Counterbalance assembly for rotatable robotic arm and the like
AssigneeCincinnati Milacron Inc.
InventorsChristoph F. Wittwer, David E. Suica
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A counterbalance assembly for use with a rotatable arm in a robotic manipulator, wherein such arm is rotated about a rotation axis. The assembly further includes one or more compression springs for providing resistance to compressive forces, and converting apparatus for translating the rotational movement of the rotatable arm about the rotation axis into linear deflection of such compression spring, whereby resistance of the compression spring to linear deflection in either direction along its longitudinal axis establishes an effective counterbalancing force which reduces the load bearing on the arm drive regardless of the direction in which the rotatable arm is rotated.
Claims17
A counterbalance assembly for use with a rotatable arm and the like in a robotic manipulator, wherein such arm is rotated about a rotation axis by a torque producing device or similar means, said assembly comprising:
- (a) compression spring means for providing resistance to compressive forces in response to linear deflection imposed thereon from either direction along a longitudinal axis of said compression spring means;
- and
- (b) converting means for translating rotational movement of a rotatable arm of said robotic manipulator about said rotation axis into linear deflection of said compression spring means, whereby resistance of said compression spring means to linear deflection from said converting means in either direction along said longitudinal axis establishes an effective counterbalancing force which reduces the load bearing on the torque producing device at the rotation axis regardless of the direction in which the rotatable arm is rotated.
A counterbalance assembly for use with a rotatable arm and the like in a robotic manipulator, wherein such arm is rotated about a rotation axis by a torque producing device or similar means, said assembly comprising:
- (a) compression spring means for providing resistance to compressive forces, said spring means having a longitudinal axis, and said resistance being substantially proportional to linear deflection of said spring means by said compressive forces from either direction along said longitudinal axis;
- and
- (b) converting means for translating rotational movement of the rotatable arm about its rotation axis into linear deflection of said compression spring means along said longitudinal axis, whereby resistance of said compression spring means to linear deflection in either direction along said longitudinal axis establishes an effective counterbalancing force which reduces the load bearing on the torque producing device at the rotation axis regardless of the direction in which the rotatable arm is rotated.
A counterbalance assembly for use with a rotatable arm and the like in a robotic manipulator, wherein such arm is rotated about a rotation axis by a torque producing device or similar means, said assembly comprising:
- (a) compression spring means for providing resistance to compressive forces, said spring means further comprising a plurality of compression springs having substantially parallel longitudinal axes, said compression springs providing said resistance to compressive forces, and said resistance being substantially proportional to linear deflection of such springs by said compressive forces from either direction along said longitudinal axes;
- (b) converting means for translating rotational movement of the rotatable arm about its rotation axis into linear movement, and
- (c) one or more linear transfer links which transfer said linear movement from said converting means to said compression springs, whereby said linear movement causes linear deflection of said springs along their longitudinal axes, and resistance of said springs to linear deflection from either direction along said longitudinal axes establishes an effective counterbalancing force which reduces the load bearing on the torque producing device at the rotation axis regardless of the direction in which the rotatable arm is rotated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.