Finger joint drive mechanism for humanoid robot hand

Abstract

To provide a finger joint transmission mechanism of a humanoid robot hand.SOLUTION: A finger joint transmission mechanism of a humanoid robot hand according to the present invention is configured by pivotally attaching a first finger joint and a second finger joint. The first finger joint is provided with a rack arranged by showing a circular arc shape at a pivot point, and the second finger joint is internally provided with a power device and a driving combination member arranged to be inclined. The driving combination member is intermeshed with the rack of the first finger joint. when the power device drives the driving combination member to operate, the driving combination member is driven to move along the rack, and the second finger joint is driven to pivot up and down at a predetermined angle with respect to the first finger joint.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot hand configuration, and more particularly to a finger joint drive mechanism for a humanoid robot hand. [Background technology]

[0002] With the rise and development of the robotics industry, anthropomorphic robot hands that mimic the structure of the human hand are now able to perform certain tasks like human hands. Research on multi-fingered robot hands focuses on the functionality that allows them to perform dexterous manipulation.

[0003] Conventional humanoid robot hands are designed to grasp objects, so that the finger joints are pivotally connected to each other and move with a predetermined degree of freedom when driven. In conventional patent documents, for example, in the prosthetic hand device described in the following Patent Document 1, each finger joint is pivotally connected to each other by a link rod, and the link rod of the finger joint at the head end is connected by a linear drive element. When the linear drive element is operated, each finger joint is driven so that the link rods pull each other to perform a bending or straightening movement. However, although a robot hand configured with this structure achieves the effect of grasping an object like a human hand, the finger joints driven by the link rods not only have a small degree of freedom, but also cannot individually control the bending movement of each finger joint to accurately position it, so it can only perform simple grasping tasks.

[0004] In addition, other conventional designs in which each finger joint is pulled by a cable and pivoted to each other achieve bending and straightening movements, and mainly generate corresponding pivoting movements by pulling the finger joints in a manner that imitates the tendons of a human hand. However, such robot hands require a large drive device for winding up the cables, and the cables that drive each finger are installed so as to be wound around the robot hand, making the overall structure of such robot hands more complicated and insufficient in that the bending movements of each finger joint cannot be individually controlled and accurately positioned. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] China Patent Application Publication No. 108189065 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, the present inventors believed that the above-mentioned drawbacks could be improved, and as a result of extensive research, they came to propose the present invention, which effectively improves the above-mentioned problems through rational design.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to solve the above problems as an example of an objective of the present invention. That is, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a finger joint drive mechanism for a humanoid robot hand that simplifies the structure, effectively utilizes space to reduce the volume, ensures a reduction ratio, and at the same time, achieves the effects of increasing adaptability and precise control. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a finger joint drive mechanism for a humanoid robot hand according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: A first finger joint having a first pivot portion and a first joint portion at one end, the first joint portion being provided with a rack arranged in an arc shape along the Y-axis direction; A second finger joint having a hollow shape and an internal storage space, the second finger joint having a tip and an end opposite to the tip, the tip of the second finger joint being pivotally connected to a first pivot part of the first finger joint, and the end being formed with a second pivot part and a second joint part, a power unit being installed in the storage space, the power unit having a drive shaft protruding toward the first joint part, and a drive gear being connected along an outer circumference of the drive shaft; The second finger joint is located directly above the tip of the second finger joint. Drive Assembly The above Drive Assembly a drive combination member including a grooved disk that meshes with the drive gear, a drive shaft that operates synchronously with the grooved disk and is protruding from the center of the grooved disk, and a drive gear that meshes with the rack is connected along the outer periphery of the drive shaft, and when the drive shaft of the power device drives the grooved disk and the drive shaft to rotate by the drive gear, the drive gear is driven synchronously to move along the rack, and the second finger joint is driven to pivot upward or downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the first finger joint.

[0009] Other objects, configurations and effects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing a schematic diagram of a finger joint drive mechanism of the humanoid robot hand according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an external oblique view that illustrates a finger joint drive mechanism of the humanoid robot hand according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a combination of finger joint drive mechanisms of a humanoid robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 shows an example of a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3. [Diagram 5]13A and 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a case where each finger joint of a finger joint drive mechanism of a humanoid robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention pivots downward. [Figure 6] 13A and 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a case where each finger joint of a finger joint drive mechanism of a humanoid robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention pivots downward. [Figure 7] 13A and 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a case where a first finger joint of a finger joint drive mechanism of a humanoid robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention swings laterally and inclined relative to a drive combination member; [Figure 8] 13A and 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a case in which a first finger joint of a finger joint drive mechanism of a humanoid robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention swings at a lateral inclination relative to a drive combination member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0012] First, the finger joint drive mechanism of the humanoid robot hand according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The finger joint drive mechanism of the humanoid robot hand according to the present invention is mainly configured by sequentially pivoting a first finger joint 11, a second finger joint 21, a third finger joint 31, and a fourth finger joint 41, and the first finger joint 11, the second finger joint 21, the third finger joint 31, and the fourth finger joint 41 are pivotally connected to each other. Drive Assembly 51 Each of these will be explained below.

