Ntn Corporation

Kyushu Institute of Technology

Ntn Corportion

Seigo Sakata

Hiroshi Isobe

Hiroyuki Yamada

Kenzou Nose

Naoki Marui

Yukihiro Nishio

Naoya Konagai

Yuuki Shimura

Hideki Matsuzawa

Hirofumi Fukumaru

Akihiro Hayashi

Taiga Okamoto

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.

Parallel link mechanism and link actuation 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 includes a work device body and a contact preventer. The work device body includes a linear motion unit having three degrees of freedom and a rotary unit having three degrees of freedom. An end effector is mounted on an output portion of the rotary unit. The contact preventer separates a working region in which the work device body is installed, from a non-working region outside the working region. The contact preventer includes: an entry allowing portion allowing an object to enter the working region therethrough; and an entry allowing portion entry detection sensor configured to detect entry of an object into the working region through the entry allowing portions.

Work device and dual-arm work device

In a link actuation device, a distal end side link hub is coupled 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 of the distal end side link hub relative to the proximal end side link hub is arbitrarily changed by actuators provided to two or more link mechanisms. The manipulating device includes a posture acquirer for acquiring a distal end posture represented by a bending angle and a turning angle, from a coordinate position at which a distal end side spherical link center is projected onto a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system that has an origin located on an extension of an axis of the proximal end side link hub and is orthogonal to the extension of the axis.

Link actuation device manipulating device and link actuation system

An operation command generator includes: an area division unit configured to divide a line on a flat work surface of a target workpiece W into a straight area and a corner area, using a sharp boundary surface; a straight area operation command generation unit configured to generate a command for operating only the linear motion mechanism while keeping the posture of the parallel link mechanism fixed, in the straight area; and a corner area operation command generation unit configured to generate a command so that an acting point of the end effector passes on the boundary surface at a substantially constant speed by the linear motion mechanism and the parallel link mechanism performing coordinated operations in the corner area.

Link operating device control device and control method

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

An operation method for a link actuating device provided with a target value input unit having a height direction target value input portion that allows input of a movement amount in a height direction or a coordinate position in the height direction, which causes the distal end posture of the link actuating device to be changed only in the height direction along a central axis of a proximal end side link hub. An input converter is provided to calculate, by using an inputted value, a target distal end posture of the link actuating device. The input converter further calculates a command operation amount of each actuator from the result of the calculation, and inputs the command operation amount to the control device.

Operation method for link actuating device

A diagnostic device is to be used for a link actuation device. A distal end side link hub to be coupled to a proximal end side link hub via three or more link mechanisms such that posture of the distal end side link hub is changeable. Each of the three or more link mechanisms is to be associated with a respective one of actuators. A predetermined action is to be carried out under a predetermined condition by driving each of the actuators. A preload applicator is to cause a preload to be applied to the link actuation device. A torque detector is to detect a drive torque of each of the actuators while a preload is being applied. A determiner is to determine whether or not the torque that is detected by the torque detector lies within a predetermined range. A notifier is to notify the determination result.

Diagnostic device for link actuation 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.

Link actuating device

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

An operation device for a link actuating device () is provided with a target value input unit () having a height direction target value input portion () that allows input of a movement amount in a height direction or a coordinate position in the height direction, which causes the distal end posture of the link actuating device () to be changed only in the height direction along a central axis of a proximal end side link hub (). Input converter () is provided to calculate, by using an inputted value, a target distal end posture of the link actuating device (). The Input converter () further calculates a command operation amount of each actuator () from the result of the calculation, and inputs the command operation amount to the control device ().

Operation device for link actuating device

In this parallel link mechanism, a distal end side link hub is coupled to a proximal end side link hub via three or more link mechanisms such that the posture of the distal end side link hub can be altered relative to the proximal end side link hub. Each link mechanism includes proximal side and distal side end link members and an intermediate link member. Each end link member includes: a curved member curved by an arbitrary angle; and a rotation shaft support member fixed to one end of or each of opposite ends of the curved member, and configured to support a rotation shaft rotatably coupled directly or via a bearing to the intermediate link member or the link hub.

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.

Combination type link actuation device

In this link actuation device, arms of a plurality of link mechanisms are driven to be rotated by actuators, whereby the posture of a distal end side link hub is changed. A divided section setter divides a trajectory on a work surface on which an end effector works, into a plurality of sections at pass points and sets the sections. An arm rotation speed calculator calculates a rotation speed at which each arm performs constant speed rotation in each section on the basis of: a time period of movement in the section which is determined from a target moving speed and the distance of the section; and a rotation-angular movement amount of the arm in the section. A posture change controller performs positioning control on each actuator so as to cause its corresponding arm to continuously rotate at the corresponding rotation speed without acceleration/deceleration.

Growing community of inventors

Iwata, Japan

Seigo Sakata