A docking module and system for a modular robotic arm

Abstract

The utility model discloses a modularization mechanical arm's butt joint module and system, butt joint module includes L shape casing, electromagnetic locking unit, permanent magnet unit and servo motor, magnetic locking unit, permanent magnet unit sets respectively at L shape casing both ends, and servo motor is located in L shape casing, and electromagnetic locking unit includes electromagnetic flange, magnetic yoke, annular excitation coil and rotor slip ring, and electromagnetic flange is connected with servo motor, and annular excitation coil outer edge nests magnetic yoke and is located in electromagnetic flange, and rotor slip ring is fixed on electromagnetic flange, and permanent magnet unit includes halbach permanent magnet array, permanent magnet flange and stator slip ring, and halbach permanent magnet array is fixed in permanent magnet flange, and stator slip ring is fixed on permanent magnet flange. The utility model discloses through the cooperation of permanent magnet unit and electromagnetic locking unit, and magnetic pre-adsorption realizes " coarse positioning", and electromagnetic locking completes " fine lock solidification", and double guarantee locking force, realizes modularization mechanical hand arm fast, nimble, tool -free assembly and reconstruction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of robotic arm technology, and in particular to a docking module and system for a modular robotic arm. Background Technology

[0002] Research on robotic arms began in the 20th century. They are mechanical devices that can mimic certain movements of the human hand and arm, automatically grasping and transporting objects according to fixed programs, trajectories, and requirements. In actual production, robotic arms not only improve automation levels and actual production efficiency but also reduce labor intensity, ensure product quality, and achieve safe production. With continuous improvements in the functions and performance of robotic arms, they are increasingly widely used in machining, welding, assembly, and transportation. As industry continues to develop, the functional requirements for robotic arms are becoming increasingly demanding, leading to higher requirements for their functionality and applicability.

[0003] Currently, traditional robotic arms generally adopt a fixed mechanical structure design. In terms of mechanical connections, existing equipment mainly relies on rigid bolt connections. Expanding the joint degrees of freedom requires replacing the entire robotic arm, a structure dependent on manual operation. This not only leads to frequent disassembly and assembly during maintenance, resulting in low efficiency. Chinese patent CN116690546B discloses a high-degree-of-freedom, built-in electromechanical integrated modular robotic arm and its assembly, including an L-shaped modular robotic arm and an I-shaped modular robotic arm. Both types of modular robotic arms include a male connector and a female connector. The male connector houses a harmonic motor and an electrical slip ring. Signal and fluid lines are located inside the modular robotic arm. The fluid lines are used to pass gas and / or liquid, while the signal lines are used to transmit electrical and / or signal commands. This patent uses a female connector to mate with the male connector, achieving electrical signal conduction after docking. However, the fastening method after docking is through threads, resulting in time-consuming and inefficient disassembly and assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main purpose of this utility model is to overcome the defects of the above-mentioned background technology and provide a docking module and system for a modular robotic arm.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model proposes a modular robotic arm docking module, including an L-shaped housing, an electromagnetic locking unit, a permanent magnet unit, and a servo motor. The servo motor is located within the L-shaped housing. The electromagnetic locking unit and the permanent magnet unit are respectively located at both ends of the L-shaped housing. The electromagnetic locking unit includes an electromagnetic flange, a magnetic yoke, an annular excitation coil, and a rotor slip ring. The electromagnetic flange is connected to the output shaft of the servo motor. The magnetic yoke is nested within the outer edge of the annular excitation coil. Both the magnetic yoke and the annular excitation coil are located within the electromagnetic flange. The rotor slip ring is fixed to the electromagnetic flange. The permanent magnet unit includes a Heilbeck permanent magnet array, a permanent magnet flange, and a stator slip ring. The Heilbeck permanent magnet array is fixed within the permanent magnet flange, and the stator slip ring is fixed to the permanent magnet flange. Through the coordinated arrangement of the electromagnetic locking unit and the permanent magnet unit, magnetic pre-adsorption achieves "coarse positioning," and electromagnetic locking completes "fine locking," providing double protection of locking force, avoiding accidental separation, and meeting the needs of rapid model changeover.

