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Five axis direct-drive mini-robot having fifth actuator located at non-adjacent joint

  • US 5,528,955 A
  • Filed: 09/08/1994
  • Issued: 06/25/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A mini-robot apparatus, comprising five joints respectively connected by first, second, third and fourth links in a kinematic chain, each joint movable in one degree of freedom, the first four joints in the chain directly driven by four respective actuators, the last joint in the chain indirectly driven by a fifth actuator positioned at a non-adjacent link;

  • and in which the kinematic chain is formed by a shoulder assembly, arm assembly and wrist assembly which together have a center of gravity in vicinity of the shoulder assembly;

    the shoulder assembly comprising the first link, second link and third link and a first actuator, second actuator and third actuator, the first actuator for directly driving manipulation of said first joint to define a first degree of freedom, the second actuator directly driving manipulation of said second joint to define a second degree of freedom, the third actuator for directly driving manipulation of the third joint to define a third degree of freedom;

    the arm assembly comprising a fourth link and a fourth actuator, the fourth actuator for directly driving the wrist assembly to rotate, said rotation of the wrist assembly defining a fourth degree of freedom;

    the wrist assembly comprising a first pulley having a fixed orientation relative to the wrist assembly;

    the shoulder assembly further comprising the fifth actuator and a second pulley, the second pulley having a fixed orientation at the shoulder assembly relative to the third link, the second pulley having a drive axis coaxial with a drive axis of the third actuator, the first and second pulley mechanically coupled by an elastic drive belt, the fifth actuator driving the wrist assembly relative to the arm assembly via the pulleys and belt to define a fifth degree of freedom, wherein length of the drive belt varies as the first pulley and wrist assembly rotate relative to the second pulley and the shoulder assembly.

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