THREE-AXIS ROBOTIC JOINT USING FOUR-BAR LINKAGES TO DRIVE DIFFERENTIAL SIDE GEARS
First Claim
1. A robotic joint, comprising:
- a pitch-output roll assembly including;
a housing,a differential mechanism, supported by the housing, including a left input gear, a right input gear, an output gear, a cross element interconnecting the gears, and a clevis supporting the gears and the cross element within the housing,a left four-bar linkage coupled to the left input gear,a right four-bar linkage coupled to the right input gear, andfirst and second linear actuators connected to the left and right four-bar linkages, respectively, selectively driving the left and right input gears to rotate the output gear about an output roll axis and to rotate the cross element about a pitch axis passing through the cross element and the input gears.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A robotic joint configured as a 3-axis joint. The joint includes an input roll assembly and a pitch-output roll assembly. The pitch-output roll assembly includes: a housing; a differential mechanism including left and right input gears, an output gear, a cross element interconnecting the gears, and a clevis supporting the gears and the cross element; a left four-bar linkage coupled to the left input gear; a right four-bar linkage coupled to the right input gear; and first and second linear actuators connected to the left and right four-bar linkages. The first and second linear actuators selectively drive the left and right input gears to rotate the output gear about an output roll axis and to rotate the cross element about a pitch axis passing through the cross element and input gears. A linear actuator in the input roll assembly rotates the pitch-output roll housing about an input roll axis.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A robotic joint, comprising:
a pitch-output roll assembly including; a housing, a differential mechanism, supported by the housing, including a left input gear, a right input gear, an output gear, a cross element interconnecting the gears, and a clevis supporting the gears and the cross element within the housing, a left four-bar linkage coupled to the left input gear, a right four-bar linkage coupled to the right input gear, and first and second linear actuators connected to the left and right four-bar linkages, respectively, selectively driving the left and right input gears to rotate the output gear about an output roll axis and to rotate the cross element about a pitch axis passing through the cross element and the input gears. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A robotic joint for use as a shoulder or other joint, comprising:
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first, second, and third rotary outputs arranged in an input roll-pitch-output roll configuration with substantially intersecting input roll, pitch, and output roll axes; and first, second, and third linear actuators operating the rotary outputs. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A robotic joint, comprising:
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a geared differential comprising a first input gear, an output gear, and a second input gear interconnected by a cross element; an output element mounted to the output gear to rotate with the output gear about an output roll axis; and a first linear actuator selectively driving the first input gear and a second linear actuator selectively driving the second input gear to provide the rotation of the output gear and to provide rotation of the robotic joint about a pitch axis extending through the input gears. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification