A robot parallel coaxial output joint module

Abstract

The application discloses a robot parallel coaxial output joint module, which comprises a joint module shell and two power units installed in the joint module shell; the power unit comprises a power motor, a power input shaft and a joint module output shaft; the power input shaft transmits the input power of the power motor to the joint module output shaft through a speed reduction transmission unit, and the joint module output shafts of the two power units are coaxially arranged. Through the parallel coaxial structure layout, the power units are parallel converged on the joint module output shaft, the output torque is significantly improved through the multi-power parallel convergence, the axial size is greatly shortened through the parallel shaft layout, and the module can be widely applied to various robot joint driving scenes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of robotics technology, specifically relating to a robot parallel coaxial output joint module. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of robotics technology, the performance requirements for robot joint drive modules are increasing. As the core power component of a robot, the output torque, reduction ratio, axial dimensions, structural compactness, and modularity of the robot joint module directly affect the overall performance and application range of the robot.

[0003] Currently, traditional robot joint modules typically employ a single power input and a single-stage or two-stage reduction structure. Specifically, the power motor is coaxially or perpendicularly positioned with the output shaft, and the motor output is reduced in speed and torque amplified by reduction mechanisms such as planetary reducers and harmonic reducers before being output. However, the aforementioned traditional joint modules suffer from the following technical drawbacks:

[0004] 1. Limited reduction ratio and insufficient output torque. In a single power input architecture, the number of reduction stages that can be set is limited by the radial and axial space of the joint module. It is usually only a single-stage or two-stage reduction, which makes it difficult to obtain a larger reduction ratio in a limited space. This limits the improvement of output torque and makes it difficult to meet the high torque output requirements of heavy-duty robots.

[0005] 2. Excessive axial dimension restricts the robot's structural compactness. In traditional coaxial layouts, the power motor, reduction mechanism, and output shaft are arranged sequentially along the same axis. The axial dimension of the entire joint module is the sum of the axial dimensions of each component, resulting in an excessively long axial length of the joint module. Especially in applications such as robot arms where axial space is strictly limited, an excessively large axial dimension severely restricts the robot's structural design and motion flexibility.

[0006] 3. Limited output direction and poor adaptability. The output axis direction of traditional joint modules is usually fixed. Once the design is finalized, it is difficult to adjust the output direction according to different installation conditions and robot configuration requirements. This makes it difficult for the same joint module to be used in various robot structures, resulting in poor versatility.

[0007] 4. The high degree of integration of components makes it difficult to replace and combine them as needed. The motor, reduction mechanism, output shaft and other components of traditional joint modules are usually integrated into one unit. There is a lack of modular interface design between the components. Once the performance of a certain component fails to meet the requirements or is damaged, it is often necessary to replace the entire joint module. It is difficult to flexibly select and replace different motors or reduction mechanisms according to actual load, speed, accuracy and other requirements, which limits the serial expansion capability of joint modules.

[0008] 5. Insufficient multi-joint collaborative control capability. Most existing joint modules are independent working units. When the robot needs multiple joints to move in coordination, there is a lack of effective communication and collaborative control mechanisms between the joint modules. The controller has low integration and it is difficult to realize power distribution and collaborative motion control between multiple modules.

[0009] Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide a robot joint module that can take into account a large reduction ratio, large output torque, compact axial size, adjustable output direction, high modularity, and multi-module collaborative capability. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The present invention aims to provide a parallel coaxial output joint module for robots to solve the problems of limited reduction ratio and insufficient output torque of traditional single power input joint modules, excessive axial dimension and non-compact structure of coaxial layout joint modules, single output direction and poor adaptability to working conditions, integrated components, difficulty in modular combination as needed, and insufficient collaborative control capability.

[0011] To achieve the objectives of this invention, the technical solution adopted is as follows:

[0012] A robot parallel coaxial output joint module includes a joint module housing and two power units installed inside the joint module housing; each power unit includes a power motor, a power input shaft, and a joint module output shaft; the power input shaft transmits the input power of the power motor to the joint module output shaft via a reduction transmission unit, and the joint module output shafts of the two power units are coaxially arranged.

[0013] Furthermore, the power input shaft of each power unit is arranged parallel to the output shaft of the joint module, and the power is transmitted to the output shaft of the joint module via a reduction transmission unit.

