multi-directional rotational adjustment of the connecting frame.
[0011] Preferably, the driving component includes a first motor and a second motor fixedly mounted on the lower leg rod. The output shafts of the first motor and the second motor are parallel to each other and face opposite directions. A first turntable is coaxially fixedly connected to the output end of the first motor. A second turntable is coaxially fixedly connected to the second differential gear near the first turntable. A first connecting rod is rotatably connected to a non-central position on the first turntable. The bottom side of the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to a non-central position on the side of the second turntable. A third turntable is coaxially fixedly connected to the output end of the second motor. A fourth turntable is coaxially fixedly connected to the second differential gear near the third turntable. A second connecting rod is rotatably connected to a non-central position on the third turntable. The bottom side of the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to a non-central position on the side of the fourth turntable, facilitating the rotation of the second differential gears on both sides.
[0012] Preferably, arc-shaped grooves are provided at both ends of the foot plate, and arc-shaped blocks that are slidably connected to the inner wall of the arc-shaped grooves are fixedly connected to both the toe plate and the heel plate, which facilitates the auxiliary sealing of the bottom gap where the two ends of the foot plate are hinged, reducing the probability of small particles and impurities getting stuck in the rotation gap and affecting the smoothness of rotation.
[0013] Preferably, the bottom of the toe plate and the heel plate away from the foot plate is rotatably connected to a roller, and the bottom of the foot plate, the toe plate and the heel plate are all fixedly connected to a vibration damping pad, which facilitates the reduction of friction when the toe plate and the heel plate deflect by the roller, and at the same time the vibration damping pad helps to improve the vibration damping effect.
[0014] Preferably, a vibration sensor for sensing vibration intensity is fixedly connected to the upper side of the foot plate, so as to facilitate the sensing of the vibration intensity transmitted upward from the foot plate.
[0015] A humanoid robot, comprising the ankle joint assembly of the aforementioned humanoid robot.
[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: This invention provides an ankle joint assembly for a humanoid robot and the humanoid robot itself. It solves the problems of limited motor arrangement affecting ankle joint adjustment flexibility and insufficient foot vibration damping effect in existing humanoid robot ankle joint assemblies. By controlling the connecting frame through the joint mechanism for multi-directional rotation adjustment, the footplate can achieve flexible adjustment in multiple directions. When the robot walks, the rotation state of the toe plate and heel plate is controlled by the buffer mechanism to store energy and buffer, reducing vibration during walking and alleviating damage to the joint mechanism. The heel plate's priority rotation stores energy for initial vibration damping, and the center of gravity is gradually shifted forward to the foot plate and toe plate during walking. The heel plate releases the stored energy and the toe plate stores energy for vibration damping, simulating the posture of human walking, making the gait more natural and improving walking stability. Attached Figure Description
[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of the joint mechanism of the present invention; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of region A in the middle; Figure 4 This is a partial structural exploded view of the joint mechanism of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of the footplate in the raised state of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a partial structural cross-sectional view of the buffer mechanism of the present invention; Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of region B in the middle; Figure 8 This is a partial structural diagram of the buffer mechanism of the present invention; Figure 9 for Figure 8 Enlarged view of region C.
