Robotic manipulator

• US 5,692,412 A
• Filed: 04/23/1996
• Issued: 12/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agility Robotics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ross Hime Designs Inc.
• Inventors: Rosheim, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, Charles A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRABOW, TROY E
• Application Number:
  US08/636,682
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 901/23, 901/28, 901/29, 414/729, 74/490.01, 74/490.03, 74/490.05
• US Class Current: 74/490.05
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0275 Universal joints, e.g. Hooke, Cardan, ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/06 characterised by multi-articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20305 Robotic arm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20329 Joint between elements

Abstract

A mechanical manipulator having actuators therein operating across orthogonal pivot joints formed between pivot connection structures and a link arrangement, and also between these same pivot connection structures and a corresponding effector. The actuators are coupled to effectors to position them as selected by having portions of such actuators coupled to the effectors that are capable of moving toward and away from other portions of such actuators connected to the link structure. The components of the mechanical manipulator, except for portions of the effectors, can be enclosed so as to allow the effectors to move in response to the actuators while excluding foreign matter from the enclosed portion thereof.

Claims

1. Robotic apparatus including first robotic manipulator having an initial manipulable support and a complement manipulable support on different sides thereof, said first manipulator comprising:

a link structure;

an initial pivot connector rotatably connected to said link structure about a first axis and further rotatably connected to said initial manipulable support about a second axis oriented angularly to said first axis;

a complement pivot connector rotatably connected to said link structure about a third axis, and further rotatably connected to said complement manipulable support about a fourth axis oriented angularly to said third axis; and

first initial and first complement actuators each having a pair of body portions therein which can selectively be caused to approach and separate from one another, said first initial actuator having one of said pair of body portions thereof coupled to said link structure and having that said body portion thereof remaining coupled to said initial manipulable support independently of said initial and complement pivot connectors, said first complement actuator having one of said pair of body portions thereof coupled to said link structure and having that said body portion thereof remaining coupled to said complement manipulable support independently of said initial and complement pivot connectors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said link structure has an enclosure thereabout having a complement opening therein to permit said complement manipulable support to emerge therefrom, said first complement actuator being coupled to said complement manipulable support by a complement shell movable with respect to said enclosure and with said complement shell having an opening therein to permit said complement manipulable support to emerge therefrom but otherwise substantially covering said enclosure complement opening.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second axes of said initial pivot connector are substantially orthogonal to one another and said third and fourth axes of said complement pivot connector are substantially orthogonal to one another, and wherein those two locations at which said coupling of said first initial actuator means to said link structure and said coupling of said first complement actuator to said link structure, along with that pivot connector direction established between said rotatable connections of said initial and complement pivot connectors to said link structure, define a first link-actuator plane;

and further comprising second initial and second complement actuators each having a pair of body portions therein which can selectively be caused to approach and separate from one another, said second initial actuator having one of said pair of body portions thereof coupled to said link structure and that said body portion thereof remaining coupled to said initial manipulable support, and said second complement actuator having one of said pair of body portions thereof coupled to said link structure and that said body portion thereof remaining coupled to said complement manipulable support, such that said coupling of said second initial actuator to said link structure and said coupling of said second complement actuator to said link structure, along with said pivot connection direction, establish a second link-actuator plane which is substantially orthogonal to said first link-actuator plane.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein those said body portions of said first initial and first complement actuators coupled to said link structure together form a common differential screw threaded shell which is coupled to said link structure at a location at which is provided a rotary motion generation means which can selectively rotate a selected member of a rotary motion drive train means, said coupling between said common differential screw threaded shell and said rotary motion generation means being provided by said rotary motion drive train means.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said initial and complement manipulable supports, said initial and complement pivot connectors and said link structure each have an interior passageway therethrough such than an elongated flexible structure can extend commonly through all of them.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said link structure is at least in part a tube-like structure formed by a tubular wall about an interior passageway with that said tubular wall having at least one tubular passageway therein which opens to neither said interior passageway thereof nor to exterior regions immediately outside said link structure tubular wall opposite that said interior passageway;

and wherein said complement manipulable support is at least in part a tube-like structure formed by a tubular wall about an interior passageway with that said tubular wall having at least one tubular passageway therein which opens to neither said interior passageway thereof nor to exterior regions outside said complement manipulable support tubular wall opposite that said interior passageway; and

wherein said complement pivot connector is at least in part a tube-like structure formed by a tubular wall about an interior passageway with that said tubular wall having at least one tubular passageway therein which opens to neither said interior passageway thereof nor to exterior regions outside said complement pivot connector tubular wall opposite that said interior passageway; and

