Joint module, finger joint assembly, dexterous hand and humanoid robot
By incorporating a power component and harmonic reducer into the joint module of the dexterous hand, and utilizing dual bearings to support the drive shaft, the problem of large bearing space occupation in existing technologies is solved, achieving a compact structure and improved space utilization efficiency of the joint module.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- 苏州卓誉电气技术有限公司
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-28
AI Technical Summary
In existing dexterous hand finger joint modules, the independently configured power components require bearings to be connected to both ends of the drive shaft, resulting in a large axial space occupation, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of fingers.
The joint module design, which combines a power component and a harmonic reducer, uses the first bearing in the first housing and the second bearing of the harmonic reducer to support the drive shaft, thereby reducing the number of bearings used and shortening the axial length of the drive shaft.
A compact structure for the joint module was achieved, reducing the size of the dexterous finger joint components and improving space utilization efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN224169850U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of humanoid robot technology, and specifically relates to a joint module, finger joint assembly, dexterous hand and humanoid robot. Background Technology
[0002] Robotics technology is increasingly being applied in numerous fields such as industrial manufacturing, medical rehabilitation, daily life services, and space exploration. The end effector of a robot is located at the end of the robot body and is a device that directly interacts with the environment or the object being manipulated. The dexterous hand is one of the most complex and powerful end effectors in humanoid robots, designed to simulate the fine manipulation and grasping abilities of the human hand.
[0003] A dexterous hand is the core component for enabling robots to perform precise operations. Its structure typically mimics the human hand, consisting of a palm and multiple fingers (usually 3-5). Each finger is composed of multiple phalanges (usually 2-4) connected by knuckles. The flexible movement of the knuckles is fundamental to performing complex actions such as grasping, pinching, and manipulating tiny objects.
[0004] Existing joint modules for dexterous hand finger joints have independently configured power components, which usually require a bearing to be connected to each end of the drive shaft. This results in a large axial space occupied by the drive shaft, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of dexterous hand fingers. Utility Model Content
[0005] In view of this, the present invention proposes a joint module, a finger joint assembly, a dexterous hand, and a humanoid robot, aiming to reduce the volume of the joint module of the finger joint assembly of the dexterous hand of the humanoid robot, so as to make the structure of the joint module more compact.
[0006] In a first aspect, the joint module provided by this utility model includes a power assembly, a harmonic reducer, and a drive shaft. The power assembly includes a first housing, a motor, and a first bearing. The motor is disposed in a cavity of the first housing, and the first bearing is installed in a first mounting groove on the inner top wall of the first housing. The harmonic reducer includes a second housing, a wave generator, and a second bearing. The second housing is connected to the top outer wall of the first housing, and the wave generator is connected to the interior of the second housing via the second bearing. A mounting hole is provided at the bottom of the wave generator. The lower section of the drive shaft is connected to the inner rotor of the motor, and its middle section is supported and connected to the first bearing. Its upper section extends out of the first housing and into the second housing, where it is supported and connected within the mounting hole.
[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the joint module described above in this embodiment, the drive shaft is provided with a first annular step and a second annular step in sequence in the direction toward its output end, and the diameter of the first annular step is larger than the diameter of the second annular step; wherein, the first annular step is adjacent to one end of the first bearing, and the second annular step is adjacent to the outer end of the mounting hole of the wave generator.
[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the joint module described above in this example, the motor is a frameless motor, the motor includes an outer stator and an inner rotor, and both axial ends of the outer stator extend axially out of the inner rotor; wherein, at least a portion of the sidewall of the first bearing and its corresponding first mounting groove extends into the axial top side interior of the outer stator.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the joint module described above in this example, the end of the drive shaft opposite to its output end is provided with a second mounting groove. The second mounting groove is used to mount the magnetic bead of the encoder assembly. Both the magnetic bead and the end of the drive shaft are located inside the bottom side of the outer stator along its axial direction.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the joint module described above in this example, the magnetic bead has an upper magnetic segment and a lower magnetic segment that are equidistant and opposite in polarity in the axial direction, and the upper magnetic segment and the lower magnetic segment are also divided into two magnetic regions with opposite polarities in the radial direction.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the joint module described above in this example, the drive shaft is a magnetically shielded shaft.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the joint module described above in this example, a magnetic shielding layer is provided between the second mounting groove and the magnetic bead, and the magnetic shielding layer surrounds the top wall and circumferential side wall of the magnetic bead.
