Robot including parallel link, and, manufacturing method for robot including parallel link
The robot design addresses alignment challenges in parallel link robots by using a guide unit and square prism member to adjust the central axis of the screw shaft to be parallel with the reference axis, enhancing positioning accuracy and reducing lead errors.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023154953
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-09-21
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-02
AI Technical Summary
Existing robots with parallel links face challenges in accurately aligning the central axis of the screw shaft with the reference axis, leading to significant lead errors.
A robot design that includes a housing, a nut, a drive unit with a screw shaft, and a guide unit connected to the housing, allowing the central axis of the screw shaft to be inclined and adjusted to be parallel to the reference axis, using a square prism member and screws for alignment.
This design enables easy and reliable alignment adjustment of the central axis of the screw shaft and the reference axis, improving the accuracy of the robot's positioning and reducing lead errors.
Smart Images

Figure 2025046709000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a robot including a parallel link and a method for manufacturing a robot including a parallel link. [Background technology]
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a robot including a parallel link equipped with multiple drive devices. The drive devices include an actuator that drives a rod to move forward and backward, and a slider to which the tip of the rod is fixed and which guides the rod in one axial direction.
[0003] In such a driving device, in order to ensure the accuracy of the movement amount of the rod, an alignment adjustment is performed to make the central axis of the rod parallel to the uniaxial direction. As disclosed in Patent Document 1, the rod may be a screw shaft that moves when a nut rotates. In this case, the screw shaft is fixed to a slider, and an alignment adjustment is performed to make the central axis of the screw shaft parallel to the uniaxial direction. In addition, the robot of Patent Document 1 can be made smaller by including a parallel link. On the other hand, it is known that in a robot including a parallel link, the positioning accuracy of each axis greatly affects the positioning accuracy of the entire robot. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7088440 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] When the screw shaft that moves by the rotation of the nut is guided in one axial direction (along the reference axis) by the slider as described above, the greater the inclination of the central axis of the screw shaft with respect to the reference axis, the greater the so-called lead error. Therefore, it is desirable to perform alignment adjustment to make the central axis of the screw shaft parallel to the reference axis simply and reliably.
[0006] An aspect of the present disclosure aims to provide a robot including a parallel link that can easily and reliably perform alignment adjustment to make the central axis of a screw shaft parallel to a reference axis, and a method for manufacturing a robot including a parallel link. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a robot including a parallel link includes a housing, a nut stored in the housing, a drive unit having a screw shaft that moves relative to the housing as the nut rotates, and a guide unit having a slide member that moves integrally with the screw shaft along a reference axis and is connected to the housing so that a central axis of the screw shaft can be tilted with respect to the reference axis.
[0008] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the central axis of the screw shaft can be inclined with respect to the reference axis, and the central axis of the screw shaft and the reference axis can be adjusted to be parallel to each other. Therefore, alignment adjustment for making the central axis of the screw shaft parallel to the reference axis can be easily and reliably performed.
[0009] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a robot including a parallel link further includes a first plate member to which the housing is fixed, a second plate member included in the guide section and to which the slide member is attached so as to be relatively movable, a prismatic member having a first side surface and a second side surface, a plate surface of the first plate member contacting the first side surface and a plate surface of the second plate member contacting the second side surface, a plurality of first screws that fit with the prismatic member and fix the first plate member to the prismatic member, and a plurality of second screws that fit with the prismatic member and fix the second plate member to the prismatic member, The first plate member has a plurality of first through holes through which the first screws pass, and the second plate member has a plurality of second through holes through which the second screws pass, the size of the first through holes is such that the attitude of the first plate member relative to the rectangular column member can be adjusted when the plate surface of the first plate member and the first side surface are in contact when the first screws are temporarily fastened, and the size of the second through holes is such that the attitude of the second plate member relative to the rectangular column member can be adjusted when the plate surface of the second plate member and the second side surface are in contact when the second screws are temporarily fastened.
[0010] According to the aspects of the present disclosure, the central axis of the screw shaft is inclined relative to the reference axis via the prism member, and the central axis of the screw shaft and the reference axis can be adjusted to be parallel to each other. Therefore, alignment adjustment for making the central axis of the screw shaft parallel to the reference axis can be easily and reliably performed.
[0011] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of the first screws and the number of the second screws are each two or more.
[0012] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the degree of inclination of the first plate member and the second plate member with respect to the prismatic member can be easily adjusted in a state in which the first screw and the second screw are provisionally fastened, and therefore alignment adjustment for making the central axis of the screw shaft parallel to the reference axis can be more reliably performed.
[0013] In an aspect of the present disclosure, the nut is any one of a top-type nut, an end deflector-type nut, and a tube-type nut.
[0014] According to the aspects of the present disclosure, it is possible to miniaturize a robot including a parallel link.
[0015] In an aspect of the present disclosure, the nut has a plurality of link portions.
[0016] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the nut is a top-type nut, which makes it possible to reduce the size of the robot including the parallel link and to achieve precise positioning of the screw shaft.
[0017] In an aspect of the present disclosure, the slide member has an end effector attached thereto.
[0018] According to the aspects of the present disclosure, alignment adjustment for making the central axis of the screw shaft parallel to the reference axis can be performed simply and reliably, thereby enabling precise positioning of the end effector.
[0019] In addition, in an aspect of the present disclosure, a robot including a parallel link further includes an arm unit having two of the drive units and connected to the second plate member so as to be inclined relative to the second plate member, and the central axes of the two screw shafts of the arm unit are arranged so as to be parallel to each other.
[0020] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, in a robot including a parallel link equipped with an arm unit that constitutes a parallel link mechanism, alignment adjustment for making the central axis line of the screw shaft parallel to the reference axis line as described above can be easily and reliably performed.
