Actuator device and robot

Abstract

To provide a user-friendly actuator.SOLUTION: An actuator 10 controlled by a driver 14 includes an actuator-side connector 18 detachably connected to a driver-side connector 22 provided on the driver 14. Due to connection of the actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22, the driver 14 can be electrically connected to the actuator itself.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an actuator device that includes an actuator and a driver that controls the actuator. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-97430 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The actuator in Patent Document 1 is inseparably integrated with the driver, and the degree of freedom in changing its usage mode is low due to its relationship with the driver. The inventors of the present application recognized that there is room for improvement in terms of improving the usability of such an actuator.

[0005] One of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide an actuator that is easy to use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The actuator of the present disclosure is an actuator controlled by a driver, and is provided with an actuator-side connector that is detachably connected to a driver-side connector provided on the driver, and can electrically connect itself to the driver by connecting the actuator-side connector and the driver-side connector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an actuator that is easy to use. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the actuator of the first embodiment is used in a first usage mode. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a state in which the actuator of the first embodiment is used in a second usage mode. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a state in which the actuator of the first embodiment is used in a third usage mode. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an actuator of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5(A) is a schematic diagram showing the state in the middle of attaching a driver to the actuator of the second embodiment, and FIG. 5(B) is a schematic diagram showing the state after the driver has been attached to the actuator. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(A) is a schematic diagram showing the state in the middle of attaching a driver to the actuator of the third embodiment, and FIG. 6(B) is a schematic diagram showing the state after the driver has been attached to the actuator. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a robot according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a robot according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 9] 9 is a schematic diagram showing a plurality of drivers in range A of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 10(A) is a schematic diagram showing a first actuator device belonging to a series, and FIG. 10(B) is a schematic diagram showing a second actuator device belonging to the series. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following describes the embodiments. Identical components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In each drawing, components are omitted, enlarged, or reduced as appropriate for the sake of convenience. The drawings should be viewed in accordance with the orientation of the reference numerals.

[0010] (First Embodiment) An actuator 10 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. An actuator device 12 in which the actuator 10 of this embodiment is used includes, in addition to the actuator 10, a driver 14 that controls the actuator 10. The actuator 10 includes an actuator main body 16 and an actuator-side connector 18 attached to the actuator main body 16. The driver 14 includes a driver main body 20 and a driver-side connector 22 attached to the driver main body 20.

[0011] The actuator 10 of this embodiment can be used in a first usage mode as shown in FIG. 1 in which the connectors 18, 22 are coupled together to electrically connect to the driver 14. In addition to this, the actuator 10 can also be used in other usage modes in which the connectors 18, 22 are released from coupling. Examples of other usage modes include a second usage mode and a third usage mode, which will be described below. In the second usage mode, as shown in FIG. 2, the actuator 10 is used in electrical connection with the driver 14 using a first wiring member 24. In the third usage mode, as shown in FIG. 3, the actuator 10 is used in electrical connection with an external device 28 separate from the driver 14 using a second wiring member 26.

[0012] In the first and second usage modes, the actuator 10 and driver 14 provided by the provider of the actuator device 12 (e.g., a manufacturer or seller) are used as is by the user. In contrast, in the third usage mode, the actuator 10, which is one of the actuator 10 and driver 14 provided by the provider of the actuator device 12, is used in combination with an external device 28 prepared by the user. The user can use the actuator 10 in any usage mode selected from the first usage mode and other usage modes (e.g., second usage mode, third usage mode, etc.). Below, the actuator 10 and driver 14 used in the first usage mode will be described, followed by a description of the second and third usage modes.

[0013] (First Usage Mode) Please refer to Figure 4. An overview of the actuator 10 will be described. The actuator body 16 of the actuator 10 includes a drive source 40, an output member 44 that outputs power transmitted from the drive source 40 to a driven member 42 outside the actuator 10, and an actuator casing 46 that houses the drive source 40. In addition to these, the actuator body 16 includes a power transmission mechanism 48 that transmits the power output from the drive source 40 to the output member 44, and a support member 52 that is supported by a supported member 50 outside the actuator 10.

[0014] The actuator 10 of this embodiment is an electric actuator that uses an electric motor (rotary motor) as the drive source 40. Specific examples of the drive source 40 are not particularly limited, and may be a solenoid, a linear motor, an engine, or the like. The electric motor of this embodiment is a three-phase AC motor, and includes a stator and a rotor (not shown). The output member 44 of this embodiment outputs rotational motion as power to the driven member 42, but the type of motion is not particularly limited, and may output linear motion, etc.

[0015] The power transmission mechanism 48 of this embodiment is a speed reduction mechanism, which reduces the rotational power output from the drive source 40 and then transmits it to the output member 44. There are no particular limitations on the specific transmission elements used in the speed reduction mechanism, and for example, gears, chains, belts, etc. may be used. When a gear mechanism is used as the speed reduction mechanism, there are no particular limitations on the specific example, and a planetary gear mechanism, a right-angle gear mechanism, a parallel-axis gear mechanism, an eccentric oscillating gear mechanism, a flexible mesh gear mechanism, etc. may be used.

[0016] In this embodiment, the support member 52 is a casing (reduction gear casing) separate from the actuator casing 46 that houses the power transmission mechanism 48, and the output member 44 is a carrier used in a gear mechanism. Alternatively, the casing may be the output member 44, and the carrier may be the support member 52.

[0017] Returning to Figure 1, the actuator body 16 also includes a first sensor 56 and a second sensor 58 for detecting a predetermined physical quantity. In this embodiment, the first sensor 56 is a rotation sensor (encoder) that detects the rotation angle of the output member 44, and the second sensor 58 is a torque sensor that detects the torque of the output member 44.

[0018] The driver main body 20 includes a control unit 60 that controls the actuator 10 and a driver casing 62 that houses the control unit 60. The control unit 60 is, for example, a microcomputer configured with a control board with a driver IC or the like. The control unit 60 of this embodiment generates drive power using power supplied from an external power supply and supplies this to the drive source 40 to drive the drive source 40, thereby controlling the actuator 10. The control unit 60 of this embodiment generates three-phase AC power as the drive power and supplies this to the drive source 40, which is a three-phase AC motor.

[0019] The control unit 60 of this embodiment controls the actuator 10 based on the detection results of the sensors 56 and 58. The control unit 60 performs feedback control to control the actuator 10 so that the detection value output as the detection result from the first sensor 56 (encoder) approaches a control target value. The detection value and target value here are the rotation angle of the output member 44 in this embodiment. At this time, the control unit 60 reads out control parameters (proportional gain, integral gain, etc.) stored in the storage unit and controls the actuator 10 using the read out control parameters. Alternatively, the control unit 60 may detect contact with an obstacle based on the detection value of the second sensor 58 (torque sensor) and control the actuator 10 based on the detection result.

[0020] The control unit 60 of this embodiment is electrically connected to an external host controller (not shown). The host controller is, for example, a master controller that comprehensively controls a plurality of drivers 14 that function as slave controllers. The control unit 60 of this embodiment controls the actuator 10 by controlling the drive source 40 in accordance with a control command (including a control target value) output from the host controller.

