Robot

Abstract

To provide a robot whose arm part is reduced in weight.SOLUTION: A robot comprises: a base part; a first motor which has a first driving shaft and is mounted on the base part; a first link which is rotated by the first motor about the first driving shaft; a first joint which is provided on the first link and has a first rotary shaft; a second joint which is provided on the base part and has a second rotary shaft coaxial with the first driving shaft; a second link whose one end part is connected to the second joint and whose other end part is connected to the first link, between the first driving shaft and a tip at the first rotary shaft side of the first link, in a direction of a line segment through which the first driving shaft is jointed to the first rotary shaft, and which can rotate about the second rotary shaft; and a third link which is connected to the first joint and can rotate about the first rotary shaft.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to robots. [Background technology]

[0002] Non-Patent Document 1 describes an air hockey game device equipped with a robot arm that can hit the puck. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-300823 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The arm section of a robot that operates within a horizontal plane, such as a horizontal articulated robot, has a cantilever structure in which one side of the link of the arm section is held by a base, so the link needs to be strong.

[0005] However, increasing the strength of the links increases the weight of the links, which in turn increases the weight of the entire arm. An increase in the weight of the arm can cause problems such as a decrease in the energy efficiency for driving the robot and a decrease in the movement speed of the arm.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a robot having a lightweight arm portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is a robot having a base, a first motor having a first drive shaft attached to the base, a first link rotated by the first motor around the first drive shaft, a first joint provided on the first link and having a first rotation shaft, a second joint provided on the base and having a second rotation shaft coaxial with the first drive shaft, a second link having one end connected to the second joint and the other end connected to the first link between the first drive shaft and the first rotation shaft side tip of the first link in the direction of a line segment connecting the first drive shaft and the first rotation shaft, and rotatable around the second rotation shaft, and a third link connected to the first joint and rotatable around the first rotation shaft. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the arm portion of the robot can be made lighter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a top view of the robot according to the embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the robot according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a top view of a robot according to another aspect of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a side view of a robot according to another aspect of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or substantially equivalent elements, members, and parts are given the same reference numerals. In addition, the dimensions and ratios of the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0011] The robot 10 is applicable, for example, to a game in which players hit a puck on a board (a so-called air hockey game), in which a mallet, which will be described later, is moved on the board to hit the puck used in the game.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the robot 10 of this embodiment is a five-link robot arm consisting of a first motor 21, a second motor 22, a first link 31, a third link 33, a fourth link 34, and a fifth link 35, to which a second link 32 is added.

[0013] In particular, the robot 10 has a base portion 11 and an arm portion 12 .

[0014] The base 11 has a first motor 21 having a first drive shaft D1, a second motor 22 having a second drive shaft D2 coaxial with the first drive shaft D1, a second joint 42 having a second rotation shaft R2 coaxial with the first drive shaft D1 and the second drive shaft D2, and a support 13 whose tip functions as the second joint 42.

[0015] The arm unit 12 has a first link 31, a second link 32, a third link 33, a fourth link 34, a fifth link 35, a first joint 41, a third joint 43, and a fourth joint 44. Each link constituting the arm unit 12 operates within a horizontal plane.

[0016] The first link 31 is made of resin, and is rotated by the first motor 21 about the first drive shaft D1.

[0017] The second link 32 is formed of a resin wire, which is a linear member, and one end 32a is connected to a second joint 42 having a second rotation axis R2, and is configured to be rotatable around the second rotation axis R2. Specifically, one end 32a of the second link 32 is fixed to the tip of the support 13, and this fixed part functions as the second rotation axis R2 of the second joint 42.

[0018] In addition, the other end 32b of the second link 32 is connected to the first link 31 between the first driving shaft D1 and the tip of the first link 31 on the first rotating shaft R1 side in the direction of the line segment L1 connecting the first driving shaft D1 and the first rotating shaft R1.

