WO2010126129A1 - Medical manipulator - Google Patents

Abstract

A manipulator (10) used as a medical manipulator comprises: an operation section (14) which has a grip handle (26) gripped by the human hand; and an working section (16) which can be mounted to and removed from the operation section (14). The working section (16) comprises: a trigger lever (36) which is operated by the human hand; a tip operation section (12) which is operated by operation of the trigger lever (36); a connection shaft (18), to the tip of which the tip operation section (12) is mounted; and rods (192a, 192b) which penetrate through the inside of the connection shaft (18) and serve as operation transmitting sections for mechanically transmitting to the tip operation section (12) an operation which is inputted to the trigger lever (36).

Description

Medical manipulator

The present invention relates to a medical manipulator having a base portion having a handle gripped by a hand and a working portion detachable from the base portion.

In laparoscopic surgery, a small hole is made in the patient's abdomen, etc., and an endoscope, manipulator (or forceps), etc. are inserted, and the surgeon performs the operation while viewing the endoscope image on the monitor. Yes. Since such laparoscopic surgery does not require laparotomy, the burden on the patient is small, and the number of days until postoperative recovery and discharge is greatly reduced, and therefore, the application field is expected to expand.

On the other hand, manipulators used in laparoscopic surgery are desired to be capable of quick and appropriate procedures depending on the position and size of the affected area, and various techniques such as excision of the affected area, suturing and ligation are required. Done. In relation to this, there has been proposed a manipulator that has a high degree of freedom in operation and can be easily operated (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-104854).

A manipulator described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-104854 is configured such that a working part having a tip operating part and an operation part (base part) having a motor and a handle are detachable. This makes it possible to easily configure a manipulator having various tip operation parts according to the procedure by exchanging a predetermined working part provided with various tip action parts such as scissors and grippers with respect to the operation part. it can. In this manipulator, when the operating portion and the working portion are mounted, the cross-shaped convex portion and the concave portion formed at the tip of the driving shaft and the driven shaft are engaged with each other, and thereby the rotational driving force of the motor is transmitted to the driving portion. Can be transmitted to the working unit to operate the tip working unit.

By the way, when a gripper, for example, is used as the tip operating portion, if the opening / closing operation is configured to be mechanically operable by an operation of a trigger lever or the like, it is more intuitive than the case of opening / closing by an electric mechanism such as a motor. Operation becomes possible.

However, in the above conventional configuration, a trigger lever as an input unit is provided on the base side, and the base and the working unit are configured to be detachable. For this reason, when a mechanism that mechanically transmits the operation of the trigger lever to the distal end working unit side is applied, the mechanical transmission mechanism must also be configured to be detachable in the middle, and the configuration is complicated. Is likely to be.

The present invention has been made in connection with such a conventional technique, and includes a base portion having a handle that is gripped by a human hand and a working portion that can be attached to and detached from the base portion. An object of the present invention is to provide a medical manipulator capable of simply configuring a mechanism for mechanically transmitting an operation to a distal end working unit.

A medical manipulator according to the present invention includes a base portion having a handle that is gripped by a hand, and a working portion that can be attached to and detached from the base portion. The working portion includes a working portion side input portion that is manually operated. A tip operating unit that operates by operating the working unit side input unit, a shaft provided with the tip operating unit at the tip, and an input operation to the working unit side input unit through the shaft. And an operation transmission unit that mechanically transmits the unit.

According to such a configuration, when having a base portion having a handle that is gripped by a human hand and a working portion that can be attached to and detached from the base portion, a working portion side input portion that mechanically drives the distal end working portion, and All operation transmission units are provided on the working unit side. As a result, when an attachment / detachment structure is adopted, it is necessary to provide an attachment / detachment structure corresponding to the attachment / detachment structure between the operation unit and the working unit in the operation transmission unit, which is a mechanical drive unit that tends to have a relatively complicated structure. Absent. Therefore, the attachment / detachment structure between the base portion and the working portion can be configured more simply.

The working unit side input unit is a trigger lever, and the operation transmission unit includes a rod-shaped or linear transmission member that moves forward and backward in the axial direction of the shaft when the trigger lever is rotated. It is possible to configure. If it does so, since it is not necessary to provide a detachable structure in the said transmission member, the structure of the said medical manipulator becomes simple.

In this case, if a latch mechanism capable of fixing the position of the trigger lever is provided, it is possible to maintain the operating state of the distal end working unit, for example, the closed state of the opening / closing mechanism, and the handling of the medical manipulator is improved.

When the latch mechanism has a claw portion and an engagement portion with which the claw portion can be engaged, the latch mechanism can be configured with a simple structure.

If a release portion for releasing the engagement state between the claw portion and the engagement portion in the latch mechanism is provided, the latch state can be easily released.

The claw part or the engaging part is provided on the trigger lever and is elastically swingably supported, and the trigger lever is supported by the elastically swingable claw. If the stopper member for restricting the swinging of the engagement portion or the engagement portion in the engagement direction at a predetermined position is provided, the engagement state between the claw portion and the engagement portion by the latch mechanism is maintained in the predetermined state. Therefore, even if the base portion and the working portion are separated in the latched state, the engagement state between the claw portion and the engagement portion is not firmly maintained, and the claw portion and the engagement portion are not maintained. It is possible to effectively avoid an excessive load on the part.

The latch mechanism may be provided in the working unit. If it does so, even if it is a latched state, a base part and a working part can be attached or detached easily.

One of the claw portion and the engaging portion may be provided on the trigger lever, and the other may be provided on the handle.

The base includes a drive shaft that is rotated by an actuator and a base side input unit that drives the actuator, and the working unit is driven to rotate by the drive shaft and is moved to the distal end working unit by the work unit side input unit. There may be provided a driven shaft that imparts an operation different from the input operation according to, and a flexible member that transmits the rotation of the driven shaft to the distal end working unit. In this case, a structure for transmitting the rotation of the drive shaft on the base side to the driven shaft on the working unit side is required, but such a structure is relatively easy to adopt a detachable structure compared to the mechanical structure described above. Since it is easy, it becomes possible to give various operation | movement to a front-end | tip operation | movement part, making the structure of the said medical manipulator simple enough.

The drive shaft and the driven shaft are each provided with an engaging convex portion at one tip, and an engaging concave portion that can be engaged with the engaging convex portion at the other tip. When the engaging recess engages with each other in a state where the base and the working part are mounted and the rotation of the drive shaft can be transmitted to the driven shaft, the attachment / detachment structure between the base and the working part can be simplified. It is preferable because

It is a perspective view of the manipulator concerning this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a partially omitted perspective view of an operation unit. It is a partially-omission perspective view of a working part. FIG. 5 is a partially omitted perspective view of a composite input unit and its peripheral part. It is a front view of a composite input part. It is a partially omitted exploded side view of the operation unit and the working unit. FIG. 5 is a partially omitted perspective view of the drive unit and its peripheral part in a state where the operation unit and the working unit are mounted. FIG. 6 is a partially omitted plan view of the drive unit and its peripheral part in a state where the operation unit and the working unit are mounted. FIG. 3 is a partially omitted cross-sectional side view of a drive unit and its peripheral part. FIG. 4 is a partially omitted cross-sectional front view of a drive unit and its peripheral part. It is a partially omitted plan view of a working unit. FIG. 12 is a partially omitted cross-sectional side view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 11. It is a cross-sectional perspective view of a pulley box. 14A is a partially omitted bottom view for explaining the allowable rotation range of the pulley, and FIG. 14B is a partially omitted bottom view showing a state in which the pulley is rotated from the state shown in FIG. 14A. 15A is a partially omitted side view showing a modified example of the cleaning liquid injection port and the cap in a state where the operation unit and the working unit are separated, and FIG. 15B shows the operation unit and the working unit from the state shown in FIG. 15A. It is a partially omitted side view showing a mounted state. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. 12. It is a partially omitted cross-sectional perspective view of the trigger lever. 18A is a partially omitted sectional side view of the trigger lever, and FIG. 18B is a partially omitted sectional side view in a state where the lever is operated from the state shown in FIG. 18A. It is a partial omission cross-sectional side view of a trigger lever attaching part and its peripheral part. It is a partially omitted side view for explaining the imaging direction of the barcode by the camera. It is a partially omitted side view showing a modification of the imaging direction of a barcode by a camera. 22A is a partially omitted bottom view of the operation unit, and FIG. 22B is a partially omitted plan view of the working unit. FIG. 10 is a partially omitted plan view showing a modified example of a structure for restricting an allowable rotation range of a pulley. FIG. 24A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion are in a phase in which engagement is not possible, and FIG. 24B is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion are engaged. is there. FIG. 25A is a partially omitted cross-sectional side view showing a state in which the operation portion and the working portion are mounted and the engagement convex portion and the engagement concave portion are not engaged, and FIG. 25B is a diagram from the state shown in FIG. 25A. It is a partially-omitted cross-sectional side view which shows the state which the joint convex part and the engagement recessed part engaged. FIG. 26A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a first example of the initial phase of the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion, and FIG. 26B is an explanatory diagram illustrating a second example of the initial phase of the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion. FIG. 26C is an explanatory diagram showing a third example of the initial phase of the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion, and FIG. 26D is an explanatory diagram showing a fourth example of the initial phase of the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion. FIG. 27A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in an initial phase in the operation pattern of the first example illustrated in FIG. 26A, and FIG. 27B is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the engaging convex portion is rotated from the state illustrated in FIG. 27A. FIG. 27C is an explanatory view showing a state in which the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion are engaged from the state shown in FIG. 27B, and FIG. 27D is an illustration in which the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion are engaged. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state by which the motor was set to the origin. 28A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in an initial phase in the operation pattern of the second example illustrated in FIG. 26B, and FIG. 28B is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the motor is rotated from the state illustrated in FIG. 28A. 28C is an explanatory view showing a state where the motor has overrun the origin from the state shown in FIG. 28B, and FIG. 28D is an explanatory view showing a state where the motor is set to the origin. FIG. 29A is an explanatory diagram showing a state in an initial phase in the operation pattern of the third example shown in FIG. 26C, and FIG. 29B shows that the engaging convex portion is rotated from the state shown in FIG. FIG. 29C is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the motor is overrun from the state illustrated in FIG. 29B and then set to the origin. FIG. 30A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in an initial phase in the operation pattern of the fourth example illustrated in FIG. 26D, and FIG. 30B is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the engagement convex portion is rotated from the state illustrated in FIG. 30A. FIG. 30C is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the motor is set to the origin after the engagement convex portion and the engagement concave portion are engaged from the state illustrated in FIG. 30B. FIG. 31A is an explanatory view showing a configuration example when the engaging phase of the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion is configured in a 180 ° phase shape, and FIG. 31B shows the engaging convex portion from the state shown in FIG. 31A. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which engaged the engagement recessed part. FIG. 32A is an explanatory view showing another configuration example when the engaging phase of the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion is configured in a 180 ° phase shape, and FIG. 32B is engaged from the state shown in FIG. 32A. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which made the convex part and the engagement recessed part engage. FIG. 33A is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example when the engaging phase of the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion is configured in a 120 ° phase shape, and FIG. 33B shows the engaging convex portion from the state shown in FIG. 33A. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which engaged the engagement recessed part. FIG. 34A is an explanatory view showing another configuration example when the engaging phase of the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion is configured in a 120 ° phase shape, and FIG. 34B is engaged from the state shown in FIG. 34A. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which made the convex part and the engagement recessed part engage. It is a top view which shows the modification of the detection piece which is a sensor dog of an origin detection sensor. It is a top view which shows the other modification of the detection piece which is a sensor dog of an origin detection sensor. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the manipulator which concerns on this embodiment. It is a partially omitted cross-sectional side view showing a first example of a modified example of the trigger lever. FIG. 39 is a partially omitted cross-sectional side view illustrating a state where the trigger lever illustrated in FIG. 38 is fully pulled. FIG. 39 is a partially omitted cross-sectional side view showing a state in which the trigger lever shown in FIG. 38 is latched. It is a partially-omitted cross-sectional side view which shows the 2nd example of the modification of a trigger lever. FIG. 42 is a partially omitted cross-sectional side view showing a state in which the trigger lever shown in FIG. 41 is latched. 43A is a partially omitted cross-sectional side view showing a third example of a modification of the trigger lever, and FIG. 43B is a partially omitted cross-sectional side view showing the unlocked state of the trigger lever shown in FIG. 43A. FIG. 43B is a partially omitted cross-sectional side view showing a state in which the trigger lever shown in FIG. 43A is latched. FIG. 45A is a partially omitted sectional side view showing a fourth example of a modified example of the trigger lever, and FIG. 45B is a partially omitted sectional side view showing an unlocked state of the trigger lever shown in FIG. 45A. FIG. 45B is a partially omitted cross-sectional side view showing a state in which the trigger lever shown in FIG. 45A is latched. 47A is a partially omitted sectional side view showing a fifth example of a modification of the trigger lever, and FIG. 47B is a partially omitted sectional side view showing the unlocked state of the trigger lever shown in FIG. 47A. 48A is a partially omitted sectional side view showing a sixth example of a modification of the trigger lever, and FIG. 48B is a partially omitted sectional side view showing the unlocked state of the trigger lever shown in FIG. 48A. FIG. 47A is a partially omitted perspective view showing a seventh example of the modification of the trigger lever. FIG. 50A is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion are in an initial phase in another method of the origin search operation, and FIG. 50B is a diagram showing a state where the motor is rotated forward from the state shown in FIG. FIG. 50C is a diagram illustrating a state in which the contact portion is in contact with one stopper, and FIG. 50C illustrates a state in which the motor is reversely rotated from the state illustrated in FIG. 50B and the contact portion is in contact with the other stopper. FIG. 50D is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the motor is set as the origin from the state illustrated in FIG. 50C. It is a model side view of a front-end | tip operation | movement part when fully pulling a trigger lever. It is a model side view of a front-end | tip operation | movement part when a trigger lever is pushed out. It is a schematic structure figure of a tip operation part. It is a section side view of a tip operation part. It is a section top view of a tip operation part. It is a section side view in the state where the gripper was closed in the tip operation part. It is a disassembled perspective view of a front-end | tip operation | movement part. It is a schematic structure figure which shows a part of end effector drive mechanism. It is a model side view of an end effector drive mechanism when not operating a trigger lever. It is a schematic cross-sectional top view of the connection location of the edge part of a passive wire. It is a schematic cross section side view of the connection location of the edge part of a passive wire. It is a partial cross section top view of the 2nd end effector drive mechanism when a trigger lever is pushed out. It is a partial cross section top view of the 2nd end effector drive mechanism when fully pulling a trigger lever. It is a partial cross section side view of the 2nd end effector drive mechanism when a trigger lever is pushed out. It is a schematic structure figure of the tip operation part concerning a modification. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a surgical robot system in which a base part to which a working part can be attached and detached is connected to a tip of a robot arm.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the medical manipulator according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the manipulator (medical manipulator) 10 according to the present embodiment grips a predetermined part of a living body or a curved needle or the like on a distal end working unit 12 provided at the distal end of a connecting shaft 18. It is a medical instrument for performing treatment, and is usually called a grasping forceps or a needle driver (needle holder).

In the following description, the width direction in FIG. 1 is defined as the X direction, the height direction is defined as the Y direction, and the extending direction of the connecting shaft 18 is defined as the Z direction. Further, when viewed from the front end side, the right side is defined as the X1 direction, the left side as the X2 direction, the upward direction as the Y1 direction, the downward direction as the Y2 direction, the forward direction as the Z1 direction, and the backward direction as the Z2 direction. Further, unless otherwise specified, the description of these directions is based on the case where the manipulator 10 is in a neutral posture. These directions are for convenience of explanation, and it is needless to say that the manipulator 10 can be used in any direction (for example, upside down).

The manipulator 10 includes an operation unit (base unit) 14 that is manually held and operated, and a work unit 16 that is detachable from the operation unit 14, and a controller 514 that is detachable from the operation unit 14 via a connector 520. It is comprised as a manipulator system which has. The operation unit 14 is provided with a drive unit (actuator unit) 30 that electrically drives the working unit 16 side. The separated operation unit 14 is shown in FIG. 2, and the separated operation unit 16 is shown in FIG.

The controller 514 is a control unit that comprehensively controls the manipulator 10, and is connected to the cable 61 extending from the lower end of the grip handle (handle) 26 via the connector 520. A part or all of the functions of the controller 514 can be integrally mounted on the operation unit 14, for example.

The controller 514 includes, for example, a first port 515a, a second port 515b, and a third port 515c, and can control three manipulators 10 independently at the same time. Reference numeral 516 in FIG. 1 is a power switch of the controller 514.

The controller 514 can be connected to a host computer 502 which is a usage history management unit via a communication unit such as a LAN. The host computer 502 records a usage history table in an internal recording means (not shown), and transmits / receives usage history data corresponding to the requested individual number to the controller 514 or a plurality of controllers connected by the LAN. And manage. The host computer 502 is not limited to a configuration independent of the controller 514, and the function may be provided in the controller 514.

Such a manipulator 10 and a system including the manipulator 10 can selectively adopt various configurations. For example, the working unit 16 applies various end effectors such as a gripper and scissors as the distal end working unit 12 to obtain a desired configuration. The action can be performed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the operation unit 14 is configured in a substantially L shape extending in the Z1 direction and the Y2 direction, and a pair of upper covers 25a and 25b (substantially divided in the Z direction). Hereinafter, the drive unit 30 and the camera 224 (see FIG. 6) and the like are housed in the housing, and the portion extending in the Y2 direction on the base end side is also referred to as the “upper cover 25”. The grip handle 26 is configured to be gripped by a hand. The upper cover 25 may be formed of a resinous material, for example, and may have an integral configuration that cannot be divided.

The grip handle 26 has a length suitable for being manually gripped, and has the composite input portion 24 on the upper inclined surface 26a. The grip handle 26 extends in an approximately Y2 direction from an inclined surface 26a formed in a bent portion of the upper cover 25. Specifically, the grip handle 26 has an angle of about 75 ° (degrees) with respect to the axis of the connecting shaft 18. It extends to. By making such an angle, it has been confirmed that the operability when moving the entire manipulator 10 is enhanced and the operability of the composite input unit 24 is enhanced.

As shown in FIG. 1, a master switch (main switch) 34 is provided in the vicinity of the top of the operation unit 14 in the Y1 direction so as to be exposed from the upper cover 25. Is provided.

The working unit 16 includes a distal end working unit 12 for performing work, a long and hollow connecting shaft (shaft) 18 provided with the distal end working unit 12 at the tip, and a lower bracket to which the proximal end side of the connecting shaft 18 is fixed. 32 and a trigger lever 36 pivotally supported at the end of the lower bracket 32 in the Z2 direction. The working unit 16 has a pair of lower covers 37a and 37b (hereinafter, collectively referred to as “lower cover 37”) divided substantially symmetrically in the Z direction as a housing, and houses the lower bracket 32 therein. . The lower cover 37 may be formed of a resinous material, for example, and may have an integral configuration that cannot be divided.

Such a working unit 16 is fixed to the operation unit 14 by a pair of left and right attachment / detachment levers 400 and 400 provided in the operation unit 14 (drive unit 30), and from the operation unit 14 by an opening operation of the attachment / detachment lever 400. It is separable and can be easily replaced at the surgical site without using a special instrument. The upper surface (Y1 surface) of the lower bracket 32 is provided with a cleaning liquid injection port 39 used for cleaning the internal space in order to reuse the lower bracket 32.

As shown in FIG. 1, the distal end working unit 12 and the connecting shaft 18 are configured to have a small diameter, and can be inserted into a body cavity 22 from a cylindrical trocar 20 provided in a patient's abdomen or the like. By operating the (base side input unit) 24 and the trigger lever (working unit side input unit) 36, various procedures such as excision of the affected part, grasping, suturing and ligation can be performed in the body cavity 22.

The tip operation unit 12 that operates based on the operation of the composite input unit 24 and the trigger lever 36 can be operated in three axes. That is, a yaw axis operation that tilts with respect to the Y axis, a roll axis operation that rotates with respect to an axis pointing at the tip (Z axis in the neutral posture), and a gripper axis operation that can be opened and closed. In the case of this embodiment, the yaw axis and the roll axis are electrically driven based on the operation of the composite input unit 24, and the gripper axis is mechanically driven based on the operation of the trigger lever 36. Here, mechanical is a method of driving through wires, chains, timing belts, links, rods, gears, etc., and is mainly a method of driving through solid mechanical parts that are inelastic in the power transmission direction. is there. Wires, chains, and the like may have some inevitable elongation due to tension, but these are inelastic solid mechanical parts. A load limiter 212 (see FIG. 19), which will be described later, is substantially an inelastic part with almost no elastic deformation during normal operation.