[0014] Furthermore, the reduction transmission unit includes an input stage reduction mechanism disposed on each power input shaft side, an output stage reduction mechanism disposed on the joint module output shaft side, and an intermediate stage reduction mechanism connected between the input stage reduction mechanism and the output stage reduction mechanism; the input stage reduction mechanism, the intermediate stage reduction mechanism, and the output stage reduction mechanism are sequentially connected to form a three-stage reduction transmission chain.

[0015] Furthermore, the input stage reduction mechanism, intermediate stage reduction mechanism, and output stage reduction mechanism are all modular unit structures, which are detachably installed in the joint module housing.

[0016] Furthermore, the input stage reduction mechanism, intermediate stage reduction mechanism, and output stage reduction mechanism are any one or any combination of planetary gear reduction mechanism, harmonic reduction mechanism, cycloidal pinwheel reduction mechanism, belt drive reduction mechanism, and chain drive reduction mechanism.

[0017] Furthermore, the output direction of the joint module output shaft can be adjusted by changing the transmission path direction of the intermediate stage reduction mechanism and / or changing the installation direction of the output stage reduction mechanism.

[0018] Furthermore, the power motor is any one of a brushed motor, a brushless motor, a servo motor, and a frameless torque motor.

[0019] Furthermore, the outer side of the joint module housing is provided with a combination installation interface, through which several joint modules can be cascaded to achieve coordinated output of multiple degrees of freedom and multiple power sources.

[0020] Furthermore, an intermediate shaft is also provided inside the joint module housing, and each power input shaft and joint module output shaft are rotatably mounted on the intermediate shaft through bearing assemblies.

[0021] Furthermore, a brake is also provided inside the joint module housing; the brake is mounted on the power input shaft or the transmission shaft of the intermediate reduction mechanism.

[0022] The technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0023] 1. This invention sets up at least two power input units in parallel, each power unit independently inputs power and finally converges on the same output shaft, which is equivalent to superimposing the torque of multiple power sources on the same output shaft. Without increasing the size of a single motor, it significantly improves the overall output torque of the joint module. At the same time, three or more stages of reduction mechanism can be set between each power input shaft and the output shaft. Compared with the traditional single-stage or double-stage reduction structure, a larger total reduction ratio can be obtained to meet the high torque requirements of heavy-duty robots.

[0024] 2. This invention arranges the power input shaft and the joint module output shaft in a spatially parallel and non-collinear layout, so that the axial dimension of the output shaft is no longer constrained by the axial dimension of the power input shaft, which greatly shortens the axial length of the joint module. It is especially suitable for robot arms, wrists and other scenarios where there are strict limitations on axial space.

[0025] 3. The present invention, through the parallel axis layout, allows the output end of the output axis to be flexibly set in any direction of the housing, thereby adapting to different installation conditions and robot configuration requirements, enabling one joint module to be applicable to multiple robot structures, significantly improving the versatility and applicability of the product;

[0026] 4. This invention divides the deceleration mechanism into three independent modular units: the input stage, the intermediate stage, and the output stage. The power source is also treated as a modular and replaceable unit. The modules are detachably connected through standard interfaces, which enables rapid serialization and expansion design of the joint modules, significantly reducing R&D and production costs and shortening the product development cycle. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0028] The following components are labeled as follows: 1. Joint module housing; 2. Power motor; 3. Power input shaft; 4. Joint module output shaft; 5. Input stage reduction mechanism; 6. Intermediate stage reduction mechanism; 7. Output stage reduction mechanism; 8. Intermediate shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Example 1:

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a robot parallel coaxial output joint module, including a joint module housing 1 and two power units installed inside the joint module housing 1. Each power unit includes a power motor 2, a power input shaft 3, and a joint module output shaft 4. The joint module output shafts 4 of the two power units are coaxially arranged, and the two power input shafts 3 independently transmit power to the two corresponding coaxial joint module output shafts 4, forming a "parallel + coaxial" layout structure.

[0032] A reduction gear transmission unit is provided between the joint module output shaft 4 and each power input shaft 3. In this embodiment, the reduction gear transmission unit includes an input stage reduction mechanism 5 disposed on the power input shaft 3 side, an output stage reduction mechanism 7 disposed on the joint module output shaft 4 side, and an intermediate stage reduction mechanism 6 connecting the input stage reduction mechanism 5 and the output stage reduction mechanism 7. The input stage reduction mechanism 5, the intermediate stage reduction mechanism 6, and the output stage reduction mechanism 7 are sequentially connected to form a three-stage reduction gear transmission chain.

