Finger assembly and dexterous hand

Abstract

The utility model discloses a finger assembly and a dexterous hand. The finger assembly comprises a near knuckle and a far knuckle pivoted to the front end of the near knuckle. The far knuckle comprises a base, a flexible knuckle sleeve and a piezoresistive sensor. The base comprises a bottom face, two side faces and a top face connected between the tops of the two side faces. The two side faces and the top face are each provided with a sliding groove extending from front to back and a clamping groove located in the rear side of the sliding groove, an opening is formed in the front end of the sliding groove, and the rear end of the sliding groove is a blind end. The piezoresistive sensor is mounted below the bottom surface; an opening is formed in the rear end of the flexible knuckle sleeve so that the flexible knuckle sleeve can be connected to the base from the front end of the base in a sleeving mode and wrap the piezoresistive sensor, a positioning convex rib and a clamping convex rib are arranged on the inner surface of the flexible knuckle sleeve, the positioning convex rib can slide to the blind end of the sliding groove from the opening of the sliding groove, and when the positioning convex rib slides to the blind end of the sliding groove, the clamping convex rib can clamp the clamping convex rib. And the clamping convex ribs are clamped in the clamping grooves. The finger assembly of the utility model can realize rapid assembly, and is convenient for maintenance and replacement of the piezoresistive sensor.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to robot technical field, concretely relates to a finger subassembly and dexterous hand. BACKGROUND

[0002] The dexterous hand of humanoid robot usually includes palm and multiple finger subassemblies, the finger subassembly includes far phalanx and near phalanx, in order to accurately control the dexterous hand, especially control the relative rotation angle of far phalanx and near phalanx joint, makes the dexterous hand can execute fine task, usually will configure piezoresistive sensor on the far phalanx of finger subassembly, for detecting the reaction force of object applied to the inside surface of far phalanx, so that the control module of dexterous hand can control the drive unit of drive far phalanx relative to near phalanx according to the force value, in order to make piezoresistive sensor can perceive the reaction force from object, the far phalanx of finger subassembly usually includes rigid base and flexible phalangeal sleeve, during assembly, the phalangeal sleeve is sleeved on the base, and the phalangeal sleeve and the base are bonded and fixed together by using glue, and the bonding mode leads to low assembly efficiency of far phalanx, when piezoresistive sensor fails, it is difficult to disassemble phalangeal sleeve to overhaul and replace piezoresistive sensor. SUMMARY

[0003] The utility model aims at at least solving one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and for this purpose, the purpose of the utility model is to provide a finger subassembly and dexterous hand to solve the problems of low assembly efficiency of far phalanx, difficult to overhaul and replace piezoresistive sensor in the prior art.

[0004] The purpose of the utility model is realized by the following technical scheme:

[0005] The finger subassembly includes near phalanx, far phalanx pivotally connected to the front end of the near phalanx;

[0006] The far phalanx includes base, flexible phalangeal sleeve and piezoresistive sensor, the base includes bottom surface, two side surfaces respectively extending upward from both sides of the bottom surface, top surface connected between the top of the two side surfaces;Both the two side surfaces and the top surface are provided with sliding groove extending from front to back, and clamping groove located at the rear side of the sliding groove, the front end of the sliding groove forms an opening, and the rear end is a blind end;The piezoresistive sensor is installed below the bottom surface;