Hereinafter, each part of the manipulator 10 having the basic configuration as described above will be described in order.

First, the drive unit 30 constituting the operation unit 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 10 with the upper cover 25 and the like removed (or seen through).

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, the driving unit 30 converts two motors (actuators) 100 and 102, an upper bracket 104 that supports the motors 100 and 102, and a rotation direction of the motors 100 and 102. And a gear mechanism unit 106 that transmits to the working unit 16 side. The motors 100 and 102 and the gear mechanism 106 are supported by the upper bracket 104 fixed to the inner surface of one upper cover 25b with two screws 103 and 103 (see FIG. 6).

As shown in FIG. 8, the motors 100 and 102 have a cylindrical shape with a diameter: length of about 1: 4, and are decelerated by the speed reducers 100a and 102a provided on the Z1 direction side, and the speed reducers 100a and 102a. Output shafts 100b and 102b (see FIG. 9) and angle sensors 100c and 102c provided on the Z2 direction side. The motors 100 and 102 are, for example, DC motors. The reduction gears 100a and 102a are, for example, planetary gear types, and the reduction ratio is about 1: 100 to 1: 300. For example, a rotary encoder is used as the angle sensors 100 c and 102 c, and the detected angle signal is supplied to the controller 514. The motor 100 and the motor 102 or the speed reducer 100a and the speed reducer 102a are not necessarily the same, and may be selected as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 8, the motor 100 and the motor 102 are arranged symmetrically in the X direction with almost no gap. The Z2 direction ends of the motors 100 and 102 are substantially equal to the Z1 direction end of the grip handle 26 (see FIG. 6). As shown in FIG. 6, the cables 100 d and 102 d (including the connection lines of the angle sensors 100 c and 102 c) of the motors 100 and 102 respectively extend from the Z2 direction end side and are pulled into the grip handle 26. Yes.

The upper bracket 104 includes a first plate 108 that is an XY plane to which the motors 100 and 102 are fixed, a second plate 110 and a third plate 112 that extend in the Z1 direction from the upper and lower ends of the first plate 108, and a first plate. 108, and a fourth plate 114 that partitions the space surrounded by the second plate 110 and the third plate 112 into the X1 side and the X2 side, and is formed by cutting or welding molding. At the Z1 side end of the third plate 112, a block-shaped sensor support portion 109 protruding in the Y1 direction is formed. On the outer peripheral surfaces of the first plate 108 and the third plate 112 constituting the outer shape of the upper bracket 104 in a plan view (see FIG. 8), an O-ring 105 is fitted in a groove that makes a round (see FIG. 7). ).

As shown in FIG. 9, the first plate 108 has a height of about 1.5 times the outer diameter of the motors 100 and 102. The motors 100 and 102 are supported on the first plate 108 in parallel with the X direction by a plurality of screws 111 in directions extending in the Z2 direction, and the output shafts 100b and 102b pass through the holes 113 and are Z1. Projects to the direction side.

7 and 9, the second plate 110 protrudes from the upper end of the first plate 108 in the Z1 direction. The third plate 112 slightly protrudes in parallel with the second plate 110 and at the end in the Z1 direction, and the sensor support 109 is provided on the protruding portion. Three sides of the fourth plate 114 are connected to the first plate 108, the second plate 110, and the third plate 112, and form a YZ plane at the central portion in the X direction. The fourth plate 114 acts as a reinforcing plate, and the first plate 108, the second plate 110, and the third plate 112 are stabilized. The corners of the fourth plate 114 in the Z1 direction and the Y1 direction are formed to project to the Z1 side, and one of the screws 103 for fixing the upper bracket 104 to the inner surface of the upper cover 25b is disposed here (FIG. 6). And FIG. 9).

As shown in FIG. 10, the sensor support 109 includes a pair of holes 300 and 302 on the extension line (Z direction) of the motors 100 and 102, and a hole 304 located therebetween. A total of three through holes in the Y direction are arranged in the X direction.

Detection shafts (detection shafts) 310 and 312 that function as sensor dogs (detected members) of the coupling sensors 306 and 308 are inserted into the holes 300 and 302, respectively. A detection shaft (detection shaft) 316 that functions as a sensor dog of the attachment / detachment sensor 314 is inserted through the hole 304. The coupling sensors 306 and 308 and the attachment / detachment sensor 314 are substantially U-shaped in a plan view (see FIG. 8) opened in the Y direction, and can detect the detection shafts 310, 312, and 316 inside the U-shape. The coupling sensors 306 and 308 and the attachment / detachment sensor 314 are provided on a sensor substrate 317 fixed to the Z1 surface of the sensor support portion 109 along the XY plane (see FIGS. 6, 8, and 9).

As shown in FIG. 10, the detection shaft 316 of the attachment / detachment sensor 314 is a stepped rod-like member that extends in the Y direction and has a narrow Y1 side. The detection shaft 316 is urged toward the Y2 direction (downward) by a coil spring 318 externally fitted to the small diameter portion at the center in the height direction, and the E ring 320 is fitted near the end in the Y1 direction. Therefore, the hole 304 is prevented from coming off.

The upper part of the coil spring 318 is seated on a flange 304a having a reduced diameter formed at the end of the hole 304 in the Y1 direction, and the lower part is seated and held on a flange 316a formed substantially at the center of the detection shaft 316. The flange 316a constitutes one side wall of an annular groove into which the O-ring 320 is fitted.

Similarly, the detection shafts 310 and 312 of the coupling sensors 306 and 308 are also rod-shaped members with a step extending in the Y direction and having a narrow Y1 side. The detection shafts 310 and 312 are urged toward the Y2 direction (downward) by coil springs 322 and 324 that are externally fitted to the narrow diameter portion on the Y1 side. Flange 310b, 312b is diameter-expanded at the Y2 direction end (lower end) of detection shafts 310, 312. The flanges 310b and 312b are engaged with annular groove portions 139 and 140 formed on engagement convex portions 137 and 138 that are externally fitted in the vicinity of the Y2 direction ends of the drive shafts 115 and 116 that receive the outputs of the motors 100 and 102, respectively. Accordingly, the detection shafts 310 and 312 are prevented from coming off.

The upper portions of the coil springs 322 and 324 are seated on flanges 300a and 302a formed with reduced diameters at the ends of the holes 300 and 302 in the Y1 direction, and the flanges 310a and 312a formed slightly below the center of the detection shafts 310 and 312. The lower part is seated and held. The flanges 310a and 312a constitute one side wall of an annular groove into which the O- rings 326 and 328 are fitted. Detection heads 310c and 312c corresponding to the coupling sensors 306 and 308 are provided at the ends (upper ends) of the detection shafts 310 and 312 in the Y1 direction.

As shown in FIGS. 7, 9, and 10, the gear mechanism unit 106 is a space surrounded by the first plate 108, the second plate 110, and the third plate 112, and the X direction with respect to the fourth plate 114. Are provided as symmetrical configurations. The gear mechanism unit 106 includes two drive shafts (drive shafts) 115 and 116, two drive bevel gears 117 and 118, and two driven bevel gears 119 and 120.

As shown in FIG. 9, the second plate 110 and the third plate 112 constituting the upper bracket 104 have shaft holes 126 and 128 corresponding to the drive shafts 115 and 116, respectively, in which bearings 122 and 124 are arranged. A pair is provided. The bearings 122 and 124 are positioned by a part of the outer ring abutting against the end surfaces of the second plate 110 and the third plate 112. A stop plate 130 for stopping the outer ring of the bearing 122 is fixed to the upper surface of the second plate 110 by a plurality of screws 129 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The stop plate 130 is provided with a pair of holes 130a and 130a (see FIGS. 8 and 9) through which the Y1 direction ends (upper ends) of the drive shafts 115 and 116 are inserted.

As shown in FIG. 9, the output shaft 100b (102b) of the motor 100 (102) extends through the hole 113 to the vicinity of the drive shaft 115 (116) in the Z direction, and the drive bevel gear 117 (118). Is fixed by a push screw 134. On the other hand, a driven bevel gear 119 (120) is fixed to the drive shaft 115 (116) by a push screw 136 (see FIG. 9). The drive bevel gear 117 (118) and the driven bevel gear 119 (120) mesh with each other, and the rotation of the output shaft 100b (102b) can be converted by 90 ° and transmitted to the drive shaft 115 (116).

7 to 10, the upper end side (Y1 side) of the drive shaft 115 (116) passes through the bearing 122 and protrudes from the hole 130a of the stop plate 130 by a predetermined amount. A detection piece 333 (334) having a substantially semicircular disk portion in plan view (see FIG. 8) is fixed to the tip of the drive shaft 115 (116) protruding from the stop plate 130. The detection piece 333 (334) rotates together with the drive shaft 115 (116), and functions as a sensor dog of the substantially U-shaped origin detection sensor 331 (332) in a side view (see FIG. 9). The origin detection sensors 331 and 332 are provided on the Z1 side surface of the sensor substrate 335 erected on the upper surface of the second plate 110 constituting the upper bracket 104.

As shown in FIG. 9, the lower end side (Y2 side) of the drive shaft 115 (116) has a stepped shape below the portion pivotally supported by the bearing 124, and the O-ring 131 is sequentially fitted on the lower side. A flange 115 a (116 a), a short cylindrical flange seat 115 b (116 b) having a larger diameter than the flange 115 a (116 a) and on which the upper portion of the coil spring 121 is seated, and the coil spring 121 are externally fitted and the engaging projection 137. And a corrugated portion 115c (116c) (see FIG. 22A) having a hexagonal cross-sectional shape through which (138) is inserted so as to be able to advance and retreat. The engagement convex portion 137 (138) is fitted in the vicinity of the Y2 direction end of the drive shaft 115 (116) passing through the engagement convex portion 137 (138) while being urged in the Y2 direction by the coil spring 121. The E-ring 123 prevents it from coming off. That is, the engaging convex portion 137 (138) is elastically supported so as not to rotate and to advance and retreat in the Y direction (axial direction) with respect to the corrugated portion 115c (116c) of the drive shaft 115 (116). The lower end portion of the coil spring 121 may be disposed so as to form an annular recess (not shown) on the upper surface side of the engaging projection 137 (138) and to be inserted into the annular recess.

In the drive shaft 115 (116), the upper end of the central portion 115d (116d) is in contact with the inner ring of the bearing 122, and the upper end of the flange 115a (116b) continuous to the lower portion of the central portion 115d (116d) is the inner ring of the bearing 124. It is positioned by abutting. The drive shafts 115 and 116 are disposed on an extension line (Z direction) of the motors 100 and 102 in a plan view (see FIG. 8).

According to the gear mechanism portion 106 including the drive bevel gears 117 and 118, the driven bevel gears 119 and 120, and the drive shafts 115 and 116, the motors 100 and 102 have a larger diameter than the connection shaft 18. However, parallel arrangement becomes possible and the degree of freedom of motor arrangement increases. Further, the motor 100 and the motor 102 and the drive shaft 115 and the drive shaft 116 are provided at symmetrical positions with respect to the Y direction with respect to the connecting shaft 18, and thus have a good balance.

In the gear mechanism unit 106, the second plate 110 and the third plate 112 act as pivot support members that pivotally support the drive shafts 115 and 116 with the driven bevel gears 119 and 120 interposed therebetween, and the first plate 108 serves as the motors 100 and 102. The second plate 110 and the third plate 112 are connected to each other, and high rigidity is obtained while being simple, and the motors 100 and 102 and the drive shafts 115 and 116 can be stably provided. Can be held. Further, by providing the fourth plate 114 connecting the first plate 108, the second plate 110, and the third plate 112 between the drive shafts 115, 116, higher rigidity can be obtained.

Next, the lower bracket 32 constituting the working unit 16 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 11, the lower bracket 32 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape (see FIG. 6) in side view extending in the Z direction, and the Z1 side constitutes a pulley box 32a having a box structure. The trigger lever attaching part 32b which consists of a pair of plate structure with which Z2 side of the box 32a was parallel is comprised. In the lower bracket 32, first, the pulley box 32a is detachably connected to the gear mechanism unit 106 of the drive unit 30 so that the rotation of the drive shafts 115 and 116 is transferred from the coupling shaft 18 to the distal end working unit 12. Secondly, the trigger lever 36 is pivotally supported by the trigger lever mounting portion 32b, and the operation of the trigger lever 36 is relayed from the connecting shaft 18 to the distal end working portion 12. 3 has a function of maintaining an airtight state in the connecting shaft 18.

First, the pulley box 32a will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the pulley box 32a includes a hollow portion 152 that is open on both sides in the X direction, a shaft support portion 154 on the Z1 side of the hollow portion 152, a rod hole 156a on the Z2 side of the hollow portion 152, 156b, pulleys (driven shafts) 158a and 158b and wire guide portions 160a and 160b housed in the cavity 152. A pair of pin holes 161 and 161 symmetrical with respect to the Z direction are formed in the vicinity of the connecting portion between the pulley box 32a and the trigger lever mounting portion 32b. A pair of guide pins 163 and 163 projecting from the upper bracket 104 in the Y1 direction are inserted into the pin holes 161 and 161 when the working unit 16 and the operation unit 14 are attached and detached (see FIGS. 2 and 6).

The hollow portion 152 is a hole that communicates both sides of the pulley box 32a in the X direction, and is provided slightly closer to the Z2 direction of the pulley box 32a in a side view (see FIG. 12), and both ends in the Z direction are semicircular. ing. O- rings 164 and 164 surrounding the cavity 152 are provided on both sides in the X direction of the pulley box 32a (see FIGS. 6 and 13), and the O-ring 164 is formed by lower covers 37a and 37b attached from the outer surface. It is compressed moderately.

The shaft support portion 154 is a hole that communicates from the cavity portion 152 to the end surface in the Z1 direction of the pulley box 32a, and supports the proximal end side of the connecting shaft 18 that extends in the Z direction. A cylindrical coupler 165 is provided at the end of the connecting shaft 18 in the Z2 direction (see FIGS. 12 and 13), and the shaft support portion 154 supports the connecting shaft 18 via the coupler 165. Two O- rings 166 and 166 are provided between the coupler 165 and the connecting shaft 18, and an O-ring 168 is provided between the coupler 165 and the shaft support portion 154. The connecting shaft 18 is fixed by fastening a clamp member 170 from the Y1 side to a notch formed at the upper end of the pulley box 32a in the Z1 direction (see FIGS. 11 and 12).

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, in the hollow portion 152, two pairs of coaxial holes 172a, 172a (Y1 side) and 172b, 172b (Y2 side) aligned in the Y direction are respectively provided with bearings 174a, 174a and 174b. 174b, and pulleys 158a and 158b are pivotally supported by the bearings 174a and 174b.

The pulleys 158a and 158b are coaxial with the drive shafts 115 and 116 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). Engagement projections 137 and 138 (see FIGS. 9 and 10) provided at the Y2 direction ends of the drive shafts 115 and 116 are engaged with the Y1 direction ends of the pulleys 158a and 158b protruding upward from the coaxial hole 172a. Engaging recesses 176a and 176b are provided (see FIGS. 11 and 12). Such engagement convex portions 137 and 138 and engagement concave portions 176a and 176b have a predetermined phase described later (in this case, one location, but a plurality of n locations depending on the allowable rotation range θ of the pulleys 158a and 158b). (See FIGS. 22A and 22B, etc.). By engaging these, the rotational driving force from the drive shafts 115 and 116 that are drive shafts is transmitted to the pulleys 158a and 158b that are driven shafts.

The inter-axis distance between the pulley 158a and the pulley 158b is equal to the inter-axis distance between the drive shaft 115 and the drive shaft 116 (see FIG. 10), and the clearance between the pulley 158a and the pulley 158b is larger than the diameter of the connecting shaft 18 ( (See FIG. 13).

As shown in FIG. 12, the pulleys 158a and 158b are hermetically sealed with an O-ring 178a so as to be rotatable with respect to the coaxial hole 172a, and are sealed with an O-ring 178b so as to be rotatable with respect to the coaxial hole 172b. The pulleys 158a and 158b are prevented from coming off by E-rings 180 at the ends in the Y2 direction. In addition, a diameter adjusting member 182 is interposed at the center of the pulleys 158a and 158b, and by appropriately selecting the diameter adjusting member 182, the winding diameter of the wires 1052 and 1054 described later can be adjusted. (See FIGS. 12 and 13). The pulleys 158a and 158b may be integrated with the diameter adjusting member.

The engagement recesses 176a and 176b provided at the upper ends of the pulleys 158a and 158b have a larger diameter than the portion located in the cavity 152, and the lower surface facing the upper surface (Y1 direction surface) of the pulley box 32a is Arc-shaped notches 177 and 177 are formed by notching a predetermined angle (for example, 270 °) of the outer periphery in the diameter reducing direction (center direction) (see FIG. 12). Stoppers 179a and 179a are inserted and arranged in the circular arc notches 177 and 177 of the engaging recesses 176a and 176b, respectively (see FIGS. 11 and 12). The stopper 179a is a plate-like protrusion formed on the Z2 side of the stopper plate 179 that prevents the wire guide portions 160a and 160b from coming off at the ends in the Y1 direction.

Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the rotation range of the pulleys 158a and 158b is set so that the Z1 direction in the state shown in FIG. 177a and 177b are restricted to the range of normal rotation and reverse rotation until they contact the both side surfaces of the stopper 179a. That is, as shown in FIG. 14A, the rotation range of one pulley 158a is clockwise (less than 180 °) in the clockwise direction (below FIG. 14A is a bottom view). As indicated by an arrow + θ (for example, 90 °) and a counterclockwise rotation (in FIG. 14A, because it is a bottom view, clockwise) (less than 180 °) range (indicated by an arrow −θ in FIG. Is regulated. Similarly, the rotation range of the other pulley 158b also includes a clockwise forward rotation range (indicated by arrow + θ in FIG. 14A, for example, 135 °) and a counterclockwise reverse rotation range (arrow −θ in FIG. 14A). For example, 135 °). This reliably prevents the pulley 158a and the like from excessively rotating, causing the tip operating unit 12 driven by the wire 1052 and the like to excessively move and causing an excessive load such as tension on the wire 1052 and the like. can do.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the wire guide portion 160 a (160 b) includes an insertion shaft 184, two layers of cylindrical idlers 186 and 188 that are supported adjacent to the insertion shaft 184, and these cylindrical idlers 186. And positioning cylinders 190a and 190b for positioning 188.

The insertion shaft 184 extends in the Y direction, passes through the Y1 side through hole 194a with respect to the pulley box 32a, and is inserted into the bottomed hole 194b on the Y2 side, and the end of the through hole 194a in the Y1 direction is stopped. It is blocked by a plate 179. The insertion shaft 184 is sealed in the vicinity of the stop plate 179 by an O-ring 193. In the hollow portion 152, the insertion shaft 184 is provided with a positioning cylinder 190a, a cylindrical idler 186, a cylindrical idler 188, and a positioning cylinder 190b in this order from the Y1 side to the Y2 side. Cylindrical idlers 186 and 188 are independently rotatable pulleys.

As shown in FIG. 13, the gap S1 between the two cylindrical idlers 186 and 186 constituting the wire guide portions 160a and 160b (the same applies to the gap between the cylindrical idlers 188 and 188) is narrower than the inner diameter of the connecting shaft 18. , About 1/2 of the inner diameter. The cylindrical idlers 186 and 188 are rotatable, and grooves 186a and 188a in which the wires 1054 (1052) are disposed are provided on the peripheral surfaces thereof. The cylindrical idlers 186 and 188 do not necessarily have to be rotatable as long as appropriate lubricity is ensured.

By using such wire guide portions 160a and 160b, the connecting shaft 18 is sufficiently thin without depending on the diameters of the motors 100 and 102 and the distance S2 between the pulleys 158a and 158b (see FIG. 13). For example, it can be set to about 5 mm to 10 mm suitable for insertion into the trocar 20. Moreover, the freedom degree of arrangement | positioning of the motors 100 and 102 via the gear mechanism part 106 increases. The forward line and the return line of the wire 1054 (1052) move in opposite directions, but the two-layer cylindrical idlers 186 and 188 correspond to this, and each line can operate without friction.

As shown in FIG. 12, two rods (transmission members) 192a and 192b are further arranged in the Y direction and penetrated in the Z direction in the hollow portion 152 constituting the pulley box 32a. The rods 192a and 192b are, for example, sufficiently strong and thin stainless steel pipes or solid rods, and the Z1 direction extends through the hollow portion 152 into the connecting shaft 18, and the Z2 direction passes through the rod holes 156a and 156b. Then, it extends to the trigger lever mounting portion 32b.