[0013] Secondly, in a finger joint assembly provided by this utility model, the finger joint assembly includes a proximal phalanx module, which includes the joint module described in any embodiment of the first aspect, with an output shaft at one axial end and a first bracket connected to the outer wall of the proximal phalanx module near the output shaft; a second bracket is connected to the outer wall of the distal phalanx module, and the second bracket is hinged to the first bracket via a horizontal rotating shaft; the transmission assembly includes a driving member and a driven member for meshing transmission, the driving member being connected to the output shaft and the driven member being connected to the horizontal rotating shaft.
[0014] Thirdly, in a dexterous hand provided by this utility model, the dexterous hand includes at least one knuckle component as described in the second aspect.
[0015] Fourthly, in a humanoid robot provided by this utility model, the humanoid robot is equipped with at least one dexterous hand as described in the fourth aspect.
[0016] The beneficial technical effects of this utility model are as follows: In the joint module, finger joint assembly, dexterous hand, and humanoid robot provided in this embodiment, a first bearing is provided in the first mounting groove of the first housing of the power component, and a second bearing is provided in the second housing of the harmonic reducer. The transmission shaft achieves its rotational support function by means of the first bearing of the power component and the second bearing of the harmonic reducer. Therefore, one bearing assembly can be saved in the power component, and the axial length of the transmission shaft can be effectively shortened, thereby reducing the volume of the joint module of the finger joint assembly of the humanoid robot's dexterous hand, making the structure of the joint module more compact. Attached Figure Description
[0017] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can more clearly understand the above and other features and advantages of the present invention, in which:
[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the joint module in this embodiment.
[0019] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the joint module in this embodiment.
[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the drive shaft in the joint module of this embodiment.
[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the position of the first bearing in the joint module of this embodiment.
[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the position of the magnetic beads in the joint module of this embodiment.
[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the relative positions of the magnetic bead and the magnetic sensor in the joint module of this embodiment.
[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the polarity region of the magnetic bead in the joint module of this embodiment.
[0025] The reference numerals in the attached figures are as follows:
[0026] 101 - First shell; 102 - Second shell;
[0027] 103-Motor; 1031-Outer stator; 1032-Inner rotor;
[0028] 104 - First bearing; 105 - Wave generator; 106 - Second bearing;
[0029] 107 - Drive shaft; 1071 - First annular step; 1072 - Second annular step;
[0030] 108 - Magnetic bead; 1081 - Upper magnetic segment; 1082 - Lower magnetic segment;
[0031] 109 - Actuator; 1091 - Magnetic sensor. Detailed Implementation
[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of this utility model clearer, the following embodiments are provided to further illustrate this utility model in detail.
[0033] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying 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.
[0034] In this embodiment, the humanoid robot has two dexterous hands, each of which can have one palm and five fingers, just like a human. The thumb has two joints, and the other four fingers each have three joints. Exemplarily, the finger joint assembly may include a proximal phalanx module, a distal phalanx module, and a transmission assembly. The proximal and distal phalanx modules are defined relative to the distance from the palm, with the distal phalanx module being further away from the palm of the dexterous hand than the proximal phalanx module.
[0035] The proximal knuckle module has an output shaft at one axial end, and a first bracket is connected to the outer wall near the output shaft. The distal knuckle module has a second bracket connected to its outer wall, and the second bracket is hinged to the first bracket via a horizontal pivot.
[0036] Furthermore, the transmission assembly includes a driving member and a driven member for meshing transmission, with the driving member connected to the output shaft and the driven member connected to a horizontal rotating shaft. For example, both the driving member and the driven member of the transmission assembly can be bevel gears, or the driving member of the transmission assembly can be a worm gear and the driven member can be a worm wheel.
[0037] In the aforementioned finger joint assembly, the output shaft of the proximal phalanx module drives the active component to rotate. The active component meshes with the driven component, thereby driving the horizontal rotating shaft to rotate, which in turn drives the distal phalanx module to swing around the horizontal rotating shaft, thus realizing the bending function of the fingers of a dexterous hand.
[0038] In this embodiment, the aforementioned proximal phalanx module may include a Figure 1 and Figure 2The joint module shown includes a power unit, a harmonic reducer, and a drive shaft 107.
[0039] The power assembly includes a first housing 101, a motor 103, and a first bearing 104. The motor 103 is disposed in the cavity of the first housing 101, and the first bearing 104 is mounted in a first mounting groove on the inner top wall of the first housing 101. The harmonic reducer includes a second housing 102, a wave generator 105, and a second bearing 106. For example, the second bearing 106 is preferably a thin-walled bearing to ensure the lightweight design and assembly space of the harmonic reducer.