[0019] In addition, it is preferable that the other end 32b of the second link 32 is connected to the first link 31 at a position of section L3 on the first rotating shaft R1 side rather than the center position C of section L2 between the first driving shaft D1 and the tip of the first link 31 on the first rotating shaft R1 side in the direction of the line segment L1 connecting the first driving shaft D1 and the first rotating shaft R1.

[0020] In the present embodiment, as an example, the other end 32b of the second link 32 is connected to a first joint 41 having a first rotation axis R1. Note that the other end 32b of the second link 32 does not necessarily need to be rotatably connected to the first link 31, and may be connected in a non-rotatable state.

[0021] The third link 33 is made of resin, is connected to the first joint 41, and is configured to be rotatable about a first rotation axis R1. The third link 33 has a mallet attachment portion 33a for attaching a mallet 51 for hitting the puck. The mallet 51 is an example of an end effector in the technology of the present disclosure.

[0022] The mallet 51 may be configured to be detachable from the mallet attachment portion 33a, or may be configured integrally with the mallet attachment portion 33a (i.e., the third link 33). In this embodiment, the mallet 51 is configured integrally with the mallet attachment portion 33a (i.e., the third link 33).

[0023] The fourth link 34 is made of resin, and is rotated about the second drive shaft D2 by the second motor 22. The fifth link 35 is made of resin, and is connected to the fourth joint 44 so as to be rotatable about the fourth rotation shaft R4.

[0024] The first joint 41 is provided on the first link 31 and has a first rotation axis R1. The third joint 43 is provided on the third link 33 and has a third rotation axis R3, and is rotatably connected to the fifth link 35. The fourth joint 44 is provided on the fourth link 34 and has a fourth rotation axis R4.

[0025] The robot 10 can move the mallet 51 at the tip of the third link 33 to any position within a horizontal plane by rotating the first link 31 with the first motor 21 and rotating the fourth link 34 with the second motor 22.

[0026] Next, the operation of the robot 10 according to this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, in the robot 10 of this embodiment, a second link 32 is provided that rotates around a second rotation axis R2 that is coaxial with the rotation axis of the first link 31 (i.e., the first drive shaft D1 of the first motor 21), and the other end 32b of the second link 32 is connected to the first link 31.

[0028] In this way, by providing the second link 32 and having the second link 32 support the weight applied to the tip side of the first link 31 (i.e., the first joint 41 side), the strength of the first link 31 can be reduced, and therefore the first link 31 can be made lighter.

[0029] Moreover, the second link 32 is a link for supporting the weight applied to the tip side (i.e., the first joint 41 side) of the first link 31, and does not require the same strength as a link that operates alone. Therefore, compared to a case in which the first link 31 is formed with high strength so as not to deform at all, the combination of the lightweight first link 31 and the second link 32, as in the robot 10 according to this embodiment, can reduce the weight of the entire arm unit 12.

[0030] As described above, in the robot 10 according to this embodiment, the arm unit 12 is made lighter, which improves the energy efficiency for driving the robot 10 and increases the movement speed of the arm unit 12.

[0031] In addition, the other end 32b of the second link 32 is connected to the first link 31 at a position of section L3 on the first rotating shaft R1 side rather than the center position C of section L2 between the first driving shaft D1 and the tip of the first link 31 on the first rotating shaft R1 side in the direction of the line segment L1 connecting the first driving shaft D1 and the first rotating shaft R1.

[0032] With this configuration, the weight applied to the tip side of the first link 31 (that is, the first joint 41 side) can be effectively supported.

[0033] Further, the second link 32 is configured to have a bending rigidity lower than that of the first link 31 in the direction of the line segment L1 connecting the first drive shaft D1 and the first rotation shaft R1.

[0034] The second link 32 is a link for supporting the weight applied to the tip side (i.e., the first joint 41 side) of the first link 31, and does not need to have the same strength as a link that operates independently. Therefore, by adopting such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the weight of the second link 32. The reduction in weight of the second link 32 contributes to the reduction in weight of the arm portion 12.