[0021] In addition, in an aspect of the present disclosure, a manufacturing method for a robot including a parallel link includes the steps of: temporarily fixing a first plate member to a rectangular prism member with a plurality of first screws while a first side surface of the rectangular prism member is in contact with a first plate member to which a nut and a housing in which a screw shaft that moves when the nut rotates are fixed; temporarily fixing the second plate member to the rectangular prism member with a plurality of second screws while a second plate member to which a slide member is arranged so as to be able to move integrally with the screw shaft along a reference axis line is in contact with a second side surface of the rectangular prism member; and temporarily fixing the second plate member to the rectangular prism member with a plurality of second screws while the first plate member to the rectangular prism member and the second plate member to the rectangular prism member are temporarily fixed, thereby adjusting the attitude of the first plate member with respect to the rectangular prism member and the attitude of the second plate member with respect to the rectangular prism member, with the first plate member and the rectangular prism member in a temporarily fixed state and the second plate member and the rectangular prism member in a temporarily fixed state.
[0022] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, in a manufacturing process for a robot including a parallel link, alignment adjustment for making the central axis line of a screw shaft parallel to a reference axis line can be performed simply and reliably. Effect of the Invention
[0023] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, in a robot including a parallel link, alignment adjustment for making the central axis of a screw shaft parallel to a reference axis can be easily and reliably performed. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a robot including a parallel link according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the robot including the parallel link shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the +Z side. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the robot including the parallel link shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the -X side. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first arm according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the first arm along the reference axis. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional shape of the nut taken along the central axis of the nut. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional shape of the nut perpendicular to the central axis of the nut. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the nut and the screw shaft when the central axis of the screw shaft is inclined with respect to the reference axis, showing a state in which there is no groove in the first link portion on the side where the screw shaft is inclined. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the nut and the screw shaft when the central axis of the screw shaft is inclined with respect to the reference axis, and shows a state in which the groove of the first link portion is on the side where the screw shaft is inclined. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the second arm unit is inclined with respect to the first arm unit from the reference state of the robot including the parallel link shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the third arm unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the third arm unit as viewed from the -Z side. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a side view of the third arm unit as viewed from the +X side. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a side view of the third arm unit as seen from the -Y side. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a side view of the robot including the parallel link shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the -Y side. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a state in which the medical instrument has been moved by the third arm unit being driven from the reference state of the robot including the parallel link shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The components of each embodiment and each modified example described below can be appropriately combined. In addition, some components may not be used.
[0026] A robot 1 including a parallel link according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0027] In the following description, the Z direction is the up-down direction, the direction perpendicular to the Z direction is the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction is the Y direction. Note that the X, Y, and Z directions are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to these directions. Also, viewing the robot 1 including the parallel links along the Z direction from the +Z side or -Z side is referred to as a "planar view."
[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a robot 1 including a parallel link according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The robot 1 including a parallel link is a medical robot arm used during surgery performed by a doctor. The robot 1 including a parallel link may also be an industrial robot arm used in the production of industrial products. The robot 1 including a parallel link is electrically connected to a control device (not shown) by wire or wirelessly. A doctor operates the control device to operate the robot 1 including a parallel link.
[0029] The robot 1 including a parallel link includes a first arm unit 10, a first joint unit 20a, a second arm unit 30, a second joint unit 20b, and a third arm unit 40. The second arm unit 30 corresponds to an "arm unit." A medical instrument 2 is replaceably fixed to the third arm unit 40 as an end effector.
[0030] The medical instrument 2 is an instrument used for treatment. The medical instrument 2 of this embodiment has a needle-shaped needle portion 2a. A doctor performs treatment by, for example, inserting the needle portion 2a from the tip of the needle portion 2a into an affected area of a patient. Note that FIG. 1 shows the robot 1 including the parallel link in a reference state H in which the tip of the needle portion 2a faces the -Z side and the needle portion 2a of the medical instrument 2 extends along the Z direction.
[0031] Fig. 2 is a plan view of the robot 1 including the parallel link shown in Fig. 1 as seen from the +Z side. Fig. 3 is a side view of the robot 1 including the parallel link shown in Fig. 1 as seen from the -X side. Note that Fig. 3 omits the illustration of a counterweight 13, which will be described later.
[0032] 1, 2, and 3 includes a first arm unit 11, a second arm 12, and a counterweight 13. In a reference state H of the robot 1 including a parallel link, the first arm 11 and the second arm 12 are arranged in parallel along the Z direction in a posture extending along the Y direction.
[0033] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the first arm 11 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the first arm 11 along a reference axis line SL. The reference axis line SL is a reference axis line of the first arm 11.
[0034] The first arm portion 11 includes a drive portion 50a and a first guide portion 60a.
[0035] The driving unit 50a includes a housing 51a, a motor 52a, a nut 53a, and a screw shaft 54a. The housing 51a has a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape extending along a reference axis SL.
[0036] The motor 52a is a stepping motor and includes a stator 52aa and a rotor 52ba. The stator 52aa is fixed inside the housing 51a. The rotor 52ba passes through the stator 52aa and is disposed in the housing 51a via a first bearing 55 so as to be rotatable relative to the housing 51a.
[0037] The nut 53a is accommodated in the housing 51a via a second bearing 56 so as to be rotatable relative to the housing 51a. The nut 53a is fixed to the rotor 52ba and rotates integrally with the rotor 52ba.
[0038] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional shape of the nut 53a along the central axis CL1 of the nut 53a. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional shape of the nut 53a perpendicular to the central axis CL1 of the nut 53a. The nut 53a is a torsion-type nut. The nut 53a has a nut body 53aa and four torsion parts 53ba.
[0039] 6 and 7 show a first frame portion 53b1a, a second frame portion 53b2a, a third frame portion 53b3a, and a fourth frame portion 53b4a. When the first frame portion 53b1a, the second frame portion 53b2a, the third frame portion 53b3a, and the fourth frame portion 53b4a are described without distinction, they are simply referred to as "frame portion 53ba."
[0040] The nut body 53aa is cylindrical, through which the screw shaft 54a passes, and has a spiral groove 53a1a on its inner circumferential surface, in which a plurality of balls B can roll.
[0041] The first link portion 53b1a, the second link portion 53b2a, the third link portion 53b3a, and the fourth link portion 53b4a are located at different positions on the central axis CL1 corresponding to each other in the radial direction, and are arranged in this order on the nut body 53aa along the central axis CL1. The first link portion 53b1a, the second link portion 53b2a, the third link portion 53b3a, and the fourth link portion 53b4a are positioned at equal intervals around the central axis CL1.
