# US 12,179,343 B2 · Industrial robot arm and integrated joint module

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- Number: US 12,179,343 B2
- Document ID: US12179343B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/093,820
- Filed: 2023-01-06
- Published: 2024-04-11
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2022-10-08
- Assignees: Shenzhen Yuejiang Technology Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Shenzhen Yuejiang Technology Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Zhongbin Wang; Yu Jiang; Yingbo Lei; Weizhi Ye; Lun Wang; Ming Zhang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179343B2

## CPC

- B25J 17/00: Joints
- B25J 9/0009: {Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases}
- B25J 9/1025: {Harmonic drives (in general: F16H49/001)}
- B25J 9/108: {Bearings specially adapted therefor (bearings in general F16C)}
- B25J 9/126: {Rotary actuators}
- B25J 13/088: {with position, velocity or acceleration sensors}
- B25J 19/0004: {Braking devices (brakes in general F16D)}
- H02K 5/1672: {radially supporting the rotary shaft at both ends of the rotor (H02K5/1677 takes precedence)}
- H02K 7/14: Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans (with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06)
- 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})
- H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53})

## Abstract

An integrated joint module includes a housing, a driving assembly, a speed reduction assembly, a braking assembly and an encoding assembly. The housing includes a first housing and a second housing, an annular supporting platform is arranged on an inner side of the first housing. The driving assembly includes an output shaft, a stator embedded in the annular supporting platform, and a rotor connected with the output shaft and arranged on an inner side of the stator, the speed reduction assembly and the braking assembly are connected with two ends of the output shaft. The encoding assembly is arranged on a side of the braking assembly away from the driving assembly and connected with the output shaft, the second housing is sleeved on the encoding assembly and connected with the first housing. The integrated joint module helps to simplify the structure of the joint module and reduce the cost.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An integrated joint module of an industrial robot arm, wherein the integrated joint module comprises:
a housing, comprising a first housing and a second housing connected with the first housing, an annular supporting platform being arranged on an inner side of the first housing;
a driving assembly, comprising:
an output shaft;
a stator, embedded in the annular supporting platform;
a rotor, connected with the output shaft and arranged on an inner side of the stator;
a speed reduction assembly, connected with one end of the output shaft;
a braking assembly, connected with the other end of the output shaft; and
an encoding assembly, arranged on a side of the braking assembly away from the driving assembly and connected with the output shaft, the second housing being sleeved on the encoding assembly;
wherein the driving assembly further comprises:
an upper bearing seat connected with one side of the annular supporting platform in an axial direction of the output shaft, the braking assembly being fixed on the upper bearing seat; and
an upper bearing embedded in the upper bearing seat, the upper bearing being sleeved on the output shaft and arranged on a side of the rotor in the axial direction of the output shaft; and
the integrated joint module comprises a bracket arranged outside of the braking assembly;
the upper bearing seat comprises:
an upper fixing portion connected with the annular supporting platform; and
an upper annular limiting portion connected with the upper fixing portion; wherein
the braking assembly and the bracket are supported on a same side of the upper fixing portion, the braking assembly is limited to an inner side of the upper annular limiting portion in a radial direction of the output shaft, the bracket is limited to an outer side of the upper annular limiting portion in the radial direction of the output shaft, and the encoding assembly is connected with the bracket.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing is served as a shell structure of the driving assembly.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a first elastic member, wherein the braking assembly presses the first elastic member on an outer ring of the upper bearing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the braking assembly comprises:
a mounting seat, connected to the upper bearing seat, the braking assembly pressing the first elastic member through the mounting seat;
a second elastic member, arranged on a side of the mounting seat opposite to the first elastic member;
a magnet exciting coil;
an armature plate;
a friction plate, connected with the output shaft; and
a cover plate, wherein the armature plate, the friction plate, and the cover plate are stacked in sequence along the axial direction of the output shaft, wherein
the armature plate is configured to push the friction plate along the axial direction of the output shaft to cause the friction plate to contact the cover plate under an elastic force of the second elastic member when the magnet exciting coil is powered off, allowing the output shaft to switch from a rotating state to a braking state; and
when the magnet exciting coil is energized, a magnetic field generated by the magnet exciting coil acts on the armature plate to cause the friction plate separating from the cover plate to release the braking state of the output shaft.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 4, wherein
the driving assembly comprises an adapter connected with the output shaft, and the adapter comprises:
a cylindrical body;
an inner flange portion, connected with the cylindrical body; and
an outer flange portion, the outer flange portion and the inner flange portion extending in opposite directions; wherein
an outer contour of the cylindrical body is non-circular when viewed along the axial direction of the output shaft, the friction plate is sleeved on the cylindrical body to rotate with the adapter or move relative to the adapter along the axial direction of the output shaft, the output shaft is inserted in the cylindrical body, an end surface of the output shaft is resisted against the inner flange portion, and a magnetic grating disk of the encoding disc is connected with the outer flange portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving assembly further comprises:
a lower bearing seat, connected with the other side of the annular supporting platform in the axial direction of the output shaft; and
a lower bearing, embedded in the lower bearing seat, the lower bearing being sleeved on the output shaft and arranged on a side of the rotor in the axial direction of the output shaft, and both the speed reduction assembly and the lower bearing seat being fixed on the annular supporting platform by a first fastener.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 6, wherein one of the lower bearing seat and the upper bearing seat is integrated with the first housing.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the lower bearing seat comprises:
