JPS59134688A - Robot-arm - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to robots, and more particularly to a method for imparting movement to a robot list.

Prior art robots are designed to resemble a human arm from the shoulder to the wrist. Wrist movements in human-like robots are
It mimics the movement of the human wrist in terms of the number of degrees of freedom and range of movement. Figure 1 shows shoulder joint 13.
Elbow joint 15. and a wrist joint 17, such a robot arm 11 according to the prior art is shown. The list joint 17 can provide three degrees of freedom. One such degree of freedom is pitch motion, which is rotation about a first axis indicated by arrow X. The second degree of freedom is roll motion about the Y axis, perpendicular to the Y axis and indicated by arrow Y. The third degree of freedom is yaw motion about the Y axis and the third axis perpendicular to X@ and indicated by arrow Z. The elbow joint is provided for rotational movement about an axis parallel to the first axis of the wrist. This rotation is indicated by arrow T. Rotation of the shoulder takes place about another parallel axis, indicated by arrow S, while the entire arm can pivot about the base in a sweeping movement, indicated by arrow R.

In positioning a robotic arm, it is desirable to position the arm as accurately as possible. Typically this is a servo that detects the position of the list and makes appropriate corrections.
This is accomplished by means of a system. With this modification, it is difficult to position a robot wrist or actuator that is vibrating =t>1. This can be corrected by increasing the stiffness of the imaging arm. However, this results in an increase in weight and requires a large force for acceleration of a given arm.

The purpose of the present invention is to devise a conventional robot arm that resembles a human.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above objects are met with a robot arm having a simplified wrist joint by transferring some of the wrist 1 motion to the robot shoulder. It is now time to transfer the axis of rotation from the robot wrist h1 to the robot shoulder, omitting the motor at the end of the robot arm, since normally the motor and gear V provide the power for movement around the axis. It allows for simplification in movement. A lighter weight of the wrist means that it is possible to achieve a given acceleration of the wrist with less force. In addition to this due to the omission of the motor, further weight savings are obtained in the arm rIJl necessary to achieve the necessary stiffness for the accelerated movement of the wrist.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. 12, a robotic arm and wrist of the present invention is shown. The robot arm includes a base 21 on which a robot shoulder is mounted. Additional struts 20 support the base 21. The arm can also be attached to a wall or the like. For faster arm movement by using its struts,
A second arm sweep axis of the type shown in FIG. 1 can be introduced. The shoulder is an assembly of joints and has several members forming the joints. The crosspiece 23 supports a motor 25 on the top of the crosspiece, and has a shaft and a gear mechanism inside the machine, the shaft forming one of the three shoulder axes. .

On this shaft is rotatably mounted the Ml reader 27, which also contains a motor and gears.

A vertical arm/sweve shaft is formed at the front end of the reading shaft 27, to which a second shaft 29 is rotatably mounted.

The second reading 29 forms another axis in the lower part of the reading, known as the swivel axis.

Does this shaft extend through it? It has two shafts 31, and an upper arm member 33 is connected to the shaft thereof. The upper arm member, also known as the home member, is preferably a single member. However, stones may also be provided with a composite upper arm having two or more members with a shaft joint. Upper arm member 33 has an elbow joint through which an arm extension axis is formed. A shaft 35 is mounted along this axis and connects the lower arm member 37 to the upper arm member*
It is tied. The lower arm member then has a wrist joint at its lower end through which the pitch axis is formed. The pitch axis has a shaft 39 mounted parallel to the axis of a shaft angle encoder 40 to support a tool mounting device or actuator 43.

A motor 45 mounted on the elbow portion forms a spin axis for applying force to a tool mounted on the forward end. The shaft 39 provides driving force to the shaft.
The upper end of the arm includes a gear connected directly below the motor 45.

Similarly, shaft 35 includes gears driven by motor 47 housed within upper arm 33. These motors are stepper motors that respond to digital pulses transmitted along wires from the base 21.

The method of giving the wrist motion will be clearer if you refer to Figure 3, which shows the joint in Figure 2.

FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram of an arm member, a shaft, etc. It can be seen that the base 21 is fitted with a support crosspiece 23 in which a first axis 51, the Yaw axis, is formed.

Its yaw axis imparts rotation to the dome of the reading 27 as indicated by arrow A. The upper outer part of the reading forms the arm sweep axis 53 of the second axis, and the reading 29 forms the arm sweep axis 53 of the second axis, as shown by arrow B, and the reading 29 forms the arm sweep axis of the second axis, as shown by arrow C. Upper arm 33 rotates about its axis.

Its 3-axis shoulder joint is 51° yaw axis and 53° sweep axis. The swivel axes 55 and 55 are perpendicular to each other, and if extended, they intersect at a common point. Preferably, that point is on the shaft 31 connecting the upper arm 33 to the reading shaft 29 along the swivel axis. Upper arm 33
has a joint at its distal end, which is an expansion axis 57 parallel to the swivel axis 55. Lower arm 37
The shaft connecting the upper arm 33 is coaxial with its expansion axis, thereby causing the lower arm to rotate about the expansion axis in the direction indicated by the arrow.

The lower end of the lower arm 37 has a pinch axis 59 formed therethrough, with a shaft coaxial with the pitch axis supporting a tool i-tube arrangement 43 and indicated by arrow E. It is attached to rotate the chip. As described above, the pitch motion is a uniaxial motion around the pitch axis. The range of that list is expansion axis 5
given by 7. Rotational positioning of the tool is achieved by a spin axis related to the tool holder itself.

However, the list does not have a yaw axis as indicated by arrow 2 in FIG. Instead, yaw motion is provided by the combination of the shoulder joint's yaw and sweep axes. In this method, some of the wrist movements are transferred to the shoulder joints. The tool attachment device or actuator 43 can be located anywhere within its range and is lighter than a complex wrist joint.

Examples of actuator movements are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In FIG. 4, it can be seen that the reading shaft 27 rotates about the yaw axis 51, while the reading shaft 29 rotates around the upper arm 33. Lower arm 37. Ohi tool actuator 41
remains relatively stationary. In Figure 5,
The reading section 27 is stationary, but the reading section 29 is moved by the sheave shaft 53.
It is shown rotating around the . Tool actuator 43 also rotates somewhat about the pitch axis.

Although Figures 2 through 5 only show the upper and lower arm members, these arm members may be further divided into multiple arm members, each powered by an individual motor or a separate motor. It has a connecting joint. The present invention includes upper and lower arm members with a single-axis elbow joint, a three-axis shoulder joint, and a two-axis wrist joint or tool attachment device, counting the spin axis of the tool attachment device. If you don't count the spin axis, it is characterized by a single-axis wrist joint.

The biaxial characteristics of the wrist joint can be clearly seen with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 features a tool mounting device 43 having an encoder 61 at its rear end. As previously mentioned, the tool mounting device is mounted by shaft 39 to the gear box of lower arm 37 along the pitch axis of the lower arm so that the tool actuator moves around the pitch axis as indicated by arrow E. It can be rotated to The tool actuator includes a head 63 to which various tools can be attached. The head 63 rotates around a spin shaft 65 as shown by arrow F.

Rotary motion of the tool can be converted into linear motion by gears, and the actuator can spread the jaws or clamping members to grip an object. Alternatively, a chisel blade or a nut screwing tool can be attached to the actuator. Encoder 61 is a lightweight optical encoder to reduce weight.

Preferably, the spin axis 65 is the shoulder axis 51°53,
and 55, but this is not required.

No rotating tool loading device is required.

This is because hydraulic or pneumatic tools are preferred. In such a case, the list can still be positioned as desired, but tool control is done separately.

