Tendon guiding structure with pre-tightening function, dexterous hand and robot

Abstract

The application provides a tendon guiding structure with pre-tightening function, a dexterous hand and a robot. The tendon guiding structure comprises: an inner tube, which is a flexible hollow tube through which tendons of the dexterous hand pass; and an external reinforcing structure, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the inner tube and comprises a reinforcing section and an axially compressible part at one end of the reinforcing section in the axial direction, the axially compressible part extending beyond the end of the inner tube; the axially compressible part has an axial elastic deformation capability, which is used for providing a pre-tightening force for the tendons and offsetting the creep of the tendons. The application provides a reliable guiding channel for the tendons and simplifies internal wiring, can automatically compensate the creep elongation of the tendons caused by stress and eliminate joint swing, greatly saves internal space while ensuring transmission accuracy, and effectively solves the problem of increasing the volume of the whole hand caused by adding a pre-tightening device in the prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of robotic dexterous hands, specifically to a tendon-guided structure with pretensioning function, a dexterous hand, and a robot. Background Technology

[0002] Existing robotic dexterous hand fingers typically employ linkage, gear, or ligament actuation methods. Among these, linkage and gear actuation methods generally suffer from problems such as large size, heavy weight, low degrees of freedom, and poor flexibility, making it difficult to meet the design requirements of miniaturization and lightweight dexterous hands.

[0003] In contrast, chord actuation offers advantages such as compact structure and light weight, and is typically divided into unidirectional actuation (driving only finger flexion) and bidirectional actuation (driving both finger flexion and extension simultaneously). However, in practical applications, chord actuation has significant drawbacks, especially bidirectional actuation structures, where the internal chord routing is extremely complex. Furthermore, after prolonged stress, the chords undergo material creep (plastic elongation), leading to chord slack, decreased transmission accuracy, and even failure. To address this issue, existing technologies usually require additional independent chord pretensioning devices (such as spring tensioners, adjusting screws, etc.). These additional pretensioning devices not only increase the number of parts and assembly difficulty but also occupy extremely valuable space within the dexterous hand, significantly increasing its overall size and weight and compromising its compact design.

[0004] A search revealed a patent application with publication number CN121468622A, which discloses a flexible guiding structure and a chord-driven dexterous hand. The flexible guiding structure includes an inner layer and an outer reinforcing layer, with the outer reinforcing layer sleeved around the outer periphery of the inner layer. The outer reinforcing layer is divided into a middle section and ends located on both sides of the middle section, with the ends having greater strength than the middle section. This technology only targets the flexible tube, aiming to improve the overall flexibility of the tube, but it cannot solve the problem of chord laxity.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a flexible guide structure that can effectively solve the problems of tendon slack and creep without adding an additional independent pretensioning device, and a dexterous hand and robot incorporating such a structure. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of one of the defects in the prior art, the purpose of this application is to provide a tendon ligament guide structure with pretensioning function, a dexterous hand and a robot.

[0007] A first aspect of this application provides a tendon ligament guide structure with a pre-tensioning function, comprising: The inner tube is a flexible hollow tube through which the tendons of a dexterous hand pass; An external reinforcing structure is fitted around the outer periphery of the inner tube. The external reinforcing structure includes a reinforcing section and an axially compressible portion located at one axial end of the reinforcing section. The axially compressible portion extends beyond the end of the inner tube. The axially compressible portion has axial elastic deformation capability, which is used to provide pretension force to the tendon ligament and counteract the creep of the tendon ligament.

[0008] Optionally, the outer diameter of the axially compressible portion is smaller than the outer diameter of the reinforcing section.

[0009] Optionally, the length of the axially compressible portion accounts for 1 / 5 to 1 / 3 of the total length of the external reinforcing structure.

[0010] Optionally, the end of the axially compressible portion is provided with a preload adjustment component, which includes an adjustment nut. The adjustment nut is threadedly connected to an external mounting bracket, and the end face of the adjustment nut abuts against the end of the axially compressible portion. The initial compression of the axially compressible portion is adjusted by changing the screw-in depth of the adjustment nut.

[0011] Optionally, the axially compressible portion is a variable pitch helical spring structure, a bellows structure, or a mesh tube structure with axial expansion and contraction allowance.

