CN219404284U - Power-assisted mechanical arm - Google Patents

Abstract

The present utility model relates to a power-assisted mechanical arm, comprising: the power assisting unit comprises a power assisting cylinder, a fixed connecting member, a first bevel gear member and a second bevel gear member which are meshed with each other; and a floating arm unit including an upper arm portion, a lower arm portion, and a tip end connecting mechanism, one end of the upper arm portion being rotatably connected to an upper portion of the tip end connecting mechanism, one end of the lower arm portion being rotatably connected to a lower portion of the tip end connecting mechanism, a first rotation shaft of the first bevel gear member and a second rotation shaft of the second bevel gear member being rotatably connected to the fixed connecting member, respectively, one end of the swing arm member being fixed to the first rotation shaft of the first bevel gear member, the other end of the swing arm member being rotatably connected to one of a cylinder rod and a cylinder tube of the assist cylinder, the other end of the cylinder rod and the cylinder tube of the assist cylinder being rotatably provided to the fixed connecting member, the other end of the upper arm portion of the floating arm unit being fixed to the second bevel gear member, the other end of the lower arm portion being rotatably provided to the fixed connecting member.

Description

Power-assisted mechanical arm

Technical Field

The present utility model relates to a booster robot arm, and more particularly, to a booster robot arm that can be reduced in size and weight and is lightweight to operate, and a booster robot arm that can modularize each unit assembly.

Background

Conventionally, a power-assisted mechanical arm is widely used as a power-assisted mechanism in a production field, and for example, can assist an operator in performing operations such as gripping, transferring, and mounting a weight. The prior power-assisted mechanical arm is generally independently designed and independently used according to the use working condition, wherein the balance lifting mode of the power-assisted mechanical arm mainly adopts a mode that a power-assisted cylinder drives a four-bar mechanism. Because the previous power-assisted mechanical arm is designed only aiming at a single working condition, when the working condition is greatly changed, the power-assisted mechanical arm needs to be correspondingly replaced, and the cost is increased. In addition, the power-assisted mechanical arm with different designs needs various maintenance spare parts with different types, and the maintenance cost can be correspondingly increased.

In addition, the conventional booster mechanical arm is mainly divided into two types, i.e., a hard arm booster mechanical arm and a T-shaped lift booster mechanical arm. The hard arm type power assisting mechanical arm can cope with a large load, but has a large volume and a heavy weight, which makes it difficult to handle the arm, and generally cannot expand and contract according to an actual working condition. The T-shaped lifting power-assisted mechanical arm has a relatively small volume, but can handle a relatively low load, can only adopt a hanging installation mode, is limited in use condition, and generally cannot float according to actual working conditions.

Disclosure of Invention

The present utility model has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a power-assisted robot arm that can be reduced in size and weight as compared with the conventional one and is lightweight to operate. In addition, another object of the present utility model is to provide a power-assisted robot arm capable of modularizing each unit assembly.

In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present utility model, there is provided a booster robot arm including: the power assisting unit comprises a power assisting cylinder, a first bevel gear member, a second bevel gear member and a fixed connecting member, wherein the first bevel gear member and the second bevel gear member are meshed with each other; and a floating arm unit including an upper arm portion, a lower arm portion, and a tip end connecting mechanism, wherein one end of the upper arm portion is rotatably connected to an upper portion of the tip end connecting mechanism, one end of the lower arm portion is rotatably connected to a lower portion of the tip end connecting mechanism, the first rotation shaft of the first bevel gear member and the second rotation shaft of the second bevel gear member are rotatably connected to the fixed connecting member, one end of a swing arm member is fixed to the first rotation shaft of the first bevel gear member, the other end of the swing arm member is rotatably connected to one of a cylinder rod and a cylinder tube of the assist cylinder, the other end of the cylinder rod and the cylinder tube of the assist cylinder is rotatably provided to the fixed connecting member, the other end of the upper arm portion of the floating arm unit is fixed to the second bevel gear member, and the other end of the lower arm portion is rotatably provided to the fixed connecting member.

In the second aspect, the power-assisted mechanical arm according to the first aspect is preferably configured such that the lever member constituted by the upper arm portion and the second bevel gear member, the lower arm portion, the end connecting mechanism, and the fixed connecting member form a parallel four-bar mechanism.

In the third aspect, the power assist mechanical arm according to the first or second aspect is preferably configured such that the lower arm is fixed to a wall portion connecting member of the power assist unit, and the wall portion connecting member is rotatably provided to the fixed connecting member via a third rotation shaft.

In the fourth aspect, the power assist mechanical arm according to the first or second aspect is preferably such that the other end of the upper arm portion of the floating arm unit is detachably fixed to the second bevel gear member, and the other end of the lower arm portion is detachably and relatively rotatably provided to the fixed connection member.

In the fifth aspect, the power-assisted robot arm according to the first or second aspect is preferably further provided with at least one of a lifting unit having a lifting cylinder, a telescoping unit having a fixed member and a telescoping member, and a rotating unit having a pneumatic clutch controlled to prevent or permit rotation by the rotating unit, and a slider attached to the guide rail, the telescoping member telescoping along the guide rail with respect to the fixed member via the guide rail and the slider, the power-assisted unit telescoping via the telescoping member of the telescoping unit, the power-assisted unit rotating via the rotating unit, the power-assisted unit being controlled to prevent or permit rotation by the rotating unit.

In the sixth aspect of the power-assisted robot arm according to the fifth aspect, it is preferable that the power-assisted robot arm further includes a guide shaft and a brake cylinder through which the guide shaft passes, and when the air is supplied through the air supply/exhaust unit of the brake cylinder, a guide post in the brake cylinder abuts against the guide shaft to lock the telescopic member and the fixing member.

In the seventh aspect, the power-assisted robot arm according to the fifth aspect preferably includes the lifting unit, the telescopic unit, and the rotating unit, and at least two units among the lifting unit, the telescopic unit, the rotating unit, the power-assisted unit, and the floating arm unit are detachably connected.

