Joint assembly

Abstract

The application discloses a joint assembly, which has an axial direction, and comprises a flexible transmission wheel and a power generation part. At least a part of the power generation part is located radially inside a part of the flexible transmission wheel along the axial direction, and the power generation part and the flexible transmission wheel are in transmission connection. The joint assembly can have a relatively small size along the axial direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robot joint technology, and more specifically to a joint assembly. Background Technology

[0002] Joint components are a critical part of robotic devices, directly determining their ability to move flexibly. In related technologies, joint components include flexible drive wheels and power generation units, which are arranged axially, resulting in a relatively large axial dimension of the joint component.

[0003] Therefore, how to provide a solution to overcome or alleviate the above-mentioned defects remains a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a joint assembly whose dimensions along the axial direction can be relatively small.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a joint assembly having an axial direction, the joint assembly including a flexible transmission wheel and a power generation part, at least partially located radially inside the flexible transmission wheel along the axial direction, the power generation part and the flexible transmission wheel being drively connected.

[0006] In the above scheme, at least a portion of the power generation unit is located radially inside the flexible transmission wheel, and the space radially inside the flexible transmission wheel can be used to accommodate the power generation unit. Thus, the joint assembly provided by the embodiments of the present invention can have a high degree of integration and structural compactness, and the dimension of the joint assembly along the axial direction can be relatively small, which is beneficial for achieving miniaturized design of the joint assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a joint assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0008] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Partial schematic diagram of the flexible transmission wheel, power output wheel, and housing;

[0009] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of the power output wheel, the first bearing, the flexible transmission wheel, the flexible bearing, and the wave generator;

[0010] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another joint assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 5 for Figure 2 Diagram showing the connection structure between the flexible transmission wheel and the power output wheel.

[0012] Figure label:

[0013] 100-Joint assembly;

[0014] 1000 - Flexible transmission wheel; 1100 - First cylindrical wheel segment; 1200 - First folding wheel segment; 1300 - Second cylindrical wheel segment; 1400 - First receiving groove; 1500 - Second folding wheel segment;

[0015] 2000 - Power generation section; 2100 - Stator section; 2200 - Rotor section;

[0016] 3000 - Power output wheel; 3100 - First output wheel segment; 3110 - First inner wall surface; 3120 - Shaft end wall surface; 3200 - Second output wheel segment; 3210 - Second inner wall surface; 3300 - Second receiving groove; 3400 - First bearing; 3410 - First outer ring;

[0017] 4000 - Shell; 4100 - Shell body; 4200 - Flange section;

[0018] 5000 - Wave generator; 5100 - Second bearing; 5200 - Third bearing;

[0019] 6000 - Output shaft; 6100 - Spindle section; 6200 - End plate section;

[0020] 7000-Flexible Bearing;

[0021] 8000-encoder;

[0022] P - Axis direction. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first," "second," and "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0025] The directional terms mentioned in the embodiments of the present invention, such as "inner" and "outer", are only for reference to the direction of the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for better and clearer explanation and understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] In the description of the embodiments of this invention, "and / or" is merely a way of describing the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 1-3 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a joint assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Partial schematic diagram of the flexible transmission wheel, power output wheel, and housing; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the power output wheel, the first bearing, the flexible transmission wheel, the flexible bearing, and the wave generator.

[0028] like Figures 1-3 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a joint assembly 100, which can be used in robotic devices. The joint assembly 100 includes a flexible transmission wheel 1000, a power generation unit 2000, a power output wheel 3000, a housing 4000, a wave generator 5000, an output shaft 6000, a flexible bearing 7000, and an encoder 8000.

[0029] The housing 4000 forms the structural basis of the joint assembly 100. Other components can be directly or indirectly mounted on the housing 4000 for integrated assembly, facilitating the installation and transportation of the joint assembly 100 provided in this embodiment. The joint assembly 100 has an axial direction P, specifically the axial direction of the housing 4000.

