Rotary drive device and a robot arm of a robot equipped therewith

A rotary drive device comprising a fluid-actuated rotary drive, which has a drive housing and a drive unit rotatable relative thereto about a main axis of the rotary drive by a controlled fluid application to at least one pivot piston arranged in the drive housing, whereby a drive shaft of the drive unit connected to the pivot piston projects from the drive housing at an axial front side of the drive housing with a drive section enabling a force output, and with a control valve arrangement comprising at least one electrically actuatable control valve, which is fluidically connected via a control fluid channel system to two drive chambers of the rotary drive separated from one another by the pivot piston in the drive housing, and which is designed to control the fluid pressurization of the two drive chambers for rotation and rotative positioning of the drive unit relative to the drive housing, wherein a pressure detecting device is arranged on the fluid-actuated rotary drive, by which the fluid pressure prevailing in the drive chambers can be detected via pressure detecting channels opening into the two drive chambers and designed separately with respect to the control fluid channel system, for enabling a pressure-regulated operating mode of the fluid-operated rotary drive, and

• wherein the rotary drive further comprises a pneumatic connection unit attached to the drive housing, which has, in an externally accessible manner, an aeration connection connectable or connected with an external pressure source and a deaeration connection connectable or connected to an external pressure sink, wherein the control valve arrangement is connected with both the aeration connection and with the deaeration connection, and
• wherein the pneumatic connection unit is equipped with a further pressure detecting device, by which the fluid pressure pending at the aeration connection and/or at the deaeration connection can be detected.

A robot arm of a robot, comprising at least two arm members connected to one another by a rotary drive device which comprises a fluid-actuated rotary drive, which has a drive housing and a drive unit rotatable relative thereto about a main axis of the rotary drive by a controlled fluid application of at least one pivot piston arranged in the drive housing, whereby a drive shaft of the drive unit connected to the pivot piston projects from the drive housing at an axial front side of the drive housing with a drive section enabling a force output, and with a control valve arrangement comprising at least one electrically actuatable control valve, which is fluidically connected via a control fluid channel system to two drive chambers of the rotary drive separated from one another by the pivot piston in the drive housing, and which is designed to control the fluid pressurization of the two drive chambers for rotation and rotative positioning of the drive unit relative to the drive housing, wherein a pressure detecting device is arranged on the fluid-actuated rotary drive, by which the fluid pressure prevailing in the drive chambers can be detected via pressure detecting channels opening into the two drive chambers and designed separately with respect to the control fluid channel system, for enabling a pressure-regulated operating mode of the fluid-operated rotary drive, wherein the drive section of the drive shaft and the drive housing of the fluid-operated rotary drive each have a mounting interface to which one of the arm members of the robot arm is attached, and

• wherein the rotary drive further comprises a pneumatic connection unit attached to the drive housing, which has, in an externally accessible manner, an aeration connection connectable or connected with an external pressure source and a deaeration connection connectable or connected to an external pressure sink, wherein the control valve arrangement is connected with both the aeration connection and with the deaeration connection, and
• wherein the pneumatic connection unit is equipped with a further pressure detecting device, by which the fluid pressure pending at the aeration connection and/or at the deaeration connection can be detected.

A rotary drive device comprising a fluid-actuated rotary drive, which has a drive housing and a drive unit rotatable relative thereto about a main axis of the rotary drive by a controlled fluid application to at least one pivot piston arranged in the drive housing, whereby a drive shaft of the drive unit connected to the pivot piston projects from the drive housing at an axial front side of the drive housing with a drive section enabling a force output, and with a control valve arrangement comprising at least one electrically actuatable control valve, which is fluidically connected via a control fluid channel system to two drive chambers of the rotary drive separated from one another by the pivot piston in the drive housing, and which is designed to control the fluid pressurization of the two drive chambers for rotation and rotative positioning of the drive unit relative to the drive housing, wherein a pressure detecting device is arranged on the fluid-actuated rotary drive, by which the fluid pressure prevailing in the drive chambers can be detected via pressure detecting channels opening into the two drive chambers and designed separately with respect to the control fluid channel system, for enabling a pressure-regulated operating mode of the fluid-operated rotary drive, and

• wherein each of the two pressure detecting channels have an inner channel entrance, each inner channel entrance opening into a respective one of the drive chambers in such a way that the inner channel entrances lie outside of a pivoting range, which can be traversed by a wing section of the pivot piston during the pivoting movement of the pivot piston causing the rotation of the drive unit, and
• wherein the pivot piston is arranged in a circular contoured housing interior of the drive housing and together with a partition wall element arranged in the housing interior subdivides the housing interior in a fluid-tight manner into the two drive chambers, wherein the partition wall element acts as a stop element by interacting with the wing section of the pivot piston to specify a maximum pivot angle of the pivot piston, and
• wherein the inner channel entrances of the pressure detecting channels are located adjacent to the partition wall element in regions of the drive chambers which are outside of the pivoting range of the wing section defined by the maximum pivot angle of the pivot piston, and
• wherein the inner channel entrances of the pressure detecting channels open into a respective pressure pickup section defined between the abutment section and an inner peripheral wall of the drive housing.