[0018] In the diagram: 1. Lower leg rod; 2. Foot plate; 3. Connecting frame; 4. Toe plate; 5. Heel plate; 6. Fixed shaft; 7. Fixed ring; 8. Device groove; 9. Steel wire rope; 10. Guide wheel; 11. Push-pull plate; 12. Vibration damping spring; 13. Adjusting plate; 14. Drive motor; 15. First rotating shaft; 16. Second rotating shaft; 17. First threaded groove; 18. Second threaded groove; 19. Synchronous belt; 20. Connecting shaft; 21. Differential gearbox; 22. First differential gear; 23. Second differential gear; 24. First motor; 25. Second motor; 26. First turntable; 27. Second turntable; 28. First connecting rod; 29. Third turntable; 30. Fourth turntable; 31. Second connecting rod; 32. Arc groove; 33. Arc block; 34. Roller; 35. Vibration damping pad; 36. Vibration sensor. Detailed Implementation
[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0020] Example 1: Please refer to Figures 1-5The illustration shows an ankle joint assembly for a humanoid robot, comprising a lower leg rod 1, a foot plate 2, a joint mechanism, and a cushioning mechanism. A connecting frame 3 is fixedly connected to the upper side of the foot plate 2. The joint mechanism is mounted on the lower leg rod 1 and is used to control the multi-directional rotation adjustment of the connecting frame 3. The cushioning mechanism includes a toe plate 4 and a heel plate 5 respectively mounted at both ends of the foot plate 2. The connecting frame 3 is connected to the foot plate 2 at the upper side of the foot plate 2 near the heel plate 5. The toe plate 4 and heel plate 5 are respectively provided with connectors that are rotatably connected to the foot plate 2. The cushioning mechanism can control the rotation state of the toe plate 4 and heel plate 5 and store force to cushion the impact during robot walking, reducing vibration during walking and mitigating damage to the joint mechanism. The joint mechanism includes components fixedly mounted on the connecting frame 3. A connecting shaft 20 is rotatably connected to a differential gearbox 21 on the lower leg rod 1. The connecting shaft 20 passes through the differential gearbox 21 and is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the differential gearbox 21. The axis of rotation between the differential gearbox 21 and the lower leg rod 1 is perpendicular to the axis of the connecting shaft 20. A first differential gear 22 is coaxially fixedly connected to the connecting shaft 20. Two sets of second differential gears 23, which mesh with the first differential gear 22, are rotatably connected to the inner wall of the differential gearbox 21. The axes of the two sets of second differential gears 23 are on the same straight line and perpendicular to the axis of the first differential gear 22. The lower leg rod 1 is provided with a driving component for driving the rotation of the two second differential gears 23. The driving component includes a first motor fixedly mounted on the lower leg rod 1. The first motor 24 and the second motor 25 are preferably YYHS-40 models. Their output shafts are parallel and face opposite directions. A first turntable 26 is coaxially fixedly connected to the output end of the first motor 24. A second turntable 27 is coaxially fixedly connected to a second differential gear 23 near the first turntable 26. A first connecting rod 28 is rotatably connected to a non-central position on the first turntable 26. The bottom side of the first connecting rod 28 is rotatably connected to a non-central position on the side of the second turntable 27. A third turntable 29 is coaxially fixedly connected to the output end of the second motor 25. A fourth turntable 30 is coaxially fixedly connected to the second differential gear 23 near the third turntable 29. The second link 31 is rotatably connected to the non-center position on the third turntable 29. The bottom side of the second link 31 is rotatably connected to the non-center position on the side of the fourth turntable 30. This device increases the range of motion of the ankle joint. Two motors (first motor 24 and second motor 25) are arranged side by side and work with the differential gearbox 21 to combine the motion of the two motors into two degrees of freedom of the ankle joint. This eliminates the motion limitations of traditional linkage mechanisms and enables large-angle pitch and tilt, significantly improving the robot's flexibility and terrain adaptability. The structure is more compact, with the motors arranged inside the lower leg rod 1. The differential gearbox 21 has a high degree of integration and the overall structure is compact, reducing the lateral dimension of the leg, which is conducive to the miniaturization and aesthetics of the robot.