[0006] In a further optimized technical solution, the rotor slip ring and the stator slip ring, after docking, form a ring-shaped conductive slip ring. This ring-shaped conductive slip ring employs a power transmission layer with 6 independent ring channels, a high-speed signal layer with 4 pairs of shielded differential channels, and an optical fiber communication layer with an 8-core MT-type optical fiber rotary connector. Electrical and optical signals are automatically switched on upon docking, eliminating the need for manual plugging and unplugging, improving assembly and disassembly efficiency, and preventing poor contact.

[0007] In a further optimized technical solution, the servo motor is fixed to the stepped surface of the L-shaped housing. The outer edge of the annular excitation coil is nested within the magnetic yoke and installed in the fixing groove of the electromagnetic flange via an interference fit. The rotor slip ring is fixed to the limiting groove of the electromagnetic flange with screws. The Heilbeck permanent magnet array is installed in the positioning groove of the permanent magnet flange via an interference fit. The stator slip ring is fixed to the mounting groove of the permanent magnet flange with screws. By nesting the excitation coil with the magnetic yoke to form a closed magnetic circuit, the air gap magnetic resistance is reduced, increasing the magnetic flux density by 15%-20% and enhancing the attraction force of the electromagnetic locking unit.

[0008] In a further optimized technical solution, the permanent magnet flange is provided with several tapered guide pins, and the electromagnetic flange is provided with limiting holes that match the tapered guide pins. When the electromagnetic locking unit of the docking module rotates under the drive of the servo motor, it synchronously drives the other docking module to rotate. Through the synergistic action of the tapered guide pins of the permanent magnet flange and the limiting holes of the electromagnetic flange, mechanical interlocking is achieved, realizing high-precision docking, torque transmission, and improved system synchronization, effectively enhancing the rigidity against shear forces and preventing radial movement of the docking modules.

[0009] This invention also proposes a modular robotic arm system, including a mounting base, several robotic arms, an end effector module, and the aforementioned docking module. The first stage of the modular robotic arm system is formed by magnetically docking the permanent magnet end of the docking module to the mounting base. The second stage is formed by docking several robotic arms end-to-end through the docking module. The end effector module is docked and installed at the tail end of the docking module. Through magnetic docking and hierarchical combination design, rapid, flexible, tool-free assembly, reconfiguration, and function switching are achieved.

[0010] In a further optimized technical solution, the mounting base includes a housing, a power management unit, a controller, an electromagnetic locking unit, a drive motor, and a drive flange; the power management unit, the controller, and the drive motor are all located inside the housing, the output shaft of the drive motor is connected to the drive flange, and the drive flange is fixedly connected to the electromagnetic locking unit.

[0011] In a further optimized technical solution, the robotic arm includes an I-shaped connecting rod, an electromagnetic locking unit, and a permanent magnet unit. The electromagnetic locking unit and the permanent magnet unit are respectively fixed to both ends of the I-shaped connecting rod for docking with the docking module. By increasing or decreasing the number of robotic arms, the effective working range and degrees of freedom of the arm can be easily expanded or shortened.

[0012] In further optimizing the technical solution, the end module adopts any one of the following: gripper module, welding gun module, laser module, and vision sensing module, realizing multi-functional rapid switching and scene adaptation.

[0013] In a further optimized technical solution, the gripper module's claw contact surface is provided with a flexible silicone layer to prevent localized stress concentration from causing object deformation.