On the opening side (Z2 side) of the rod holes 156a and 156b, a rectangular plate-shaped rubber sheet 194 surrounding the periphery of the rod holes 156a and 156b, and a support plate 196 for closely supporting the rubber sheet 191 are provided. (See FIG. 12). The rods 192a and 192b are inserted through a pair of through holes provided in the rubber sheet 194 and the support plate 196, respectively, and the sliding contact surfaces penetrating the rubber sheet 194 are sealed. That is, the rubber sheet 194 comes into contact with the rods 192a and 192b without a gap, and hermetically seals the cavity 152 and the connecting shaft 18 so as to be movable back and forth in the Z direction.

Thus, the hollow portion 152 constituting the pulley box 32a is sealed with the rubber sheet 194 with respect to the rods 192a and 192b (see FIG. 12), and with the O- rings 178a and 178b with respect to the pulleys 158a and 158b. 12 (see FIG. 12), the wire guide portions 160a and 160b (insertion shaft 184) are sealed with an O-ring 193 (see FIG. 12), and the connecting shaft 18 is sealed with O-rings 166 and 168 (see FIG. 12). 12), the lower covers 37a and 37b are sealed by an O-ring 164 (see FIGS. 6 and 13), thereby being kept airtight. On the other hand, the outer peripheral surface of the connecting shaft 18 is airtightly supported by a trocar 20 (see FIG. 1).

Therefore, the gas supplied to the body cavity 22 does not leak out from the connection shaft 18 via the pulley box 32a. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress, as much as possible, a situation in which liquid such as blood enters the connecting shaft 18 and the pulley box 32a from the gap of the distal end working unit 12 due to the sealed air. The pulley box 32a and the operation unit 14 can be easily cleaned. In addition, it is good also as a structure which provides a partition part etc. in the inside of the connection shaft 18, and maintains an airtight state.

The manipulator 10 is provided with a cleaning liquid injection port 39 into which a cap 39a can be fitted on the upper surface of the pulley box 32a in order to achieve both airtight maintenance in the pulley box 32a and easy cleaning (see FIGS. 3 and 6). ). However, in this configuration, in order to ensure airtightness in the pulley box 32a, the cap 39a needs to be securely fitted to the cleaning liquid injection port 39 before the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 are mounted. . At this time, in a state where the cap 39a is not correctly fitted, the cap 39a is obstructed and the working unit 16 cannot be mounted on the operation unit 14.

In order to further improve the handleability of the cleaning liquid injection port 39, for example, as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, a configuration in which a cap 39b is provided on the operation unit 14 side instead of the cap 39a can be adopted. .

15A and 15B, a cap 39b serving as a lid of the cleaning liquid injection port 39 is fixed to the inner side of the upper cover 25. The cleaning liquid injection port 39 and the cap 39b are, for example, tapered shapes that can be fitted to each other, and the cap 39b that is a tapered convex portion can be fitted into a tapered concave portion that becomes a flow path of the cleaning liquid injection port 39. is there. As a result, when the operating unit 14 and the working unit 16 are mounted, the cap 39b can be surely fitted into the cleaning liquid injection port 39 to ensure airtightness in the pulley box 32a, while the operating unit 14 is secured. When the working part 16 is separated from the working part 16, the cap 39b is always removed from the cleaning liquid injection port 39, so that the cleaning work after use can be easily and quickly performed.

11 and 12, the clamp member 170 at the upper end in the Z1 direction of the pulley box 32a is provided with an electrode rod 197 standing in the Y1 direction. The electrode rod 197 is inserted into a Y-direction through hole 198 formed in the upper cover 25b, and an electrode plug 199 (see FIG. 1) is attached, so that a high voltage when using the manipulator 10 as an electric knife is increased. Applied. The electrode rod 197 is electrically connected to the one wire guide portion 160b by the conductive plate 195 (see FIG. 11), and thus, the wire rod 1052 that contacts the wire guide portion 160b moves toward the distal end working portion 12 side. High voltage can be transmitted.

As shown in FIG. 16, in the shaft support portion 154, the rods 192a and 192b are juxtaposed in the Y direction inside the coupler 165 and the connecting shaft 18, and the reciprocal lines of the wires 1052 and 1054 are arranged close to each other in the Y direction. The wire 1052 and the wire 1054 are arranged in parallel in the X direction and are arranged in a well-balanced manner.

Next, the trigger lever mounting portion 32b constituting the lower bracket 32 and the trigger lever 36 pivotally supported by the trigger lever mounting portion 32b will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 6 and 19, the trigger lever mounting portion 32 b has a trigger shaft 35 extending between a pair of support plates 201, 201 extending in parallel with the Z2 direction from the end surface of the pulley box 32 a in the Z2 direction. Thus, the trigger lever 36 is pivotally supported.

First, the trigger lever 36 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 19, the trigger lever 36 includes an arm part 200 that is pivotally supported by the trigger shaft 35, a ring part 202 provided on the Y <b> 2 side of the arm part 200, and Y <b> 2 of the ring part 202. A substantially arcuate finger-hanging projection 204a, 204b provided on the side, a ratchet claw 206 housed in an internal space 203 formed from the ring portion 202 to the finger-hanging projection 204a, 204b, and swinging the ratchet claw 206 And a lever 208 to be operated. The ring part 202 is mainly suitable for inserting an index finger (or middle finger), and the finger hooking protrusions 204a and 204b are mainly suitable for hanging the middle finger (or ring finger).

The ratchet claw 206 is supported by the swing shaft 207 on the Z1 side, and a claw portion 206a formed by a recess 206b and directed upward is provided on the Z2 side. Is biased in the Y2 direction by the coil spring 209. As a result, the claw portion 206a is urged upward, and the recess 206b abuts against the stopper pin (stopper member) 211 across the internal space 203 in the X direction, thereby further swinging upward. It is regulated.

Therefore, when the trigger lever 36 is largely displaced (turned) in the Z2 direction with the trigger shaft 35 as a fulcrum, the claw portion 206a of the ratchet claw 206 is engaged in a substantially U shape in plan view protruding from the grip handle 26 in the Z1 direction. It contacts the mating ring (engagement portion) 27 (see FIGS. 2, 6 and 17). Next, the engaging ring 27 is slidably contacted with the Z2 side inclined surface of the claw 206a, and the claw 206a is slightly swung downward against the urging force of the coil spring 209. When the engagement ring 27 completely gets over the claw 206a, the ratchet claw 206 is returned to a position where it comes into contact with the stopper pin 211 by the urging force of the coil spring 209, and at the same time, the engagement ring 27 is moved to the claw 206a ( Engages with the recess 206b) (see FIG. 18A). As a result, the position of the trigger lever 36 can be held, and the end effector 1300 (see FIG. 1) can be locked in the closed state. The engagement ring 27 may be provided in multiple stages, for example, and in this case, the lock position or gripping force of the trigger lever 36 can be adjusted according to the gripping target.

The lever 208 is a substantially L-shaped member partially exposed from the internal space 203 in the Z1 direction (see FIG. 17). The lever 208 is supported at one end in the internal space 203 by the swing shaft 213 and is normally pressed by the Z1 direction end of the ratchet pawl 206 urged in the Y2 direction by the coil spring 209, as shown in FIG. 18A. It is held in such an initial posture.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18B, when the operation end 208b exposed to the outside of the lever (release portion) 208 is pushed down in the Y2 direction, the lever 208 swings around the swing shaft 213 as a fulcrum. The pressing surface 208a formed on one end side swings the ratchet pawl 206 against the elastic force of the coil spring 209, and the ratchet pawl 206 can be fixed as shown in FIG. 18B. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 18B, the claw portion 206a (recessed portion 206b) and the engagement ring 27 can be used in a state where the engagement does not occur. In addition, when the engagement is released while the engagement between the claw portion 206a and the engagement ring 27 is generated, when the engagement is released, the central recess (release) of the ratchet claw 206 partially protruding below the ring portion 202 is provided. Part) 206c can be released by pushing it downward with a finger (see ratchet claw 206 shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 18A).

As shown in FIG. 17, an inclined surface 203a that is inclined upward is formed in the upper portion of the internal space 203 of the trigger lever 36 on the Z2 side, and a recess 203b that is dug deeper than other portions is formed. ing. Thereby, the engagement ring 27 on the grip handle 26 side can be smoothly engaged with the ratchet pawl 206 from the recess 203b.

Further, even when the operation portion 14 and the working portion 16 are separated while the ratchet pawl 206 is engaged with the engagement ring 27, the ratchet pawl 206 is swung upward by the stopper pin 211. Since the inclined surface 203a and the recessed portion 203b act as escape portions of the engagement ring 27, the engagement ring 27 can be easily moved along the inclined surface 203a as shown by the broken arrow in FIG. 18A. Can be removed. For this reason, the engagement state between the engagement ring 27 and the ratchet pawl 206 is firmly maintained, and it is possible to effectively avoid the generation of an excessive force on the engagement ring 27 and the trigger lever 36.

Although not shown, an engagement ring having a structure corresponding to the engagement ring 27 is provided on the ratchet claw 206 side instead of the claw portion 206a and the concave portion 206b, while a structure corresponding to the claw portion 206a (and the concave portion 206b). You may provide a nail | claw part in the grip handle 26 side. Also in this case, the same effect as described above is obtained by engaging the claw portion on the grip handle 26 side from the Y1 side to the Y2 side with the engagement ring on the ratchet claw 206 side. Can be obtained.

Next, the trigger lever mounting portion 32b will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 19, the trigger lever mounting portion 32b extends from the Z2 direction end surface of the pulley box 32a, and supports a pair of support plates 201 and 201 that pivotally support the trigger lever 36 near the end of the Z2 direction. A load limiter 212 and a trigger wire 214 provided between the plates 201 and 201 are provided. The center between the support plates 201 and 201 is substantially coaxial with the connecting shaft 18. The support plate 201 may be, for example, a cylindrical shape other than a pair of parallel plate members, and may be any shape that can support the trigger shaft 35, the load limiter 212, and the like.

The load limiter 212 has a cylindrical shape and includes an outer cylinder 212a, an inner rod 212b, and a coil spring 212c. The inner rod 212b at the end in the Z1 direction is pivotally supported by the end of the rod 192a, and the end at the end in the Z2 direction. An outer cylinder 212 a is pivotally supported on a shaft 200 a in the arm portion 200. A shaft 205 that pivotably connects the inner rod 212b and the rod 192a is supported in a slidable manner in an elongated hole 215 provided in the support plate 201 (see FIG. 20). Thereby, irrespective of the angle of the rod 192a and the inner rod 212b, the rod 192a can be moved straight in the Z direction. The coil spring 212c is moderately hard and is interposed between the outer cylinder 212a and the inner rod 212b in a preloaded state. Therefore, the load limiter 212 normally connects the rod 192a and the trigger lever 36 as a substantial rigid body. However, when an excessively large load is applied, that is, the end effector 1300 pinches something or the like. When a load greater than the preload is applied, the coil spring 212c is further compressed and the inner rod 212b extends. Thus, even if the trigger lever 36 is pulled too strongly, the force is limited by the load limiter 212, and the end effector 1300 (see FIG. 1) and its drive mechanism or gripping object can be protected. .

Note that the maximum load of the load limiter 212 is set so that the driving mechanism such as the trigger wire 214 is less than the allowable strength even when the trigger lever 36 is pulled most forward when the end effector 1300 is fully opened. It is desirable that

As shown in FIG. 19, the trigger wire 214 is connected (for example, crimped) to the end of the rod 192b at the end in the Z1 direction, and the end in the Z2 direction is pivotally supported by the shaft 200b in the arm unit 200 via a pin 214a. . The trigger wire 214 is guided by a pulley 216, and a portion closer to the Z1 side than the pulley 216 is substantially coaxial with the rod 192b.

The shaft 200a is disposed on the Y2 side of the trigger shaft 35, the shaft 200b is disposed on the Y1 side of the trigger shaft 35, and the shafts 200a and 200b are substantially equidistant from the trigger shaft 35. Therefore, by operating the trigger lever 36, the shaft 200a and the shaft 200b are displaced in the opposite directions by substantially the same distance, and accordingly, the rod 192a and the rod 192b are moved in the opposite directions (Z1 direction and Z2 direction). Displace. As described above, the trigger shaft 35, the rods 192a and 192b, the shafts 200a and 200b, the load limiter 212, the trigger wire 214, and the like serve as an operation transmission unit that mechanically transmits the input operation to the trigger lever 36 to the distal end operation unit 12. It is composed. Of course, the operation transmission unit may include other components or any of the components may be omitted. In short, a configuration in which the transmission member such as the rods 192a and 192b can be advanced and retracted by an input operation to the trigger lever 36. If it is.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 11, and 22 </ b> B, both support plates 201 are located at positions near the pulley box 32 a on the upper surfaces (Y1 direction surfaces) of the pair of support plates 201, 201 constituting the trigger lever mounting portion 32 b. 201, a barcode plate 220 is fixed, and a barcode 222 is provided on the surface thereof.

The barcode 222 is, for example, a substantially square matrix shape, and is a two-dimensional barcode printed with white and black according to the grid, and the camera 224 provided on the operation unit 14 side passes through the mirror 226 and the photographing window 227. (See FIGS. 6 and 20).

Therefore, next, the barcode 222 and the camera 224 that images the barcode 222 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 11 and 22B, the barcode 222 is attached to the upper surface (Y1 direction surface) of the barcode plate 220 constituting the XZ plane, and is formed on the mating surface of the lower covers 37a and 37b. It is exposed to the upper part by the notch 230. The barcode 222 includes individual information, specifications, time stamp (manufacturing date, etc.), serial number, usage amount (usage count) upper limit, etc. of the working unit 16. The individual information held by the barcode 222 is given a different value so that it can be identified for each working unit. Further, since the barcode 222 is photographed through the mirror 226, it is a mirror image. As the mirror 226, for example, a composite mirror made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and aluminum may be used.

The barcode 222 is not limited to a single sheet, and may be composed of a plurality of sheets. When the barcode 222 is composed of two pieces, one piece shows individual information such as individual information, production date, serial number, etc., and the other piece shows common information for each type such as specifications and upper limit of usage amount. You may do it. The barcode 222 is not limited to two-dimensional data, and may be a one-dimensional shape. The color of the grid in the barcode 222 is not limited to white and black, but may be an infrared absorption color and an infrared reflection color, or information may be indicated by distinguishing three or more colors.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 20, the camera 224 is disposed below the motors 100 and 102 constituting the operation unit 14, and is fixed to the inner surface of one upper cover 25b. A pair of LEDs 224a and 224a are provided on both sides in the X direction of the camera 224 (see also FIG. 7). The camera 224 is a camera for imaging the barcode 222, for example, having a CCD format or a CMOS format.

As shown in FIG. 20, the camera 224 is set in a direction (substantially Z1 direction) in which the imaging direction is bent by a mirror 226 that is a reflecting mirror and the barcode 222 can be imaged. The bar code 222, which is the subject located at), can be imaged via the mirror 226. Similarly, the LED 224a is set in a direction (approximately Z1 direction) in which the optical axis is bent by the mirror 226 and the barcode 222 is illuminated. The LED 224a allows the camera 224 to recognize the barcode 222 more reliably. The LEDs 224a are provided at symmetrical positions with the camera 224 in between, and can illuminate the barcode 222 with good balance. The LEDs 224a may be provided above and below the camera 224, or three or more LEDs may be provided at equal intervals. If the LED 224a has a sufficient amount of light, it may be one.

A photographing window 227 that allows the upper cover 25 to pass through is provided in the Y2 direction of the mirror 226 (see FIG. 20). That is, in the operation unit 14, the camera 224, the LED 224a, and the mirror 226 are housed in the upper cover 25. (See FIGS. 2 and 6). Further, in a state where the working unit 16 is mounted on the operation unit 14, the barcode 222 is also disposed in the substantially closed space by the upper cover 25 and the lower cover 37, so that the barcode 222 and the camera are used when the manipulator 10 is used. The 224 can be prevented from being contaminated with blood or the like, and unnecessary disturbance light can be shielded to enable stable imaging with the LED 224a. In addition, since the relative position and orientation of the barcode 222 and the camera 224 are fixed, it is not necessary to specify the position and orientation of the barcode 222 on the camera 224 side, and a code for specifying them. Therefore, the amount of information that can be recorded on the barcode 222 is increased, or a space-saving arrangement is possible.

By providing such a barcode 222 in the working unit 16, the operation unit 14 and the controller 514 can recognize individual information of the working unit 16 using the camera 224, and the motor 100 constituting the manipulator 10, 102 and the like can be appropriately and accurately driven and controlled so as to correspond to the type of the working unit 16 (for example, gripper, scissors, electric knife).

Here, the attachment of the working unit 16 to the operation unit 14 can be quickly detected by the detachable sensor 314 and the detection shaft 316 (see FIG. 7 and the like). Therefore, in the controller 514, the detection of the attachment of the working unit 16 by the attachment / detachment sensor 314 can be used as a trigger signal for acquiring the individual signal from the barcode 222 by controlling the activation of the camera 224 and the LED 224a.

That is, the controller 514 obtains an individual signal from the barcode 222 by drivingly controlling the camera 224 and the LED 224a substantially simultaneously with the operation unit 16 being mounted on the operation unit 14. In the controller 514, it is only necessary to acquire the individual signal at least when the working unit 16 is attached to the operation unit 14, and the operation of the camera 224 and the LED 224a can be stopped at other times, thereby reducing the processing load. In addition, power saving can be achieved. Further, the bar code 222 does not need to be directly energized, the operation unit 14 and the work unit 16 have no electrical contacts, and there is no power storage unit such as a battery, so that the power consumption is further reduced. It is possible to more easily perform cleaning, sterilization, and the like of the working unit 16 removed from the apparatus.

As can be understood from FIG. 20, the camera 224 and the barcode 222 are arranged to be bent through the mirror 226, so that the camera 224 has a focal length (for example, about 50 mm) necessary for reading the barcode 222. ) Can be secured easily. That is, for example, when the camera 224 is disposed vertically downward (Y1 direction) of the barcode 222, the camera 224 is installed above the motors 100, 102, etc., so that the operation unit 14 (upper cover 25) is particularly arranged. It is necessary to increase the size in the Y direction, and the manipulator 10 is also increased in size. On the other hand, by providing the mirror 226, the camera 224 can be installed by effectively using the space in the longitudinal direction (Z direction) of the operation unit 14. Particularly in the case of a structure in which the motors 100 and 102 are placed horizontally along the Z direction as in the present embodiment, the empty space under the motors 100 and 102 can be effectively used as an installation space for the camera 224. it can.

In the case of the configuration shown in FIG. 20, the reading direction of the barcode 222 by the camera 224 is set at a substantially right angle through the mirror 226. For example, the reading direction of the barcode 222 by the camera 224 is shown in FIG. It can also be set as the structure which inclined.

In the configuration example shown in FIG. 21, the reading direction of the barcode 222 by the camera 224 is inclined to the Z2 side, and the barcode 222 is imaged from an oblique direction via the mirror 226.

According to this configuration, the distance from the mirror 226 to the barcode 222 can be extended compared to the case of the reading direction at a substantially right angle indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. For this reason, the focal distance from the camera 224 to the barcode 222 can be secured more easily. For example, the position of the camera 224 can be shifted in the Z1 direction as compared with the configuration shown in FIG. The upper cover 25) can be further reduced in size.

Further, the light from the LED 224a for illumination arranged in parallel with the camera 224 illuminates the barcode 222 through the mirror 226 and the imaging window 227. At this time, as can be understood from FIG. Light reflected from the surface does not return to the camera 224. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the reading accuracy of the barcode 222 from being lowered due to the reflection of the illumination light of the LED 224a. The barcode 222 is appropriately rotated around the X axis and tilted (the right side of the barcode 222 in FIG. 21 is raised upward) so that the barcode 222 faces the front of the camera 224 as much as possible. Also good.

Next, the master switch 34 and the composite input unit 24 on the operation unit 14 side will be described.

The master switch 34 (see FIGS. 1 and 6) is an input means for setting whether the operation state of the manipulator 10 is valid or invalid, and its operation is detected by an input detection unit (such as a toggle switch or a tact switch) 350. The detected signal is supplied to the controller 514. The LED 29 is an indicator that indicates the control state of the manipulator 10, has a size that can be easily recognized by the operator, and is sufficiently small and light enough that there is no hindrance to the operation. The LED 29 is provided at a position with good visibility at a substantially central portion on the top surface (Y1 direction surface) of the upper cover 25, and is arranged side by side with the master switch 34. For example, since the LED 29 is turned on in synchronization with the ON operation by the master switch 34, the operator can surely recognize the input state by the LED 29 while operating the master switch 34. The LED 29 can emit, for example, green and red, and can be turned on and off for each color.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the master switch 34 is disposed on a substrate 354 fixed to the inner surface of one upper cover 25 b via a support member 352, and a portion in the upper cover 25 is formed by the switch cover 356. Sealed from the outside.

