KR20200083219A - Manipulator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a manipulator. The manipulator according to the present invention comprises: a base having a surface corresponding to a shape of at least a portion of a spherical surface; an end effector provided to move along the surface; a first driving device for rotationally moving the end effector about a first rotation axis defined to pass through the center of the spherical surface; and a second driving device for moving the end effector along a meridian defined on the surface by a plane passing through the first rotation axis. The end effector, when moving by the first driving device and the second driving device, is guided by the surface and moves along the surface. An object of the present invention is to provide the manipulator capable of moving the end effector to an accurate position on a spherical coordinate system.

Description

Manipulator {MANIPULATOR}

The present invention relates to a manipulator.

As the utilization of robots in the industry increases, development of a manipulator capable of functioning as a robot arm has been made. Certain fields require a manipulator capable of moving an end effector coupled to the end of the manipulator to a precise position within a spherical coordinate system. However, conventional spherical coordinate manipulators have a problem that they cannot move while preserving the shape of the spherical surface when moving on the spherical coordinate system. Therefore, there are limitations in accuracy, such as a serious error, such as the position actually moved in the spherical coordinate system deviating from the set position, or moving to a position outside the spherical coordinate system.

The present invention is to solve at least one of the above-mentioned problems, to provide a manipulator capable of moving the end effector without deviating from the spherical coordinate system, and also moving the end effector to the correct position on the spherical coordinate system. The purpose.

In one example, the manipulator comprises: a base having a surface corresponding to a shape of at least a portion of a spherical surface; An end effector provided to move along the surface; A first driving device for rotationally moving the end effector around a first rotation axis defined to pass through the center of the spherical surface; And a second drive device for moving the end effector along a meridian defined on the surface by a plane passing through the first rotational axis, the end effector, when moving by the first drive device and the second drive device, to the surface. It is guided by and moves along the surface.

In another example, the first driving device includes an outer body fixedly coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the base, an inner body provided inside the outer body and mechanically connected to the end effector, and the inner body centered around the first rotation axis. By rotating, the end effector can be rotated along the surface about the first rotation axis.

In another example, the outer body has an inner gear formed along its inner circumferential surface, and the first drive device spaces the first drive gear and the first drive gear in engagement with the inner gear in parallel with the first rotation axis. A first driving motor for rotating around the first drive shaft and a fixing member for connecting them to the inner body and the first driving gear integrally further provided, and when the first driving motor rotates the first driving gear, By rotating the first drive gear around the first rotational axis along the inner circumferential surface of the outer body, the inner body rotates around the first rotational axis, so that the end effector can be rotated and moved about the first rotational axis.

In another example, the second driving device, the sprocket coupled to the inner body rotatably around the second rotation axis orthogonal to the meridian and the first rotation axis, the end effector is coupled to one end, the sprocket is engaged with the sprocket A chain member for moving the end effector along the meridian by rotating about the second rotation axis is provided, and the chain member can be guided and moved by the surface by closely adhering to the surface and moving along the meridian. .

In another example, the base has an opening formed in the upper end, the chain member penetrates the opening, at least a portion is located on the surface, and the other portion is located in the inner space of the base, and the surface or base of the base is rotated as the sprocket rotates. It can be displaced towards the interior space.

In another example, the second drive device includes a second drive motor for rotating the sprocket about a second rotation axis, and a second drive gear for mechanically linking the rotation of the second drive motor and the rotation of the sprocket. , The fixing member, the first driving gear, the first driving motor, the second driving motor, the second driving gear, the sprocket and the inner side by combining them so that the relative positions of the first driving motor and the second driving motor are fixed The main bodies can be connected to each other so as to move as one body.

In another example, the second drive gear includes a sprocket bevel gear coupled to one end of the sprocket and rotating about a second rotation axis, and a drive bevel gear engaged with the sprocket bevel gear and rotating about an axis parallel to the first rotation axis. It is provided, and the second drive motor rotates the drive bevel gear by rotating about the second drive shaft spaced apart from the first rotation shaft to rotate the sprocket around the second rotation shaft.

In another example, the second drive gear is fixed to the first spur gear rotating about the second drive shaft by the second drive motor, the first spur gear, and being coaxially rotatable with the drive bevel gear It has a second spur gear coupled to, the rotational power of the second drive motor can be transmitted to the sprocket through the first spur gear, the second spur gear, the drive bevel gear and the sprocket bevel gear.

In another example, the chain member may include an attachment chain engaged with the sprocket, and a chain cover installed on the opposite side of the surface in the attachment chain to prevent the attachment chain from bending outward.