With the power-assisted robot arm according to the seventh aspect, in the eighth aspect, it is preferable that the lifting unit, the telescopic unit, the rotating unit, the power-assisted unit, and the floating arm unit are connected to each other by bolts.

In the power-assisted mechanical arm according to the first or second aspect, in the ninth aspect, an arm assist member is preferably provided between the upper arm and the second bevel gear member.

According to the booster mechanical arm of the present utility model, the booster unit is provided with the first bevel gear member and the second bevel gear member which are engaged with each other, and the upper arm portion and the second bevel gear member of the floating arm unit are fixed together to form the four-bar mechanism together with the lower arm portion, the end connecting mechanism and the fixed connecting member, and the booster cylinder is configured to boost the four-bar mechanism via the first bevel gear member and the second bevel gear member.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view schematically showing a power assist robot according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 2A and 2B are a schematic perspective view and an exploded perspective view, respectively, schematically showing a lifting unit of a power-assisted robot according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 3A, 3B, and 3C are a schematic perspective view, an exploded perspective view, and a top view schematically showing a telescopic unit of a power-assisted robot according to an embodiment of the present utility model, respectively.

Fig. 4A and 4B are a schematic perspective view and an exploded perspective view schematically showing a rotation unit and a power assist unit of a power assist robot according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view schematically showing a floating arm unit of a power assist robot according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view schematically showing a case where the floating arm unit is attached to the assist unit.

Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view schematically showing a case where the floating arm unit is attached to the booster unit and the fixed connection member is removed.

Fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view schematically showing the end connection mechanism in the first station in the case where the floating arm unit is mounted to the assist unit.

Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view schematically showing the end connection mechanism in the second station in the case where the floating arm unit is mounted to the assist unit.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure may be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; indeed, the embodiments described below are intended to more fully convey the disclosure to those skilled in the art and to fully convey the scope of the disclosure. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide yet additional embodiments.

It should be understood that throughout the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements. In the drawings, the size and shape of certain features may be modified as appropriate for clarity.

It should be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. All terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the specification have the meanings commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise defined. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

As used in this specification, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The use of the terms "comprising," "including," and "containing" in the specification mean that the recited features are present, but that one or more other features are not excluded. The use of the phrase "and/or" in the specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The words "between X and Y" and "between about X and Y" used in this specification should be interpreted to include X and Y. The phrase "between about X and Y" as used herein means "between about X and about Y", and the phrase "from about X to Y" as used herein means "from about X to about Y".

In the description, an element is referred to as being "on," "attached" to, "connected" to, "coupled" to, "contacting" or the like another element, and the element may be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled to or contacting the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly attached to," directly connected to, "directly coupled to," or "directly contacting" another element, there are no intervening elements present. In the specification, one feature is arranged "adjacent" to another feature, which may mean that one feature has a portion overlapping with the adjacent feature or a portion located above or below the adjacent feature.

In the specification, spatial relationship expressions such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "high", "low", etc. can describe the relationship of one feature to another feature in the drawings. It will be understood that the spatial relationship words comprise, in addition to the orientations shown in the figures, different orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, when the device in the figures is inverted, features that were originally described as "below" other features may be described as "above" the other features. The device may also be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the relative spatial relationship will be explained accordingly.

A power assist robot 1000 according to an embodiment of the present utility model will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 1 to 9. In the description of the drawings below, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, the drawings are schematic, and it should be noted that the ratio of the dimensions and the like are different from those in reality. Therefore, specific dimensions and the like should be determined with reference to the following description. In addition, the drawings may include portions having different dimensional relationships or ratios from each other. In order to make the connection clearer, only the top cover 400a of the main force unit 400 is shown in fig. 1, and the top cover 400a is omitted from the other drawings.

As shown in fig. 1 to 9, the assist robot 1000 of the present embodiment includes: lifting unit 100, telescopic unit 200, rotating unit 300, booster unit 400, and floating arm unit 500. As an example, the lifting unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, the rotating unit 300, the booster unit 400, and the float arm unit 500 are preferably detachably and fixedly connected to each other, for example, via bolts or the like, and form mutually independent modular units. For example, the operator may select various parameters such as the size, stroke, and maximum load that can be received by each of the above units according to the actual working conditions, or may selectively omit all or part of the lifting unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, and the pivoting unit 300, and assist only the assist robot 1000 by providing the assist unit 400 and the floating arm unit 500. That is, in the case where all or part of the elevating unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, and the rotating unit 300 is selectively omitted according to the actual conditions, for example, the assist unit 400 connected to the floating arm unit 500 can be directly fixed to the rotating unit 300, the telescopic unit 200, the elevating unit 100, or the base, or the rotating unit 300 can be directly fixed to the elevating unit 100 or the base. The connection order of the lifting unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, the rotating unit 300, the booster unit 400, and the float arm unit 500 may be appropriately adjusted as needed, and is not particularly limited.

Hereinafter, an example of specific configurations of the lifting unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, the turning unit 300, the assist unit 400, and the floating arm unit 500 will be described.

* Lifting unit 100 ×

In the power-assisted robot arm 1000 of the present embodiment, as an example, as shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the lifting unit 100 includes, for example, a column 110, a lifting cylinder 120, a vertical rail 130, a flange-like connector 140, a brake 150, and a base 160. The vertical column 110 accommodates a lift cylinder 120 and longitudinal rails 130 provided on both sides of the lift cylinder 120, and the bottom of the vertical column 110 is provided on a base 160 via a flange-like connector 140 so as to be rotatable with respect to each other. Further, the flange-like connector 140 is provided with a stopper 150, and the stopper 150 is driven to restrict rotation of the column 110 with respect to the base 160, thereby fixing the column 110 to the base 160. The brake 150 may be driven pneumatically or electrically.