The controller 514 (see FIG. 1) reads the input state of the master switch 34, and when it is turned on, performs an origin search operation described later to drive-control the manipulator 10 to a predetermined usable state. Thereby, the operation command of the operation unit 14 becomes valid, and a desired operation can be given to the distal end operation unit 12.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the composite input unit 24 has a symmetrical structure in the X1 direction and the X2 direction around the Z axis (Y axis), and is in the roll direction (axial rotation direction) with respect to the distal end working unit 12. ) And a yaw direction (left-right direction) rotation command. The upper surface of the grip handle 26 is an inclined surface 26a that rises in the Y1 direction toward the Z1 direction, and the composite input unit 24 is provided on the inclined surface 26a. The inclination angle of the inclined surface 26a is an angle at which the composite input unit 24 can be easily operated with the thumb or index finger when the grip handle 26 is gripped by hand, and is preferably about 20 ° to 35 ° with respect to the Z direction.

The composite input unit 24 is supported by the sensor holder 52 disposed on the inclined surface 26a, and is provided on the Z1 side (Y1 side) of the inclined surface 26a and on the Z2 side (Y2 side) thereof. The tilt operation unit 56 includes three switch operators 58a, 58b, and 58c disposed on the lower side surface of the tilt operation unit 56, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 5, a switch substrate 62 is provided in the sensor holder 52, and the switch substrate 62 is tilted with an input detection unit (tact switch) 66 a that detects an input operation to the rotation operation unit 54. An input detection unit (tact switch) 66b for detecting an input operation to the operation unit 56 and input detection units (tact switches) 66c to 66e for detecting an input operation to the switch operators 58a to 58c are provided. The composite input unit 24 drives the motors 100 and 102, the drive shafts 115 and 116, and the pulleys 158a and 158b, and moves the tip operation unit 12 in the roll direction and yaw through the wires 1052 and 1054 which are flexible members. Can be operated in the direction.

The switch operator 58b switches between valid / invalid of the rotation operation unit 54 and the tilt operation unit 56 and returns the yaw axis mechanism (pivot axis mechanism) to a predetermined initial position (once it is pressed once, it automatically moves to the initial position). , Stop) or move in the initial posture direction (moves in the initial posture direction only when pressed, and automatically stops when the initial posture is reached).

The switch operators 58a and 58c are preferably used as switches for returning the roll rotation mechanism to a predetermined initial posture or moving it in the initial posture direction. The switch operators 58a and 58c are arranged on the left and right as switches having exactly the same function, so that the operator can perform the same operation without any problem regardless of whether the operator grips the operation unit 14 with the right hand or the left hand. be able to. Specifically, the same operation with the thumb, for example, is possible in both the right-hand operation and the left-hand operation. Also, the roll rotation mechanism can be returned to a predetermined initial posture or moved in the initial posture direction without being aware of the current position of the roll rotation mechanism (positive region or negative region).

As shown in FIG. 5, the rotation operation unit 54 is configured to be rotatable about an axis (not shown) along the YZ direction, and a lever 72a extending in the X1 direction and the X2 direction, and both levers 72a. , 72a, and a manipulator 72c provided with notches 72b in three directions that swell appropriately in the X, Y, and Z directions. The left and right ends of the lever 72a have a semicircular shape with a number of anti-slip lines on the surface. The operation element 72c forms a continuous surface (a flat surface or a curved surface) with the upper covers 25a and 25b in the initial position (see FIG. 4), and has no useless protrusions or steps, which is preferable in appearance. In addition, the shape is easy to operate.

The rotation operation unit 54 has a function of rotating the notch 72b of the operation element 72c in the circumferential direction with a finger and operating the roll rotation mechanism. As described above, according to the rotation operation unit 54 having the finger rest on the outer peripheral surface, the rotation operation is performed around the axis along the YZ direction, and an intuitive operability of the roll rotation mechanism is obtained. It is done. In addition, since the finger-hanging portion is provided on the outer diameter side of the end portion of the tilt operation portion 56, it is easy to use the finger hook portion with the tilt operation portion 56.

As shown in FIG. 5, the tilting operation unit 56 is provided with a tilting plate 76 that can tilt around an axis 74 along the YZ direction. The shaft 74 is the center of the composite input unit 24 in the X direction. The tilt operation unit 56 has a function of operating a yaw shaft mechanism (pivot shaft mechanism) by performing a tilt operation by pushing the tilt plate 76 with a finger.

As described above, in the composite input unit 24, the rotation operation unit 54 is rotated in the circumferential direction, and the tilt operation unit 56 is tilted by being pushed. The correspondence between the mechanism and the yaw (pivot) shaft mechanism is easily understood, and a more intuitive operation is possible.

The sensor holder 52 also has a function of tightly contacting the upper cover 25 and sealing the periphery of the composite input unit 24, and prevents liquid or the like from entering the upper cover 25 from the periphery of the composite input unit 24. ing. Of course, a seal member separate from the sensor holder 52 may be provided.

As described above, in the upper cover 25 of the operation unit 14, the periphery of the composite input unit 24 is sealed by the sensor holder 52 (see FIGS. 4 and 6), and the periphery of the master switch 34 is sealed by the switch cover 356 (FIG. 6). Between the camera 224 and mirror 226 and the barcode 222 is sealed by the photographing window 227 (see FIGS. 6 and 20), and the bottom surface of the upper bracket 104 is surrounded by O- rings 105, 131, 320, 326, and 328. Sealed (see FIGS. 6, 9 and 10) and sealed by this. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent blood, a cleaning solution, and the like from entering the upper cover 25, and the operation unit 14 can be easily cleaned and sterilized even when separated from the working unit 16.

Next, a configuration for attaching and detaching the operation unit 14 (drive unit 30) and the working unit 16 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the drive unit 30 is housed in the upper cover 25, and the gear from the lower surface side (Y2 direction) of the upper cover 25 in a state where the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 are separated. The bottom surface of the upper bracket 104 that supports the mechanism unit 106 and the like is exposed.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 22A, from the bottom surface of the upper bracket 104 exposed from the upper cover 25, the drive shafts 115 and 116 and the engagement convex portions 137 and 138 corresponding to the drive shafts 115 and 116, The detection shafts 310 and 312 of the coupling sensors 306 and 308 corresponding to the engagement convex portions 137 and 138 and the detection shaft 316 of the attachment / detachment sensor 314 protrude in the Y2 direction. Further, a pair of guide pins 163 and 163 protrude in the Y2 direction from the bottom surface of the upper bracket 104. In the recesses 399 and 399 formed in the X1 direction surface of the upper cover 25a and the X2 direction surface of the upper cover 25b in the vicinity of each guide pin 163, the detachable levers 400 and 400 whose lower ends protrude from the upper cover 25 in the Y2 direction are provided. Each is provided.

The two guide pins 163 and 163 are provided at both ends in the X direction of the bottom Z2 direction end of the upper bracket 104 at positions opposed to the two pin holes 161 and 161 of the lower bracket 32 (FIG. 6, FIG. 22A and FIG. 22B).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the two attachment / detachment levers 400 and 400 are provided symmetrically on the left and right side surfaces (X1 and X2 side surfaces) of the upper cover 25 that covers the driving unit 30, and are rotated along the Z direction. By a pair of elastic members 400b and 400b provided on the upper portion (Y1 side) of the moving shaft 400a, the claw portion 400c formed on the inner side of the Y2 direction end is elastically biased in the direction toward the inner side of the upper cover 25. ing. The upper surface (Y1 side) of the detachable lever 400 is slightly depressed, and constitutes an operation surface 400d that is pressed by a finger to open the detachable lever 400 against the urging force of the elastic member 400b.

According to such a detachable lever 400, when the operation unit 14 is attached to the working unit 16, the claw portions 400 c are fixed in the recesses 401 formed on both side surfaces in the X direction of the lower cover 37. Engage with the stop 401a. Thereby, the operation part 14 and the working part 16 can be reliably connected and fixed. On the other hand, by pressing the two operation surfaces 400d and 400d inwardly at the same time with the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 mounted, the engagement state between the claw portion 400c and the locking portion 401a is released. The operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 can be separated.

When the operating unit 14 and the working unit 16 are mounted, two guide pins 163 provided in parallel are fitted into the two pin holes 161 on the working unit 16 side, so that the drive unit 30 (the operating unit 14) is the working unit. 16 is reliably positioned and stably held. Of course, three or more guide pins may be used. The guide pin 163 can receive a moment acting in the XZ plane, and can reduce the force applied to the engaging portion, the pulley, the drive shaft, and the like.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, when mounting, the lower cover is positioned against the positioning recess 406 formed near the base of the grip handle 26 on the bottom surface side (Y2 side) of the upper cover 25. The positioning convex part 408 formed at the Z2 direction end of 37 is engaged. Thereby, the operation part 14 and the working part 16 can be positioned more reliably, and the rigidity in the torsional direction and the like between the operation part 14 and the working part 16 after mounting can be increased.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 22A, the engagement convex portion 137 (138) provided at the tip (Y2 direction end) of the drive shaft 115 (116) has a plurality of arc-shaped ( As five (5) convex portions, one large convex portion 402a and four small convex portions 402b are provided. As understood from FIG. 22A, the large convex portion 402a has a shape in which two of the six small convex portions arranged evenly are connected.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 22B, the engagement recess 176a (176b) provided at the tip (Y1 direction end) of the pulley 158a (158b) has the shape of the engagement protrusion 137 (138). Correspondingly, one large concave portion 404a and four small concave portions 404b are provided as a plurality (five) of circular arc-shaped concave portions extending radially from the axial center. As can be understood from FIG. 22B, the large concave portion 404a has a shape in which two of the six small concave portions arranged uniformly are connected. Furthermore, a central recess 404c that is deeper in the Y2 direction is provided at the center of the groove provided with the large recess 404a and the small recess 404b. The central concave portion 404c is a relief portion at the tip of the drive shafts 115 and 116 protruding in the Y2 direction from the centers of the engaging convex portions 137 and 138 (see FIG. 25B), and also has a function of a guide for positioning so as to be coaxial. Have.

22A and 22B, the engaging convex portions 137 and 138 and the engaging concave portions 176a and 176b can be engaged with each other in a state where they are in a predetermined engaging phase. That is, the large convex portion 402a and the large concave portion 404a are engaged, and all the small convex portions 402b and the small concave portions 404b are engaged, whereby the operation portion 14 and the working portion 16 are mounted. Thus, the rotational driving force of the motors 100 and 102 can be reliably transmitted from the drive shafts 115 and 116 to the pulleys 158a and 158b.

At this time, since the engaging convex portion 137 (138) is inserted into the corrugated portion 115c (116c) of the driving shaft 115 (116), it rotates together with the driving shaft 115 (116). Further, the engaging convex portion 137 (138) and the engaging concave portion 176a (176b) are configured such that a plurality of large convex portions 402a and small convex portions 402b and large concave portions 404a and small concave portions 404b arranged in the circumferential direction mesh with each other. Therefore, the rotational driving force of the drive shaft 115 (116) can be transmitted to the pulley 158a (158b) more reliably. An engagement recess may be provided on the drive shaft 115 (116) side, and an engagement protrusion may be provided on the pulley 158a (158b) side.

As described above, the engagement convex portions 137 and 138 on the drive unit 30 side can rotate about the drive shafts 115 and 116 as rotation axes (see FIG. 22A). Similarly, the engagement recesses 176a and 176b on the working unit 16 side can be rotated about the pulleys 158a and 158b as rotation axes (see FIG. 22B), but the rotation range thereof is the stopper 179a and the contact portions 177a and 177b. Are regulated to a predetermined forward rotation range (see arrow + θ in FIG. 14A) and reverse rotation range (see arrow −θ in FIG. 14A).

The rotation range of the pulleys 158a and 158b may be restricted by other structures. For example, as shown in FIG. 23, the pulleys 158a and 158b (engaging recesses 176a and 176b) protrude in the outer diameter direction. The abutting portion (abutting member) 177c is provided, and abuts on the upper surface (Y1 direction surface) of the lower bracket 32 when the abutting portion 177c performs predetermined forward rotation and reverse rotation, and further rotates. A stopper 179b for regulating may be provided. These contact portions 177c and stoppers 179b are arc-shaped notches 177 (see FIGS. 12 and 14A) formed in the lower portions of the engagement recesses 176a and 176b as in the structure of the contact portions 177a and 177b and the stopper 179a. ).

The engaging convex portions 137 and 138 and the engaging concave portions 176a and 176b have one large convex portion 402a and a large concave portion 404a larger than the other among the convex portions and concave portions extending radially from the center, respectively. (See FIGS. 22A and 22B).

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 24B, the one engaging convex portion 137 and the engaging concave portion 176a, and the other engaging convex portion 138 and the engaging concave portion 176b are respectively a large convex portion 402a and a large concave portion 404a. Can be engaged only at a single rotation angle (phase), and, as shown in FIG. 24A, the engagement is structurally impossible at other rotation angles (phases). That is, when the operating portion 14 and the working portion 16 are mounted, if the engaging convex portion 137 (138) and the engaging concave portion 176a (176b) are in a rotational phase in which they cannot be engaged with each other, the engaging rotation is possible. An engagement operation (coupling operation) that drives and controls the phase is required. Furthermore, after the engagement operation is completed, the controller 514 controls the distal end working unit 12 accurately and accurately, so that the distal end working unit 12 has a predetermined origin posture (see FIGS. 1, 54, and 56), In order to set the motors 100 and 102 to the predetermined origin phase, the pulleys 158a and 158b and the drive shafts 115 and 116 for reciprocatingly driving the wires 1052 and 1054 and the origin search operation for returning the rotation phases of the motors 100 and 102 to the origin are performed. There is a need to.

The engaging convex portions 137 and 138 and the engaging concave portions 176a and 176b are configured to be engageable in a plurality of phases in addition to being configured to engage with each other only in a single phase as described above. It is possible to do this, but details will be described later. In addition to the engagement structure in which the large convex portion 402a and the large concave portion 404a are matched, various structures such as an engagement structure in which the small convex portion 402b and the small concave portion 404b are matched may be used. As long as the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion are engaged with each other, the rotational force can be transmitted. Also, the shape of the engaging convex portion 137, the engaging concave portion 176a, etc. may be other shapes. In short, the rotational driving force from the drive shafts 115, 116 is applied to the pulleys 158a, 158b which are driven shafts. Any shape that can be reliably transmitted and detachable may be used.

Next, an engagement operation (coupling operation) between the engagement convex portion 137 (138) and the engagement concave portion 176a (176b) and an origin search operation performed along with this engagement operation will be described. Note that the engagement operation and origin search operation of one engagement convex portion 137 and the engagement recess portion 176a and the engagement operation and origin search operation of the other engagement projection portion 138 and the engagement recess portion 176b are substantially the same. . For this reason, below, the engagement operation and the origin search operation of one of the engagement protrusions 137 and the engagement recesses 176a will be representatively described.

First, the engaging operation between the engaging projection 137 (138) and the engaging recess 176a (176b) will be described.

FIGS. 24A and 25A show a case where the rotation phases of the engaging convex portion 137 (138) and the engaging concave portion 176a (176b) are shifted by approximately 90 ° when the operation portion 14 and the working portion 16 are mounted. The large convex portion 402a and the large concave portion 404a are displaced by approximately 90 °, the small convex portion 402b and the small concave portion 404b are also displaced, and the engaging convex portion 137 and the engaging concave portion 176a cannot be engaged with each other. It is an example. In the manipulator 10 according to the present embodiment, the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 can be mounted on the appearance even in such a state.

That is, as can be understood from FIGS. 25A and 25B, when the engaging projection 137 cannot be engaged with the engaging recess 176a when the operating portion 14 and the working portion 16 are mounted (see FIG. 25A), the operating portion 14 Is pushed down to the working portion 16, the lower end surface (Y2 direction end surface) of the engagement convex portion 137 comes into contact with the upper end surface (Y1 direction end surface) of the engagement concave portion 176 a and resists the biasing force of the coil spring 121. Then, it moves backward in the Y1 direction along the corrugated portion 115c of the drive shaft 115.

As a result, even if the engaging convex portion 137 and the engaging concave portion 176a are not engaged (see FIG. 25A), the claw portion 400c of the detachable lever 400 is engaged with the locking portion 401a (FIGS. 1 to 3). Reference), the mounting of the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 is completed. This attachment completion is recognized by the controller 514 when the attachment / detachment sensor 314 detects that the detection shaft 316 is seated on the stop plate 179.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 25A, the detection shaft 310 for the coupling sensor 306 is engaged with the annular groove 139 of the engaging protrusion 137 because the flange 310b at the lower end thereof is engaged with the engaging protrusion 137. Retreats in the Y1 direction with the retreat in the Y1 direction. Accordingly, the coupling sensor 306 cannot detect the completion of the engaging operation between the engaging convex portion 137 and the engaging concave portion 176a. That is, the controller 514 indicates that the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 have been mounted. Simultaneously with the recognition, it is recognized that the engagement between the engagement convex portion 137 and the engagement concave portion 176a is not completed.

Therefore, in the controller 514, for example, when the master switch 34 (see FIG. 1) is turned on, an engagement operation for engaging the engagement convex portion 137 and the engagement concave portion 176a as one operation of the origin search operation. (Coupling operation) is performed.

As shown in FIGS. 24A and 25A, first, the motor 100 is driven in a state where the lower surface of the front end of the engaging convex portion 137 is seated in contact with the upper surface of the front end of the engaging concave portion 176a. As a result, the drive shaft 115 is rotated via the gear mechanism portion 106, while the pulley 158a is not rotated, and the engagement convex portion 137 slides on the engagement concave portion 176a as indicated by the broken line arrow in FIG. 24A. Rotates while touching.

As shown in FIG. 24B, when the rotating large convex portion 402a coincides with the large concave portion 404a, the engaging convex portion 137 and the engaging concave portion 176a are engaged with each other. The convex portion 137 is advanced in the Y2 direction by the biasing force of the coil spring 121, and the engaging convex portion 137 and the engaging concave portion 176a are engaged with each other. As a result, the detection shaft 310 also moves in the Y2 direction together with the engaging convex portion 137, so that the coupling sensor 306 can detect the completion of the engaging operation between the engaging convex portion 137 and the engaging concave portion 176a. . Further, since the drive shaft 115 and the pulley 158a are coupled so as to be able to transmit the rotational driving force, the rotational phase of the engaging recess 176a, that is, the operating posture of the distal end operating unit 12 with the pulley 158a and the wire 1054 interposed therebetween is also considered. It becomes a controllable state with 100 rotational driving force.

Note that substantially the same operation can be obtained even if the object to be elastically supported by the coil spring 121 is the engagement concave portion 176a (176b) side, but the coupling sensor 306 is provided on the operation unit 14 side with the controller 514. For this reason, it is preferable that the engaging convex portion 137 (138) side to which the detection shaft 310 is coupled is elastically supported by the coil spring 121 and can be moved forward and backward.

Next, the origin search operation performed together with the above engagement operation will be described. In the present embodiment, the origin search operation is driven and controlled under the control of the controller 514, that is, the controller 514 functions as an origin search unit.

26A to 26D show the initial phases of the engaging convex portion 137 (shown by a broken line) and the engaging concave portion 176a (shown by a solid line) in a state where the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 are externally mounted ( It is explanatory drawing which illustrated each pattern of the coupling position).

26A to 26D, a straight line M0 indicated by a one-dot chain line indicates the motor origin M0, that is, the origin phase of the motor 100, the drive shaft 115, and the pulley 158a, and the phase at which the distal end working unit 12 assumes the origin posture. As for the motor origin M0, two end portions 333a, 333a (334a, 334a) of the semicircular disk portion of the detection piece 333 (334) shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 pass through the origin detection sensor 331 (332). Thus, the controller 514 detects that the output of the origin detection sensor 331 (332) is switched. The detection piece 333 has a detected end portion 333a having a 180 ° phase. As described above, since the rotation range of the pulley 158a is less than 180 ° in both the forward rotation and the reverse rotation (see FIG. 14A, etc.), by setting the detection piece 333 to a 180 ° phase, Thus, it can be determined whether the region is a positive region or a negative region.

