Motorized drive system and method for articulating a joint
AssigneeOhio University
InventorJianchao Zhu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A motorized drive system and method for articulating an articulated joint having a motor and an elastic cable. The elastic cable is operatively connected to both the motor and the articulated joint such that the motor articulates the joint via the elastic cable. In addition, the elastic cable is adapted to be sufficiently elastic such that the motorized drive system is configured to use one motor for each degree of freedom through which the articulated joint moves.
Claims20
A motorized drive system for an articulated joint assembly, comprising;
- a motor operatively connected to an elastic cable;
- and
- an articulated joint operatively coupled to said elastic cable,
- wherein said motor is configured to actuate said articulated joint via said elastic cable such that one motor is used for each degree of freedom of the articulated joint.
An articulated joint assembly and motorized drive system for use with a robot, comprising;
- a main body;
- a motor operatively mounted to said main body;
- a pulley operatively mounted to said main body and configured to be rotatably driven by said motor;
- a first leg member rotatably mounted to said main body at a hip joint;
- a second leg member rotatably mounted to said first leg member at an articulated joint;
- a plurality of guide rings operatively affixed to said first and second leg members;
- an elastic cable extending through said plurality of guide rings, said elastic cable engaging said pulley,
- wherein said plurality of guide rings provide a predetermined path for said elastic cable such that said motor operatively actuates said elastic cable via said pulley to articulate said hip joint and actuate said articulated joint, one motor being used for each degree of freedom of the articulated joint.
The articulated joint assembly and motorized drive system of 15 wherein a guide groove is positioned on said pulley, said guide groove being configured to direct said variable length of said elastic cable along said variable radius of said pulley.
The method of actuating an articulated joint having a first leg member connected to articulate relative to a second leg member at said articulated joint with a motorized drive system, comprising;
- actuating an elastic cable operatively connected to the motorized drive unit and the articulated joint;
- elastically stretching said elastic cable from a first length to a second length;
- and
- actuating the articulated joint with one motor for each degree of freedom of the articulated joint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.