KR101719054B1 - A joint apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The above description relates to a joint mechanism. According to one embodiment, the articulating mechanism comprises: a pipe; A first joint connected to the pipe; A sliding member slidable on the pipe; A second joint capable of changing a tilt with respect to the first joint; And a force transmission bar connecting the sliding member and the second joint.

Description

A JOINT APPARATUS

The description below relates to the joint mechanism.

Joint devices can be used in various fields. For example, it can be used in all fields where a production robot arm used in a factory line for production of a product such as a car, a surgical robot arm in a medical field, a medical endoscope, an endoscope or the like is used.

For example, in the medical field, surgical robots using joint apparatuses are being used variously, and in particular, surgery is being developed in the direction of minimizing the invasion to the patient. Therefore, researches for miniaturization of joint mechanisms have been actively carried out.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a conventional articulation mechanism, and FIG. 2 is a view showing a wire cable used as a driving means of a conventional articulation mechanism.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the medical field, a tool having a tip having various functions such as a forceps and a cautery is attached to a distal end of a thin and long pipe in order to miniaturize joint instruments. . These instruments are not limited to laparoscopic surgery but are used in almost all surgical procedures. In order to make dexterous movement in the abdominal cavity, a number of surgical instruments including joints at the distal end have been developed. These joints are mostly driven by pulling or pushing a wire cable composed of a plurality of strands as shown in Fig. actuation).

Such a conventional articulation mechanism has a limitation in miniaturizing the articulation mechanism due to the limitation of the joint part, the lack of rigidity of the wire cable, and the method of joining the wire cable and the joint part. Particularly, in the case of the wire cable, the smaller the diameter is, the more it is broken, and the force of the joint part becomes smaller.

In addition, in the case of a wire cable, a length change and hysteresis are caused by a tensile force, so that the accuracy is lowered, control is difficult, and accurate interpretation is difficult.

The purpose of the embodiment is to provide a joint mechanism that uses a force transmission member in the form of a rigid bar instead of a wire cable as a means for replacing or using the wire cable.

According to one embodiment, the articulating mechanism comprises: a pipe; A first joint connected to the pipe; A sliding member slidable on the pipe; A second joint capable of changing a tilt with respect to the first joint; And a force transmission bar connecting the sliding member and the second joint.

One side of the force transmission bar may be rotatably connected to the sliding member, and the other side may be rotatably connected to the second joint.

The first joint part and the second joint part may include a first passage part and a second passage part, respectively, and the sliding member may be slidably disposed outside the pipe.

The joint mechanism may further include a connecting portion connecting the first joint portion and the second joint portion, and the connecting portion may be provided outside the first passage portion and the second passage portion.

The connecting portion and the force transmitting bar may be installed in directions opposite to each other with respect to the center of the first joint portion and the second joint portion.

The connecting portion may include a hinge coupling structure, a rolling contact structure, or a gear coupling structure.

The connecting portion may include a material having elasticity.

The connection part may be formed of a flexible material and may include a plurality of slits for increasing the flexibility of the connection part.

Wherein the connection portion includes: a support portion connecting the first joint portion and the second joint portion; A first slit portion formed on the opposite side of the force transmission bar with respect to the support portion; And a second slit portion formed on the opposite side of the first slit portion with respect to the support portion.

Wherein the pipe is rotatably installed with respect to the first joint, and the joint mechanism comprises: a torque transmitting member connected to the pipe; And a third joint part connected to the torque transmitting member and rotatable with respect to the second joint part.

The torque transmitting member may extend along a passage portion formed inside the second joint portion.

The torque transmitting member may be formed integrally with the pipe.

According to one embodiment, a pipe; A first joint connected to the pipe; A sliding member slidable on the pipe; And a second joint part connected to the first joint part at one side and to the sliding member at the other side.

The articulated mechanism may further include a force transmission bar provided between the sliding member and the second joint portion, and the force transmission bar may move the second joint portion with respect to the first joint portion according to the moving direction of the sliding member Direction or counterclockwise.

According to the embodiment, by using a force transmission member made of a rigid material in place of or in place of the wire cable, it has an effect of being able to exert a strong and strong force against an external force.