[0014] In a further optimized technical solution, a thin-film pressure sensor is embedded in the flexible silicone layer, enabling precise force control and adaptive gripping of the gripper.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention include: the docking module, through the Heilbeck permanent magnet array, can generate a unidirectional attractive force without external energy input. When the electromagnetic locking unit cooperates with the permanent magnet unit on another docking module, the Heilbeck permanent magnet array achieves passive constant pre-adsorption, enabling the two docking modules to quickly align and dock. After docking, the rotor slip ring and stator slip ring form a ring-shaped conductive ring, ensuring that the electrical signals within the two docking modules are conducted and preventing abnormal situations such as crossing or entanglement of the wiring in the docking modules. After the two docking modules are docked, the ring-shaped excitation coil is energized to generate a closed magnetic field. The electromagnetic flange and the permanent magnet unit's magnetic field superimpose to generate a strong attraction force, causing the electromagnetic flange and the permanent magnet flange to fit tightly together. Magnetic pre-adsorption achieves "coarse positioning," while electromagnetic locking completes "fine locking." This dual guarantee of locking force prevents accidental separation. Compared with traditional bolt fastening methods, the modular robotic arm can be replaced in minutes, adapting to the rapid changeover requirements of flexible production lines. The modular robotic arm system composed of the above docking modules has a simple structure and is easy to maintain. It can adapt to different working scenarios and realizes the rapid, flexible, tool-free assembly, reconstruction, and function switching of the modular robotic arm. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of the multi-degree-of-freedom modular robotic arm system in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the joint module in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the mounting base in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0019] Reference numerals: 1. Mounting base; 101. Drive flange; 102. Power management module; 103. Controller; 104. Drive motor; 105. Housing; 2. Docking module; 201. Permanent magnet unit; 2011. Stator slip ring; 2012. Hellbeck permanent magnet array; 2013. Permanent magnet flange; 2014. Tapered guide pin; 2015. Positioning groove; 2016. Mounting groove; 202. L-shaped housing; 203. Servo motor; 204. Electromagnetic locking unit; 2041. Fixing groove; 2042. Limiting groove; 2043. Limiting hole; 2044. Electromagnetic flange; 2045. Magnetic yoke; 2046. Annular groove; 2047. Annular excitation ring; 2048. Rotor slip ring; 3. Robotic arm; 301. I-shaped connecting rod; 4. End module; 401. Pressure sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The main purpose of this utility model is to overcome the defects of the above-mentioned background technology and provide a modular robotic arm system and its docking module.

[0021] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model.

[0022] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component. Furthermore, a connection can be for both fixing and circuit connection purposes.

[0023] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" 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 the embodiments of 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.

[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 as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of embodiments of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. Example 1

[0025] Please see Figures 1 to 2This embodiment discloses a docking module 2 for a modular robotic arm. The docking module 2 includes an L-shaped housing 202, an electromagnetic locking unit 204, a permanent magnet unit 201, and a servo motor 203. The L-shaped housing 202 is made of metal. The servo motor 203 is fixed to an integrally formed step inside the L-shaped housing 202 by screws. The electromagnetic locking unit 204 includes an electromagnetic flange 2044, a magnetic yoke 2045, an annular excitation coil 2047, and a rotor slip ring 2048. The electromagnetic flange 2044 has a fixing groove 2041, a limiting groove 2042, and several limiting holes 2043. The electromagnetic flange 2044 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the servo motor 203 by a key connection and can rotate freely under the drive of the servo motor 203. The annular excitation coil 2045... 47 is nested in the annular groove 2046 of the magnetic yoke 2045 and assembled in the fixing groove 2041 on the electromagnetic flange 2044 by interference fit. The magnetic yoke 2045 is made of silicon steel. The rotor slip ring 2048 is set in the limiting groove 2042. The permanent magnet unit 201 is fixed to the other end face of the L-shaped housing 202 by screws. The permanent magnet unit 201 includes a Heilbeck permanent magnet array 2012, a permanent magnet flange 2013 and a stator slip ring 2011. The permanent magnet flange 2013 is provided with a positioning groove 2015, a mounting groove 2016 and a tapered guide pin 2016 that matches the limiting hole 2043. The Heilbeck permanent magnet array 2013 is assembled in the positioning groove 2015 by interference fit. The stator slip ring 2011 is fixed to the mounting groove 2016 by screws. Specifically, the rotor slip ring 2048 and the stator slip ring 2011 form a ring-shaped conductive ring. The ring-shaped conductive ring adopts a power transmission layer with 6 independent ring channels, a high-speed signal layer with 4 pairs of shielded differential channels, and an optical fiber communication layer with an 8-core MT type optical fiber rotary connector. The contacts of the rotor slip ring 2048 and the stator slip ring 2011 (not shown in the figure) are plated with gold-nickel alloy, which improves service life and realizes a plug-and-play interface, improving disassembly and assembly efficiency.In this embodiment, the Haierbeck permanent magnet array 2013 can generate unidirectional attraction without external energy input. When the electromagnetic locking unit 204 docks with the permanent magnet unit 201 on another docking module, the Haierbeck permanent magnet array 2013 achieves passive constant pre-adsorption, enabling the two docking modules 2 to quickly align and dock. After docking, the rotor slip ring 2048 and the stator slip ring 2011 form an annular conductive ring, ensuring that the electrical signals in the two docking modules are connected and that the lines in the docking modules do not cross or become entangled. After the two docking modules are docked, the annular excitation ring 2047 is energized to generate a closed magnetic circuit, which superimposes with the magnetic field of the permanent magnet unit 201 to generate a strong attraction force, causing the electromagnetic flange 2044 and the permanent magnet flange 2013 to fit tightly together. Magnetic pre-adsorption achieves "coarse positioning," and electromagnetic locking completes "fine locking," providing double protection for the locking force and preventing accidental separation. Compared with traditional bolt fastening methods, the replacement of the modular robotic arm can be completed in minutes, adapting to the rapid changeover requirements of flexible production lines. Example 2