[0030] In some implementations, such as Figure 2 As shown, the housing 4000 may include a housing body 4100 and a wing plate portion 4200. The housing body 4100 may be a cylindrical structure, such as a cylindrical, square, or other irregularly shaped cylindrical shape, etc., which is not limited here and can be determined according to actual usage needs. The wing plate portion 4200 may be located radially outside the housing body 4100; the wing plate portion 4200 may be an annular plate that can surround the housing body 4100; or, the wing plate portion 4200 may also include at least two plates spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The wing plate portion 4200 and the housing body 4100 may be an integrally formed structure. Alternatively, the wing plate portion 4200 and the housing body 4100 may be manufactured separately and then assembled by welding, riveting, or other methods.

[0031] The power generation unit 2000 can specifically be a rotary drive component capable of outputting rotational displacement, such as a motor or rotary cylinder. The power generation unit 2000 can be located radially inside the housing body 4100; and, along the axial direction P, a portion of the power generation unit 2000 can be located within the housing body 4100. The power generation unit 2000 can be connected to the housing body 4100 to achieve positioning and assembly of the power generation unit 2000.

[0032] In some implementations, the power generation unit 2000 may be an electric motor. The power generation unit 2000 may include a stator 2100 and a rotor 2200, with the rotor 2200 located radially inside the stator 2100. The stator 2100 may be fixedly connected to or limited by the housing body 4100 to define the installation position of the stator 2100 relative to the housing body 4100. Both the fixed connection and the limited connection in this embodiment can be used to ensure the relative positional relationship between the two components to be connected. For the fixed connection, specific methods include screw connection, welding, riveting, etc. For the limited connection, specific methods include snap-fit, interference fit, etc.

[0033] The wave generator 5000 can be located radially inside the rotor 2200, and the wave generator 5000 can be fixedly connected or limitedly connected to the rotor 2200 so that it can rotate under the drive of the rotor 2200.

[0034] The flexible drive wheel 1000, also known as the flexible wheel, can be a thin-walled structure. The flexible drive wheel 1000 can be connected to the wave generator 5000 through the flexible bearing 7000, and the wave generator 5000 can transmit rotational driving force to the flexible drive wheel 1000.

[0035] The power output wheel 3000 can be positioned on one side of the housing 4000 along the axial direction P. Alternatively, the power output wheel 3000 and the housing 4000 can partially overlap along the axial direction P. The power output wheel 3000 and the housing 4000 are rotatably connected.

[0036] Specifically, the joint assembly 100 may further include a first bearing 3400, which may be a crossed roller bearing or the like. It may include a first inner ring and a first outer ring 3410. The first inner ring may be connected to the power output wheel 3000, while the first outer ring 3410 may be connected to the housing 4000, for example, by screws to the wing plate portion 4200. Rollers may be provided between the first inner ring and the first outer ring 3410. The first bearing 3400 enables a rotational connection between the power output wheel 3000 and the housing 4000. The power output wheel 3000 may also be connected to a flexible transmission wheel 1000 for rotation. In some implementations, the power output wheel 3000 is also referred to as a steel wheel.

[0037] It should be understood that the first bearing 3400 may also exclude the first inner ring. In this case, the first bearing 3400 may only include the first outer ring 3410 and the rollers. The rollers may be directly set between the first outer ring 3410 and the power output wheel 3000, which is also feasible.

[0038] The wave generator 5000 can extend along the axial direction P, and the output shaft 6000 includes a spindle portion 6100 and an end plate portion 6200. The spindle portion 6100 can be located radially inside the wave generator 5000, allowing the output shaft 6000 to be mounted on the radially inside of the wave generator 5000, thereby improving the structural compactness of the joint assembly 100. The end plate portion 6200 can be located on the side of the power output wheel 3000 opposite to the housing 4000 along the axial direction P, and can be connected to the power output wheel 3000. Thus, the output shaft 6000 can output rotational driving force outward under the drive of the power output wheel 3000. The spindle portion 6100 and the end plate portion 6200 can be a single-piece structure. Alternatively, the spindle portion 6100 and the end plate portion 6200 can be manufactured separately and then assembled by welding, screw connection, or other methods.

[0039] The encoder 8000 can be installed on the wave generator 5000 to provide precise position feedback, enabling the joint assembly 100 to perform the set action relatively accurately.