[0012] Optionally, the tendon guide structure is fixed with connecting joints at both ends. The connecting joints include a mandrel inserted into the inner tube and a ferrule or crimping ring sleeved on the outside of the outer reinforcing structure.

[0013] According to a second aspect of this application, a dexterous hand is provided, comprising: The palm portion, which includes the palm support; The finger portion is fixed to the palm support; The wrist portion is connected to the palm support; The chord drive section includes a drive source disposed inside the wrist section and a drive source bracket fixed to the wrist section, the drive source including an output winch; As described in the first aspect, one end of the tendon ligament guide structure is fixed to the root of the finger portion, and the other end is fixed to the drive source bracket. The tendon rope has its middle section wrapped around the surface of the output winch, and its two side sections are led out from the output winch and pass through the tendon rope guide structure to connect with the finger portion.

[0014] Optionally, the tendon ligament driving part is a bidirectional tendon ligament driving structure; The drive source bracket is provided with a first guide wheel. The two rope segments of the tendon rope are led out from the output winch and guided into the tendon rope guide structure by the first guide wheel. The base of the finger section is provided with a finger support seat, and the finger support seat is provided with a second guide wheel and a set of third guide wheels. The surface of the second guide wheel is tangent to the tendon rope that passes through the tendon rope guide structure. The set of third guide wheels is symmetrically arranged around the center of finger rotation. After the two sides of the tendon rope pass through the tendon rope guide structure, they are guided sequentially through the second guide wheel and the third guide wheel to the rotating winch inside the finger section. The output winch is driven to rotate by the drive source, pulling the two sides of the tendon rope to achieve bending and extension of the finger section.

[0015] Optionally, the tendon cord driving part is a one-way tendon cord driving structure; one end of the tendon cord is fixed to the phalanx of the finger part, and the other end passes through the tendon cord guide structure and is fixed to the output winch; the finger part is also provided with an elastic reset member, which is used to drive the finger part to extend and reset when the tendon cord is relaxed.

[0016] According to a third aspect of this application, a robot is provided, comprising a tendon guide structure with pretensioning function as described in the first aspect or a dexterous hand as described in the second aspect.

[0017] The chord guide structure with pretensioning function provided in this application, through the combination of a flexible inner tube and an external reinforcing structure, provides a reliable guiding channel for the chords and simplifies internal wiring. It allows for the drive source to be positioned further back from the fingers, significantly reducing hand size and overcoming the drawbacks of traditional linkage or gear drives, which are characterized by large size and low degrees of freedom. Simultaneously, this application utilizes the axially compressible portions at both ends of the external reinforcing structure to enable the guide structure itself to have a pretensioning function, automatically compensating for creep elongation caused by chord stress and eliminating joint wobble. This design eliminates the need for an additional independent pretensioning device, significantly saving internal space while ensuring transmission accuracy, and effectively solving the problem of increased overall hand size caused by adding a pretensioning device in existing technologies.

[0018] Other technical effects resulting from the additional features will be further illustrated in the corresponding embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a tendon cord guide structure with pretensioning function according to an exemplary embodiment; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Corresponding BB cross-section structural diagram; Figure 3This is a schematic diagram illustrating the pretensioning of tendon cords by a tendon cord guide structure with a pretensioning function according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 4 for Figure 3 Corresponding AA section schematic diagram; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a dexterous hand according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 ; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a dexterous hand according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 ; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a dexterous hand according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 ; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a dexterous hand according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 ; Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a dexterous hand according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 ; Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure of the finger portion of a dexterous hand according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 ; Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the structure of the finger portion of a dexterous hand according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 ; Figure 12 for Figure 11 Corresponding CC section structural diagram; Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the structure of the finger portion of a dexterous hand according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 ; Figure 14 for Figure 13 The corresponding DD cross-section structural diagram.

[0020] In the diagram: 1-inner tube, 2-external reinforcing structure, 201-reinforcing section, 202-axially compressible part; 10 - Finger section, 20 - Palm section, 30 - Rotating component, 40 - Wrist section, 51 - First tendon guide structure, 52 - Second tendon guide structure, 60 - Drive source, 70 - Output winch, 80 - Drive source bracket, 81 - Drive source bracket hole, 90 - Winch support frame, 100 - Tendon, 1001 - First rope segment, 1002 - Second rope segment, 110 - First guide wheel, 120 - Palm support frame, 130 - Second guide wheel, 1401 - Third guide wheel one, 1402 - Third guide wheel two, 150 - Rotating winch, 160 - Bearing, A indicates the finger rotation center. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present application will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present application, but do not limit the present application in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present application. Parts not described in detail in the following embodiments can be implemented using existing technology.