[0042] The link portion 53ba faces the screw shaft 54a and has a link groove D that allows the ball B to ride up the threads of the screw shaft 54a. The link grooves D of the first link portion 53b1a, the second link portion 53b2a, the third link portion 53b3a and the fourth link portion 53b4a are each positioned at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the screw shaft 54a.
[0043] The balls B rolling in the screw groove 54aa of the screw shaft 54a move via the pair grooves D to the screw groove 54aa adjacent to the screw groove 54aa in the direction along the central axis CL1, whereby the balls B circulate within the nut 53a.
[0044] The nut 53a may be an end deflector type nut or a tube type nut. When the nut 53a is any of a top type nut, an end deflector type nut, and a tube type nut, the robot 1 including the driving unit 50a and the parallel links can be made smaller than when the nut 53a is an end cap type nut. The structures of the end deflector type nut, the tube type nut, and the end cap type nut are known, and a description thereof will be omitted.
[0045] In addition, when the nut 53a is a top-type nut, it can also be used with a screw shaft 54a with a relatively small lead. Therefore, in this case, the positioning of the screw shaft 54a can be made more precise than with end deflector, tube, and end cap nuts.
[0046] The nut 53a may not have the frame portion 53ba, and the frame groove D may be formed in the nut body portion 53aa of the nut 53a. The nut 53a may not have the frame portion 53ba, and the frame groove D may be formed in the screw shaft 54a. When the frame groove D is formed in the screw shaft 54a, the ball B circulates by moving to the groove 53a1a of the adjacent nut 53a in the direction along the central axis CL1 through the frame groove D. When the nut 53a does not have the frame portion 53ba in this way, the number of parts of the nut 53a is reduced, thereby reducing the cost and making the nut 53a more compact.
[0047] 4 and 5, a first end of the threaded shaft 54a is disposed in the housing 51a, and a second end of the threaded shaft 54a is disposed in the housing 51a so as to be exposed from the housing 51a. The central axis CL2 of the threaded shaft 54a is aligned so as to be parallel to the reference axis SL.
[0048] The screw shaft 54a passes through the rotor 52ba and the nut 53a. The outer circumferential surface of the screw shaft 54a has a helical screw groove 54aa (see FIG. 6) into which a plurality of balls B are rollably fitted. The screw shaft 54a moves relative to the housing 51a as the nut 53a rotates.
[0049] The first guide portion 60a guides the screw shaft 54a along the reference axis SL. The first guide portion 60a includes a support 61a, a slide member 62a, two guide rails 63aa, 63ba, four linear guides 64aa, 64ba, 64ca, 64da, and a linear encoder 65a.
[0050] The support body 61a has a cylindrical shape that is rectangular in cross section and extends along the reference axis line SL, and is fixed to the housing 51a.
[0051] The slide member 62a is L-shaped and integrally includes a fixed portion 62aa and a rectangular parallelepiped portion 62ba. A second end of the screw shaft 54a is fixed to the fixed portion 62aa. Therefore, the slide member 62a moves integrally with the screw shaft 54a relative to the housing 51a. The rectangular parallelepiped portion 62ba penetrates the support body 61a along the reference axis SL.
[0052] The two guide rails 63aa, 63ba extend along the reference axis SL, and are fixed at positions opposite to each other on the rectangular parallelepiped portion 62ba of the slide member 62a.
[0053] The four linear guides 64aa, 64ba, 64ca, and 64da are fixed inside the support 61a and guide the two guide rails 63aa and 63ba along the reference axis SL. Specifically, the two linear guides 64aa and 64ba are disposed apart from each other in the direction along the reference axis SL and guide the guide rail 63aa. The two linear guides 64ca and 64da are disposed apart from each other in the direction along the reference axis SL and guide the guide rail 63ba.
[0054] As described above, the support 61a is fixed to the housing 51a, and the guide rails 63aa, 63ba are disposed on the slide member 62a. Therefore, the slide member 62a can move along the reference axis SL relative to the housing 51a by the linear guides 64aa, 64ba, 64ca, 64da. As described above, the slide member 62a moves integrally with the screw shaft 54a. Therefore, the first guide portion 60a guides the screw shaft 54a along the reference axis SL.
[0055] The linear encoder 65a includes a scale 65aa and a head 65ba. The scale 65aa is disposed on the slide member 62a along the reference axis SL. Therefore, the scale 65aa moves integrally with the screw shaft 54a relative to the housing 51a. The head 65ba is disposed on a support 61a fixed to the housing 51a. In other words, the linear encoder 65a detects the amount of movement of the screw shaft 54a relative to the housing 51a.
[0056] Next, the operation of the first arm 11 will be described.
[0057] When a voltage is applied to the motor 52a, the rotor 52ba rotates, and the nut 53a rotates. As a result, the screw shaft 54a moves relative to the housing 51a. The screw shaft 54a moves along the reference axis SL by being guided by the first guide portion 60a.
[0058] As described above, the alignment is adjusted so that the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54a and the reference axis SL are parallel to each other. As a result, the amount of movement of the screw shaft 54a along the reference axis SL when the nut 53a rotates once is equal to the lead of the screw shaft 54a.
[0059] In other words, if the central axis CL2 of the nut 53a is inclined with respect to the reference axis SL, the amount of movement of the screw shaft 54a along the reference axis SL when the nut 53a rotates once becomes shorter than the lead of the screw shaft 54a, resulting in a so-called lead error. As the inclination angle of the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54a with respect to the reference axis SL increases, the amount of movement of the screw shaft 54a along the reference axis SL when the nut 53a rotates once becomes smaller, resulting in a larger lead error.
[0060] Furthermore, when the nut 53a is a top-type nut 53a, the lead error may become large, as will be described next.
[0061] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the nut 53a and the screw shaft 54a when the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54a is inclined relative to the reference axis SL, showing a state in which the groove D of the first link portion 53b1a is not present on the side to which the screw shaft 54a is inclined. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the nut 53a and the screw shaft 54a when the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54a is inclined relative to the reference axis SL, showing a state in which the groove D of the first link portion 53b1a is present on the side to which the screw shaft 54a is inclined.
