ACTIVE COMPLIANT PARALLEL MECHANISM

• US 20130118287A1
• Filed: 11/09/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ossur Iceland ehf
• Original Assignee: SpringActive, Inc.
• Inventors: Holgate, Matthew Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 9,604,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/490.01
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/00 Joints
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0216 comprising a stewart mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20305 Robotic arm

Abstract

An active compliant parallel device includes a movable body; a base body; and a plurality of linking members. The plurality of linking members are coupled to the movable body and the base body by a plurality of joints and include at least one compliant linking member, having a compliant element, and at least one actuating linking member, having an actuating element. The device may further include at least one damping linking member having a damping element and/or at least one passive linking member. The actuating, compliant, passive, and/or damping linking members are arranged in a parallel arrangement or structure such that each linking member makes a connection, using a connection element, such as a joint, with the base body and the movable body. The potential configurations of the device allow for movement and positioning of one or more unrestricted and externally loaded elements in space.

Claims

1. An active compliant parallel device comprising:

a movable body;

a base body; and

a plurality of linking members coupled to each of the movable body and the base body by one of a plurality of joints, the plurality of linking members comprising;

at least one compliant linking member and at least one actuating linking member.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each compliant member includes a compliant element.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein each actuating member includes an actuating element.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one passive linking member.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the movable body is used as the output to the device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one member of the plurality of linking members is used as the output to the device.

7. An active compliant parallel device comprising:

a movable body;

a base body; and

a plurality of linking members coupled to each of the movable body and the base body by one of a plurality of joints, the plurality of linking members comprising;

at least one compliant linking member,

at least one actuating linking member, and

at least one damping linking member.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein each compliant member includes a compliant element.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein each actuating member includes an actuating element.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein each damping member includes a damping element.

11. The device of claim 7, further comprising at least one passive linking member.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the movable body is used as the output to the device.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein at least one member of the plurality of linking members is used as the output to the device.