In another example, the guide member is formed to protrude through the opening toward the upper side of the inner body, and forms a guide groove formed to extend along the meridian, and the chain member is guided when displaced by rotation of the sprocket. By passing through the groove, it can be guided to move along the meridian.

According to the present invention, the end effector can be moved by being guided by the surface of the base having a spherical shape, without deviating from the spherical coordinate system.

Further, according to the present invention, the movement in the latitude direction and the movement distance in the longitudinal direction can be finely controlled, so that the accuracy of the position where the end effector has moved can be improved.

1 is a perspective view showing a manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a partially cut-away perspective view showing a manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a side view showing the internal structure of a manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view showing a driving device of a manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view schematically showing a part of the chain member of the manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, the same components have the same reference numerals as possible even though they are displayed on different drawings. In addition, in describing embodiments of the present invention, when it is determined that detailed descriptions of related well-known configurations or functions interfere with understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

1 is a perspective view showing a manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a partial cut-away perspective view showing a manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a side view showing the internal structure of a manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, a manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

The manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base 110, an end effector 130, a first driving device 150 and a second driving device 170.

The base 110 has a surface 111 corresponding to a spherical shape. 1, the base 110 is shown as being formed in a spherical shape as a whole, but only some of the surfaces 111 may be formed in a spherical shape. For example, the upper portion may be formed in a hemisphere shape, and the lower portion may be formed in a cuboid shape. On the other hand, the base 110 is provided with an empty space therein may be installed a driving device (150, 170) to be described later, and a control device (not shown) for controlling the driving devices (150, 170). In addition, an opening 113 is formed at the upper end of the base 110, and the chain member 174 to be described later through the opening 113 is exposed from the inner space of the base 110 to the surface 111 of the base 110. Can be.

The end effector 130 is provided to move along the surface 111 of the base 110. The end effector 130 refers to a configuration having a function of directly acting on a work object when performing a specific operation using a manipulator. The end effector 130 is coupled to the end of the chain member 174 to be described later, and is provided to move along the surface 111 of the base 110. The type of the end effector 130 is not particularly limited, and in this embodiment, a gripper capable of gripping a work object is shown as the end effector 130.

The first drive device 150 rotates the end effector 130 along the surface 111 about the first rotation axis I. The first rotation axis (I) refers to an axis defined to connect the upper and lower parts of the sphere through the center of the spherical surface. That is, the end effector 130 may be moved along the first latitude (I) and along the latitude direction of the sphere.

The second drive device 170 moves the end effector 130 along the meridian L. The meridian L refers to a line defined on the surface 111 of the base 110 by an imaginary plane passing through the first rotation axis I. The end effector 130 may be moved in the longitudinal direction of the sphere along the meridian L.

Accordingly, the end effector 130 may be moved within the coordinates along the surface 111 of the sphere by the first driving device 150 and the second driving device 170. And the end effector 130 is guided by the surface 111 of the base 110 when moving, and moves along the surface 111. Therefore, unlike the conventional manipulators, since the end effector 130 can be displaced along the spherical coordinates without deviating from the spherical coordinates, the positional accuracy of the end effector 130 can be improved.

5 is a perspective view showing a driving device of a manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a view schematically showing a part of the chain member of the manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the first driving device 150 and the second driving device 170 for moving the end effector 130 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. In FIG. 5, a part of the first driving device 150 is shown in red, and a part of the second driving device 170 is shown in blue, and for convenience of description, the fixing member is omitted from the illustration. have.

First, the first driving device 150 is a device for rotating the end effector 130 around the first rotational axis I, and includes an outer body 151 and an inner body 153.

The outer body 151 is fixedly coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the base 110 (see FIG. 4). That is, the outer body 151 is coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the base 110 so as to be integral with the base 110, and the coupling method is not particularly limited. The outer body 151 may be formed in a dome shape along the inner circumferential surface of the base 110, and has an inner gear 151a formed along the inner circumferential surface.

The inner body 153 is provided inside the outer body 151 so as to be movable relative to the outer body 151. In other words, the inner body 153 is relatively movable relative to the base 110 integrally coupled with the outer body 151. A bearing 152 may be provided between the inner body 153 and the outer body 151 for smooth movement of the inner body 153.

In addition, the inner body 153 is mechanically connected to the end effector 130. That the end effector 130 and the inner body 153 are mechanically connected, the inner body 153 and the end effector 130 are physically connected to each other via the sprocket 171 and the chain member 174, which will be described later. It means that it is. Therefore, when the position relative to the base 110 of the inner body 153 is changed, the position of the end effector 130 relative to the base 110 is also changed.

