Gear motor series and robot series

Abstract

A gear motor series 1000 is a series of gear motors including a first series S1 and a second series S2. The first series S1 includes at least a first gear motor 100 having a first reduction gear 10-A and a first motor 11-A, and a second gear motor 120 having a second reduction gear 10-B with an allowable torque larger than that of the first reduction gear 10-A and a second motor 11-B having a larger rated capacity than that of the first motor 11-A. The second series S2 includes at least a third gear motor 130 having a second speed reducer 10-B and a first motor 11-A.

Description

Gear motor series, robot series

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a series of gear motors and a series of robots.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A gear motor configured by connecting a reducer and a motor is known. In Patent Document 1, the applicant of the present application discloses a gear motor for driving the joints of a robot such as a collaborative robot.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-097430

[0004] The specifications of each joint vary depending on the joint of each customer's robot. However, if gear motors were customized for each joint of each customer's robot, the number of types of gear motors would increase, which would be detrimental to reducing the cost of gear motors.

[0005] The object of the present disclosure has been made in view of such problems, and is to provide a series of gear motors that can reduce the number of types of gear motors.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a gear motor series according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a gear motor series having a first series and a second series, where the first series includes at least a first gear motor having a first reducer and a first motor, and a second gear motor having a second reducer having a larger allowable torque than the first reducer and a second motor having a larger rated capacity than the first motor, and the second series includes at least a third gear motor having a second reducer and the first motor.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure is also a series of gear motors. This series includes a first series and a third series. The first series includes at least a first gear motor having a first reducer and a first motor, and a second gear motor having a second reducer with a larger allowable torque than the first reducer and a second motor with a larger rated capacity than the first motor. The third series includes at least a fourth gear motor having a second reducer and a third motor. The third motor has the same shape and outer diameter as the second motor at a connecting portion with the second reducer, but has a smaller axial length than the second motor.

[0008] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is a series of robots. The series includes a first robot and a second robot having a larger payload capacity than the first robot, wherein the first robot has a first joint and a second joint having a lower operating rate than the first joint. The first joint incorporates a second gear motor having a second reducer and a second motor, and the second robot has a third joint and a fourth joint having a lower operating rate than the third joint. The fourth joint incorporates a third gear motor having a second reducer and a first motor having a lower rated capacity than the second motor.

[0009] Any combination of the above components, or mutual substitution of the components or expressions of the present disclosure between methods, systems, etc., are also valid aspects of the present disclosure.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a series of gear motors that can reduce the number of types of gear motors.

[0011] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view showing a first gear motor that constitutes a series of gear motors according to a first embodiment; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a system of a series of gear motors according to a first embodiment; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic view of a first robot that constitutes a series of robots according to a second embodiment; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the first robot of FIG. 3; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic view of a second robot that constitutes a series of robots according to a second embodiment; and FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the second robot of FIG.

[0012] First, we will explain how we arrived at this disclosure. Regarding gear motors that can be used as actuators for articulated robots, it is conceivable to offer a lineup of models equipped with motors with rated capacities that satisfy the continuous characteristics that allow the reducer to maintain continuous output. In this case, to limit the number of models in the lineup, a high-availability gear motor mounted on the base end of the robot arm can be configured to also be mounted on the tip end.

[0013] Consider the operation of each joint in a robot arm of an articulated robot. Research by the inventors has revealed that base-end gear motors have a high operating rate, and continuous and instantaneous characteristics are important, whereas tip-end gear motors have a low operating rate, and continuous characteristics are not important. The low operating rate of tip-end gear motors tends to be more pronounced in collaborative robots that work in cooperation with humans. Based on these findings, it can be said that a configuration in which a motor that satisfies the continuous characteristics of a reducer is installed as the tip-end gear motor is an excessively high-performance motor.

[0014] If a motor that meets the continuous characteristics of a reducer is installed in a tip-side gear motor with a low operating rate, the mass of the motor increases accordingly. If a model with improved load performance is used for the base-side gear motor in response to the increase in tip-side mass, the mass of the base-side gear motor also increases, increasing the mass of the entire robot. For this reason, if gear motors are customized for each joint of each customer's robot, the number of gear motor types will increase, which is detrimental to reducing the cost of gear motors.

