Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.

Takashi Sato

Tetsuya Sakai

A multi-articulated manipulator composed of more than one hollow outer shell, joints to connect the outer shells to each other, a grasping member fastened for rotating movement with respect to the proximal outer shell, a claw transmission shaft to actuate the grasping member to rotate and an outer shell power transmission shaft to actuate the outer shells in to rotate independently from each other. The claw transmission shaft and the outer shell power transmission shaft respectively are composed of universal joints capable of rotating force and transmitting torque.

Multi-articulated manipulator

A multi-articulated manipulator is operated without rickety movement by a pair of grasping members, springs for the grasping members, and other springs extended across the foremost outer shell and the basement outer shell. The manipulator is small in size, easy to handle, reliable, better response and high precision in medical applications. With the multi-articulated manipulator, the foremost outer shell is connected to the basement outer shell in a bending manner. A pair of grasping members of claw members is connected to the foremost end of the foremost outer shell. The claw members are operated with a pair of claw power-transmission shafts and energized with springs to be biased towards their closed situation. The foremost outer shell and the basement outer shell are operated with claw power-transmitting shaft and normally biased by springs towards their closed situation.

This multi-articulated manipulator is rich in reliability and follow-up property in medical applications. The multi-articulated manipulator is composed of more than one hollow outer shell, joint members to connect the outer shells each other, a grasping member fastened for rocking movement to the foremost outer shell, and a power transmission shaft to actuate the grasping member and the outer shell in a bending manner independently from each other. The power transmission shaft is composed of a universal join allowed to bend independently from each other and transmit the rotating torque, and a transmission shaft capable of making expansion and shrinkage and able to transmit rotating torque. The power transmission shaft at the foremost end thereof has male threads mating with the nut made at the boss portion inside the outer shell.

Growing community of inventors

Mino, Japan

Takashi Sato