[0026] Please see Figures 1 to 3This embodiment discloses a modular robotic arm system, including the aforementioned docking module 2, mounting base 1, several robotic arms 3, and end effector 4. The mounting base 1 includes a housing 105, a power management unit 102, a controller 103, a drive motor 104, and a drive flange 101. The power management unit 102, controller 103, and drive motor 104 are all fixed inside the housing 105. The output shaft of the drive motor 104 is connected to the drive flange 101. An electromagnetic locking unit 204 with the same structure as the aforementioned docking module is connected to the drive flange 101. The rotor slip ring 2048 within the electromagnetic locking unit 204 is electrically connected to the power management unit 102, the controller 103, and the drive motor 104, respectively, forming a composite transmission channel for power, signal, and data transmission within the mounting base 1. The robotic arm 3 is detachably connected between the two docking modules. The detachable connection is preferably achieved using the docking method described above, for example, by setting the electromagnetic locking unit 204 and the permanent magnet unit 201 with the aforementioned structure at both ends of the robotic arm 3. When docking the robotic arm 3, one end of the electromagnetic locking unit 204 is connected to... The docking module 2 has a permanent magnet unit 201 at one end for quick docking and electromagnetic locking. This end of the module 2 has a permanent magnet unit 201, which is also quickly docked and electromagnetically locked to the other end of the docking module 2 with an electromagnetic locking unit 204. The robotic arm 3 is composed of a straight cylindrical I-shaped connecting rod 301. The electromagnetic locking unit 204 and the permanent magnet unit 201 are electrically connected to the annular conductive rings on both sides within the cavity of the I-shaped connecting rod 301 via wires. By increasing or decreasing the number of robotic arms, the effective working range and degrees of freedom of the robotic arm can be easily expanded or shortened. The end effector module 4 mainly consists of permanent magnets... The system comprises unit 201 and an actuator, which can be any of the following: a gripper module, a welding torch module, a laser module, or a vision sensing module. The permanent magnet unit 201 is fixed to the end face of the actuator with screws, and the stator slip ring 2011 on the permanent magnet unit 201 is electrically connected to the actuator. The first-level module of this modular robotic arm system is magnetically spliced ​​from one end (permanent magnet end) of the docking module to the mounting base 1. The second-level module is formed by magnetically splicing several robotic arms 3 end-to-end with the first-level module. Finally, it is formed by magnetically splicing the end module 4 and the second-level modules. Through precise switching between rapid adsorption positioning and rigid connection between modules, each module, through the unilateral enhanced magnetic field and self-shielding characteristics of the permanent magnet unit 201, completes magnetic pre-adsorption docking after module docking. When energized, the magnetic force generated by the electromagnetic locking unit 204 is superimposed with the magnetic force of the Heilbeck permanent magnet array, achieving strong locking. This enables rapid, flexible, tool-free assembly, reconfiguration, and function switching.

[0027] In a specific embodiment, the gripper module has a flexible silicone layer on its contact surface, within which a thin-film pressure sensor 401 is embedded. By detecting the pressure on the gripper's contact surface using the thin-film pressure sensor 401, precise force control and adaptive gripping are achieved, preventing deformation of the object due to localized stress concentration.

