HK1227805B - Scott-russell mechanism device - Google Patents

Description

Scott Russell Mechanism

This application is a divisional application of PCT application No. 201180069608.4 (international application No. PCT/JP2011/058124) filed on March 30, 2011.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device using a Scott-Russell mechanism, which connects a main arm member and a sub-arm member so that the connection angle thereof can be changed; in particular, it relates to a Scott-Russell mechanism that can bring the sub-arm member close to the front end of the main arm member without interference even when the connection angle is changed in a manner such that the root ends of the main arm member and the sub-arm member move away from each other, and various components are installed on the front end side of the main arm member so that the posture of the components can be displaced within a wide range.

Background Art

Conventionally, various devices utilize the Scott-Russell mechanism. The Scott-Russell mechanism rotatably connects a linear main arm member and a sub-arm member so that the distance from the main arm member's base to the connection point, the distance from the main arm member's connection point to the tip, and the distance from the sub-arm member's connection point to the base are all equal. When the connection angle between the two arm members changes, the main arm member's tip moves linearly along the line connecting its tip and the base of the sub-arm member.

Patent Document 1 describes a technology that applies the Scott-Russel mechanism to an industrial robot. Patent Document 2 describes a technology that applies the Scott-Russel mechanism to a positioning and handling device. Patent Document 3 describes a technology that applies the Scott-Russel mechanism to the drive structure of a feed arm. Patent Document 4 describes a technology that applies the Scott-Russel mechanism to an industrial robot. Patent Document 5 describes a technology that applies a variation of the Scott-Russel mechanism in a handling device, in which the connection between the main arm and auxiliary arm components is a crank-type connection.

Prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-155185

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-190259

Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-187344

Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-196181

Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-208935

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the industrial robot disclosed in Patent Document 1, the main arm member (the first arm 31 in Patent Document 1) and the auxiliary arm member (the second arm 32 in Patent Document 1) have a certain thickness (a certain width and thickness in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of each arm member) to ensure the required rigidity. Therefore, when the root ends of the two arm members (the ends on the side of the screw shaft 21 in Patent Document 1) are separated from each other, the arm members interfere with each other at the connection point between the two arm members, resulting in the problem of not being able to bring the tip end of the main arm member (the end on the side where the clamp H is provided in Patent Document 1) close to the maximum approach position of the auxiliary arm member (making it difficult to bring the clamp H close to the side of the screw shaft 21). Furthermore, in the industrial robot disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the two arm members rotate (swivel) about the screw shaft 21 as the rotation center (swivel center), there is also the problem of increasing the driving torque applied to the swivel when the entire industrial robot, including the screw shaft 21, is swivel.

In addition, in the positioning and conveying device of Patent Document 2, the driving structure of the feed arm of Patent Document 3, the industrial robot of Patent Document 4, and the conveying device of Patent Document 5, since the main arm component and the auxiliary arm component are connected in an overlapping manner in the thickness direction, although it becomes easy to bring the front end of the main arm component close to the closest position of the auxiliary arm component, since the two arm components are offset in the overlapping direction, there is a problem of increasing the thickness dimension of the device (the dimension in the direction of overlapping the two arm components). Moreover, since the centers of the two arm components in the thickness direction are inconsistent, there is also a problem of deterioration in the overall weight balance of the two arm components.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned patent documents, although various components such as a clamp, an arm, and a hand are installed at the front end of the main arm member, since the posture of these front end side components depends on the orientation (posture) of the front end of the main arm member, there is a problem that the range of posture displacement of the components installed at the front end of the main arm member is limited.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its object is to provide a Scott-Russell mechanism device which, by making the main arm member into a boomerang-like shape, can move the front end portion of the main arm member closer to the closest position of the auxiliary arm member even without offsetting the two arm members.

In addition, the object of the present invention is to provide a Scott-Russell mechanism device, which enables the main arm component and the auxiliary arm component to rotate at the root ends of the two arm components, reduces the driving torque involving the rotation of the two arm components, and improves the freedom of posture of various components installed at the front end of the main arm component compared with the past.

Technical means used to solve the problem

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention comprises a main arm component, a sub-arm component rotatably connected to the above-mentioned main arm component, and an angle changing unit which changes the connection angle between the above-mentioned main arm component and the above-mentioned sub-arm component; the root end portion of the above-mentioned main arm component and the root end portion of the above-mentioned sub-arm component on the side opposite to the connection side are located on the same imaginary straight line, and the first distance from the root end portion of the above-mentioned main arm component to the connection portion with the above-mentioned sub-arm component, the second distance from the above-mentioned connection portion of the above-mentioned main arm component to the front end portion, and the third distance from the root end portion of the above-mentioned sub-arm component to the above-mentioned connection portion are equal; the Scott-Russell mechanism device is characterized in that the above-mentioned main arm component is made into a boomerang-like shape which is bent in a manner to bypass the above-mentioned connection portion toward the opposite side of the side where the above-mentioned sub-arm component is located.