In addition, since the force transmitting member of the embodiment is a rigid body or near a rigid body, the length change and hysteresis with respect to the tensile force are significantly reduced compared to the wire cable, and consequently the accuracy is improved, The range can be predicted and the control is facilitated.

1 is a view showing a conventional articulation mechanism.
2 is a view showing a wire cable used as driving means of a joint mechanism according to the prior art.
3 is a perspective view of a joint mechanism according to the first embodiment.
4 is a side view of a joint mechanism according to the first embodiment.
5 is a view showing a state in which the second joint according to the first embodiment rotates relative to the first joint;
6 is a view showing a state in which the second joint part according to the first embodiment is rotated at a maximum with respect to the first joint part.
7 is a partially exploded perspective view of the articulation mechanism according to the second embodiment.
8 is a view showing a state in which the second joint according to the second embodiment rotates relative to the first joint.
9 is a view showing a state in which the first joint part and the second joint part according to the second embodiment are rotated with respect to the pipe.
10 is a view showing a state in which the third joint part according to the second embodiment is rotated with respect to the second joint part.
11 is a view showing a joint mechanism according to the third embodiment.
12 is a view showing a joint mechanism according to the fourth embodiment.
13 is a view showing a joint mechanism according to the fifth embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. It should be noted that, in adding reference numerals to the constituent elements of the drawings, the same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals whenever possible, even if they are shown in different drawings. In the following description of the embodiments, detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the best of an understanding clear.

In describing the components of the embodiment, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are intended to distinguish the constituent elements from other constituent elements, and the terms do not limit the nature, order or order of the constituent elements. When a component is described as being "connected", "coupled", or "connected" to another component, the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, Quot; may be "connected,""coupled," or "connected. &Quot;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a joint mechanism according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a side view of a joint mechanism according to the first embodiment.

3 and 4, the joint mechanism 10 according to the first embodiment includes a first joint part 110, a pipe 120, a second joint part 130, a connecting part 140, a sliding member 150 And a force transmission bar 160.

The first joint 110 may be connected to the pipe 120. The first joint 110 and the pipe 120 may be integrally formed. The first joint part 110 may include a first passage part 115, a first angle restricting part 117, and a sliding restricting part 118.

The first passage part 115 may be formed along the longitudinal direction of the first joint part 110. For example, the first joint part 110 may be provided in a hollow cylindrical shape including a first passage part 115 therein. However, the shape of the first joint 110 is not limited in the present invention. For example, when the joint mechanism 10 is used in a surgical robot arm or the like, a surgical instrument or a camera may be inserted into the first passage portion 115, or a medicament may be injected into the first passage portion 115. The surgical instrument may include a tool with a tip having various functions such as forceps, cautery, and the like.

The first angle restricting portion 117 can restrict the rotation angle of the second joint portion 130 which rotates with respect to the first joint portion 110. [ For example, the first angle restricting portion 117 may be a slanting surface inclined downward with reference to Fig. According to the first angle restricting part 117, the minimum angle formed by the first joint part 110 and the second joint part 130 can be limited.

The sliding restriction portion 118 can restrict the sliding distance of the sliding member 150. [ For example, the sliding restriction portion 118 may be a protrusion having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the pipe 120. [ The sliding restricting portion 118 can prevent the sliding member 150 from being disengaged from the first joint portion 110. In addition, the sliding limiter 118 may limit the maximum angle formed by the first joint part 110 and the second joint part 130. For example, the outer diameter of the sliding restricting portion 118 may be the same as the outer diameter of the sliding member 150.

The pipe 120 may be connected to a robot arm or the like to support the first joint part 110, the sliding member 150, and the like. The pipe 120 may be detachably provided to the robot arm or the like. A passage portion communicating with the first passage portion 115 may be formed in the pipe 120. [ For example, the diameter of the passage portion of the pipe 120 may be the same as the diameter of the first passage portion 115.

The second joint part 130 may be provided so that the inclination with respect to the first joint part 110 can be changed. The second joint 130 can be pivoted relative to the first joint 110. One side of the second joint part 130 may be connected to the first joint part 110 and the other side may be connected to the sliding member 150. The second joint part 130 may include a second passage part 135 and a second angle restricting part 137.