[0062] As described above, the four link portions 53ba of the nut 53a are arranged in line along the central axis CL1 of the nut 53a. The link grooves D of the link portions 53ba are positioned at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the screw shaft 54a. When the nut 53a rotates and the link groove D of the first link portion 53b1a is on the side to which the screw shaft 54a is inclined as shown in FIG. 9, the screw shaft 54a further inclines toward the link groove D. That is, in this case, the inclination angle of the screw shaft 54a becomes larger than the state in which the link groove D of the first link portion 53b1a is not on the side to which the screw shaft 54a is inclined as shown in FIG. 8. As described above, the larger the inclination angle of the screw shaft 54a, the larger the lead error.
[0063] That is, when the nut 53a is a top-type nut 53a, a particularly high degree of accuracy is required for the parallelism of the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54a with respect to the reference axis SL.
[0064] The second arm 12 shown in Fig. 3 has the same configuration as the first arm 11 described above, and a description of the configuration of the second arm 12 will be omitted. However, the reference numerals of the components of the second arm 12 are the same as those of the components of the first arm 11 corresponding to the components of the second arm 12, except that the suffix "a" is changed to "b". For example, the second arm 12 includes a drive unit 50b and a first guide unit 60b.
[0065] The first arm 11 and the second arm 12 are arranged so that their reference axes SL are parallel to each other. In addition, the alignment is adjusted so that the central axis CL2 of the screw shafts 54a, 54b and the reference axis SL are parallel to each other. Therefore, the first arm 11 and the second arm 12 are arranged so that the central axis CL2 of the screw shafts 54a, 54b are parallel to each other. In the reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel link, the central axis CL2 of the screw shafts 54a, 54b of the first arm unit 10 and the reference axis SL are aligned along the Y direction. The counterweight 13 is attached to the slide member 62a of the first arm 11 (see FIG. 2).
[0066] 2 and 3 connects the first arm unit 10 and the second arm unit 30 so that the second arm unit 30 can be tilted relative to the first arm unit 10. The first joint unit 20a includes a first link 21a, a second link 22a, a cylindrical first shaft member 23a, a third link 24a, a fourth link 25a, and a cylindrical second shaft member 26a.
[0067] The first link 21a is fixed to a slide member 62a of the first arm portion 11. The second link 22a is connected to a planar first mounting surface 30b of the first mounting portion 30a of the second arm unit 30 via a linear guide 27a and a guide rail 30c. As a result, the second link 22a is connected to the first mounting surface 30b so as to be movable along the first mounting surface 30b.
[0068] The first link 21a and the second link 22a are connected via a first shaft member 23a so as to be relatively tiltable around a central axis CL3a of the first shaft member 23a. In a reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel links, the central axis CL3a of the first shaft member 23a is aligned along the X direction.
[0069] A first end of the third link 24a is fixed to the slide member 62b of the second arm portion 12. The fourth link 25a is fixed to the first mounting surface 30b.
[0070] The third link 24a and the fourth link 25a are connected via a second shaft member 26a so as to be relatively tiltable about a central axis CL4a of the second shaft member 26a. The central axis CL4a of the second shaft member 26a is parallel to the central axis CL3a of the first shaft member 23a.
[0071] In this manner, the first attachment portion 30a of the second arm unit 30 and the first arm unit 10 are connected via the first joint portion 20a, so that the first arm unit 10, the first joint portion 20a, and the first attachment portion 30a form a so-called parallel link mechanism. As a result, the second arm unit 30 inclines and moves in translation relative to the first arm unit 10, as will be described next.
[0072] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the second arm unit 30 is inclined with respect to the first arm unit 10 from the reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel link shown in Fig. 3. When the screw shaft 54a in the first arm 11 moves from the reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel link shown in Fig. 3 to the side where it protrudes from the housing 51a, as shown in Fig. 10, the second link 22a is inclined with respect to the first link 21a and the fourth link 25a is inclined with respect to the third link 24a in the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 10, so that the second arm unit 30 is inclined with respect to the first arm unit 10.
[0073] In addition, when the screw shaft 54b in the second arm 12 moves from the reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel link shown in Figure 3 toward the side where it protrudes from the housing 51b, the second link 22a tilts clockwise in Figure 10 relative to the first link 21a, and the fourth link 25a tilts relative to the third link 24a, causing the second arm unit 30 to tilt relative to the first arm unit 10.
[0074] Furthermore, from the reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel link shown in Figure 3, when the screw shafts 54a, 54b in the first arm 11 and the second arm 12, respectively, move at equal speeds toward the sides protruding from the housings 51a, 51b, the second arm unit 30 moves translationally toward the +Y side relative to the first arm unit 10.
[0075] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the second arm unit 30 includes a first attachment portion 30a, a third arm portion 31 and a fourth arm portion 32. As shown in FIG.
[0076] As described above, the first attachment portion 30a has the first attachment surface 30b to which the second link 22a and the fourth link 25a of the first joint portion 20a are connected.
[0077] The third arm 31 and the fourth arm 32 are arranged in parallel along the Z direction in a posture extending along the X direction in a reference state H of the robot 1 including a parallel link.
[0078] The third arm 31 and the fourth arm 32 have the same configuration as the first arm 11, and the description of the configuration of the third arm 31 and the fourth arm 32 will be omitted. However, the reference numerals of the components of the third arm 31 are the same as those of the components of the first arm 11 corresponding to the components of the third arm 31, except that the suffixes of the reference numerals are changed from "a" to "c". For example, the third arm 31 includes a drive unit 50c and a first guide unit 60c. Also, the reference numerals of the components of the fourth arm 32 are the same as those of the components of the first arm 11 corresponding to the components of the fourth arm 32, except that the suffixes of the reference numerals are changed from "a" to "d". For example, the fourth arm 32 includes a drive unit 50d and a first guide unit 60d.
[0079] The third arm 31 and the fourth arm 32 are arranged so that their reference axes SL are parallel to each other. The alignment is adjusted so that the central axis CL2 of the screw shafts 54c, 54d and the reference axis SL are parallel to each other. Therefore, the third arm 31 and the fourth arm 32 are arranged so that the central axis CL2 of the screw shafts 54c, 54d are parallel to each other. In the reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel link, the central axis CL2 of the screw shafts 54c, 54d and the reference axis SL of the second arm unit 30 are aligned along the X direction.
