Ntn Corporation

Kyushu Institute of Technology

Kenzou Nose

Hiroshi Isobe

Seigo Sakata

Naoki Marui

Hiroyuki Yamada

Hideki Matsuzawa

Akihiro Hayashi

Hirofumi Fukumaru

Naoya Konagai

Toshiki Takagi

Taiga Okamoto

A parallel link mechanism includes a proximal end-side link hub, three link mechanisms, a rotating body, and a distal end-side link hub. The rotating body is connected to one link mechanism among the three link mechanisms. The rotating body is rotatably coupled to the proximal end-side link hub. In the link mechanism, a first center axis of a first revolute pair portion intersects with a second center axis of a second revolute pair portion at a spherical link center point. The rotation center axis of the rotating body intersects with the spherical link center point.

Parallel link mechanism and link actuation device

A link actuation apparatus includes: a parallel link mechanism including a proximal-side link hub, a distal-side link hub, and three or more link mechanisms each coupling the distal-side link hub to the proximal-side link hub such that a posture of the distal-side link hub can be changed relative to the proximal-side link hub; posture control drive sources; and a control device. The control device includes an abnormality detector including: a measurement section configured to measure a predetermined state value which is affected by abnormality in revolute pair parts of a link actuation apparatus body constituted by the parallel link mechanism and the posture control drive sources; and a determination section configured to determine if any of the revolute pair parts has abnormality in on the basis of a measurement result obtained by the measurement section. For example, the measurement section measures rigidity, or driving torque or the like.

Link actuation apparatus

A link actuation apparatus that actuates a parallel link mechanism where a spherical drive mechanism is constructed includes a controller configured to calculate, based on spherical trigonometry, an attitude of a second link hub from angles &#x3b2;and &#x3b2;that represent the attitude of a first end link member with respect to a first link hub in two of at least three link mechanisms. The link actuation apparatus capable of performing forward transformation in real time is thus provided.

A parallel link mechanism includes a proximal end member and three or more link mechanisms. Three or more link mechanisms connect the proximal end member to a distal end member. In three or more link mechanisms, a first center axis of a first revolute pair unit and a second center axis of a second revolute pair unit intersect at a spherical link center point. Fifth center axes of respective fifth revolute pair units of three or more link mechanisms overlap each other and intersect with the spherical link center point.

A working device has a configuration with seven degrees of freedom, and is configured to perform work using an end effector. The working device includes: a linear motion unit having three degrees of freedom; a rotary unit having three degrees of freedom; and a rotary drive mechanism having one degree of freedom. The rotary drive mechanism is configured to rotate the rotary unit relative to the linear motion unit. The linear motion unit is mounted on a mount such that a base portion thereof is fixed to the mount. The rotary drive mechanism is mounted on an output portion of the linear motion unit. The rotary unit is mounted on an output portion of the rotary drive mechanism. The end effector is mounted on an output portion of the rotary unit.

Working device and double-arm type working device

In a link actuating device, a distal end side link hub is coupled to a proximal end side link hub via three or more link mechanisms. A posture control drive source configured to arbitrarily change the posture of the distal end side link hub is provided to each of two or more link mechanisms. The link actuating device includes a storage unit configured to store therein an operating position of the posture control drive source when the distal end side link hub is in a defined posture. In each of the two or more link mechanisms, a positioning portion is provided to at least one of the proximal side end link member, the distal side end link member, and the intermediate link member. A positioning member configured to position the distal end side link hub in the defined posture is dismountably mounted between a plurality of the positioning portions.

Link actuating device

A link actuation device includes a proximal-end-side link hub, a distal-end-side link hub, three or more link mechanisms each coupling the link hubs such that a posture of the distal-end-side link hub can be changed relative to the proximal-end-side link hub. Each link mechanism includes a proximal-side end link member, a proximal-side intermediate link member, a distal-side intermediate link member, and a distal-side end link member. Actuators for arbitrarily changing the posture and a distance from the distal-end-side link hub to the proximal-end-side link hub are provided to three or more link mechanisms of the three or more link mechanisms. A control unit calculates a rotation angle of the proximal-side end link member according to a targeted posture of the distal-end-side link hub and a targeted distance between the centers of the spherical links, and controls the respective actuators so as to attain the calculated rotation angle.