In the present invention, since the main arm member is shaped like a boomerang that is bent in a manner to bypass the side opposite to the side where the auxiliary arm member is located, even if the main arm member and the auxiliary arm member are offset, when the connection angle is changed in a manner so that the root ends of the two arm members are separated from each other, the interference between the arm members at the position involving the connection of the two arm members is also alleviated, and it is easy to make the front end of the main arm member close to the side of the auxiliary arm member.

In addition, the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention is characterized in that: the above-mentioned auxiliary arm component is formed into a straight line; the above-mentioned main arm component forms a first range portion from the root end portion to the portion involving the above-mentioned connection portion and a second range portion from the portion involving the above-mentioned connection portion to the front end portion into a straight line, and is bent at the portion involving the above-mentioned connection portion; the degree of bending of the above-mentioned main arm component becomes an angle that makes the second range portion of the above-mentioned main arm component parallel to the above-mentioned auxiliary arm component when the above-mentioned angle changing unit changes the connection angle in a manner that makes the root ends of the above-mentioned main arm component and the above-mentioned auxiliary arm component farthest from each other.

In the present invention, when the connection angle is changed so that the root ends of the main arm member and the auxiliary arm member are farthest from each other, the bending condition of the main arm member is set so that the second range portion of the main arm member becomes parallel to the straight auxiliary arm member. This allows the front end of the main arm member to approach the auxiliary arm member to the extent that the front end of the main arm member is adjacent to the root end of the auxiliary arm member. In addition, the so-called parallel angle does not require exact parallelism with respect to the auxiliary arm member, but means that a slight angular deviation is included. In the present invention, if the angle is within a range of plus or minus 10 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the auxiliary arm member, it can be called parallel. (In other descriptions, the term "parallel" also includes the deviation range of plus or minus 10 degrees from the exact parallelism.)

Furthermore, the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention is characterized in that: the above-mentioned main arm component and the above-mentioned auxiliary arm component can rotate with the above-mentioned imaginary straight line as the rotation axis; the above-mentioned angle changing unit includes a first ball screw arranged parallel to the above-mentioned imaginary straight line and a first direct-acting component that is directly moved by the rotation of the above-mentioned first ball screw; either the root end of the above-mentioned main arm component or the root end of the above-mentioned auxiliary arm component is connected to the above-mentioned first direct-acting component in a state where it can rotate with the above-mentioned imaginary straight line as the rotation axis; and it is provided with a rotation driving source for driving the above-mentioned main arm component and the above-mentioned auxiliary arm component to rotate with the above-mentioned rotation axis as the center.

In the present invention, since the rotation of the first ball screw causes one of the root ends of the two arm members to move linearly, and the rotation (swing) of the two arm members is driven about the imaginary straight line connecting the root ends of the two arm members as the rotation axis, only the two arm members swing. Therefore, the first ball screw is excluded from the swing object, and the driving torque related to the swing is reduced compared to the swing of the two arm members of the industrial robot in the above-mentioned reference 1, and the two arm members can be smoothly swung.

In addition, the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention is characterized in that: the above-mentioned angle changing unit also includes a second ball screw arranged parallel to the above-mentioned first ball screw and a second direct-acting component that is directly moved by the rotation of the above-mentioned second ball screw; either the root end of the above-mentioned auxiliary arm component or the root end of the above-mentioned main arm component is connected to the above-mentioned second direct-acting component in a state where it can rotate with the above-mentioned imaginary straight line as the rotation axis.

In the present invention, since the second ball screw can linearly move the base end of either the auxiliary arm or the main arm, multiple variations in the movement of the base ends of both arms are possible, enabling flexible movement of the main arm's tip. Specifically, the main arm's tip can be moved independently by moving only the base end of the main arm, only the base end of the auxiliary arm, or both base ends. Furthermore, by moving both base ends of the two arms in the same direction and by the same amount, the arms can be moved as a whole while maintaining their posture.

In addition, the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention is characterized in that: the joint component can be rotatably connected to the front end portion of the above-mentioned main arm component; the rotation axis involving the rotation of the above-mentioned joint component is parallel to the axis involving the rotation of the connection part of the above-mentioned main arm component and the above-mentioned auxiliary arm component; it is equipped with a rotation mechanism part that automatically rotates the above-mentioned joint component in conjunction with the angle change generated by the above-mentioned angle changing unit, and a rotation drive unit that rotates the above-mentioned joint component via the above-mentioned rotation mechanism part independently of the angle change generated by the above-mentioned angle changing unit.