[0080] The second joint section 20b connects the second arm unit 30 and the third arm unit 40 so that the third arm unit 40 can be tilted relative to the second arm unit 30. The second joint section 20b has the same configuration as the first joint section 20a, and the description of the second joint section 20b is omitted. However, the reference numerals of the components of the second joint section 20b are the same as those of the components of the first joint section 20a corresponding to the components of the second joint section 20b, except that the suffix of the reference numerals is changed from "a" to "b". The second joint section 20b connects the second arm unit 30 and the third arm unit 40 in the same manner as the connection between the first arm unit 10 and the second arm unit 30 by the first joint section 20a.
[0081] As shown in FIG. 2, in the second joint portion 20b, the second link 22b is connected to a planar second mounting surface 42a1 of a second plate member 42a of the third arm unit 40, which will be described later, via a linear guide 27b and a guide rail 40c. As a result, the second link 22b is connected to the second mounting surface 42a1 so as to be movable along the second mounting surface 42a1. In addition, in the reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel link, the first shaft member 23b is disposed so that the central axis CL3b of the first shaft member 23b is aligned along the Y direction. The fourth link 25b shown in FIG. 1 is fixed to the second mounting surface 42a1.
[0082] In this way, by connecting the second plate member 42a of the third arm unit 40 and the second arm unit 30 via the second joint portion 20b, the second arm unit 30, the second joint portion 20b and the second plate member 42a configure a so-called parallel link mechanism. Therefore, the third arm unit 40 inclines clockwise and counterclockwise relative to the second arm unit 30 in Fig. 14 described later and translates along the X direction, similar to the inclination and translation of the second arm unit 30 relative to the first arm unit 10 described above.
[0083] Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the third arm unit 40. Fig. 12 is a plan view of the third arm unit 40 seen from the -Z side. Fig. 13 is a side view of the third arm unit 40 seen from the +X side. Fig. 14 is a side view of the third arm unit 40 seen from the -Y side. In Figs. 13 and 14, the medical instrument 2 and a slide member 42b described later are omitted.
[0084] 2, 11, 12, 13, and 14, in a reference state H of the robot 1 including a parallel link, a reference axis SL2 of the third arm unit 40 extends along the Z direction. The third arm unit 40 includes a drive unit 50e, a first plate member 41, and a second guide unit 42. The second guide unit 42 corresponds to the "guide unit."
[0085] The driving unit 50e has the same configuration as the driving unit 50a of the first arm 11. However, the reference numerals of the components of the driving unit 50e are the same as those of the components of the driving unit 50a corresponding to the components of the driving unit 50e, except that the suffix "a" is changed to "e". For example, the driving unit 50e includes a housing 51e, a nut 53e, and a screw shaft 54e. The nut 53e is a gear-type nut and includes a plurality of gear portions 53be. The driving unit 50e is disposed so as to extend along the Z direction.
[0086] The two plate surfaces of the first plate member 41 are perpendicular to the Y direction in the reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel link. Hereinafter, in the reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel link, the plate surface on the -Y side is referred to as the first plate surface 41a, and the plate surface opposite the first plate surface 41a is referred to as the second plate surface 41b.
[0087] A housing 51e is fixed to the first plate member 41. The housing 51e is fixed to the first plate member 41 via a mounting member 41c disposed on a first plate surface 41a of the first plate member 41. In a reference state H of the robot 1 including a parallel link, the housing 51e is fixed such that the screw shaft 54e extends along the Z direction.
[0088] The second guide section 42 includes a second plate member 42a and a slide member 42b. The second plate member 42a is attached to the first plate member 41 via a rectangular column member 44 described later. In a reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel link, the two plate surfaces of the second plate member 42a are perpendicular to the X direction. The two plate surfaces correspond to the above-mentioned second mounting surface 42a1 and guide surface 42a2. As described above, the second link 22b and the fourth link 25b of the second joint section 20b are connected to the second mounting surface 42a1.
[0089] The guide surface 42a2 is a plate surface opposite to the second mounting surface 42a1. A slide member 42b is attached to the second plate member 42a so as to be movable along a reference axis SL2 relative to the guide surface 42a2. Specifically, a linear guide 42c is fixed to the slide member 42b, and a guide rail 42a3 that fits with the linear guide 42c is fixed to the guide surface 42a2. The guide rail 42a3 extends along the reference axis SL2. Therefore, the slide member 42b moves along the reference axis SL2 relative to the second plate member 42a (guide surface 42a2).
[0090] FIG. 15 is a side view of the robot 1 including the parallel link shown in FIG. 1, as viewed from the -Y side. As shown in FIGS. 2, 11, 12, and 15, the slide member 42b is L-shaped in a plan view. As shown in FIGS. 11, 12, and 15, the slide member 42b is fixed to the second end of the screw shaft 54e of the drive unit 50e. Therefore, the slide member 42b moves integrally with the screw shaft 54e. In other words, the second guide unit 42 guides the screw shaft 54e along the reference axis line SL2.
[0091] In addition, the medical instrument 2, which is an end effector, is attached to the slide member 42b. The medical instrument 2 is fixed with the needle portion 2a parallel to the reference axis line SL2. When the screw shaft 54e of the drive unit 50e moves, the slide member 42b and the medical instrument 2 move together along the reference axis line SL2 relative to the second plate member 42a.
[0092] 15, the third arm unit 40 further includes a linear encoder 43. The linear encoder 43 includes a scale 43a and a head 43b.
[0093] The scale 43a is disposed on the first plate member 41 so as to be aligned with the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e. A housing 51a of the driving unit 50e is fixed to the first plate member 41. The head 43b is disposed on a slide member 42b that moves integrally with the screw shaft 54a. In other words, the linear encoder 43 detects the amount of movement of the screw shaft 54a relative to the housing 51a of the driving unit 50e.
[0094] As shown in FIGS. 11, 12, 13 and 14, third arm unit 40 further includes a prismatic member 44, a plurality of first screws 45, and a plurality of second screws .