[0015] Therefore, in order to reduce the weight of robots and the number of types of gear motors, the inventors have devised a technology that can provide a series of gear motors that are equipped with motors that match the actual operating rate and share components. This technical concept can also be applied to robots equipped with multiple gear motors. This will be explained below through the embodiments.

[0016] The present disclosure will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments and modified examples, identical or equivalent components and members are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, when distinguishing between identical or equivalent components and members, a symbol combining a hyphen, an alphabet, and a number, such as "-A," "-B," "-C," "-1A," "-2B," or "-3C," is added to the end of the reference numeral; when no distinction is made, no symbol is added. Furthermore, the dimensions of the components in each drawing are enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Furthermore, some components that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted from the drawings.

[0017] Furthermore, terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second are used to describe various components, but these terms are used only to distinguish one component from another and do not limit the components.

[0018] The operating rate of a gear motor reducer mounted on a robot is defined as follows. The operating rate of a gear motor reducer refers to the ratio of the operating time TJ of the gear motor to the operating time TR of the robot on which the gear motor is mounted, and is expressed by Equation 1. Operating rate of reducer = (TJ / TR) × 100 [%ED] (1). The operating time TR of the robot itself can be defined as the time the robot is powered on, or, in the case of a robot, the time the motors driving each joint are powered on. Therefore, the operating time TR of the robot itself also includes the wait time during which the robot performs work on a workpiece and waits for the next workpiece to be set. The operating time TJ of the gear motor reducer can be defined as the time during which the reducer, the subject of the operating rate calculation, is driven, or the time during which the motor driving the reducer is controlled to rotate. The operating rate of a gear motor reducer is sometimes referred to as the "operating rate of the gear motor."

[0019] In this specification, the rated capacity of a motor is the power value (W) set as a rating by the motor manufacturer, and may be, for example, the maximum power value at which the motor can be continuously used. The rated capacity of a motor is sometimes referred to as the rated output. The allowable torque of a reducer is the torque value (N·m) that can be applied to the output shaft of the reducer set by the gear motor or reducer manufacturer, and is, for example, the torque value that can be continuously applied to the output shaft of the reducer. The allowable torque of a reducer is smaller than the maximum allowable torque of the reducer. The allowable torque of a reducer is sometimes expressed by a frame number, and as the frame number increases, the allowable torque (allowable rated torque, allowable peak torque) increases, and the size (outer diameter) and weight of the reducer also increase.

[0020] In this specification, the payload of a robot may be a payload set as a rated value by the robot manufacturer, and may be a mass that can be supported at the tip end of the robot arm and continuously moved.

[0021] First Embodiment A gear motor series 1000 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "series 1000") and a gear motor series 2000 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "series 2000") according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of a first gear motor 100 constituting series 1000. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a first series S1, a second series S2, and a third series S3. The difference between series 1000 and series 2000 is that series 1000 has a first series S1 and a second series S2, while series 2000 has a first series S1 and a third series S3.

[0022] Next, the first gear motor 100 will be described. A second gear motor 120, a third gear motor 130, a fourth gear motor 140, and a fifth gear motor 150, which will be described later, have a common configuration with the first gear motor 100. Therefore, the description of the first gear motor 100 also applies to the second gear motor 120, the third gear motor 130, the fourth gear motor 140, and the fifth gear motor 150. As shown in Fig. 1, the first gear motor 100 includes a motor 11 and a reducer 10 that reduces the rotation of a motor shaft 12 of the motor 11 and outputs the reduced rotation.

[0023] Hereinafter, the direction along the central axis La of the input shaft 20 of the reducer 10 will be referred to as the "axial direction," the side of the input shaft 20 to which the motor shaft 12 is connected in the axial direction (right side in the drawing) will be referred to as the motor side, and the other side (left side in the drawing) will be referred to as the anti-motor side. In other words, the input shaft 20 extends in the axial direction from the motor side to the anti-motor side. Furthermore, the circumferential direction and radial direction of a circle centered on the central axis La will be referred to as the "circumferential direction" and the "radial direction," respectively.