The terms "upper" and "lower" used to describe the parts of the robot arm are relative and are not intended to be understood in an absolute sense. - The arm can be arranged in various orientations such that the terms upper and lower are reversed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art humanoid arm. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a robot arm according to the present invention. 3-5 are diagrams illustrating several joints and axes of movement of the robot arm of FIG. 2; FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing details of the robot list of the present invention. is the second reading, 31G is the shaft, 33 is the upper arm member, 37 is the lower arm member, 39 is the shaft, 40 is the shaft angle encoder, 43 is the actuator, 45 is the motor, 51.53.55 is the shoulder shaft, 57 is an expansion axis;
63 is the head of the actuator, and 65 is the spin axis. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same contents or parts. Patent Applicant Inteledex Incorporated Representative Patent Attorney Kube Fukami (
2 others)

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A robot arm including: Multiple joints that connect multiple arm members. The plurality of arm members include an outwardly extending lower arm member having a wrist joint to which a tool connecting device is mounted at the terminal end thereof, and a triaxial shoulder joint at the upper portion to which the lower arm member is connected. and an upper arm member that supports all other members. A pitch axis provided in the wrist joint. A shaft is supported as an axis through the wrist joint, the shaft having the tool contact mounted thereon. a horizontal yaw axis perpendicular to the pitch axis; The yaw axis is located within the shoulder joint of the three axes, thereby providing yaw motion for the tool connection device. (2) The robot arm according to claim 1, wherein the wrist joint is a single axis. (3) The robot arm according to claim 1, wherein the wrist joint has two axes. (4) The robot arm according to claim 1, wherein the number of arm members is two, and the upper arm member is connected to the lower arm member by an elbow joint. (5) The robot arm according to claim 3, wherein the elbow joint is a single axis. (6) The three-axis shoulder joint is formed by three vertical single-axis joints, and the single-axis joint defines a yaw axis, a sweep axis, and a swivel axis; 2. The robot arm according to claim 1, wherein the robot arm intersects at one point. (, 7) The robot arm according to claim 1, wherein the tool attachment has a spin axis perpendicular to the pitch axis of the wrist join. (8) A robot arm of a human-like type having shoulder, elbow and wrist joints, including: Base, upper arm, lower arm, and tool connection device. a shoulder joint connecting the base to the first end of the upper arm; The shoulder joint has an upper arm sweep axis, an upper arm swivel axis perpendicular to the sweep axis, and an upper arm yaw axis perpendicular to both the sweep and swivel axes. an elbow joint connecting a second end opposite the first end of the upper arm to the first end of the lower arm; The elbow joint has an axis of extension parallel to the swivel axis of the shoulder joint. a wrist joint connecting a second end of the lower arm opposite the first end to the end device; The wrist joint has a pitch axis parallel to the extension axis of the elbow joint and the swivel axis of the shoulder joint such that yaw movement of the shoulder joint causes yaw movement of the wrist joint. achieved. 9. The robot arm of claim 8, wherein the terminal device has a spin axis perpendicular to the pitch axis of the wrist joint. (10) The base is a plate mounted vertically on the top of a support, and the shoulder joint is supported from the plate in a cantilevered manner. robot arm. (11) the yaw axis of the shoulder joint;
9. The robot arm according to claim 8, wherein the sweep axis and the swivel axis intersect at a common point. (12) The shoulder joint includes a support frame extending cantilevered from the base along the yaw axis, the frame having a protruding portion having an end region extending vertically therethrough. 9. The robot arm according to claim 8, characterized in that said sweep axis is arranged. (13) The shoulder joint further includes a first portion through which the sweep axis passes, and a separation member having a separation area through which the swivel axis and the yaw axis pass. robot arm. (1.4) The terminal device is connected to the lower arm by a shaft along the pitch axis, and rotation of the lower arm about the expansion axis of the 1 m elbow is caused by rotation of the terminal device about the pitch axis. 9. The robot arm according to claim 8, wherein the robot arm lies in a plane parallel to the plane formed. (15) The upper arm, the lower arm, and the terminal device have parallel planes of rotational movement about parallel axes, and the parallel planes are spaced apart from each other. A robot arm according to scope item 8. (16) The robot arm according to claim 8, wherein the elbow joint is a single axis. (17) The robot arm according to claim 8, wherein the wrist joint is a single axis.