[0035] In addition, the second link 32 is provided vertically above the first link 31. In this manner, by supporting the first link 31 from above with the second link 32, the strength of the second link 32 can be reduced compared to when the first link 31 is supported from below, and therefore the second link 32 can be made lighter. The reduction in weight of the second link 32 contributes to the reduction in weight of the arm portion 12.

[0036] Furthermore, in the robot 10 according to the embodiment, the first motor 21 and the second motor 22 are provided on the base 11, and no heavy motors are placed in the joints of the arm portion 12, thereby making it possible to reduce the weight of the arm portion 12.

[0037] [Variations] Although the robot 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate.

[0038] For example, the second link 32 is not limited to a flexible resin wire, but may be another linear member such as a flexible metal wire or an inflexible metal wire. It goes without saying that in the case of a material that cannot rotate about the second rotation axis R2 simply by being connected to the tip of the support 13 functioning as the second joint 42, such as an inflexible metal wire, it is necessary to form a bearing at the end of the linear member so as to rotatably hold it at the second joint 42.

[0039] In addition, the second link 32 is not limited to the above-mentioned linear member, and may have any configuration, such as a belt-shaped member like the second link 132 shown in Figures 3 and 4. When the second link 132 is a belt-shaped member, for example, a member such as a flexible resin film, an inflexible resin plate, or an inflexible metal plate can be used. In addition, one end 132a of the second link 132 is rotatably connected to the tip of the support 13, and the other end 132b of the second link 132 is connected to the first link 31.

[0040] In addition, the second link 32 may be provided vertically below the first link 31, and the first link 31 may be supported by the second link 32 from below.

[0041] In addition, the connection destination of the other end 32b of the second link 32 in the first link 31 is not limited to the line segment L1 connecting the first driving shaft D1 and the first rotation shaft R1 and the extension of the line segment L1, but may be a position away from the line segment L1 and the extension of the line segment L1.

[0042] The other end 32b of the second link 32 may be bifurcated. In this case, it is preferable that the other end 32b of the second link 32 is connected to the first link 31 at symmetric positions on either side of the line segment L1 and an extension of the line segment L1.

[0043] In addition, a plurality of second links 32 rotating about the second rotation axis R2 may be provided. In this case, it is preferable that an even number of second links 32 are provided, and the other ends 32b of the plurality of second links 32 in the first link 31 are connected to symmetric positions on either side of the line segment L1 and an extension of the line segment L1.

[0044] The other end 32b of the second link 32 may be connected to the first link 31 in a non-rotatable state. In this case, the second link 32 does not strictly function as a link but functions as a holding member that holds the first link 31. However, even in this embodiment, the weight of the arm unit 12 can be reduced.

[0045] In addition, in the five-link robot arm of the robot 10, which is composed of the first motor 21, the second motor 22, the first link 31, the third link 33, the fourth link 34, and the fifth link 35, the first drive shaft D1 of the first motor 21 and the second drive shaft D2 of the second motor 22 do not necessarily have to be arranged coaxially, and the two may be arranged in different positions.

[0046] Furthermore, the robot arm of the robot 10 is not limited to a five-link robot arm, and may be, for example, a serial link robot arm or any other type of robot arm.

[0047] Furthermore, in the arm unit 12, at least the first link 31 and the second link 32 may be coaxial and move within a plane including a horizontal component. That is, the movement plane of the first link 31 and the second link 32 may be an inclined plane inclined with respect to a horizontal plane at any inclination angle except the vertical direction. In other words, the first drive shaft D1 and the second rotation shaft R2 may be coaxial and may be shafts extending in the vertical direction, or shafts inclined from the vertical direction in a form including a vertical component. Furthermore, the movement plane of the links of the arm unit 12 other than the first link 31 and the second link 32 may be in any form.

[0048] In addition, in the technology disclosed herein, the use of the robot is not particularly limited, and the robot may be used for any purpose. For example, by appropriately changing the end effector, the robot may be used for sorting or picking luggage, transferring experimental equipment such as test tubes in a laboratory, and the like.