As an example, the lift cylinder 120 has a slide module 121, and the slide module 121 is moved in the up-down direction by controlling the inflation and the deflation of the lift cylinder 120. Further, one or a plurality of (two are illustrated in the drawing) slide rail blocks 131 movable in the up-down direction are provided on the longitudinal slide rails 130 on both sides corresponding to the slide modules 121 of the lifting cylinder 120. As shown in fig. 1, a fixing slider 122 is fixedly connected to an outer end surface of the slide module 121 of the lifting cylinder 120, for example, and the fixing slider 122 is used to fix a fixing member 210 of the telescopic unit 200 described later. In fig. 1, the fixing slider 122 is shown below the slide module 121 and the slide rail slider 131, unlike the actual case in which the fixing slider 122 is fixed to the slide module 121 and the slide rail slider 131 and moves in the up-down direction together with the three, in order to more clearly show the structures of the slide module 121, the slide rail slider 131, and the fixing slider 122. The main surface 122a of the fixing slider 122 is fastened and connected to the slide module 121 by, for example, bolts, and the bent portions 122b extending from the main surface 122a toward both sides are locked and fastened to the rail slider 131 of the longitudinal rail 130 by, for example, bolts. Thus, when the slide module 121 is moved in the up-down direction, the fixing slider 122 engaged with the slide rail slider 131 is moved in the up-down direction under the guidance of the longitudinal slide rail 130, and the telescopic unit 200 is further moved in the up-down direction. Further, the main surface 122a of the fixing slider 122 preferably has a flat surface. As the lifting cylinder 120, for example, a known rod cylinder with a piston rod may be used, or a known mechanical rodless cylinder, a magnetic coupling type rodless cylinder, or the like may be used.

In addition, it is preferable that a pneumatic control unit 600 (e.g., a valve island) and a tank chain 700 (e.g., a drag chain) having a gas pipeline built therein are further provided at the side of the elevation unit 100. For example, the air control unit 600 is provided with a controller, a filter, and the like for controlling the supply and discharge of air to and from the lifting unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, the turning unit 300, and the assist unit 400 via the air lines in the tank chain 700, thereby controlling the supply and discharge of air to and from each unit of the assist robot 1000 via the air lines in the air control unit 600 and the tank chain 700.

* Telescoping unit 200 ×

As an example, in the power-assisted robot arm 1000 of the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 3A, 3B, and 3C, the telescopic unit 200 includes, for example, a fixing member 210, a telescopic member 220, and a connection unit 230. One end of the fixing member 210 of the telescopic unit 200 is fixed to the fixing slider 122 of the lifting unit 100 via the fixing flange 211, a through hole 212a is provided in the telescopic side end surface 212 of the other end of the fixing member 210, and a slider mounting surface 213 is provided in the side surface of the other end of the fixing member 210.

As an example, the telescopic member 220 of the telescopic unit 200 includes, for example, a bottom plate 220a and a top plate 220b, and the telescopic member 220 includes, for example, a pair of side plates 221, a pair of guide rails 222 fixed to the inner sides of the pair of side plates 221, a guide shaft 223 positioned between the pair of guide rails 222, and a brake cylinder 224 through which the guide shaft 223 passes inside, and the pair of side plates 221 are welded to the bottom plate 220a, for example. For example, one or a plurality of (two are illustrated in the drawing) slide blocks 222a capable of moving relative to the guide rails 222 are provided inside the pair of guide rails 222, respectively, and in the assembled state, the slide blocks 222a are fixed to the slide block mounting surfaces 213 of the fixing members 210, respectively. Thereby, the telescopic member 220 can be extended and contracted in the axial direction of the guide shaft 223 via the pair of guide rails 222 and the respective sliders 222a fixed to the slider mounting surface 213.

The guide shaft 223 has a flange portion 223a on the side close to the fixing member 210, and the size of the through hole 212a provided in the expansion side end surface 212 of the fixing member 210 is larger than the size of the guide shaft 223 and smaller than the size of the flange portion 223a provided in the guide shaft 223. For example, the diameter of the through hole 212a is larger than the diameter of the guide shaft 223 and smaller than the diameter of the flange 223a, whereby the guide shaft 223 can be prevented from being separated from the through hole 212a of the fixing member 210. The guide shaft 223 is integrally fixed to the connection unit 230 by providing a lateral shaft portion 223b at an end portion of the guide shaft 223 opposite to the flange portion 223a, and the lateral shaft portion 223b is inserted into a lateral insertion hole 231a provided in a connection body portion 231 of the connection unit 230 described later.

On the other hand, the brake cylinder 224 through which the guide shaft 223 passes is fixedly connected to the fixed connection portion 225, and is fixed to the expansion side end surface 212 of the fixing member 210 via the fixed connection portion 225 (see fig. 3C, for example). The connection between the fixing connection portion 225 and the expansion side end surface 212 may be a bolt connection, a welding, or a bolt connection and a welding. The brake cylinder 224 includes an air supply/exhaust portion 224a, and a guide post (not shown) functioning as a lock in the brake cylinder 224 is brought into contact with the guide shaft 223 by supplying air to the brake cylinder 224 via the air supply/exhaust portion 224a to prevent the expansion and contraction of the expansion and contraction member 220 with respect to the fixed member 210 in the axial direction of the guide shaft 223 (i.e., to prevent the expansion and contraction unit 200), while the guide post (not shown) in the brake cylinder 224 is separated from the guide shaft 223 by exhausting air to the brake cylinder 224 via the air supply/exhaust portion 224a to allow the expansion and contraction of the expansion and contraction member 220 with respect to the fixed member 210 (i.e., to allow the expansion and contraction unit 200). Thereby, the telescopic unit 200 can be locked with respect to the fixing member 210 at any position within the telescopic stroke range by the brake cylinder 224. The air supply and the air discharge via the air supply and air discharge portion 224a are performed by, for example, the air control unit 600 controlling the air lines in the tank chain 700.