[0095] The prismatic member 44 has a prismatic shape having a first side surface 44a and a second side surface 44b. The first side surface 44a and the second side surface 44b intersect with each other. Specifically, the prismatic member 44 is a quadrangular prism, and the first side surface 44a and the second side surface 44b are perpendicular to each other. In the reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel link, the prismatic member 44 extends along the Z direction, the first side surface 44a is perpendicular to the Y direction and faces the -Y side, and the second side surface 44b is perpendicular to the X direction and faces the +X side.
[0096] With the plate surface (second plate surface 41b) of the first plate member 41 in contact with the first side surface 44a of the rectangular column member 44, the first plate member 41 is fixed by a plurality of first screws 45. In this embodiment, the number of the first screws 45 is three, but it goes without saying that the number of the first screws 45 is not limited to three and may be two or more.
[0097] The multiple first screws 45 fit into the rectangular column member 44. The first plate member 41 has multiple first through holes 41d through which the first screws 45 pass (FIG. 13). The number of the first through holes 41d is equal to the number of the first screws 45. The multiple first through holes 41d have the same size as each other. Note that the multiple first through holes 41d may have different sizes from each other.
[0098] With the second mounting surface 42a1 of the second plate member 42a in contact with the second side surface 44b of the rectangular column member 44, the second plate member 42a is fixed by a plurality of second screws 46. In this embodiment, the number of second screws 46 is three, but it goes without saying that the number of second screws 46 is not limited to three and may be two or more.
[0099] The second screws 46 are fitted into the rectangular column member 44. The second plate member 42a has a plurality of second through holes 42a4 through which the second screws 46 pass. The number of the second through holes 42a4 is equal to the number of the second screws 46. The sizes of the second through holes 42a4 are equal to each other. Note that the sizes of the second through holes 42a4 may be different from each other.
[0100] In this manner, by fixing the first plate member 41 and the second plate member 42a to the rectangular column member 44, the plate surface of the first plate member 41 and the plate surface of the second plate member 42a intersect with each other (orthogonal in this embodiment).
[0101] Furthermore, the size of the first through hole 41d is such that the attitude of the first plate member 41 relative to the rectangular column member 44 can be adjusted in a state in which the second plate surface 41b and the first side surface 44a of the first plate member 41 are in contact with each other when the first screw 45 is temporarily fastened. In other words, the size of the radial gap between the first through hole 41d and the first screw 45 is such that the attitude of the first plate member 41 relative to the rectangular column member 44 can be adjusted in a state in which the second plate surface 41b and the first side surface 44a of the first plate member 41 are in contact with each other.
[0102] When the first screw 45 is temporarily fastened, the rectangular column member 44 and the first plate member 41 are temporarily fixed in a state where the second plate surface 41b of the first plate member 41 and the first side surface 44a of the rectangular column member 44 are in contact with each other. When the rectangular column member 44 and the first plate member 41 are temporarily fixed, the first plate member 41 is not sufficiently fixed to the rectangular column member 44, and the first plate member 41 can be tilted with respect to the rectangular column member 44 in a state where the second plate surface 41b of the first plate member 41 and the first side surface 44a of the rectangular column member 44 are in contact with each other. The driving unit 50e is fixed to the first plate member 41. In other words, when the rectangular column member 44 and the first plate member 41 are temporarily fixed, the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e can be tilted with respect to the rectangular column member 44.
[0103] The size of the second through hole 42a4 is such that the attitude of the second plate member 42a relative to the rectangular column member 44 can be adjusted in a state where the plate surface (second mounting surface 42a1) of the second plate member 42a is in contact with the second side surface 44b with the second screw 46 temporarily fastened. In other words, the size of the radial gap between the second through hole 42a4 and the second screw 46 is such that the attitude of the second plate member 42a relative to the rectangular column member 44 can be adjusted in a state where the second mounting surface 42a1 of the second plate member 42a is in contact with the second side surface 44b.
[0104] When the second screw 46 is temporarily fastened, the rectangular column member 44 and the second plate member 42a are temporarily fixed in a state where the second mounting surface 42a1 of the second plate member 42a and the second side surface 44b of the rectangular column member 44 are in contact with each other. When the rectangular column member 44 and the second plate member 42a are temporarily fixed, the second plate member 42a is not sufficiently fixed to the rectangular column member 44, and the second plate member 42a can be tilted with respect to the rectangular column member 44 in a state where the second mounting surface 42a1 of the second plate member 42a and the second side surface 44b of the rectangular column member 44 are in contact with each other. A guide rail 42a3 extending along the reference axis SL2 is fixed to the second plate member 42a. In other words, when the rectangular column member 44 and the second plate member 42a are temporarily fixed, the rectangular column member 44 can be tilted with respect to the reference axis SL2.
[0105] That is, in a state in which the first screw 45 and the second screw 46 are provisionally fastened, the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e can be inclined with respect to the reference axis SL2 via the rectangular column member 44. In addition, as described above, the first side surface 44a and the second side surface 44b intersect with each other, so that the second side surface 44b of the first plate member 41 and the second mounting surface 42a1 of the second plate member 42a intersect with each other. Therefore, in a state in which the first screw 45 and the second screw 46 are provisionally fastened, an alignment adjustment can be made to make the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e parallel to the reference axis SL2. The alignment adjustment is included, for example, in the manufacturing process of the robot 1 including the parallel link.
[0106] Specifically, the manufacturing process of the robot 1 including the parallel link includes a first temporary fixing step, a second temporary fixing step, and an alignment adjustment step. The first temporary fixing step, the second temporary fixing step, and the alignment adjustment step are performed in this order. In addition, in a manufacturing process prior to the first temporary fixing step, the driving unit 50e is fixed to the first plate member 41, the slide member 42b is attached to the second plate member 42a, and the slide member 42b is fixed to the screw shaft 54e. Specifically, the flange portion 42b1 of the slide member 42b is fixed to the screw shaft 54e by a fixing nut 47 (see FIGS. 11, 12, and 15).