[0040] In this embodiment of the invention, a first receiving groove 1400 is provided on a portion of the radially inner side of the flexible transmission wheel 1000 along the axial direction P. During actual assembly, at least a portion of the power generating part 2000 can be located in the first receiving groove 1400, utilizing the space on the radially inner side of the flexible transmission wheel 1000 to accommodate the power generating part 2000. Thus, the joint assembly 100 provided in this embodiment of the invention can achieve a high degree of integration and structural compactness, and the size of the joint assembly 100 along the axial direction P can be relatively small, which is beneficial for achieving a miniaturized design of the joint assembly 100.

[0041] In one alternative implementation, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the flexible transmission wheel 1000 includes a first cylindrical wheel segment 1100, a first folding wheel segment 1200, and a second cylindrical wheel segment 1300 arranged along the axial direction P. It should be understood that the first cylindrical wheel segment 1100, the first folding wheel segment 1200, and the second cylindrical wheel segment 1300 can be a one-piece structure formed integrally.

[0042] The first cylindrical wheel segment 1100 and the second cylindrical wheel segment 1300 are radially offset. The radial dimension of the second cylindrical wheel segment 1300 can be larger than that of the first cylindrical wheel segment 1100, that is, the second cylindrical wheel segment 1300 can be located radially outside the first cylindrical wheel segment 1100. The outer edge of the first folding wheel segment 1200 is connected to the second cylindrical wheel segment 1300, and the inner edge of the first folding wheel segment 1200 is connected to the first cylindrical wheel segment 1100. The aforementioned first receiving groove 1400 can be disposed between the second cylindrical wheel segment 1300 and the first folding wheel segment 1200.

[0043] The first cylindrical wheel segment 1100 is connected to the power output wheel 3000 and the flexible bearing 7000 to transmit rotational driving force to the power output wheel 3000.

[0044] The first folding wheel segment 1200 can be a flat wheel segment, or it can be a tapered wheel segment with a certain taper; there is no limitation here.

[0045] The second cylindrical wheel segment 1300 can partially extend into the housing body 4100 and can be fixedly connected or limited to the housing body 4100 to achieve positioning and assembly of the flexible transmission wheel 1000 relative to the housing 4000. Specifically, as shown... Figure 1 As shown, a portion of the second cylindrical wheel segment 1300 can extend between the stator portion 2100 and the housing body 4100, and can be positioned between the stator portion 2100 and the housing body 4000 by means of interference fit or other methods.

[0046] It should be understood that the above description of the specific structural form of the flexible transmission wheel 1000 is only an exemplary illustration of an embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of implementation of the joint assembly 100 provided in the embodiment of the present invention. In some other implementations of the present invention, the flexible transmission wheel 1000 may also adopt other structural forms, as long as the first receiving groove 1400 can be formed on the radially inner side of the flexible transmission wheel 1000. For example, the first folding wheel segment 1200 and the second cylindrical wheel segment 1300 may also be combined to form a tapered wheel segment that gradually expands in a direction away from the first cylindrical wheel segment 1100. For another example, the flexible transmission wheel 1000 may only include the aforementioned first cylindrical wheel segment 1100. In this case, the aforementioned first receiving groove 1400 may not be provided, and the power output wheel 3000 may be at least partially provided on the radially inner side of the first cylindrical wheel segment 1000. This is also acceptable.

[0047] In one alternative implementation, a second receiving groove 3300 may be provided on a local radially inner side of the power output wheel 3000 along the axial direction P. The wall of the flexible transmission wheel 1000 includes a first portion, which is the wall corresponding to the aforementioned first receiving groove 1400, and a portion of the first portion may be located in the second receiving groove 3300. Figure 2 and Figure 3 In a specific example, the first part may include a first folding wheel segment 1200 and a second cylindrical wheel segment 1300.

[0048] With this configuration, the wall of the first receiving groove 1400 in the flexible transmission wheel 1000, i.e. the first part, can be located in the second receiving groove 3300. The first receiving groove 1400 can also be used to accommodate the power generating part 2000. This is actually equivalent to making more effective use of the space inside the second receiving groove 3300 to accommodate the power generating part 2000. The connection structure of the power output wheel 3000, the flexible transmission wheel 1000 and the power generating part 2000 can be more compact, which is more conducive to reducing the size of the joint assembly 100 along the axial direction P, so as to realize the miniaturization design of the joint assembly 100.

