# US 11,027,421 B2 · Robot and robot system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,421 B2 - Document ID: US11027421B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/053,962 - Filed: 2018-08-03 - Published: 2019-02-21 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-18 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki - Inventors: Naoyuki Ohtsubo; Tsuyoshi Ito; Yuji Ishimaru - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027421B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/102: {Gears specially adapted therefor, e.g. reduction gears (gearings in general F16H)} - B25J 19/0062: {Lubrication means} - F16H 57/027: characterised by means for venting gearboxes, e.g. air breathers - F16H 57/029: characterised by means for sealing the gearboxes, e.g. to improve airtightness - F16H 57/0454: {Sealings between different partitions of a gearing or to a reservoir (means for sealing gearboxes F16H57/029)} - B25J 9/0018: {Bases fixed on ceiling, i.e. upside down manipulators} - F16H 2057/02073: {Reduction gearboxes for industry} - F16H 2057/02095: {Measures for reducing number of parts or components} - 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}) - F16H: GEARING ## Abstract A robot is provided which has: a housing including a plurality of joints; a reduction gear placed in the joint, the reduction gear including a lubrication chamber where a gear mechanism for slowing down and transmitting an output of a motor and lubricant is sealed; and an air chamber placed inside the housing, the air chamber communicating with the lubrication chamber. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot, comprising: a base; a reduction gear connected to the base and comprising a lubrication chamber and a gear mechanism positioned in the lubrication chamber; an air chamber positioned inside the base and communicating with the lubrication chamber sealed to hold lubricant; and an arm connected to the reduction gear and configured to turn around a rotation axis of the reduction gear with respect to the base such that the reduction gear is positioned in a joint between the arm and the base; and a motor connected to the gear mechanism of the reduction gear and configured to generate driving force for turning the arm around the rotation axis of the reduction gear with respect to the base, wherein the gear mechanism in the reduction gear is configured to slow down and transmit an output of the motor such that the arm turns around the rotation axis of the reduction gear with respect to the base, and an outer frame of the base and the reduction gear includes a base casing, a flange member and a reduction gear casing such that the flange member is attached to the reduction gear casing on one side and to the base casing on the other side and that the air chamber is positioned in the base casing and outside the reduction gear casing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, further comprising: a feed cable extending through a hollow portion of the reduction gear and into the base such that the feed cable extends in a first direction perpendicularly to the rotation axis of the reduction gear, wherein the air chamber is positioned in a second direction different from the first direction with respect to the rotation axis of the reduction gear. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, wherein the flange member is fixed along a direction of the rotation axis of the reduction gear and to the reduction gear casing on one side and to the base casing on the other side, the flange member has a radial dimension with the rotation axis of the reduction gear as the center such that the radial dimension of the flange member is larger than a radial dimension of the reduction gear, and the air chamber is positioned on a surface of the flange member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The robot according to claim 3, wherein the base and the reduction gear are formed such that the air chamber is integrally formed with the flange member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The robot according to claim 3, wherein the base and the reduction gear are formed such that the air chamber is integrally formed with the flange member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The robot according to claim 3, further comprising: a feed cable extending through a hollow portion of the reduction gear and into the base such that the feed cable extends in a first direction perpendicularly to the rotation axis of the reduction gear, wherein the air chamber is positioned in a second direction different from the first direction with respect to the rotation axis of the reduction gear. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The robot according to claim 3, wherein the lubrication chamber has an inlet and an outlet formed for the lubricant such that an air layer is formed in an upper part of an internal space of the lubrication chamber when the robot is mounted on one of a floor surface and a wall surface and above the lubrication chamber when the robot is mounted on a ceiling surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, wherein the lubrication chamber has an inlet and an outlet formed for the lubricant such that an air layer is formed in an upper part of an internal space of the lubrication chamber when the robot is mounted on one of a floor surface and a wall surface and above the lubrication chamber when the robot is mounted on a ceiling surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A robot system, comprising: the robot of claim 1; and a work booth in which the robot performs predetermined work. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, wherein the motor is positioned on the reduction gear. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, further comprising: a rotating head connected to the base and the arm and configured to rotate around the rotation axis of the reduction gear and rotate the arm around a rotation axis orthogonal to the rotation axis of the reduction gear. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, wherein the reduction gear includes an output shaft connected to the gear mechanism and the arm such that the gear mechanism is configured to slow down and transmit an output of the motor to the output shaft such that the arm turns around the rotation axis of the reduction gear with respect to the base. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The robot according to claim 12, wherein the output shaft of the reduction gear has a hollow portion configured to accommodate a feed cable such that the feed cable extending through the hollow portion of the output shaft and into the base and that the feed cable extends in a first direction perpendicularly to the rotation axis of the reduction gear, and the air chamber is positioned in a second direction different from the first direction with respect to the rotation axis of the reduction gear. ### Claim 14 A robot, comprising: a base; a reduction gear connected to the base and comprising a lubrication chamber and a gear mechanism positioned in the lubrication chamber; an air chamber positioned inside the base and communicating with the lubrication chamber sealed to hold lubricant; and an arm connected to the reduction gear and configured to turn around a rotation axis of the reduction gear with respect to the base such that the reduction gear is positioned in a joint between the arm and the base; and a motor connected to the gear mechanism of the reduction gear and configured to generate driving force for turning the arm around the rotation axis of the reduction gear with respect to the base, wherein the gear mechanism in the reduction gear is configured to slow down and transmit an output of the motor such that the arm turns around the rotation axis of the reduction gear with respect to the base, and an outer frame of the base and the reduction gear includes a base casing, a flange member and a reduction gear casing such that the flange member is fixed to the reduction gear casing on one side and to the base casing on the other side, the air chamber is positioned in the base casing and outside the reduction gear casing, and the air chamber is positioned on a surface of the flange member. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The robot according to claim 1, wherein the flange member is fixed to the reduction gear casing on one side and to the base casing on the other side, and the flange member has a radial dimension with the rotation axis of the reduction gear as the center such that the radial dimension of the flange member is larger than a radial dimension of the reduction gear. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The robot according to claim 14, wherein the base and the reduction gear are formed such that the air chamber is integrally formed with the flange member. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The robot according to claim 14, further comprising: a feed cable extending through a hollow portion of the reduction gear and into the base such that the feed cable extends in a first direction perpendicularly to the rotation axis of the reduction gear, wherein the air chamber is positioned in a second direction different from the first direction with respect to the rotation axis of the reduction gear. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The robot according to claim 14, wherein the lubrication chamber has an inlet and an outlet formed for the lubricant such that an air layer is formed in an upper part of an internal space of the lubrication chamber when the robot is mounted on one of a floor surface and a wall surface and above the lubrication chamber when the robot is mounted on a ceiling surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The robot according to claim 14, wherein the motor is positioned on a surface of the reduction gear casing in the outer frame of the base and reduction gear. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The robot according to claim 14, further comprising: a rotating head connected to the base and the arm and configured to rotate around the rotation axis of the reduction gear and rotate the arm around a rotation axis orthogonal to the rotation axis of the reduction gear.