Gravity balancing device for rocking arm

• US 4,592,697 A
• Filed: 04/26/1983
• Issued: 06/03/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Klaus Schmidt
• Original Assignee: Klaus Schmidt
• Inventors: Nagahama, Yasuhide, Sekino, Teruyoshi, Tuda, Goro, Kada, Hironosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Siemens, Terrance L.
• Application Number:
  US06/488,721
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 414/719, 414/673, 901/48, 267/71
• US Class Current: 414/719
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/0016 using springs
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/046 Revolute coordinate type
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1025 Harmonic drives in general: F16H49/001

Abstract

A gravity offsetting device for offsetting the gravitational moment of a rocking arm, mounted between a fixed point located above a pivotal point of the rocking arm at a predetermined distance a and substantially in vertical alignment therewith, and an arbitrary point on the rocking arm, the gravity balancing device including: a compression spring having a spring constant k of a value corresponding to the load W at the arbitrary point as divided by the distance a, and a free length corresponding to the sum of the length l between the fixed and arbitrary points and the initial set length l_s of the compression spring, and adapted to apply a counterbalancing tensile force varying in proportion to the distance between the fixed and arbitrary points.

Claims

1. A gravity balancing device for offsetting a gravitational moment of a rocking arm, mounted between a fixed point located above a pivotal point of said rocking arm at a predetermined distance a and substantially in vertical alignment therewith, and an arbitrary point on said arm, said gravity balancing device comprising:

compression spring means having a spring constant k of a value equivalent to a load W at said arbitrary point as divided by said predetermined distance a, and a free length equal to a sum of the length l between said fixed and said arbitrary point and an initial mounted length l_s of said compression spring for applying a counterbalancing tensile force varying in proportion to the distance between said fixed point and said arbitrary point on said arm.

2. The gravity balancing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said compression spring means further comprises a cylindrical casing, a compression spring, a first fixed wall member with a fixed rod member, and a telescopically movable rod wherein said compression spring is disposed in said cylindrical casing between said fixed wall member with said fixed rod member with a joint portion corresponding to said fixed point and a flanged inner end of said movable rod wherein said movable rod is telescopically movable into and out of said casing through a second end wall thereof.

3. An industrial robot incorporating a spring unit for counterbalancing gravitational moment of a rocking arm between a fixed point located above a pivotal point of said rocking arm at a predetermined distance a and substantially in vertical alignment therewith, and an arbitrary point on said arm, said gravity balancing device comprising:

compression spring means having a spring constant k of a value equivalent to the load W at said arbitrary point and divided by said predetermined distance a, and a free length equal to a sum of the length l between said fixed point and said arbitrary point on said arm and an initial mounted length l_s of said compression spring, for applying a counterbalancing tensile force varying in proportion to the distance of said fixed point and said arbitrary point on said arm.

4. The industrial robot as set forth in claim 3, wherein said compression spring means further comprises a compression spring, a cylinder casing, a first fixed wall member with a fixed rod member, and a telescopically movable rod wherein said compression spring is disposed in said cylindrical casing between said fixed wall member with said fixed rod member with a joint portion corresponding to said fixed point and a flanged inner end of said movable rod and wherein said movable rod is telescopically movable into and out of said casing through a second end wall thereof.

5. The industrial robot as set forth in claim 3, wherein said robot further comprises a multi-articulated robot including a swivel base, a first arm having a base end thereof pivotally supported on said swivel base, a second arm having one end thereof pivotally connected to a fore end of said first arm, a wrist portion pivotally supported at a fore end of said second arm, and a plurality of gravity balancing units mounted on said first and second arms for offsetting gravitational moments thereof, said robot further comprising:

parallel link means for interlocking a first shaft supporting the weight of said wrist portion with a second shaft serving as a pivoting shaft of said second arm; and

counterweight means securely fixed to said second shaft for offsetting variations in the gravitational moment of said second arm caused by rotation of said wrist portion about said first shaft.