In order to change the relative position between the inner body 153 and the outer body 151, the first driving device 150 includes a first driving motor 155, a fixing member 156, and a first driving gear 157 do.

The first drive motor 155 is parallel to the first rotation shaft (I), but rotates the first drive gear (157) around the first drive shaft (S1) disposed spaced apart from the first rotation shaft (I). The first drive gear 157 is geared along the circumference of the first drive shaft S1 to engage the inner gear 151a. Therefore, when the first driving motor 155 rotates the first driving gear 157, the first driving gear 157 engages the inner gear 151a and along the inner circumferential surface of the outer body 151, the first rotating shaft I ).

At this time, the fixing member 156 connects the inner body 153 and the first drive gear 157 such that the inner body 153 and the first drive gear 157 are integrally moved (see FIG. 4 ). That is, the fixing member 156 directly connects the inner body 153 and the first drive gear 157, or connects them to each other through a different configuration, between the inner body 153 and the first drive gear 157. Fix the relative position. In this embodiment, as the fixing member 156, a plate connecting the first driving motor 155 and the second driving motor to each other is used, but the shape is not particularly limited. Since the second drive motor is connected to move integrally with the inner body 153, when the first drive gear 157 revolves around the first rotation axis I, the inner body 153 also moves correspondingly. .

More specifically, the outer body 151 has an inner gear 151a formed symmetrically about the first rotation axis I (see FIG. 3), and the first drive gear 157 meshes with the inner gear 151a. Orbit around the first rotation axis (I). At this time, since the relative positions of the inner body 153 and the first drive gear 157 are fixed, and the first rotation shaft I is defined to penetrate the center of the inner body 153, the first drive gear 157 ) Orbits around the first rotation axis (I), the inner body (153) rotates around the first rotation axis (I). And as the inner body 153 rotates around the first rotation axis (I), the end effector 130 rotates along the surface 111 of the base 110 in a latitude direction. As a result, when the first drive motor 155 is operated, the end effector 130 is displaced in the latitude direction of the sphere around the first rotation axis (I).

At this time, the distance that the end effector 130 moves is determined by the distance that the first drive gear 157 moves in engagement with the inner gear 151a. In the conventional spherical coordinate manipulator, since the motor and the end effector are directly connected, the rotation angle of the motor determines the moving distance of the end effector, and thus there is a problem that it is difficult to delicately adjust the moving distance of the end effector. However, in this embodiment, since the movement distance of the end effector 130 is determined by the distance that the first drive gear 157 meshes with the inner gear 151a, the position of the end effector 130 is more delicate and accurate. Can be adjusted.

Meanwhile, the second drive device 170 includes a sprocket 171 chain member 174, a second drive motor 175, and a second drive gear 177.

First, referring to FIG. 2, the sprocket 171 is rotatably coupled to the inner body 153 about the second rotation axis II. The second rotation axis (II) refers to an axis orthogonal to the primary line (L) and the first rotation axis (I), respectively.

The chain member 174 is engaged with the sprocket 171 so that the sprocket 171 is displaced along the meridian L by rotating about the second rotation axis II. At this time, the chain member 174 is in close contact with the surface 111 and moves along the meridian L. Therefore, the end effector 130 coupled to the end of the chain member 174 can be moved without being deviated from spherical coordinates while being guided by the surface 111 of the sphere.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 6, the chain member 174 includes an attachment chain 174a engaged with the sprocket 171 and a chain cover 174b installed on the opposite side of the surface 111 from the attachment chain 174a. . The plurality of chain covers 174b are arranged along the meridian L, and when the chain member 174 is bent in a direction away from the surface 111, the plurality of chain covers 174b interfere with each other to attach the attachment chain 174a ) To keep in close contact with the surface 111. Therefore, it is possible to more easily maintain the position of the end effector 130 in spherical coordinates.

Further, at least a portion of the chain member 174 may be located on the surface 111 and the other portion may be located in the inner space of the base 110. As the sprocket 171 rotates, the chain member 174 and the end effector 130 may be displaced toward the inner space of the surface 111 or the base 110. In addition to the chain member 174 moving along the surface 111, the remaining portion is located in the inner space of the base 110, so that the space to which the end effector 130 can move may not be limited.

Meanwhile, the sprocket 171 is configured to rotate about the second rotation shaft II by the second driving motor 175 and the second driving gear 177. More specifically, the second drive gear 177 mechanically interlocks the rotation of the second drive motor 175 and the rotation of the sprocket 171, so that the second drive motor 175 is parallel to the first rotation axis (I). When the second drive gear 177 is rotated about the second drive shaft S2 spaced apart, the sprocket 171 rotates about the second rotation shaft II.

