Robot drive unit for robot joint
AssigneeUniversal Robots A/S
InventorSteffen Henrik JOHANSEN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A robot joint for a robot arm comprising an angled joint housing forming a joint cavity having an opening at one end of the robot joint housing, the joint housing comprises a connection flange configured to be interconnected with a further robot element, where a robot drive unit is configured to rotate an output flange of the robot join and is slidable arranged in the joint cavity through the opening. The robot drive unit is assembled outside the robot joint housing by providing the following component in a stacked configuration: a drive unit circuit board, a drive unit motor unit, a drive unit gear, a brake arranged between the drive unit circuit board and the drive unit motor unit, an input encoder assembly arranged between the drive unit motor unit and the drive unit gear.
Claims20
A joint of a robotic arm, comprising:
- an angled joint housing, that forms a joint cavity having an opening at one end of the angled joint housing, the angled joint housing comprising a connection flange configured to be interconnected with a robotic element;
- an output flange;
- and
- a robotic drive unit configured to rotate the output flange, the robotic drive unit being slideably arranged in the joint cavity through the opening and in a position where the output flange extends out of the opening, the robotic drive unit comprising the following in a stacked configuration:
- a drive unit circuit board;
- a drive unit motor unit comprising (i) a motor axle with a magnetic motor rotor mounted on the motor axle and a (ii) motor stator configured to rotate the motor rotor and the motor axle;
- a drive unit gear driven by the motor axle and configured to rotate the output flange;
- a brake assembly between the drive unit circuit board and the drive unit motor unit, the brake assembly comprising an annular brake member arranged on the motor axle;
- and
- an input encoder assembly between the drive unit motor unit and the drive unit gear, the input encoder assembly comprising an input encoder track fixed to the motor axle and an input encoder reader head being configured to read a position of the input encoder track.
The joint according to of claim, 1, wherein the motor stator comprises connecting members on an outside thereof, wherein the robot robotic drive unit comprises a motor stator cap at one end of the motor stator, and wherein the motor stator cap is directly connected to the drive unit gear by the connecting members.
A method for providing a joint for a robotic arm, the method comprising:
- providing a joint housing, the joint housing comprising an angled joint housing forming a joint cavity having an opening at one end of the joint housing, the joint housing comprising a connection flange configured to be interconnected with an additional robotic element;
- arranging a robotic drive unit inside the joint cavity by sliding the robotic drive unit through the opening;
- and
- stacking at least the following components in order:
- a drive unit circuit board;
- a brake assembly comprising an annular brake member on a motor axle;
- a drive unit motor unit comprising the motor axle, the drive unit motor unit comprising a magnetic motor rotor on the motor axle and a motor stator configured to rotate the motor rotor and the motor axle;
- an input encoder assembly an input encoder track fixed to the motor axle and an input encoder reader head configured to read a position of the input encoder track;
- and
- a drive unit gear driven by the motor axle and configured to rotate an output flange.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.