Ball joint adjustment structure

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of ball joint adjustment gap structures, including joint seat, spherical seat, connecting block, pivot core, bolt and washer, joint seat is connected with spherical seat by gear transmission;Two pivot cores are respectively installed in the two sides of spherical seat, two connecting blocks are respectively rotatably installed in two pivot cores, two connecting blocks are respectively connected with joint seat installation;Connecting block and joint seat between being equipped with several washers, bolt is sequentially passed through connecting block and several washers and is connected with joint seat, several washers are stacked along front-back direction, the distance between joint seat and spherical seat is adjusted by adjusting the quantity of washer. The center distance between joint seat and spherical seat is changed by increasing or reducing the number of washer, the quick and accurate compensation of wear gap between joint structure is realized, and transmission accuracy can be restored without replacing core components.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to a ball joint clearance adjustment structure. Background Technology

[0002] In the fields of biomimetic robots and high-precision industrial robotic arms, ball joints, as core components for achieving multi-degree-of-freedom motion, directly affect the overall motion accuracy and reliability of the equipment due to their dynamic stability. Especially in applications such as the hip joints of bipedal robots and exoskeleton assistive devices, which require withstanding alternating loads, wear and tear on joint components caused by long-term reciprocating motion can lead to increased clearances, which in turn can cause instability in the connection structure.

[0003] In existing solutions, when joint structures experience significant wear and develop structural clearances, the solution typically involves replacing parts. Different parts require replacement depending on the specific wear condition. For example, severely worn joint bearings need to be replaced; similarly, severely worn parts such as pins, fork-shaped components, bearing sleeves, and gears also require replacement. Alternatively, friction materials can be used in the joint structure to mitigate the clearance issues caused by wear. However, these methods also have drawbacks: firstly, the adjustment precision is insufficient, often failing to effectively address clearance problems caused by wear; secondly, in practical applications, some joint structures connect to other important structures, making the disassembly and replacement of joint components cumbersome and inconvenient. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the problems raised in the background art, the purpose of this utility model is to propose a ball joint gap adjustment structure, which solves the problems of inconvenient operation and insufficient adjustment accuracy in the prior art for adjusting the joint gap.

[0005] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A ball joint clearance adjustment structure includes a joint seat, a spherical seat, two connecting blocks, two rotating shafts, several bolts, and several washers. The joint seat and the spherical seat are connected by gear transmission.

[0007] The two rotating shafts are respectively installed on both sides of the spherical seat, and the axes of the two rotating shafts are coaxially arranged. The two rotating shafts are respectively rotatably installed on the two connecting blocks, and the two connecting blocks are respectively installed and connected to the joint seat.

[0008] A plurality of washers are provided between the connecting block and the joint seat. The bolt passes through the connecting block and the plurality of washers in sequence and is connected to the joint seat. The plurality of washers are stacked in the front-back direction. The distance between the joint seat and the spherical seat is adjusted by adjusting the number of washers.

[0009] Preferably, the joint seat includes a power mounting part and two mounting arms, the two mounting arms being respectively disposed on both sides of the power mounting part, and the horizontal cross-section of the joint seat is C-shaped;

[0010] The two connecting blocks are respectively connected to the two mounting arms one by one.

[0011] Preferably, the connecting block is provided with a shaft mounting hole that runs through the left and right sides and a plurality of bolt holes that run through the front and back sides, wherein the shaft mounting hole and the bolt holes do not interfere with each other;

[0012] The rotating shaft is rotatably mounted in the shaft mounting hole, and one end of the rotating shaft is connected to the spherical seat;

[0013] The mounting arm is provided with several threaded holes, and the bolt passes through the bolt holes and several washers in sequence to connect with the threaded holes.

[0014] Preferably, the connecting block has a protrusion, the mounting arm has a groove, and the protrusion and the groove are connected in a mating manner.

[0015] Preferably, the connecting block has two protrusions, which are symmetrically arranged at the front and rear ends of the connecting block.

[0016] Preferably, the connecting block is provided with two bolt holes, which are symmetrically located on the upper and lower sides of the shaft mounting hole.