[0033] The power of each power input unit is transmitted to the same joint module output shaft 4 via the above-mentioned three-stage reduction transmission chain, realizing the parallel convergence output of the two power units on the joint module output shaft 4.

[0034] The output end of the joint module output shaft 4 and the input ends of each power input shaft 3 are on the same side of the housing 1. The power from each power input shaft 3 is transmitted to the joint module output shaft 4 via a reduction transmission unit in a direction parallel to each axis, realizing parallel transmission of the power input shaft and the joint module output shaft in the same direction. At the same time, an intermediate shaft 8 is also provided inside the joint module housing 1, and each power input shaft 3 and the joint module output shaft 4 are rotatably mounted on the intermediate shaft 8 through bearing assemblies.

[0035] Before installation, the parallel coaxial output joint module of the robot involved in this embodiment requires a controller. The joint module is installed on the robot through the joint module housing 1. The controller drives the power motor 2 with a drive signal. The power motor 2 inputs power to the input stage reduction mechanism 5 through the power input shaft 3. After passing through the intermediate stage reduction mechanism 6 and the output stage reduction mechanism 7, the power is gradually reduced and the torque is increased to drive the joint module output shaft 4 to rotate. Finally, the power is output through the joint module output shaft 4 to drive the robot to complete the corresponding action.

[0036] Because of the parallel convergence of dual power inputs, the output torques of the two power motors 2 are superimposed on the output shaft 4 of the same joint module. The total output torque is the result of the sum of the output torques of the two motors after three-stage reduction and amplification, which significantly improves the output torque compared to the traditional single-motor input scheme. At the same time, due to the parallel shaft layout, the axial dimension of the output shaft 4 is determined only by the length of the output shaft itself and is not limited by the axial dimension of the power motors 2, thus achieving a compact axial dimension while ensuring high torque output.

[0037] Example 2:

[0038] In this embodiment, the input stage reduction mechanism 5, the intermediate stage reduction mechanism 6, and the output stage reduction mechanism 7 are all modular unit structures, and are installed in the joint module housing 1 by means of detachable connection such as bolts.

[0039] In practical applications, different reduction ratios and different types of reduction mechanisms can be combined according to the robot's output torque and speed requirements. For example:

[0040] For heavy-load scenarios requiring ultra-high reduction ratios, a two-stage planetary gear reduction mechanism can be selected as the input stage reduction mechanism 5, a harmonic reduction mechanism as the intermediate stage reduction mechanism 6, and a cycloidal pinwheel reduction mechanism as the output stage reduction mechanism 7. The combination of the three can achieve the maximum total reduction ratio.

[0041] For scenarios requiring a medium reduction ratio and high transmission efficiency, a single-stage planetary gear reducer can be selected as the input stage reducer 5, a belt drive reducer as the intermediate stage reducer 6, and a single-stage planetary gear reducer as the output stage reducer 7.

[0042] Similarly, the power motor 2 can also be a modular and replaceable unit, and can be equipped with different types such as brushed motor, brushless motor, servo motor or frameless torque motor according to the requirements of output torque, speed and control precision.

[0043] The modular design described above allows the joint module of this invention to be quickly combined with different modules to form a series of products that meet the needs of different working conditions, thus greatly reducing research and development and production costs.

[0044] Example 3:

[0045] Based on the structure proposed in Embodiment 1, the output direction of the joint module output shaft 4 can be flexibly adjusted according to the installation conditions.

[0046] When it is necessary to change the output direction of the output shaft 4, the transmission path direction of the intermediate reduction mechanism 6 can be changed (for example, by using a reversing gear pair or bevel gear pair in the intermediate reduction mechanism to change the transmission direction) and / or the mounting direction of the output reduction mechanism 7 on the joint module housing 1 can be changed (for example, by rotating the output reduction mechanism 7 around the axis of the output shaft 4 by a certain angle and then reinstalling it). This allows the output end of the joint module output shaft 4 to be selectively oriented towards any direction of the joint module housing 1, so that the joint module provided in this embodiment can adapt to the needs of different robot configurations and significantly improve the versatility of the product.