The second passage portion 135 may be formed along the longitudinal direction of the second joint portion 130. For example, the second joint part 130 may be provided in a hollow cylindrical shape including the second passage part 135 therein. However, the shape of the first joint 130 is not limited in the present invention. For example, when the joint mechanism 10 is used in a surgical robot arm or the like, a surgical instrument or a camera may be inserted into the second passage portion 135, or a medicine may be injected into the second passage portion 135. The surgical instrument may include a tool with a tip having various functions such as forceps, cautery, and the like.

The second angle restricting portion 137 can restrict the rotation angle of the second joint portion 130 that rotates with respect to the first joint portion 110. For example, the first angle restricting part 137 may be an obliquely inclined oblique surface with reference to Fig. According to the first angle restricting part 137, the minimum angle formed by the first joint part 110 and the second joint part 130 can be limited. The end of the second angle restricting portion 137 may be provided in a shape that coincides with the end of the first angle restricting portion 117. [

The connection portion 140 may connect the first joint portion 110 and the second joint portion 130. For example, the connection portion 140 may be provided outside the first passage portion 115 and the second passage portion 135. 3, the connection portion 140 may be installed in a direction facing the force transmission bar 160 with respect to the center of the first passage portion 115 and the second passage portion 135. [

The sliding member 150 can be slidably installed in the pipe 120. [ For example, the sliding member 150 can be slidably disposed on the outside of the pipe 120.

The force transmission bar 160 may be installed between the sliding member 150 and the second joint 130 to connect the sliding member 150 and the second joint 130. One side of the force transmission bar 160 may be rotatably connected to the sliding member 150 and the other side may be rotatably connected to the second joint 130. The force transmission bar 160 may have a hinge having a pivot axis parallel to the pivot axis of the first joint part 110 and the second joint part 130, respectively. The force transmission bar 160 can cause the second joint part 130 to rotate with respect to the first joint part 110 in accordance with the moving direction of the sliding member 150. [ For example, the force transmission bar 160 may be formed of a rigid material.

5 is a view showing a state in which the second joint according to the first embodiment rotates relative to the first joint;

Referring to FIG. 5, when the sliding member 150 is slid up and down with respect to the pipe 120, the force transmission bar 160 moves together. Since the first joint part 110 is fixed to the pipe 120 in the vertical direction, the first joint part 110 maintains the fixed position without being affected by the vertical movement of the sliding member 150. Accordingly, the angle of the joint 130 can be changed with respect to the joint 140 according to the movement of the force transmission bar 160.

The force transmitting bar 160 connected to the sliding member 150 transmits a force to the second joint 130 and consequently the second joint 130 is moved And can be rotated clockwise with respect to the first joint 110. Accordingly, the angle between the first joint part 110 and the second joint part 130 can be reduced.

Conversely, when the sliding member 150 is moved upward, the force transfer bar 160 connected to the sliding member 150 transmits a force to the second joint part 130. As a result, the second joint part 130 moves the first joint part 130, And can be rotated in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the main body 110. Accordingly, the angle between the first joint part 110 and the second joint part 130 can be increased.

As the angle between the first joint part 110 and the second joint part 130 increases, the length (L) of the moment arm acting on the force transmission bar 160 becomes larger, . ≪ / RTI >

6 is a view showing a state in which the second joint part according to the first embodiment is rotated at a maximum with respect to the first joint part.

6, when the sliding member 150 is continuously moved downward, the first angle restricting portion 117 and the second angle restricting portion 137 come into contact with each other, and the first joint portion 110 and the second joint portion It is understood that the minimum angle of the second joint 130 is limited.

Hereinafter, components included in the above embodiments and components including redundant functions will be described using the same names. Unless otherwise stated, the description of the above embodiment can be applied to the following embodiments. A detailed description will be omitted below.

7 is a partially exploded perspective view of the articulation mechanism according to the second embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7, the joint mechanism 20 according to the second embodiment includes a first joint part 210, a pipe 220, a second joint part 130, a connecting part 140, a sliding member 150, A transmission bar 160, a third joint 270, a torque transmitting member 280, and a tool tip 290.