[0013] <First finger joint 11> One end has a first pivot portion 12 that is convexly provided so as to be convex toward both the left and right sides along the Z-axis direction, and a first joint portion 13 that is convexly provided so as to be sheet-like toward the front along the X-axis direction, and a rack 14 that is arranged in an arc shape along the Y-axis direction is provided on the first joint portion 13.

[0014] <Second finger joint 21> The second finger joint 21 is hollow and has an accommodation space 22 extending along the longitudinal direction of the second finger joint 21. In this embodiment, the second finger joint 21 is formed by assembling a first half housing 211 and a second half housing 212 together. In other possible embodiments, the second finger joint 21 is integrally formed by a hollow cylinder having at least one open end or a truss-type support frame. The present invention does not limit the configuration structure or manufacturing method of the finger joint itself. The second finger joint 21 has a tip 23 and an end 24 opposite to the tip 23, and an assembly groove 25 is further formed in a position directly above the tip 23 of the second finger joint 21. The second finger joint 21 is pivotally attached to the first pivot part 12 of the first finger joint 11 by a through hole 231 of the tip 23, and the first joint part 13 is received in the tip 23. The end 24 is provided with a second pivot portion 26 that is provided so as to have a convex shape toward both opposing sides along the Z-axis direction, and a second joint portion 27 that is provided so as to have a sheet shape toward the front along the X-axis direction, and another rack 28 that is arranged in an arc shape along the Y-axis direction is provided on the second joint portion 27. The power unit 61 is accommodated in the accommodation space 22, and is composed of a single motor or a combination of a motor and a reducer. The power unit 61 has a drive shaft 62 that protrudes toward the first joint portion 13, and a drive gear 63 composed of a bevel gear or a hypoid gear is connected to the outer periphery of the drive shaft 62.

[0015] < Drive Assembly 51 > It is installed in the assembly groove 25 of the second finger joint 21, Drive Assembly 51The rack 14 includes a grooved disk 52 arranged to be inclined, a predetermined number of skew gears 521 are provided around the grooved disk 52, and a drive shaft 53 is provided at the center of the grooved disk 52 in the direction of the rack, and operates synchronously with the grooved disk 52. A drive gear 54 is provided along the outer periphery of the drive shaft 53 and engages with the rack 14. The drive gear 54 is also formed of a bevel gear or hypoid gear, and the number of teeth of the drive gear 54 is less than that of the grooved disk 52. An inclination angle θ is formed between the central axis L of the drive shaft 53 and the central axis L' of the drive shaft 62, and in this embodiment, the inclination angle θ is 45 degrees. Drive Assembly 51 is disposed so as to be inclined toward the assembly groove 25 located directly above the second finger joint 21, and not only does this simplify the number of members and the overall weight, Drive Assembly 51 This configuration achieves the effect of further utilizing the space and reducing the overall volume, and at the same time provides a sufficiently large reduction ratio during the driving process. When the driving shaft 62 of the power unit 61 synchronously drives the grooved disc 52 and the drive shaft 53 to rotate synchronously through the driving gear 63, the drive gear 54 is driven to move along the rack 14, and the second finger joint 21 is smoothly driven to pivot up or down at a predetermined angle relative to the first finger joint 11 along the Y-axis direction. An angle sensor is further installed on the motor of the power unit 61 to precisely control the moving position of the finger joint and accurately imitate the bending and straightening movement of the human finger joint. When the second finger joint 21 is located at the straight position A relative to the first finger joint 11, the center axis L' of the driving shaft 62 of the power unit 61 is mutually aligned with the center line extending along the X-axis direction of the rack 14 (see FIG. 4). In addition, when the torque provided by the power unit 61, which is composed of a single motor, is insufficient, the power unit 61, which is composed of a reducer connected in series to the front end of the motor, first performs a first stage of deceleration, and then Drive Assembly 51 performs a second stage deceleration to ensure its output torque.

[0016] <Third finger joint 31> The tip 33 is pivotally connected to the second pivot portion 26, and the third finger joint 31 is provided with the same power unit 61 and the same power unit as the second finger joint 21. Drive Assembly 51 The third finger joint 31 and the fourth finger joint 41 are pivotally connected to each other at a position where the rack 28, the power unit 61, and the power unit 62 are pivotally connected to the third finger joint 31 and the fourth finger joint 41. Drive Assembly 51 are installed, the third finger joint 31 and the fourth finger joint are moved along the corresponding rack 28 by the drive gear 54 to which they belong, and the third finger joint 31 and the fourth finger joint 41 are individually driven to pivot upward or downward at a predetermined angle along the Y-axis direction. Referring to Figures 5 and 6, when the power device 61 of the second finger joint 21, the third finger joint 31, and the fourth finger joint 41 is driven to rotate forward or backward, the corresponding finger joint is driven to bend or straighten. In addition, each joint position of the fingers configured by the present invention is driven independently, which further improves adaptability and achieves the effect of precise control.

