Joint structure and robot arm

• US 7,367,245 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okazaki, Yasunao, Asai, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): FENSTERMACHER, DAVID MORGAN
• Application Number:
  US11/785,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20070199399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 744/900.1, 744/900.4, 744/900.5, 744/900.6, 901/21, 901/27, 901/28
• US Class Current: 74/490.04
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/104 with cables, chains or ribbons
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1075 with muscles or tendons
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/142 comprising inflatable bodies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20323 including flaccid drive element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20329 Joint between elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20335 Wrist

Abstract

A joint structure includes a rotating guide pulley, a fixed guide, and a rotating guide pulley. The rotating guide pulley is coaxial with a rotating shaft of a revolute joint, and is arranged so as to be rotatable about the rotating shaft. The fixed guide is arranged in a first structure, and has an arc portion. The arc portion has the same radius as the rotating guide pulley and is coaxial with the rotating guide pulley. The rotating guide pulley is arranged in a second structure so as to be relatively movable. A wire is put round the rotating guide pulley, the movable rotating guide pulley, and the fixed guide in the order of them.

Claims

1. A joint structure comprising:

a first structure;

a second structure;

a revolute joint for connecting the first structure and the second structure;

a rotating guide pulley which is coaxial with a rotating shaft of the revolute joint and arranged so as to be rotatable about the rotating shaft;

a fixed guide which is arranged in the first structure, the fixed guide having an arc portion;

a movable rotating guide pulley which is arranged in the second structure so as to be relatively movable;

a wire which is put round the rotating guide pulley, the movable rotating guide pulley, and the fixed guide in an order of the rotating guide pulley, the movable rotating guide pulley, and the fixed guide;

a first drive apparatus, which is included in the first structure, for rotating the second structure about the revolute joint without changing a distance from the movable rotating guide pulley to the rotating guide pulley; and

a second drive apparatus, which is included in the first structure, for driving the wire, and moving the movable rotating guide pulley to change the distance to the rotating guide pulley by driving the wire,

wherein the second structure is rotated about the revolute joint by driving the first drive apparatus without changing the distance from the movable rotating guide pulley to the rotating guide pulley.

2. A joint structure according to claim 1, wherein the fixed guide is formed as a part of a member fixed to the first structure.

3. A joint structure according to claim 1, wherein the movable rotating guide pulley has a structure in which a first movable rotating guide pulley whose guide groove is located in a same plane as a plane including a guide groove of the rotating guide pulley and a second movable rotating guide pulley whose guide groove is located in a same plane as a plane including a guide groove of the fixed guide are integrally formed.

4. A joint structure according to claim 1, wherein the movable rotating guide pulley has a first guide groove located in a same plane as a plane including a guide groove of the rotating guide pulley and a second guide groove located in a same plane as a plane including a guide groove of the fixed guide.

8. A robot arm comprising:

a joint structure as in claim 1;

a hand which is arranged at an front end on a side opposite to a revolute joint side of the second structure; and

a hand driving wire for connecting the movable rotating guide pulley and the hand,

wherein the movable rotating guide pulley is movable relative to the second structure, and thereby the hand driving wire rotates and drives the hand with respect to the second structure.

9. A robot arm comprising:

a joint structure as in claim 2;

a hand which is arranged at an front end on a side opposite to a revolute joint side of the second structure; and

a hand driving wire for connecting the movable rotating guide pulley and the hand,

wherein the movable rotating guide pulley is movable relative to the second structure, and thereby the hand driving wire rotates and drives the hand with respect to the second structure.

10. A robot arm comprising:

a joint structure as in claim 3;

a hand which is arranged at an front end on a side opposite to a revolute joint side of the second structure; and

a hand driving wire for connecting the movable rotating guide pulley and the hand,

wherein the movable rotating guide pulley is movable relative to the second structure, and thereby the hand driving wire rotates and drives the hand with respect to the second structure.

11. A robot arm comprising:

a joint structure as in claim 4;

a hand which is arranged at an front end on a side opposite to a revolute joint side of the second structure; and

a hand driving wire for connecting the movable rotating guide pulley and the hand,

wherein the movable rotating guide pulley is movable relative to the second structure, and thereby the hand driving wire rotates and drives the hand with respect to the second structure.

5. A joint structure comprising:

a first structure;

a second structure;

a revolute joint for connecting the first structure and the second structure;

a first rotating guide pulley and a second rotating guide pulley which are coaxial with a rotating shaft of the revolute joint, the first rotating guide pulley and the second rotating guide pulley being arranged in the first structure or the second structure so as to be rotatable about the rotating shaft respectively, the first rotating guide pulley and the second rotating guide pulley being capable of rotating relative to each other;

a movable rotating guide pulley which is arranged in the second structure so as to be relatively movable;

an auxiliary rotating guide pulley which is provided in the first structure while freely rotated;

a wire which is put round the first rotating guide pulley, the movable rotating guide pulley, the second rotating guide pulley, and the auxiliary rotating guide pulley in an order of the first rotating guide pulley, the movable rotating guide pulley, the second rotating guide pulley, and the auxiliary rotating guide pulley, both end portions of the wire being fixed to the second drive apparatus;

a first drive apparatus, which is included in the first structure, for rotating the second structure about the revolute joint without changing a distance from the movable rotating guide pulley to the first and second rotating guide pulleys; and

a second drive apparatus, which is included in the first structure, for driving the wire, and moving the movable rotating guide pulley to change the distance to the first and second rotating guide pulleys by driving the wire,

wherein the second structure is rotated about the revolute joint by driving the first drive apparatus without changing the distance from the movable rotating guide pulley to the first and second rotating guide pulleys.