further wherein said link structure means and said complement pivot connector are rotatably connected as aforesaid by a rotatable connection which permits said link structure tubular passageway to maintain communication with said complement pivotal connector tubular passageway, and said complement pivot connector and said complement manipulable support are rotatably connected as aforesaid by a rotatable connection which permits said complement pivot connector tubular passageway to maintain communication with said complement manipulable support tubular passageway.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first initial and first complement actuators are each a linear actuator.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second robotic manipulator having an initial manipulable support joined with said first robotic manipulator complement manipulable support without having motors in or on these joined supports for operating either of said first and second robotic manipulators.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said complement shell is formed by both an inner complement shell and an outer complement shell positioned against one another with said outer complement shell being slidable over said inner complement shell, said inner and outer complement shells each having a hole therein to permit said complement manipulable support to emerge therefrom as aforesaid but with said outer complement shell having a hole of a substantially greater size than that in said inner complement shell, said first complement actuator being rotatably connected to said inner complement shell means.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said enclosure also has an initial opening therein to permit said initial manipulable support to emerge therefrom, said first initial actuator being coupled to said initial manipulable support by an initial shell movable with respect to said enclosure and with said initial shell having an opening therein to permit said initial manipulable support to emerge therefrom but otherwise substantially covering said enclosure initial opening.

11. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first and second initial actuator and said first and second complement actuators are each a linear actuator.

12. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said body portion of said first initial actuator coupled to said initial manipulable support is coupled thereto at least in part by a rotatably mounted threaded nut, and wherein said body portion of said first complement actuator coupled to said complement manipulable support is coupled thereto at least in part by a rotatably mounted threaded nut.

13. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said interior passageways can also accommodate control interconnections therethrough for said first initial and said first complement actuators.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said second robotic manipulator has said initial manipulable support and a complement manipulable support on different sides thereof, said second manipulator comprising:

a link structure;

an initial pivot connector rotatably connected to said link structure about a first axis and further rotatably connected to said initial manipulable support about a second axis oriented angularly to said first axis;

a complement pivot connector rotatably connected to said link structure about a third axis, and further rotatably connected to said complement manipulable support about a fourth axis oriented angularly to said third axis; and

first initial and first complement actuators each having a pair of body portions therein which can selectively be caused to approach and separate from one another, said first initial actuator having one of said pair of body portions thereof coupled to said link structure and having that said body portion thereof remaining coupled to said initial manipulable support, said first complement actuator having one of said pair of body portions thereof coupled to said link structure and having that said body portion thereof remaining coupled to said complement manipulable support.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said outer complement shell is retained within said enclosure at said enclosure complement opening by a complement seal positioned around an interior edge of said enclosure complement opening, said outer complement shell having lips protruding outwardly both at an edge of said hole therein that permits said complement manipulable support to emerge therefrom and at an edge of another opening across therefrom in said outer complement shell.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said initial shell is formed by both an inner initial shell and an outer initial shell positioned against one another with said outer initial shell being slidable over said inner initial shell, said inner and outer initial shell each having a hole therein to permit said initial manipulable support to emerge therefrom as aforesaid but with said outer initial shell having a hole of a substantially greater size than that in said inner initial shell, said first complement actuator being rotatably connected to said inner initial shell.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said second manipulator link structure has a second manipulator enclosure thereabout having a complement opening therein to permit said second manipulator complement manipulable support to emerge therefrom, said second manipulator first complement actuator being coupled to said second manipulator complement manipulable support by a second manipulator complement shell movable with respect to said second manipulator enclosure and with said second manipulator complement shell having an opening therein to permit said second manipulator complement manipulable support to emerge therefrom but otherwise substantially covering said second manipulator enclosure complement opening.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein those two locations at which said coupling of said second manipulator first initial actuator to said second manipulator link structure and said coupling of said second manipulator first complement actuator to said manipulator link structure, along with that pivot connector direction established between said rotatable connections of said second manipulator initial and complement orthogonal pivot connectors to said second manipulator link structure, define a first link-actuator plane, and further comprising second manipulator second initial and second complement actuators each having a pair of body portions therein which can selectively be caused to approach and separate from one another, said second manipulator second initial actuator having one of said pair of body portions thereof coupled to said second manipulator link structure and that said body portion thereof remaining coupled to said second manipulator initial manipulable support, and said second manipulator second complement actuator having one of said pair of body portions thereof coupled to said second manipulator link structure and that said body portion thereof remaining coupled to said second manipulator complement manipulable support, such that said coupling of said second manipulator second initial actuator to said second manipulator link structure and said coupling of said second manipulator second complement actuator to said second manipulator link structure, along with said pivot connection direction, establish a second link-actuator which is substantially orthogonal to said first link-actuator plane.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein those said, body portions of said second manipulator first initial and first complement actuators coupled to said second manipulator link structure together form a common second manipulator differential screw threaded shell which is coupled to said second manipulator link structure at a location at which is provided a second manipulator rotary motion generation means which can selectively rotate a selected member of a second manipulator rotary motion drive train means, said coupling between said common second manipulator differential screw threaded shell and said second manipulator rotary motion generation means being provided by said second manipulator rotary motion drive train means.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said second manipulator initial and complement manipulable supports, said second manipulator initial and complement pivot connectors, and said second manipulator link structure each have an interior passageway therethrough such that an elongated flexible structure can extend commonly through all of them.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said outer initial shell is retained within said enclosure at said enclosure initial opening by an initial seal positioned around an interior edge of said enclosure initial opening, said outer initial shell having lips protruding outwardly both at an edge of said hole therein that permits said initial manipulable support to emerge therefrom and at an edge of another opening across therefrom in said outer initial shell.