[0021] Example 2: Please refer to Figure 1 and Figures 5-9This embodiment further illustrates Embodiment 1. The connecting components shown in the figure include a fixed shaft 6 fixedly installed on the upper sides of both ends of the foot plate 2. Fixed rings 7, rotatably connected to the outer wall of the fixed shaft 6, are fixedly connected to the toe plate 4 and heel plate 5 respectively. Rollers 34 are rotatably connected to the bottom of the ends of the toe plate 4 and heel plate 5 away from the foot plate 2. Vibration damping pads 35 are fixedly connected to the bottom of the foot plate 2, toe plate 4, and heel plate 5. The vibration damping pads 35 are made of polyester TPU material, providing good vibration damping and wear resistance. A device groove 8 is provided inside the foot plate 2. Steel wire ropes 9 are fixedly connected to the toe plate 4 and heel plate 5 respectively. A rotatable connection is made to the fixed shaft 6. The device includes a guide wheel 10 that slides against the outer wall of the wire rope 9. Arc-shaped grooves 32 are respectively provided at both ends of the foot plate 2. Arc-shaped blocks 33 that slide against the inner wall of the arc-shaped grooves 32 are fixedly connected to both the toe plate 4 and the heel plate 5. A buffer mechanism is used to buffer the toe plate 4 and the heel plate 5 respectively. The buffer mechanism also includes a push-pull plate 11 fixedly installed at one end of the wire rope 9. A damping spring 12 is fixedly connected to the end of the push-pull plate 11 closest to the wire rope 9, and an adjusting plate 13 is fixedly connected to the end of the damping spring 12 furthest from the push-pull plate 11. Both the push-pull plate 11 and the adjusting plate 13 slide horizontally against the inner wall of the device groove 8. A steel wire rope 9 passes through the adjusting plate 13 but does not contact the inner wall of the adjusting plate 13. The device groove 8 is equipped with an adjusting component for synchronously adjusting the elastic strength of the damping springs 12 on both sides. The adjusting component includes a drive motor 14 fixedly installed inside the foot plate 2. The drive motor 14 is preferably an LD60 micro motor. A vibration sensor 36 for sensing vibration intensity is fixedly connected to the upper side of the foot plate 2. The vibration sensor 36 is preferably an ADXL345. A first rotating shaft 15 and two sets of second rotating shafts 16 are rotatably connected within the device groove 8. The two sets of second rotating shafts 16 are located on both sides of the first rotating shaft 15. A second rotating shaft 16 passes through one side of an adjustment plate 13, and two sets of adjusting plates 13 are connected together. The first rotating shaft 15 has two sets of first threaded grooves 17 with opposite thread directions, both threadedly connected to the adjustment plate 13. The second rotating shaft 16 has a second threaded groove 18 threadedly connected to the adjustment plate 13. The first rotating shaft 15 and the second rotating shaft 16 on the same adjustment plate 13 are diagonally arranged, and the connected first threaded grooves 17 and second threaded grooves 18 have the same thread direction. This diagonal arrangement makes the driving force on the adjustment plate 13 more stable. For details on the shape of the adjustment plate 13 and the push-pull plate 11, please refer to the appendix. Figure 8One end of the first rotating shaft 15 is connected to two sets of synchronous belts 19, which are respectively connected to the top pulleys of the second rotating shafts 16 on both sides, via a belt pulley drive. The output end of the drive motor 14 is coaxially fixedly connected to the end of any one set of the second rotating shafts 16. Passive toe joints and heel joints are added to the foot. The landing cushioning is achieved through the damping springs 12 and the steel wire rope 9, which effectively absorbs impact energy and protects the ankle joint drive components. At the same time, it simulates the function of human toes, making the gait more natural and improving walking stability. The vibration is detected by the sensor and the drive motor 14 is controlled in conjunction with it to adjust the initial pressure value of the damping springs 12 on both sides to adapt to different loads and walking conditions.
[0022] Example 3: Please refer to Figures 1-9 This embodiment further illustrates Embodiment 1, and the illustration further provides a humanoid robot, including the ankle joint assembly of the humanoid robot described above. By adopting the ankle joint assembly of the humanoid robot described above, the humanoid robot can be controlled to walk more flexibly, achieving large-angle pitch and lateral tilt of the ankle joint, significantly improving the robot's terrain adaptability, while effectively absorbing impact energy, protecting the ankle joint drive components, simulating the function of human toes, making the gait more natural, and improving walking stability.