[0007] The rear end of the flexible phalangeal sleeve forms an open mouth so that the flexible phalangeal sleeve can be sleeved on the base from the front end of the base and wrap the piezoresistive sensor, the inner surface of the flexible phalangeal sleeve is provided with positioning convex rib and clamping convex rib, the positioning convex rib can slide from the opening of the sliding groove to the blind end of the sliding groove, when the positioning convex rib slides to the blind end of the sliding groove, the clamping convex rib is clamped in the clamping groove.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a flexible knuckle sleeve is fitted onto a base to enclose the base and the piezoresistive sensor, ensuring that the bottom portion of the flexible knuckle sleeve is located below and outside the piezoresistive sensor. This ensures that the piezoresistive sensor can accurately detect the reaction force exerted by an object on the distal knuckle. The positioning ribs and sliding grooves cooperate to prevent the flexible knuckle sleeve from rotating relative to the base. The locking ribs and locking grooves cooperate to limit the degree of freedom of movement of the flexible knuckle sleeve relative to the base in the front-to-back direction, thus keeping the flexible knuckle sleeve fixed to the base. This eliminates the need for applying glue to the base surface, allowing for rapid assembly of the finger assembly. Furthermore, when the piezoresistive sensor needs maintenance, the deformable characteristics of the open rear end of the flexible knuckle sleeve can be utilized to disengage the locking ribs from the locking grooves, allowing the flexible knuckle sleeve to be removed from the base, facilitating the maintenance and replacement of the piezoresistive sensor.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the base has a recessed mounting groove extending upwards from the bottom. A rigid support member is embedded inside the mounting groove, and the open bottom edge of the flexible knuckle sleeve has a protruding edge. The rigid support member is confined between the top of the mounting groove and the protruding edge of the flexible knuckle sleeve. The rigid support member enhances the strength of the base, thereby improving the overall strength of the distal phalanx.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, two first support columns extending downwards from the bottom surface of the base and located on both sides of the mounting groove are provided. The two first support columns wrap around the outer sides of the rear corners of the piezoresistive sensor. The bottom surface of the rigid support member is higher than the bottom surface of the two first support columns, so that the inner surfaces of the two first support columns and the rigid support member form a locking groove, and the protruding edge is embedded in the locking groove. The protruding edge confines the rigid support member within the mounting groove, and the two first support columns limit the lateral position of the protruding edge and protect the rear of the piezoresistive sensor, thereby limiting the flexible finger sleeve and improving the installation accuracy of the flexible finger sleeve and the base.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, two downwardly extending second support columns are provided on the bottom surface of the base, and the two second support columns wrap around the outer sides of the front two corners of the piezoresistive sensor. The two second support columns serve to protect and limit the movement of the piezoresistive sensor.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the piezoresistive sensor has a mounting hole extending downward from its upper surface, into which a knurled thermoplastic nut is embedded. The base has a through hole extending downward from its top surface to its bottom surface, through which a connecting screw passes. The lower end of the connecting screw is screwed into the knurled thermoplastic nut to securely connect the piezoresistive sensor to the base. The piezoresistive sensor and the base are detachably fixed together by the connecting screw, facilitating assembly of the piezoresistive sensor and the base, and also facilitating maintenance and replacement of the piezoresistive sensor.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the upper surface of the piezoresistive sensor is provided with a downwardly recessed positioning groove, and the bottom surface of the base is provided with a downwardly protruding positioning boss to be embedded in the positioning groove. By using the positioning boss and the positioning groove to cooperate, the piezoresistive sensor and the base are positioned during assembly, improving the assembly accuracy. At the same time, it allows the connecting screws to be aligned with the knurled thermoplastic nut, improving the assembly efficiency.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, a stepped surface is provided on the top surface and both sides of the base. The rear end face of the flexible knuckle sleeve abuts against the stepped surface, so that the outer surface of the flexible knuckle sleeve is flush with the outer surface of the portion of the base located behind the stepped surface. By providing the stepped surface, the entire surface of the distal phalanx is a smooth curved surface after the flexible knuckle sleeve and the base are assembled, thus not affecting the normal operation of the finger assembly.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, a connecting seat is fixed to the rear end of the base, and the connecting seat is pivotally connected to the proximal phalanx via a pivot that passes through both of them. During assembly, the connecting seat can be placed inside the front end of the proximal phalanx, and the pivot can be passed through one side of the proximal phalanx so that the pivot passes through a pre-set shaft hole on the connecting seat. Finally, screws are used to lock both ends of the pivot to the two sides of the proximal phalanx, thereby facilitating the assembly of the distal phalanx and the proximal phalanx.

[0016] Dexterous hand, including the aforementioned finger components.

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The illustrative embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Assembly diagram of the middle and distal phalanges;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the assembly process of the distal phalanx;

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible finger sleeve.