In FIG. 26A to FIG. 26D, for easy understanding, the engagement convex portion 137 on the drive shaft 115 side is shown in a broken-line large circle shape, and the large convex portion 402a is shown in a broken-line small circle shape, while the pulley 158a side is shown. The engagement concave portion 176a is shown in a solid large circle shape, and the large concave portion 404a is shown in a solid line small circle shape. In addition, in order to clarify the rotation range of the engagement recess 176a (pulley 158a), the contact portion 177a (177b) on the engagement recess 176a side is illustrated as a contact member protruding in the outer diameter direction, and the rotation is performed. The stopper (pulley operation limit) 179a to be controlled is illustrated by a straight line with hatching. In other words, the rotation range is controlled by the contact between the contact portion 177c and the stopper 179b shown in the modification of FIG. This is illustrated as a similar structure, and the same applies to FIG. Further, as the cases of engagement of the engagement convex portion 137 and the engagement concave portion 176a, there can be eight types of cases depending on the initial phase of the pulley 158a, and eight operations are performed for each case for the origin search. Programmed to work with patterns. Basically, there are eight operation patterns. Since this operation pattern is a symmetric system with the motor origin M0 as the center, in this embodiment, FIG. 26A to FIG. The four typical operation patterns shown in FIG. 26D will be described.

FIG. 26A shows a state in which the phase of the engagement recess 176a (large recess 404a) is in the opposite direction (reverse direction) to the motor origin M0 when the phase of the engagement protrusion 137 (large protrusion 402a) is used as a reference. The engagement operation and the origin search operation from the coupling position are illustrated below as an operation pattern (1). In FIG. 26B, the phases of the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) and the engaging concave portion 176a (large concave portion 404a) coincide from the beginning (that is, from the moment when the driving unit 30 and the working unit 16 are mounted). This is an example of a state of being present and is hereinafter referred to as an operation pattern (2). FIG. 26C shows an engagement recess 176a (between the engagement projection 137 (large projection 402a) and the motor origin M0 when the phase of the engagement projection 137 (large projection 402a) is used as a reference. The state in which the phase of the large concave portion 404a) is illustrated is illustrated, and is hereinafter referred to as an operation pattern (3). FIG. 26D shows a state in which the phase of the engagement recess 176a (large recess 404a) is in the positive direction (forward rotation direction) of the motor origin M0 when the phase of the engagement protrusion 137 (large protrusion 402a) is used as a reference. And is hereinafter referred to as an operation pattern (4).

The basic program sequence consists of the detection operation and engagement operation of the motor origin M0. First, the motor origin M0 is detected. In the operation of detecting the motor origin M0, the origin detection sensor 331 determines the positive / negative area at the start, and the drive shaft 115 is moved in the direction of the motor origin M0. After the motor origin M0 is detected, the motor is continuously operated from either the positive or negative operation limit to one of the operation limits.

If the engagement of the engagement convex portion 137 and the engagement concave portion 176a is confirmed by the coupling sensor 306 as an engagement sensor after the motor origin M0 is detected, a sequence for continuously operating from the operation limit to the operation limit is determined. This is finished and moved to the motor origin M0, and the origin search operation is completed.

The timing and position of engagement between the engaging convex portion 137 and the engaging concave portion 176a differ depending on the phase relationship between the engaging convex portion 137 and the engaging concave portion 176a. As a result, a plurality of operation patterns can be considered. 4 cases are considered. The operation pattern in each case will be described.

Operation pattern (1) will be described with reference to FIGS. 27A to 27D. In the operation pattern (1), in the initial state, the phase of the engagement concave portion 176a (large concave portion 404a) is opposite to the motor origin M0 (reverse direction) with respect to the phase of the engagement convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a). (See FIGS. 26A and 27A).

First, since the origin shaft detection sensor 331 shows that the drive shaft 115 is in the negative region, the motor 100 is driven and controlled to rotate the drive shaft 115 in the positive direction (clockwise in FIG. 27A). As shown, the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) is rotated in the motor origin M0 direction. Then, the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) has a phase that matches the motor origin M0 (see FIG. 27B), and the origin detection sensor 331 detects the end 333a of the detection piece 333 (see FIG. 8). The controller 514 recognizes the phase as the origin of the motor 100.

Subsequently, as indicated by a broken line arrow in FIG. 27C, the phase of the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) is changed by further rotating the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) in the normal rotation direction. The engaging recesses 176a (large recesses 404a) are in phase with each other (see FIG. 27C). The engagement operation of the engagement convex portion 137 and the engagement concave portion 176a is as described above with reference to FIGS. 24A to 25B, and this engagement is detected by the controller 514 via the coupling sensor 306. .

Therefore, as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 30C, by rotating the engaging convex portion 137 engaged with the engaging concave portion 176a to the motor origin M0, the engaging concave portion 176a is also rotated to the motor origin M0 together. Similarly to the case shown in FIG. 27D and the like, the drive shaft 115 and the pulley 158a are set to a predetermined origin phase, and the distal end working unit 12 also has a predetermined origin posture.

The operation pattern (2) will be described with reference to FIGS. 28A to 28D. In the operation pattern (2), in the initial state, the phases of the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) and the engaging concave portion 176a (large concave portion 404a) coincide from the beginning (see FIGS. 26B and 28A). Engagement is detected by the controller 514 via the coupling sensor 306.

First, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 28A, by rotating the engaging convex portion 137 engaged with the engaging concave portion 176a to the motor origin M0, the engaging concave portion 176a is also rotated to the motor origin M0 together. Then, the engaging convex portion 137 and the engaging concave portion 176a have a phase that coincides with the motor origin M0 (see FIG. 28B), and the end portion 333a of the detection piece 333 is detected by the origin detecting sensor 331 (see FIG. 8). Is recognized as the origin of the motor 100. For this reason, the rotation of the motor 100 is stopped. However, when the origin is detected as shown in FIGS. 28A to 28B, even if the motor 100 is stopped substantially at the same time as the detection, the motor 100 remains at the origin position. To overrun (see FIG. 28C).

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 28D, by rotating the motor 100 in the reverse direction to the motor origin M0, the engagement convex portion 137 and the engagement concave portion 176a are returned to the motor origin M0 and stopped. 115 and the pulley 158a are set to a predetermined origin phase, and the distal end working unit 12 is also in a predetermined origin posture.

The operation pattern (3) will be described with reference to FIGS. 29A to 29C. In the operation pattern (3), when the phase of the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) is used as a reference in the initial state, between the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) and the motor origin M0. There is a phase of the engaging recess 176a (large recess 404a) (see FIGS. 26C and 29A).

First, the drive control of the motor 100 is performed, and the engagement convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) is rotated in the motor origin M0 direction as shown by the broken line arrow in FIG. 29A. Then, as shown in FIG. 29B, the phase of the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) matches the phase of the engaging concave portion 176a (large concave portion 404a) and is engaged with each other. It is detected by the controller 514 via the sensor 306.

Therefore, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 29B, by rotating the engagement convex portion 137 engaged with the engagement concave portion 176a to the motor origin M0, the engagement recess 176a is also rotated to the motor origin M0 together. The engaging convex portion 137 and the engaging concave portion 176a have a phase that coincides with the motor origin M0 (see FIG. 29C), and the origin detecting sensor 331 detects the end 333a of the detecting piece 333 (see FIG. 8). The controller 514 recognizes the origin of the motor 100. Subsequently, as shown by the reciprocating arrow in FIG. 29C, the motor 100 is stopped by slightly overrunning the motor origin M0 and then rotated in the reverse direction, as shown by the reciprocating arrow in FIG. 29C. The engaging convex portion 137 and the engaging concave portion 176a are returned to the motor origin M0 and stopped, whereby the drive shaft 115 and the pulley 158a are set to a predetermined origin phase, and the distal end operating portion 12 is also set to a predetermined origin posture. Become.

The operation pattern (4) will be described with reference to FIGS. 30A to 30C. In the operation pattern (4), in the initial state, when the phase of the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) is used as a reference, the engaging concave portion 176a (large concave portion 404a) extends in the positive direction (forward rotation direction) of the motor origin M0. ) (See FIGS. 26D and 30A).

First, the drive control of the motor 100 is performed, and the engagement convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) is rotated in the direction of the motor origin M0 as indicated by a broken line arrow in FIG. 30A. Then, as shown in FIG. 30B, the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) has a phase that coincides with the motor origin M0, and the origin detection sensor 331 detects the end 333a of the detection piece 333 (see FIG. 8). The controller 514 recognizes this phase as the origin of the motor 100.

Subsequently, as indicated by a broken-line arrow in FIG. 30B, the phase of the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) is changed by further rotating the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) in the forward rotation direction. The engagement recesses 176a (large recesses 404a) are in phase with each other (see FIG. 30C), and this engagement is detected by the controller 514 via the coupling sensor 306.

Therefore, in substantially the same manner as shown in FIG. 27D, by returning the engaging convex portion 137 engaged with the engaging concave portion 176a to the motor origin M0, the engaging concave portion 176a is also rotated to the motor origin M0 and driven. The shaft 115 and the pulley 158a are set to a predetermined origin phase, and the distal end working unit 12 is also in a predetermined origin posture.

By the way, depending on the case, the pulley 158a is moved together with the drive shaft 115 even if the engagement convex portion 137 and the engagement concave portion 176a are not engaged (fitted) due to friction or catching. It is also possible to rotate and rotate. In such a case, the operation pattern (1) does not engage at the position of FIG. 27C, and in the worst case, engages at the position of the stopper 179a (+ operation limit). Similarly, in the case of the operation patterns (3) and (4), the engagement is performed at the position of the stopper 179a (+ operation limit). That is, even when the pulley 158a rotates with the drive shaft 115, it can be engaged in the vicinity of the operation limit if at least a sequence of continuous operation from the positive / negative operation limit to the operation limit is included. Even when engaged in the vicinity of the operation limit when operating in the direction of the operation limit, since the detection of the motor origin M0 has already been completed in sequence, the position of the operation limit is known. In the vicinity of the operation limit, measures such as deceleration and stop are possible, and the origin search operation is performed at high speed without causing mechanical damage, breakage or destruction to the drive system by colliding with the stopper 179a in a mechanically high speed state. Is possible.

In the case of the operation pattern (1), as a method of operating from the state of FIG. 27B to the state of FIG. 27C, the case of rotating in the same direction has been described, but after the operation of FIG. It may be temporarily stopped and rotated in the reverse direction. Also in this case, since the detection of the motor origin M0 has already been completed in sequence, it is easy to stop and reverse it. If the angle of θ is small, the movement distance becomes shorter and the origin search operation can be shortened if it is temporarily stopped.

Whether to rotate or reverse in the same direction, or to incorporate the sequence program into the controller 514, considers the allowable rotation range θ, which is the operation range, the maximum origin search allowable time, the frequency of the phase state of the engaging part, etc. And decide.

The origin search operation starts when the operation button (master switch 34) is pressed and automatically completes. Alternatively, the search operation is performed only when the switch (master switch 34) is pressed, stops when released, and restarts when pressed again. You may do it like a start. In the latter case, the operation is a manual operation, and the origin search operation can be immediately stopped when an abnormality is felt or when it is desired to stop halfway.

By the way, as described above, the engagement (coupling) between the drive shaft 115 (116) and the pulley 158a (158b) is not limited to the above-described single phase, but may be two or more. It can also be configured to be engageable at the phase.

Next, a configuration example of the engagement phase of the engagement convex portion 137 (138) and the engagement concave portion 176a (176b) of the drive shaft 115 (116) and the pulley 158a (158b) will be described.

The engagement phase between the engagement convex portion 137 (138) and the engagement concave portion 176a (176b) in the coupling of the drive shaft 115 (116) and the pulley 158a (158b) is, for example, the difference in the configuration of the distal end working portion 12. It may be set according to the operation region (allowable rotation range) set in the pulley 158a (158b) by, for example, and it may be configured to allow engagement in two or more phases in addition to a single phase. it can.

Let θ (°) be an allowable rotation range that is an operation region of the pulley 158a (158b) that is a driven shaft that directly operates the distal end working unit 12, and an integer part of a quotient of 360 (°) / θ (°) is n. Then, in consideration of the above-described origin search operation and the like, it is possible to engage at a maximum of n places, that is, to be engageable only at a phase of n places or less.

Therefore, the relationship between the allowable rotation range θ and the engagement location (n location) can be set as exemplified in the following (1) to (5). In the case of the pulley 158a shown in FIG. 14A, the allowable rotation range θ is 90 °, for example, the arrow + θ is 90 °, and the arrow −θ is 90 °, for example, the allowable rotation range θ is 180 °, and the pulley 158b In this case, if the arrow + θ is, for example, 135 ° and the arrow −θ is, for example, 135 °, the allowable rotation range θ is 270 °.

(1) When θ is 180 ° (degrees) or more and less than 360 ° (degrees), there is one place, and the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion need to be configured to be engageable in a single phase shape. . (2) When θ is 120 ° or more and less than 180 °, there are two or less places, and the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion can be configured to be engageable in a 180 ° phase shape. (3) When θ is 90 ° or more and less than 120 °, the number is three or less, and the engagement convex portion and the engagement concave portion can be configured to be engageable in a 120 ° phase shape. (4) When θ is not less than 72 ° and less than 90 °, there are four locations or less, and the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave portion can be configured to be engageable in a 90 ° phase shape. (5) When θ is 60 ° or more and less than 72 °, the number is 5 or less, and the engagement convex portion and the engagement concave portion can be configured to be engageable in a 72 ° phase shape, and the subsequent operation The same applies to the area.

For example, in FIG. 14A, the permissible rotation ranges θ of pulleys 158a and 158b (the sum of the ranges indicated by arrows + θ and −θ) are set to 180 ° and 270 °, respectively. For this reason, as shown in the above (1), it is necessary to have one place where engagement is possible, and the engagement phases of the engagement convex portions 137 and 138 and the engagement concave portions 176a and 176b are also only a single phase. It is configured to engage.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 31A and 31B, when the allowable rotation range θ of pulley 158a (158b) (the sum of the ranges indicated by arrows + θ and −θ) is set to 120 ° or more and less than 180 ° (120 ° ≦ θ <180 °), the engaging convex portion 137 (138) and the engaging concave portion 176a (176b) have a 180 ° phase shape having two large convex portions 402a and large concave portions 404a. It can comprise, and it can comprise so that engagement is possible at two places (it is natural even if it is one place). 32A and 32B show a case where the engaging convex portion 137 (138) and the engaging concave portion 176a (176b) are configured in a 180 ° phase shape, that is, other cases where 120 ° ≦ θ <180 °. It is a shape example, and of course, other shapes may be used.

As shown in FIGS. 33A and 33B, when the allowable rotation range θ of the pulley 158a (158b) is set to 90 ° or more and less than 120 ° (90 ° ≦ θ <120 °), the engagement convex portion 137 (138) and the engagement recess 176a (176b) are formed in a 120 ° phase shape having three large protrusions 402a and a large recess 404a, and are engaged at three positions (which may be one or two positions as a matter of course). Can be configured. 34A and 34B show the case where the engaging convex portion 137 (138) and the engaging concave portion 176a (176b) are formed in a 120 ° phase shape, that is, other cases of 90 ° ≦ θ <120 °. It is a shape example, and of course, other shapes may be used.

As described above, the engagement convex portion 137 (138) and the engagement concave portion 176a (176b) that couple with each other and transmit the rotational driving force are n places according to the rotation allowable range θ of the pulley 158a (158b). It can comprise so that engagement is possible below. In particular, as shown in the above (2), (3), etc., when engagement at a plurality of locations is possible, each of the maximum engagement locations, for example, 2 locations in (2) above and 3 in (3) above. If it is configured in a shape that can be engaged at a location, the coupling shape can be symmetrized, and the time required for the origin search operation can be shortened as much as possible. Note that even when the shape is such that the engagement at two or more locations shown in (2) to (5) above is possible, the origin search operation is performed in a single manner as shown in FIGS. 26A to 30C. The operation can be performed in substantially the same manner as in the case of the phase shape.

Similarly, the shape of the detection piece 333 (334), which is a sensor dog of the origin detection sensor 331 (332), can be changed in accordance with the coupling engagement position (n position), and the n engagement phases can be changed. If it is set to n, it may be configured to be detected by the origin detection sensor 331 (332) by switching at n · 2 places. For example, as described above, in the case of a single engagement phase, since the forward rotation and the reverse rotation are each less than 180 °, the detection piece 333 (334) is configured in a 180 ° phase shape (biaxial). This makes it possible to detect the motor origin more quickly.

More specifically, as for the shape of the detection piece 333, for example, when 180 ° ≦ allowable rotation range θ <360 °, the shape of the semicircular 180 ° phase may be used as shown in FIGS. In the case of 120 ° ≦ θ <180 °, the shape of the 90 ° phase may be a two-quarter circle as shown in FIG. 35. In the case of 90 ° ≦ θ <120 °, As shown in FIG. 36, it is preferable to have a 60 ° phase shape in which there are three 1/6 circles. Thus, the motor origin is configured by optimally configuring the phase shape of the detection piece 333, which is the sensor dog of the origin detection sensor 331, according to the allowable rotation range θ and the coupling engagement shape (n-point coupling shape). It becomes possible to detect M0 more rapidly.

Next, with respect to the starting operation (use preparation operation) in the manipulator 10 basically configured as described above and the mounting operation of the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 related to the starting operation, refer to the flowchart of FIG. I will explain. In the following, a configuration using the engaging convex portion 137 (138) and the engaging concave portion 176a (176b) that engage with each other in a single phase will be described as an example. Even a thing (see FIG. 31A etc.) can be controlled and operated in substantially the same manner.

In step S1 of FIG. 37, in order to start up the system including the manipulator 10, first, the operator turns on the power switch 516 (see FIG. 1) of the controller 514 to start up the controller 514 and the peripheral system (step S2). ).

Next, in step S3, the operation unit 14 is attached to the controller 514. For example, the connector 520 at the tip of the cable 61 extending from the lower end of the grip handle 26 of the operation unit 14 is connected to the first port 515a of the controller 514 (see FIG. 1).

In step S4, the working unit 16 including the predetermined tip operating unit 12 is attached to the operation unit 14 connected to the controller 514. As described above, the mounting operation is performed so that the two guide pins 163 and 163 protruding from the operation unit 14 are fitted in the pin holes 161 and 161 of the working unit 16 and the operation unit 14 is positioned. Positioning is performed so that the concave portion 406 engages with the positioning convex portion 408 of the working portion 16, the operating portion 14 and the working portion 16 are pressed and brought into close contact with each other (see FIGS. 6, 22A, and 22B). Thereby, the claw portion 400c of the detachable lever 400 is engaged with the locking portion 401a (see FIGS. 1 to 3), and the mounting of the operation portion 14 and the working portion 16 is completed. The completion of the mounting of the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 is based on the fact that the attachment / detachment sensor 314 detects that the detection shaft 316 is seated on the stop plate 179 (see FIGS. 7, 25A and 25B). 514.

Therefore, in step S5, the controller 514 captures an image of the barcode 222 by controlling the driving of the camera 224 and the LED 224a based on the detection of the attachment / detachment sensor 314 in step S4 or based on other switch input (not shown) ( As shown in FIG. 20, the specification (type of the tip operation unit 12), the number of uses, the use amount limit (upper limit), and the like are acquired from the barcode 222 as individual information of the working unit 16. Further, the controller 514 can acquire individual information of the working unit 16 and appropriately control the motors 100 and 102 and the like according to the type of the working unit 16 according to the individual information.

As described above, even when the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 are apparently mounted, the engagement operation for engaging the drive shaft 115 (116) and the pulley 158a (158b) as substantial mounting. It is necessary to perform an origin search operation for setting the motor 100 (102) and the distal end operating unit 12 to a predetermined origin position and origin posture together with this engagement operation.

Therefore, in step S6, by turning on the master switch 34 (see FIG. 1) of the manipulator 10 to which the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 are attached, in step S7, under the control of the controller 514 or the operation unit 14 The above-described origin search operation illustrated in FIGS. 26A to 30C is performed under the control of a control unit (not shown) incorporated in the system. As a result, the engaging convex portion 137 (138) and the engaging concave portion 176a (176b) are engaged (see FIGS. 25B and 27C, etc.), and the drive shaft 115 and the pulley 158a are set to a predetermined origin phase ( As shown in FIG. 27D, the distal end working unit 12 is also set to a predetermined origin posture, and the preparation for use of the manipulator 10 is completed (step S8). As described above, by performing the origin search operation, the origin position can be easily detected, and the operation start after the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 are mounted can be more smoothly performed.