The connection unit 230 of the telescopic unit 200 is used for connection with a turning unit 300 described later, for example. As an example, the connection unit 230 has a connection main body portion 231, a first connection protruding plate portion 232 protruding from a side surface of the connection main body portion 231 toward the fixing member 210 side, and a second connection protruding plate portion 233 protruding from upper and lower surfaces of the connection main body portion 231 toward the opposite side of the fixing member 210. As an example, the first connection protrusion plate portion 232 is provided with a laterally threaded sleeve 232a, and the pair of side plates 221 are fastened to the first connection protrusion plate portion 232 by bolts or the like, for example. Further, as an example, the second connection protruding plate portion 233 is provided with a longitudinal through hole portion 233a penetrating in the longitudinal direction, and for example, the bolt member 240 is inserted into the longitudinal through hole portion 233a and a connection shaft hole 310a of the turning unit 300 described later, and is fixed via the fixing unit 250, thereby fixedly connecting the telescopic unit 200 and the turning unit 300. Fig. 3A and 3B illustrate a case where the bolt member 240 is fixed by using a nut and a lock as the fixing means 250.

* Rotation unit 300 ×

In the power-assisted robot arm 1000 of the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 4A and 4B, for example, the rotation unit 300 includes a connection boss 310 provided with a connection shaft hole 310a, and a connection frame 330 shaped like a letter コ and a pneumatic clutch 320. As described above, the rotation unit 300 is fastened and connected to the expansion and contraction unit 200 via the connection shaft hole 310a and the bolt member 240, for example. The boss main body portion 310b of the connection boss 310 is fitted into the コ -shaped connection frame 330 so as to be rotatable relative to each other, and the コ -shaped connection frame 330 is provided with a pneumatic clutch 320, and the pneumatic clutch 320 has an air supply/exhaust port, not shown, and for example, a pneumatic clutch structure known in the art may be employed.

In the present embodiment, for example, the air clutch 320 is configured such that the connection boss 310 and the connection housing 330 are rotatable relative to each other (i.e., the telescopic unit 200 and the rotating unit 300 are allowed to rotate relative to each other) when the air clutch 320 is not inflated via the air supply/exhaust port, and the connection boss 310 and the connection housing 330 are locked from rotating relative to each other (i.e., the telescopic unit 200 and the rotating unit 300 are prevented from rotating relative to each other) when the air clutch 320 is inflated via the air supply/exhaust port. In the rotating unit 300 of the present embodiment, the air clutch 320 is not particularly limited as long as it is provided as described above so as to allow or prevent the relative rotation of the telescopic unit 200 and the rotating unit 300 according to whether or not the air clutch 320 is inflated.

The rotation unit 300 is fixedly connected to a booster unit 400 described later via a side surface 330a of a コ -shaped connection housing 330. In the power-assisted robot arm 1000 of the present embodiment, the turning unit 300 is not necessarily required, and the turning unit 300 may be omitted if necessary, and the power-assisted unit 400 and the telescopic unit 200 may be directly connected by providing a connection frame at the end of the telescopic unit 200.

* Power assisting unit 400 ×

In the power-assisted robot arm 1000 of the present embodiment, as an example, as shown in fig. 4A and 4B, the power-assisted unit 400 includes, for example, one or more (for example, two) power-assisted cylinders 410, a first bevel gear member 420, a second bevel gear member 430, a fixed connection member 440, a swing arm member 450, and a bottom cover member 460. The assist cylinder 410 is preferably, for example, a low friction cylinder.

As an example, the assist cylinder 410 includes a cylinder rod 411 and a cylinder body 412, for example, and a plurality of air supply/exhaust ports 412a are provided in the cylinder body 412, and the air control unit 600 supplies air to or exhausts air from the assist cylinder 410 through the plurality of air supply/exhaust ports 412a in accordance with the magnitude of the external force received by the end connection mechanism 530 of the float arm unit 500, for example, to assist the assist cylinder 410 with respect to the float arm unit 500. The front end of the cylinder rod 411 is fixedly attached to a cylinder rod fixing end surface 414a of the cylinder rod link 414, for example, by screw connection, and a concave connecting portion 414b is provided on the opposite side of the cylinder rod link 414 from the cylinder rod fixing end surface 414a, and the cylinder rod link 414 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the swing arm member 450 by, for example, allowing a pin to pass through a through hole provided in the concave connecting portion 414b and a through hole provided in the upper end of the swing arm member 450, whereby the cylinder rod link 414 can be rotated relative to the upper end of the swing arm member 450. The bottom end of the cylinder 412 is fastened and connected to the cylinder fixing end face 413a of the cylinder connector 413, for example, by a bolt, and a rib-shaped connection protrusion 413b is further provided on the cylinder fixing end face 413a of the cylinder connector 413, and the cylinder connector 413 is connected to the side member 441 of the fixed connection member 440 so as to be rotatable with respect to the side member 441 of the fixed connection member 440 by, for example, allowing a pin to pass through a through hole provided in the connection protrusion 413b and a through hole provided in one end of the side member 441 of the fixed connection member 440 (for example, a bent portion 441Fa of a finger 441F described later).

As an example, the first bevel gear member 420 has a gear surface 421 in a fan shape and a first rotation shaft 422, for example. A lower end of the swing arm member 450 is fixedly mounted to a side portion of the first rotation shaft 422, whereby the lower end of the swing arm member 450 can rotate around the first rotation shaft 422 together with the first bevel gear member 420. As an example, the first rotation shaft 422 is provided in a first shaft hole 441a of a side plate portion 441 of a fixed connection member 440 described later so as to be rotatable with respect to each other as shown in fig. 4A via a flange 480, a well-known bearing, and the like.