[0022] The present application will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present application, but do not limit the present application in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present application. Parts not described in detail in the following embodiments can be implemented using existing technology.

[0023] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not 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 this application.

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

[0025] In the description of the embodiments in this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. In this application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "linked," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0026] The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the embodiments of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0027] In existing technologies, tendon chords are prone to creep and loosening, and additional pretensioning devices lead to an increase in the size of the dexterous hand. Based on the above problems, this application provides a tendon chord guide structure with pretensioning function to solve these issues.

[0028] Reference Figures 1-4 The tendon guide structure with pretensioning function provided in one embodiment of this application is mainly used in the tendon transmission system of a robot dexterous hand. It includes an inner tube 1 and an outer reinforcing structure 2, wherein: the inner tube 1 is a flexible hollow tube through which the tendon of the dexterous hand passes; the outer reinforcing structure 2 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the inner tube 1, and the outer reinforcing structure 2 includes a reinforcing section 201 and an axially compressible portion 202 located at one axial end of the reinforcing section 201. The axially compressible portion 202 extends beyond the end of the inner tube 1; the axially compressible portion 202 has axial elastic deformation capability, which is used to provide pretensioning force to the tendon and counteract the creep of the tendon.

[0029] Specifically, the inner tube 1 of the tendon chord guide structure is made of a flexible, highly lubricated material through tube to reduce the frictional resistance of the tendon chord during high-speed reciprocating sliding and reduce wear.

[0030] For example, the inner tube 1 is made of polymer materials such as POM (polyoxymethylene), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), and PEEK (polyether ether ketone).

[0031] The external reinforcing structure 2 provides mechanical support and prevents the inner tube 1 from collapsing when bent. The reinforcing section mainly serves as a guide and resists bending to improve the strength of the tendon guide structure. In operation, it primarily bears bending loads, rather than axial tensile loads. To achieve flexible guidance, the inner diameter of the reinforcing section must be the same as the outer diameter of the inner tube, or approximately 0.1 mm larger. The inner tube 1 is made of flexible lubricating material. To prevent compression of the inner tube 1 during compression, the axially compressible portion 202 extends beyond the end of the inner tube 1. This extended portion does not enclose the inner tube 1, allowing the inner tube 1 to expand and contract freely in this area without radial compression.

[0032] It should be noted that the flexible guiding function of the tendon chord guide structure can be accomplished by the inner tube alone. If the force transmitted by the tendon chord is relatively large, such as when the tendon chord tension is greater than 100N, the flexible guiding function can be achieved by the inner tube and the external reinforcing structure working together.

[0033] During assembly, the axially compressible portion 202 is axially compressed, shortening the total length of the tendon ligament guide structure. Since the two ends of the tendon ligament are fixed and the tendon ligament length remains unchanged, the shortening of the guide structure is equivalent to shortening the tendon ligament path, thereby tensioning the tendon ligament and generating an initial preload. In this embodiment, a mechanical coupling relationship is formed between the axially compressible portion 202 and the tendon ligament: tendon ligament creep elongation → tendon ligament tension decreases → the elastic recovery force of the axially compressible portion is greater than the tendon ligament tension → the axially compressible portion automatically rebounds → the tendon ligament path shortens → the tendon ligament re-tensions. This closed-loop compensation process is continuous, gradual, and real-time, enabling instant tracking of minute creep in the tendon ligament. Therefore, when the tendon ligament relaxes due to material creep (plastic elongation) under long-term stress, the axially compressible portion automatically elongates based on its own elastic rebound, compensating for the elongation of the tendon ligament after long-term work, thereby eliminating phenomena such as idle travel and wobbling when the finger is in a free state.

[0034] It should be noted that the axially compressible part can be a separate component or designed as an integral part with the reinforcing section. For an integral structure, for example, the reinforcing section can use a dense spring, and the axially compressible part can be designed as a loose spring, without an internal hollow tube. In the case of a separate component, a single compression spring can be used, and the remaining hollow tube and reinforcing section can be implemented using existing technology.