[0024] 1, the input shaft 20 of the reducer 10 is a hollow shaft formed integrally with the motor shaft 12 of the motor 11. The input shaft 20 and the motor shaft 12 may be formed separately and connected by a connecting member (not shown).

[0025] The motor 11 of this embodiment is a servo motor and includes a motor shaft 12, a cylindrical magnet 13 fixed to the outer periphery of the motor shaft 12, a cylindrical stator core 14 surrounding the magnet 13 via a magnetic gap, an armature winding 15 provided in slots (not shown) in the stator core 14, and a motor case 16 forming the outer shell of the motor 11. The magnet 13 may be a single cylindrical magnet or a cylindrical arrangement of multiple plate-shaped magnets. The motor case 16 has a cylindrical shape that surrounds the motor 11, and the stator core 14 is fixed to its inner circumferential surface. The motor 11 also includes a control circuit (not shown) that controls the rotation of the motor shaft 12 and an encoder (not shown) that detects the rotational position of the motor shaft 12 and provides the detected position to the control circuit. When a drive current from the control circuit flows through the armature winding 15, the motor 11 rotates the motor shaft 12 by torque generated by the interaction between a rotating magnetic field generated on the inner surface of the stator core 14 and the field poles provided on the outer surface of the magnet 13.

[0026] The motor 11 also has a connecting portion 17 provided on the motor case 16. The connecting portion 17 is a connecting portion with the reducer 10 and has an inner circumferential surface 172 that is spigot-fitted to the outside of the casing 46 of the reducer 10. The connecting portion 17 in this embodiment is formed separately from the motor case 16 and has a motor fitting portion 174 that is fitted and fixed to the motor case 16. Therefore, by providing a connecting portion 17 with a motor fitting portion 174 that has a small inner diameter, it is possible to connect a small-diameter motor 11 to the same reducer 10. In FIG. 1 , symbol T1 indicates the axial length of the motor 11, symbol T2 indicates the axial length of the stator core 14, symbol D1 indicates the outer diameter of the motor 11, and symbol D2 indicates the outer diameter of the connecting portion 17.

[0027] The reducer 10 mainly includes an external gear 19, an internal gear 41, an input shaft 20, carriers 35, 36, an inner pin 48, an eccentric bearing 18, a main bearing 37, a first bearing 39 and a second bearing 40 that support the input shaft 20, and a casing 46.

[0028] The reducer 10 reduces the speed of the rotation input from the motor 11 and outputs it from the carrier 35. There are no limitations on the reducer 10 as long as it is capable of reducing the speed of the input rotation and outputting it. The reducer 10 of this embodiment is a center crank type in which the center axis La of the input shaft 20 is coaxial with the center axis of the internal gear.

[0029] The input shaft 20 has a plurality of eccentric portions 23 for oscillating the external gear 19. The axes of the eccentric portions 23 are eccentric with respect to the rotation center line La of the input shaft 20. In this embodiment, three eccentric portions 23 are provided, and the eccentric phases of adjacent eccentric portions 23 are shifted by 120°.

[0030] The input shaft 20 is supported by the first carrier 35 and the second carrier 36 via a first bearing 39 and a second bearing 40. The casing 46 has a cylindrical shape that surrounds the reducer 10, and has an internal gear 41 provided on its inner circumferential surface. The external gear 19 is oscillatingly incorporated into the outer periphery of the eccentric portion 23 via an eccentric bearing 18, which is a roller bearing. The external gears 19 internally mesh with the internal gear 41 while oscillating. Wave-shaped teeth are formed on the outer periphery of the external gear 19, and these teeth move in contact with the internal gear 41, allowing the external gear 19 to oscillate within a plane normal to the central axis.

[0031] The internal gear 41 of this embodiment has an internal gear main body 42 provided integrally on the inner peripheral side of the casing 46, and a plurality of outer pins 43 arranged in pin grooves formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the internal gear main body 42. The outer pins 43 form the internal teeth of the internal gear 41. The number of outer pins 43 of the internal gear 41 is the number of internal teeth, which is one more than the number of external teeth of the external gear 19.