As an example, the second bevel gear member 430 has a gear surface 431 having a fan shape and a second rotation shaft 432, for example. The gear surface 431 of the second bevel gear member 430 meshes with the gear surface 421 of the first bevel gear member 420 in such a manner as to be able to transmit torque to each other. Fig. 4B, 6, 7, etc. illustrate a case where the size of the second bevel gear member 430 (for example, the radius of the gear surface 431 of the second bevel gear member 430) is larger than the size of the first bevel gear member 420 (for example, the radius of the gear surface 421 of the first bevel gear member 420), but are not limited thereto. As an example, the size of the second bevel gear member 430 may be smaller than the size of the first bevel gear member 420, for example, the radius of the gear surface 431 of the second bevel gear member 430 may be smaller than the radius of the gear surface 421 of the first bevel gear member 420. In addition, as an example, the second bevel gear member 430 may have a first protruding portion 433 (see fig. 7, for example). The first protrusion 433 extends, for example, from the second rotation shaft 432 toward the floating arm unit 500 side for fixedly connecting an upper arm 510 in the floating arm unit 500 described later so that the upper arm 510 can rotate integrally with the second bevel gear member 430. In addition, as an example, the second bevel gear member 430 may have a concave second protruding portion 434. The concave second protruding portion 434 is connected to an arm support member 540 described later so as to be rotatable relative to the arm support member. As an example, the second rotation shaft 432 of the second bevel gear member 430 is provided in a second shaft hole 441b of a side plate portion 441 of a fixed connection member 440 described later so as to be rotatable with respect to each other as shown in fig. 4A via a known bearing or the like.

As an example, the fixed connection member 440 of the assist unit 400 includes a pair of side plate portions 441, a bottom plate portion 442, and an end plate portion 443. The pair of side plate portions 441, the bottom plate portion 442, and the end plate portion 443 are fixedly connected to each other, for example, by welding. The end plate 443 is fixedly connected to the side surface 330a of the connection frame 330 of the rotation unit 300 by, for example, bolts and/or welding. The bottom plate portion 442 serves to receive a bottom cover member 460, and the second bevel gear member 430 is protected from the outside by the bottom cover member 460.

As an example, the first shaft hole 441a through which the first rotation shaft 422 of the first bevel gear member 420 is rotatably inserted is provided at the first portion of the side plate portion 441 on the side of the rotation unit 300, and the first rotation shaft 422 is rotatably inserted into the first shaft hole 441a may be implemented by providing a pin or a bearing, or may be implemented by other known means, and is not particularly limited. In addition, as an example, a second shaft hole 441b is provided in a second portion of the side plate portion 441 away from the first portion. The second rotation shaft 432 of the second bevel gear member 430 may be rotatably inserted through the second shaft hole 441b in the same manner as the first rotation shaft 422. In addition, as an example, a third shaft hole 441c is provided below the second portion of the side plate portion 441. The third shaft 473 of the wall portion connecting member 470, which will be described later, can be rotatably inserted through the third shaft hole 441c in the same manner as the first shaft 422. Preferably, the third shaft hole 441c is disposed directly below the second shaft hole 441b. The side plate portion 441 may have a finger portion 441F extending toward the floating arm unit 500 side at a position closer to the floating arm unit 500 than the second position, and may have a bent portion 441Fa bent upward, and the cylinder connecting piece 413 may be connected to the bent portion 441Fa so as to be rotatable relative to each other.

As an example, as shown in fig. 4A and 4B, the assist unit 400 further includes a wall portion connecting member 470, for example. The wall portion connecting member 470 has a pair of first connecting ears 471 extending toward the side of the floating arm unit 500 and a pair of second connecting ears 472 extending toward the opposite side of the floating arm unit 500. A plurality of first through holes 471a (for example, screw holes) are formed in each of the pair of first coupling lugs 471, and the lower arm 520 of the floating arm unit 500, which will be described later, is clamped and fixed by bolts or the like. The pair of second coupling ears 472 are respectively provided with second through holes 472a through which the third rotating shaft 473 is inserted. Preferably, the third rotating shaft 473 is inserted in a fastened manner through the second through hole 472a of the second connecting ear 472. Thereby, the wall portion connecting member 470 can be rotated relative to the side plate portion 441 via the third rotating shaft 473.

* Floating arm unit 500 ×

In the power assist robot 1000 of the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 5, for example, the floating arm unit 500 includes an upper arm portion 510, a lower arm portion 520, and a tip connection mechanism 530. For example, a work tool such as a hook or a tightening gun may be provided to the tip end connection mechanism 530, and thus the work by the work tool may be assisted by the assist robot 1000. In the floating arm unit 500, as shown in fig. 5, one end of the upper arm portion 510 is rotatably connected to an upper portion of the tip end connection mechanism 530, and one end of the lower arm portion 520 is rotatably connected to a lower portion of the tip end connection mechanism 530.

Further, it is preferable that a pair of projecting lugs 511 are further provided on the upper side surface of the upper arm portion 510, one end of an arm support member 540 is connected between the pair of projecting lugs 511 so as to be rotatable relative to each other, and the other end of the arm support member 540 is connected to a concave-shaped second projecting portion 434 of the second bevel gear member 430 so as to be rotatable relative to each other as shown in fig. 7, whereby the arm support member 540 is interposed between the upper arm portion 510 and the second bevel gear member 430. Since the arm support member 540 is disposed between the upper arm 510 and the second bevel gear member 430, when the assist robot arm 1000 is used to assist the power, the arm support member 540 can, for example, pull the upper arm 510 with the rotation of the second bevel gear member 430, and thus stress concentration in the upper arm 510 can be effectively prevented. The arm support member 540 also has, for example, a fall protection function of preventing the upper arm 510 and the lower arm 520 in the float arm unit 500 from falling off when broken.

The connection of the booster unit 400 and the floating arm unit 500 will be described in further detail with reference to fig. 4 to 7.

As described above, the end portion of the upper arm portion 510 on the side of the assist unit 400 is fixed to the first protruding portion 433 of the second bevel gear member 430 by, for example, a bolt, thereby fixing the upper arm portion 510 and the second bevel gear member 430 to each other, and the upper arm portion 510 and the second bevel gear member 430 can integrally rotate with respect to the side plate portion 441 of the fixed connection member 440 via the second rotation shaft 432. In addition, the end portion of the lower arm 520 on the side of the booster unit 400 is fixed between the pair of first coupling lugs 471 of the wall coupling member 470, for example, by a bolt or the like, whereby the lower arm 520 and the wall coupling member 470 are fixed to each other, and the lower arm 520 and the wall coupling member 470 can be integrally rotated with respect to the side plate portion 441 of the fixed coupling member 440 via the third rotation shaft 473.