[0035] In this embodiment, by fitting an external reinforcing structure 2 with an axially compressible portion 202 around the outer periphery of the inner tube 1, the guide structure itself integrates pre-tightening and creep compensation functions, completely eliminating the need for an additional independent tensioning device in traditional solutions, and significantly saving installation space. At the same time, the synergistic effect of the inner tube 1 and the external reinforcing structure 2 not only ensures the tube body's resistance to compression under complex bending, but also reduces the sliding friction of the tendon rope, significantly improving the fatigue life of the tendon rope.

[0036] Existing technology CN121468622A lacks any pretensioning capability and does not address compensation for chordal creep relaxation. Simply connecting a spring in series or parallel with a guide tube only provides a simple sum of guiding and pretensioning functions, potentially leading to mechanical interference (e.g., the axial force of the spring causing bending deformation of the guide tube). This application addresses this by incorporating an axially compressible portion at the end, creating a stiffness gradient along the axial direction of the guide structure. This provides axial elastic deformation capability without compromising the radial support capacity (bending and collapsing resistance) of the guide structure. The guide structure functions as both guide and active force application. The axially compressible portion automatically rebounds after chordal creep elongation, restoring tension by altering the effective length of the chordal path. The entire process is a passive response of the structure itself, requiring no external intervention.

[0037] In order to form a stiffness gradient, in some specific embodiments of this application, the external reinforcing structure 2 is a steel wire braided or wound structure, and the outer diameter of the axially compressible part 202 is smaller than the outer diameter of the reinforcing section 201, which can prevent the internal flexible hollow tube from being transmitted to the end, thus preventing the axially compressible part from providing preload.

[0038] For example, the reinforcing section 201 uses a metal tension spring (i.e., a closely wound metal helical spring). The diameter of the inner hole of the tension spring is the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube (e.g., 0.1 mm larger). During assembly, the inner tube 1 is inserted into the metal tension spring. Due to the tight contact between the coils, the closely wound spring forms continuous support by pressing against each other when bending, resulting in high bending stiffness and effectively preventing the inner tube 1 from collapsing when bent. At the same time, the closely wound spring retains a certain degree of axial flexibility, allowing the overall structure to perform three-dimensional bending and routing in space.

[0039] The inner tube 1 is a hollow tube with an inner diameter of 0.5mm-1.5mm and an outer diameter of 1mm-2.5mm. Preferably, the inner diameter of the inner tube 1 is 1mm and the outer diameter is 1.6mm.

[0040] For the external reinforcement structure, the diameter of the steel wire used is 0.1mm-0.5mm, the inner diameter of the spring in the reinforcement section is 1.62mm, and the outer diameter of the steel wire rope is 0.4mm.

[0041] It should be noted that when the external reinforcing structure needs to provide a relatively large axial force, the reinforcing section of the external reinforcing structure can be designed as a separate spring structure, and the outer diameter of the steel wire can be greater than 0.5 mm. For the axially compressible section providing flexibility, the outer diameter of the steel wire should not exceed 0.5 mm.

[0042] The wire braided mesh structure has high bending stiffness and compression resistance; the axially compressible part can be made of a separate compression spring, which is sleeved on the end of the braided mesh, and the two are separate structures.

[0043] In a further embodiment, the length of the axially compressible portion 202 accounts for 1 / 5 to 1 / 3 of the total length of the external reinforcing structure, which can provide sufficient compression stroke while ensuring the overall flexibility of the guide tube.

[0044] When this ratio is less than 1 / 5, the compression stroke is insufficient, failing to provide adequate creep compensation; when this ratio is greater than 1 / 3, the overall bending stiffness of the external reinforcing structure decreases excessively, affecting guiding performance. Preferably, the length of the axially compressible portion accounts for 1 / 4 of the total length of the external reinforcing structure. By setting the length of the axially compressible portion, the total compression stroke of the axially compressible portion is 5mm, corresponding to a preload range of 10N-50N, thereby ensuring the tension of the tendon rope and eliminating the creep effect during tendon rope operation.

[0045] In order to achieve precise adjustment of preload, in some specific embodiments of this application, the tendon guide structure is provided with a preload adjustment component at the end of the axially compressible portion 202. The preload adjustment component includes an adjustment nut, which is threadedly connected to an external mounting bracket, and the end face of the adjustment nut abuts against the end of the axially compressible portion 202. The initial compression of the axially compressible portion is adjusted by changing the screw depth of the adjustment nut.