To this end, the second drive gear 177 includes a sprocket bevel gear 177a, a drive bevel gear 177b, a first spur gear 177c and a second spur gear 177d.

The sprocket bevel gear 177a is coupled to one side of the sprocket 171 and rotates together with the sprocket 171 about the second rotation axis (II). The driving bevel gear 177b rotates about an axis parallel to the first rotation axis I, and is provided to mesh with the sprocket bevel gear 177a. Therefore, when the second drive motor 175 rotates the drive bevel gear 177b, the sprocket 171 rotates about the second rotation shaft II.

At this time, the drive bevel gear 177b may be directly connected to the second drive motor 175, but in this embodiment, the power of the second drive motor 175 is the first spur gear 177c and the second spur gear It is transmitted to the drive bevel gear (177b) through (177d). More specifically, the first spur gear 177c is directly connected to the second drive motor 175 and rotates around the second drive shaft S2, and the second spur gear 177d is the first spur gear 177c. It is engaged with, and is coupled to the fixing member 156 to rotate coaxially with the drive bevel gear 177b. Accordingly, the rotational power of the second drive motor 175 is transmitted to the sprocket 171 through the first spur gear 177c, the second spur gear 177d, the drive bevel gear 177b, and the sprocket bevel gear 177a. Can be delivered. And as the sprocket 171 rotates, the end effector 130 coupled to the end of the chain member 174 can be moved in the longitudinal direction along the meridian L.

The second drive gear 177 is provided with a first spur gear 177c and a second spur gear 177d, thereby facilitating a horizontal positional relationship between the first drive motor 155 and the second drive motor 175 Can be adjusted. In particular, the position of the chain member 174 located in the inner space of the base 110 can be easily adjusted so as not to interfere with the driving devices 150 and 170. In addition, when the second drive motor 175 is configured to rotate the direct drive bevel gear 177b, the inner body 153 and the first drive gear 157 are connected to each other through only the fixing member 156. On the other hand, when the second drive motor 175 is configured to rotate the drive bevel gear 177b through the first spur gear 177c and the second spur gear 177d, the second drive motor 175 In addition, the second spur gear 177d connected to the inner body 153 is also coupled to the fixing member 156, thereby increasing the number of points connected between the inner body 153 and the first drive gear 157, thereby driving the first drive. The motor 155 and the inner body 153 can move more stably and integrally.

In addition, the distance that the end effector 130 moves along the meridian L is also determined by the degree to which the sprocket 171 received through the second driving gear 177 rotates the power of the second driving motor 175. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the position more accurately than to control the moving distance of the end effector by directly controlling the rotation degree of the motor shaft by being directly connected to the motor as in the prior art.

Meanwhile, the manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a guide member 120. The guide member 120 is formed to protrude through the opening 113 toward the upper side of the inner body 153, and forms a guide groove 125 formed to extend along the meridian L (see FIG. 2). When the chain member 174 is displaced by rotation of the sprocket 171, by passing through the guide groove 125, the chain member 174 may be guided to move along the meridian L without being separated from the meridian L. At this time, the inside of the guide member 120, the chain member 174 is engaged with the sprocket 171, the guide surface 122 to guide the rotational movement of the chain member 174, to prevent the escape to the outside when rotating It may be provided (see Fig. 3 or 4). Therefore, the chain member 174 can move in close contact with the surface 111 along the meridian L while stably engaged with the sprocket 171, and the end effector 130 also does not deviate from the spherical coordinates. L).

According to the configuration of the manipulator according to one embodiment of the present invention, the user can accurately move the end effector 130 to a desired position on spherical coordinates. For example, when the end effector 130 is to be moved in a latitude direction within spherical coordinates, the end is controlled by controlling the first drive motor 155 such that the first drive gear 157 rotates as much as corresponding to the distance to be moved. The effector 130 may be rotated and moved in the latitude direction along the surface 111 of the base 110.

Alternatively, when the end effector 130 is to be moved in the longitudinal direction within spherical coordinates, the end effector () is controlled by controlling the second driving motor 175 such that the sprocket 171 rotates as much as the distance to be moved. 130) may be moved along the surface 111 of the base 110 in the longitudinal direction.

Alternatively, when the end effector 130 is to be simultaneously moved in the longitudinal direction and the latitude direction within spherical coordinates, the driving for moving in the longitudinal direction and the latitude direction of the end effector 130 is independent of each other, so the distance to be moved As much as the first drive motor 155 and the second drive motor 175 are controlled, the end effector 130 can be freely moved within the spherical coordinates along the surface 111 of the base 110.