[0049] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 The power output wheel 3000 includes a first output wheel segment 3100 and a second output wheel segment 3200 arranged along the axial direction P. The first output wheel segment 3100 has a first inner wall surface 3110 and a shaft end wall surface 3120, and the second output wheel segment 3200 has a second inner wall surface 3210. The second inner wall surface 3210 and the first inner wall surface 3110 can be radially offset. The first inner wall surface 3110 is connected to the second inner wall surface 3210 through the shaft end wall surface 3120, that is, the inner diameter of the first output wheel segment 3100 is smaller than that of the second output wheel segment 3200. The aforementioned second receiving groove 3300 can be disposed between the second inner wall surface 3210 and the shaft end wall surface 3120.

[0050] In specific assembly, a portion of the first folding wheel segment 1200 may be disposed in the first receiving groove 1400, and at least a portion of the second cylindrical wheel segment 1300 may also be disposed in the first receiving groove 1400, so that the portion of the flexible transmission wheel 1000 used to form the first receiving groove 1400 can be accommodated by the second receiving groove 3300.

[0051] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2A portion of the shell body 4100 can also be located in the second receiving groove 3300. This further improves the structural compactness of the joint assembly 100 and reduces the size of the joint assembly 100 along the axial direction P. Simultaneously, it also helps to reduce the size of the second cylindrical wheel segment 1300 along the axial direction P, thereby reducing material consumption of the flexible transmission wheel 1000 and lowering costs.

[0052] In some alternative implementations, it is still as follows Figure 1 As shown, the joint assembly provided in this embodiment of the invention may further include a second bearing 5100 and a third bearing 5200.

[0053] Both the second bearing 5100 and the third bearing 5200 can be mounted on the wave generator 5000, and the second bearing 5100 and the third bearing 5200 can be arranged at intervals P along the axial direction. With this arrangement, the wave generator 5000 can be supported and assembled by two bearings, and the stability of the wave generator 5000 can be relatively high.

[0054] Here, the embodiments of the present invention do not limit the placement of the second bearing 5100 and the third bearing 5200. In practical applications, those skilled in the art can select according to specific needs, as long as the requirements of use are met. For example, the second bearing 5100 may be located radially inside the wave generator 5000, while the third bearing 5200 may be located radially outside the wave generator 5000.

[0055] Combination Figure 1 The second bearing 5100 may be disposed between the wave generator 5000 and the spindle portion 6100. The third bearing 5200 may include a third outer ring and a third inner ring. The third outer ring is fixedly connected or limitedly connected to the housing 4000, and the third inner ring may be fixedly connected or limitedly connected to the encoder 8000 so as to indirectly connect to the wave generator 5000 through the encoder 8000.

[0056] Along the axial direction P, at least a portion of the power generation unit 2000 may be located between the second bearing 5100 and the third bearing 5200 in order to improve the compactness of the structure.

[0057] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present invention, the number of bearings installed in the wave generator 5000 can also be greater than two, for example, three, four or even more. That is to say, the embodiments of the present invention do not actually limit the number of bearings installed in the wave generator 5000. In specific implementation, those skilled in the art can select according to specific needs, as long as the requirements of use can be met.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another joint assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 for Figure 2 Diagram showing the connection structure between the flexible transmission wheel and the power output wheel.

[0059] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, this embodiment of the invention also provides another joint assembly 100, the types of components it includes, and the transmission relationships between the components are generally the same as those described above. Figures 1-3 The joint components 100 shown are consistent with each other. The following embodiments of the present invention mainly explain the inconsistencies.

[0060] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the flexible transmission wheel 1000 may further include a second folding wheel segment 1500, which may specifically be a planar wheel segment. The second folding wheel segment 1500 may be located on the side of the second cylindrical wheel segment 1300 opposite to the first folding wheel segment 1200 along the axial direction P, and the second folding wheel segment 1500 may also be located radially outside the second cylindrical wheel segment 1300.