[0046] When the axially compressible part 202 is located at the drive source end, the external mounting bracket is a drive source bracket; when the axially compressible part 202 is located at the fingertip, the external mounting bracket is a palm support bracket.

[0047] By screwing in or out the adjusting nut and changing its screw-in depth, the initial compression of the axially compressible part 202 can be directly adjusted, thereby precisely setting the preload of the tendon rope.

[0048] In order to achieve the axial elastic deformation capability of the axially compressible part, in some specific embodiments of this application, the axially compressible part 202 is a variable pitch helical spring structure, a bellows structure, or a mesh tube structure with axial expansion and contraction margin.

[0049] To facilitate assembly with other components of the dexterous hand, in some specific embodiments of this application, the tendon guide structure has connecting joints fixed at both ends. Each connecting joint includes a mandrel inserted into the inner tube 1 and a retaining sleeve or crimping ring fitted onto the outer reinforcing structure 2. Secure fixing is achieved through the inner and outer clamping of the mandrel and retaining sleeve.

[0050] By setting up the preload adjustment component and connecting joint, the fine adjustment of the preload becomes more intuitive and convenient, greatly reducing the assembly difficulty and subsequent maintenance costs.

[0051] Based on the same technical concept, another embodiment of this application provides a dexterous hand, such as... Figures 5-14As shown, it includes a palm portion 20, a finger portion 10, a wrist portion 40, a tendon ligament drive portion, a tendon ligament 100, and a tendon ligament guide structure in any of the above embodiments, wherein: the palm portion 20 includes a palm support; the finger portion 10 is fixed on the palm support; the wrist portion 40 is connected to the palm support via a rotating component 30; the tendon ligament drive portion includes a drive source 60 (such as a micro servo motor, which can be fixed by a bearing 160) disposed inside the wrist portion 40, and a drive source support 80 fixed on the wrist portion 40, the drive source 60 including an output winch 70, which is disposed on a winch support frame 90; one end of the tendon ligament guide structure is fixed to the root of the finger portion 10, and the other end is fixed to the drive source support 80; the middle part of the tendon ligament 100 is wound around the surface of the output winch 70, and the two sides of the tendon ligament 100 are led out from the output winch 70, pass through the tendon ligament guide structure, and connect to the finger portion 10. The dexterous hand layout in this embodiment places the relatively large drive source at the wrist, significantly reducing the size of the palm portion 20.

[0052] In some specific embodiments of this application, the tendon cord drive part is a bidirectional tendon cord drive structure. The tendon cord 100 is a U-shaped tendon cord that is folded in half. One tendon cord can drive the finger to grasp or extend in either the forward or reverse direction. A first guide wheel 110 is provided on the drive source bracket 80. The two sides of the tendon cord 100 are led out from the output winch 70 and guided into the tendon cord guide structure by the first guide wheel 110. A finger support seat is provided at the base of the finger part 10. A second guide wheel 130 and a set of third guide wheels are provided in the finger support seat. The surface of the second guide wheel 130 is tangent to the tendon cord that passes through the tendon cord guide structure. A set of third guide wheels is symmetrically arranged around the finger rotation center A, including third guide wheel one 1401 and third guide wheel two 1402. After the two sides of the tendon cord 100 pass through the tendon cord guide structure, they are guided sequentially by the second guide wheel 130 and the third guide wheel to the rotating winch inside the finger part. The output winch 70 is driven to rotate by the drive source 60, which pulls the two sides of the tendon cord 100 to achieve bending and extension of the finger part 10.