[0017] Preferably, the protrusion is located between the upper and lower bolt holes.

[0018] Preferably, each bolt has 1 to 6 washers;

[0019] The thickness of the washer is 0.1mm-0.2mm.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, one of the above technical solutions has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] By directly changing the center distance between the transmission structure of the joint seat and the ball seat by increasing or decreasing the number of washers, rapid and accurate compensation of wear gap between the joint structures is achieved, and transmission accuracy can be restored without replacing the core components. The modular design of the ball seat and the joint seat assembly through the connecting block makes the gap adjustment and maintenance operation of the joint structure limited to the corresponding module, solving the problem of inconvenience in the operation of replacing parts that requires disassembling other components. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of one embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of another embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] The components include: joint seat 1, power mounting part 11, mounting arm 12, threaded hole 121, groove 122, ball seat 2, connecting block 3, protrusion 31, shaft mounting hole 301, bolt hole 302, rotating shaft core 4, bolt 5 and washer 6. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these 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 utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0027] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "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 utility model 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 utility model.

[0028] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," and "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0029] It should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections 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 utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0030] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1 to 3 The technical solution of this utility model will be further illustrated through specific implementation methods.

[0031] In existing technologies, ball joints, as key components for multi-degree-of-freedom motion, are prone to wear and tear when subjected to alternating loads over long periods. Traditional solutions suffer from insufficient adjustment precision and inconvenient disassembly and assembly; for example, replacing worn parts requires disassembling related components, and friction material adjustment methods cannot achieve precise compensation. In applications such as hip joints in biomimetic robots, frequent disassembly and assembly operations severely impact maintenance efficiency.

[0032] This utility model provides a ball joint clearance adjustment structure, which includes a joint seat 1, a spherical seat 2, two connecting blocks 3, two rotating shafts 4, several bolts 5, and several washers 6. The joint seat 1 and the spherical seat 2 are connected by gear transmission. The two rotating shafts 4 are respectively installed on both sides of the spherical seat 2, and the axes of the two rotating shafts 4 are coaxially arranged. The two rotating shafts 4 are respectively rotatably installed on the two connecting blocks 3, and the two connecting blocks 3 are respectively installed and connected to the joint seat 1.

[0033] A plurality of washers 6 are provided between the connecting block 3 and the joint seat 1. The bolt 5 passes through the connecting block 3 and the plurality of washers 6 in sequence and is connected to the joint seat 1. The plurality of washers 6 are stacked in the front-back direction. The distance between the joint seat 1 and the spherical seat 2 can be adjusted by adjusting the number of washers 6.

[0034] The coaxial arrangement of the two rotating shafts 4 refers to the installation method where the two rotation axes coincide. Specifically, precision-machined shaft holes can be used to ensure concentricity and maintain the consistency of the rotation trajectory of the spherical seat 2. The stacked arrangement of washers 6 refers to the assembly method where multiple annular elements are stacked along the center distance direction of the joint seat 1 and the spherical seat 2. Specifically, standard thickness washers can be combined to provide calculable clearance compensation. The bolt connection 5 refers to the method of structural fixation using threaded fasteners. Specifically, high-strength alloy bolts can be used to ensure a rigid connection between the connecting block 3 and the joint seat 1.

[0035] Specifically, when wear creates a gap in the transmission gears between the joint seat 1 and the ball seat 2, the connection between the connecting block 3 and the joint seat 1 can be quickly disassembled using bolt 5. After bolt 5 is removed from the joint seat 1, the washer 6 located between the joint seat 1 and the connecting block 3 can be removed. After removal, bolt 5 can be reconnected to the joint seat 1. This process does not require completely removing bolt 5 from the connecting block 3, making the assembly process quick and convenient. Since the change in the total thickness of washer 6 directly alters the distance between the joint seat 1 and the ball seat 2, removing washer 6 restores the preset meshing state between the transmission gears.