[0021] The actuator 10 includes actuator-side electrical devices 64A to 64C, and the driver 14 includes a driver-side electrical device 66. Both the actuator-side electrical devices 64A to 64C and the driver-side electrical device 66 operate using electricity. The actuator-side electrical devices 64A to 64C and the driver-side electrical device 66 are devices that should be electrically connected to each other. The actuator 10 of this embodiment includes a drive source 40 (electric motor) as a first actuator-side electrical device 64A, a first sensor 56 as a second actuator-side electrical device 64B, and a second sensor 58 as a third actuator-side electrical device 64C. The driver 14 of this embodiment includes a control unit 60 (microcomputer) as the driver-side electrical device 66.

[0022] The actuator-side connector 18 is attached to the actuator body 16 without using a flexible wiring member that allows relative movement with respect to the actuator body 16. To achieve this, the actuator-side connector 18 of this embodiment is attached directly or indirectly to the actuator casing 46 of the actuator body 16 (see also FIG. 2). Here, "indirectly" refers to the case where the actuator-side connector 18 is attached to the actuator casing 46 via a separate member (e.g., a circuit board, etc.). The actuator-side connector 18 is attached to the actuator casing 46 by fitting, screwing, adhesive bonding, welding, etc.

[0023] The actuator-side connector 18 includes a plurality of types of actuator-side terminals 68A to 68C and an actuator-side connector housing 70 that holds the plurality of types of actuator-side terminals 68A to 68C. The actuator-side connector housing 70 integrally holds the plurality of types of actuator-side terminals 68A to 68C.

[0024] The driver side connector 22 is attached to the driver main body 20 without using a flexible wiring member that allows relative movement with respect to the driver main body 20. To achieve this, the driver side connector 22 of this embodiment is attached directly or indirectly to the driver casing 62 of the driver main body 20. The driver side connector 22 is attached to the driver casing 62 by fitting, screws, adhesive, welding, or the like.

[0025] The driver side connector 22 includes a plurality of types of driver side terminals 72A to 72C and a driver side connector housing 74 that holds the plurality of types of driver side terminals 72A to 72C. The driver side connector housing 74 integrally holds the plurality of types of driver side terminals 72A to 72C together.

[0026] The number of types of terminals 68A-68C, 72A-72C of each connector 18, 22 is the same as the number of actuator-side electrical devices 64A-64C to be electrically connected to the driver-side electrical device 66. In this embodiment, there are three actuator-side electrical devices 64A-64C that satisfy this condition, and therefore the number of types of terminals 68A-68C, 72A-72C of each connector 18, 22 is three. Each of the multiple types of terminals 8A-68C, 72A-72C corresponds to a respective one of the multiple actuator-side electrical devices 64A-64C and is used for electrical connection to the corresponding actuator-side electrical device 64A-64C. The multiple types of terminals 68A to 68C, 72A to 72C in this embodiment include multiple first terminals 68A, 72A corresponding to the first actuator side electrical device 64A (driving source 40), multiple second terminals 68B, 72B corresponding to the second actuator side electrical device 64B (first sensor 56), and third terminals 68C, 72C corresponding to the third actuator side electrical device 64C (second sensor 58).

[0027] In this embodiment, the first terminals 68A, 72A are power supply terminals used to transmit power used by the driving source 40. For each connector 18, 22, a number of first terminals 68A, 72A are used according to the power used by the driving source 40. Because the driving source 40 in this embodiment uses three-phase AC power, a total of three first terminals 68A, 72A are used for each connector 18, 22 to supply power for each phase (U phase, V phase, W phase). In this embodiment, the second terminals 68B, 72B and the third terminals 68C, 72C are signal terminals used to transmit signals used by the corresponding sensors 56, 58.

[0028] In this way, the terminals 68A to 68C, 72A to 72C are used for transmitting at least one of power and signals used by the corresponding actuator-side electrical devices 64A to 64C. When the terminals 68A to 68C, 72A to 72C are used for transmitting signals, each terminal 68A to 68C, 72A to 72C may be used as either an input terminal for inputting signals to the actuator-side electrical devices 64A to 64C or an output terminal for outputting signals. Furthermore, some of the multiple terminals 68A to 68C, 72A to 72C belonging to the same type may be used for transmitting power, and the remaining terminals 68A to 68C, 72A to 72C may be used for transmitting signals.

[0029] The driver-side connector 22 is detachably connected to the actuator-side connector 18. The driver-side connector 22 and the actuator-side connector 18 are directly connected without using a flexible wiring member that allows relative movement between the actuator 10 and the driver 14.

[0030] One of the actuator side connector 18 and the driver side connector 22 is a male connector 78 having a convex shape 76, and the other is a female connector 82 having a concave shape 80 that fits into the convex shape 76. In this embodiment, the actuator side connector 18 is the female connector 82, and the driver side connector 22 is the male connector 78.

[0031] The actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22 are coupled by moving them relatively in a coupling direction (directions in which they move toward each other laterally on the paper surface of FIG. 1) in which they approach each other. At this time, the convex shape 76 of the male connector 78 is inserted into the concave shape 80 of the female connector 82. Furthermore, the actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22 are released from the coupling by moving them relatively in a coupling release direction (directions in which they move away from each other laterally on the paper surface of FIG. 1), which is the opposite direction to the coupling direction. At this time, the convex shape 76 of the male connector 78 is pulled out of the concave shape 80 of the female connector 82. In this embodiment, the convex shape 76 and the concave shape 80 are provided on the connector housings 70, 74 of the actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22, respectively. Alternatively, the convex shape 76 and the concave shape 80 may be provided on the terminals 68A-68C, 72A-72C of the actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22, respectively.

[0032] In the first usage mode, the driver-side connector 22 and the actuator-side connector 18 are connected. In this state, the terminals 68A to 68C and 72A to 72C of the driver-side connector 22 and the actuator-side connector 18, respectively, are electrically connected. At this time, the terminals 68A to 68C and 72A to 72C for electrically connecting to the actuator-side electrical devices 64A to 64C that are common to the driver-side connector 22 and the actuator-side connector 18 come into contact with each other, thereby achieving electrical connection. The combination of the terminals 68A to 68C and 72A to 72C that are electrically connected to each other in the connectors 18 and 22 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a combination of pin terminals and socket terminals.

[0033] In the first usage mode, the actuator 10 and the driver 14 are electrically connected by connecting the actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22. More specifically, at this time, the actuator-side electrical devices 64A to 64C are electrically connected to the driver-side electrical device 66. In this embodiment, the first actuator-side electrical device 64A (drive source 40) and the driver-side electrical device 66 (controller 60) are electrically connected via the first terminals 68A and 72A of the connectors 18 and 22, respectively. The second actuator-side electrical device 64B (first sensor 56) and the driver-side electrical device 66 (controller 60) are electrically connected via the second terminals 68B and 72B of the connectors 18 and 22, respectively. The third actuator-side electrical device 64C (second sensor 58) and the driver-side electrical device 66 (controller 60) are electrically connected via the third terminals 68C and 72C of the connectors 18 and 22, respectively.