[0053] Specifically, the entire hand contains multiple first tendon cord guide structures 51 and second tendon cord guide structures 52, used as a set to explain the process of finger flexion and extension. A palm support frame 120 is fixed to the palm portion 20, and a drive source bracket 80 is fixed to the wrist portion 40. The palm support frame 120 and the drive source bracket 80 are connected by the first tendon cord guide structures 51 and second tendon cord guide structures 52. The tendon cord connects the finger rotating winch to the output winch 70 via the first and second tendon cord guide structures 51 and 52. The function of the first and second tendon cord guide structures 51 and 52 is to ensure that when the tendon cord 100 is under force, its position remains consistent with the corresponding tendon cord guide structure, and that the tendon cord can transmit force within the corresponding tendon cord guide structure. The first and second tendon cord guide structures 51 and 52 are tendon cord support devices that can arbitrarily arrange the tendon cord position and state according to spatial needs. The palm support frame 120 has a through hole, and the drive source bracket has a drive source bracket hole 81. One end of the first tendon rope guide structure 51 and the second tendon rope guide structure 52 are inserted into the through hole on the palm support frame 120, and the other end is inserted into the drive source bracket hole 81 on the drive source bracket. The inner diameter of the drive source bracket hole 81 is larger than the outer diameter of the other end of the tendon rope, ensuring that the end of the tendon rope guide structure can slide freely along the axis in the drive source bracket hole 81. This allows the axially compressible part to complete the compression and rebound action in the hole, so that the other end of the tendon rope can be compressibly moved in the drive source bracket hole 81. During the entire compression process, the end of the tendon rope guide structure is also included in the drive source bracket hole 81, directly connecting the finger part 10 to the output winch 70 in space.

[0054] The working process and principle (finger flexion and extension movements) of the chordal dual-drive dexterity hand are as follows: The rotation of the proximal fingertip is used as an example (the proximal fingertip refers to the rotational joint near the palm). The remaining parts operate on a similar principle to the distal fingertip rotation. The proximal fingertip rotating winch is fixed to the fingertip, and the fingertip 10 can rotate through the axis of the rotating winch 150. The tendon rope 100 is wound around the surface of the output winch 70, with the tendon rope wound at least one turn. Two ends of the tendon rope will be output from the surface of the output winch 70. One end passes through the first guide wheel 110 and enters the second tendon rope guiding structure 52. The function of the first guide wheel 110 is to vertically guide the tendon rope from the surface of the output winch 70 into the tendon rope guiding structure (the other end of the tendon rope is guided into the first tendon rope guiding structure in a similar manner). The tendon cord can be connected to the hand support frame 120 in any posture through the tendon cord guide structure. The hand support frame 120 is provided with a second guide wheel 130 and a third guide wheel to guide the tendon cord tangentially into the rotating winch 150. The first rope segment 1001 and the second rope segment 1002 at both ends of the tendon cord are respectively embedded and fixed in the rotating winch 150. When the output winch 70 rotates clockwise, the first rope segment 1001 of the tendon cord will drive the rotating winch 150 to bend and rotate. Conversely, when the output winch 70 rotates counterclockwise, the second rope segment 1002 of the tendon cord will drive the rotating winch 150 to extend and rotate, completing the bending and extending movements of the finger part 10.

[0055] If a single-drive tendon cord solution is used for the finger, that is, half of the above-mentioned U-shaped tendon cord structure, it is only necessary to remove the second tendon cord guide structure part from the above dual-drive structure (retaining the first tendon cord guide structure part), and the same effect of flexible guide structure can be achieved. In some specific embodiments of this application, the tendon cord drive part is a unidirectional tendon cord drive structure; each finger part corresponds to one tendon cord and one tendon cord guide structure, one end of the tendon cord is fixed to the phalanx of the finger part, and the other end passes through the tendon cord guide structure and is fixed to the output winch; the output winch is driven to rotate by the drive source 60 to realize the bending of the finger part; the finger part is also provided with an elastic reset element (such as a torsion spring or tension spring) to drive the finger part to extend and reset when the tendon cord is relaxed.

[0056] Specifically, one end of the torsion spring is fixed to the finger rotating winch (or finger bone), and the other end is fixed to the palm support frame (or adjacent phalanx). The restoring torque of the torsion spring is less than the torque generated by the pretension of the tendon ligament, ensuring that the finger will not be passively extended when the tendon ligament is taut.

[0057] By placing the chord drive source at the rear of the wrist, away from the fingers, and utilizing a chord guide structure with pretensioning function for flexible three-dimensional routing, the internal routing process of the chords in the entire hand is simplified, reducing the difficulty of chord arrangement. By moving the bulky drive component out of the palm, the overall size and weight of the palm are significantly reduced, providing ample space to increase finger freedom. At the same time, whether it is a bidirectional or unidirectional drive structure, the chords run within a closed guide structure with pretensioning force, which can simultaneously provide internal chord pretensioning force, effectively avoiding mutual interference and friction between multiple chords in a confined space, eliminating joint wobbling and transmission backlash caused by chord slack (i.e., increased length), and significantly improving the accuracy, response speed, and overall stability of dexterity hand grasping.