[0032] The external gear 19 has a plurality of inner pin holes 45 formed at positions offset from its axis. Inner pins 48 pass through the inner pin holes 45. A cylindrical sleeve 49 is disposed on the outer periphery of the inner pin 48. The inner pins 48 contribute to the transmission of power between the carriers 35, 36 and the external gear 19.

[0033] The carriers 35, 36 include a first carrier 35 arranged on the side of the external gear 19 opposite the motor, and a second carrier 36 arranged on the side of the external gear 19 on the motor side. The first carrier 35 is fixed to the second carrier 36 by an inner pin 48 extending axially and fixed to the second carrier 36. The first carrier 35 is an output member that outputs rotational power to a driven member (not shown). The main bearing 37 rotatably supports the carriers 35, 36 relative to the casing 46.

[0034] The operation of the first gear motor 100 will now be described. When rotational power is transmitted from the motor 11 to the input shaft 20, the eccentric portion 23 rotates eccentrically, causing the external gear 19 to oscillate. As the external gear 19 oscillates, the meshing positions of the external gear 19 and the internal gear 41 gradually shift, and with each rotation of the input shaft 20, the external gear 19 rotates by an amount corresponding to the difference between the number of teeth of the external gear 19 and the number of teeth of the internal gear 41. As a result, reduced rotation is output from the first carrier 35.

[0035] Next, the series 1000 and series 2000 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. In Figure 2, the frame numbers are classified according to the allowable torque of the reducers that make up the gear motors, with the allowable torque of the reducers increasing in the order of first frame number, second frame number, third frame number, etc. Within the same series, the rated capacity of each motor increases in the order of first frame number, second frame number, third frame number, etc. As an example, the allowable torque of each reducer of gear motors with the same frame number is common to the first series S1 to the third series S3, but the rated capacity of each gear motor with the same frame number is different.

[0036] 2, the gear motors of the first series S1 have a rated capacity that can generally satisfy the rated operating rate of the gear motor. The gear motors of the second series S2 and the third series S3 have a rated capacity that is lower than the rated operating rate of the gear motor, and have a rated capacity that can generally satisfy an assumed operating rate that is lower than the rated operating rate of the gear motor.

[0037] The first series S1 is a gear motor series for applications with high operating rates, and includes a gear motor GM-1A with a first frame number, a gear motor GM-1B with a second frame number, and a gear motor GM-1C with a third frame number. The gear motor GM-1A has a reducer 10-A and a motor 11-A, the gear motor GM-1B has a reducer 10-B and a motor 11-B, and the gear motor GM-1C has a reducer 10-C and a motor 11-C.

[0038] The second series S2 is a gear motor series for applications with a lower operating rate than the first series S1, and includes a gear motor GM-2B with a frame number 2 and a gear motor GM-2C with a frame number 3. The gear motor GM-2B has a reducer 10-B and a motor 11-A, and the gear motor GM-2C has a reducer 10-C and a motor 11-B.

[0039] The third series S3 is a gear motor series for applications with a lower operating rate than the first series S1, and includes a gear motor GM-3A with a first frame number, a gear motor GM-3B with a second frame number, and a gear motor GM-3C with a third frame number. The gear motor GM-3A has a reducer 10-A and a motor 11-A-S, the gear motor GM-3B has a reducer 10-B and a motor 11-B-S, and the gear motor GM-3C has a reducer 10-C and a motor 11-C-S.

[0040] The motor 11-A-S has the same shape and outer diameter as the motor 11-A at the connecting portion with the reducer 10-A, but has a shorter axial length than the motor 11-A. The motor 11-B-S has the same shape and outer diameter as the motor 11-B at the connecting portion with the reducer 10-B, but has a shorter axial length than the motor 11-B. The motor 11-C-S has the same shape and outer diameter as the motor 11-C at the connecting portion with the reducer 10-C, but has a shorter axial length than the motor 11-C. The axial lengths of the motors and the connecting portions will be described later.