[0034] The actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22 may be provided with a separation prevention structure that prevents separation of the connectors 18, 22 by limiting their relative movement in the disconnection direction. The separation prevention structure here may be configured, for example, by an elastic portion that applies an elastic repulsive force that limits the relative movement in the disconnection direction by elastically deforming when the connectors 18, 22 are connected. This makes it possible to effectively prevent separation of the connectors 18, 22 even when vibrations or the like are applied to the actuator 10 and driver 14.

[0035] (Second Usage Mode) Please refer to Figure 2. The first wiring member 24 used in the second usage mode will be described. The first wiring member 24 includes a flexible first electric wire 90 and a pair of first wiring-side connectors 92A, 92B provided at both ends of the first electric wire 90.

[0036] A pair of first wiring-side connectors 92A, 92B are provided individually corresponding to the actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22, respectively, and are individually detachably coupled to the corresponding connectors 18, 22. The first wiring-side connectors 92A, 92B include multiple types of first wiring-side terminals 94A to 94C and a first wiring-side connector housing 96 that holds the multiple types of first wiring-side terminals 94A to 94C. The first wiring-side connector housing 96 integrally holds the multiple types of first wiring-side terminals 94A to 94C.

[0037] The number of first electric wires 90 and the number of types of first wiring-side terminals 94A-94C used in the first wiring member 24 are the same as the number of actuator-side electric devices 64A-64C to be electrically connected to the driver-side electric device 66. In this embodiment, since there are three actuator-side electric devices 64A-64C that satisfy this condition, the number of first electric wires 90 is three and the number of types of first wiring-side terminals 94A-94C is three. Each of the multiple first electric wires 90 and the multiple types of first wiring-side terminals 94A-94C corresponds to a respective one of the multiple actuator-side electric devices 64A-64C and is used for electrical connection to the corresponding actuator-side electric device 64A-64C. The multiple types of terminals 94A to 94C used in the first wiring member 24 include, similar to the actuator side terminals 68A to 68C and the driver side terminals 72A to 72C, multiple first terminals 94A corresponding to the first actuator side electrical equipment 64A, multiple second terminals 94B corresponding to the second actuator side electrical equipment 64B, and multiple third terminals 94C corresponding to the third actuator side electrical equipment 64C.

[0038] The first electric wire 90 includes a plurality of conductive first conductor wires 98 and an insulating first covering material 100 that covers the plurality of first conductor wires 98. The plurality of first conductor wires 98 are used to electrically connect the first electric wires 90 to the corresponding actuator-side electric devices 64A to 64C.

[0039] One of the pair of first wiring-side connectors 92A, 92A, is detachably connected to the actuator-side connector 18, and the other, 92B, is detachably connected to the driver-side connector 22. At this time, in the first wiring-side connector 92A and the actuator-side connector 18, which are coupled to each other, the terminals 68A-68C and 94A-94C for electrically connecting to the common actuator-side electrical devices 64A-64C come into contact with each other and are thereby electrically connected. Also, in the first wiring-side connector 92B and the driver-side connector 22, which are coupled to each other, the terminals 72A-72C and 94A-94C for electrically connecting to the common actuator-side electrical devices 64A-64C come into contact with each other and are thereby electrically connected. As a result, the actuator-side electrical devices 64A-64C and the driver-side electrical device 66 are electrically connected, similar to the first usage mode.

[0040] Here, at least one of the first combination of the first wiring-side connector 92A and the driver-side connector 22 and the second combination of the first wiring-side connector 92B and the actuator-side connector 18 is composed of the same components. In this embodiment, both the first and second combinations are composed of the same individual components. Here, "the same components" means that although the components constituting the two connectors are different, they are the same in terms of shape, size, and material (same design). The two connectors use the same connector housing and the same number and types of terminals. Regarding the first wiring-side connector 92A and the driver-side connector 22, both use the same connector housings 74, 96 and the same number and types of terminals 72A-72C, 94A-94C. Furthermore, the first wiring-side connector 92A is the same male connector 78 as the driver-side connector 22, and the other first wiring-side connector 92B is the same female connector 82 as the actuator-side connector 18.

[0041] (Third Usage Mode) See FIG. 3. A third usage mode will be described. The external device 28 in this embodiment is an external driver that controls the actuator 10. The external device 28 corresponds to at least one of the plurality of actuator-side electrical devices 64A to 64C and can be electrically connected to the corresponding actuator-side electrical device 64A to 64C using the second wiring member 26. The external device 28 in this embodiment corresponds to the first actuator-side electrical device 64A (drive source 40) and the second actuator-side electrical device 64B (first sensor 56), which are some of the three actuator-side electrical devices 64A to 64C, but does not correspond to the third actuator-side electrical device 64C (second sensor 58). Alternatively, the external device 28 may correspond to all of the plurality of actuator-side electrical devices 64A to 64C.

[0042] The external device 28 includes an external device main body 110 and external connectors 114A and 114B attached to the external device main body 110 via a cable 112. The external device main body 110 of this embodiment includes a microcomputer (not shown) having the same functions as the control unit 60 described above, and is capable of controlling the actuator 10. However, the external device main body 110 of this embodiment differs from the control unit 60 described above in that, although it can perform feedback control using the detection value of the first sensor 56 (encoder), it cannot perform control using the detection value of the second sensor 58 (torque sensor).

[0043] The external connectors 114A, 114B include a plurality of types of external terminals 116A, 116B and an external connector housing 118 that holds the plurality of types of external terminals 116A, 116B. The external connectors 114A, 114B cannot be connected to the actuator-side connector 18. The external connectors 114A, 114B are provided corresponding to the actuator-side electrical devices 64A, 64B that should be electrically connected to the external device 28, and are used to electrically connect the corresponding actuator-side electrical devices 64A, 64B to the external device 28.

[0044] The external connectors 114A, 114B of this embodiment are provided in one-to-one correspondence with each of the multiple actuator-side electrical devices 64A, 64B to be electrically connected to the external device 28. That is, the external connectors 114A, 114B of this embodiment include an external connector 114A that corresponds one-to-one with the first actuator-side electrical device 64A and an external connector 114B that corresponds one-to-one with the second actuator-side electrical device 64B. Alternatively, the external connectors may be provided in one-to-one correspondence with combinations of the multiple actuator-side electrical devices 64A, 64B to be electrically connected to the external device 28. For example, there may be only one external connector that corresponds one-to-one with the combination of the first actuator-side electrical device 64A and the second actuator-side electrical device 64B. Alternatively, the external connectors may include both those that correspond one-to-one with a single actuator-side electrical device and those that correspond one-to-one with combinations of multiple actuator-side electrical devices.

[0045] The second wiring member 26 functions as an adapter that electrically connects the external connectors 114A, 114B and the actuator-side connector 18, which cannot be connected to each other. The second wiring member 26 includes a flexible second electric wire 120 and second wiring-side connectors 122 provided on both ends of the second electric wire 120.