In the present embodiment, the four-bar mechanism is configured by the first bar member configured by the upper arm portion 510 and the second bevel gear member 430, the second bar member configured by the lower arm portion 520 and the wall portion connecting member 470, the end connecting mechanism 530, and the fixed connecting member 440, and the work by the work tool such as the hook and the tightening gun is assisted by the assist force of the assist cylinder 410, but the wall portion connecting member 470 may be omitted and the lower arm portion 520 may be directly and relatively rotatably connected to the fixed connecting member 440, and at this time, the lower arm portion 520 alone may configure the second bar member. It is preferable that the first rod, the second rod, the end connecting mechanism 530, and the fixed connecting member 440 form a parallel four-bar mechanism. This enables the end connection mechanism 530 to be kept horizontal all the time while moving up and down.

Next, a specific power assist process performed by the power assist robot 1000 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to fig. 6 to 9.

As an example, in an initial state in which, for example, a weight is not suspended and the end connection mechanism 530 is not subjected to an external force, the power-assisted mechanical arm 1000 is started, and then, in order to balance the gravity of the float arm unit 500 itself, the air control unit 600 supplies or exhausts the air to or from the power-assisted cylinder 410 through the air line via the plurality of air supply/exhaust ports 412a, so that the air in the cylinder 412 applies a force (i.e., an initial assist force based on the power-assisted cylinder 410) to the cylinder rod 411 so as to push the cylinder rod 411 into the cylinder 412. For example, the air control unit 600 controls the air line so as to supply air from the air supply/exhaust port 412a on the swing arm member 450 side out of the plurality of air supply/exhaust ports 412a and to exhaust air from the air supply/exhaust port 412a on the float arm unit 500 side out of the plurality of air supply/exhaust ports 412a, thereby applying a force to push the cylinder rod 411 into the cylinder block 412.

Along with the force to push the cylinder rod 411 into the cylinder 412, the first bevel gear member 420 is to be rotated in the clockwise direction (as viewed from the front side of fig. 7) about the first rotation axis 422 via the swing arm member 450, and at the same time, the second bevel gear member 430 engaged with the first bevel gear member 420 is to be rotated in the counterclockwise direction about the second rotation axis 432. Since the upper arm portion 510 of the floating arm unit 500 is integrally and fixedly connected to the second bevel gear member 430, the upward force is applied to the upper arm portion 510 in association with the rotation of the second rotation shaft 432 in the counterclockwise direction, whereby the initial assist force of the assist cylinder 410 can be utilized to cancel the gravity of the floating arm unit 500 itself, and the balance between the initial assist force of the assist cylinder 410 and the gravity of the floating arm unit 500 itself can be achieved.

The expression "pushing the cylinder rod 411 into the cylinder 412" in the foregoing is not intended to mean that the cylinder rod 411 is actually pushed further into the cylinder 412, but rather that the cylinder rod 411 tends to be pushed into the cylinder 412, and the cylinder rod 411 itself does not substantially expand or contract with respect to the cylinder 412 during the balancing. The same applies to the expression "to rotate the first bevel gear member 420/the second bevel gear member 430". In addition, the balancing process is completed in an extremely short time (a response time of, for example, 0.5 to 1 second), and thus the end connection mechanism 530 of the floating arm unit 500 is always in a state of suspension balance by the assist force of the assist cylinder 410.

Further, for example, when a weight or the like is suspended from the end connection mechanism 530 and assisted by the assistance robot arm 1000, for example, an operator manually issues a command signal to the air control unit 600 according to the weight of the weight or the like, or automatically senses a load fluctuation (for example, load by the weight) from the end connection mechanism 530 by a travel switch, a weight sensor or the like according to a preset pneumatic logic control, and issues a command signal to the air control unit 600, the air control unit 600 is controlled in advance or instantaneously so that the air supply amount or the air discharge amount with respect to the assistance cylinder 410 is controlled so that the air in the cylinder 412 applies an assist force according to the weight of the weight or the like to the cylinder rod 411, and the assist force balances the weight of the weight suspended from the end connection mechanism 530 via the swing arm member 450, the first bevel gear member 420, and the second bevel gear member 430. That is, by the assist force transmission process similar to the above-described balancing process when no weight is suspended, the weight of the weight provided in the end connection mechanism 530 can be offset and balanced with each other by the assist force generated by the assist cylinder 410, and therefore, the operator can easily lift or lower the weight with a small force. On the other hand, when the weight is moved to a predetermined position and removed or when the weight of the weight is changed, the air control unit 600 controls the amount of air supplied or the amount of air discharged to the assist cylinder 410 accordingly, so that the assist force generated by the assist cylinder 410 changes according to the change in the external force received by the end connection mechanism 530. Therefore, during the assistance by the assistance robot arm 1000, the assisting force by the assistance cylinder 410 and the weight of the weight provided in the end connection mechanism 530 are always balanced, and the worker can move the weight suspended in the end connection mechanism 530 up and down freely with only a small force.

Fig. 8 and 9 schematically show a state in which the end connection mechanism 530 is moved to the first station and the second station in a state in which assistance is performed by the assistance robot arm 1000. When the tip connection mechanism 530 is moved by the assist of the power-assisted robot arm 1000, the air control unit 600 controls the amount of air supplied or discharged to the power-assisted cylinder 410, for example, based on pneumatic logic control, so that the assist force applied to the cylinder rod 411 by the air in the cylinder 412 and the external force received by the tip connection mechanism 530 (for example, the weight force of the weight provided in the tip connection mechanism 530) are always balanced, and thus, the operator can move the tip connection mechanism 530 with only a small force, and accordingly change the rotation angle of the upper arm 510 and the lower arm 520, the engagement state of the first bevel gear member 420 and the second bevel gear member 430, the extension length of the cylinder rod 411 from the power-assisted cylinder 410, and the like, and can move the weight to an arbitrary position between the first position (low position) shown in fig. 8 and the second position (high position) shown in fig. 9, and perform the work. For example, in a state where the assisting force of the assisting cylinder 410 and the weight force of the weight provided in the end connection mechanism 530 are always balanced, the cylinder rod 411 is extended from the cylinder 412 at a first position (low position) shown in fig. 8 and retracted into the cylinder 412 at a second position (high position) shown in fig. 9 in response to the movement operation of the end connection mechanism 530 by the operator.