[0022] In the diagram: 10. Distal phalanx; 11. Base; 110. Bottom surface; 111. Top surface; 112. Side surface; 113. Slide groove; 114. Slide groove; 1141. Opening; 1142. Blind end; 115. Slot; 116. Stepped surface; 117. Through hole; 118. First support column; 119. Second support column; 1100. Mounting groove; 1101. Positioning boss; 12. Flexible phalanx sleeve; 121. Protruding edge; 122. Positioning rib; 123. Positioning rib; 13. Piezoresistive sensor; 131. Mounting hole; 132. Positioning groove; 133. Knurled thermoplastic nut; 14. Rigid support; 15. Connecting seat; 16. Connecting screw; 20. Proximal phalanx; 21. Rotating shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, the materials and equipment used in this embodiment are all commercially available. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0024] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise precisely specified.

[0025] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "connected" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a connection through an intermediary, or a connection within two elements or an interaction between two elements. 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 "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 1-4As shown, a finger assembly of this utility model includes a proximal phalanx 20, a distal phalanx 10, and the rear end of the distal phalanx 10 is pivotally connected to the front end of the proximal phalanx 20. The distal phalanx 10 includes a base 11, a flexible phalanx sleeve 12, and a piezoresistive sensor 13. The base 11 includes a bottom surface 110, two side surfaces 112 extending upward from both sides of the bottom surface 110, and a top surface 111 connecting the tops of the two side surfaces 112. A sliding groove 114 extending from front to back and a slot 115 located behind the sliding groove 114 are provided on the side surfaces 112. The front end of the sliding groove 114 forms an opening 1141 and the rear end forms a blind end 1142. Similarly, a sliding groove 113 extending from front to back and a slot 115 located behind the sliding groove 113 are provided on the top surface 111. Similar to the sliding groove 114, the front end of the sliding groove 113 forms an opening and the rear end is a blind end. The piezoresistive sensor 13 is mounted below the bottom surface 110 and is fixedly fitted with the base 11 to form an assembly. The rear end of the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 forms an opening, allowing the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 to be wrapped around the base 11 from the front end. In other words, the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 can be fitted over the assembly formed by the base 11 and the piezoresistive sensor 13, thereby wrapping the base 11 and the piezoresistive sensor 13 with the flexible knuckle sleeve 12, especially wrapping the lower part of the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 around the bottom of the piezoresistive sensor 13. Positioning ribs 122 and locking ribs 123 are provided on the inner surface of the flexible knuckle sleeve 12. Specifically, a positioning rib 122 can be provided on the top and both sides of the inner surface of the flexible knuckle sleeve 12. The positioning ribs 122 on both sides correspond to the sliding grooves 114 on the two sides 112 of the base 11, and the positioning rib 122 on the top corresponds to the sliding groove 113 on the top surface 111 of the base 11. When the flexible finger sleeve 12 is fitted onto the base 11 from front to back, the positioning ribs 122 on both sides slide into the sliding groove 114 from the openings 1141 on both sides, and the positioning rib 122 on the top slides into the sliding groove 113 from the opening. When the flexible finger sleeve 12 is completely fitted onto the outside of the assembly formed by the base 11 and the piezoresistive sensor 13, the positioning ribs 122 on both sides are located at the blind ends 1142 of the sliding grooves 114 on both sides, and the positioning rib 122 on the top is located at the blind end of the sliding groove 113. The locking rib 123 cooperates with the aforementioned locking groove 115. Specifically, a locking rib 123 is provided on both sides and the top of the open end of the flexible finger sleeve 12. The three locking ribs 123 correspond to the locking grooves 115 located on the two sides 112 and the top surface 111, respectively. When the aforementioned positioning rib 122 slides to the blind end of the slide groove, the locking rib 123 is locked in the locking groove 115.