[0046] The second wiring-side connectors 122 are individually provided corresponding to the actuator-side connector 18 and the external connectors 114A, 114B, respectively, and are detachably coupled to the corresponding connectors 18, 114A, 114B. The second wiring-side connector 122 includes a plurality of types of second wiring-side terminals 124A, 124B, and a second wiring-side connector housing 126 that holds the plurality of types of second wiring-side terminals 124A, 124B.

[0047] The number of second electric wires 120 and the number of types of second wiring-side terminals 124A, 124B used in the second wiring member 26 are the same as the number of actuator-side electrical devices 64A, 64B to be electrically connected to the external device 28. In this embodiment, since there are two actuator-side electrical devices 64A, 64B that satisfy this condition, the number of second electric wires 120 is two and the number of types of second wiring-side terminals 124A, 124B is two. Each of the multiple second electric wires 120 and the multiple types of second wiring-side terminals 124A, 124B corresponds to each of the multiple actuator-side electrical devices 64A, 64B to be electrically connected to the external device 28, and is used for electrical connection to the corresponding actuator-side electrical devices 64A, 64B.

[0048] The second electric wire 120 includes a plurality of conductive second conductor wires 128 and an insulating second covering material 130 that covers the plurality of second conductor wires 128. The plurality of second conductor wires 128 are used for electrical connection to the actuator-side electric devices 64A, 64B corresponding to the second electric wire 120 itself.

[0049] The number of second wiring-side connectors 122 corresponding to the external connectors 114A, 114B used in the second wiring member 26 is the same as the number of external connectors 114A, 114B. In this embodiment, since there are two external connectors 114A, 114B, the number of second wiring-side connectors 122 is two. Each of the multiple second wiring-side connectors 122 corresponds to a respective one of the multiple external connectors 114A, 114B, and is detachably coupled to the corresponding external connector 114A, 114B.

[0050] As described above, the first wiring member 24 of FIG. 2 includes the first electric wires 90 and the first wiring terminals 94A-94C in the number and types corresponding to the actuator-side electric devices 64A-64C. In contrast, the second wiring member 26 of FIG. 3 differs from the first wiring member 24 in that it only needs to include the second electric wires 120 and the terminals 124A, 124B in the number and types corresponding to the actuator-side electric devices 64A, 64B to be electrically connected to the external device 28. Furthermore, the first electric wires 90 corresponding to the actuator-side electric devices 64A-64C do not need to be separated and bundled together, and may be bundled together with a bundling material. Alternatively, the first electric wires 90 may be integrated by covering each of the first conducting wires 98 with a common first covering material 100. The same applies to the second electric wires 120 and the second covering material 130 of the second wiring member 26.

[0051] The effects of the actuator device 12 described above will now be described.

[0052] The actuator 10 includes an actuator-side connector 18 that is detachably connected to a driver-side connector 22 of the driver 14. Therefore, in addition to a first usage mode in which the connectors 18 and 20 are connected, the actuator 10 can be used in other usage modes in which the connection between the connectors 18 and 20 is released. Here, "other usage modes" refers to, for example, any of the second to third usage modes described above. This allows the usage mode of the actuator 10 to be flexibly changed according to the user's needs, thereby improving the usability of the actuator 10.

[0053] For example, if a user wishes to avoid using wiring members, the actuator 10 can be used in a first usage mode in which the connectors 18, 20 are directly connected to electrically connect the actuator 10 and the driver 14. This is advantageous in that the actuator 10 can be used effectively in situations where it is difficult to secure space to install wiring members. Furthermore, if a user wishes to install the driver 14 provided by the provider at a location away from the actuator 10, the actuator 10 can be used in a second usage mode in which the first wiring member 24 is used to electrically connect the actuator 10 and the driver 14. This is advantageous in that the actuator 10 can be used effectively in situations where it is difficult to secure space to install the driver 14 around the actuator 10. Furthermore, if a user wishes to use an external device 28 that the user has prepared, the actuator 10 can be used in a third usage mode. This has the advantage that the provider of the actuator 10 does not need to prepare a dedicated actuator 10 for each individual usage mode.

[0054] As the "other usage mode" herein, the actuator 10 may be used in a fourth usage mode in which the actuator 10 is electrically connected to the external device 28 using the second wiring member 26 prepared by the user himself / herself. In addition to this, the actuator 10 may be used in a fifth usage mode in which the actuator 10 is electrically connected directly to the external device 28 prepared by the user himself / herself. In this case, the actuator-side electrical devices 64A to 64C and the external device 28 may be electrically connected by directly coupling the external connector of the external device 28 to the actuator-side connector 18.

[0055] The actuator side connector 18 and the driver side connector 22 are a mating male connector 78 and a mating female connector 82. Therefore, by mating the male connector 78 and the female connector 82, the actuator side connector 18 and the driver side connector 22 can be securely connected.

[0056] The actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22 are provided with a plurality of types of terminals 68A to 68C corresponding to the plurality of actuator-side electrical devices 64A to 64C, respectively. Therefore, simply by connecting the connectors 18 and 22 together, the plurality of actuator-side electrical devices 64A to 64C can be electrically connected to the driver 14.

[0057] The actuator device 12 includes a first wiring member 24 that electrically connects the actuator 10 and the driver 14. Therefore, the actuator 10 can be used in a usage mode selected by the user from the first usage mode and the second usage mode described above.

[0058] The first wiring member 24 includes a pair of first wiring-side connectors 92A that are respectively coupled to the actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22. Therefore, when coupling the first wiring member 24 to the actuator 10 and the driver 14, it is not necessary to provide the actuator 10 and the driver 14 with connectors dedicated to the first wiring member 24, in addition to the actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22.

[0059] At least one of the combination of the first wiring side connector 92A and the driver side connector 22 and the first wiring side connector 92B and the actuator side connector 18 is made of the same parts. Therefore, by standardizing the parts used in the multiple connectors 18, 22, 92A, and 92B, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs.

[0060] The actuator device 12 includes a second wiring member 26 that electrically connects the actuator 10 to an external device 28 other than the driver 14. Therefore, the actuator 10 can be electrically connected to the external device 28 other than the driver 14 using the second wiring member 26 without changing the configuration of the actuator 10. For the provider of the actuator 10, in order to electrically connect the external device 28 that a user intends to use to the actuator 10, it is only necessary to prepare a second wiring member 26 that corresponds to the external device 28, without changing the configuration of the actuator 10. Consequently, customization to accommodate various external devices 28 that users intend to use can be easily realized.

[0061] (Second embodiment) As described above, the actuator 10 is in contact with the supported member 50 and the driven member 42 (see FIG. 4), and is in a state where heat generated inside the actuator 10 can be easily dissipated to the outside by thermal conduction. In contrast, the driver 14 attached to the actuator 10 using the connectors 18, 22 is not normally in contact with external members, and is in a state where heat generated inside the driver 14 can hardly be dissipated to the outside by thermal conduction. Below, we will explain the measures taken to address this issue.