Link actuating device having a proximal-end-side link hub, a distal-end-side link hub, and three or more link mechanisms

A work device is configured to perform a work with use of an end effector and have six degrees of freedom. The work device including: a linear motion unit obtained by combining three linear motion actuators, to have three degrees of freedom; and a rotation unit obtained by combining a plurality of rotation mechanisms each having one or more degrees of rotational freedom, to have three degrees of freedom. A base portion of the linear motion unit is fixed to a mount. A base portion of the rotation unit is fixed to an output portion of the linear motion unit. The end effector is mounted to an output portion of the rotation unit.

Work device and dual-arm work device

A working device includes: a linear motion unit having three degrees of freedom and obtained by combining three linear motion actuators; and a rotary unit having three degrees of freedom and obtained by combining a plurality of rotating mechanisms each having one or more rotational degrees of freedom. The linear motion unit is mounted on a mount such that a base portion of the linear motion unit is fixed to the mount. A base portion of the rotary unit is fixedly mounted on an output portion of the linear motion unit. End effectors are mounted on both the output portion of the linear motion unit and an output portion of the rotary unit.

In the link operating device, a distal-end-side link hub is connected to a proximal-end-side link hub so as to be changeable in position relative thereto via at least three link mechanisms. Each link mechanism includes a proximal-side end link member, a distal-side end link member, and a center link member. Position-controlling actuators and speed reduction mechanisms are provided to two or more of the link mechanisms. The proximal-side end link member includes a bent portion and a pair of rotational connection bodies disposed at one end of the bent portion. The speed reduction mechanism is disposed between the pair of rotational connection bodies, and includes an output shaft fixed to one of the rotational connection bodies, and an input shaft rotatably supported by the other one of the rotational connection bodies.

Link operating device

A distal end side link hub is coupled to a proximal end side link hub via three or more link mechanisms. Each link mechanism has a proximal side end link member, a distal side end link member, and an intermediate link member. The proximal side end link member has a bent portion and rotation shaft mounting portions. A rotation shaft is mounted to the rotation shaft mounting portion. A bevel gear, forming a part of a gear mechanism for transmitting rotary motion of a posture control actuator to the proximal side end link member, is mounted on the rotation shaft mounting portion and disposed in a space between two virtual planes obtained by extending a radially inner edge and a radially outer edge of one end of the bent portion in a longitudinal direction of the rotation shaft mounting portion.

A work apparatus includes a parallel link mechanism, a position control actuator, a linear motion mechanism, and a rotating mechanism. The parallel link mechanism includes three or more link mechanisms that couple a distal end side link hub to a proximal end side link hub such that a position of the distal end side link hub can be changed relative to the proximal end side link hub. The position control actuator operates the parallel link mechanism. The linear motion mechanism moves a working body in an axial direction orthogonal to a central axis of the proximal end side link hub. The rotating mechanism is mounted on the distal end side link hub and rotates a work object about a rotation center axis parallel to a movement direction of the linear motion mechanism when the central axis and a central axis are on the same line.

Work machine provided with parallel link mechanism

The composite work apparatus includes: two link actuation devices that support two working bodies such that postures of the working bodies can be individually changed; and three or more linear motion actuators that move the two link actuation devices and two or more work objects relative to each other. In each link actuation device, a distal end side link hub is connected to a proximal end side link hub via three or more link mechanisms such that a posture of the distal end side link hub can be changed relative to the proximal end side link hub, and a posture control actuator that arbitrarily changes the posture of the distal end side link hub relative to the proximal end side link hub is provided to each of two or more link mechanisms of the three or more link mechanisms.

Composite work device using link operating device

A combination link actuation device has two link actuation devices combined with each other. Each link actuation device is provided so as to connect a distal end side link hub to a proximal end side link hub such that an orientation of the distal end side link hub is changed relative to the proximal end side link hub through three link mechanisms aligned in a circumferential direction. An orientation controlling actuator is provided in two or more link mechanisms among the three link mechanisms to optionally change an orientation of the distal end side link hub relative to the proximal end side link hub. At least one circumferential separation angle among separation angles of the three link mechanisms is greater than 120&#xb0;. The two link actuation devices are disposed such that portions, of the link mechanisms, where the separation angle is greater than 120&#xb0; oppose each other.

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Iwata, Japan

Kenzou Nose