The first joint 210 and the pipe 220 may be rotatably connected to each other. The pipe 220 can be installed so as to be rotatable with respect to the first joint part 210 and not to allow sliding movement. For example, it can be realized by using a general projection and groove structure, and it is possible to use any other method.

The third joint 270 may include a third passage formed along the longitudinal direction of the third joint 270. The third joint 270 may be rotated about the same axis as the second joint 130. The third joint 270 may be connected to the torque transmitting member 180. For example, the third joint 270 may include a coupling portion 272 that can be coupled to the torque transmitting member 180 in a helical or interference fit manner.

The torque transmitting member 280 is connected to the pipe 220 and can be rotated in accordance with the rotating direction of the pipe 220. [ For example, the torque transmitting member 280 may extend along the passage portion formed inside the second joint portion 270. For example, the torque transmitting member 280 may be formed of a flexible material such as a flexible tube. The torque transmitting member 280 may be integrally formed with the pipe 220. [

One end of the torque transmitting member 280 may be connected to the end of the pipe 220 and the other end of the torque transmitting member 280 may be connected to the third joint 270. In this case, as compared with the case where the torque transmitting member 280 is provided as a separate layer inside the pipe 220, the entire articulated mechanism 20 can be further downsized.

Further, when the torque transmitting member 280 has a tube shape, the inner diameter of the torque transmitting member 280 can be made to have the same diameter as the inner diameter of the pipe 220. In this case, as compared with the case where the torque transmitting member 280 is provided as a separate layer inside the pipe 220, a passage portion having a wider cross section can be secured.

The tool tip 290 may be disposed at the distal end of the third joint 270. The tool tip 290 can be rotated in accordance with the rotational direction of the third joint 270. In FIG. 7, the tool tip 290 is shown fixed to the third joint 270, in which case the third joint 270 itself may be understood as a tool tip. Alternatively, it may be inserted into the third passage formed in the third joint 270 and detached and attached to the distal end of the third joint 270. It is also possible that additional joints are further provided between the third joint part 270 and the tool tip 290. A detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The joint mechanism 20 according to the second embodiment can be operated at least three degrees of freedom. A detailed description will be given with reference to FIG. 8 through FIG. 10 below.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which the second joint according to the second embodiment rotates relative to the first joint, and FIG. 9 is a view showing a state in which the first joint and the second joint according to the second embodiment rotate about the pipe 10 is a view showing a state in which the third joint according to the second embodiment is rotated with respect to the second joint.

First, the first degree of freedom will be described with reference to FIG. 8, when the sliding member 150 is moved downward, the angle between the first joint part 110 and the second joint part 230 is reduced. On the other hand, when the sliding member 150 is moved upward, The angle between the joint part 110 and the second joint part 230 can be increased. That is, depending on the sliding distance of the sliding member 150, the angle between the first joint part 110 and the second joint part 230 can be adjusted.

Next, the second degree of freedom will be described with reference to FIG. 9, when the sliding member 150 is rotated around the pipe 220, the force transmitting bar 160, the second joint part 130, and the first joint part 210 connected to the sliding member 150 It can be seen that it can be rotated in the same direction as the sliding member 150. That is, depending on the amount of rotation of the sliding member 150, the direction of the distal end of the second joint 130 can be adjusted.

The torque transmitting member 280 connected to the pipe 220 is not rotated in the same manner as the pipe 220 and the direction of bending according to the rotational direction of the second joint part 130 can be changed.

Finally, the third degree of freedom will be described with reference to FIG. 10, when the pipe 220 is rotated, the torque transmitting member 280 connected to the pipe 220 is rotated, and as a result, the third joint part 270 or the tool tip 290 can be rotated. In this case, the sliding member 150, the first joint part 210, and the second joint part 130 can be oriented in the same direction without being rotated. That is, the amount of rotation of the third joint part 270 or the tool tip 290 can be adjusted according to the amount of rotation of the pipe 220.

11 is a view showing a joint mechanism according to the third embodiment.

11, the joint mechanism 30 according to the third embodiment includes a first joint part 110, a pipe 120, a second joint part 130, a connecting part 340, a sliding member 150, And may include a transfer bar 160.

As shown in FIG. 11, the connection portion 340 may have a hinge connection structure. The connecting portion 340 may have a pair of hinges provided so as to face each other in the front-rear direction with reference to Fig. The rotation axis of the pair of hinges may have a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the force transmission bar 160.

12 is a view showing a joint mechanism according to the fourth embodiment.

12, the joint mechanism 40 according to the fourth embodiment includes a first joint part 110, a pipe 120, a second joint part 130, a connecting part 440, a sliding member 150, And may include a transfer bar 160.

12, the connecting portion 440 may have a rolling contact structure. The connecting portion 440 may have a pair of contact portions provided so as to face each other in the front-rear direction with reference to Fig.

Meanwhile, unlike the illustrated embodiment, the connecting portion 440 may include gears meshed with each other. Such a structure may be referred to as a gear-engaging structure.

13 is a view showing a joint mechanism according to the fifth embodiment.

13, the joint mechanism 50 according to the fifth embodiment includes a first joint part 110, a pipe 120, a second joint part 130, a connecting part 540, a sliding member 150, And may include a transfer bar 160.

The connection portion 540 may include a flexible material. The connection portion 540 may include a plurality of slit portions for increasing the flexibility of the connection portion 540.

For example, the connection portion 540 includes a support portion 546 connecting the first joint portion 110 and the second joint portion 130, and a support portion 546 formed on the opposite side of the force transmission bar 160 with respect to the support portion 546 And may include a first slit portion 542 and a second slit portion 544 formed on the opposite side of the first slit portion 542 with respect to the support portion 546. In other words, the first slit portion 542 and the second slit portion 544 may be formed so as to face each other with respect to the support portion 546. The first slit portion 542 and the second slit portion 544 may be formed in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first joint portion 110 and the first joint portion 130.

The connection portion 540 may include a material having elasticity. In this case, since the elastic force increases in proportion to the amount of deformation, in general, a larger force is required to reduce the angle between the first joint part 110 and the second joint part 130. [ However, according to the structure of the embodiments, as the amount of deformation increases, the length of the moment arm increases, so that a larger moment can be applied, and as a result, it can be deformed with a smaller force.

According to the embodiment, by using a force transmission member made of a rigid material in place of or in place of the wire cable, it has an effect of being able to exert a strong and strong force against an external force. In addition, since the force transmitting member of the embodiment is a rigid body or near a rigid body, the length change and hysteresis with respect to the tensile force are significantly reduced compared to the wire cable, and consequently the accuracy is improved, The range can be predicted and the control is facilitated.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. For example, it is contemplated that the techniques described may be performed in a different order than the described methods, and / or that components of the described structures, devices, and the like may be combined or combined in other ways than the described methods, Appropriate results can be achieved even if they are replaced or replaced.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments and equivalents to the claims are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (12)

A pipe having a passage portion formed therein;
A first joint part connected to an outer surface of the pipe;
A sliding member slidably disposed on an outer surface of the pipe and having a sliding distance limited by being hooked to an end of the first joint;
A second joint capable of changing a tilt with respect to the first joint;
A force transmission bar connecting the sliding member and the second joint;
A torque transmitting member connected to the pipe; And
And a third joint part connected to the torque transmitting member and rotatable with respect to the second joint part,
Wherein the pipe is rotatably provided with respect to the first joint.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein one side of the force transmission bar is rotatably connected to the sliding member and the other side is rotatably connected to the second joint.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first joint part and the second joint part each include a first passage part and a second passage part,
Wherein the sliding member is slidably disposed on an outer side of the pipe.
The method according to claim 1,
And a connecting portion connecting the first joint portion and the second joint portion, wherein the connecting portion is provided outside the first passage portion and the second passage portion.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the connecting portion and the force transmitting bar are installed in directions opposite to each other with respect to the center of the first joint portion and the second joint portion.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the connecting portion includes a material having elasticity.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the connection portion is formed of a flexible material and includes a plurality of slit portions for increasing the flexibility of the connection portion.
8. The method of claim 7,
The connecting portion
A support portion connecting the first joint portion and the second joint portion;
A first slit portion formed on the opposite side of the force transmission bar with respect to the support portion; And
And a second slit portion formed on the opposite side of the first slit portion with respect to the support portion.
delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the torque transmitting member extends along a passage formed inside the second joint. delete delete

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