[0041] Gear motor GM-1A exemplifies the first gear motor 100, gear motor GM-1B exemplifies the second gear motor 120, gear motor GM-2B exemplifies the third gear motor 130, gear motor GM-3B exemplifies the fourth gear motor 140, and gear motor GM-1C exemplifies the fifth gear motor 150.

[0042] If only the first series S1 was available, it would be suitable for applications with high operating rates, but for applications with low operating rates, the motor's performance would be excessive, resulting in unnecessary weight increase. Also, if gear motors were customized for each application, the number of gear motor types would increase, increasing design costs.

[0043] To mitigate the disadvantages of only having the first series S1 in the lineup, the series 1000 of this embodiment is a gear motor series including a first series S1 and a second series S2. The first series S1 includes at least a first gear motor 100 having a first reducer 10-A and a first motor 11-A, and a second gear motor 120 having a second reducer 10-B with a larger allowable torque than the first reducer 10-A and a second motor 11-B with a larger rated capacity than the first motor 11-A. The second series S2 includes at least a third gear motor 130 having a second reducer 10-B and a first motor 11-A. As shown by the arrow in FIG. 2 , the gear motors of the second series S2 are configured by combining a reducer of the first series S1 with the same frame number and a motor with the immediately preceding frame number. This feature is also shared by the other gear motors of the first series S1 and the second series S2.

[0044] According to the Series 1000, the Series 1000 includes the second Series S2, which is suitable for applications with low operating rates. Therefore, the gear motors of the second Series S2 can be used in applications with low operating rates. In this case, the motors are lightweight, which helps prevent increases in mass. The second Series S2 uses components common to the first Series S1, which helps prevent increases in gear motor design costs.

[0045] To mitigate the disadvantages of only having the first series S1 in the lineup, the series 2000 of this embodiment is a gear motor series including the first series S1 and the third series S3. The first series S1 includes at least a first gear motor 100 having a first reducer 10-A and a first motor 11-A, and a second gear motor 120 having a second reducer 10-B with a larger allowable torque than the first reducer 10-A and a second motor 11-B with a larger rated capacity than the first motor 11-A. The third series S3 includes at least a fourth gear motor 140 having a second reducer 10-B and a third motor 11-B-S. The third motor 11-B-S has the same shape and outer diameter D2 of the coupling portion 17 with the second reducer 10-B as the second motor 11-B, but has a smaller axial length T1 than the second motor 11-B. As an example, the axial length T1 of the third motor 11-B-S may be 40% to 70% of the axial length T1 of the second motor 11-B, and is 50% in this embodiment. This feature is also shared by the other gear motors of the first series S1 and the third series S3 with different frame numbers.

[0046] According to the Series 2000, the Series 2000 includes the third Series S3, which is suitable for applications with low operating rates. Therefore, the gear motors of the third Series S3 can be used in applications with low operating rates. In this case, the motors are lightweight, which helps prevent increases in mass. The third Series S3 uses components common to the first Series S1, which helps prevent increases in gear motor design costs.

[0047] In the third motor 11-B-S of the series 2000 of this embodiment, the axial length T2 of the stator core 14 is configured to be smaller than the axial length T2 of the stator core 14 of the second motor 11-B. In this case, the axial length of the stator core is reduced, which alleviates the need for a reduced space for the armature winding 15 and a reduced number of turns of the armature winding 15. As an example, the axial length T2 of the stator core 14 of the third motor 11-B-S may be 40% to 90% of the axial length T2 of the stator core 14 of the second motor 11-B, and in this embodiment, it is 50%. This feature is also shared by the other gear motors of the third series S3 with different frame numbers.

[0048] The above is the description of the first embodiment.

[0049] Second Embodiment A robot series 3000 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 . The robot series 3000 is a robot series including a first robot 500 and a second robot 600 having a larger payload capacity than the first robot 500. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating the first robot 500 constituting the robot series 3000. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the first robot 500. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating the second robot 600 constituting the robot series 3000. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the second robot 600.