[0023] Working principle: The first motor 24 and the second motor 25 drive the first turntable 26 and the third turntable 29 to rotate respectively. The first turntable 26 drives the first connecting rod 28, causing the second turntable 27 to rotate, thereby causing the second differential gear 23 on one side to rotate. The third turntable 29 drives the second connecting rod 31 to rotate, driving the fourth turntable 30 to rotate. The fourth turntable 30 drives another set of second differential gears 23 to rotate. At this time, the rotation angle and rotation state of one set of second differential gears 23 can be controlled by the first motor 24 and the second motor 25 respectively. The first motor 24 and the second motor 25 are arranged side by side. The second link 8 and the second link 31 are located on both sides of the lower leg rod 1, which saves more space. The traditional drive method requires a motor to be set on the side of the second differential gear 23 in this solution, and another motor to be set inside the differential gear box 21 to drive the bottom foot plate 2 to rotate. In this way, the mechanical bodies of the two motors will be in a protruding state and will interfere with each other during rotation, reducing the flexibility of the drive. This solution uses two sets of motors to be installed side by side inside the lower leg rod 1 for drive, making full use of the space inside the lower leg rod 1, and there will be no protrusion at the ankle position, making the operation more flexible.
[0024] The deflection of the first differential gear 22 and the differential gearbox 21 is adjusted by controlling the rotation of the two sets of second differential gears 23. When it is necessary to control the foot plate 2, connecting frame 3, and differential gearbox 21 to swing back and forth in the direction between the toe plate 4 and the heel plate 5, the foot plate 2, connecting frame 3, and the first differential gear 22 inside the differential gearbox 21 are a whole. By controlling the second differential gears 23 on both sides to rotate coaxially and in the same direction, the first differential gear 22 can be synchronously pushed to drive the differential gearbox 21 to swing back and forth. At this time, the first differential gear 22 cannot rotate on its own due to the synchronous push of the second differential gears 23 on both sides, so it will swing back and forth together with the differential gearbox 21. When it is necessary to control the foot plate 2 and connecting frame 3 to rotate around the connecting shaft 20, the second differential gears 23 on both sides are controlled to rotate in opposite directions. The movement of the first differential gear 22, driven by the second differential gears 23 on both sides, causes the first differential gear 22 to rotate around the connecting shaft 20. At this time, the rotation direction and angle of the first differential gear 22 are the rotation direction and angle of the foot plate 2. By controlling the rotation direction and angle of the second differential gears 23 on both sides, the foot plate 2 can be flexibly controlled to rotate and swing. By controlling and switching the speed and rotation direction of the first motor 24 and the second motor 25, the differential gearbox 21 can produce the above-mentioned compound motion effect, thereby realizing the tilting of the ankle joint in any direction. Due to the use of parallel motor drive and differential gear synthesis, the range of motion of the two motors is no longer limited by the swing angle of the connecting rod. By reasonably designing the gear parameters and connecting rod length, the swing angle of the ankle joint can be greatly increased, reaching ±45° or more, which is much greater than the range of motion of the traditional cross shaft structure.
[0025] By setting a toe plate 4 at the front end of the foot plate 2 and a heel plate 5 at the rear end of the foot plate 2, both the toe plate 4 and the heel plate 5 are subjected to the thrust of the damping spring 12 on the wire rope 9. This causes the toe plate 4 and the heel plate 5 to bend downwards when the foot plate 2 is lifted, and the rollers 34 at both ends will swing downwards accordingly, as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 5 As shown, there are generally two falling states at this time. One is a slight walking motion, in which the foot plate 2 will fall almost vertically. At this time, the two sets of rollers 34 will land almost simultaneously, causing the toe plate 4 and heel plate 5 to rotate synchronously around the fixed axis 6. This pulls the two sets of steel wire ropes 9, causing the push-pull plate 11 to move towards the adjacent damping spring 12. During the rotation of the toe plate 4 and heel plate 5, the rollers 34 rotate, reducing friction with the ground. At the same time, the internal damping springs 12 are compressed and store force, and finally the multiple sets of damping pads 35 on the bottom surface are in contact with the ground, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 1As shown, when fully planted on the ground, the interaction between the toe plates 4 and heel plates 5 achieves auxiliary vibration reduction. Vibration sensors 36 detect vibrations during walking and control the drive motor 14. If the vibration is too great, the drive motor 14 drives the second shaft 16 to rotate. Through the synchronous belt 19, the second shaft 16 rotates synchronously with the first shaft 15. This allows the adjusting plates 13 on both sides to slide along the synchronous belt 19 via the first and second threaded grooves 17 and 18, increasing the compression of the damping spring 12. Larger strength increases the energy storage capacity and enhances the vibration reduction effect, but this strength is not always better. It needs to be flexibly controlled according to the intensity of vibration and operating conditions during actual use to avoid excessive tension on the wire rope 9, which would affect its service life. At the same time, excessive elasticity of the damping spring 12 will cause the toe plates 4 and heel plates 5 on both sides of the foot plate 2 to rebound quickly when it is lifted, generating a large thrust on the ground. Excessive thrust may affect the balance during the lifting process of the foot. Therefore, it is necessary to flexibly adjust the operating state of the drive motor 14 so that the reading of the vibration sensor 36 is maintained at a relatively stable and appropriate value.
