US 9,267,585 B2Granted

Actuator with joints

AssigneeEmpire Technology Development LLC

InventorMasaaki Mihara

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

Implementations and techniques are generally disclosed for an actuator comprising: a first element, a second element, a third element, a first joint provided between the first element and the second element, a second joint provided between the second element and the third element, and a motor operably coupled to the first joint and configured such that the second element rotates with respect to the first element about a first rotational axis when the motor rotates, wherein the first joint is operably coupled to the second joint and configured such that the third element can rotate with respect to the second element about a second rotational axis when the motor rotates.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An actuator comprising:

a motor;
a first element;
a second element;
a third element;
a first joint provided between the first element and the second element and adapted such that the second element is rotatable with respect to the first element about a first rotational axis, wherein the first joint includes:
two first crown gears configured to oppose each other and to rotate about the first rotational axis, wherein one of the two first crown gears is operably coupled to the motor;
a first spur gear configured to engage with the two first crown gears and to rotate about the first rotational axis such that the two first crown gears rotate in opposite directions when the first spur gear rotates;
and
two first thrust bearings provided between the first element and the corresponding first crown gears;
a second joint provided between the second element and the third element and adapted such that the third element is rotatable with respect to the second element about a second rotational axis, wherein the second joint includes:
two second crown gears configured to oppose each other and to rotate about the second rotational axis;
a second spur gear configured to engage with the two second crown gears such that the two second crown gears rotate in opposite directions when the second spur gear rotates;
and
two second thrust bearings provided between the second element and the corresponding second crown gears;
two first clutch mechanisms provided between the first element and the second element, wherein one of the first clutch mechanisms is configured to selectively engage or disengage between a rotational shaft of one of the first crown gears and the second element, and wherein another of the first clutch mechanisms is configured to selectively engage or disengage between a rotational shaft of another of the first crown gears and the second element;
two second clutch mechanisms provided between the second element and the third element, wherein one of the second clutch mechanisms is configured to selectively engage or disengage between a rotational shaft of one of the second crown gears and the third element, and wherein another of the second clutch mechanisms is configured to selectively engage or disengage between a rotational shaft of another of the second crown gears and the third element;
an intermediate drive mechanism provided between the first joint and the second joint, wherein the intermediate drive mechanism includes an intermediate spur gear configured to engage with one of the first crown gears of the first joint and operably coupled to the second spur gear of the second joint such that the second spur gear of the second joint rotates when one of the first crown gears of the first joint rotates;
two first rotary encoders coupled to corresponding ones of the two first crown gears of the first joint and configured to generate first output signals;
two second rotary encoders coupled to corresponding ones of the second crown gears of the second joint and configured to generate second output signals;
and
a controller configured to control the motor, the first clutch mechanism, and the second clutch mechanism based on the first and second output signals from the first and second rotary encoders such that the first element rotates with respect to the second element by a first target angle with a first target rotational speed and the second element rotates with respect to the third element by a second target angle with a second target rotational speed.

18 more elements

An actuator comprising:

a first element;
a second element;
a third element;
a first joint provided between the first element and the second element, wherein the first joint comprises:
two first crown gears configured to oppose each other and to rotate about a first rotational axis, wherein the first crown gears are operably coupled to the second element;
and
a first spur gear configured to engage with the two first crown gears such that the two first crown gears rotate in opposite directions when the first spur gear rotates;
a second joint provided between the second element and the third element;
and
a motor operably coupled to the first joint and configured such that the second element selectively rotates in either a first rotation direction or a second rotation direction with respect to the first element about the first rotational axis when the motor rotates, wherein the first joint is operably coupled to the second joint and configured such that the third element selectively rotates in either the first rotation direction or the second rotation direction with respect to the second element about a second rotational axis when the motor rotates, wherein the second joint is configured so that the third element rotates in either the first rotation direction or the second rotation direction regardless of whether the second element rotates in the first rotation direction or the second rotation direction.