[0036] Compared to existing technologies, traditional clearance adjustment methods require the complete replacement of worn parts (transmission gears) or the use of non-quantitative adjustment methods. This solution achieves clearance compensation accurate to the single-layer thickness using standardized washers 6, thus improving adjustment precision. In existing technologies, replacing the spherical bearing requires disassembling the associated structure; this solution only requires removing the connecting bolts 5 to complete the adjustment, reducing maintenance time by more than 70%.

[0037] Through the above technical solution, this utility model achieves rapid and accurate compensation for wear gaps between joint structures, restoring transmission accuracy without replacing core components. The modular assembly design limits maintenance operations to localized areas, significantly reducing disassembly and assembly workload.

[0038] Furthermore, the joint seat 1 includes a power mounting part 11 and two mounting arms 12, the two mounting arms 12 are respectively disposed on both sides of the power mounting part 11, and the horizontal cross section of the joint seat 1 is C-shaped;

[0039] The two connecting blocks 3 are respectively connected to the two mounting arms 12 in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0040] The power mounting section 11 serves as the power input end and connects to the external drive mechanism. Two mounting arms 12 are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the power mounting section 11, forming a symmetrical and stable support structure. The extension direction of the mounting arms 12 is perpendicular to the axis of the rotating shaft core 4 to avoid motion interference. The C-shaped opening structure of the joint seat 1 provides assembly space for the internal gear transmission components while reducing material usage. The one-to-one connection between the connecting blocks 3 mounted on both sides of the spherical seat 2 and the mounting arms 12 on both sides forms a symmetrical force transmission path, ensuring balanced force on both sides of the spherical seat. The symmetrical load transmission at the connection interface between the joint seat 1 and the connecting block 3 eliminates the torque effect caused by unilateral connection.

[0041] Compared with enclosed or semi-enclosed mounting structures, the C-shaped joint seat 1 of this utility model optimizes the assembly space and reduces material costs while ensuring the structural rigidity of the joint seat 1.

[0042] Furthermore, the connecting block 3 is provided with a shaft mounting hole 301 that runs through the left and right sides and a plurality of bolt holes 302 that run through the front and back sides. The shaft mounting hole 301 and the bolt holes 302 do not interfere with each other.

[0043] The rotating shaft core 4 is rotatably mounted in the shaft mounting hole 301, and one end of the rotating shaft core 4 is connected to the spherical seat 2;

[0044] The mounting arm 12 is provided with a plurality of threaded holes 121, and the bolt 5 passes through the bolt hole 302 and a plurality of washers 6 in sequence to engage with the threaded hole 121.

[0045] The through-hole 301 is used to accommodate the rotating shaft core 4, and the through-hole 302 is used to axially limit the path of the bolt 5. Both the shaft mounting hole 301 and the bolt hole 302 can be formed by milling or reaming. The shaft mounting hole 301 and the bolt hole 302 do not interfere with each other, ensuring that the rotating shaft core 4 and the bolt 5 are installed in the channel without affecting each other.

[0046] Specifically, the rotating shaft core 4 passes through the shaft mounting hole 301 and is interference-fitted with the spherical seat 2, giving the connecting block 3 rotational freedom around the axis of the rotating shaft core 4. This is equivalent to the spherical seat 2 being rotatably connected to the connecting block 3 via the rotating shaft core 4 after the connecting block 3 is installed and connected to the joint seat 1. The bolt 5 passes through the bolt hole 302 from the front end of the connecting block 3, passes through multiple layers of stacked washers 6, and is screwed into the threaded hole 121 of the mounting arm 12, forming an adjustable axial locking structure. When the joint clearance needs to be adjusted, only the number of washers 6 needs to be adjusted (added or removed). By changing the distance between the connecting block 3 and the mounting arm 12, the center distance between the transmission gears between the joint seat 1 and the spherical seat 2 can be changed without disassembling the rotating shaft core or adjusting other components.

[0047] By separating the functions of mounting the pivot 4 and tightening the bolts 5, installation difficulties caused by assembly interference are eliminated. The axial stacking of several washers 6 allows for gap adjustment accuracy at the level of a single-layer shim thickness, enabling gap compensation to be completed without special tools. The adjustment process of the distance between the connecting block 3 and the mounting arm 12 does not change the mounting state of the pivot 4, ensuring the motion stability of the joint rotation mechanism.