[0058] Based on the same technical concept, another embodiment of this application provides a robot that includes the tendon-guided structure or dexterous hand with pretensioning function as described in the above embodiments. This robot can be a humanoid robot, a quadruped robot, or an industrial collaborative robot, and its dexterous hand possesses high degrees of freedom, small size, and high transmission precision, enabling it to perform complex grasping and manipulation tasks.

[0059] The preferred features in the above embodiments can be used individually in any embodiment, or in any combination thereof, provided they do not conflict with each other. Furthermore, parts not described in detail in the embodiments can be implemented using existing technologies.

[0060] The foregoing has described some specific embodiments of this application. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications or variations within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the substantive content of this application. The above-described preferred features can be used in any combination without conflict.

Claims

1. A tendon ligament guide structure with pre-tensioning function, characterized in that, include: The inner tube is a flexible hollow tube through which the tendons of a dexterous hand pass; An external reinforcing structure is fitted around the outer periphery of the inner tube. The external reinforcing structure includes a reinforcing section and an axially compressible portion located at one axial end of the reinforcing section. The axially compressible portion extends beyond the end of the inner tube. The axially compressible portion has axial elastic deformation capability, which is used to provide pretension force to the tendon ligament and counteract the creep of the tendon ligament.

2. The tendon rope guide structure with pre-tensioning function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer diameter of the axially compressible portion is smaller than the outer diameter of the reinforcing section.

3. The tendon rope guide structure with pre-tensioning function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The length of the axially compressible portion accounts for 1 / 5 to 1 / 3 of the total length of the external reinforcing structure.

4. The tendon rope guide structure with pre-tensioning function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the axially compressible portion is provided with a preload adjustment component, which includes an adjustment nut. The adjustment nut is threadedly connected to an external mounting bracket, and the end face of the adjustment nut abuts against the end of the axially compressible portion. The initial compression of the axially compressible portion is adjusted by changing the screw depth of the adjustment nut.

5. The tendon rope guide structure with pre-tensioning function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axially compressible part is a variable pitch helical spring structure, a bellows structure, or a mesh tube structure with axial expansion and contraction margin.

6. The tendon rope guide structure with pre-tensioning function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tendon guide structure has connecting joints fixed at both ends. The connecting joints include a mandrel inserted into the inner tube and a ferrule or crimping ring sleeved on the outside of the outer reinforcing structure.

7. A dexterous hand, characterized in that, include: The palm portion, which includes the palm support; The finger portion is fixed to the palm support; The wrist portion is connected to the palm support; The chord drive section includes a drive source disposed inside the wrist section and a drive source bracket fixed to the wrist section, the drive source including an output winch; The tendon ligament guide structure as described in any one of claims 1-6, wherein one end is fixed to the root of the finger portion and the other end is fixed to the drive source bracket; The tendon rope has its middle section wrapped around the surface of the output winch, and its two side sections are led out from the output winch and pass through the tendon rope guide structure to connect with the finger portion.

8. The dexterous hand according to claim 7, characterized in that, The tendon chord driving part is a bidirectional tendon chord driving structure; The drive source bracket is provided with a first guide wheel. The two rope segments of the tendon rope are led out from the output winch and guided into the tendon rope guide structure by the first guide wheel. The base of the finger section is provided with a finger support seat, and the finger support seat is provided with a second guide wheel and a set of third guide wheels. The surface of the second guide wheel is tangent to the tendon rope that passes through the tendon rope guide structure. The set of third guide wheels is symmetrically arranged around the center of finger rotation. After the two sides of the tendon rope pass through the tendon rope guide structure, they are guided sequentially through the second guide wheel and the third guide wheel to the rotating winch inside the finger section. The output winch is driven to rotate by the drive source, pulling the two sides of the tendon rope to achieve bending and extension of the finger section.

9. The dexterous hand according to claim 7, characterized in that, The tendon cord drive part is a one-way tendon cord drive structure; one end of the tendon cord is fixed to the phalanx of the finger part, and the other end passes through the tendon cord guide structure and is fixed to the output winch; the finger part is also provided with an elastic reset member, which is used to drive the finger part to extend and reset when the tendon cord is relaxed.

10. A robot, characterized in that, Includes a tendon guide structure with pretensioning function as described in any one of claims 1-6 or a dexterous hand as described in any one of claims 7-9.

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