RU2259916C9 - Flexible manipulator - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: machine engineering, possibly development of industrial robots of improved flexibility, flexible mounting of self-guiding systems, antennae, different irradiators and TV-cameras.

SUBSTANCE: working members of manipulators are in the form of truncated segments of cylinder. Working members have working surface with cross teeth, lateral shift limiting members and mounting groove. Flexible members are arranged between guiding rollers mounted in grooves on ends of working members. Working surface of working members has variable curvature radius.

EFFECT: improved technical and operational characteristics, enhanced reliability, lowered mass and cost of manipulator.

6 cl, 2 dwg

Description

This technical solution relates to the field of engineering. Working bodies of this type are used to create industrial robots of increased flexibility. For example, a robot for painting the inside of a car. In addition, such a kinematic scheme can be used for flexible mounting of guided systems, antennas, various emitters and television cameras.

Of the devices known to the applicant, the closest is an industrial manipulator of the SRINE type, described on pages 26-27, the book of the publishing house MIR, "Do not count professions in a robot," Moscow, 1987 translation, edited by P. Marsh.

The prototype manipulator is a set of lenticular elements arranged in series and connected by flexible connections.

However, manipulators of this type have several disadvantages:

1. The loaded working area of the elements is a point of small area, because of which the load is distributed unevenly, and the elements work inefficiently. As a result, they can only be made from very durable materials that have a large dead weight and still wear out quickly.

2. The elements slip under load, which does not allow to achieve high positioning accuracy.

3. The design does not have sufficient torsional strength, since there are basically no locking elements. This does not allow the use of the manipulator to work with parts and equipment of large and medium weight.

4. During operation, the friction force of the cables against the elements is too high, which increases energy consumption and leads to rapid wear of flexible connections.

The aim of the present invention is to eliminate these drawbacks: reducing the load on the elements, reducing the total weight and cheaper construction due to the use of less durable materials. No slippage to improve positioning accuracy. Increased torsion resistance. Increased reliability and reduced energy consumption by reducing friction.

This goal is achieved by optimizing the shape of the working elements, which are made in the form of truncated segments of the cylinder. The working surface of the elements is provided with transverse teeth, limiters are installed on the lateral planes, mutually offset from the center, and a groove is made on the non-working plane for mutual fastening of the elements. Flexible connections are located between the guide rollers installed in the grooves made at the ends of the working elements.

The essence of the invention is illustrated by drawings, where figure 1 shows a kinematic diagram of a manipulator with two degrees of freedom, and figure 2 shows the device of a separate element.

The device consists of working elements 1 with a working 2 and non-working 3 surfaces, lateral displacement stops 4, a mounting groove 5 on the non-working surface, guide rollers 6 mounted on the axes 7 in the grooves 8 at the ends of the elements, and flexible links 9. The working surface is equipped with teeth 10.

The manipulator is arranged as follows.

Consistently installed crosswise elements 1 are fastened by flexible ties 9, which are passed through the guide rollers 6 and are fixed on the final element of the manipulator. During assembly, the elements are connected in pairs by mounting grooves and are mounted on top of each other with the turn of the limiters in opposite directions.

A flexible element, using, for example, an ordinary winch, is stretched on one side, while simultaneously releasing from the opposite, which leads to the bending of the manipulator towards the decreasing element. Changing the assembly order of the manipulator, you can build a system with one degree of freedom or with two, and by increasing the number of rollers, flexible connections and the height of their attachment, you can make multi-link manipulators for various purposes.

Changing the radius of curvature of the working surfaces or the use of surfaces with a variable radius allows you to change the dynamic characteristics of individual elements and corresponding sections of the manipulator.

Based on this principle, it is possible to develop manipulators of industrial robots used in painting, welding and assembling automobiles or radio engineering devices. In addition, you can use the manipulator to flexibly mount guided antennas, tracking cameras and directional emitters.

This design of the device dramatically reduces the loading of the manipulator elements due to the fact that the working areas of the elements now do not have the shape of a point, as in the prototype, but a straight line the size of the entire width of the element, and when applied, for example, the teeth even take the form of a plane. This makes it possible to manufacture elements from less durable materials, to reduce the weight of the manipulator while improving performance.

Toothed surface, stops and fixing groove exclude the possibility of mutual slipping of elements, which significantly increases the accuracy of positioning and load capacity of the manipulator. And the guide rollers reduce friction losses and reduce the wear of flexible joints.

In addition, the device is very technological, in fact, the elements can be made by cutting them from a long profile of the appropriate shape. Then it is enough to cut the grooves and drill holes for the axles of the rollers and the mounting of the side stops. A sharp decrease in the loading of elements allows them to be made of plastics using injection molding technology.

The proposed design has great rigidity due to the exclusion of mutual slippage of elements, resistance to twisting. This allows you to increase positioning accuracy. The increase in the working surface of the elements allows you to increase the allowable load while reducing weight, cost and wear, which allows you to expand the area of possible applications of the manipulator. So, for example, now it can be used in robots working with heavier and unbalanced parts or used as a flexible fastener for guidance systems.

Of the patent information materials known to the applicant, no features similar to the distinguishing features of the claimed object were found.

Claims (6)

1. A flexible manipulator, consisting of sequentially arranged working elements running around each other, connected at the edges by a flexible connection, characterized in that the working elements are made in the form of truncated segments of the cylinder. 2. The manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that the working elements have a working surface with transverse teeth. 3. The manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that the working elements have lateral displacement limiters. 4. The manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that the working elements have a mounting groove. 5. The manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible elements are located between the guide rollers installed in the grooves at the ends of the working elements. 6. The manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that the working surface of the elements has a variable radius of curvature.

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