[0107] The first temporary fixing step is a step of temporarily fixing the first plate member 41 and the rectangular column member 44 with a plurality of first screws 45 while the second plate surface 41b of the first plate member 41 and the first side surface 44a of the rectangular column member 44 are in contact with each other. That is, in the first temporary fixing step, the plurality of first screws 45 are temporarily fastened.
[0108] The second temporary fixing step is a step of temporarily fixing the second plate member 42a and the rectangular column member 44 with a plurality of second screws 46, while the second mounting surface 42a1 of the second plate member 42a and the second side surface 44b of the rectangular column member 44 are in contact with each other. That is, in the second temporary fixing step, the plurality of second screws 46 are temporarily fastened.
[0109] The alignment adjustment process is a process in which, with the first plate member 41 and the rectangular column member 44 temporarily fixed and the second plate member 42a and the rectangular column member 44 temporarily fixed, the attitude of the first plate member 41 relative to the rectangular column member 44 and the attitude of the second plate member 42a relative to the rectangular column member 44 are adjusted to adjust the alignment between the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e and the reference axis SL2.
[0110] In the alignment adjustment process, the first plate member 41 is tilted with respect to the rectangular column member 44 with the second plate surface 41b of the first plate member 41 and the first side surface 44a of the rectangular column member 44 in contact with each other, and the second plate member 42a is tilted with respect to the rectangular column member 44 with the second mounting surface 42a1 of the second plate member 42a and the second side surface 44b of the rectangular column member 44 in contact with each other. As a result, the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e is tilted with respect to the reference axis SL2 via the rectangular column member 44, and the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e and the reference axis SL2 can be adjusted to be parallel to each other.
[0111] Fig. 16 is a diagram showing a state in which the medical instrument 2 is moved by driving the third arm unit 40 from the reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel link shown in Fig. 15. When the screw shaft 54e of the drive unit 50e moves from the reference state H of the robot 1 including the parallel link shown in Fig. 15 to the side where it protrudes from the housing 51a, the medical instrument 2 moves to the -Z side along the reference axis line SL2 as shown in Fig. 16. On the other hand, when the screw shaft 54e of the drive unit 50e moves from the state of the robot 1 including the parallel link shown in Fig. 16 toward the side where it fits into the housing 51a, the medical instrument 2 moves to the +Z side along the reference axis line SL2 as shown in Fig. 12.
[0112] In the robot 1 including the parallel link configured as described above, a doctor inputs an operation amount to the control device. The control device adjusts the movement amount of each of the screw shafts 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, and 54e corresponding to the input operation amount based on the detection results of each of the linear encoders 65a, 65b, 65c, 65d, and 43. As described above, each of the screw shafts 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, and 54e is guided by the slide members 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d, and 42b, and moves precisely along the reference axes SL and SL2.
[0113] This allows for precise adjustment of the attitude and position of the second arm unit 30 and the third arm unit 40 relative to the first arm unit 10. Furthermore, the attitude and position of the medical instrument 2 is precisely adjusted, and the medical instrument 2 moves precisely.
[0114] As described above, according to this embodiment, the robot 1 including a parallel link is provided with a housing 51e, a nut 53e stored in the housing 51e, a drive unit 50e having a screw shaft 54e that moves relative to the housing 51e as the nut 53e rotates, and a second guide unit 42 having a slide member 42b that moves integrally with the screw shaft 54e along the reference axis line SL2 and is connected to the housing 51e so that the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e is inclined relative to the reference axis line SL2. According to this, the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e can be inclined with respect to the reference axis SL2, and the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e and the reference axis SL2 can be adjusted to be parallel to each other. Therefore, the alignment adjustment for making the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e and the reference axis SL2 parallel to each other can be easily and reliably performed.
[0115] The robot 1 including the parallel link further includes a first plate member 41 to which the housing 51e is fixed, a second plate member 42a included in the second guide section 42 and to which the slide member 42b is attached so as to be relatively movable, a rectangular column member 44 having a first side surface 44a and a second side surface 44b, the plate surface (second plate surface 41b) of the first plate member 41 contacting the first side surface 44a and the plate surface (second mounting surface 42a1) of the second plate member 42a contacting the second side surface 44b, a plurality of first screws 45 that fit with the rectangular column member 44 and fix the first plate member 41 to the rectangular column member 44, and a plurality of second screws 46 that fit with the rectangular column member 44 and fix the second plate member 42a to the rectangular column member 44. The first plate member 41 has a plurality of first through holes 41d through which the first screws 45 pass. The second plate member 42a has a plurality of second through holes 42a4 through which the second screws 46 pass. The size of the first through holes 41d is such that the attitude of the first plate member 41 relative to the rectangular column member 44 can be adjusted when the plate surface of the first plate member 41 and the first side surface 44a are in contact with each other when the first screws 45 are temporarily fastened. The size of the second through holes 42a4 is such that the attitude of the second plate member 42a relative to the rectangular column member 44 can be adjusted when the plate surface of the second plate member 42a and the second side surface 44b are in contact with each other when the second screws 46 are temporarily fastened. According to this, the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e is inclined relative to the reference axis SL2 via the rectangular column member 44, and the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e and the reference axis SL2 can be adjusted to be parallel to each other. Therefore, the alignment adjustment for making the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e and the reference axis SL2 parallel to each other can be performed simply and reliably.
[0116] Moreover, the number of the first screws 45 and the number of the second screws 46 are each two or more. This makes it possible to easily adjust the degree of inclination of the first plate member 41 and the second plate member 42a relative to the rectangular column member 44 in a state in which the first screws 45 and the second screws 46 are provisionally fastened. In particular, when the number of first screws 45 and the number of second screws 46 are three or more, the degree of inclination of the first plate member 41 and the second plate member 42a relative to the rectangular column member 44 can be adjusted more finely. Therefore, alignment adjustment for making the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e parallel to the reference axis SL2 can be more reliably performed.
[0117] The nut 53a is any one of a top-type nut, an end deflector-type nut, and a tube-type nut. This allows the robot 1 including the parallel links to be made smaller in size.
[0118] The nut 53e also has a plurality of link portions 53be. According to this, the nut 53e is a top-type nut, and therefore, the robot 1 including the parallel link can be made smaller in size and the screw shaft 54e can be positioned more precisely.