[0050] The first robot 500 is an articulated robot having a first joint unit 50 and a second joint unit 60 having a lower operating rate than the first joint unit 50. The first joint unit 50 includes a joint unit 51, a joint unit 52, and a joint unit 53, which are arranged in this order from the base end to the tip end. An arm unit 54 is provided on the base end side of the joint unit 51, an arm unit 55 is provided between the joint unit 51 and the joint unit 52, an arm unit 56 is provided between the joint unit 52 and the joint unit 53, and an arm unit 57 is provided on the tip side of the joint unit 53.

[0051] The second joint portion 60 includes a joint portion 61, a joint portion 62, and a joint portion 63, which are arranged in this order from the base end side to the tip end side. The joint portion 61 is provided on the tip side of the arm portion 57, an arm portion 65 is provided between the joint portion 61 and the joint portion 62, an arm portion 66 is provided between the joint portion 62 and the joint portion 63, and an arm portion 67 is provided on the tip side of the joint portion 63.

[0052] A second gear motor 120 having a second reducer 10-B and a second motor 11-B is incorporated into the first joint unit 50. For example, a second series S2 or third series S3 gear motor that is compatible with low operating rates may be incorporated into the second joint unit 60. In this example, a fourth gear motor 140 (GM-3B) is incorporated into the second joint unit 60.

[0053] The second robot 600 is an articulated robot having a third joint unit 70 and a fourth joint unit 80 having a lower operating rate than the third joint unit 70. The third joint unit 70 includes a joint unit 71, a joint unit 72, and a joint unit 73, which are arranged in this order from the base end to the tip end. An arm unit 74 is provided on the base end side of the joint unit 71, an arm unit 77 is provided between the joint units 71 and 72, an arm unit 76 is provided between the joint units 72 and 73, and an arm unit 77 is provided on the tip side of the joint unit 73.

[0054] The fourth joint unit 80 includes a joint unit 81, a joint unit 82, and a joint unit 83, which are arranged in this order from the base end side to the tip end side. The joint unit 81 is provided on the tip side of the arm unit 77, an arm unit 85 is provided between the joint unit 81 and the joint unit 82, an arm unit 86 is provided between the joint unit 82 and the joint unit 83, and an arm unit 87 is provided on the tip side of the joint unit 83.

[0055] A third gear motor 130 having a second reducer 10-B and a first motor 11-A with a smaller rated capacity than the second motor 11-B is incorporated into the fourth joint unit 80. For example, a first series S1 gear motor compatible with high availability may be incorporated into the third joint unit 70. In this example, a fifth gear motor 150 having a third reducer 10-C with a larger allowable torque than the second reducer 10-B and a motor 11-C with a larger rated capacity than the second motor 11-B is incorporated into the third joint unit 70.

[0056] As an example, the operating rate of the first joint unit 50 is three or more times that of the second joint unit 60, and / or the operating rate of the third joint unit 70 is three or more times that of the fourth joint unit 80. In this case, the rated capacity of the motors of the second joint unit 60 and the fourth joint unit 80 can be reduced compared to when the operating rate ratio between these joint units is less than three times. This is advantageous in terms of reducing the overall mass of the robot 500, 600. Furthermore, the operating rate ratio between these joint units may be four or more times. In this case, the rated capacity of the motors of the second joint unit 60 and the fourth joint unit 80 can be halved compared to when the operating rate ratio is one, which is even more preferable from the perspective of reducing mass.

[0057] In this embodiment, the operating rates of the first joint portion 50 and the third joint portion 70 are set in the range of 50%ED to 100%ED, and the operating rates of the second joint portion 60 and the fourth joint portion 80 are set in the range of 5%ED to 25%ED.

[0058] According to the robot series 3000 of the second embodiment, by installing gear motors in the base-end and tip-end joints that take into account their actual operating rates, the robot's performance, such as its payload capacity and reach, can be improved. Furthermore, because the second robot 600 uses components common to the first robot 500, the design costs of each robot can be reduced. Furthermore, when a gear motor in the tip-end joint is combined with a motor with a smaller rated capacity but a different frame number than the gear motor in the base-end joint, the outer diameter of the gear motor in the tip-end joint can be reduced. Furthermore, when a gear motor in the tip-end joint is combined with a gear motor in the base-end joint with a smaller axial length, the axial length of the gear motor can be reduced. These features enable the weight and space of the tip-end joint to be reduced, thereby enabling the weight of the entire robot arm to be reduced and improving robot performance.