[0026] Another movement mode is running or large-scale movement. In this mode, the front heel usually touches the ground first, and the rear toe plate 4 lifts off the ground, forming a bending motion of the heel plate 5 to store force. The robot's center of gravity gradually shifts forward, causing the foot plate 2 and toe plate 4 to gradually touch the ground. As the toe plate 4 bends downward, the roller 34 at the front of the toe plate 4 will roll and rotate when in contact with the ground, pulling the steel cable 9 to compress the damping spring 12 and store force. After the center of gravity shifts forward, the toe plate 4 rotates to its maximum tilt angle. At this time, the foot plate 2 tilts forward, causing the heel plate 5 to move upward. The damping spring 12 connected to the heel plate 5 rebounds, causing the steel cable 9 to pull the heel plate 5 downward, generating a thrust on the ground. Then the foot plate 2 lifts up, and the toe plate 4, driven by the damping spring 12, will also generate a thrust on the ground. The backward thrust, combined with the other two, can assist the robot's movement, saving energy. At the same time, it can absorb and release the vibration between the foot and the ground during movement, ensuring the stability of the ankle joint component and extending its service life. As the steel wire rope 9 and the damping spring 12 age, the damping effect will weaken, but it can still be balanced by adjusting the operating state of the drive motor 14 and changing the initial compression of the damping spring 12, thus extending the service life of the equipment. When the vibration sensor 36 continuously detects that the vibration intensity is greater than the set value, it means that the equipment is aging or damaged and can no longer be balanced by adjusting the initial compression of the damping spring 12. At this time, it is necessary to inspect and replace the components inside the device slot 8 and the steel wire rope 9.
[0027] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
[0028] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. An ankle joint assembly for a humanoid robot, characterized in that, include: The lower leg bar (1) and foot plate (2) are fixedly connected to the upper side of the foot plate (2) by a connecting frame (3). Also includes: A joint mechanism is mounted on the lower leg rod (1) and is used to control the connecting frame (3) to perform multi-directional rotational adjustment. The buffer mechanism includes a toe plate (4) and a heel plate (5) respectively installed at both ends of the foot plate (2). The toe plate (4) and the heel plate (5) are respectively provided with connecting parts that are rotatably connected to the foot plate (2). The buffer mechanism can control the rotation state of the toe plate (4) and the heel plate (5) and store force to buffer when the robot walks, thereby alleviating damage to the joint mechanism.
2. The ankle joint assembly of a humanoid robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connector includes a fixed shaft (6) fixedly installed on the upper side of both ends of the foot plate (2), a fixed ring (7) fixedly connected to the toe plate (4) and the heel plate (5) respectively, which is rotatably connected to the outer wall of the fixed shaft (6), a device groove (8) is opened inside the foot plate (2), a steel wire rope (9) is fixedly connected to the toe plate (4) and the heel plate (5) respectively, and a guide wheel (10) rotatably connected to the fixed shaft (6) and slidingly fitting against the outer wall of the steel wire rope (9).