During the origin search operation in step S7, the LED 29 (see FIG. 1) arranged in parallel with the master switch 34 is controlled to blink in green, for example. Then, the operator can easily recognize that the origin search operation is being performed. Further, after the preparation for use is completed in step S8, the LED 29 is controlled so as to be lit in green, for example, to clearly indicate to the operator that the manipulator 10 is normally activated and is in a predetermined usable state. be able to. The LED 29 is not lit until the above steps S1 to S6. Of course, the LED 29 may be controlled to be turned on or blinking according to the processing state.

After the preparation for use is completed in step S8, that is, after the manipulator 10 is ready for use, the operator holds the grip handle 26 and operates the composite input unit 24 and the trigger lever 36 to operate the manipulator 10. Can be operated in accordance with a predetermined procedure.

In this state, when the master switch 34 is turned off, for example, due to a temporary interruption of the procedure (step S9), the LED 29 is turned off and the usable state of the manipulator 10 is stopped. After that, when performing the procedure without removing the working unit 16 or the like, by turning on the master switch 34 again (step S10), the process returns to step S8, and the manipulator 10 becomes usable again. An operator can initiate or continue a predetermined procedure. At this time, unless the detachment of the working unit 16 from the operation unit 14 or the like is performed from step S9 to step S10, that is, after the master switch 34 is turned off, the step S7 is performed. The origin positions of the motors 100 and 102 and the distal end working unit 12 set in step S5 are not shifted, and after step S10, the process can quickly move to step S8.

On the other hand, after step S8, for example, when the work unit 16 and the operation unit 14 are removed in order to change the work unit 16 in response to another procedure (step S11 and step S12), step S4 and step S4, respectively. Returning to step S3, the control flow described above is performed thereafter.

By the way, in the reading operation of the bar code 222 shown in step S5, for example, errors as indicated by E1 to E3 in FIG. 37 may occur. Although errors that occur in the manipulator 10 may naturally occur in relation to states other than the following errors E1 to E3 and error E4, errors E1 to E4 will be described below as examples.

Error E1 (abnormal barcode reading) occurs when the barcode 222 reading abnormality occurs in step S5, for example, when the barcode 222 cannot be accurately captured by the camera 224 or when the barcode 222 is This is the case other than the work unit 16 or the like to be controlled by the controller 514. In this case, in step S13, a work unit removal request for controlling the LED 29 to blink in red, for example, is performed. In addition to the LED 29 display, the work unit removal request displays an error E1 on the display unit (display) 517 (see FIG. 1) of the controller 514 and generates a warning sound or the like through a speaker (not shown). May be. When the operator removes the work unit 16 from the operation unit 14 in response to the work unit removal request, the red flashing by the LED 29 is turned off, and the process returns to step S4. Therefore, the operator reconfirms the working unit 16 and confirms the stain of the barcode 222 and the like.

Error E2 (use amount limit over) is a case where the attached working unit 16 is over the use amount limit due to the reading operation of the barcode 222 in step S5. This is because, for example, when the number of uses of the predetermined work unit 16 is 10 times, when the work unit 16 is mounted even though the use of the predetermined work unit 16 has already been performed, or the cumulative use time limit is 300. In terms of time, when the working unit 16 is mounted even though it has already been used for more than 300 hours, or the bending or rotating operation of the manipulator tip is used beyond the cumulative use angle limit. This is an error that is notified in the event of a failure In this case, in substantially the same manner as in the case of the error E1, a work unit removal request for controlling the LED 29 to blink in red, for example, is performed in step S13. Of course, regarding the work unit removal request in this case, an error E2 may be displayed on the display unit 517 of the controller 514, and the warning sound or the like may be generated. When the operator removes the work unit 16 from the operation unit 14 in response to the work unit removal request, the red flashing by the LED 29 is turned off, and the process returns to step S4. Therefore, the operator performs work such as replacing the work unit 16 with a new work unit 16.

Error E3 (imaging module system abnormality) is a case where the camera 224 does not function normally in the reading operation of the barcode 222 in step S5. In this case, in step S14, an operation unit removal request for controlling the LED 29 to blink in red, for example, is performed. Also in this case, the error E3 may be displayed on the display unit 517 of the controller 514, and the warning sound or the like may be generated. When the operator removes the operation unit 14 from the work unit 16 in response to the operation unit removal request, the red blinking by the LED 29 is turned off, and the process returns to step S3. Therefore, the operator performs operations such as confirmation and replacement of the operation unit 14.

Similarly, in the origin search operation shown in step S7, an error as indicated by E4 in FIG. 37 may occur, for example. Error E4 (operation system abnormality) occurs when an abnormality occurs during the origin search operation in step S7, for example, when an abnormality of the motors 100 and 102 is detected by the controller 514, or when the origin search is not completed within a predetermined time. (When the coupling sensor 306 cannot be detected). In this case, in the same manner as in the case of the error E3, in step S14, an operation unit removal request for controlling the LED 29 to blink in red, for example, is performed. Also in this case, the error E3 may be displayed on the display unit 517 of the controller 514, and the warning sound or the like may be generated. When the operator removes the operation unit 14 from the work unit 16 in response to the operation unit removal request, the red blinking by the LED 29 is turned off, and the process returns to step S3. Therefore, the operator performs operations such as confirmation and replacement of the operation unit 14.

In each state including steps S1 to S14, for example, when the power switch 516 of the controller 514 or another main power switch (not shown) is turned off, or from a power plug (not shown) connected to the controller 514 or the like. When the power cord is disconnected, or when various failures or abnormalities occur in the controller 514, the manipulator 10 operates after a predetermined termination process (the LED 29 is controlled to flash, for example, red). End.

As described above, according to the manipulator 10 according to the present embodiment, the operation unit 14 including the drive unit 30 and the working unit 16 can be attached to and detached from each other, and the allowable rotation range θ of the pulleys 158a and 158b that are driven shafts is achieved. The engagement convex portions 137 and 138 on the drive shafts 115 and 116 side and the engagement concave portions 176a and 176b on the pulleys 158a and 158b side can be engaged with each other at one or more (n places) phases set based on the phase. ing. Therefore, the engagement convex portions 137 and 138 and the engagement concave portions 176a and 176b are engaged with the maximum number (n places) of engagement phases in consideration of the operation region of the tip operation portion 12 operated by the rotation of the pulleys 158a and 158b. The engagement can be configured, the coupling shape can be symmetrized, and the time required for the origin search operation can be shortened as much as possible.

In this case, since the engaging convex portion 137 (138) is elastically supported by the coil spring 121, when the operating portion 14 and the working portion 16 are mounted, the engaging convex portion 137 (138) and the engaging concave portion 176a ( Even if the engagement phase of 176b) is not in agreement, these engagement projections 137 and the like are not damaged. Further, since the detection shafts 310 and 312 which are detection portions of the coupling sensor 306 (308) are connected to the engagement convex portions 137 (138) which are elastically supported, the detection of the coupling is easy and reliable. Moreover, since the coupling sensor 306 (308) is on the operation unit 14 side, connection to the controller 514 and the like is easy. In addition, as described above, the engagement convex portion 137 (138) and the engagement concave portion 176a (176b) are configured to be engageable only at the phase of n or less, thereby making it possible to detect an origin error in the origin search operation. The occurrence of defects can be effectively suppressed.

Further, the attachment / detachment sensor 314 and the coupling sensor 306 (308) are provided, so that the operation unit 14 (drive unit 30) and the working unit 16 are mounted, and the engagement projection 137 (138) and the engagement recess 176a ( 176b) can be reliably detected, and mounting failure and engagement failure can be prevented.

In the manipulator 10, a trigger lever 36 that is a mechanism that mechanically drives the distal end working unit 12, a trigger lever mounting portion 32 b, and rods 192 a and 192 b that are rod-shaped or linear transmission members are all provided on the working unit 16 side. It has been. On the other hand, the drive unit 30 which is a mechanism unit for electrically driving the distal end working unit 12, the pulleys 158a, 158b, the wires 1052, 1054, etc. are provided so as to be separated from each other on the operation unit 14 side and the working unit 16 side. It has been. That is, the rotational driving force of the motors 100 and 102 constituting the electric drive unit can be separated relatively easily by the coupling structure between the engagement convex part 137 (138) and the engagement concave part 176a (176b). However, if the mechanical drive unit that directly transmits the operation of the trigger lever 36 by the rod 192a or the like constitutes a separation structure, the structure tends to be somewhat complicated. Therefore, in the manipulator 10, the trigger lever 36, the rod 192a, and the like constituting the mechanical drive unit are collectively arranged on the working unit 16 side, so that the detachable structure between the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 is further simplified. Has been. In particular, the rods 192a and 192b are configured to transmit the input to the trigger lever 36 by advancing and retreating operations in the Z direction, that is, as rod-shaped or linear transmission members, so that they are not separated. The attachment / detachment structure is further simplified.

In this case, the claw portion 206a and the engagement ring 27 constituting the latch mechanism of the trigger lever 36 may be on the working portion 16 side (or the operating portion 14 side) and the operating portion 14 side (or the working portion 16 side), respectively. ). Thereby, even if it is a case where the latch mechanism which fixes the position to the trigger lever 36 is mounted, it can be set as the structure which can attach or detach the operation part 14 and the operation | work part 16 easily.

Such a trigger lever 36 and its latch structure may be structured as shown in FIGS. 38 to 49, for example. That is, as described above, the trigger lever 36 includes the ratchet pawl 206 on the working unit 16 side and the engagement ring 27 on the operation unit 14 side, which is a latch mechanism that maintains the pulled state in the direction of the grip handle 26. In the state where the working unit 16 is detached from the operation unit 14, it is not latched. However, depending on the type of procedure, it may be convenient to latch the trigger lever 36 as a single unit with the working unit 16 removed from the operation unit 14. For example, when the working unit 16 is a single unit, the connecting shaft 18 is taken in and out of the trocar 20, and in such a case, a trigger is used to keep the end effector (gripper) 1300 of the distal end working unit 12 closed. It is preferable to keep the lever 36 in a fully pulled state. Hereinafter, the self-latching mechanisms 900a to 900g that keep the trigger lever 36 pulled even when the working unit 16 is a single unit will be described.

As shown in FIG. 38, the self-latch mechanism 900a according to the first example includes a long hole 902 provided in the lower surface of the trigger lever mounting portion 32b and extending in the Z direction, and a shaft 904 obliquely above the ring portion 202. And a latch arm 906 supported on the shaft. A peripheral portion of the shaft 904 in the latch arm 906 is in the internal space 203.

A short latch groove 902a bent obliquely upward is provided at the end of the long hole 902 in the Z2 direction. The latch arm 906 includes a guide bar 910 that is guided by a front end roller 908 inserted into the long hole 902 in front of the shaft 904 (Z1 side), and an arc-shaped balance behind the shaft 904 (Z2 side). Bar 912. The balance bar 912 has the same shape as the arc of the ring portion 202, and includes a finger pressing projection 912a that faces downward at the center portion, and a weight 912b at the end portion.

Since the balance bar 912 has a circular arc shape, an appropriate length is ensured and a weight 912b is provided at the end, so that the balance bar 912 is slightly heavier than the guide bar 910, and the latch arm 906 has a clockwise rotational force in FIG. is recieving. This rotational force is small and does not hinder the operation of the trigger lever 36. The balance bar 912 has an appropriate length, but since it has an arc shape, it does not protrude excessively in the Z2 direction and does not interfere with the grip handle 26. As is clear from FIG. 38, when the trigger lever 36 is pushed in the distal direction (Z1 direction), almost all of the balance bar 912 is out of the internal space 203. Here, a spring force may be used as the clockwise rotational force.

As shown in FIG. 39, when the trigger lever 36 is pulled in the Z2 direction, the roller 908 reaches the end of the elongated hole 902 at the straight portion in the Z direction, and at this time, the end effector 1300, which is a gripper, is closed. Since the latch arm 906 receives the rotational force from the balance bar 912, when the finger is released from the trigger lever 36, the latch arm 906 rotates slightly clockwise, and the roller 908 fits into the latch groove 902a as shown in FIG. . As a result, the trigger lever 36 is held in that position and latched.

As shown in FIG. 40, since the balance bar 912 enters the internal space 203 along the periphery of the ring portion 202, it is easy to handle without a wasteful protrusion on the outside. The finger pressing projection 912a slightly protrudes into the ring portion 202, and the latched state is easily released by pushing the finger pressing projection 912a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 41, the self-latching mechanism 900b according to the second example includes a guide arm 922 pivotally supported on the shaft 920 of the trigger lever mounting portion 32b, and a long hole 924 provided in the trigger lever 36. And a latch arm 928 that is pivotally supported by a shaft 926 at an oblique lower portion of the ring portion 202, and a spring 930 that biases the end of the latch arm 928 upward. Almost all of the lower end of the guide arm 922 and the latch arm 928 are in the internal space 203.

The long hole 924 extends substantially in parallel with the arm part 200 in front of the ring part 202 (Z1 side), and a roller 932 provided at the lower end of the guide arm 922 is inserted therein. On the Z2 side of the long hole 924, a low guide wall 924a is provided.

The latch arm 928 has a wide V-shape bent at a portion of the shaft 926, and includes a front arm 934 in front of the shaft 926 (Z1 side) and a rear arm 936 in rear of the shaft 926 (Z2 side). Have.

The front arm 934 has a notch 934a at the tip and a stopper 934b that protrudes to the side slightly on the root side from the notch 934a. The stopper 934b is in contact with the guide wall 924a and restricts the rotation of the latch arm 928 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG.

The rear arm 936 has a finger pressing part 936a provided on the upper surface of the central part. The Z2 direction end of the rear arm 936 is biased upward by a spring 930, and the latch arm 928 receives a counterclockwise rotational force in FIG. 41, opposite to the stopper 934b and the spring 930. The stopper pin 937 projecting on the side stops at a predetermined angle, and the notch 934 a is disposed in the vicinity of the upper end of the long hole 924.

When the trigger lever 36 is pulled in the Z2 direction, the roller 932 is guided upward by the long hole 924, and the guide arm 922 rotates counterclockwise about the shaft 920. Eventually, the roller 932 comes into contact with the triangular portion 934c formed on the front side of the notch 934a and climbs over the triangular portion 934c against the urging force of the spring 930. The spring 930 is moderately light, and there is no hindrance to the climbing operation. When the roller 932 gets over the triangular portion 934c, an appropriate click feeling is obtained, and the operator can confirm the latched state.

42, the roller 932 fits into the notch 934a. Since the rear arm 936 is continuously urged counterclockwise by the spring 930, the stopper 934b is returned to a position where it abuts (or substantially abuts) on the guide wall 924a, and at the same time, the rear arm 936 is moved from the stopper pin 937. After a momentary separation, the rollers 932 are held in a gap formed by the notch 934a and the upper end of the elongated hole 924. As a result, the trigger lever 36 is held in that position and is latched. The finger pressing part 936a slightly protrudes into the ring part 202, and the latched state is easily released by pushing the finger pressing part 936a.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 43A to 44, the self-latching mechanism 900c according to the third example includes a long hole 940 provided in one side surface of the trigger lever attachment portion 32b and a ring portion 202. A latch arm 944 that is pivotally supported by a shaft 942 at an obliquely upper portion, a substantially L-shaped swing arm 946 that is disposed along a substantially half circumference of the ring portion 202, and a lever 208 that swings the swing arm 946. Prepare. A peripheral portion of the shaft 942 in the latch arm 944 and a part of the swing arm 946 and the lever 208 are disposed in the internal space 203.

A short latch groove 940a bent obliquely upward is provided at the end of the long hole 940 in the Z2 direction. The latch arm 944 is a rod that is guided by inserting a roller 948 at the front end into the elongated hole 940 in front of the shaft 942 (Z1 side). The latch arm 944 receives a biasing force in the clockwise direction in FIG. 43A about the shaft 942 by a torsion spring 950 provided on the shaft 942.

The swing arm 946 has an L-shaped bent portion pivotally supported by the swing shaft 207, a first arm 952 that extends from the bent portion in a Y1 direction, and a first arm 952 that extends in the Z2 direction from the bent portion. 2 arms 954. The Z2 side end of the second arm 954 is biased upward by the coil spring 956, that is, the swing arm 946 is counterclockwise in FIG. 43A about the swing shaft 207 by the coil spring 956. I am receiving power.

The lever 208 has substantially the same shape and function as the lever 208 shown in FIG. 17, and one end side in the internal space 203 is pivotally supported by the swing shaft 213. For this reason, since the lever 208 is pressed by the Z1 direction end of the second arm 954 urged in the Y2 direction by the coil spring 956, it can be held in a posture as shown in FIG. 43A or FIG. .

First, as shown in FIG. 43A, in the unlocked state (latch release state) in which the operation end 208b of the lever 208 is pushed down in the Y2 direction, the pressing surface 208a of the lever 208 is on the Z2 side from the swing shaft 207 of the second arm 954. The swing arm 946 is fixed in the state shown in FIG. 43A under the biasing action of the coil spring 956. As a result, even if the trigger lever 36 is largely pulled in the Z2 direction, the Y2 side end of the latch arm 944 comes into contact with the tip of the first arm 952 and is prevented from rotating as shown in FIG. 43B. At this time, the end effector 1300 which is a gripper is in a closed state. Therefore, the roller 948 is always disposed in the Z-direction linear portion in the long hole 940, and the trigger lever 36 is not latched (locked), and can be used in an unlocked state.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 44, when the operation end 208b of the lever 208 is pushed up in the Y1 direction, the Y2 side end of the latch arm 944 does not contact the tip of the first arm 952. Accordingly, when the trigger lever 36 is pulled in the Z2 direction in this state, the roller 948 reaches the Z2 side end of the Z-direction straight line portion in the elongated hole 940. At this time, when the finger is released from the trigger lever 36, the latch arm 944 receives a clockwise biasing force by the torsion spring 950, so that the trigger lever 36 rotates slightly in the clockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 948 fits into the latch groove 940a. As a result, the trigger lever 36 is held in that position, the operation is locked, and a latch state is established.

Subsequently, when releasing the latched state, as shown in FIG. 43B, the operation end 208b exposed to the outside of the lever 208 is pushed down in the Y2 direction, and the lever 208 is swung around the rocking shaft 213 as a fulcrum. . As a result, the pressing surface 208a swings the swing arm 946 against the elastic force of the coil spring 956, and the distal end of the first arm 952 pushes the proximal end of the latch arm 944. It rotates counterclockwise against the urging force, and the roller 948 is removed from the latch groove 940a, and the latched state is released.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 45A to 46, a self-latching mechanism 900d according to a fourth example includes a long hole 940 having a latch groove 940a and a latch arm 944 that is supported by a shaft 942 and has a roller 948 at the tip. And a substantially L-shaped swing arm 958 disposed along a substantially half circumference of the ring portion 202. A peripheral portion of the shaft 942 in the latch arm 944 and most of the swing arm 958 are disposed in the internal space 203.

The latch arm 944 receives a biasing force in the clockwise direction in FIG. 45A around the shaft 942 by a torsion spring 950 provided on the shaft 942.

The swing arm 958 includes a first arm 962 extending in the Y1 direction from the L-shaped bent portion and a second arm 964 extending in the Z2 direction from the bent portion, and a pin 966 is disposed outside the bent portion. A notch 968 that engages is formed. The swing arm 958 is supported by a swing shaft 960 provided in the vicinity of the center of the first arm 962, and by a torsion spring 970 provided on the swing shaft 960, the swing arm 958 is centered on the swing shaft 960 in FIG. Receives a clockwise urging force.

45A is an unlocked state (latch release state) in which the swing arm 958 is urged clockwise by the torsion spring 970 and the pin 966 is in contact with the back of the notch 968. FIG. In this state, even if the trigger lever 36 is largely pulled in the Z2 direction, the Y2 (Z2) side end of the latch arm 944 comes into contact with the tip of the first arm 962 and is prevented from rotating as shown in FIG. 45B. Therefore, the roller 948 is always disposed in the Z-direction linear portion in the long hole 940, and the trigger lever 36 is not latched (locked), and can be used in an unlocked state.

45A and 45B, in the unlocked state, the first operation end 958a outside the bent portion of the swing arm 958 slightly protrudes from the internal space 203 to the outside.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 46, when the first operating end 958a is pushed in and the swing arm 958 is rotated counterclockwise against the biasing force of the torsion spring 970, the tip of the first arm 962 moves backward in the Z1 direction. To do. In this state, when the trigger lever 36 is pulled in the Z2 direction, the roller 948 reaches the Z2 side end portion of the Z-direction linear portion in the elongated hole 940, and the latch arm 944 is rotated clockwise by the torsion spring 950. 948 fits into the latch groove 940a. As a result, as shown in FIG. 46, the operation is fixed in a state where the latch arm 944 and the swing arm 958 are in contact with each other, the trigger lever 36 is held in that position, and the operation is locked to be in a latch state. .