According to the power-assisted mechanical arm 1000 of the present embodiment, since the lifting unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, the rotating unit 300, the power-assisted unit 400, and the floating arm unit 500 are detachably and fixedly connected to each other, for example, via bolts or the like, and are respectively configured as mutually independent modular units, an operator can conveniently select different models of the respective modular units according to actual working conditions, and can flexibly cope with different working conditions without changing the main structure of the entire power-assisted mechanical arm, thereby effectively reducing the manufacturing cost of the power-assisted mechanical arm. In the power-assisted robot arm 1000 of the present embodiment, since the members used in each of the modular units are all common members, maintenance costs of the power-assisted robot arm can be greatly reduced. In addition, the connection parts among the modularized units are easy to assemble and disassemble, so that the model of each modularized unit or the structural parts inside each modularized unit can be conveniently replaced when the modularized units need to be replaced according to the change of working condition requirements or the damage of parts, and a large amount of maintenance time can be saved.

In the power-assisted mechanical arm 1000 of the present embodiment, since the lifting unit 100 is rotatable with respect to the base 160, the telescopic unit 200 is movable in the up-down direction and the telescopic unit 500 is retractable in the axial direction of the guide shaft 223, and the power-assisted unit 400 and the floating arm unit 500 are rotatable with respect to the telescopic unit 200 via the rotating unit 300, the end connection mechanism 530 in the floating arm unit 500 is floatingly movable in the up-down direction via the four-bar mechanism, the power-assisted mechanical arm 1000 of the present embodiment can include five degrees of freedom, and an operator can perform an operation using the power-assisted mechanical arm 1000 conveniently and flexibly. As described above, the operator may selectively omit all or a part of the lifting unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, and the pivoting unit 300, and assist only the assist robot arm 1000 by providing the assist unit 400 and the float arm unit 500. At this time, the power-assisted robot arm 1000 has at least one degree of freedom in which the tip end connection mechanism 530 moves in the up-down direction via the four-bar mechanism.

Further, in the power assist robot 1000 of the present embodiment, the power assist unit 400 is provided with the first bevel gear member 420 and the second bevel gear member 430 engaged with each other, and the upper arm portion 510 of the floating arm unit 500 is fixed to the second bevel gear member 430 integrally with the lower arm portion 520 of the floating arm unit 500, the end connecting mechanism 530, and the fixed connecting member 440 to form a four-bar mechanism, and the power assist cylinder 410 is assisted by the four-bar mechanism via the first bevel gear member 420 and the second bevel gear member 430, so that, in comparison with the conventional four-bar balanced lifting power assist robot not using the bevel gear structure, the power assist cylinder 410 is provided rotatably to the fixed connecting member 440 without fixing the power assist cylinder 410 to the base as in the related art, and therefore, the volume of the power assist robot 1000 itself can be effectively reduced, and the weight of the power assist robot 1000 can be effectively reduced to weight the four-bar mechanism, and thus the operator can operate the power assist robot 1000 lightly. In addition, when the radius of the gear surface 421 of the first bevel gear member 420 is larger than the radius of the gear surface 431 of the second bevel gear member 430, the second bevel gear member 430 can be caused to float over a larger range as the first bevel gear member 420 rotates to drive the upper arm 510 and the tip connection mechanism 530. Therefore, in the case where the same floating range is obtained, the lengths of the upper arm portion 510 and the lower arm portion 520 can be reduced, and the volume of the assist robot 1000 itself can be reduced, as compared with the case where the radius of the gear surface 421 of the first bevel gear member 420 is equal to or smaller than the radius of the gear surface 431 of the second bevel gear member 430. In addition, in the case of performing the assist by using the plurality of assist cylinders 410, since the assist force required to be provided by a single assist cylinder 410 can be reduced by dispersing the assist force, the assist can be performed by using a small assist cylinder 410, and the volume of the assist robot 1000 itself can be reduced.

In the power-assisted robot arm 1000 of the present embodiment, the pneumatic control unit 600 controls the gas line, so that the guide post of the brake cylinder 224 in the telescopic unit 200 is brought into contact with the guide shaft 223 to prevent the telescopic member 220 from expanding and contracting with respect to the fixed member 210, and the pneumatic clutch 320 in the rotating unit 300 is supplied with gas to prevent the telescopic unit 200 from rotating with respect to the rotating unit 300, whereby the power-assisted robot arm 1000 is locked in the lateral direction as a whole. The tightening gun is connected to the end connection mechanism 530 in a state where the whole power-assisted mechanical arm 1000 is locked in the lateral direction, so that the tightening function can be realized by using the power-assisted mechanical arm 1000 according to the actual working conditions.

The power assist robot 1000 according to one embodiment of the present utility model has been described in detail above, but the present utility model is not limited to this, and the power assist robot may be modified as follows, for example.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the floor type power-assisted mechanical arm in which the lifting unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, the rotating unit 300, the power-assisted unit 400, and the floating arm unit 500 are mounted on the base 160 provided on the floor surface is shown, but the floor type power-assisted mechanical arm is not limited thereto, and the lifting unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, the rotating unit 300, the power-assisted unit 400, and the floating arm unit 500 may be a suspended type power-assisted mechanical arm in which the lifting unit 100, the rotating unit 300, the power-assisted unit 400, and the floating arm unit 500 are mounted on the base provided on a wall surface or a ceiling. The connection order of the lifting unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, the rotating unit 300, the booster unit 400, and the float arm unit 500 is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately adjusted as needed. The lifting unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, the rotating unit 300, the assist unit 400, and the floating arm unit 500 may constitute separate modular units, or at least two of the units may constitute separate modular units.

