Floating joint

• US 10,315,316 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2017
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Uchikawa, Motoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahmadi, Zakaria
• Application Number:
  US15/697,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20180071925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 7/14 Locking means B25B7/123 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0208 Compliance devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0225 with axial compliance, i.e. parallel to the longitudinal wrist axis
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0266 comprising more than two actuating or connecting rods
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0275 Universal joints, e.g. Hooke, Cardan, ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0283 Three-dimensional joints
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/042 comprising an articulated arm

Abstract

A space-saving floating joint including a locking mechanism that locks a swing of a movable base with respect to a fixed base is provided. A floating joint includes: a fixed base; a movable base; a floating mechanism that floatingly supports the movable base swingably with respect to the fixed base; and a locking mechanism that fixes the movable base in a state of not being swingable with respect to the fixed base. The floating mechanism includes a spherical bearing having a spherical surface, and a spherical washer part that supports the spherical surface slidably. The locking mechanism is provided in an inner part of the spherical bearing.

Claims

1. A floating joint comprising:

a fixed base;

a movable base;

a floating mechanism that floatingly supports the movable base swingably with respect to the fixed base; and

a locking mechanism that fixes the movable base in a state of not being swingable with respect to the fixed base,

wherein

the floating mechanism includes

a spherical bearing having a spherical surface, and

a spherical washer part that supports the spherical surface slidably, the locking mechanism is provided in an inner part of the spherical bearing,

the locking mechanism includes

an inner cylinder that is coupled and fixed to the movable base,

an intermediate cylinder that covers an outer periphery of the inner cylinder,

an outer cylinder that covers an outer periphery of the intermediate cylinder and that is coupled to the fixed base, and

an elastic member that couples the intermediate cylinder and the movable base,

the intermediate cylinder is provided in a manner of being relatively movable in an axial direction of the intermediate cylinder with respect to the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, and

an outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder and an inner peripheral surface of the intermediate cylinder have step parts engaged with each other.

2. The floating joint according to claim 1, wherein at least one step part is provided in an axial direction of each of the inner cylinder and the intermediate cylinder in a positional relationship of a center of the spherical bearing being therebetween.