[0040] The second housing 102 is connected to the top outer wall of the first housing 101, and the wave generator 105 is connected to the inside of the second housing 102 via the second bearing 106. A mounting hole is provided at the bottom of the wave generator 105. For example, the circumferential outer wall of the wave generator 105 is connected to the inner ring of the second bearing 106. The lower section of the drive shaft 107 is connected to the inner rotor 1032 of the motor 103, and the middle section of the drive shaft 107 is supported and connected to the first bearing 104. Its upper section extends out of the first housing 101 and into the second housing 102, where it is supported and connected within the mounting hole of the wave generator 105.
[0041] In the joint module provided in this embodiment, a first bearing 104 is provided in the first mounting groove of the first housing 101 of the power assembly, and a second bearing 106 is provided in the second housing 102 of the harmonic reducer. The drive shaft 107 achieves its rotational support function by means of the first bearing 104 of the power assembly and the second bearing 106 of the harmonic reducer. Therefore, one bearing assembly can be saved in the power assembly, and the axial length of the drive shaft 107 can be effectively shortened, thereby reducing the volume of the joint module of the dexterous hand of the humanoid robot and making the structure of the joint module more compact.
[0042] In a preferred embodiment of the joint module described above in this example, combined with Figure 2 and Figure 3 The drive shaft 107 has a first annular step 1071 and a second annular step 1072 sequentially arranged in the direction towards its output end, and the diameter of the first annular step 1071 is larger than the diameter of the second annular step 1072. The first annular step 1071 is adjacent to one end of the first bearing 104, and the second annular step 1072 is adjacent to the outer end of the mounting hole of the wave generator 105. Thus, the first annular step 1071 and the second annular step 1072 effectively limit the length of the drive shaft 107 extending out of the power assembly and the length extending into the harmonic reducer, which is beneficial for achieving a reliable connection between the drive shaft 107 and the power assembly and the harmonic reducer.
[0043] In a preferred embodiment of the joint module described above in this example, combined with Figure 2 and Figure 4 The motor 103 is a frameless motor 103, which includes an outer stator 1031 and an inner rotor 1032, with both axial ends of the outer stator 1031 extending axially beyond the inner rotor 1032. At least a portion of the sidewall of the first bearing 104 and its corresponding first mounting groove extends into the axial top side of the outer stator 1031. This structure of the frameless motor 103 allows the first bearing 104 to extend into it, which helps to further reduce the axial length of the power assembly.
[0044] In a preferred embodiment of the joint module described above in this example, combined with Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 A driver 109 is disposed at the bottom of the first housing 101 of the power assembly. The driver 109 is used to control the motion parameters of the motor 103. The magnetic sensor 1091 of the encoder assembly is also integrated on the driver 109. The encoder assembly includes the magnetic sensor 1091 and the magnetic bead 108.
[0045] The end of the drive shaft 107 opposite to its output end is provided with a second mounting groove for mounting the magnetic bead 108 of the encoder assembly. The magnetic bead 108 and the end of the drive shaft 107 are both located inside the bottom side of the outer stator 1031 in the axial direction. This design also helps to further reduce the axial length of the power assembly.
[0046] For example, the magnetic bead 108 is facing the magnetic sensor 1091. When the motor 103 drives the transmission shaft 107 to rotate, the magnetic bead 108 also rotates synchronously. Since the magnetic sensor 1091 detects the change in magnetic poles when the magnetic bead 108 rotates, it can determine the rotation angle and rotation speed of the motor 103. Then, it feeds the detection information back to the driver 109 to improve the accuracy of the driver 109 in controlling the motor 103.
[0047] In a preferred embodiment of the joint module described above in this example, the drive shaft 107 can be selected as a magnetically shielded shaft. In another embodiment, a magnetic shielding layer can be provided between the second mounting groove of the drive shaft 107 and the magnetic bead 108, the magnetic shielding layer surrounding the top wall and circumferential side wall of the magnetic bead 108.
[0048] For example, the material of the magnetic shielding shaft or magnetic shielding layer can be selected as a high-permeability material such as permalloy, μ-metal, iron-nickel alloy, high-silicon steel, or grain-oriented silicon steel. Thus, utilizing its extremely high permeability, a low-resistivity "bypass" is provided for the magnetic lines of force generated by the stator winding of the motor 103 of the power assembly, attracting and confining most of the magnetic lines of force within the shielding material, thereby preventing the magnetic field generated by the stator winding of the outer stator 1031 from affecting the detection process of the encoder assembly.
