Flexible-frame robot

• US 4,661,039 A
• Filed: 09/23/1985
• Issued: 04/28/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Horton Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Donaldson Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Brenholt, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Underwood, Donald W.
• Application Number:
  US06/779,224
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 414/7, 414/739, 414/730, 414/735, 901/9, 901/14, 901/15, 901/21, 901/22, 901/25, 901/35, 901/46, 901/47, 364/513, 367/127, 356/5, 318/568
• US Class Current: 414/735
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 18/06 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/142 comprising inflatable bodies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 700/90 Special robot structural element

Abstract

An industrial robot (15) is disclosed which has a flexible frame or body and is constructed so as to have six degrees of freedom and a work envelope which is substantially free of dead spaces. A free end of the body includes an end effector (27) for performing a task. To determine the position of the end effector (27) within the work envelope and to displace the end effector (27) according to the task requirements, a system is provided in which embedded microprocessors are interconnected with a signal transmitter (ST) located at the body free end (23) and receivers (R1, R2, R3) fixed in their positions on the stationary base (16) of the body. Continual monitoring of the end effector location is possible and adjustment in position may be made immediately. A remote computer linked to the microprocessors provides instructions for the operation and displacement of the robot. The degrees of freedom for the body are movement about a vertical axis, a horizontal axis and within a plane oriented so as to be in-line with the vertical axis and perpendicular to the horizontal axis. Actuating mechanisms are provided for effecting movement of the flexible body either sequentially or simultaneously about the two axes and within the plane. Movement by the flexible body within the plane is accomplished hydraulically with bladder actuators positioned along the length of the segmented body and connected for fluid communication between each other.

Claims

1. A flexible-frame robot, comprising:

a base;

a segmented body having one end secured to said base;

said body including a plurality of aligned members, each member including a pair of end segments and a middle segment;

an opposite pair of springs interconnecting corresponding adjacent end segments of the members of said body;

the middle segment of each member including mating piston and cover sections, the piston section including an opposite pair of openings oriented transverse to said pair of springs;

a pair of bladder diaphragms disposed between adjacent middle segments of the members of said body, each diaphragm being in fluid communication through the corresponding openings in the piston sections thereof to define two passageways adapted for connection at said one end of said body to a source of fluid under pressure, whereby angular displacement of said body can be controlled as desired; and

means connected to the other end of said body for gripping an object.

2. The flexible-frame robot of claim 1, wherein said springs extend through longitudinal slots in the end segments of the members of said body, opposite ends of each slot being beveled outwardly in opposite directions from each member, and further including:

a connecting pin extending transverse to each spring through the slot in each end segment of the members of said body.

3. The flexible-frame robot according to claim 1, wherein said springs are comprised of laminated fiberglass.

4. The flexible-frame robot of claim 1, wherein one of the piston and cover sections are oriented toward said base and the other of the piston and cover sections of the middle segments of said body members are oriented toward said gripping means, and wherein each piston section includes a back surface, and wherein each cover section includes a front surface, and further including:

a pair of spaced apart plugs extending from the back surface of each piston section, said fluid openings extending through said plugs which are received in corresponding openings formed through the cover section of each middle segment of each body member.

5. The flexible-frame robot according to claim 4, wherein the front surface of each cover section is angled and extends in a plane transverse to said pair of springs so that the thickness of said cover section is greater at its upper half than its bottom half.

6. The flexible-frame robot of claim 1, further including:

means for supporting the one end of said segmented body on said base for rotation about an vertical axis.

7. The flexible-frame robot of claim 1, further including:

means for supporting the one end of said segmented body on said base for rotation about a horizontal axis.

8. A flexible-frame robot, comprising:

a base;

a segmented body having opposite inner and outer ends;

means for supporting the inner end of said body on said base for independent rotation about mutually perpendicular axes;

said body including a plurality of aligned members, each member including a pair of end segments and a middle segment;

a pair of opposing springs interconnecting corresponding adjacent end segments of the body members;

the middle segment of each body member including mating piston and cover sections, with each piston section including a spaced apart pair of fluid openings extending therethrough and transverse to said pair of springs and in alignment with the corresponding openings in the piston sections of the middle segments of the adjacent aligned body members;

each cover section including an angled front surface extending in a plane transverse to said pair of springs so that the thickness of said cover section is greater at one side thereof;

a pair of bladder diaphragms disposed between adjacent middle segments of the members of said body, each diaphragm being in fluid communication through the corresponding fluid openings in the piston sections thereof to define two passageways extending through said body and adapted for connection at the one end of said body to a source of fluid under pressure, whereby curvature of said body can be controlled as desired; and

means connected to the other end of said body for gripping an object.