[0028] The above description provides a further detailed explanation of the present invention in conjunction with specific / preferred embodiments, and should not be construed as limiting the specific implementation of the present invention to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art, various substitutions or modifications can be made to these described embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, and all such substitutions or modifications should be considered within the protection scope of the present invention. In the description of this specification, the reference to terms such as "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "preferred embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicates that the specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the described specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples and the features of different embodiments or examples described in this specification. Although the embodiments and advantages of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made herein without departing from the protection scope of the patent application.

Claims

1. A docking module of a modular robotic arm, characterized by: The device includes an L-shaped housing, an electromagnetic locking unit, a permanent magnet unit, and a servo motor. The servo motor is located inside the L-shaped housing. The electromagnetic locking unit and the permanent magnet unit are respectively located at both ends of the L-shaped housing. The electromagnetic locking unit includes an electromagnetic flange, a magnetic yoke, an annular excitation coil, and a rotor slip ring. The electromagnetic flange is connected to the output shaft of the servo motor. The magnetic yoke is nested on the outer edge of the annular excitation coil. Both the magnetic yoke and the annular excitation coil are located inside the electromagnetic flange. The rotor slip ring is fixed to the electromagnetic flange. The permanent magnet unit includes a Heilbeck permanent magnet array, a permanent magnet flange, and a stator slip ring. The Heilbeck permanent magnet array is fixed inside the permanent magnet flange, and the stator slip ring is fixed to the permanent magnet flange.

2. The docking module of claim 1, wherein: The rotor slip ring and the stator slip ring are connected to form an annular conductive slip ring. The annular conductive slip ring adopts a power transmission layer with 6 independent annular channels, a high-speed signal layer with 4 pairs of shielded differential channels, and an optical fiber communication layer with an 8-core MT type optical fiber rotary connector.

3. The docking module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The servo motor is fixed to the stepped surface of the L-shaped housing. The outer edge of the annular excitation coil is nested in the magnetic yoke and then installed in the fixing groove of the electromagnetic flange by an interference fit. The rotor slip ring is fixed to the limiting groove of the electromagnetic flange by screws. The Heilbeck permanent magnet array is installed in the positioning groove of the permanent magnet flange by an interference fit. The stator slip ring is fixed to the mounting groove of the permanent magnet flange by screws.

4. The docking module of claim 1, wherein: The permanent magnet flange is provided with several tapered guide pins, and the electromagnetic flange is provided with limiting holes that match the tapered guide pins. When the electromagnetic locking unit of the docking module rotates under the drive of the servo motor, it synchronously drives the other docking module to rotate.

5. A modular robotic arm system, characterized by: The system includes a mounting base, several robotic arms, an end effector module, and a docking module as described in any one of claims 1 to 4. The first stage of the modular robotic arm system is formed by magnetic docking of the permanent magnet end of the docking module and the mounting base, while the second stage is formed by docking several robotic arms end-to-end through the docking module. The end effector module is docked and installed at the tail end of the docking module.

6. The modular robotic arm system of claim 5, wherein: The mounting base includes a housing, a power management unit, a controller, an electromagnetic locking unit, a drive motor, and a drive flange; the power management unit, the controller, and the drive motor are all located inside the housing, the output shaft of the drive motor is connected to the drive flange, and the drive flange is fixedly connected to the electromagnetic locking unit.

7. The modular robotic arm system of claim 5, wherein: The robotic arm includes an I-shaped connecting rod, an electromagnetic locking unit, and a permanent magnet unit. The electromagnetic locking unit and the permanent magnet unit are respectively fixed to both ends of the I-shaped connecting rod for docking with the docking module.

8. The modular robotic arm system of claim 5, wherein: The end-effector module can be any one of a gripper module, a welding torch module, a laser module, or a vision sensing module.

9. The modular robotic arm system of claim 8, wherein: The gripper contact surface of the gripper module is provided with a flexible silicone layer.

10. The modular robotic arm system of claim 9, wherein: The flexible silicone layer contains an embedded thin-film pressure sensor.

Images