[0061] The second folding wheel segment 1500 can abut against the housing 4000 along the axial direction P, and can be fixedly connected or limited to the housing 4000. Specifically, a portion of the second folding wheel segment 1500 can be fixedly disposed between the first outer ring 3410 of the first bearing 3400 and the wing plate portion 4200, and can be fixed by screws connecting the first outer ring 3410 and the wing plate portion 4200.

[0062] In addition, Figure 4 In this case, the third bearing 5200 can be directly installed between the housing 4000 and the wave generator 5000.

[0063] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A joint assembly, characterized in that, The joint assembly (100) has an axial direction and includes a flexible transmission wheel (1000) and a power generation part (2000). At least a portion of the power generation part (2000) is located radially inside the flexible transmission wheel (1000) along the axial direction. The power generation part (2000) and the flexible transmission wheel (1000) are connected in a driving manner.

2. The joint assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible drive wheel (1000) includes a first receiving groove (1400), and at least a portion of the power generating part (2000) is located in the first receiving groove (1400).

3. The joint assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The joint assembly (100) further includes a power output wheel (3000), which has a second receiving groove (3300) located radially inward on a portion of the axial direction. The wall of the flexible transmission wheel (1000) includes a first portion, which is the wall corresponding to the first receiving groove, and a portion of the first portion is located in the second receiving groove (3300).

4. The joint assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The flexible transmission wheel (1000) includes a first cylindrical wheel segment (1100), a first folding wheel segment (1200), and a second cylindrical wheel segment (1300) arranged along the axial direction. The second cylindrical wheel segment (1300) and the first cylindrical wheel segment (1100) are radially offset. The first cylindrical wheel segment (1100) is connected to the power output wheel (3000) in a transmission connection. The first part includes the second cylindrical wheel segment (1300) and the first folding wheel segment (1200).

5. The joint assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The joint assembly (100) also includes a housing (4000), the power output wheel (3000) and the housing (4000) are rotatably connected, and the second cylindrical wheel segment (1300) can be fixedly connected or limitedly connected to the housing (4000).

6. The joint assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second cylindrical wheel segment (1300) extends to the inner side of the housing (4000). The power generating unit (2000) includes a stator (2100) and a rotor (2200). The rotor (2200) is located radially inside the stator (2100). The stator (2100) and the housing (4000) are fixedly connected or limitedly connected. The second cylindrical wheel segment (1300) is partially limited between the stator (2100) and the housing (4000).

7. The joint assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The flexible transmission wheel (1000) further includes a second folding wheel segment (1500), which is located at one end of the second cylindrical wheel segment (1300) away from the first folding wheel segment (1200) along the axial direction, and the second folding wheel segment (1500) is also located on the radial outer side of the second cylindrical wheel segment (1300); The second folding wheel segment (1500) and the housing (4000) are fixedly connected or limitedly connected.

8. The joint assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a first bearing (3400), which includes a first outer ring (3410). The first outer ring (3410) is rotatably connected to the power output wheel (3000). The first outer ring (3410) is fixedly connected to or limited to the housing (4000). The second folding wheel segment (1500) is partially fixedly disposed between the first outer ring (3410) and the housing (4000).

9. The joint assembly according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The joint assembly (100) further includes a wave generator (5000) that extends along the axial direction, and the power generation unit (2000) is connected to the flexible transmission wheel (1000) via the wave generator (5000). The wave generator (5000) is equipped with at least two bearings, each bearing being spaced apart along the axial direction. Each bearing includes at least one second bearing (5100) and one third bearing (5200). The second bearing (5100) is located radially inside the wave generator (5000), and the third bearing (5200) is located radially outside the wave generator (5000).

10. The joint assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that, The joint assembly (100) further includes an output shaft (6000), the output shaft (6000) including a spindle portion (6100), the wave generator (5000) being sleeved on the spindle portion (6100), and a second bearing (5100) disposed between the wave generator (5000) and the spindle portion (6100); and / or, The joint assembly (100) further includes a housing (4000), the third bearing (5200) includes a third outer ring and a third inner ring, the third outer ring is fixedly connected or limitedly connected to the housing (4000), and the third inner ring is directly or indirectly fixedly connected or limitedly connected to the wave generator (5000).

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