Note that in order to lock the trigger lever 36 in the latched state, in addition to pushing the first operating end 958a as described above, the trigger lever 36 is simply pulled more strongly in the Z2 direction from the state shown in FIG. 45B. Is also possible. That is, as can be seen from FIG. 45B, the tip of the first arm 962 of the swing arm 958 that prevents the latch arm 944 from rotating has a short distance from the swing shaft 960 that is the rotation axis of the swing arm 958, The moment is small. For this reason, if the elastic force of the torsion spring 970 for urging the swing arm 958 is set to be moderately small with respect to the torsion spring 950 for urging the latch arm 944, the trigger lever can be moved from the state shown in FIG. 45B. 46, the swing arm 958 can be forcibly rotated counterclockwise and the roller 948 of the latch arm 944 can be fitted into the latch groove 940a to be in a latched state, as shown in FIG.

Subsequently, when releasing the latched state, the second operating end 958b of the swing arm 958 protruding into the ring portion 202 in the latched state shown in FIG. 46 is pushed down in the Y2 direction, and the swing arm 958 is rotated in the clockwise direction. Let As a result, the distal end of the first arm 962 pushes the proximal end of the latch arm 944, so that the latch arm 944 rotates counterclockwise against the biasing force of the torsion spring 950, and the roller 948 comes off the latch groove 940a. The latch state is released.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 47A and 47B, the self-latching mechanism 900e according to the fifth example includes a long hole 940 having a latch groove 940a and a latch pivotally supported by a shaft 972 obliquely above the ring portion 202. The arm 974 includes a link arm 978 that is connected to the Y2 direction end of the latch arm 974 by a shaft 976 and extends partway along the Z2 side of the ring portion 202 to the finger hooking projection 204b. The peripheral portion of the shaft 942 in the latch arm 944 and the link arm 978 are disposed in the internal space 203.

The latch arm 974 is a rod that is guided by inserting a roller 948 at the front end into the long hole 940 in front of the shaft 972 (Z1 side).

The link arm 978 is provided along a substantially half circumference of the ring portion 202, and has a curved portion 980 whose tip is connected to the latch arm 974, and a linear portion 982 extending from the curved portion 980 in the Y2 direction. The tip of the straight portion 982 is pivotally supported by a shaft 984. The link arm 978 receives a biasing force counterclockwise in FIG. 47A about the shaft 984 by a torsion spring 986 provided on the shaft 984. That is, the latch arm 974 in which the link arm 978 receiving the counterclockwise biasing force from the torsion spring 986 is connected by the shaft 976 indirectly receives the clockwise biasing force in FIG. 47A from the torsion spring 986 around the shaft 972. is recieving.

First, when the trigger lever 36 is used in a latchable state, the trigger lever 36 is operated by, for example, placing the middle finger on the finger hooking protrusions 204a and 204b without putting the finger on the ring portion 202. That is, as shown in FIG. 47A, the operation surface 978a of the bending portion 980 protruding into the ring portion 202 is not subjected to a pushing operation. Therefore, when the trigger lever 36 is pulled in the Z2 direction in this state and the roller 948 reaches the Z2 side end of the Z-direction straight line portion in the long hole 940, the latch arm 974 applies a clockwise biasing force by the torsion spring 986. As a result, the roller 948 fits into the latch groove 940a as shown in FIG. 47A. As a result, the trigger lever 36 is held in that position, and its operation is locked and latched.

Subsequently, when releasing the latched state, the operation surface 978a of the link arm 978 protruding into the ring part 202 is pushed in as shown in FIG. 47A. As a result, as shown in FIG. 47B, the link arm 978 rotates clockwise against the biasing force of the torsion spring 986, and accordingly, the latch arm 974 rotates counterclockwise about the shaft 972. The roller 948 is removed from the latch groove 940a, and the latched state is released.

On the other hand, when the trigger lever 36 is used in an unlocked state where the trigger lever 36 is not latched, the trigger lever 36 is operated by placing the index finger (and, for example, the middle finger on the finger hooking projections 204a and 204b) on the ring portion 202, for example. Then, as shown in FIG. 47B, when the trigger lever 36 is pulled in the Z2 direction, the operation surface 978a protruding into the ring portion 202 is always subjected to a pushing operation, so that the latch arm 974 is always biased by the torsion spring 986. It will be counterclockwise and receive a counterclockwise rotational force. Therefore, since the roller 948 is always disposed in the Z-direction straight portion of the long hole 940 and does not fit into the latch groove 940a, the trigger lever 36 is not latched and can be used in an unlocked state.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 48A and 48B, the self-latch mechanism 900f according to the sixth example is replaced with the lower part of the engagement ring 27 provided on the operation unit 14 side in the configuration example shown in FIGS. The ends of the covers 37a and 37b on the Z2 side are slightly extended, and an engagement pin (engagement portion) 27a extending between the lower covers 37a and 37b is provided there. The engagement pin 27a may be provided at a location where the Z2 side end of the trigger lever mounting portion 32b is slightly extended.

The self-latching mechanism 900f includes a ratchet claw 990 whose Z1 side end is pivotally supported by a shaft 988 at the upper part of the ring portion 202, a link bar 991 and a crank bar 992 for swinging the ratchet claw 990, and a link And a lever 208 for swinging the bar 991. The ratchet claw 990, the link bar 991, and the crank bar 992 are arranged in the internal space 203 so as to surround three sides of the ring portion 202.

The ratchet claw 990 is supported by a shaft 988 on the Z1 side, and a claw portion 206a formed by a recess 206b and directed upward is provided on the Z2 side. The upper end of the crank bar 992 is connected by a shaft 993 to the claw portion 206a which is the Z2 side end portion of the ratchet claw 990. The lower end of the crank bar 992 is connected to the Z2 side end of the link bar 991 by a shaft 994.

In the link bar 991, the Z1 side is pivotally supported by a shaft 995, and the end on the Z1 side from the shaft 995 is urged in the Y2 direction by a coil spring 209. Coil spring 209 causes link bar 991 to receive a counterclockwise biasing force in FIG. 48A centering on shaft 995, and recess 991a formed at the end on the Z2 side contacts internal space 203 with pin 996 extending in the X direction. Further contact is restricted by contact.

Accordingly, the crank bar 992 connected to the link bar 991 by the shaft 994 is indirectly biased in the Y1 direction by the coil spring 209, and the ratchet pawl 990 connected to the crank bar 992 by the shaft 993 has a shaft The coil spring 209 receives the biasing force in the counterclockwise direction in FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 48B, in the unlocked state (latch release state) in which the operating end 208b of the lever 208 is pushed down in the Y2 direction, the pressing surface 208a of the lever 208 is in contact with the link bar 991, and the coil spring 209 Under the biasing action, the link bar 991 is fixed in the state shown in FIG. 48B. As a result, the ratchet pawl 990 is brought into a state in which the pawl portion 206a is pulled down, so that even if the trigger lever 36 is largely pulled in the Z2 direction, the pawl portion 206a is moved to the engagement pin 27a as shown in FIG. 48B. The trigger lever 36 is not latched without being engaged, and can be used in an unlocked state.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 48A, in the state where the operation end 208b of the lever 208 is pushed up in the Y1 direction, the link bar 991 receives a biasing force in the counterclockwise direction around the shaft 995 by the biasing force of the coil spring 209. The concave portion 991a is fixed in contact with the pin 996, that is, the ratchet claw 990 is in a state where the claw portion 206a is biased upward. In this state, when the trigger lever 36 is pulled in the Z2 direction, the claw portion 206a comes into contact with the engagement pin 27a, and then the engagement pin 27a is in sliding contact with the Z2 side inclined surface of the claw portion 206a. The coil spring 209 is swung downward against the urging force of the coil spring 209.

Therefore, when the engaging pin 27a gets over the claw portion 206a, the ratchet claw 990 is returned to the position where the link bar 991 contacts the pin 996 by the urging force of the coil spring 209, and at the same time, the engaging pin 27a is moved to the claw portion. It engages with 206a (concave portion 206b) (see FIG. 48A). As a result, the trigger lever 36 is held in that position, the operation is locked, and a latch state is established. To release the latched state, the operation end 208b exposed to the outside of the lever 208 may be pushed down in the Y2 direction as shown in FIG. 48B.

Next, as shown in FIG. 49, the self-latching mechanism 900g according to the seventh example is replaced with the lower cover 37a in place of the engagement ring 27 provided on the operation unit 14 side in the configuration example shown in FIGS. , 37b is provided with an engagement groove (engagement portion) 27b in an engagement arm 37c obtained by extending the Z2 side end. The self-latching mechanism 900g is provided with an engagement groove 27b instead of the engagement ring 27, and a slit 997 serving as a relief portion of the engagement arm 37c on the Z2 side of the ring portion 202 of the trigger lever 36. The configuration example shown in FIGS. 17 to 18B is substantially the same. That is, also in the self-latching mechanism 900g, depending on the position of the lever 208, an unlocked state where the ratchet pawl 206 of the trigger lever 36 does not engage with the engaging groove 27b, and a latched state where the ratchet pawl 206 engages with the engaging groove 27b. And can be used properly. The engaging arm 37c may be provided not on the lower cover 37 but on the trigger lever mounting portion 32b.

Since these self-latching mechanisms 900a to 900g are configured independently of the operation unit 14, the latched state is maintained even without the operation unit 14. Therefore, even when the trigger lever 36 is fixed in the latched state, the operation unit 14 and the working unit 16 can be easily attached and detached. Moreover, since the working unit 16 can always be maintained in the latched state regardless of the state of attachment with the operation unit 14, the end effector 1300 of the distal end working unit 12 can be always maintained in the closed state. The handleability of the working unit 16 is improved.

Next, another method of the origin search operation described above will be described. In the above, the case where the origin search is performed based on the detection of the detection piece 333 (334) by the origin detection sensor 331 (332) is illustrated as the origin search operation, but it is of course possible to perform the origin search by other methods. is there.

50A to 50D are explanatory views of another method of the origin search operation. In the initial state, the phases of the engaging convex portion 137 (large convex portion 402a) and the engaging concave portion 176a (large concave portion 404a) are from the beginning. This is a case where the origin search operation is performed from the state of coincidence, and is a modification of the operation pattern (2) shown in FIGS. 28A to 28D. Of course, a substantially similar modification can be applied to other operation patterns.

First, as shown by an arrow in FIG. 50A, the origin search operation is started by rotating the engagement convex portion 137 engaged with the engagement concave portion 176a in the normal rotation direction. At this time, for the motor 100 (102), the motor rotation speed is greater than a predetermined set speed (speed threshold), and the motor current value is smaller than the predetermined current value (current threshold).

When the origin search operation is started, the engagement convex portion 137 and the engagement concave portion 176a pass through the motor origin M0 and are further rotated in the forward rotation direction to come into contact with one stopper 179a serving as the forward rotation side operation end. The part 177a comes into contact (see FIG. 50B), the motor rotation speed becomes smaller than the speed threshold value, and the motor current value becomes larger than the current threshold value. That is, by detecting the current value and the rotation speed of the motor 100 by the controller 514, first, the operation limit in the forward rotation side region (forward region) of the engaging convex portion 137 and the engaging concave portion 176a is detected. The current phase can also be detected.

Therefore, since the mechanism is a symmetric system, it is possible to calculate the reverse side region (negative region), and the motor 100 can be returned to the origin position. However, in this example, more accurately and more reliably. Since the origin search is performed, detection in the reverse direction is also performed.

That is, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 50C, this time, the motor 100 is rotated in the reverse direction (at the time of this rotation, the motor rotation speed is larger than the speed threshold value and the motor current value is smaller than the current threshold value). The contact portion 177a comes into contact with the other stopper (operation limit) 179a serving as the reverse operation end (see FIG. 50C), the motor rotation speed becomes smaller than the speed threshold value, and the motor current value becomes larger than the current threshold value.

Therefore, the controller 514 can detect the operation limit in the reverse rotation side region (negative region) of the motor 100, and obtain the average value of the detected operation limit in the positive region and the operation limit in the negative region. The origin search is completed, and as shown in FIG. 50D, the engagement convex portion 137 and the engagement concave portion 176a are returned to the motor origin M0 and stopped, whereby the drive shaft 115 and the pulley 158a are set to a predetermined origin phase. The distal end working unit 12 also has a predetermined origin posture.

In the above, the origin search operation from the engaged state is shown, but the origin search operation from the unengaged state is also possible. For example, the origin search operation is started by rotating in the forward direction, and the engaged state can be established by rotating in the forward direction until the engagement is recognized. Once in the engaged state, the operation pattern is basically the same as that of the origin search described above. Even when the pulley 158a rotates together with the pulley 158a, when the pulley 158a is rotated in the forward direction, at least the pulley 158a is restricted in operation by the stopper 179a which is the + operation limit, and is engaged at the + operation limit. At the same time, the motor rotation speed becomes smaller than the speed threshold value, the motor current value becomes larger than the current threshold value, and the operation limit in the forward rotation side region of the engagement convex portion 137 and the engagement concave portion 176a can be detected. . Thereafter, the operation pattern is basically the same as that of the above-described origin search.

According to such an origin search operation, the origin detection sensor 331 (332), the detection piece 333 (334), and the like can be omitted, so that the configuration of the manipulator 10 can be further simplified.

Next, a specific configuration of the distal end working unit 12 applied to the manipulator 10 configured as described above will be described by exemplifying a structure that employs an end effector 1300 that is a gripper. Of course, a structure other than a gripper, such as scissors or an electric knife, can be applied as the distal end working unit 12, and it can be easily attached to and detached from the operation unit 14 by configuring as the working unit 16 including the distal end working unit 12. Can be exchanged.

As shown in FIG. 51, the distal end working unit 12 includes a first end effector driving mechanism 1320a including a rod 192a, a passive wire 1252a, an idle pulley 1140a, a guide pulley 1142a, and a passive pulley 1156a, and a second end corresponding thereto. An effector driving mechanism 1320b is provided. The first end effector drive mechanism 1320a and the second end effector drive mechanism 1320b have a basic configuration for opening and closing the end effector (gripper) 1300.

The components in the first end effector drive mechanism 1320a are identified by a and the components in the second end effector drive mechanism 1320b are identified by b. The components of the first end effector drive mechanism 1320a and the components of the second end effector drive mechanism 1320b that have the same function may be described typically only with respect to the first end effector drive mechanism 1320a so as not to become complicated. is there.

In FIG. 51 and FIG. 52, the first end effector drive mechanism 1320a and the second end effector drive mechanism 1320b are shown side by side on the paper for easy understanding, but when applied to an actual manipulator 10. As shown in FIG. 53, the pulleys are arranged in parallel in the axial direction of each pulley (ie, the Y direction), and idle pulleys (columnar members, transmission members) 1140a and 1140b and guide pulleys (columnar members, transmission members) 1142a and 1142b The rotation axes may be arranged on the same axis. That is, the idle pulleys 1140a and 1140b can be pivotally supported on the shaft 1110 (see FIG. 53), and the guide pulleys 1142a and 1142b can be pivotally supported on the shaft 1112. By making the guide pulley 1142a and the guide pulley 1142b coaxial, the yaw axis operation mechanism is simplified.

As shown in FIGS. 54 to 57, the distal end working unit 12 includes a wire passive unit 1100, a composite mechanism unit 1102, and an end effector 1300, which are centered on the first rotation axis Oy in the Y direction. A first degree of freedom in which the portion ahead rotates in the yaw direction, a second degree of freedom in rotation in the roll direction around the second rotation axis Or, and an end effector at the tip about the third rotation axis Og The mechanism has a total of three degrees of freedom having a third degree of freedom for opening and closing 1300.

The first rotation axis Oy, which is a mechanism with a first degree of freedom, may be set so as to be rotatable in a non-parallel manner with an axis extending from the proximal end side to the distal end side of the connecting shaft 18. The second rotation axis Or, which is a mechanism with a second degree of freedom, is a mechanism that can rotate around the axis in the extending direction of the distal end portion (that is, the end effector 1300) in the distal end working unit 12, and the distal end portion is set to be rotatable. Good.

The first degree of freedom mechanism (yaw direction) is, for example, a tilting mechanism (or bending mechanism) having an operating range of ± 90 ° or more. The mechanism of the second degree of freedom (roll direction) is a rotating mechanism having an operating range of ± 180 ° or more, for example. The mechanism of the third degree of freedom (end effector 1300) is an opening / closing mechanism that can be opened, for example, 40 ° or more.

The end effector 1300 is a part that performs an actual work in the operation, and the first rotation axis Oy and the second rotation axis Or constitute a posture changing mechanism for changing the posture of the end effector 1300 so that the work can be easily performed. It is a posture axis. In general, a mechanism unit related to the third degree of freedom for opening and closing the end effector 1300 is also called a gripper (or a gripper shaft), and a mechanism unit related to the first degree of freedom rotating in the yaw direction is also called a yaw axis. The mechanism part according to the second degree of freedom that rotates in the direction is also called a roll shaft.

The wire passive portion 1100 is provided between the pair of tongue pieces 1058, and is a portion that converts the reciprocating motions of the wires 1052 and 1054 into rotational motions and transmits them to the composite mechanism portion 1102. The wire passive portion 1100 includes a shaft 1110 inserted into the shaft holes 1060a and 1060a and a shaft 1112 inserted into the shaft holes 1060b and 1060b. The shafts 1110 and 1112 are fixed to the shaft holes 1060a and 1060b by, for example, press fitting or welding. The axis | shaft 1112 is arrange | positioned on the axis | shaft of the 1st rotating shaft Oy (refer FIG.54 and FIG.57).

At both ends of the shaft 1112 in the Y direction, a gear body 1126 and a pulley 1130 that are symmetrical in the Y direction are provided. The gear body 1126 includes a cylindrical body 1132 and a gear 1134 provided concentrically on the top of the cylindrical body 1132. The pulley 1130 has substantially the same diameter and the same shape as the cylindrical body 1132. The gear 1134 meshes with a face gear 1165 of a gear body 1146 described later.

A part of the wires 1052 and 1054 is fixed and wound around the cylindrical body 1132 and the pulley 1130 by a predetermined fixing means. The angle at which the wires 1052 and 1054 are wound is, for example, 1.5 rotations (540 °). The pulley 1130 is integrally provided on the base end side of the main shaft member 1144. The main shaft member 1144 is supported by the shaft 1112 so as to be rotatable (tilted) about the first rotation axis Oy (yaw axis). Has been.

By rotating the wire 1054, the main shaft member 1144 provided integrally with the pulley 1130 rotates about the first rotation axis Oy, and the yaw operation is performed. By rotating the wire 1052 (see FIG. 54), the gear body 1126 rotates with respect to the shaft 1112, the gear body 1146 rotates with reference to the second rotation axis Or, and a roll rotation operation is performed. When the gear body 1126 and the pulley 1130 are rotated, a combined operation of the yaw direction operation and the roll rotation operation is performed. As described above, the mechanism of the distal end working unit 12 is not limited to the type in which the wire 1052 drives the face gear 1165 via the gear 1134 while the wire 1054 directly drives the main shaft member 1144 to rotate. A differential mechanism corresponding to the configuration shown in FIG. 25 in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-253463 may be used.

An idle pulley (cylindrical member, transmission member) 1140a is rotatably supported at a substantially central portion of the shaft 1110, and a guide pulley (cylindrical member, transmission member) 1142a is rotatable at a substantially central portion of the shaft 1112. It is pivotally supported. The idle pulley 1140a is provided to keep the winding angle of the passive wire (flexible member, transmission member) 1252a wound around the guide pulley 1142a constant at all times (approximately 180 ° on both sides). Instead of the idle pulley 1140a, the guide pulley 1142a may have one or more turns of the passive wire 1252a. The idle pulley 1140a and the guide pulley 1142a may be made of a material having a smooth surface or less friction in order to reduce slipping on the passive wire 1252a (see FIG. 59) and wear due to friction. The guide pulley 1142a is provided on the yaw axis Oy in the posture changing mechanism.

A main shaft member 1144 having a pulley 1130 is rotatably supported between the gear body 1126 and the guide pulley 1142a in the shaft 1112. The main shaft member 1144 has a cylindrical portion that protrudes toward the composite mechanism portion 1102. A square hole 1144 a is provided in the axial center portion of the main shaft member 1144. At the end in the Z2 direction of the main shaft member 1144, two auxiliary plates 1144b that hold the upper surface in the Y direction of the guide pulley 1142a and the lower surface in the Y direction of the guide pulley 1142b and have a hole through which the shaft 1112 passes are provided. . The auxiliary plate 1144b has a mountain shape that becomes wider in the Z1 direction and prevents intrusion of foreign matter such as yarn.