[0062] 5(A) and 5(B). The actuator body 16 of the second embodiment includes an actuator-side contact surface 140. The driver body 20 of the present embodiment includes a driver-side contact surface 142 that faces the actuator-side contact surface 140. In this embodiment, the actuator-side contact surface 140 is provided on the actuator casing 46, and the driver-side contact surface 142 is provided on the driver casing 62. The locations where the contact surfaces 140 and 142 are provided (here, the actuator casing 46 and the driver casing 62) are preferably made of a material with excellent thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. The contact surfaces 140 and 142 of the actuator body 16 and the driver body 20 come into contact with each other when the driver-side connector 22 and the actuator-side connector 18 are connected. In this embodiment, the term "contact" refers to direct contact between the actuator-side contact surface 140 and the driver-side contact surface 142. This "contact" also includes indirect contact via other elements (for example, thermal grease 156) described below.

[0063] The actuator main body 16 includes a slide guide portion 144 provided as a recess on its outer surface, and a slide portion 146 provided slidably relative to the slide guide portion 144 in the attachment / detachment direction Da (a combination of the attachment direction and the disconnection direction) of each connector 18, 22. These are provided on the actuator casing 46, similar to the actuator side contact surface 140, and the actuator side contact surface 140 is provided on the slide portion 146.

[0064] The actuator device 12 includes a pressing portion 148 that presses the actuator-side contact surface 140 against the driver-side contact surface 142. The pressing portion 148 in this embodiment is an elastic body separate from the actuator body 16, and is provided between the bottom of the slide guide portion 144 and the slide portion 146. While the pressing portion 148 in this embodiment is a spring, the specific example is not particularly limited and may be rubber or the like. The pressing portion 148 elastically compresses and deforms when the driver-side connector 22 and the actuator-side connector 18 are connected (see FIG. 5(B)). The compressive deformation direction of this pressing portion 148 is, for example, the connecting direction in which the connectors 18, 22 approach each other when connected. As a result, the pressing portion 148 can press the actuator-side contact surface 140 against the driver-side contact surface 142 by a repulsive force resulting from elastic deformation.

[0065] As described above, the actuator body 16 and the driver body 20 each have contact surfaces 140, 142 that come into contact with each other when the actuator body 16 and the driver body 20 are connected using the connectors 18, 22. Therefore, heat from the driver body 20, which is in a state where it is difficult to dissipate heat to the outside by thermal conduction, can be transferred by thermal conduction through the contact surfaces 140, 142 to the actuator body 16, thereby facilitating heat dissipation from the driver body 20.

[0066] 5(B) shows the heat conduction direction Db from the driver body 20 to the actuator body 16. When the slide portion 146 is provided on the actuator body 16 as in this embodiment, heat transfer occurs between the slide portion 146 and the slide guide portion 144 in the process of heat dissipation from the driver body 20 to the actuator body 16.

[0067] The actuator body 16 includes a pressing portion 148 that presses the actuator-side contact surface 140 against the driver-side contact surface 142. Consider a case where the relative positions of the actuator body 16 and the driver body 20 fluctuate due to the influence of dimensional errors or other errors when the connectors 18, 22 are connected. Even in this case, the pressing portion 148 presses one of the contact surfaces 140, 142 against the other, thereby absorbing the error. Consequently, the actuator-side contact surface 140 and the driver-side contact surface 142 can be brought into stable contact with each other to promote heat dissipation from the driver body 20 while suppressing the influence of errors.

[0068] Up to this point, we have described an example in which the pressing portion 148 is separate from the actuator main body 16. In addition to this, in order to obtain the effects described here, a part of the actuator main body 16 itself may be made of an elastic body, and the pressing portion 148 may be made of the actuator main body 16 itself.

[0069] Furthermore, up to this point, the pressing portion 148 has been described as being provided on the actuator main body 16 and pressing the actuator-side contact surface 140 against the driver-side contact surface 142. Alternatively, the pressing portion 148 may be provided on the driver main body 20 and pressing the driver-side contact surface 142 against the actuator-side contact surface 140. In other words, it can be said that the actuator device 12 may be provided with a pressing portion 148 that presses one contact surface of the actuator main body 16 and the driver main body 20 against the other contact surface. When the pressing portion 148 is provided on the driver main body 20, the slide guide portion 144 and slide portion 146 described above may be provided on the driver main body 20 instead of the actuator main body 16.

[0070] The actuator device 12 of this embodiment is equipped with a detachment prevention mechanism 150 that prevents detachment of the connectors 18, 22 by restricting the relative movement of the connectors 18, 22 in the decoupling direction (directions in which they move away from each other up and down on the paper in FIG. 5(B)). The detachment prevention mechanism 150 of this embodiment is a combination of a claw portion 152 provided on one of the driver main body 20 and the actuator main body 16 (here, the driver main body 20), and a claw receiving portion 154 provided on the other of them (the actuator main body 16) and on which the claw portion 152 is hooked. The claw portion 152 of this embodiment is movable, and is movable between a avoidance position where it avoids contact with the claw receiving portion 154 when the connectors 18, 22 are moved relatively in the coupling direction (directions in which they move toward each other up and down on the paper in FIG. 5(A)), and a hooking position where it can be hooked onto the claw receiving portion 154. By using the separation prevention mechanism 150, it is possible to maintain the connected state of the connectors 18, 22 even when an elastic repulsive force Fa from the pressing portion 148 acts on the connectors 18, 22 in the connection release direction. The separation prevention mechanism 150 may also be configured using a screw, and the claw portion 152 does not have to be movable.

[0071] (Third embodiment) See Figures 6(A) and 6(B). The actuator device 12 of this embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that a semi-solid heat-dissipating grease 156 is provided between the actuator-side contact surface 140 and the driver-side contact surface 142. These contact surfaces 140, 142 are in contact with each other via the heat-dissipating grease 156. The heat-dissipating grease 156 is used to promote heat transfer from the driver-side contact surface 142 to the actuator-side contact surface 140. There are no particular limitations on the type of heat-dissipating grease 156, and it may be a mixture of oil such as silicone oil and a filler such as metal powder.

[0072] The heat dissipation grease 156 is applied in advance to at least one of the actuator side contact surface 140 and the driver side contact surface 142 when the driver side connector 22 and the actuator side connector 18 are connected (see FIG. 6(A)). Consider a case where the driver side connector 22 and the actuator side connector 18 are moved relative to each other in the connection direction (directions in which they approach each other up and down the page in FIG. 6(A)). In this case, the heat dissipation grease 156 is crushed and deformed between the actuator side contact surface 140 and the driver side contact surface 142 so as to spread between them.

[0073] Consider a case where the relative positions of the actuator-side contact surface 140 and the driver-side contact surface 142 fluctuate due to the influence of an error when the connectors 18, 22 are connected. Even in this case, the contact state between the contact surfaces 140, 142 can be maintained while absorbing the error due to deformation of the heat dissipation grease 156. Consequently, the actuator-side contact surface 140 and the driver-side contact surface 142 can be stably contacted to promote heat dissipation from the driver main body 20 while suppressing the influence of the error.

