Joint module for a robot

Abstract

The application discloses a joint module for a robot, and belongs to the technical field of industrial robots.The module comprises a base, a rotary support, a waist joint seat, a first joint assembly, a large arm, a second joint assembly, a small arm, a third joint assembly and a terminal executor connecting seat, each joint is independently designed in a modular manner, and is fixedly connected through bolts to form a four-degree-of-freedom series structure.The application solves the core defects of low modular degree, difficult maintenance, insufficient rigidity and poor protection performance of the existing robot joint module, realizes independent replacement and rapid maintenance of the joint, has high repeated positioning accuracy, improves load capacity, and has an overall protection level of IP65, and is suitable for various application scenarios such as industrial assembly, material handling and precision machining.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of industrial robot technology, specifically relating to a joint module for robots. Background Technology

[0002] Industrial robots are core equipment in modern manufacturing, and the joint module, as the core moving component of an industrial robot, directly determines the robot's load capacity, positioning accuracy, operational stability, and service life. With the continuous improvement of industrial automation, increasingly higher demands are being placed on the modularity, ease of maintenance, protective performance, and accuracy retention of robot joint modules.

[0003] The existing robot joint modules mainly suffer from the following core technical defects that cannot be avoided: 1. Existing joint modules mostly adopt an integrated casting structure, with the drive motor, reducer, transmission mechanism and arm body integrated together. When a single joint fails, the entire robot arm needs to be disassembled for repair, or even the entire joint module needs to be replaced. The maintenance time can be as long as several days, which seriously affects production efficiency.

[0004] 2. In order to reduce weight, existing arm bodies mostly adopt thin-walled structures and have unreasonable internal reinforcing rib designs, resulting in insufficient joint rigidity. Under heavy load operation, they are prone to vibration and deformation, which not only reduces positioning accuracy but also shortens the service life of the joint.

[0005] 3. Existing joints mostly adopt a transmission structure where the motor and reducer are separate. The transmission chain is long and the gap is large. The repeatability of positioning can usually only reach ±0.1mm or more, which cannot meet the needs of high-precision application scenarios such as precision assembly and electronic processing.

[0006] 4. Existing joints often use simple gap seals at the joints, with some drive and transmission components exposed. The protection level is usually only below IP54, which cannot ensure long-term stable operation in harsh industrial environments such as humidity, dust, and oil.

[0007] 5. Robot joint modules of different models and loads cannot be used interchangeably. Manufacturers need to develop a variety of joints of different specifications, which not only increases R&D and production costs, but also brings great inconvenience to users' spare parts management and maintenance.

[0008] Currently, there are no effective solutions in the industry to address the aforementioned shortcomings of existing technologies. Therefore, developing a general-purpose robot joint module that is highly modular, easy to maintain, rigid, precise, and has strong protective capabilities has become an urgent need in the field of industrial robots. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In view of the problems mentioned in the background technology above, the purpose of this invention is to provide a joint module for robots. This invention solves the core defects of existing robot joint modules, such as low modularity, difficult maintenance, insufficient rigidity, and poor protection performance. It realizes independent replacement and rapid maintenance of joints, high repeatability, improved load capacity, and an overall protection level of IP65. It is suitable for various application scenarios such as industrial assembly, material handling, and precision machining.

[0010] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: A joint module for a robot includes a base, a slewing support, a waist joint seat, a first joint motor seat, a first joint connecting arm, an upper arm, a second joint motor seat, a forearm, a third joint motor seat, and an end effector connecting seat. The slewing support is fixedly installed on the top of the base, the waist joint seat is fixedly installed on the rotating end of the slewing support, the first joint motor seat is fixedly installed on the side wall of the waist joint seat, and the first joint connecting arm is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the first joint motor seat. The lower end of the upper arm is fixedly connected to the first joint connecting arm, and the upper end is fixedly connected to the second joint motor seat. The rear end of the lower arm is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the second joint motor seat, and the front end of the lower arm is fixedly connected to the third joint motor seat. The end effector connector is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the third joint motor base, and the end effector connector is provided with an end effector interface at its front end.