[0049] In a preferred embodiment of the joint module described above in this example, combined with Figure 7 The magnetic bead 108 has an upper magnetic segment 1081 and a lower magnetic segment 1082 that are equidistant and opposite in polarity in the axial direction, and the upper magnetic segment 1081 and the lower magnetic segment 1082 are also divided into two magnetic regions with opposite polarities in the radial direction. Thus, relative to the magnetic bead 108 with the same magnetic poles in the axial direction, a portion of the magnetic field lines of the S-pole magnetic region of the lower magnetic segment 1082 of the magnetic bead 108 provided in this embodiment form a closed curve with the N-pole magnetic region of the upper magnetic segment 1081. Similarly, a portion of the magnetic field lines of the N-pole magnetic region of the lower magnetic segment 1082 of the magnetic bead 108 also form a closed curve with the S-pole magnetic region of the upper magnetic segment 1081. This effectively weakens the magnetic field between the S-pole magnetic region and the N-pole magnetic region of the lower magnetic segment 1082, effectively weakening the magnetic field of the magnetic bead 108 in the radial direction, thereby preventing the magnetic field generated by the stator winding of the outer stator 1031 from affecting the detection process of the encoder assembly.
[0050] It should be understood that although this specification is described according to various embodiments, not every embodiment or implementation method contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other implementation methods that can be understood by those skilled in the art.
[0051] The above descriptions are merely illustrative embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. Any equivalent changes, modifications, and combinations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the concept and principles of the embodiments of this application should fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.
Claims
1. A joint module, characterized in that, include: The power assembly includes a first housing (101), a motor (103), and a first bearing (104). The motor (103) is disposed in the cavity of the first housing (101), and the first bearing (104) is installed in a first mounting groove on the inner top wall of the first housing (101). The harmonic reducer includes a second housing (102), a wave generator (105), and a second bearing (106). The second housing (102) is connected to the top outer wall of the first housing (101), and the wave generator (105) is connected to the inside of the second housing (102) through the second bearing (106). A mounting hole is provided at the bottom of the wave generator (105). The transmission shaft (107) has its lower section connected to the inner rotor (1032) of the motor (103), and its middle section supported and connected to the first bearing (104). Its upper section extends out of the first housing (101) and into the second housing (102) and is supported and connected in the mounting hole.
2. The joint module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive shaft (107) has a first annular step (1071) and a second annular step (1072) arranged sequentially in the direction toward its output end, and the diameter of the first annular step (1071) is larger than the diameter of the second annular step (1072); wherein the first annular step (1071) is adjacent to one end of the first bearing (104), and the second annular step (1072) is adjacent to the outer end of the mounting hole of the wave generator (105).
3. The joint module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motor (103) is a frameless motor (103), which includes an outer stator (1031) and an inner rotor (1032), and both ends of the outer stator (1031) extend axially out of the inner rotor (1032); wherein, at least a portion of the sidewall of the first bearing (104) and its corresponding first mounting groove extends into the axial top side interior of the outer stator (1031).
4. The joint module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The end of the drive shaft (107) opposite to its output end is provided with a second mounting groove for mounting the magnetic bead (108) of the encoder assembly. The magnetic bead (108) and the end of the drive shaft (107) are both located inside the bottom side of the outer stator (1031) in the axial direction.
5. The joint module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The magnetic bead (108) has an upper magnetic segment (1081) and a lower magnetic segment (1082) that are equidistant and opposite in polarity in the axial direction, and the upper magnetic segment (1081) and the lower magnetic segment (1082) are also divided into two magnetic regions with opposite polarities in the radial direction.
6. The joint module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The drive shaft (107) is a magnetically shielded shaft.
7. The joint module according to claim 4, characterized in that, A magnetic shielding layer is provided between the second mounting groove and the magnetic bead (108), and the magnetic shielding layer surrounds the top wall and circumferential side wall of the magnetic bead (108).
8. A knuckle assembly, characterized in that, include: A proximal phalanx module, comprising the joint module of any one of claims 1 to 7, having an output shaft at one axial end, and having a first bracket connected to its outer wall at the end near the output shaft; The distal knuckle module has a second bracket connected to its outer wall, and the second bracket is hinged to the first bracket via a horizontal pivot. A transmission assembly includes a driving member and a driven member for meshing transmission, the driving member being connected to the output shaft and the driven member being connected to the horizontal rotating shaft.
9. A dexterous hand, characterized in that, The dexterous hand includes at least one knuckle assembly as described in claim 8.
10. A humanoid robot, characterized in that, It is equipped with at least one dexterous hand as described in claim 9.