[0074] (Fourth embodiment) See FIG. 7. Next, a robot 200 using the actuator device 12 described above will be described. The robot 200 of this embodiment is an industrial robot, but the specific example is not particularly limited, and it may be a service robot or the like. The robot 200 of this embodiment is a six-axis articulated robot with six joints.

[0075] The robot 200 includes a plurality of joints 202A to 202F, a plurality of connecting bodies 204A to 204G connected in series by the plurality of joints 202A to 202F, and a plurality of actuator devices 12A to 12F corresponding to the plurality of joints 202A to 202F, respectively.

[0076] The joints 202A to 202F connect adjacent connectors 204A to 204G. The joints 202A to 202F include, from the distal end to the proximal end of the robot 200, a first stage joint 202A, a second stage joint 202B, a third stage joint 202C, a fourth stage joint 202D, a fifth stage joint 202E, and a sixth stage joint 202F.

[0077] The multiple connecting bodies 204A-204G include a base 204G disposed on the most proximal side of the robot 200, and multiple links 204A-204F supported by the base 204G. The multiple links 204A-204F include, from the distal end to the proximal end of the robot 200, a first-stage link 204A, a second-stage link 204B, a third-stage link 204C, a fourth-stage link 204D, a fifth-stage link 204E, and a sixth-stage link 204F. A robot hand (not shown) is attached to the distal-most first-stage link 204A.

[0078] The multiple actuator devices 12A to 12F include first-stage actuator devices 12A to sixth-stage actuator devices 12F corresponding to the first-stage joints 202A to sixth-stage joints 202F, respectively. Each of the first-stage actuator devices 12A to sixth-stage actuator devices 12F is the above-mentioned actuator device 12, and includes the above-mentioned actuator 10 and driver 14. Here, in order to distinguish between the multiple actuator devices 12A to 12F, an ordinal number (first stage, second stage, etc.) is added to the beginning of the name, and an alphabet (A, B, C, etc.) is added to the end of the reference numeral. Furthermore, the same ordinal numbers and alphabets that identify the actuator devices 12A to 12F are added to the actuators 10 and drivers 14, thereby distinguishing between the actuators 10 and drivers 14 of the first-stage actuator devices 12A to sixth-stage actuator devices 12F. For example, the actuator 10 and driver 14 of the first-stage actuator device 12A will be described as a first-stage actuator 10A and a first-stage driver 14A.

[0079] The actuators 10A to 10F of the actuator devices 12A to 12F are incorporated into the corresponding joints 202A to 202F. For example, the first-stage actuator 10A is incorporated into the first-stage joint 202A, and the second-stage actuator 10B is incorporated into the second-stage joint 202B. The support members 52 (see FIG. 4) of the actuators 10A to 10F are attached to the connecting body on the base end side of the adjacent connecting bodies 204A to 204G, and the output member 44 (see FIG. 4) of the actuator 10A is attached to the connecting body on the tip end side of the adjacent connecting bodies 204A to 204G. For example, the support member 52 of the first-stage actuator 10A is attached to the second-stage link 204B on the base end side, and the output member 44 of the first-stage actuator 10A is attached to the first-stage link 204A on the tip end side.

[0080] The actuators 10A to 10F can relatively rotate the adjacent connecting bodies 204A to 204G connected at the corresponding joints 202A to 202F. For example, the first-stage actuator 10A can relatively rotate the first-stage link 204A and the second-stage link 204B connected at the first-stage joint 202A.

[0081] In this embodiment, at least some of the actuators 10A to 10F among the plurality of actuators 10A to 10F are used in a first usage mode in which the connectors 18, 22 are linked together and electrically connected to the driver 14 (some of the connectors 18, 22 are not shown here). In this embodiment, the fourth-stage actuator 10D to the sixth-stage actuator 10F are used in the first usage mode. The remaining actuators 10A to 10C among the plurality of actuators 10A to 10F are used in a second usage mode in which they are electrically connected to the drivers 14A to 14C using a first wiring member 24. In this embodiment, the first-stage actuator 10A to the third-stage actuator 10C are used in the second usage mode.

[0082] The first-stage drivers 14A to third-stage drivers 14C are disposed at positions away from the first-stage actuators 10A to third-stage actuators 10C that they control. The first-stage drivers 14A to third-stage drivers 14C are attached to a fourth-stage link 204D that is closer to the base end than the first-stage joints 202A to third-stage joints 202C in which the actuators 10A to 10C that they control are incorporated. The multiple drivers 14A to 14C that control the actuators 10A to 10C used in the second usage mode can also be said to be attached to a common connecting body 204D that is closer to the base end than the connecting bodies 204A to 204C in which the actuators 10A to 10C are incorporated. The first-stage drivers 14A to third-stage drivers 14C are directly attached to the fourth-stage link 204D using fasteners such as screws, for example. Alternatively, as will be described later, only one driver 14 may be attached to the connecting body, and the other drivers 14 may be connected to the one driver 14 and attached to the connecting body via that one driver 14.

[0083] The fourth stage driver 14D to the sixth stage driver 14F are attached by connecting the respective connectors 18, 22 to the corresponding actuators 10. The first stage driver 14A to the sixth stage driver 14F are electrically connected to a higher-level controller (not shown) by a daisy chain connection, a bus connection, or the like.

[0084] The effects of the robot 200 described above will now be described.

[0085] (A) The actuators 10A to 10F that can be used in the multiple usage modes described above are used in the robot 200. Therefore, the robot 200 can actually be obtained by using the actuators 10A to 10F that can be flexibly changed in usage.

[0086] (B) The drivers 14A to 14C that control the actuators 10A to 10C are placed at positions away from the actuators 10A to 10C. Therefore, no space is required around the actuators 10A to 10C that are controlled by the drivers 14A to 14C to place the drivers 14A to 14C.

[0087] (C) The multiple drivers 14A to 14C are attached to a common connecting body 204D at positions away from the actuators 10A to 10C controlled by the multiple drivers 14A to 14C. This eliminates the need for space around the actuators 10A to 10C controlled by the multiple drivers 14A to 14C to accommodate the drivers 14A to 14C. Furthermore, the multiple drivers 14A to 14C can be attached to a single connecting body 204D, improving workability during maintenance.

[0088] In addition, if the driver 14 is attached to the connector 204D closer to the base end of the robot 200 than the joints 202A-202C in which the actuators 10A-10C controlled by the drivers 14A-14C are incorporated, the center of gravity of the robot 200 can be brought closer to the base end of the robot 200. Consequently, the load to be applied when moving the first-stage link 204A, which is the most distal end of the robot 200, can be reduced.

[0089] Furthermore, since multiple drivers 14 are incorporated into the robot 200, there is no need to place multiple drivers 14 in an external control box, which has the advantage of allowing the control box to be made smaller. Furthermore, the provider (seller, etc.) of the robot 200 can tune the above-mentioned control parameters (proportional gain, etc.) required for controlling the actuator 10 and store them in the memory unit of the driver 14, thereby eliminating the need for tuning on the user side.