[0011] Further specified, the slewing support is a cross roller bearing type slewing support, the fixed end of the slewing support is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the base, and the rotating end of the slewing support is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the waist joint seat, thereby driving the waist joint seat to achieve 360° horizontal rotation.

[0012] Further specifying, the first joint motor base is a hollow box structure, fixed to the two side walls of the waist joint base, and its output shaft is horizontally arranged and perpendicular to the length direction of the upper arm.

[0013] Further defined, the upper arm is a hollow, long, thin-walled structure with a rectangular cross-section and flange connecting plates at both the upper and lower ends; the lower flange connecting plate is fixedly connected to the first joint connecting arm, and the upper flange connecting plate is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the second joint motor base; the internal cavity of the upper arm is used to arrange power cables and signal cables.

[0014] Further specified, the second joint motor base is a hollow box structure, fixed to the upper end of the boom, and its output shaft is horizontally set and parallel to the output shaft of the first joint motor base.

[0015] Further specifying, the forearm is a hollow elongated structure with a rectangular cross-section and a rectangular opening at its end. A detachable forearm cover plate is fixedly installed at the rectangular opening, and the internal cavity of the forearm is used to install drive transmission components and cables.

[0016] Further specified, the third joint motor base is a hollow box structure, and its output shaft is horizontally arranged along the axis of the forearm; the rear end of the end effector connector is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the third joint motor base.

[0017] Furthermore, the end effector connector is a circular flange structure, with multiple end effector interfaces evenly arranged along the circumference on its front end face for connecting different types of end effectors such as grippers, suction cups, and welding guns.

[0018] Furthermore, the first joint motor mount, the second joint motor mount, and the third joint motor mount all integrate a servo motor and a planetary reducer. The output shaft of the servo motor is fixedly connected to the input end of the planetary reducer, and the output end of the planetary reducer is the output shaft of the corresponding joint.

[0019] Furthermore, rubber sealing rings are provided at the junctions of the slewing support with the base and the waist joint seat, as well as at the junctions of each joint motor seat with the connecting arm and the arm body, and a sealing gasket is provided at the junction of the forearm cover plate and the forearm.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention significantly reduces maintenance costs through modular design. Each joint adopts an independent modular design and is connected to adjacent components through a standard flange interface. When a single joint fails, it can be replaced simply by removing the bolts of the corresponding joint, which greatly shortens maintenance time and significantly reduces maintenance costs.

[0021] This invention adopts a high-rigidity structure, which significantly improves the load-bearing capacity. The boom and forearm adopt a rectangular cross-section hollow structure with internal reinforcing ribs. The joints are connected with large-diameter flanges, which improves the overall rigidity and load-bearing capacity, thus extending the service life.

[0022] This invention achieves high-precision transmission and significantly improves positioning accuracy. Each joint motor mount integrates a servo motor and a high-precision planetary reducer, resulting in a short transmission chain and small gaps, which can meet the needs of high-precision applications such as precision assembly and electronic processing.

[0023] This invention adopts a fully sealed structure with excellent protective performance. All joints are equipped with rubber sealing rings, and a sealing gasket is placed between the forearm cover plate and the forearm. The overall protection level reaches IP65, enabling long-term stable operation in harsh industrial environments such as humidity, dust, and oil, greatly expanding the scope of application. In addition, all joints use standard flange interfaces and unified electrical interfaces, allowing robots of different loads and models to use the same joint modules, significantly reducing R&D, production, and maintenance costs, and facilitating spare parts management and upgrades for users. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The present invention can be further illustrated by the non-limiting embodiments given in the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a joint module embodiment for a robot according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of an embodiment of a joint module for a robot according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view of an embodiment of a joint module for a robot according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a rear view of an embodiment of a joint module for a robot according to the present invention.