[0119] Furthermore, the medical instrument 2 is attached to the slide member 42b as an end effector. According to this, alignment adjustment for making the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e and the reference axis SL2 parallel to each other can be easily and reliably performed, so that the positioning of the medical instrument 2 can be made more precise.
[0120] The robot 1 including the parallel link further includes a second arm unit 30 having two drive units 50c, 50d and connected to the second plate member 42a so as to be tiltable. The central axes CL2 of the two screw shafts 54c, 54d of the second arm unit 30 are arranged so as to be parallel to each other. According to this, in the robot 1 including a parallel link equipped with the second arm unit 30 constituting the parallel link mechanism, alignment adjustment for making the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e and the reference axis SL2 parallel to each other as described above can be easily and reliably performed.
[0121] The manufacturing method of the robot 1 including the parallel link includes a step of temporarily fixing the first plate member 41 and the rectangular column member 44 with a plurality of first screws 45 in a state in which the first plate member 41, to which the housing 51e is fixed and in which the screw shaft 54e that moves when the nut 53e rotates is disposed, is in contact with the first side surface 44a of the rectangular column member 44; and a step of temporarily fixing the first plate member 41 and the rectangular column member 44 with a plurality of first screws 45 in a state in which the first plate member 41 and the housing 51e to which the housing 51e is fixed and in which the screw shaft 54e that moves when the nut 53e rotates are disposed are in contact with the first side surface 44a of the rectangular column member 44. and a step of adjusting the alignment between a central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e and a reference axis SL2 by adjusting the attitude of the first plate member 41 relative to the rectangular column member 44 and the attitude of the second plate member 42a relative to the rectangular column member 44 while the first plate member 41 and the rectangular column member 44 are in a temporarily fixed state and while the second plate member 42a and the rectangular column member 44 are in a temporarily fixed state. This makes it possible to easily and reliably perform alignment adjustment to make the central axis CL2 of the screw shaft 54e parallel to the reference axis SL2 in the manufacturing process of the robot 1 including the parallel link.
[0122] Next, a robot 1 including a parallel link according to a modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.
[0123] For example, the first plate surface 41a of the first plate member 41 may be fixed to the first side surface 44a of the rectangular column member 44. Also, the guide surface 42a2 of the second plate member 42a may be fixed to the second side surface 44b of the rectangular column member 44.
[0124] Furthermore, the prismatic member 44 may have a prismatic shape other than a quadrangular prism (for example, a triangular prism). In this case, of two side surfaces that intersect with each other in the prismatic shape, the plate surface of the first plate member 41 is fixed to one side surface, and the plate surface of the second plate member 42a is fixed to the other side surface. [Explanation of symbols]
[0125] 1 Robot with parallel links 2. Medical equipment 10 First Arm Unit 30 Second Arm Unit 40 3rd Arm Unit 41 1st plate member 41a 1st plate surface 41b 2nd plate surface 41d First through hole 42 Second guide section 42a 2nd plate member 42a4 Second through hole 42b Slide member 44 Square column members 44a 1st side 44b Second side 45 First screw 46 Second screw 50e Drive unit 51e Housing 53a, 53e Nut 53ba, 53be frame section 54a, 54e Screw shaft CL2 Central axis of the screw shaft SL2 Reference axis
Claims
1. a housing, a nut housed in the housing, and a drive unit having a screw shaft that moves relative to the housing as the nut rotates; The screw shaft has a slide member that moves integrally with the screw shaft along a reference axis line, and a guide portion that is connected to the housing so that the central axis line of the screw shaft can be inclined with respect to the reference axis line. A robot that includes a parallel link.
2. a first plate member to which the housing is fixed; a second plate member included in the guide portion and to which the slide member is attached so as to be movable relative to the second plate member; a prism member having a prismatic shape with a first side surface and a second side surface, the first side surface being in contact with a plate surface of the first plate member, and the second side surface being in contact with a plate surface of the second plate member; a plurality of first screws that engage with the prismatic member and fix the first plate member to the prismatic member; a plurality of second screws that engage with the prismatic member and fix the second plate member to the prismatic member; the first plate member has a plurality of first through holes through which the first screws pass, the second plate member has a plurality of second through holes through which the second screws pass, a size of the first through hole is such that, when the first screw is temporarily fastened, a plate surface of the first plate member and the first side surface are in contact with each other, and a posture of the first plate member with respect to the prismatic member can be adjusted; The size of the second through hole is such that, when the second screw is temporarily fastened, the attitude of the second plate member with respect to the prismatic member can be adjusted in a state in which the plate surface of the second plate member and the second side surface are in contact with each other. A robot comprising the parallel link according to claim 1.
3. The number of the first screws and the number of the second screws are each two or more. A robot comprising the parallel link according to claim 2.
4. The nut is any one of a top-type nut, an end deflector-type nut, and a tube-type nut. A robot comprising the parallel link according to claim 2.
5. The nut has a plurality of link portions. A robot comprising the parallel link according to claim 2.
6. An end effector is attached to the slide member. A robot comprising the parallel link according to claim 2.
7. an arm unit having two of the drive units and connected to the second plate member so as to be inclined relative to the second plate member; The central axes of the two screw shafts of the arm unit are arranged to be parallel to each other. A robot comprising the parallel link according to claim 2.
8. a step of provisionally fixing the first plate member and the rectangular column member with a plurality of first screws in a state in which a first plate member to which a nut and a housing in which a screw shaft that moves when the nut rotates is disposed is fixed is in contact with a first side surface of the rectangular column member; A step of temporarily fixing the second plate member and the rectangular column member with a plurality of second screws in a state in which a second plate member, in which a slide member is arranged to be movable integrally with the screw shaft along a reference axis line, is in contact with a second side surface of the rectangular column member; In a state in which the first plate member and the prismatic member are temporarily fixed and in a state in which the second plate member and the prismatic member are temporarily fixed, the attitude of the first plate member relative to the prismatic member and the attitude of the second plate member relative to the prismatic member are adjusted to adjust the alignment between the central axis of the screw shaft and the reference axis. A method for manufacturing a robot including a parallel link.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Driving device and control method thereof, and parallel link robot and control method thereof
JP7088440B1