12. A robot arm comprising:

a joint structure as in claim 5;

a hand which is arranged at an front end on a side opposite to a revolute joint side of the second structure; and

a hand driving wire for connecting the movable rotating guide pulley and the hand,

wherein the movable rotating guide pulley is movable relative to the second structure, and thereby the hand driving wire rotates and drives the hand with respect to the second structure.

6. A joint structure comprising:

a first structure;

a second structure;

a revolute joint for connecting the first structure and the second structure;

a third rotating guide pulley which is coaxial with a rotating shaft of the revolute joint, and arranged so as to be rotatable about the rotating shaft;

a fourth rotating guide pulley which is arranged in the second structure while freely rotated;

a movable rotating guide pulley which is arranged in the second structure so as to be relatively movable;

a first drive apparatus, which is included in the first structure, for rotating the second structure about the revolute joint without changing a distance from the movable rotating guide pulley to the rotating guide pulley; and

a second drive apparatus, which is included in the first structure, for driving a wire, and moving the movable rotating guide pulley to change the distance to the rotating guide pulley by driving the wire; and

the wire which is put round the third rotating guide pulley, the movable rotating guide pulley, and the fourth rotating guide pulley in an order of the third rotating guide pulley, the movable rotating guide pulley, and the fourth rotating guide pulley, one end portion of the wire being fixed to the second drive apparatus, the other end portion being fixed to the fourth rotating guide pulley;

a first parallel link whose one end portion is supported by the first structure while freely rotated; and

a second parallel link in which one end portion is connected to the other end portion of the first parallel link so as to be freely rotated and the other end portion is fixed to the fourth rotating guide pulley,

wherein a four-node parallel link structure is formed so as to have four fulcrums of a portion where the one end portion of the first parallel link is supported to the first structure, a portion where the other end portion of the first parallel link and the one end portion of the second parallel link are connected to each other, a portion where the other end portion of the second parallel link is fixed to the fourth rotating guide pulley, and a portion which is arranged in the second structure of the fourth rotating guide pulley while freely rotated, and

the second structure is rotated about the revolute joint by driving the first drive apparatus without changing the distance from the movable rotating guide pulley to the third rotating guide pulley.

13. A robot arm comprising:

a joint structure as in claim 6;

a hand which is arranged at an front end on a side opposite to a revolute joint side of the second structure; and

a hand driving wire for connecting the movable rotating guide pulley and the hand,

wherein the movable rotating guide pulley is movable relative to the second structure, and thereby the hand driving wire rotates and drives the hand with respect to the second structure.

7. A joint structure comprising:

a first structure;

a second structure;

a rotating guide pulley which is coaxial with a rotating shaft of the revolute joint, and arranged so as to be rotatable about the rotating shaft;

a movable rotating guide pulley which is arranged in the second structure so as to be relatively movable;

a first drive apparatus which is included in the first structure, for rotating the second structure about the revolute joint without changing a distance from the movable rotating guide pulley to the rotating guide pulley;

a second drive apparatus which is included in the first structure, for driving a wire, and moving the movable rotating guide pulley to change the distance to the rotating guide pulley by driving the wire;

the wire which is put round the rotating guide pulley and the movable rotating guide pulley in an order of the rotating guide pulley and the movable rotating guide pulley, one end portion of the wire being fixed to the second drive apparatus, the other end portion being fixed to the movable rotating guide pulley;

a first parallel link whose one end portion is supported by the first structure while freely rotated; and

a second parallel link in which one end portion is connected to the other end portion of the first parallel link while being freely slidable and rotatable and the other end portion is fixed to the movable rotating guide pulley,

wherein a four-node parallel link structure is formed while having four fulcrums of a portion where the one end portion of the first parallel link is supported to the first structure, a portion where the other end portion of the first parallel link and the one end portion of the second parallel link are connected to each other, a portion where the other end portion of the second parallel link is fixed to the movable rotating guide pulley, and a portion which is arranged in the second structure of the rotating guide pulley while freely rotated, and

the second structure is rotated about the revolute joint by driving the first drive apparatus without changing the distance from the movable rotating guide pulley to the rotating guide pulley.

14. A robot arm comprising:

a joint structure as in claim 7;

a hand which is arranged at an front end on a side opposite to a revolute joint side of the second structure; and

a hand driving wire for connecting the movable rotating guide pulley and the hand,

wherein the movable rotating guide pulley is movable relative to the second structure, and thereby the hand driving wire rotates and drives the hand with respect to the second structure.