a lower cylindrical portion, sleeved on the lower bearing, the lower bearing being at least partially located in the speed reduction assembly; and
a lower fixing portion, obliquely connected with one end of the lower cylindrical portion, the lower fixing portion extending towards an outside of the lower cylindrical portion to connect with the annular supporting platform.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 8, wherein the lower bearing seat further comprises:
a lower flange portion, obliquely connected with the other end of the lower cylindrical portion, the lower flange portion and the lower fixing portion extending in opposite directions, and an outer ring of the lower bearing being supported on the lower flange portion.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 9, wherein
the output shaft defines an intermediate fixing section and a lower fixing section along the axial direction of the output shaft, an outer diameter of the intermediate fixing section is greater than that of the lower fixing section to form an outer step surface between the intermediate fixing section and the lower fixing section;
the rotor is fixed on the intermediate fixing section, the lower bearing is sleeved on the lower fixing section, an inner ring of the lower bearing is supported on the outer step surface, and the outer step surface and the lower flange portion are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the lower bearing in an axial direction of the output shaft;
the driving assembly further comprises:
a lower pressing ring, connected with the lower fixing section, and clamping an outer ring of the lower bearing cooperatively with the lower flange portion; and
a lower clamping ring, connected with the lower fixing section, and clamping an inner ring of the lower bearing cooperatively with the intermediate fixing section.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 9, wherein a thickness of the lower cylindrical portion in a radial direction of the output shaft is smaller than a thickness of the lower flange portion in the axial direction of the output shaft, and smaller than a thickness of the lower fixing portion in the axial direction of the output shaft.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 11, wherein a corner of the lower cylindrical portion at the side opposite to the lower bearing is rounded, and a corner of the lower fixing portion at the side opposite to the lower bearing is rounded.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the encoding assembly comprises:
a base;
a rotating shaft, rotatably arranged on the base; and
a grating plate, connected with the rotating shaft;
wherein one of the rotating shaft and the output shaft is partially inserted into the other one to form a pair of contact surfaces, and an area of a cross section of the pair of contact surfaces perpendicular to the axial direction of the output shaft gradually increases or decreases along the axial direction of the output shaft;
the base is configured to provide a pressing force to the pair of contact surfaces along the axial direction of the output shaft after being fixed on the bracket, to allow the rotating shaft to rotate with the output shaft under an action of a friction between the pair of contact surfaces.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 13, wherein the driving assembly further comprises:
an adapter, connected with the output shaft, one end of the rotating shaft is passed through the adapter and partially insert into the output shaft under a guidance of the adapter; an outer contour of the adapter is non-circular when viewed along the axial direction of the output shaft, and a friction plate of the braking assembly is sleeved on the adapter to rotate with the adapter or move relative to the adapter along the axial direction of the output shaft.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 14, wherein the adapter is ring shaped, the rotating shaft is inserted into the output shaft along an inner ring surface of the adapter, and a radius of the inner ring surface remains unchanged in the axial direction of the output shaft.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 13, wherein
the base defines a bearing hole;
the encoding assembly comprises a bearing inserted in the bearing hole;
wherein the rotating shaft comprises:
a connecting portion, inserted in an inner ring of the bearing;
an inserting portion, connected with one end of the connecting portion and extended out of one side of the bearing; and
a protruding portion, connected with the other end of the connecting portion and extended out of the other side of the bearing; wherein
an outer diameter of the inserting portion gradually decreases in the axial direction of the output shaft and in the direction away from the protruding portion, allowing the inserting portion to insert in the output shaft to defined the pair of contact surfaces;
the protruding portion is configured to press the inner ring of the bearing along the axial direction of the output shaft; and
the grating plate is connected with the protruding portion.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 16, wherein
an angle between an outer contour of the inserting portion and the axial direction of the output shaft is between 2 degrees and 33 degrees, a ratio of an absolute value of a difference between a minimum outer diameter and a maximum outer diameter of the inserting portion to the maximum outer diameter of the inserting portion is between 0.05 and 0.2; or
a depth of the inserting portion inserting into the output shaft in the axial direction of the output shaft is between 6 mm and 10 mm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 16, wherein an orthographic projection of the protruding portion to the base along the axial direction of the output shaft completely covers the bearing hole.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 16, wherein
the base comprises:
an outer step portion, fixed to the bracket by a fourth fastener; and
a middle step portion, connected with the outer step portion, the middle step portion being closer to the rotating shaft than the outer step portion in the radial direction of the output shaft, and a thickness of the middle step portion in the axial direction of the output shaft being greater than a thickness of the outer step portion in the axial direction of the output shaft; and
the encoding assembly comprises:
an upper cover, connected with the base, the upper cover comprising an outer cylindrical sidewall, and a top cover connected to one end of the outer cylindrical sidewall, the outer cylindrical sidewall being supported on the outer step portion and surrounded the middle step portion.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The integrated joint module as claimed in claim 19, wherein the output shaft has a hollow structure, the upper cover comprises an inner cylindrical sidewall connected to the top cover, the inner cylindrical sidewall and the outer cylindrical sidewall extend in a same direction towards a same side of the top cover, and the inner cylindrical sidewall is partially inserted into the rotating shaft along the axial direction of the output shaft.