[0025] The main component symbols are explained as follows: 1-Base, 2-Slewing support, 3-Waist joint seat, 4-First joint motor seat, 5-First joint connecting arm, 6-Upright arm, 7-Second joint motor seat, 8-Forearm, 9-Forearm cover plate, 10-Third joint motor seat, 11-End effector connecting seat, 12-End effector interface, 13-Flange connecting plate Detailed Implementation To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The technical solutions in 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. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0027] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this invention is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, a joint module for a robot according to the present invention includes a base 1, a rotary support 2, a waist joint seat 3, a first joint motor seat 4, a first joint connecting arm 5, an upper arm 6, a second joint motor seat 7, a forearm 8, a third joint motor seat 10, and an end effector connecting seat 11. The rotary support 2 is fixedly installed on the top of the base 1, the waist joint seat 3 is fixedly installed on the rotating end of the rotary support 2, the first joint motor seat 4 is fixedly installed on the side wall of the waist joint seat 3, and the first joint connecting arm 5 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the first joint motor seat 4. The lower end of the upper arm 6 is fixedly connected to the first joint connecting arm 5, and the upper end is fixedly connected to the second joint motor seat 7. The rear end of the lower arm 8 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the second joint motor seat 7, and the front end of the lower arm 8 is fixedly connected to the third joint motor seat 10. The end effector connector 11 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the third joint motor 10, and the end effector connector 11 is provided with an end effector interface 12 at its front end.

[0029] In the practical application of this embodiment, the slewing support 2 is a cross roller bearing type slewing support. The fixed end of the slewing support 2 is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the base 1, and the rotating end of the slewing support 2 is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the waist joint seat 3, thereby driving the waist joint seat 3 to achieve 360° rotation in the horizontal direction.

[0030] Specifically, the base 1 is a square box structure with four mounting holes at the bottom, which are fixed to the ground or work platform by expansion bolts. The top is fixedly connected to the fixed end of the slewing support 2 by bolts. The slewing support 2 is a cross roller bearing type slewing support of model XSU080218, with an inner diameter of 120mm and an outer diameter of 218mm, capable of withstanding large axial forces, radial forces, and overturning moments. Its rotating end is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the waist joint seat 3 by 12 M8 bolts. The waist joint seat 3 is a square box structure, with its left side wall fixedly connected to the first joint motor seat 4 by 8 M6 bolts. The internal cavity is used to house the slewing drive motor and reducer.

[0031] In the practical application of this embodiment, the first joint motor seat 4 is a hollow box structure, fixed to the two side walls of the waist joint seat 3, and its output shaft is horizontally arranged and perpendicular to the length direction of the upper arm 6.

[0032] In the practical application of this embodiment, the upper arm 6 is a hollow, long, thin-walled structure with a rectangular cross-section and flange connecting plates 13 at both the upper and lower ends. The flange connecting plate 13 at the lower end is fixedly connected to the first joint connecting arm 5, and the flange connecting plate 13 at the upper end is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the second joint motor base 7. The internal cavity of the upper arm 6 is used to arrange power cables and signal cables.

[0033] Specifically, the first joint motor base 4 is a hollow box structure, which integrates a 1kW servo motor and a planetary reducer with a reduction ratio of 100:1, and the output shaft diameter is 25mm. The vertical section of the first joint connecting arm 5 is fixedly connected to the output shaft by a flat key and axially fixed by a lock nut; the first joint connecting arm 5 is a cast aluminum structure and is fixedly connected to the lower flange of the upper arm 6 by 6 M6 bolts.

[0034] In the practical application of this embodiment, the second joint motor base 7 is a hollow box structure, fixed to the upper end of the upper arm 6, and its output shaft is horizontally arranged and parallel to the output shaft of the first joint motor base 4.

[0035] In the practical application of this embodiment, the forearm 8 is a hollow elongated structure with a rectangular cross-section and a rectangular opening at its end. A detachable forearm cover plate 9 is fixedly installed at the rectangular opening. The internal cavity of the forearm 8 is used to install drive transmission components and cables.