[0059] This concludes the description of the second embodiment, which provides the same functions and effects as the first embodiment.

[0060] The contents of the present disclosure have been described above based on the embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations are possible and that such modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the descriptions and drawings in this specification should be treated as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0061] (Modifications) Modifications will be described below. In the drawings and descriptions of the modifications, the same components and members as those in the embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Explanations that overlap with the embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on the configurations that differ from the embodiment.

[0062] In the above description, an example has been shown in which the connecting portion 17 is formed separately from the motor case 16, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The connecting portion may be formed as a one-piece member together with the motor case.

[0063] In the above description, an example was given in which the motor 11 is a servo motor, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The motor is not limited as long as it can output rotation to the reducer, and may be one based on various known principles.

[0064] In the above description, an example has been given in which the reducer 10 is a so-called center crank type eccentric oscillating reducer, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The reducer is not limited as long as it can reduce the rotation from the motor and output it, and may be based on various known principles. For example, the reducer 10 may be a distribution type eccentric oscillating reducer, a flexible meshing reducer, a simple planetary reducer, a right-angle axis reducer, a parallel axis reducer, or the like.

[0065] In the above description, an example has been shown in which each of the first joint unit 50 to the fourth joint unit 80 includes three joint units, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The number of joint units in the first joint unit to the fourth joint unit may be one or more.

[0066] In the above explanation, the technical concept has been described as a series of gear motors and a series of robots, but it can also be understood as a technical concept of a manufacturing method or construction method for a series of gear motors (product group), or a manufacturing method or construction method for a series of robots (product group).

[0067] Each of these modifications provides the same functions and effects as the embodiment.

[0068] Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present disclosure. A new embodiment resulting from the combination has the combined effects of the combined embodiments and modifications.

[0069] The present disclosure relates to a series of gear motors and a series of robots.

[0070] S1 First series, S2 Second series, S3 Third series, 10 Reducer, 11 Motor, 14 Stator core, 50 First joint portion, 60 Second joint portion, 70 Third joint portion, 80 Fourth joint portion, 100 First gear motor, 120 Second gear motor, 130 Third gear motor, 140 Fourth gear motor, 150 Fifth gear motor, 500 First robot, 600 Second robot, 1000, 2000, 3000 series.

Claims

1. A gear motor series having a first series and a second series, the first series having at least a first gear motor having a first reducer and a first motor, and a second gear motor having a second reducer having a larger allowable torque than the first reducer and a second motor having a larger rated capacity than the first motor, and the second series having at least a third gear motor having the second reducer and the first motor.

2. A gear motor series having a first series and a third series, wherein the first series includes at least a first gear motor having a first reducer and a first motor, and a second gear motor having a second reducer having a larger allowable torque than the first reducer and a second motor having a larger rated capacity than the first motor, and the third series includes at least a fourth gear motor having the second reducer and a third motor, wherein the third motor has the same shape and outer diameter of the connecting portion with the second reducer as the second motor, and has a smaller axial length than the second motor.

3. A series of gear motors according to claim 2, wherein the axial length of the stator core of the third motor is smaller than the axial length of the stator core of the second motor.

4. A series of robots having a first robot and a second robot having a larger payload than the first robot, wherein the first robot has a first joint section and a second joint section having a lower operating rate than the first joint section, a second gear motor having a second reducer and a second motor incorporated in the first joint section, and the second robot has a third joint section and a fourth joint section having a lower operating rate than the third joint section, and a third gear motor having the second reducer and a first motor having a smaller rated capacity than the second motor incorporated in the fourth joint section.

5. A series of robots according to claim 4, wherein the third joint portion incorporates a fifth gear motor having a third reduction gear having a larger allowable torque than the second reduction gear and a third motor having a larger rated capacity than the second motor.

6. The series of robots according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the operating rate of the first joint portion is three times or more than the operating rate of the second joint portion, and / or the operating rate of the third joint portion is three times or more than the operating rate of the fourth joint portion.

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