### Claim 21

An industrial robot arm, comprising an integrated joint module, wherein the integrated joint module comprises:
a housing, comprising a first housing and a second housing connected with the first housing, an annular supporting platform being arranged on an inner side of the first housing;
a driving assembly, comprising:
an output shaft;
a stator, embedded in the annular supporting platform;
a rotor, connected with the output shaft and arranged on an inner side of the stator;
a speed reduction assembly, connected with one end of the output shaft;
a braking assembly, connected with the other end of the output shaft; and
an encoding assembly, arranged on a side of the braking assembly away from the driving assembly and connected with the output shaft, the second housing being sleeved on the encoding assembly;
wherein the driving assembly further comprises:
an upper bearing seat connected with one side of the annular supporting platform in an axial direction of the output shaft, the braking assembly being fixed on the upper bearing seat; and
an upper bearing embedded in the upper bearing seat, the upper bearing being sleeved on the output shaft and arranged on a side of the rotor in the axial direction of the output shaft; and
the integrated joint module comprises a bracket arranged outside of the braking assembly;
the upper bearing seat comprises:
an upper fixing portion connected with the annular supporting platform; and
an upper annular limiting portion connected with the upper fixing portion; wherein
the braking assembly and the bracket are supported on a same side of the upper fixing portion, the braking assembly is limited to an inner side of the upper annular limiting portion in a radial direction of the output shaft, the bracket is limited to an outer side of the upper annular limiting portion in the radial direction of the output shaft, and the encoding assembly is connected with the bracket.