[0090] (Fifth Embodiment) See FIGS. 8 and 9. This embodiment differs from the fourth embodiment in the configuration of the first-stage driver 14A to the third-stage driver 14C. These drivers are provided with a connecting portion 210 that connects to the other drivers 14A to 14C. More specifically, the drivers 14A to 14C are provided with a connecting portion 210 that cooperates with the connecting portion 210 provided on the other drivers 14A to 14C to connect to the other drivers 14A to 14C. The connecting portion 210 is provided on the driver main body 20 (here, the driver casing 62) of the drivers 14A to 14C. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 210 used to connect adjacent drivers 14 has a concave-convex structure. The adjacent drivers 14A to 14C are connected by press-fitting the convex portion 214 of the concave-convex structure of one driver main body 20 into the concave portion 212 of the concave-convex structure of the other driver main body 20. Alternatively, the connecting portion 210 used to connect adjacent drivers 14A to 14C may be a combination of a male connector and a female connector, a combination of magnets of different polarities, etc. The multiple drivers 14A to 14C may be connected by arranging them in the same direction using the connecting portion 210, or may be connected by arranging them in different directions.

[0091] This allows for the collective handling of the multiple drivers 14A-14C separated from the actuators 10A-10C in the actuator device 12. This in turn allows for good workability when handling the multiple drivers 14A-14C for, for example, attaching them to a mating machine such as the robot 200.

[0092] Next, a series (product group) of actuator devices will be described. The series described below can also be considered as a manufacturing method and a design method for obtaining a series of actuator devices.

[0093] See Figures 10(A) and 10(B). The series includes a first actuator device 12-A and a second actuator device 12-B. The components (actuators, drivers, etc.) of each actuator device 12-A share basic functions with the components of the actuator device 12 described above. Hereinafter, components that are common to the first actuator device 12-A and the second actuator device 12-B described above will be distinguished by adding "first" and "second" to the beginning of their names and adding "-A" and "-B" to the end of their reference numerals.

[0094] The first actuator device 12-A includes a first actuator 10-A and a first driver 14-A that controls the first actuator 10-A. The first actuator 10-A includes a first actuator body 16-A and a first actuator-side connector 18-A attached to the first actuator body 16-A. The first driver 14-A includes a first driver body 20-A and a first driver-side connector 22-A attached to the first driver body 20-A.

[0095] The second actuator device 12-B includes a second actuator 10-B and a second driver 14-B that controls the second actuator 10-B. The second actuator 10-B includes a second actuator body 16-B and a second actuator-side connector 18-B attached to the second actuator body 16-B. The second driver 14-B includes a second driver body 20-B and a second driver-side connector 22-B attached to the second driver body 20-B.

[0096] At least one of the first actuator body 16-A and the second actuator body 16-B and the first driver body 20-A and the second driver body 20-B differs in structure. Here, "differing in structure" includes not only differences in the presence or absence of specific components in the two bodies being mentioned, but also differences in the dimensions of those components. "Differing in size" also applies when the two bodies being mentioned are similar. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the first actuator body 16-A and the second actuator body 16-B differ in the dimensions of the actuator casing 46, and the first driver body 20-A and the second driver body 20-B differ in size.

[0097] The first actuator-side connector 18-A and the second actuator-side connector 18-B are composed of the same components. Furthermore, the first driver-side connector 22-A and the second driver-side connector 22-B are composed of the same components. Here, the definition of "same components" as described above means that the components constituting the two connectors are the same, including the shapes and dimensions as well as the materials. For example, the first actuator-side connector 18-A and the second actuator-side connector 18-B use the same actuator-side connector housing 70 and the same number and types of actuator-side terminals 68A-68C. Furthermore, the first driver-side connector 22-A and the second driver-side connector 22-B use the same driver-side connector housing 74 and the same number and types of driver-side terminals 72A-72C.

[0098] This allows the use of common connectors 18-A, 18-B, 22-A, and 22-B between the plurality of actuator devices 12-A and 12-B, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0099] Next, we will explain variations of each of the components described so far. Hereinafter, when components (such as actuator-side electrical devices) with reference numerals suffixed with "A," "B," or "C" are collectively referred to, these will be omitted.

[0100] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the user can select from three usage modes of the actuator 10: the first usage mode, the second usage mode, and the third usage mode. Alternatively, the user can select from two usage modes: the first usage mode and the second usage mode, or the first usage mode and the third usage mode. It can also be said that the actuator device 12 may include only the first wiring member 24, or only the second wiring member 26, out of the first wiring member 24 and the second wiring member 26.

[0101] There are no particular limitations on the specific examples and number of actuator-side electrical devices 64 to be electrically connected to the (actuator) driver 14. The actuator-side electrical devices 64 may be, for example, the drive source 40, sensors 56, 58, an electromagnetic brake, a microcomputer, etc. The number of actuator-side electrical devices 64 is also not particularly limited and may be one, two, four or more. When multiple actuator-side electrical devices 64 are provided, one of them may be the drive source 40 (electric motor), regardless of the type of the remaining actuator-side electrical devices 64.

[0102] There is no particular limitation on the type of electric motor that serves as the drive source 40. The electric motor may be, for example, a three-phase AC motor, a DC motor, a single-phase AC motor, or the like.

[0103] There is no particular limitation on the type of the sensors 56, 58. The sensors 56, 58 may be, for example, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the actuator body 16.

[0104] (Driver) Although an example has been described in which the driver main body 20 of the driver 14 includes the driver casing 62, it is not necessary to include the driver casing 62. This assumes, for example, a case in which the driver main body 20 is configured only by a control board that configures the control unit 60.

[0105] There is no particular limitation on the method of controlling the actuator 10 by the control unit 60 of the driver 14. For example, the control unit 60 may perform feedback control so that the output value (torque) output from the second sensor 58 approaches a control target value.

[0106] (Connector) Specific examples of the actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22 are not limited to the combination of the male connector 78 and the female connector 82. For example, one of the actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22 may be a hook, and the other may be a hook receiver that receives the hook. In this case, the terminals 68 and 72 of each connector 18, 22 may be provided at the contact points between the hook and the hook receiver.

[0107] In the above example, the actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22 are provided with multiple types of terminals 68, 72 corresponding to the multiple actuator-side electrical devices 64. Alternatively, the actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22 may be provided with only one type of terminal corresponding to a single actuator-side electrical device.

[0108] The actuator 10 and the driver 14 may be provided with dedicated connectors that are provided separately from the actuator-side connector 18 and the driver-side connector 22 and that are connected to the first wiring member 24.

[0109] (Wiring Members) The combination of the first wiring-side connector 92A and the driver-side connector 22 on one side and the combination of the first wiring-side connector 92B and the actuator-side connector 18 on the other side may each be configured with individually different parts. For example, at least one of the connector housing and the terminals of the first wiring-side connector 92A on one side and the driver-side connector 22 may have different shapes. In addition, at least one of the connector housing and the terminals of the first wiring-side connector 92B on the other side and the actuator-side connector 18 may have different shapes.