[0036] Specifically, the upper arm 6 is 500mm long, with a rectangular cross-section of 100mm × 60mm and a wall thickness of 5mm, and has two longitudinal reinforcing ribs inside. The flanges at both the top and bottom are 120mm in diameter and are fixedly connected to the first joint connecting arm 5 and the second joint motor mount 7 by six M8 bolts, respectively. The second joint motor mount 7 has the same structure as the first joint motor mount 4, integrating a 1kW servo motor and a 100:1 planetary reducer. The output shaft is fixedly connected to the connecting flange at the rear end of the lower arm 8 via a flat key.

[0037] The forearm 8 is 400mm long, with a rectangular cross-section of 80mm × 50mm and a wall thickness of 4mm. A 300mm × 40mm rectangular opening is formed on its upper surface, and a forearm cover plate 9 is fixed to the opening using eight M4 bolts. The front end is fixedly connected to the rear surface of the third joint motor mount 10 using six M6 bolts. The forearm cover plate 9 is made of thin aluminum alloy plate, 2mm thick, and a 1mm thick rubber sealing gasket is provided at the joint with the forearm 8 to prevent dust and liquid from entering the forearm.

[0038] In the practical application of this embodiment, the third joint motor base 10 is a hollow box structure, and its output shaft is horizontally arranged along the axis of the forearm 8; the rear end of the end effector connecting seat 11 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the third joint motor base 10.

[0039] In the practical application of this embodiment, the end effector connector 11 is a circular flange structure, and its front end face is uniformly provided with a plurality of end effector interfaces 12 along the circumferential direction for connecting different types of end effectors such as grippers, suction cups, and welding guns.

[0040] Specifically, the third joint motor mount 10 has a hollow box structure, which integrates a 0.5kW servo motor and a 50:1 planetary reducer. The output shaft is set along the axis of the forearm 8 and is fixedly connected to the rear end of the end effector connector 11 via a flat key. The end effector connector 11 is a circular flange with a diameter of 80mm. The front face has 6 M6 threaded end effector connectors 12 evenly arranged along the circumference for connecting pneumatic grippers.

[0041] In the practical application of this embodiment, the first joint motor mount 4, the second joint motor mount 7, and the third joint motor mount 10 all integrate servo motors and planetary reducers. The output shaft of the servo motor is fixedly connected to the input end of the planetary reducer, and the output end of the planetary reducer is the output shaft of the corresponding joint.

[0042] In the practical application of this embodiment, rubber sealing rings are provided at the junctions of the rotary support 2 with the base 1 and the waist joint seat 3, as well as at the junctions of each joint motor seat with the connecting arm and the arm body. A sealing gasket is provided at the junction of the forearm cover plate 9 and the forearm 8.

[0043] Specifically, all joint connections are equipped with O-ring rubber seals, including the connection between the slewing support 2 and the base 1, the waist joint seat 3, the first joint motor seat 4 and the waist joint seat 3, the first joint connecting arm 5, the second joint motor seat 7 and the upper arm 6, the lower arm 8, and the third joint motor seat 10 and the lower arm 8, the end effector connecting seat 11. Combined with the sealing gasket of the lower arm cover plate 9, the overall protection level of the module reaches IP65.

[0044] The core working principle of this invention is modular four-degree-of-freedom serial motion control, which achieves spatial positioning of the end effector through the coordinated movement of four independent joints: During the waist rotation movement, the rotating end of the slewing support 2 drives the waist joint seat 3 to rotate 360° horizontally, allowing the entire arm to cover the surrounding 360° workspace. During the upper arm swing movement, the servo motor inside the first joint motor seat 4 drives the first joint connecting arm 5 to swing through the planetary reducer, thereby driving the upper arm 6 to swing up and down in the vertical plane, realizing the height adjustment of the end effector.