[0017] A receiving seat 15 is formed to protrude from the other end of the first finger joint 11, and a drive rack 16 is disposed in an arc shape along the Z-axis direction on the receiving seat 15. The drive combination member 71 includes a drive motor 72 and a reducer 73 connected to the drive motor 72. The reducer 73 has an output shaft 74 protruding along the X-axis direction, and the output shaft 74 and the drive shaft 62 have the same central axis L', and an output gear 75 made of a bevel gear or a hypoid gear is connected to the outer periphery of the output shaft 74. The output gear 75 is meshed with the drive rack 16. When the drive motor 72 drives the output shaft 74 through the reducer 73, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the output gear 75 pushes the drive rack 16 to move, and smoothly drives the first finger joint 11 to swing inclined to the left or right at a predetermined angle along the Z-axis direction relative to the drive combination member 71, and drives each of the remaining finger joints to swing deflected laterally, thereby improving the adaptability of their movements.

[0018] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0019] 11 First knuckle 12 1st pivot joint 13 First joint 14 Rack 15 Receiving seat 16 Dry Black 21 Second knuckle 211 1st Half Housing 212 Second Half Housing 22 Containment Space 23 Tip 231 Through hole 24 Terminal 25 Assembly groove 26 2nd pivot joint 27 Second joint 28 LACK 31 Third knuckle 33 Tip 41 Fourth knuckle 51 Drive Assembly 52 Grooved disc 521 Skew Gear 53 Drive shaft 54 Drive Gear 61 Power plant 62 Drive shaft 63 Drive Gear 71 Drive assembly member 72 Drive motor 73 Reducer 74 Output shaft 75 Output Gear L center axis L' center axis θ Inclination angle A Straight position

Claims

1. a first finger joint having a first pivot portion and a first joint portion at one end, the first joint portion being provided with a rack arranged in an arc shape along the Y-axis direction; a second finger joint having a hollow shape and an internal storage space, the second finger joint having a tip and an end opposite to the tip, the tip of the second finger joint being pivotally connected to a first pivot part of the first finger joint, and the end being formed with a second pivot part and a second joint part, a power unit being installed in the storage space, the power unit having a drive shaft protruding toward the first joint part, and a drive gear being connected along an outer periphery of the drive shaft; a drive assembly installed at an upper position adjacent to the tip of the second finger joint, the drive assembly including a grooved disk that meshes with the drive gear, a drive shaft that operates synchronously according to the grooved disk protruding from a center portion of the grooved disk, and a drive gear that meshes with the rack is connected along an outer periphery of the drive shaft, and when the drive shaft of the power unit drives the grooved disk and the drive shaft to rotate by the drive gear, the drive gear is driven synchronously to move along the rack, and the second finger joint is driven to pivot upward or downward at a predetermined angle relative to the first finger joint.

2. 2. The finger joint drive mechanism for a humanoid robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the grooved disk has a predetermined number of skew gears arranged around its outer periphery, and the number of teeth of the drive gear is less than the number of teeth of the grooved disk.

3. 2. The finger joint drive mechanism of a humanoid robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the first pivot portion is provided in a convex shape toward both opposing sides of the second finger joint along the Z-axis direction, the first joint portion is provided in a convex shape toward the front along the X-axis direction to be sheet-like, and the second finger joint is pivotally connected to the first pivot portion of the first finger joint by a through hole at the tip, and the first joint portion is housed in the tip.

4. 4. The finger joint drive mechanism of a humanoid robot hand according to claim 3, wherein when the second finger joint is positioned in a straight position relative to the first finger joint, the central axis of the drive shaft of the power unit is aligned with a center line extending along the X-axis direction of the rack.

5. 2. The finger joint drive mechanism of the humanoid robot hand according to claim 1, wherein an assembly groove is formed in the second finger joint in a position directly above the tip of the second finger joint, and the drive assembly is installed in the assembly groove.

6. 6. The finger joint drive mechanism of a humanoid robot hand according to claim 5, wherein the drive assembly is disposed at an incline in the assembly groove, and an inclined angle is formed between a central axis of the drive shaft and a central axis of the drive shaft.

7. 2. The finger joint drive mechanism of a humanoid robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the second joint portion is provided with another rack arranged in an arc shape along the Y-axis direction, a third finger joint is pivotally attached to the second pivot portion at its tip, and the same power unit and drive assembly as the second finger joint are installed in the third finger joint, and when a drive gear of the third finger joint rotates, it moves along the other rack and drives the third finger joint to pivot upward or downward at a predetermined angle relative to the second finger joint.

8. 2. The finger joint drive mechanism of claim 1, wherein the other end of the first finger joint has a receiving seat, and the receiving seat is provided with a drive rack arranged in an arc shape along the Z-axis direction. The drive combination member includes a drive motor and a reducer connected to the drive motor, the reducer has an output shaft, and an output gear is circumferentially provided on the outer periphery of the output shaft, and the output gear is meshed with the drive rack. When the drive motor drives the output shaft to operate through the reducer, the output gear pushes the drive rack, driving the first finger joint to swing at a predetermined angle to the left or right relative to the drive combination member.

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