In the above-described embodiment, the specific structure and the connection method of each of the lifting unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, and the pivoting unit 300 are shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the specific structure of the lifting unit 100 is not particularly limited as long as the modular unit connected thereto can be lifted and lowered. The expansion and contraction unit 200 is not particularly limited as long as it can expand and contract the modular unit connected thereto in the expansion and contraction direction. The specific configuration of the rotation unit 300 is not particularly limited as long as it can rotate the modular units connected to both sides thereof relatively. That is, the elevating unit 100, the telescopic unit 200, and the rotating unit 300 may use structures known in the art as needed.

In the above embodiment, the cylinder rod 411 is connected to the upper end of the swing arm member 450 via the cylinder rod connector 414 and the bottom end of the cylinder 412 is connected to the side member 441 of the fixed connection member 440 via the cylinder connector 413, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the cylinder rod 411 may be directly connected to the swing arm member 450 in a manner capable of relative rotation and the cylinder 412 may be directly connected to the side member 441 in a manner capable of relative rotation. That is, the cylinder rod 411 and the cylinder body 412 of the assist cylinder 410 are not particularly limited as long as they are connected to the swing arm member 450 and the side member 441 so as to be rotatable with respect to each other.

In the above embodiment, the lower arm 520 is connected to the side member 441 via the wall connecting member 470 so as to be rotatable, but the present utility model is not limited to this, and the lower arm 520 may be directly connected to the side member 441 so as to be rotatable, and in this case, the lower arm 520 may constitute a four-bar mechanism together with the tip connecting mechanism 530, the fixed connecting member 440, and the bar constituted by the upper arm 510 and the second bevel gear member 430. That is, the lower arm 520 is not particularly limited as long as it is connected to the side member 441 so as to be able to rotate relatively.

In addition, in the embodiment of the present utility model, the control of the air supply and the air discharge with respect to the brake 150 in the elevating unit 100, the brake cylinder 224 in the telescopic unit 200, the pneumatic clutch 320 in the rotating unit 300, and the assist cylinder 410 in the assist unit 400 may be performed by one-touch control, or may be separately controlled by the pneumatic elements in the respective modularized units.

In the present specification, the expression "a and B are connected to each other so as to be rotatable with respect to each other" and the expression "a is connected to B so as to be rotatable with respect to each other" includes both a case where a and B are directly connected to each other by a pin, a bearing, or the like, and a case where a and B are indirectly connected to each other so as to be rotatable with respect to each other via other members. That is, the specific structure of a and B is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of relatively rotatably connecting them, and a structure known in the art can be suitably employed.

Further, while exemplary embodiments of the present utility model have been described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments of the utility model without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, all changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present utility model as defined by the appended claims. The utility model is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.

Claims (9)

1. A power-assisted mechanical arm is provided with:

the power assisting unit comprises a power assisting cylinder, a first bevel gear member, a second bevel gear member and a fixed connecting member, wherein the first bevel gear member and the second bevel gear member are meshed with each other; and

a floating arm unit including an upper arm portion, a lower arm portion, and a tip end connecting mechanism, one end of the upper arm portion being rotatably connected to an upper portion of the tip end connecting mechanism, one end of the lower arm portion being rotatably connected to a lower portion of the tip end connecting mechanism,

in the assist unit, a first rotation shaft of the first bevel gear member and a second rotation shaft of the second bevel gear member are connected to the fixed connection member so as to be rotatable with respect to each other, one end of a swing arm member is fixed to the first rotation shaft of the first bevel gear member, the other end of the swing arm member is connected to one of a cylinder rod and a cylinder tube of the assist cylinder so as to be rotatable with respect to each other, the other of the cylinder rod and the cylinder tube of the assist cylinder is rotatably provided to the fixed connection member,

The other end of the upper arm portion of the floating arm unit is fixed to the second bevel gear member, and the other end of the lower arm portion is rotatably provided to the fixed connection member.

2. The power assist robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the lever member constituted by the upper arm portion and the second bevel gear member, the lower arm portion, the tip end connecting mechanism, and the fixed connecting member form a parallel four-bar mechanism.

3. The power-assisted mechanical arm according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the lower arm portion is fixed to a wall portion connecting member of the power assist unit, and the wall portion connecting member is rotatably provided to the fixed connecting member via a third rotation shaft.

4. The power-assisted mechanical arm according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the other end of the upper arm portion of the floating arm unit is detachably fixed to the second bevel gear member, and the other end of the lower arm portion is detachably and relatively rotatably provided to the fixed connection member.

5. The power-assisted mechanical arm according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the power-assisted mechanical arm also comprises at least any one of a lifting unit, a telescopic unit and a rotating unit,

The lifting unit is provided with a lifting cylinder, the power assisting unit lifts through a sliding module of the lifting cylinder,

the telescopic unit has a fixing member and a telescopic member, a guide rail and a slider attached to the guide rail are provided between the telescopic member and the fixing member, the telescopic member is telescopic along the guide rail with respect to the fixing member via the guide rail and the slider, the assist unit is telescopic via the telescopic member of the telescopic unit,

the rotating unit has a pneumatic clutch controlled to prevent or allow rotation based on the rotating unit, and the assist unit rotates via the rotating unit.

6. The power assist robot as claimed in claim 5, wherein,

the power-assisted mechanical arm is provided with the telescopic unit, the telescopic component of the telescopic unit is further provided with a guide shaft and a brake cylinder for the guide shaft to pass through internally, and when the air supply is carried out through the air supply and exhaust part of the brake cylinder, a guide column in the brake cylinder is abutted with the guide shaft to lock the telescopic component and the fixing component.

7. The power assist robot as claimed in claim 5, wherein,

the power-assisted mechanical arm is provided with the lifting unit, the telescopic unit and the rotating unit,

at least two units of the lifting unit, the telescopic unit, the rotating unit, the power assisting unit and the floating arm unit can be detachably connected respectively.

8. The power assist robot as claimed in claim 7, wherein,

the lifting unit, the telescopic unit, the rotating unit, the power assisting unit and the floating arm unit are connected with each other through bolts.

9. The power-assisted mechanical arm according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

an arm assist member is provided between the upper arm portion and the second bevel gear member.