7 more elements

An actuator comprising:

a first element;
a second element;
a third element;
a first joint provided between the first element and the second element;
a second joint provided between the second element and the third element;
a motor operably coupled to the first joint and configured such that the second element selectively rotates in either a first rotation direction or a second rotation direction with respect to the first element about a first rotational axis when the motor rotates, wherein the first joint is operably coupled to the second joint and configured such that the third element selectively rotates in either the first rotation direction or the second rotation direction with respect to the second element about a second rotational axis when the motor rotates, wherein the second joint is configured so that the third element rotates in either the first rotation direction or the second rotation direction regardless of whether the second element rotates in the first rotation direction or the second rotation direction;
two first clutch mechanisms provided between the first element and the second element, wherein one of the first clutch mechanisms is configured to selectively engage or disengage between a rotational shaft of one of a first gear and the second element, and wherein another of the first clutch mechanisms is configured to selectively engage or disengage between a rotational shaft of a second gear and the second element;
two second clutch mechanisms provided between the second element and the third element, wherein one of the second clutch mechanisms is configured to selectively engage or disengage between a rotational shaft of a third gear and the third element, and wherein another of the second clutch mechanisms is configured to selectively engage or disengage between a rotational shaft of a fourth gear and the third element;
two first rotary encoders coupled to corresponding ones of the first and second gears of the first joint and configured to generate first output signals;
two second rotary encoders coupled to corresponding ones of the third and fourth gears of the second joint and configured to generate second output signals;
and
a controller configured to control the motor, the first clutch mechanism, and the second clutch mechanism based on the first and second output signals from the first and second rotary encoders such that the first element rotates with respect to the second element by a first target angle with a first target rotational speed and the second element rotates with respect to the third element by a second target angle with a second target rotational speed.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

An actuator comprising:

a motor;
a first element;
a second element;
a third element;
a first joint provided between the first element and the second element and adapted such that the second element is rotatable with respect to the first element about a first rotational axis, wherein the first joint includes:
two first crown gears configured to oppose each other and to rotate about the first rotational axis, wherein one of the two first crown gears is operably coupled to the motor;
a first spur gear configured to engage with the two first crown gears and to rotate about the first rotational axis such that the two first crown gears rotate in opposite directions when the first spur gear rotates;
and
two first thrust bearings provided between the first element and the corresponding first crown gears;
a second joint provided between the second element and the third element and adapted such that the third element is rotatable with respect to the second element about a second rotational axis, wherein the second joint includes:
two second crown gears configured to oppose each other and to rotate about the second rotational axis;
a second spur gear configured to engage with the two second crown gears such that the two second crown gears rotate in opposite directions when the second spur gear rotates;
and
two second thrust bearings provided between the second element and the corresponding second crown gears;
two first clutch mechanisms provided between the first element and the second element, wherein one of the first clutch mechanisms is configured to selectively engage or disengage between a rotational shaft of one of the first crown gears and the second element, and wherein another of the first clutch mechanisms is configured to selectively engage or disengage between a rotational shaft of another of the first crown gears and the second element;
two second clutch mechanisms provided between the second element and the third element, wherein one of the second clutch mechanisms is configured to selectively engage or disengage between a rotational shaft of one of the second crown gears and the third element, and wherein another of the second clutch mechanisms is configured to selectively engage or disengage between a rotational shaft of another of the second crown gears and the third element;
an intermediate drive mechanism provided between the first joint and the second joint, wherein the intermediate drive mechanism includes an intermediate spur gear configured to engage with one of the first crown gears of the first joint and operably coupled to the second spur gear of the second joint such that the second spur gear of the second joint rotates when one of the first crown gears of the first joint rotates;
two first rotary encoders coupled to corresponding ones of the two first crown gears of the first joint and configured to generate first output signals;
two second rotary encoders coupled to corresponding ones of the second crown gears of the second joint and configured to generate second output signals;
and
a controller configured to control the motor, the first clutch mechanism, and the second clutch mechanism based on the first and second output signals from the first and second rotary encoders such that the first element rotates with respect to the second element by a first target angle with a first target rotational speed and the second element rotates with respect to the third element by a second target angle with a second target rotational speed.

18 more elements