[0028] In this invention, a flexible knuckle sleeve 12 is fitted onto a base 11 to enclose the base 11 and the piezoresistive sensor 13, ensuring that the bottom portion of the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 is located below and outside the piezoresistive sensor 13. This ensures that the piezoresistive sensor 13 can accurately detect the reaction force applied to the distal knuckle 10 by an object. The positioning rib 122 and the sliding groove cooperate to prevent the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 from rotating relative to the base 11. The locking rib 123 and the locking groove 115 limit the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 to its forward position. The flexible knuckle sleeve 12 has a degree of freedom of movement relative to the base 11 in the rear direction, thereby keeping the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 fixed to the base 11 without the need to apply glue to the surface of the base 11, enabling the finger assembly to be quickly assembled. In addition, when it is necessary to repair the piezoresistive sensor 13, the deformable characteristics of the open rear end of the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 can be used to disengage the locking rib 123 from the locking groove 115, thereby allowing the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 to be removed from the base 11, which facilitates the repair and replacement of the piezoresistive sensor 13.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the base 11 has a mounting groove 1100 recessed upwards from its bottom surface 110. A rigid support member 14 is embedded inside the mounting groove 1100. The rigid support member 14 can be made of a high-strength metal. After the rigid support member 14 is embedded inside the mounting groove 1100, it enhances the strength of the base 11. A protruding edge 121 is provided at the bottom edge of the open opening of the flexible knuckle sleeve 12. The protruding edge 121 is located below the rigid support member 14, thereby confining the rigid support member 14 between the top of the mounting groove 1100 and the protruding edge 121, preventing the rigid support member 14 from detaching from the mounting groove 1100. The rigid support member 14 enhances the strength of the base 11, thereby enhancing the overall strength of the distal phalanx 10.

[0030] Two first support columns 118 extending downward from the bottom surface 110 of the base 11 are provided on the base 11. The two first support columns 118 are located on both sides of the mounting groove 1100, and the two first support columns 118 wrap around the outer sides of the two end corners of the rear of the piezoresistive sensor 13. The bottom surface of the rigid support member 14 is higher than the bottom surface of the two first support columns 118. Thus, after the rigid support member 14 is placed in the mounting groove 1100, the inner sides of the two first support columns 118 and the lower end surface of the rigid support member 14 together form a locking groove. The aforementioned protruding edge 121 is located in the locking groove. The protruding edge 121 is used to limit the rigid support member 14 in the mounting groove 1100. The two first support columns 118 limit the left and right positions of the protruding edge 121 and protect the rear of the piezoresistive sensor 13. In turn, they limit the flexible finger sleeve 12, thereby improving the installation accuracy of the flexible finger sleeve 12 and the base 11.

[0031] Two second support columns 119 extending downward from the bottom surface 110 of the base 11 are provided on the base 11. The two second support columns 119 wrap around the outer sides of the two front corners of the piezoresistive sensor 13, and the two second support columns 119 play a role in protecting and limiting the piezoresistive sensor 13.

[0032] The piezoresistive sensor 13 has a mounting hole 131 extending downward from its upper surface. A knurled thermoplastic nut 133 is embedded in the mounting hole 131. The base 11 has a through hole 117 extending downward from its top surface 111 to its bottom surface 110. A connecting screw 16 passes through the through hole 117 from top to bottom, and its lower end is screwed into the knurled thermoplastic nut 133. The piezoresistive sensor 13 and the base 11 are detachably fixed together by the connecting screw 16. The detachable fixing of the piezoresistive sensor 13 and the base 11 by the connecting screw 16 facilitates the assembly of the piezoresistive sensor 13 and the base 11, and also facilitates the maintenance and replacement of the piezoresistive sensor 13.

[0033] The upper surface of the piezoresistive sensor 13 is provided with a downwardly recessed positioning groove 132, and the bottom surface 110 of the base 11 is provided with a downwardly protruding positioning boss 1101. The positioning boss 1101 is embedded in the positioning groove 132. By using the positioning boss 1101 and the positioning groove 132 to cooperate, the piezoresistive sensor 13 and the base 11 are positioned during assembly, improving the assembly accuracy. At the same time, the connecting screw 16 can be aligned with the knurled thermoplastic nut 133, improving the assembly efficiency.

[0034] A stepped surface 116 is provided on the top surface 111 and both sides 112 of the base 11. The outer diameter of the portion of the base 11 located in front of the stepped surface 116 is relatively small, and the outer diameter of the portion located behind the stepped surface 116 is relatively large. After the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 is fitted onto the base 11, the rear end face of the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 abuts against the stepped surface 116. In this way, the outer surface of the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 is flush with the outer surface of the portion of the base 11 located behind the stepped surface 116. By providing the stepped surface 116, the surface of the entire distal phalanx 10 is a smooth curved surface after the flexible knuckle sleeve 12 is assembled with the base 11, thus not affecting the normal operation of the finger assembly.