[0049] [Note] The following are additional notes regarding this disclosure.

[0050] (Appendix 1) A base and a first motor having a first drive shaft and mounted to the base; a first link rotated by the first motor about the first drive shaft; a first joint provided in the first link and having a first rotation axis; a second joint provided at the base and having a second rotation shaft coaxial with the first drive shaft; a second link having one end connected to the second joint and the other end connected to the first link between the first drive shaft and a tip end of the first link on the first rotation shaft side in a direction of a line segment connecting the first drive shaft and the first rotation shaft, and rotatable around the second rotation shaft; a third link connected to the first joint and rotatable about the first rotation axis; A robot having the above configuration.

[0051] (Appendix 2) The other end of the second link is connected to the first link at a position closer to the first rotating shaft than a center position between the first driving shaft and the tip of the first link on the first rotating shaft side in a direction of a line segment connecting the first driving shaft and the first rotating shaft. 1. The robot described in appendix 1.

[0052] (Appendix 3) The second link has a bending rigidity lower than that of the first link in a direction of a line segment connecting the first drive shaft and the first rotation shaft. 3. The robot according to claim 1 or 2.

[0053] (Appendix 4) The second link is provided vertically above the first link. 1. The robot described in appendix 3.

[0054] (Appendix 5) At least a region of the second link excluding an end portion is formed of a linear member or a belt-shaped member. 5. The robot described in appendix 4.

[0055] (Appendix 6) a second motor having a second drive shaft and mounted to the base; a fourth link rotated by the second motor about the second drive shaft; a fourth joint provided in the fourth link and having a fourth rotation axis; a fifth link connected to the fourth joint and rotatable about the fourth rotation axis; a third joint provided in the third link, the third joint having a third rotation shaft and to which the fifth link is rotatably connected; and an end effector attachment portion provided on the third link. 6. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

[0056] (Appendix 7) The end effector further includes an end effector that is attached to the end effector attachment portion. 11. The robot described in appendix 6. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10. Robot 11 Base 12 Arm section 13 Posts 21 First Motor 22 Second motor 31 First Link 32 Second Link 33 Third Link 33a Mallet attachment part 34 Fourth Link 35 Fifth Link 41 First joint 42 Second joint 43 Third joint 44 Fourth joint 51 Mallet

Claims

1. A base and a first motor having a first drive shaft and mounted to the base; a first link rotated by the first motor about the first drive shaft; a first joint provided in the first link and having a first rotation axis; a second joint provided at the base and having a second rotation shaft coaxial with the first drive shaft; a second link having one end connected to the second joint and the other end connected to the first link between the first drive shaft and a tip end of the first link on the first rotation shaft side in a direction of a line segment connecting the first drive shaft and the first rotation shaft, and rotatable around the second rotation shaft; a third link connected to the first joint and rotatable about the first rotation axis; A robot having the above configuration.

2. The other end of the second link is connected to the first link at a position closer to the first rotating shaft than a center position between the first driving shaft and the tip of the first link on the first rotating shaft side in a direction of a line segment connecting the first driving shaft and the first rotating shaft. The robot according to claim 1.

3. The second link has a bending rigidity lower than that of the first link in a direction of a line segment connecting the first drive shaft and the first rotation shaft. The robot according to claim 1.

4. The second link is provided vertically above the first link. The robot according to claim 3.

5. At least a region of the second link excluding an end portion is formed of a linear member or a belt-shaped member. The robot according to claim 4.

6. a second motor having a second drive shaft and mounted to the base; a fourth link rotated by the second motor about the second drive shaft; a fourth joint provided in the fourth link and having a fourth rotation axis; a fifth link connected to the fourth joint and rotatable about the fourth rotation axis; a third joint provided in the third link, the third joint having a third rotation shaft and to which the fifth link is rotatably connected; and an end effector attachment portion provided on the third link. The robot according to claim 1.

7. The end effector further includes an end effector that is attached to the end effector attachment portion. The robot according to claim 6.

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