[0110] (External Device 28) There is no particular limitation on the specific example of the external device 28. The external device 28 may be, for example, a power supply device electrically connected to the drive source 40 of the actuator 10. Furthermore, the number of external devices 28 is also not particularly limited. The external device 28 may be a combination of a power supply device electrically connected to the drive source 40 and an information processing device (including a microcomputer) electrically connected to an actuator-side electrical device 64 separate from the drive source 40. In this case, in addition to the second wiring member 26 electrically connecting the drive source 40 and the power supply device, another second wiring member 26 electrically connecting the actuator-side electrical device 64 and the information processing device may be used. Furthermore, the provider of the actuator device 12 may provide the external device 28 to the user together with the actuator device 12.

[0111] (Robot) There is no particular limitation on the number of joints 202 of the robot 200. For example, the number of joints 202 may be one, two to five, or seven or more.

[0112] An actuator 10 that can be used in multiple ways in relation to the driver 14 is called a compatible actuator 10, while an actuator that can only be used in one way is called a non-compatible actuator. A non-compatible actuator is, for example, an actuator that is inseparably integrated with the driver or one that can only be electrically connected to the driver using wiring members.

[0113] In this case, in relation to the effect described in (A), it is sufficient that the corresponding actuator 10 is used in at least one of the joints 202A to 202F. For example, the corresponding actuator 10 may be incorporated in only some of the joints 202A to 202F among the plurality of joints 202A to 202F, and non-compatible actuators may be incorporated in the remaining joints 202A to 202F. Furthermore, all of the corresponding actuators 10 used in the robot 200 may be used in either the first usage mode or the second usage mode.

[0114] In relation to the effect described in (B), it is sufficient that at least one driver 14 is disposed at a position distant from the corresponding actuator 10. For example, unlike the embodiment, only the first-stage driver 14A of the multiple drivers 14A to 14F may be disposed at a position distant from the first-stage actuator 10A (corresponding actuator).

[0115] In relation to the effect described in (C), it is sufficient that the multiple drivers 14 are attached to a common connecting body 204 at a position farther away than the corresponding actuators 10 controlled by them, and the connecting body 204 to which they are attached is not particularly limited.

[0116] The above-described embodiments and variations are merely examples. The abstract technical ideas should not be interpreted as being limited to the contents of the embodiments and variations. Many design changes are possible in the contents of the embodiments and variations, such as changing, adding, or deleting components. In the above-described embodiments, the contents that allow such design changes are emphasized by adding the notation "embodiment." However, design changes are also permitted even in contents that do not have such notation. Hatching on cross sections in the drawings does not limit the material of the hatched objects.

[0117] Any combination of the above components is also effective. For example, any description of another embodiment may be combined with the embodiment, or any description of an embodiment and another modified embodiment may be combined with the modified embodiment. Furthermore, the pressing portion 148 described in the second embodiment may be combined with the heat dissipation grease 156 described in the third embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 10...actuator, 10-A...first actuator, 10-B...second actuator, 12...actuator device, 12-A...first actuator device, 12-B...second actuator device, 14...driver, 14-A...first driver, 14-B...second driver, 16...actuator body, 16-A...first actuator body, 16-B...second actuator body, 18...actuator side connector, 18-A...first actuator side connector, 18-B...second actuator Actuator side connector, 20...driver main body, 20-A...first driver main body, 20-B...second driver main body, 22...driver side connector, 22-A...first driver side connector, 22-B...second driver side connector, 24...first wiring member, 26...second wiring member, 28...external device, 68A to 68C...actuator side terminals, 72A to 72C...driver side terminals, 76...convex shape, 78...male connector, 80...concave shape, 82...female connector, 92A, 92B...first wiring side connector.

Claims

1. Driver and an actuator controlled by the driver, the actuator includes an actuator-side connector detachably coupled to a driver-side connector provided in the driver, the actuator can be used in a first usage mode in which the actuator is electrically connected to the driver by coupling the actuator-side connector and the driver-side connector, and a second usage mode in which the actuator is electrically connected to the driver by a first wiring member coupled to the actuator-side connector and the driver-side connector, The actuator device includes a coupling portion that is directly coupled to a coupling portion provided on another driver that controls an actuator other than the actuator when the actuator is in the second usage mode.

2. 2. The actuator device according to claim 1, wherein one of the actuator-side connector and the driver-side connector is a male connector having a convex shape, and the other is a female connector having a concave shape that fits with the convex shape.

3. the actuator comprises a plurality of electrical devices; 3. The actuator device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator-side connector and the driver-side connector correspond to the plurality of electrical devices, respectively, and include a plurality of types of terminals used for electrical connection to the corresponding electrical devices.

4. 4. The actuator device according to claim 1, wherein the first wiring member includes a pair of first wiring-side connectors that are individually connected to the actuator-side connector and the driver-side connector, respectively.

5. one of the pair of first wiring side connectors is connected to the actuator side connector, and the other is connected to the driver side connector; 5. The actuator device according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the combination of the one first wiring-side connector and the driver-side connector and the combination of the other first wiring-side connector and the actuator-side connector is formed of the same parts.

6. the actuator includes an actuator body to which the actuator-side connector is attached, the driver includes a driver body to which the driver-side connector is attached, The actuator device according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator body and the driver body each have a contact surface that comes into contact with each other when the actuator is in the first usage mode.

7. An actuator device as described in claim 6, comprising a pressing portion that presses the contact surface of one of the actuator body and the driver body against the contact surface of the other when the actuator is in the first usage mode.

8. An actuator device as described in claim 6 or 7, wherein when the actuator is in the first usage mode, the contact surface of the actuator body and the contact surface of the driver body come into contact via heat dissipation grease.

9. A plurality of joints; a plurality of connected bodies connected in series by the plurality of joints, a first actuator device including a first driver and a first actuator controlled by the first driver and incorporated in a first joint of the plurality of joints; a second actuator device including a second driver and a second actuator controlled by the second driver and incorporated in a second joint of the plurality of joints; the first actuator includes a first actuator-side connector detachably coupled to a first driver-side connector provided in the first driver, the first actuator can be used in a first usage mode in which the first actuator is electrically connected to the first driver by coupling the first actuator side connector and the first driver side connector, and a second usage mode in which the first actuator is electrically connected to the first driver by a first wiring member coupled to the first actuator side connector and the first driver side connector, The robot includes a first connecting portion, the first driver being directly connected to a second connecting portion provided on the second driver when the first actuator is in the second usage mode.

10. The robot according to claim 9 , wherein the first driver is disposed at a position separated from the first actuator when the first actuator is in the second usage mode.

11. A robot as described in Claim 10, wherein the first driver and the second driver are attached to a common connecting body separate from the adjacent connecting bodies connected by the first joint at a position away from the first actuator and the second actuator when the first actuator is in the second usage mode.

12. The first connecting portion is a recess, the second connecting portion is a protrusion, 12. The robot according to claim 11, wherein the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are directly connected to each other by press-fitting the convex portion into the concave portion when the first actuator is in the second usage mode.

Images