Wire guide apparatus for wire-driven mechanism

• US 5,020,388 A
• Filed: 09/14/1990
• Issued: 06/04/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Agency of Industrial Science & Technology (Government of Japan), Ministry of International Trade & Industry (Government of Malaysia)
• Inventors: Maeda, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Herrmann, Allan D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAUB, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US07/582,104
• Time in Patent Office: 263 Days
• Field of Search: 74/479, 623/59, 623/61, 623/63, 901/21
• US Class Current: 74/490.04
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0241 One-dimensional joints
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/104 with cables, chains or ribbons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20323 including flaccid drive element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20408 Constant tension sustaining

Abstract

A wire guide apparatus for a wire driven mechanism includes an arm stem member, an arm end member having a hand section, a joint section for rotatably coupling the arm end member to the arm stem member, a wire guide pulley, and a device for bending the arm end member relative to the arm stem member. The arm stem member is provided with a first drive source for driving the hand section via wires and a second drive source for driving the bending device. The wire guide pulley is rotatably supported at an eccentric position relative to an elbow position of the arm end member for guiding the wires to pass through the arm stem member and arm end member and is displaced toward the arm stem member by an amount corresponding to an extent of bending of the arm end member.

Claims

1. A wire guide apparatus for a wire driven mechanism, comprising:

an arm stem member provided with first and second drive sources;

an arm end member provided at one end thereof with a hand section driven by said first drive source of said arm stem member via wires;

joint means rotatably coupling the other end of said arm end member and one end of said arm stem member;

a wire gudie pulley rotatably supported at an eccentric position with respect to an elbow position of said arm end member for guiding said wires such that the wires pass through said arm stem member and said arm end member; and

means for causing said arm end member to be bent in said joint means with respect to said arm stem member by said second drive source of said arm stem member;

said wire guide pulley being displaced toward said arm stem member by an amount corresponding to an extent of bending of said arm end member.