The composite mechanism unit 1102 is a composite mechanism unit including an opening / closing operation mechanism of the end effector 1300 and a posture changing mechanism that changes the posture of the end effector 1300.

The compound mechanism portion 1102 includes a gear body 1146 that is rotatably inserted into the circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion of the main shaft member 1144, a nut body 1148 provided at the tip of the main shaft member 1144, and an end portion in the Z2 direction in the hole 1144a. A square-shaped transmission member 1152 to be inserted, a passive pulley (cylindrical member, transmission member) 1156a rotatably supported by a pin 1154 with respect to the Z2 direction end of the transmission member 1152, and a passive plate (transmission member) ) 1158 and a cylindrical cover 1160.

A resin-made thrust bearing member 1144c is provided at a portion of the main shaft member 1144 that comes into contact with the gear body 1146. A thrust bearing member 1148a made of resin is provided on a portion of the nut body 1148 that contacts the gear body 1146. The thrust bearing members 1144c and 1148a are low-friction materials, and reduce the friction and torque of the contact portion and prevent the load from being directly applied to the face gear 1165. The thrust bearing members 1144c and 1148a are so-called sliding bearings, but may be provided with rolling bearings. Thereby, even when the end effector 1300 is strongly closed or opened, that is, even when the gear body 1146 strongly contacts the main shaft member 1144, the roll shaft operation can be performed smoothly.

The gear body 1146 has a stepped cylindrical shape, and includes a large diameter portion 1162 in the Z2 direction, a small diameter portion 1164 in the Z1 direction, and a face gear 1165 provided on the end surface of the large diameter portion 1162 in the Z2 direction. Face gear 1165 meshes with gear 1134. The gear body 1146 prevents the nut body 1148 from coming off from the main shaft member 1144. A screw is provided on the outer periphery of the large diameter portion 1162.

The passive plate 1158 has a concave portion 1166 in the Z2 direction, an engaging portion 1168 provided on the bottom surface of the concave portion 1166, axial ribs 1170 provided on both sides in the Y direction, and link holes 1172, respectively. The engaging portion 1168 has a shape that engages with a mushroom-like protrusion 1174 provided at the tip of the transmission member 1152. By this engagement, the passive plate 1158 and the transmission member 1152 can rotate relative to each other. The width of the passive plate 1158 is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the cover 1160.

The cover 1160 is sized to cover substantially the entire composite mechanism section 1102 and prevents foreign matter (biological tissue, medicine, thread, etc.) from entering the composite mechanism section 1102 and the end effector 1300. Two axial grooves 1175 in which the two ribs 1170 of the passive plate 1158 are fitted are provided on the inner surface of the cover 1160 so as to face each other. The passive plate 1158 is guided in the axial direction by fitting the rib 1170 into the groove 1175. Since the protrusion 1174 engages with the engaging portion 1168 of the passive plate 1158, the passive pulley 1156 a can advance and retreat in the axial direction together with the passive plate 1158 and the transmission member 1152 in the hole 1144 a, and the transmission member 1152 can be used as a reference. As a result, roll rotation is possible. The cover 1160 is fixed to the large diameter portion 1162 of the gear body 1146 by means such as screwing or press fitting.

The cover 1160 is coupled to the gear body 1146 on the base side (screwing, press-fitting, welding, etc.), and the cover 1160 and the end effector 1300 perform a roll axis operation as the gear body 1146 rotates.

The lever portion 1310 and the passive plate 1158 are connected by a gripper link 1220. That is, the pin 1222 is inserted into the hole 1220 a at one end of each gripper link 1220 together with the hole 1218, and the pin 1224 is inserted into the hole 1220 b at the other end together with the link hole 1172 of the passive plate 1158.

As shown in FIG. 58, the idle pulley 1140a has two coaxially arranged first-layer idle pulley (first-layer idle cylinder) 1232 and second-layer idle pulley (second-layer idle cylinder) 1234 in parallel. The guide pulley 1142a is composed of a coaxial first layer guide pulley (first layer guide column) 1236 and a second layer guide pulley (second layer guide column) 1238 arranged in parallel. It is configured.

As shown in FIG. 59, the end portion in the Z1 direction of the rod 192a is connected to both ends of a passive wire (flexible member) 1252a by a wire engaging portion 1250a.

As shown in FIGS. 60 and 61, in the wire engaging portion 1250a, a roller 1416 is provided at a tip portion 1414 of a rod 192a, and a passive wire 1252a is wound around the roller 1416. The roller 1416 is supported by a pin 1418 and is rotatable. As a result, the passive wire 1252a is appropriately advanced and retracted while being wound around the roller 1416, and when the rod 192a is pulled in the Z2 direction, the passive wire 1252a is pulled with a good balance in the X direction even when the yaw axis is not bent. be able to. The tip portion 1414 is screwed to the rod 192a. In this embodiment, the pair of tensions in the Y direction of the passive wire 1252a are uniform, and it is possible to extend the life of the passive wire 1252a, and it is possible to achieve a parallel pair of both the upper and lower Y directions.

58 and 59, the passive wire 1252a is an annular flexible member partially connected to the wire engaging portion 1250a. In addition to the wire, a rope, a resin wire, a piano wire, a chain, or the like is used. be able to. Here, the term “annular” is used in a broad sense, and the flexible member does not necessarily have to be applied over the entire length. The flexible member may be at least a portion that is wound around each pulley, and the straight portion is connected by a rigid body. Of course, it may be done.

The passive wire 1252a passes from the rod 192a of the driving member through the X1 direction (first side) of the idle pulley 1140a, toward the X2 direction (second side), and through the surface of the guide pulley 1142a in the X2 direction. It reaches the X2 direction surface of the passive pulley 1156a. The passive wire 1252a is further wound halfway around the Z1 direction surface of the passive pulley 1156a to reach the X1 direction surface, passes through the X1 direction surface of the guide pulley 1142a, passes through the X2 direction, and passes through the X2 direction of the idle pulley 1140a. It is arrange | positioned by the path | route which reaches the engaging part 1250a.

That is, the passive wire 1252a constitutes a circuit that has the wire engaging portion 1250a as a base point and an end point, passes through both sides of the idle pulley 1140a, is wound around the passive pulley 1156a, and the idle pulley 1140a and the guide pulley 1142a It intersects between the two to form an approximately 8-character shape. Thus, the wire engaging portion 1250a and the passive wire 1252a are mechanically connected to the trigger lever 36 via the rod 192a.

The idle pulley 1140a, the guide pulley 1142a, and the passive pulley 1156a have substantially the same diameter, and have an appropriately large diameter within a possible range in the layout so that the passive wire 1252a is not bent so much. The wire engaging portion 1250a is provided at a position moderately separated from the idle pulley 1140a so that the passive wire 1252a does not bend excessively, and both ends of the passive wire 1252a have an acute angle with the wire engaging portion 1250a as the top. Is forming. The gap between the idle pulley 1140a and the guide pulley 1142a is narrow, and for example, a gap substantially equal to the width of the passive wire 1252a is formed.

The idle pulley 1140a, the guide pulley 1142a, and the passive pulley 1156a may be provided with small flanges on the upper surface and the lower surface to prevent the passive wire 1252a from coming off, or the side surfaces may be concave.

As is clear from FIG. 59, in the first end effector driving mechanism 1320a, the passive wire 1252a, the idle pulley 1140a, the guide pulley 1142a, and the passive pulley 1156a are arranged along the center line from the proximal end side to the distal end side. ing. The end effector 1300 is coupled to the passive pulley 1156a via the transmission member 1152 and the like.

In the first end effector drive mechanism 1320a configured in this way, when the rod 192a (see FIG. 59) is pulled in the Z2 direction, the first layer idle pulley 1232 and the second layer guide pulley 1238 are counterclockwise in plan view. The second layer idle pulley 1234 and the first layer guide pulley 1236 rotate clockwise. As described above, the idle pulley 1140a and the guide pulley 1142a are configured such that two pulleys are coaxially arranged in parallel, and thus can rotate in the reverse direction according to the movement of the passive wire 1252a that comes into contact, and the operation is smooth. is there.

54 to 57, the end effector 1300 is a so-called double-open type in which a pair of grippers 1302 operate. The end effector 1300 includes a gripper base 1304 that is integrally formed with the cover 1160, a pair of end effector members 1308 that operate based on pins 1196 provided on the gripper base 1304, and a pair of gripper links 1220. .

Each end effector member 1308 is L-shaped and has a gripper 1302 extending in the Z1 direction and a lever portion 1310 extending at approximately 35 ° with respect to the gripper 1302. A hole 1216 is provided in the L-shaped bent portion, and a hole 1218 is provided in the vicinity of the end of the lever portion 1310. By inserting the pin 1196 into the hole 1216, the pair of end effector members 1308 can swing around the third rotation axis Og.

Each end effector member 1308 is connected to the pin 1224 of the passive plate 1158 by one side gripper link 1220. In the passive plate 1158 of the end effector 1300, two link holes 1172 are provided at symmetrical positions in the Y direction in FIG. 55, and the pair of gripper links 1220 are arranged so as to intersect in a side view.

As shown in FIGS. 53 to 57, the second end effector driving mechanism 1320b basically has a folding pulley (cylindrical member, transmission member) 1350 with respect to the first end effector driving mechanism 1320a (see FIG. 59). Is added. The passive pulley 1156a and the passive pulley 1156b have a coaxial configuration.

The main shaft member 1144 is provided with a radial shaft hole 1354 into which the pin 1352 is inserted and fixed. The shaft hole 1354 passes through the cylindrical portion of the main shaft member 1144 via the hole 1144a.

The transmission member 1152 is provided with a long hole 1356 extending in the axial direction with a width through which the pin 1352 can be inserted. The transmission member 1152 is provided at a position slightly offset in the Y1 direction from the axis of the working unit 16, but only the protrusion 1174 at the tip may be arranged at the axis (see FIG. 59). Of course, the transmission member 1152 may be arranged at the center.

The pin 1154 passes through the transmission member 1152 and protrudes in the Y2 direction to pivotally support the passive pulley 1156b. The passive pulley 1156b has a width that allows the passive wire 1252b to be wound twice. The hole 1144a of the main shaft member 1144 has a height into which the passive pulleys 1156a and 1156b and the transmission member 1152 can be inserted (see FIGS. 54 and 57). Passive pulleys 1156a and 1156b are axially supported by pins 1154 in the hole 1144a and are independently rotatable.

As shown in FIGS. 53 and 54, the pin 1352 is inserted into the center hole of the long hole 1356 and the folding pulley 1350 from the Y1 direction toward the Y2 direction in the hole 1144a, and the transmission member 1152 and the passive pulley 1156a and 1156b can advance and retract in the axial direction. The folding pulley 1350 is pivotally supported by a pin 1352 and is rotatable, and its position is fixed. The folding pulley 1350 has a width that allows the passive wire 1252b to be wound twice. In addition, by forming the folding pulley 1350 into two layers, the folding pulley 1350 can be rotated in the opposite direction during the opening / closing operation, and friction between the passive wire 1252b and the pulley can be reduced.

As shown in FIGS. 62, 63 and 64, in the second end effector drive mechanism 1320b, a folding pulley 1350 is provided on the tip side of the passive pulley 1156b, and the passive wire 1252b includes the passive pulley 1156b and the folding pulley 1350. It is wrapped around. That is, the passive wire 1252b passes through the X1 direction of the idle pulley 1140b, the X2 direction, and the X2 direction of the guide pulley 1142b from the wire engaging portion 1250b (see FIGS. 51 to 53) of the rod 192b of the driving member. It reaches the X2 direction surface of the passive pulley 1156b. The passive wire 1252b extends in the Z1 direction as it is, reaches the surface in the X2 direction of the folding pulley 1350, is wound around the Z1 direction surface of the folding pulley 1350, and is folded in the Z2 direction.

The passive wire 1252b is wound around the Z2 direction surface of the passive pulley 1156b by half rotation, passes through the X2 side, reaches the folding pulley 1350 again, and is again wound around the Z1 direction surface of the folding pulley 1350 by half rotation and is folded back in the Z2 direction. . Thereafter, the passive wire 1252b extends from the X1 direction of the guide pulley 1142b to the X2 direction of the idle pulley 1140b and is connected to the wire engaging portion 1250b of the rod 192b. The wire engaging portion 1250a and the passive wire 1252b are mechanically connected to the trigger lever 36 via the rod 192b.

53. In order to facilitate understanding of the structure of the distal end working unit 12, a schematic diagram is shown in FIG.

In the distal end working unit 12 configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 51, when the trigger lever 36 is sufficiently pulled by hand, the rod 192a pulls the passive wire 1252a and moves the passive pulley 1156a and the transmission member 1152 in the Z2 direction. The end effector 1300 can be closed from the movement. That is, the end effector 1300 is closed by pulling transmission members such as the rod 192a, the passive wire 1252a, and the passive pulley 1156a.

In this case, with respect to the second end effector driving mechanism 1320b, the rod 192b is disposed so as to be pushed out, and therefore does not hinder the operation of the transmission member 1152.

Further, as shown in FIG. 52, when the trigger lever 36 is sufficiently pushed out by hand, the transmission member 1152 and the passive pulley 1156a can move in the Z1 direction toward the tip side to open the end effector 1300.

The end effector 1300 is mechanically directly transmitted by the second end effector drive mechanism 1320b to push the trigger lever 36 manually, so that the end effector 1300 can be opened with an arbitrary strong force instead of a predetermined force such as an elastic body. it can. Therefore, it can be suitably used for a procedure in which the biological tissue is peeled off using the outer side surface of the end effector 1300 or the hole is expanded.

Further, when the object comes into contact with the outer surface of the end effector 1300, the passive wire 1252b, the rod 192b, and the trigger lever 36 do not move further in the Z1 direction, and the operator can move the outer surface of the end effector 1300 to the object. The contact and the hardness of the object can be perceived with the fingertip.

The tip motion unit 12 is capable of yaw axis operation and roll axis operation. Although not shown in the drawings, the tip operating unit 12 is centered on the shaft 1112 (see FIG. 53) of the guide pulley 1142a and the guide pulley 1142b when the yaw axis operation is performed, and the composite mechanism unit 1102 and the end at the tip of the guide pulley 1142a and end are centered. The effector 1300 swings in the yaw direction. Since the distal end working unit 12 is a non-interference mechanism, the opening degree of the end effector 1300 does not change even if the yaw axis operation is performed. Conversely, even if the opening degree of the end effector 1300 is changed, the yaw axis does not change. It will not work. The same applies to the relationship between the end effector 1300 and the roll shaft.

Next, a distal end working portion 12a as a modification of the distal end working portion 12 is shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 65, the distal end working unit 12a is common to the distal end working unit 12 (see FIG. 52) in that it has a first end effector drive mechanism 1320a. The drive mechanism 1320b is omitted. Regarding the distal end working unit 12a, the same components as those of the distal end working unit 12 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

The tip operating portion 12a is provided with a single-open type end effector 1300a instead of the double-open type end effector 1300. The end effector 1300a includes a fixed gripper 1202, a gripper 1212 that opens and closes around a pin 1196, and a spring 1305 that elastically biases the transmission member 1152 in the Z1 direction. The gripper 1212 is driven to open and close via the gripper link 1220 as the transmission member 1152 advances and retreats. That is, when the trigger lever 36 is pulled in the Z2 direction, the transmission member 1152 is also displaced in the Z2 direction by the first end effector driving mechanism 1320a, and the gripper 1212 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. To do. On the other hand, when the trigger lever 36 is opened, the transmission member 1152 is displaced in the Z1 direction by the bias of the spring 1305, and the end effector 1300 returns to the open state. The trigger lever 36 returns in the Z1 direction.

The present invention may be applied to a surgical robot system 700 as shown in FIG. 66, for example.

The surgical robot system 700 includes an articulated robot arm 702 and a console 704, and the same mechanism as the manipulator 10 is provided at the tip of the robot arm 702. Instead of the operation unit 14, a base 14 a that houses the drive unit 30 is fixed to the distal end 708 of the robot arm 702, and the working unit 16 is detachably attached to the base 14 a. The robot arm 702 may be any means that moves the working unit 16, and is not limited to a stationary type, but may be an autonomous moving type, for example. The console 704 may take a configuration such as a table type or a control panel type.

If the robot arm 702 has six or more independent joints (such as a rotation axis and a slide axis), the position and orientation of the working unit 16 can be arbitrarily set. A base portion 14 a constituting the manipulator 10 at the distal end is integrated with the distal end portion 708 of the robot arm 702. The manipulator 10 has an electric operation mechanism by a motor (actuator interlocked with an input unit operated manually) instead of the mechanical operation mechanism by the trigger lever 36, and the motor has two rods. 192a and 192b are driven.

The robot arm 702 may operate under the action of the console 704, and may be configured to perform automatic operation according to a program, operation following a joystick 706 provided on the console 704, and a combination of these operations. The console 704 includes the functions of the controller. The working unit 16 is provided with the distal end working unit 12.

The console 704 is provided with two joysticks 706 as operation command units and a monitor 710. Although not shown, two robot arms 702 can be individually operated by two joysticks 706. The two joysticks 706 are provided at positions that can be easily operated with both hands. On the monitor 710, information such as an image by a flexible endoscope is displayed.

The joystick 706 can move up and down, move left and right, twist, and tilt, and can move the robot arm 702 according to these operations. The joystick 706 may be a master arm. The communication means between the robot arm 702 and the console 704 may be wired, wireless, network, or a combination thereof.

The joystick 706 is provided with a trigger lever 36, and the motor can be driven by operating the trigger lever 36.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various configurations and processes can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. A base (14) having a handle (26) gripped by a hand;
   A working part (16) removable from the base part (14);
   With
   The working unit (16) is provided with a working unit side input unit that is manually operated, a tip operating unit (12) that operates by operating the working unit side input unit, and the tip operating unit (12) at the tip. A shaft (18), and an operation transmission unit that mechanically transmits an input operation to the working unit side input unit to the tip operation unit (12) through the shaft (18). A medical manipulator featuring the features.
2. The medical manipulator according to claim 1, wherein
   The working part side input part is a trigger lever (36),
   The operation transmission unit includes a rod-like or linear transmission member (192a, 192b) that moves forward and backward in the axial direction of the shaft (18) when the trigger lever (36) is rotated. Medical manipulator.
3. The medical manipulator according to claim 2,
   A medical manipulator having a latch mechanism (206a, 27, 900a to 900g) capable of fixing the position of the trigger lever (36).
4. The medical manipulator according to claim 3, wherein
   The said latch mechanism (206a, 27) has a nail | claw part (206a) and the engaging part (27) which this nail | claw part (206a) can engage with, The medical manipulator characterized by the above-mentioned.
5. The medical manipulator according to claim 4, wherein
   A medical manipulator comprising a release portion (206c, 208) for releasing the engagement state between the claw portion (206a) and the engagement portion (27) in the latch mechanism (206a, 27).
6. The medical manipulator according to claim 4 or 5,
   The claw portion (206a) or the engagement portion (27) is provided on the trigger lever (36) and is supported elastically and swingably, and the trigger lever (36) A stopper member (211) is provided for restricting the rocking in the engaging direction of the claw portion (206a) or the engaging portion (27) supported in an elastically swingable manner at a predetermined position. A medical manipulator featuring the features.
7. The medical manipulator according to any one of claims 3 to 6,
   The medical manipulator characterized in that the latch mechanism (206a, 27, 900a to 900g) is provided in the working part (16).
8. The medical manipulator according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
   One of the claw portion (206a) and the engaging portion (27) is provided on the trigger lever (36), and the other is provided on the handle (26).
9. The medical manipulator according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
   The base (14) has a drive shaft (115, 116) rotated by the actuator (100, 102) and a base side input unit (24) for driving the actuator (100, 102).
   The working unit (16) is driven and rotated by the drive shafts (115, 116) to give the tip working unit (12) a motion different from the input operation by the working unit side input unit (36). (158a, 158b) and a flexible manipulator (1052, 1054) for transmitting the rotation of the driven shaft (158a, 158b) to the distal end working unit (12).
10. The medical manipulator according to claim 9, wherein
    The drive shafts (115, 116) and the driven shafts (158a, 158b) are provided with engaging convex portions (137, 138) at one end, and the engaging convex portions (137, 138) at the other end. Engaging recesses (176a, 176b) are provided,
    The engaging convex portions (137, 138) and the engaging concave portions (176a, 176b) are engaged with each other with the base portion (14) and the working portion (16) mounted, and the drive shaft ( 115, 116) can transmit the rotation of the driven shafts (158a, 158b) to the driven manipulator.

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