[0045] During the forearm swing motion, the servo motor inside the second joint motor mount 7 drives the forearm 8 to swing up and down in the vertical plane via a planetary reducer, coordinating with the swing motion of the upper arm to achieve horizontal distance adjustment of the end effector. During the end effector rotation motion, the servo motor inside the third joint motor mount 10 drives the end effector connector 11 to rotate around the axis of the forearm 8 via a planetary reducer, achieving attitude adjustment of the end effector.

[0046] The coordinated motion of four degrees of freedom enables the end effector to reach any position and orientation within the workspace, completing various industrial operation tasks.

[0047] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in the present invention should still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A joint module for a robot, characterized in that: It includes a base (1), a slewing support (2), a waist joint seat (3), a first joint motor seat (4), a first joint connecting arm (5), an upper arm (6), a second joint motor seat (7), a lower arm (8), a third joint motor seat (10), and an end effector connecting seat (11). The rotary support (2) is fixedly installed on the top of the base (1), the waist joint seat (3) is fixedly installed on the rotating end of the rotary support (2), the first joint motor seat (4) is fixedly installed on the side wall of the waist joint seat (3), and the first joint connecting arm (5) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the first joint motor seat (4). The lower end of the upper arm (6) is fixedly connected to the first joint connecting arm (5), and the upper end is fixedly connected to the second joint motor seat (7). The rear end of the lower arm (8) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the second joint motor seat (7), and the front end of the lower arm (8) is fixedly connected to the third joint motor seat (10). The end effector connector (11) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the third joint motor seat (10), and the end effector connector (11) is provided with an end effector interface (12) at its front end.

2. A joint module for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slewing support (2) is a cross roller bearing type slewing support. The fixed end of the slewing support (2) is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the base (1), and the rotating end of the slewing support (2) is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the waist joint seat (3), thereby driving the waist joint seat (3) to achieve 360° horizontal rotation.

3. A joint module for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first joint motor seat (4) is a hollow box structure, fixed on both sides of the waist joint seat (3), and its output shaft is set horizontally and perpendicular to the length direction of the upper arm (6).

4. A joint module for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper arm (6) is a hollow, long, thin-walled structure with a rectangular cross-section. Flange connecting plates (13) are provided at both the upper and lower ends. The lower flange connecting plate (13) is fixedly connected to the first joint connecting arm (5), and the upper flange connecting plate (13) is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the second joint motor base (7). The internal cavity of the upper arm (6) is used to arrange power cables and signal cables.

5. A joint module for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second joint motor base (7) is a hollow box structure, fixed to the upper end of the boom (6), and its output shaft is horizontally set and parallel to the output shaft of the first joint motor base (4).

6. A joint module for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The forearm (8) is a hollow elongated structure with a rectangular cross-section and a rectangular opening at its end. A detachable forearm cover plate (9) is fixedly installed at the rectangular opening. The internal cavity of the forearm (8) is used to install drive transmission components and cables.

7. A joint module for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The third joint motor base (10) is a hollow box structure, and its output shaft is horizontally arranged along the axis of the forearm (8); the rear end of the end effector connector (11) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the third joint motor base (10).

8. A joint module for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end effector connector (11) is a circular flange structure, and its front end face is evenly provided with multiple end effector interfaces (12) along the circumferential direction for connecting different types of end effectors such as grippers, suction cups, and welding guns.

9. A joint module for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first joint motor mount (4), the second joint motor mount (7) and the third joint motor mount (10) all integrate a servo motor and a planetary reducer. The output shaft of the servo motor is fixedly connected to the input end of the planetary reducer, and the output end of the planetary reducer is the output shaft of the corresponding joint.

10. A joint module for a robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Rubber sealing rings are provided at the junctions of the slewing support (2) with the base (1) and the waist joint seat (3), as well as at the junctions of each joint motor seat with the connecting arm and the arm body. A sealing gasket is provided at the junction of the forearm cover plate (9) and the forearm (8).

Images