[0048] Furthermore, the connecting block 3 is provided with a protrusion 31, and the mounting arm 12 is provided with a groove 122, and the protrusion 31 and the groove 122 are connected in cooperation.

[0049] During assembly, protrusion 31 is guided into groove 122 to form a three-dimensional constraint. When connecting block 3 approaches mounting arm 12, the rear vertical surface of protrusion 31 contacts the vertical front wall of groove 122, restricting the lateral displacement of connecting block 3 in the horizontal direction. Simultaneously, the top and bottom surfaces of protrusion 31 contact the top and bottom walls of groove 122, eliminating vertical assembly gaps. This dual constraint ensures that bolt holes and threaded holes remain coaxial, avoiding bolt assembly stress caused by misalignment. During joint operation, the contact surface between protrusion 31 and groove 122 forms an anti-torsional structure, capable of withstanding shear forces generated by alternating loads.

[0050] The mechanical engagement of the protrusion 31 and the groove 122 establishes a preliminary positioning before the preload of the bolt 5 is applied, allowing for visual assessment of the fit during assembly. This positioning structure also prevents loosening of the connection caused by a decrease in the preload of the bolt 5 due to long-term use, making the joint structure more reliable.

[0051] Furthermore, the connecting block 3 is provided with two protrusions 31, which are symmetrically arranged at the front and rear ends of the connecting block 3.

[0052] The two symmetrically arranged protrusions 31 refer to two positioning structures located at the two ends of the connecting block 3 in the front-rear direction. The front-rear symmetrical double protrusion structure of the connecting block 3 ensures the consistency of the position of the connecting block 3 in the front-rear direction, and both the front and rear ends of the connecting block 3 can be matched and connected with the groove 122 of the mounting arm 12.

[0053] Furthermore, the connecting block 3 is provided with two bolt holes 302, which are symmetrically located on the upper and lower sides of the shaft mounting hole 301.

[0054] Two bolt holes 302 are symmetrically distributed on the upper and lower sides along the vertical direction of the shaft mounting hole 301, forming a spatially staggered layout. During assembly, the bolt 5 passes through the bolt hole 302 from the front side of the connecting block 3 to the rear side of the connecting block 3, passes through several washers 6, and then is screwed into the threaded hole 121 of the joint seat 1. The symmetrically distributed bolt holes 302 make the clamping force on the upper and lower sides of the connecting block 3 symmetrically balanced, eliminating the deflection torque caused by unilateral force.

[0055] Furthermore, the protrusion 31 is located between the upper and lower bolt holes 302.

[0056] By positioning the protrusion 31 between the upper and lower bolt holes 302, a spatial misalignment is achieved between the protrusion 31 and the bolt holes 302. This eliminates physical interference between the solid portion of the protrusion 31 and the orthogonal projection direction of the bolt holes 302. This misalignment avoids the bolt holes 302 penetrating the protrusion 31, ensuring that the connecting block 3 and the mounting arm 12 achieve positioning through the protrusion 31 and the groove 122, while avoiding the problem of increased effective connection length of the bolt 5 due to the thickness of the protrusion 31. The bolt holes 302 are independently located in the non-protrusion area of ​​the connecting block 3, maintaining the integrity of the protrusion 31 as a positioning structure and allowing standard-length bolts 5 to directly pass through the body of the connecting block 3, mate with the washer 6, and threadedly connect to the joint seat 1 without requiring a special lengthening of the bolt 5 to accommodate the structure of the protrusion 31.

[0057] To further explain, the protrusions 31 at both ends of the connecting block 3 are located in the middle of the front and rear end faces of the connecting block 3, so that after the connecting block 3 (the protrusion 31 at the rear end) is installed and connected to the mounting arm 12, the protrusion 31 at the front end forms a boss shape on the front end face of the connecting block 3. After being assembled with the upper and lower bolts 5, the bolt nuts are located in the upper and lower recessed spaces of the protrusion 31, so that the bolt nuts will not protrude from the connecting block.

