KR20130018402A - Actuator module having universal architecture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An actuator module with a pluripotent coupling structure is provided to facilitate the assembly and coupling of the actuator module and a connecting member by introducing various new designs to each part of the housing of the actuator module. CONSTITUTION: An actuator module(200) with a pluripotent coupling structure comprises a first housing, a third housing, and a second housing. The first and the third housings have multiple first fixing piece sets(240) in the edges. The second housing is placed between the first housing and the third housing, and accommodates an instrument part and a circuit part. The multiple first fixing piece sets protrude from the side or the bottom ends of the first and the third housing, and each first fixing piece set has a through-hole. The top of the first housing has a through-hole which accommodates a driving shaft of the instrument part. A connecting member can be selectively coupled using the through-hole of the first fixing piece sets or the driving shaft. The through-hole of the first fixing piece sets is a hole(242) with a mixed shape, which mixes a circular hole for the access of a bolt and a quadrilateral hole for the access of a wire. A horn which combines with the driving shaft and the connecting member is included, and a horn receiving surface is formed on the first housing.

Description

Actuator module with universal coupling structure {ACTUATOR MODULE HAVING UNIVERSAL ARCHITECTURE}

The present invention relates to an actuator module having a structure that can be universally coupled, and in particular, a plurality of actuator modules and connecting parts can be changed in various forms by repeating mutual coupling by a desired manner, iterative coupling in a standardized manner The present invention relates to an actuator module having a novel structure that supports.

Representative items that can be assembled using the actuator module of the present invention are articulated robots. Of course, in addition to the fields in which motors or actuators are typically used, the actuator module of the present invention may be effectively used even when a plurality of motors or actuators are used by being electrically and / or mechanically connected to each other.

Unlike industrial robots, robots that provide various services in homes, medical institutions, and nursing homes are called personal robots. One type of such personal robot is an entertainment robot. Entertainment robots are centered on play, are capable of autonomous movement, are similar in shape to humans and animals, and have psychological healing effects. Such an entertainment robot can be utilized in various fields such as play, psychological healing, and education.

A representative example of entertainment robots is Sony's Aibo, a robot like a wave-shaped 'Faro', which is famous for psychological healing robots, and there are also various types of small entertainment robots.

On the other hand, such small entertainment robots, such as home appliances such as TVs and refrigerators, it is common to implement a specified type of function with a fixed form within the specification range specified by the manufacturer. In other words, when purchasing a robot, it already recognizes the function and shape limitations of the robot and purchases it, as if buying a TV without expecting the function and shape of the refrigerator.

On the other hand, a PC, considered a kind of home appliance, plays a very different role than a normal home appliance due to its unique freedom, scalability and compatibility. With the development of software and peripherals, PCs can now play a wide variety of roles, including TVs, VCRs, MP3s, coffee makers and cameras.

Similarly, if a personal robot can be given the same degree of freedom and expandability and compatibility as a personal computer, that is, a PC, a user can implement a robot that continuously changes in various forms and simultaneously performs new operations.

The present invention provides an actuator module that can be used in the articulated robot that can change and upgrade the robot by the user by providing a robot solution with a high degree of freedom, expandability and compatibility to meet the above-mentioned request. It aims to do it.

The present invention provides a fixing piece for coupling with the connecting member in the actuator module itself, and by providing another fixing piece having a structure corresponding to the fixing piece, the connection member is very useful using a conventional bolt and nut coupling means. It is an object of the present invention to provide an actuator module having a universal coupling structure capable of forming an effective repeat coupling structure.

The present invention introduces a variety of new designs to each part of the housing of the actuator module, thereby facilitating the assembly and coupling of the actuator module and the connecting member, as well as the wiring problems involved in the coupling between the components. It is an object of the present invention to provide an actuator module having a universal coupling structure that can be solved easily.

An object of the present invention is to provide an actuator module having a universal coupling structure in which the actuator modules can be appropriately arranged so that the actuator modules are mutually coupled in various forms through the connecting members, but not losing the coupling efficiency. do.

One embodiment of the present invention to solve the above technical problem is an actuator module capable of repeatedly coupling, the first housing and the third housing having a plurality of first fixing piece set on the edge; And a second housing positioned between the first housing and the third housing, the second housing configured to receive a mechanism part and a circuit part, wherein the plurality of first fixing pieces are arranged at the side ends or the bottom of the first housing and the third housing. Protrudingly installed, each of the first fixing piece is provided with a through hole, the upper end of the first housing is provided with a through hole for receiving the drive shaft of the mechanism portion, by using the through hole or the drive shaft of the first fixing piece It provides an actuator module characterized in that the coupling member and the selectively coupled.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the through hole of the first fixing piece may be a mixed through hole in the form of a mixture of a circular hole for the entry and exit of the bolt and a rectangular hole for the entry and exit of the wiring.

In one embodiment of the present invention, further comprising a horn (horn) coupled to the drive shaft and the connection member, the first housing may be formed with a horn receiving surface.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the horn receiving surface is a structure recessed lower than the other portion of the first housing, the first fixing piece may not be formed on the horn receiving surface.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the coupling protrusion is formed at the end of the drive shaft, the shaft coupling hole for coupling with the coupling protrusion of the drive shaft may be provided in the center of the horn.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a through hole through which the wire bundle can pass is formed in the third housing, and the wire bundle passing through the through hole is not protruded from the third housing in the third housing. The wiring guide portion may be formed so as not to.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first fixing piece may be coupled by a second fixing piece and bolt-nut coupling means provided in the connecting member.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the actuator module may be coupled to a plurality via the connecting member, the virtual central axis passing through the top and bottom of each actuator module may be perpendicular to each other.

According to the present invention, there is provided an actuator module that can be used in an articulated robot that can change and upgrade a robot by a user by providing a robot solution with high freedom, expandability and compatibility.

According to the present invention, by installing a fixing piece for coupling with the connecting member in the actuator module itself, and providing the other fixing piece having a structure corresponding to the fixing piece in the connection member, using a conventional bolt and nut coupling means There is provided an actuator module having a universal coupling structure capable of forming a highly effective repeat coupling structure.

According to the present invention, by introducing a variety of new designs to each part of the housing of the actuator module, not only facilitates the assembly and coupling of the actuator module and the connecting member, but also the wiring problems involved in the coupling between the components There is provided an actuator module having a universal coupling structure that can solve the problem smoothly.

According to the present invention, there is provided an actuator module having a universal coupling structure, in which the actuator modules can be appropriately arranged in order not to lose the coupling efficiency while mutually coupling the actuator modules in various forms.

1 is a view of an embodiment of a multi-joint robot composed of an actuator module having a universal coupling structure of the present invention.
2A to 2D are views of another embodiment of an articulated robot constituted by an actuator module of the present invention.
3A to 3H are views of the actuator module of the present invention.
4A-4B are views of a horn coupled to the shaft of the actuator module of the present invention.
5a to 5g are views of the connecting members coupled to the actuator module of the present invention.
6a to 10b is a view of the coupling relationship between the actuator module and the connecting member of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a view of an embodiment of a multi-joint robot having a universal coupling structure of the present invention. The articulated robot shown in FIG. 1 is a humanoid having a human shape. The humanoid of FIG. 1 is composed of a plurality of actuator modules 200 and connecting members 300.

2A to 2D are diagrams illustrating another embodiment of the articulated robot having a universal coupling structure of the present invention, respectively. The articulated robot of FIG. 2A has a dinosaur shape, the articulated robot of FIG. 2B has a dog shape, the articulated robot of FIG. 2C has a shape of a fork lane, and is a little humanoid of the articulated robot of FIG. 2D. All articulated robots illustrated in FIGS. 2A to 2D may be configured of actuator modules 200 and connection members 300 of the same type as the humanoid of the first embodiment.

The universal coupling function of the articulated robot of the present invention is due to the simple and effective coupling structure of the actuator module 200 and the connecting members 300 which are the basic components of the articulated robot. Hereinafter, the structure of the actuator module 200 and the various connection members 300 will be described with reference to the drawings.

3A to 3H are a front view, a rear view, a side view, a bottom view, a first perspective view, a second perspective view, a first internal view, and a second internal view of an actuator module which is a basic component of the articulated robot of the present invention, respectively. It is also. The main body of the actuator module is composed of the first housing 210, the second housing 220, the third housing 230, the first housing 210, preferably through the four housing coupling bolts 211 It is coupled to the second housing 220 and the third housing 230. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the drawings.

The interior of the actuator module is roughly divided into a mechanical part including a motor, a gearbox 226, a shaft 212, and a circuit part including a sensor, a microprocessor, a network interface, etc., and the mechanical part is a central axis of the second housing 220. The circuit part may be positioned on one side of the display line 224 and the circuit part may be located on the other side of the second housing 220 (see FIGS. 3C and 3G).

The first housing 210 serves as a cover for covering the mechanism of the actuator module, and has a structure for receiving the shaft 212 of the mechanism through a through hole at an upper end thereof. The shaft 212 has a thread for engagement with a horn (see FIGS. 4A and 4B) on its outer circumferential surface, and a coupling protrusion 214 for setting the engagement position with the horn on its upper end. . In order to prevent the horn from protruding much from the actuator module when the horn is coupled to the shaft, the horn receiving surface 216 of the first housing 220 has a lower structure than the first housing surface 218. On the other hand, the center display line 217 is displayed on the horn receiving surface 216 to facilitate setting the coupling angle between the two members when the horn 250 and the shaft 212 are coupled. On the other hand, although not shown, the radial bearing is typically coupled to the shaft 212, in the case of the actuator module 200 of the present invention, the thrust bearing additionally to withstand the axial external force applied to the shaft 212 additionally (See FIGS. 3C, 3E).

A plurality of fixing pieces 240 are positioned at edges of the first housing 210 and the third housing 230. Each of the first and third housings preferably has four fixing pieces at the left and right ends, and two fixing pieces at the bottom, respectively. The side of the fixing piece 240 is provided with a mixed through hole 242 of a rectangular and circular shape, it provides a structure that can be bolted and wire connection through the mixed through hole. Inside the fixing piece 240, for example, a nut accommodating part 244 to which a hexagon nut can be mounted is provided. In addition, in order to accommodate the distal end of the bolt coupled to the nut accommodated in the nut receiving portion 244 through the mixing hole 242, the left and right ends of the second housing 220 corresponding to each nut receiving portion 244 The bolt guide groove 222 is provided (refer FIG. 3B, 3F).

The structure of the fixing piece 240, the mixing hole 242, the nut accommodating part 244, and the bolt guide groove 222 provided in the first, second and third housings of the actuator module 200 is different from the other actuator module 200. The actuator module is easily connected to other actuator modules or connecting members by using the nut receiving portion 244 provided on the outside of the housing without a separate tap or hole processing on the assembly object such as the It offers the advantage of tight coupling. In addition, the mixing hole 242 on the side of the fixing piece 240 is a form of a mixture of a circular hole for the entry and exit of the bolt and a rectangular hole for the entry and exit of the wiring, the wiring accompanying the assembly between the actuator modules and the connecting members Simplify the process.

A bushing connecting portion 238 is formed at an upper end of the third housing to accommodate the bushing 370 used when the actuator module 200 is connected to the connecting member. A bolt hole 239 is formed at the center of the bushing connecting portion 238 to firmly couple the connecting member to the actuator module 200. In addition, an upper part of the bushing connector 238 is provided with an LED light 232 for indicating an operating state of the actuator module (see FIGS. 3B and 3F).

At the end of the third housing, two rectangular hole-shaped connector accommodation portions 235 are provided, and a connector 234 for wiring between actuators is formed integrally with the actuator in each connector accommodation portion 235, so that the wiring Even if the plug is fastened to the connector, the wiring plug is prevented from protruding out of the actuator. In addition, the lower end of the third housing is provided with a wiring guide portion 236, it is possible to guide the wire bundle discharged through the connector receiving portion 235 neatly to the lower end of the third housing without protruding to the outside of the actuator module. (See FIGS. 3B and 3F).

On the other hand, the back of the third housing, a nut (not shown) coupled with the bolt coming through the bolt hole 239 of the bushing connecting portion 238, and an LED cover 233 for accommodating the LED 232 is provided (See FIG. 3H).

4A and 4B show the top and bottom surfaces of the horn 250, which may be coupled to the shaft 212 of the actuator module 200, respectively. On the top and side of the horn is shown a coupling reference line 256 for setting the engagement position with the shaft 212, the bottom of the horn is a nut receiving portion 258 for accommodating the nut when bolting the horn and the connecting member It is provided. A shaft coupling hole 252 is formed in the center of the horn to accommodate the shaft 212, and a coupling screw thread 257 for coupling with the shaft 212 is formed at the lower end of the shaft coupling hole 252. In particular, three grooves are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft coupling hole 252 in the form of a circular through hole at an angle of 120 degrees, for example, when the horn 250 and the shaft 212 are coupled, one of the three grooves and the shaft By allowing the coupling protrusion 214 of the coupling, the horn 250 and the shaft 212 is prevented from being coupled at any angle by error.

5A and 5B are perspective views of the first connection member 301, FIG. 5C is a perspective view of the second connection member 302, and FIGS. 5D and 5E are perspective views of the third connection member 303, and FIGS. 5F and 5G. Are perspective views of the fourth connection member 304.

The first, second, third, and fourth connection members are all formed with hooks 340 through which wire bundles can penetrate at the center and left and right ends thereof, and bolt heads can be inserted when the other connection members or actuator modules are coupled to each other. Fixing pieces having a first bolt hole 310 formed therein are provided at left and right sides of the connection member. On the other hand, the left and right ends of the first, second, third and fourth connecting members on which the hooks 340 which are passages of the wiring bundles are formed are inclined at predetermined distances and angles, respectively. Close to the side keeps it from protruding much outward.

In addition, a second bolt hole 320 and a nut accommodating portion 330 are formed on the center plate on which the hooks of the first, second, third, and fourth connecting members are formed. In particular, an actuator coupler 350 is additionally formed on the left and right fixing pieces of the third connection member 303 and the fourth connection member 304 to engage the actuator on an extension line of the shaft which is the driving unit of the actuator.

Hereinafter, a coupling relationship between each connection member 301, 302, 303, 304 and another connection member or actuator module 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 10B.

In FIG. 6A, the bolts passing through the first bolt hole 310 formed in the left fixing piece of the third connecting member 303 pass through the bolt holes 254 formed in the actuator horn 250 to form a nut formed inside the horn. By coupling with the nut in the receiving portion 258, the left fixing piece of the third connecting member 303 and the actuator horn 250 is firmly coupled.

In addition, when the right fixing piece of the third connecting member 303 and the actuator 200 are coupled, the anchor 360 is inserted into the actuator coupler 350 formed on the right fixing piece of the third connecting member 303. The bushing 370 is inserted between the right side fixing piece and the bushing connecting portion 238 of the actuator. The bolts passing through the anchor 360, the actuator coupler 350, and the bushing 370 in turn are coupled to the nuts accommodated in the LED cover 233 through the bolt holes 239 formed at the center of the bushing connecting portion 238. The right fixing piece of the third connection member 303 and the actuator are firmly coupled. The bushing 570 replaces an existing steel-based miniature bearing with a plastic-based bushing and contributes to the weight reduction of the actuator module.

The coupling of the third connection member 303 and the actuator thus coupled is shown in FIG. 6B. The feature of the coupling between the connection member and the actuator module of the present invention is that the horn 250 coupled to the shaft 212 serves as a coupling part with the connection member, as well as a bolt formed at the center of the bushing connection part 238 on the opposite side. Since the actuator 239 can be coupled to the actuator due to the hole 239, the actuator can be combined with the actuator and the actuator at both ends of the shaft extension line. Compared to the structure, much stronger and more stable coupling is possible.

7A and 7B show a coupling relationship and a completed coupling structure between the fourth connection member 304 and the actuator 200, respectively. The coupling relationship between each part of the fourth connecting member 304 and each part of the actuator 200 is the third shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B except that the left and right fixing pieces of the fourth connecting member 304 are inclined. Since the same as the case of the connecting member 303, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

8A and 8B illustrate a coupling relationship and a completed coupling structure of two actuator modules 200 using one first connection member 301. The distance between the inner parts of the left and right fixing pieces of the first connecting member 301 is substantially the distance between the outer parts of the opposing fixing pieces 240 formed at the edges of the first housing 210 and the third housing 230 of the actuator module. In agreement, the first connecting member 301 may be properly coupled with the fixing piece 240 of the actuator. In addition, the inclined surface formed between the inner portion and the central plate of the first connecting member 301 is formed at the same angle as the inclined surface of the corners of the fixing pieces 240 formed in the first, third housing, the first connecting member 301 The tighter the coupling by increasing the tighter contact with the actuator. In addition, FIG. 8A illustrates how the nut is coupled to the nut accommodating part 244 formed inside the fixing piece 240 of the first and third housings.

9A and 9B show a coupling relationship and a completed coupling structure when coupling two actuator modules 200 using two first connection members without using the horn 250 when the actuator is coupled. . In the first connection member 301, eight nut receiving parts 330 in the form of 3 * 3 (reduced by one of the hooks 340) form a square type, and when combined with other connection members, The standard is given.

FIG. 10A illustrates an example in which three actuator modules 200 are assembled to be perpendicular to each other using first, second and third connection members. In the case of the second connection member 302, the five nut accommodation portions 330 formed at the bottom thereof are arranged at the same interval as in the case of the first connection member 301, but the six nut accommodation portions formed at the top thereof are different from each other. It is formed in the size and to enable a variety of coupling structure.

In particular, the nut receiving portion formed at the center of the upper end of the second connecting member 302 has a position and size that can be coupled to the actuator coupler 350 of the third connecting member 303 or the fourth connecting member 304, When the left and right side surfaces of the actuator module 200 and the third and fourth connection members are coupled, both of them can be effectively connected. Meanwhile, when the front and rear surfaces of the actuator module 200 are coupled to the third and fourth connection members, as illustrated in FIGS. 6A to 7B, the actuator module 200 and the third and fourth connection members may be directly coupled to each other. . In addition, the nut receiving portion at the lower end of the second connecting member 302 follows a 2 * 3 rectangular arrangement of equal intervals, and the nut receiving portions of the third connecting member 303 and the fourth connecting member 304 are also disposed at the same interval. Following the rectangular arrangement of 5 * 3, the coupling of the first, second, third, and fourth connection members with the actuator module 200 can be standardized.

8B and 9B, the virtual central axis passing one actuator module 200 in the longitudinal direction, that is, the longitudinal direction, and the virtual central axis passing the other actuator module 200 in the longitudinal direction, that is, the longitudinal direction are perpendicular to each other. Form an intersection. In addition, in FIG. 10A, the virtual center axes A, B, and C of the three actuator modules 200 are also orthogonal to each other to form intersection points. As such, the actuator module 200 and the first, second, third, and fourth connecting members of the present invention may be coupled in such a manner that the virtual center axes of the actuator module 200 are always perpendicular to each other to form an intersection point. Since the orthogonal coupling is possible, not only the rigidity of the coupling itself is increased, but also the inclination load is not applied to the shaft 212 of the actuator module 200 so that the actuator module 200 can be prevented from functioning deteriorated. Module 200 design can also be accomplished effectively.

FIG. 10B illustrates a form in which the first connection member 301 is coupled to the left and right ends and the lower ends of the actuator module housing. Three first connectors 301 and one third connector 303 are used, and are coupled to other components in all directions of up, down, left, and right of the actuator module. As indicated by the ellipses in FIG. 10B, when the plurality of fasteners are joined at an angle of 90 ° or obliquely adjacent, for example, the ends of the fasteners should be formed so as to exclude mutual interference, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5C. When the ends of the fixing piece of the first connecting member and the second connecting member are formed to be inclined, mutual interference does not occur at right angles or adjacent coupling.

Although the present invention has been described in the above preferred embodiment, the actuator module having a standardized and modular structure can be combined to implement an actuator mechanism having various forms, and a coupling means for coupling with the connecting member in the actuator module. The idea of the invention, which is based on the fact that the actuator module and the connecting member can be coupled by a known coupling method by forming a number, for example, specifies the number of housings and discloses only a part of the known coupling means such as bolt-nut coupling. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments when applied to an articulated robot. For example, in the case of adopting a known alternative coupling method such as rivet coupling instead of bolt-nut coupling, it is possible to change the bolt hole, nut receiving portion, etc. of the present invention into a suitable form. It is obvious to those who have it.

Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be defined based on the appended claims.

Claims (8)

Actuator module that can be repeatedly combined,
A first housing and a third housing having a plurality of first set of pieces at an edge thereof; And
A second housing positioned between the first housing and the third housing, the second housing receiving the mechanism part and the circuit part;
The plurality of first fixing piece sets protrude from side ends or bottoms of the first and third housings, and each of the first fixing pieces is provided with a through hole.
The upper end of the first housing is provided with a through hole for receiving the drive shaft of the mechanism,
Actuator module, characterized in that selectively coupled with the connecting member using the through-hole or the drive shaft of the first fixing piece.
The method of claim 1,
The through-hole of the first fixing piece is an actuator module, characterized in that the mixed through-hole in the form of a mixture of a circular hole for the entry and exit of the bolt and a rectangular hole for the entry and exit of the wiring.
The method of claim 1,
And a horn coupled to the drive shaft and the connecting member, wherein the first housing is provided with a horn receiving surface.
The method of claim 3,
The horn receiving surface is a structure recessed lower than the other portion of the first housing, the actuator module, characterized in that the first fixing piece is not formed on the horn receiving surface.
The method of claim 3,
A coupling protrusion is formed at an end of the driving shaft, and an actuator module is provided at the center of the horn, the shaft coupling hole coupled with the coupling protrusion of the driving shaft.
The method of claim 1,
A through hole through which the wire bundle can pass is formed in the third housing, and a wire guide part is formed in the third housing to prevent the wire bundle passing through the through hole from being spaced apart from the third housing. Actuator module.
The method of claim 1,
The first fixing piece is an actuator module, characterized in that coupled to the second fixing piece provided in the connecting member and the bolt-nut coupling means.
The method of claim 1,
The actuator module may be coupled to a plurality of members via a connecting member, and the virtual center axes passing through the top and bottom surfaces of the actuator modules are perpendicular to each other.

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