At this time, since the chain member 174 moves in close contact with the surface 111, it is possible to prevent the end effector 130 from deviating outward in spherical coordinates. In addition, since the movement of the chain member 174 along the meridian L is guided by the guide member 120, it is possible to prevent the end effector 130 from deviating from the meridian L, and the end effector 130 The movement in the latitude direction of the first driving gear 157 is controlled by the distance that moves while engaging the inner gear 151a, and the movement of the end effector 130 in the longitudinal direction is the degree to which the sprocket 171 rotates. Since it is determined by, it is possible to precisely control the position of the end effector 130 compared to the prior art of rotating and moving around one of the axes.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, but to explain, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical spirits within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

110: bass
111: surface
113: opening
120: guide member
122: guide surface
125: Guide home
130: end effector
150: first driving device
151: outer body
152: bearing
153: inner body
155: first drive motor
156: fixing member
157: first drive gear
170: second driving device
171: sprocket
174: chain member
175: second drive motor
177: second drive gear
Ⅰ: 1st rotating shaft
Ⅱ: 2nd rotating shaft
L: Primary
S1: first drive shaft
S2: Second drive shaft

Claims (10)

A base having a surface corresponding to a shape of at least a portion of a spherical surface;
An end effector provided to move along the surface;
A first driving device for rotating the end effector about a first rotational axis defined to pass through the center of the spherical surface; And
And a second driving device for moving the end effector along a meridian defined on the surface by a plane passing through the first rotation axis,
The end effector is guided by the surface and moves along the surface when moved by the first drive device and the second drive device.
According to claim 1,
The first driving device includes an outer body fixedly coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the base, and an inner body provided inside the outer body and mechanically connected to the end effector, and the inner body and the first rotating shaft. A manipulator that rotates the end effector to rotate the end effector along the surface about the first axis of rotation.
According to claim 2,
The outer body has an inner gear formed along its inner circumferential surface,
The first driving device includes a first driving gear that engages the inner gear, a first driving motor that rotates the first driving gear about a first driving shaft spaced apart from the first rotation shaft, and the inside. The main body and the first drive gear is further provided with a fixing member connecting them to each other to move integrally,
When the first drive motor rotates the first drive gear, the first drive gear rotates about the first rotation axis along the inner peripheral surface of the outer body, so that the inner body centers on the first rotation axis. Rotating, the end effector is rotated about the first axis of rotation, the manipulator.
According to claim 3,
The second driving device is a sprocket rotatably coupled to the inner main body about a second rotational axis orthogonal to the meridian and the first rotational axis, and the end effector is coupled to one end, and engaged with the sprocket A sprocket is provided with a chain member for moving the end effector along the meridian by rotating about the second rotation axis,
The chain member is in close contact with the surface and moves along the meridian so that the end effector is guided and moved by the surface.
According to claim 4,
The base has an opening formed in the upper end,
The chain member penetrates through the opening, and at least a part is located on the surface and the other part is located in the inner space of the base, and the manipulator is displaced toward the inner space of the surface or the base as the sprocket rotates.
According to claim 4,
The second drive device includes a second drive motor for rotating the sprocket around the second rotation axis, and a second drive gear for mechanically linking the rotation of the second drive motor and the rotation of the sprocket. ,
The fixing member, by coupling them to each other so that the relative positions of the first drive motor and the second drive motor are fixed, the first drive gear, the first drive motor, the second drive motor, the second A manipulator, which connects the drive gear, the sprocket, and the inner body to move integrally.
The method of claim 6,
The second drive gear is coupled to one end of the sprocket and a sprocket bevel gear rotating about the second rotation axis, and a drive bevel gear engaged with the sprocket bevel gear and rotating about an axis parallel to the first rotation axis. Equipped,
The second drive motor rotates the drive bevel gear by rotating around a second drive shaft spaced apart from the first rotation shaft, thereby rotating the sprocket around the second rotation shaft.
The method of claim 7,
The second drive gear, the first spur gear rotated about the second drive shaft by the second drive motor, the first spur gear meshed with the drive bevel gear, the coaxially rotatably fixed It has a second spur gear coupled to the member,
The rotational power of the second drive motor is transmitted to the sprocket through the first spur gear, the second spur gear, the drive bevel gear and the sprocket bevel gear.
According to claim 4,
The chain member includes an attachment chain engaged with the sprocket, and a chain cover provided on the opposite side of the surface of the attachment chain to prevent the attachment chain from bending outward.
The method of claim 5,
It is formed to protrude through the opening to the upper side of the inner body, further comprising a guide member forming a guide groove formed to extend along the meridian,
The chain member is guided to move along the meridian by passing through the guide groove when displaced by rotation of the sprocket.

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