[0058] Furthermore, each bolt 5 is provided with 1 to 6 washers;

[0059] The thickness of the washer 6 is 0.1mm-0.2mm.

[0060] By installing removable washers 6 between the joint seat 1 and the connecting block 3, and by adjusting the number of washers 6 to change the overall thickness, a stepped compensation for the gap between the joint seat 1 and the connecting block 3 (spherical seat 2) can be achieved. When the wear is on the order of 0.1mm, only a single washer 6 needs to be removed to complete the compensation. This solution covers the common wear range of joint transmission structures through standardized parameter combinations of one to six washers 6, eliminating the need for custom-made parts for different wear levels.

[0061] Preferably, the ball joint clearance adjustment structure is factory-installed with five washers 6 on each bolt 5, each washer 6 being 0.1mm thick, to meet the 0.5mm center distance required for gear meshing. When the gears become loosely meshed due to wear, the center distance (clearance) between the gears is reduced by decreasing the number of washers 6. Further, when wear causes the clearance to exceed 0.5mm, reducing the number of washers 6 is insufficient to meet operational requirements, and the gear transmission essentially fails, necessitating replacement of the gear components.

[0062] The technical principles of this utility model have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. These descriptions are merely for explaining the principles of this utility model and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model in any way. Based on this explanation, those skilled in the art can readily conceive of other specific embodiments of this utility model without any inventive effort, and these embodiments will all fall within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A ball joint clearance adjustment structure, characterized in that: It includes a joint seat (1), a ball seat (2), two connecting blocks (3), two rotating shaft cores (4), several bolts (5) and several washers (6), and the joint seat (1) and the ball seat (2) are connected by gear transmission; The two rotating shafts (4) are respectively installed on both sides of the spherical seat (2), the two rotating shafts (4) are coaxially arranged, the two rotating shafts (4) are respectively rotatably installed on the two connecting blocks (3), and the two connecting blocks (3) are respectively installed and connected to the joint seat (1); A plurality of washers (6) are provided between the connecting block (3) and the joint seat (1). The bolt (5) passes through the connecting block (3) and the plurality of washers (6) in sequence and is connected to the joint seat (1). The plurality of washers (6) are stacked in the front-back direction. The distance between the joint seat (1) and the spherical seat (2) is adjusted by adjusting the number of washers (6).

2. The ball joint clearance adjustment structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The joint seat (1) includes a power mounting part (11) and two mounting arms (12), the two mounting arms (12) are respectively located on both sides of the power mounting part (11), and the horizontal cross section of the joint seat (1) is C-shaped; The two connecting blocks (3) are respectively connected to the two mounting arms (12) one by one.

3. The ball joint clearance adjustment structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting block (3) is provided with a shaft mounting hole (301) that runs through the left and right sides and a number of bolt holes (302) that run through the front and back. The shaft mounting hole (301) and the bolt holes (302) do not interfere with each other. The rotating shaft core (4) is rotatably mounted in the shaft mounting hole (301), and one end of the rotating shaft core (4) is connected to the spherical seat (2); The mounting arm (12) is provided with a plurality of threaded holes (121), and the bolt (5) passes through the bolt hole (302) and a plurality of washers (6) in sequence to engage with the threaded hole (121).

4. The ball joint clearance adjustment structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connecting block (3) is provided with a protrusion (31), and the mounting arm (12) is provided with a groove (122). The protrusion (31) and the groove (122) are connected in a cooperative manner.

5. The ball joint clearance adjustment structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The connecting block (3) is provided with two protrusions (31), which are symmetrically located at the front and rear ends of the connecting block (3).

6. The ball joint clearance adjustment structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The connecting block (3) is provided with two bolt holes (302), which are symmetrically located on the upper and lower sides of the shaft mounting hole (301).

7. The ball joint clearance adjustment structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The protrusion (31) is located between the upper and lower bolt holes (302).

8. The ball joint clearance adjustment structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of washers (6) provided on each bolt (5) is 1 to 6; The thickness of the washer (6) is 0.1mm-0.2mm.

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