# US 10,369,692 B2 · Robot apparatus and parallel robot

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- Number: US 10,369,692 B2
- Document ID: US10369692B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/757,369
- Filed: 2016-10-11
- Published: 2018-08-23
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-13
- Assignees: Mitsuba Corporation
- Applicants: MITSUBA Corporation
- Inventors: Hitoshi Nakanishi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369692B2

## CPC

- B25J 9/102: {Gears specially adapted therefor, e.g. reduction gears (gearings in general F16H)}
- B25J 9/0051: {with kinematics chains of the type rotary-universal-universal or rotary-spherical-spherical, e.g. Delta type manipulators}
- B25J 9/0063: {with kinematics chains having an universal joint at the base}
- B25J 9/1065: {with parallelograms}
- B25J 9/126: {Rotary actuators}
- B25J 9/1623: {Parallel manipulator, Stewart platform, links are attached to a common base and to a common platform, plate which is moved parallel to the base}
- F16C 35/06: Mounting {or dismounting} of ball or roller bearings; Fixing them onto shaft or in housing
- F16D 3/385: {Bearing cup; Bearing construction; Bearing seal; Mounting of bearing on the intermediate member}
- F16D 3/41: with ball or roller bearings
- B25J 9/0009: {Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases}
- F16C 19/54: Systems consisting of a plurality of bearings with rolling friction (spindle bearings F16C35/08)
- Y10S 901/25: Gearing
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- F16D: COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; CLUTCHES; BRAKES
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A robot apparatus includes: a base plate; a rotation-driving motor provided on the base plate; a transmission mechanism that is provided on a bottom surface side of the base plate and to which a rotational force of the rotation-driving motor is transmitted; and a rotation-driving mechanism that is provided on the bottom surface side of the base plate and to which the rotational force of the rotation-driving motor is input via the transmission mechanism. A workpiece is rotated by the rotation-driving mechanism at an end of the rotation-driving mechanism opposite to the base plate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A robot apparatus comprising:
a base portion;
a motor portion that is disposed on the base portion;
a transmission mechanism that is disposed on one surface of the base portion and to which a rotational force of the motor portion is transmitted; and
a rotation-driving mechanism that is disposed on the one surface of the base portion and to which the rotational force of the motor portion is input via the transmission mechanism,
wherein a workpiece is rotated by the rotation-driving mechanism at an end of the rotation-driving mechanism opposite to the base portion, and
wherein a universal joint portion that connects the rotation-driving mechanism to a connecting target object is provided at at least one end of both ends of the rotation-driving mechanism,
wherein the universal joint portion comprises:
a pair of connecting portions of which one is attached to an end of the rotation-driving mechanism and of which the other is attached to the connecting target object;
an intermediate portion that is disposed between the pair of connecting portions;
a position regulating pin that connects the pair of connecting portions to the intermediate portion;
a rolling bearing that is disposed in the connecting portion and rotatably supports the position regulating pin; and
a spacer that is disposed around the position regulating pin, is disposed between the rolling bearing and the intermediate portion, and comes in contact with an inner ring of the rolling bearing,
wherein each of the pair of connecting portions comprises:
a base that extends in a direction intersecting an extending direction of the rotation-driving mechanism; and
a pair of extensions that extends in a direction in which the extensions face each other from both ends of the base,
wherein the bases are separately attached to the rotation-driving mechanism and the connecting target object,
wherein the position regulating pin comprises:
a pin body that is inserted into the rolling bearing;
a flange portion that is disposed at one end of the pin body and comes in contact with the inner ring of the rolling bearing; and
an externally threaded portion that is disposed at the other end of the pin body, and
wherein an internally threaded portion is disposed in the intermediate portion, the externally threaded portion of the position regulating pin is fastened into the internally threaded portion of the intermediate portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motor portion is disposed on the other surface of the base portion,
wherein a through-hole through which a rotary shaft of the motor portion is inserted is formed in the base portion, and
wherein the rotary shaft and the transmission mechanism are connected via the through-hole.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The robot apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transmission mechanism comprises:
a sub gear that is disposed on the rotary shaft of the motor portion; and
a reduction portion that comprises at least one gear to which rotation of the sub gear is transmitted and which reduces the rotation of the sub gear and outputs the reduced rotation, and
wherein the reduction portion and the motor portion are arranged such that a part of the reduction portion and a part of the motor portion overlap each other a thickness direction of the base portion.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The robot apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is a member that is separate from the position regulating pin, the connecting portion, and the intermediate portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A parallel robot comprising:
the robot apparatus according to claim 1;
three link mechanisms that are disposed on the other one surface of the base portion; and
a movable portion that is disposed at tips of the three link mechanisms and are rotatably connected to the three tips,
wherein the rotation-driving mechanism is disposed to be suspended between the base portion and the movable portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The parallel robot according to claim 5, further comprising three driving portions that are disposed on the one surface of the base portion and are separately connected to base ends of the three link mechanisms.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

A parallel robot comprising:
the robot apparatus according to claim 2;
three link mechanisms that are disposed on the one surface of the base portion; and
a movable portion that is disposed at tips of the three link mechanisms and are rotatably connected to the three tips,
wherein the rotation-driving mechanism is disposed to be suspended between the base portion and the movable portion.