3. The ankle joint assembly of a humanoid robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The buffer mechanism also includes a push-pull plate (11) fixedly installed at one end of the wire rope (9). A damping spring (12) is fixedly connected to the end of the push-pull plate (11) near the wire rope (9). An adjusting plate (13) is fixedly connected to the end of the damping spring (12) away from the push-pull plate (11). The push-pull plate (11) and the adjusting plate (13) are both slidably connected to the inner wall of the device groove (8) in the horizontal direction. The wire rope (9) passes through the adjusting plate (13) and does not contact the inner wall of the adjusting plate (13). The device groove (8) is provided with an adjusting component for synchronously adjusting the elastic strength of the damping springs (12) on both sides.
4. The ankle joint assembly of a humanoid robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adjusting component includes a drive motor (14) fixedly installed inside the foot plate (2). A first rotating shaft (15) and two sets of second rotating shafts (16) are rotatably connected in the device slot (8). The two sets of second rotating shafts (16) are located on both sides of the first rotating shaft (15). The first rotating shaft (15) passes through the two sets of adjusting plates (13). The second rotating shaft (16) passes through one side of the adjusting plate (13). The first rotating shaft (15) has two sets of first threaded grooves (17). The threads of the two sets of first threaded grooves (17) are opposite and are threadedly connected to the adjusting plate (13). The second rotating shaft (16) has a second threaded groove (18) threadedly connected to the adjusting plate (13). One end of the first rotating shaft (15) is connected to two sets of synchronous belts (19) that are respectively connected to the top pulleys of the second rotating shafts (16) on both sides. The output end of the drive motor (14) is coaxially fixedly connected to the end of any set of second rotating shafts (16).
5. The ankle joint assembly of a humanoid robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The joint mechanism includes a connecting shaft (20) fixedly mounted on the connecting frame (3), a differential gearbox (21) rotatably connected to the lower leg rod (1), the connecting shaft (20) passing through the differential gearbox (21) and rotatably connected to the inner wall of the differential gearbox (21), a first differential gear (22) coaxially fixedly connected to the connecting shaft (20), and two sets of second differential gears (23) meshing with the first differential gear (22) rotatably connected to the inner wall of the differential gearbox (21). The axes of the two sets of second differential gears (23) are on the same straight line and perpendicular to the axis of the first differential gear (22). The lower leg rod (1) is provided with a driving member for driving the second differential gears (23) on both sides to rotate.
6. The ankle joint assembly of a humanoid robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The driving components include a first motor (24) and a second motor (25) fixedly mounted on the lower leg rod (1). The output shafts of the first motor (24) and the second motor (25) are parallel to each other and face opposite directions. A first turntable (26) is coaxially fixedly connected to the output end of the first motor (24). A second turntable (27) is coaxially fixedly connected to the second differential gear (23) near the first turntable (26). A first connecting rod (28) is rotatably connected to a non-central position on the first turntable (26). The bottom side of the first connecting rod (28) is rotatably connected to the non-center position of the side of the second turntable (27). The output end of the second motor (25) is coaxially fixedly connected to the third turntable (29). The second differential gear (23) near the third turntable (29) is coaxially fixedly connected to the fourth turntable (30). The non-center position of the third turntable (29) is rotatably connected to the second connecting rod (31). The bottom side of the second connecting rod (31) is rotatably connected to the non-center position of the side of the fourth turntable (30).
7. The ankle joint assembly of a humanoid robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The foot plate (2) has arc-shaped grooves (32) at both ends, and the toe plate (4) and the heel plate (5) are respectively fixedly connected with arc-shaped blocks (33) that slide in connection with the inner wall of the arc-shaped groove (32).
8. The ankle joint assembly of a humanoid robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom of the toe plate (4) and the heel plate (5) away from the foot plate (2) is rotatably connected to a roller (34), and the bottom of the foot plate (2), the toe plate (4) and the heel plate (5) are all fixedly connected to a vibration damping pad (35).
9. The ankle joint assembly of a humanoid robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: A vibration sensor (36) for sensing vibration intensity is fixedly connected to the upper side of the foot plate (2).
10. A humanoid robot, characterized in that, Includes the ankle joint assembly of the humanoid robot as described in claims 1-9.