[0047] Example 4:

[0048] In this embodiment, a combination mounting interface 10 is provided on the outer side of the joint module housing 1, and multiple joint modules are cascaded and combined in the longitudinal or transverse direction through the combination mounting interface 10.

[0049] Taking a robotic arm as an example, joint modules as described in this embodiment can be installed at multiple joint positions of the arm. Adjacent joint modules are fixedly connected through a combination mounting interface 10 to form a multi-degree-of-freedom series or parallel drive system. The controllers of each joint module are connected through an internal communication bus to realize coordinated motion control and power distribution among multiple modules.

[0050] By cascading and combining multiple modules, a complex robot drive system with multiple degrees of freedom and multiple power sources can be constructed to meet the diverse and complex power needs of current robots.

[0051] Example 5:

[0052] To improve the closed-loop control and safety protection of the joint module, a torque sensor and an angle sensor can be added to the output shaft 4 of the joint module in this embodiment. These sensors are used to detect the output torque and output angle in real time and feed the detection signals back to the controller. The controller adjusts the output of each power motor 2 in real time according to the deviation between the feedback signal and the actual target value, thus forming a high-precision closed-loop control.

[0053] Furthermore, a brake is installed inside the joint module housing 1, which is mounted on the drive shaft of the power input shaft 3 or the intermediate reduction mechanism 6. When the robot is working normally, the brake is in the released state and does not affect the normal operation of the joint module; when an abnormal situation such as power failure or emergency stop occurs, the brake immediately activates, locking the drive shaft of the power input shaft 3 or the intermediate reduction mechanism 6, so that the entire joint module stops moving and remains in a locked state, preventing safety accidents such as the robot arm falling due to accidental power failure.

[0054] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention in any other way. Any modifications or equivalent changes made based on the technical essence of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot parallel coaxial output joint module, characterized in that, It includes a joint module housing and two power units installed inside the joint module housing; each power unit includes a power motor, a power input shaft, and a joint module output shaft; the power input shaft transmits the input power from the power motor to the joint module output shaft via a reduction transmission unit, and the joint module output shafts of the two power units are coaxially arranged.

2. The robot parallel coaxial output joint module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power input shaft of each power unit is arranged parallel to the output shaft of the joint module, and the power is transmitted to the output shaft of the joint module through a reduction transmission unit.

3. The robot parallel coaxial output joint module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The reduction transmission unit includes an input stage reduction mechanism disposed on each power input shaft side, an output stage reduction mechanism disposed on the joint module output shaft side, and an intermediate stage reduction mechanism connected between the input stage reduction mechanism and the output stage reduction mechanism; the input stage reduction mechanism, the intermediate stage reduction mechanism and the output stage reduction mechanism are sequentially connected to form a three-stage reduction transmission chain.

4. The robot parallel coaxial output joint module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The input stage reduction mechanism, intermediate stage reduction mechanism, and output stage reduction mechanism are all modular unit structures, which are detachably installed in the joint module housing.

5. The robot parallel coaxial output joint module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The input stage reduction mechanism, intermediate stage reduction mechanism, and output stage reduction mechanism are any one or any combination of planetary gear reduction mechanism, harmonic reduction mechanism, cycloidal pinwheel reduction mechanism, belt drive reduction mechanism, and chain drive reduction mechanism.

6. A robot parallel coaxial output joint module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The output direction of the joint module output shaft is adjusted by changing the transmission path direction of the intermediate stage reduction mechanism and / or changing the installation direction of the output stage reduction mechanism.

7. A robot parallel coaxial output joint module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power motor is any one of a brushed motor, a brushless motor, a servo motor, and a frameless torque motor.

8. A robot parallel coaxial output joint module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer side of the joint module housing is provided with a combination installation interface. Several joint modules can be cascaded through the combination installation interface to achieve coordinated output of multiple degrees of freedom and multiple power sources.

9. A robot parallel coaxial output joint module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The joint module housing is also provided with an intermediate shaft, and each power input shaft and joint module output shaft are rotatably mounted on the intermediate shaft through bearing assemblies.

10. A robot parallel coaxial output joint module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The joint module housing is also equipped with a brake; the brake is mounted on the power input shaft or the transmission shaft of the intermediate reduction mechanism.

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