[0035] A connecting seat 15 is fixedly connected to the rear end of the base 11. The connecting seat 15 and the proximal phalanx 20 are pivotally connected together by a pivot 21 that passes through them. During assembly, the connecting seat 15 can be placed inside the front end of the proximal phalanx 20, and the pivot 21 can be passed through one side of the proximal phalanx 20 so that the pivot 21 passes through the pre-set shaft hole on the connecting seat 15. Finally, the two ends of the pivot 21 are locked to the two sides of the proximal phalanx 20 with screws, which facilitates the assembly of the distal phalanx 10 and the proximal phalanx 20.

[0036] The dexterous hand of this invention includes the aforementioned finger components. Other structures of the dexterous hand are the same as those in the prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0037] Although only certain components and embodiments of this application have been illustrated and described, many modifications and alterations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without actually departing from the scope and spirit of the claims, such as variations in the size, dimensions, structure, shape and proportion of the various elements, installation arrangement, material use, color, orientation, etc.

[0038] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present utility model. Any non-substantial changes and substitutions made by those skilled in the art based on the present utility model shall fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present utility model.

Claims

1. A finger assembly, characterized in that, Including the proximal phalanx and the distal phalanx, which is pivotally connected to the anterior end of the proximal phalanx; The distal phalanx includes a base, a flexible phalanx sleeve, and a piezoresistive sensor. The base includes a bottom surface, two side surfaces extending upward from both sides of the bottom surface, and a top surface connecting the tops of the two side surfaces. The side surfaces and the top surface are provided with a sliding groove extending from front to back and a slot located behind the sliding groove. The front end of the sliding groove forms an opening, and the rear end is a blind end. The piezoresistive sensor is installed below the bottom surface. The rear end of the flexible knuckle sleeve is open so that the flexible knuckle sleeve can be sleeved onto the base from the front end of the base and wrap around the piezoresistive sensor. The inner surface of the flexible knuckle sleeve is provided with positioning ribs and locking ribs. The positioning ribs can slide from the opening of the slide groove to the blind end of the slide groove. When the positioning ribs slide to the blind end of the slide groove, the locking ribs are locked in the locking groove.

2. The finger assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The base has a recessed mounting groove extending upwards from the bottom, and a rigid support is embedded inside the mounting groove. The open bottom edge of the flexible knuckle sleeve has a protruding edge, and the rigid support is confined between the top of the mounting groove and the protruding edge of the flexible knuckle sleeve.

3. The finger assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Two first support columns extending downward from the bottom surface of the base and located on both sides of the mounting groove are provided. The two first support columns wrap around the outer sides of the rear two corners of the piezoresistive sensor. The bottom surface of the rigid support is higher than the bottom surface of the two first support columns, so that the inner side of the two first support columns and the rigid support form a locking groove, and the convex edge is embedded in the locking groove.

4. The finger assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, Two downward-extending second support columns are provided on the bottom surface of the base, and the two second support columns wrap around the outer sides of the two corners at the front of the piezoresistive sensor.

5. The finger assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The piezoresistive sensor has a mounting hole extending downward from its upper surface, and a knurled thermoplastic nut is embedded in the mounting hole. The base has a through hole extending downward from the top surface of the base to the bottom surface of the base, and a connecting screw passes through the through hole. The lower end of the connecting screw is screwed into the knurled thermoplastic nut to fix the piezoresistive sensor to the base.

6. The finger assembly as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, The upper surface of the piezoresistive sensor is provided with a downwardly recessed positioning groove, and the bottom surface of the base is provided with a downwardly protruding positioning boss to be embedded in the positioning groove.

7. The finger assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The base has a stepped surface on its top surface and both sides. The rear end face of the flexible finger sleeve abuts against the stepped surface so that the outer surface of the flexible finger sleeve is flush with the outer surface of the part of the base located behind the stepped surface.

8. The finger assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, A connecting seat is fixed at the rear end of the base, and the connecting seat is pivotally connected to the proximal phalanx by a pivot that runs through both of them.

9. A dexterous hand, characterized in that, Includes the finger assembly as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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