22. A first robotic manipulator having an initial manipulable support, said first manipulator comprising:

a base structure;

an initial pivot connector rotatably connected to said base structure about a first axis and further rotatably connected to said initial manipulable support about a second axis oriented angularly to said first axis; and

first and second initial actuators each having a pair of body portions therein which can selectively be caused to approach and separate from one another, said first and second initial actuators each having one of said pair of body portions thereof coupled to said base structure and each having that said body portion thereof remaining coupled to said initial manipulable support independently of said initial pivot connector so as to have each of said first and second initial actuators be able to move said initial manipulable support in a direction corresponding thereto that is substantially orthogonal to said corresponding direction of movement of that remaining other actuator.

23. The manipulator of claim 22 wherein said base structure has an enclosure thereabout having an initial opening therein to permit said initial manipulable support to emerge therefrom, said first and second initial actuators being coupled to said initial manipulable support by an initial shell movable with respect to said enclosure and with said initial shell having an opening therein to permit said initial manipulable support to emerge therefrom but otherwise substantially covering said enclosure initial opening.

24. The manipulator of claim 22 wherein said initial manipulable support, said initial orthogonal pivot connector, and said base structure each have an interior passageway therethrough such that an elongated flexible structure can extend commonly through all of them.

25. The manipulator of claim 23 wherein said initial shell is formed by both an inner initial shell and an outer initial shell positioned against one another with said outer initial shell being slidable over said inner initial shell, said inner and outer initial shells each having a hole therein to permit said initial manipulable support to emerge therefrom as aforesaid, but with said outer initial shell having a hole of a substantially greater size than that in said inner initial shell, said first and second initial actuators each being rotatably connected to said inner initial shell means.

26. The manipulator of claim 25 wherein said outer initial shell is retained within said enclosure at said enclosure initial opening by an initial seal positioned around an interior edge of said enclosure initial opening, said outer initial shell having lips protruding outwardly both at an edge of said hole therein that permits said initial manipulable support to emerge therefrom and at an edge of another opening across therefrom in said outer initial shell.

27. Robotic apparatus including first robotic manipulator having an initial manipulable support and a complement manipulable support on different sides thereof, said first manipulator comprising:

a link structure;

an initial pivot connector rotatably connected to said link structure about a first axis and further rotatably connected to said initial manipulable support about a second axis oriented angularly to said first axis;

a complement pivot connector rotatably connected to said link structure about a third axis, and further rotatably connected to said complement manipulable support about a fourth axis oriented angularly to said third axis; and

first initial and first complement actuators each having a pair of body portions therein which can selectively be caused to approach and separate from one another, said first initial actuator having one of said pair of body portions thereof coupled to said link structure so as to limit translation of that said body portion in all directions with respect to said link structure and having that said body portion thereof remaining coupled to said initial manipulable support, said first complement actuator having one of said pair of body portions thereof coupled to said link structure so as to limit translation of that said body portion in all directions with respect to said link structure and having that said body portion thereof remaining coupled to said complement manipulable support.

28. A first robotic manipulator having an initial manipulable support, said first manipulator comprising:

a base structure;

an initial pivot connector rotatably connected to said base structure about a first axis and further rotatably connected to said initial manipulable support about a second axis oriented angularly to said first axis; and

first and second initial actuators each having a pair of body portions therein which can selectively be caused to approach and separate from one another, said first and second initial actuators each having one of said pair of body portions thereof coupled to said base structure so as to limit translation of that said body portion in all directions with respect to said base structure and each having that said body portion thereof remaining coupled to said initial manipulable support so as to have each of said first and second initial actuators be able to move said initial manipulable support in a direction corresponding thereto that is substantially orthogonal to said corresponding direction of movement of that remaining other actuator.