In the present invention, since the joint component rotatably connected to the front end portion of the main arm component can be rotated in two ways, namely, rotating the joint component in conjunction with the angle change of the connection portion of the two arm components and rotating the joint component independently of the angle change, it becomes possible to displace the posture of the joint component in two rotational ways in accordance with the purpose of the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention.

Furthermore, the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention is characterized in that: a joint component is rotatably connected to the front end portion of the above-mentioned main arm component; a rotation axis involving the rotation of the above-mentioned joint component is parallel to the axis involving the rotation of the connection portion of the above-mentioned main arm component and the above-mentioned auxiliary arm component; and a rotation drive unit is provided on the front end side of the above-mentioned main arm component compared to the above-mentioned connection portion, which rotates the above-mentioned joint component.

In the present invention, since the rotation of the joint component, which is rotatably connected to the front end of the main arm member, is driven by the rotation drive unit, the posture of the joint component can be freely controlled. In addition, because the rotation drive unit is located on the front end side of the main arm member relative to the connection point, the distance to the joint component is shortened, allowing the transmission mechanism involved in the drive to be compactly concentrated.

Furthermore, the Scott-Russell mechanism of the present invention is characterized in that a rotating member having a rotating portion is connected to the joint member.

In the present invention, since the rotating component is connected to the joint component, the rotating component has a rotating portion that can rotate independently of the displacement of the front end portion of the main arm component. Therefore, the freedom of posture of the rotating portion of the rotating component provided on the front end side of the main arm component is improved. If various components corresponding to various uses are installed on the rotating portion, the use of the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention can be expanded.

In addition, the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention is characterized in that: the rotating member is rotatably connected to the above-mentioned joint component; the axis of rotation of the above-mentioned rotating member is parallel to the rotation axis of the above-mentioned joint component; and the rotating member having a rotating portion is connected to the above-mentioned rotating member.

In the present invention, since the rotating member is rotatably connected to the joint component, and the rotating component having a rotating portion is connected to the rotating member, the rotating component installed relative to the joint component via the rotating member can displace its rotating portion independently of the displacement of the front end portion of the main arm component. Therefore, the posture freedom of the rotating portion of the rotating component located at the front end is further improved, and the application of the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention can be further expanded.

Furthermore, the Scott-Russell mechanism of the present invention is characterized in that the holding member is attached to the rotating portion of the rotating member.

In the present invention, since the gripping member is mounted on the rotating portion of the rotating member, the Scott-Russell mechanism of the present invention can be applied to applications where the workpiece to be gripped is gripped flexibly in accordance with its orientation, by virtue of the rotating portion of the rotating member having a greater degree of posture displacement than before.

In addition, the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention is characterized in that: a rotating component having a rotating portion is connected to the above-mentioned joint component; and a rotating component having a rotating portion that can rotate around an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the above-mentioned joint component is connected to the rotating portion of the above-mentioned rotating component.

In the present invention, since the joint member, the rotating member, and the rotatable member are connected in this order, the rotatable member located at the front end can be displaced in a different range of posture compared to the case where they are connected in a different order.

Furthermore, the Scott-Russell mechanism of the present invention is characterized in that a holding member is attached to the front end side of the rotating member.

In the present invention, since the gripping member is attached to the front end side of the rotating member, the gripping member can be rotated at the closest position to the workpiece to be gripped, and a Scott-Russell mechanism having a gripping function suitable for such gripping applications can be provided.

Effects of the Invention

In the present invention, since the main arm member is shaped like a boomerang, even if the main arm member and the auxiliary arm member are offset, the interference between the arm members can be alleviated at the location where the two arm members are connected. Compared with the previous device without an offset configuration, the front end of the main arm member can be brought close to the closest position of the auxiliary arm member.

Furthermore, in the present invention, when the connection angle is changed so that the root ends of the main arm member and the auxiliary arm member are farthest from each other, the bending condition of the main arm member is set so that the second range portion of the main arm member is parallel to the straight auxiliary arm member, thereby making it possible to bring the front end portion of the main arm member closer to the root end portion of the auxiliary arm member.

In the present invention, since the rotation of the first ball screw causes either of the root ends of the two arm components to move linearly, and the rotation (rotation) of the two arm components is driven with the imaginary straight line connecting the root ends of the two arm components as the rotation axis, only the two arm components are rotated. Therefore, compared with previous devices, the driving torque involved in the rotation can be reduced, and the two arm components can be rotated smoothly.

In addition, in the present invention, since the second ball screw can move the root end of either the auxiliary arm component or the main arm component linearly, multiple variations can be set in the movement mode of the root ends of the two arm components, and the front end of the main arm component can be flexibly moved.

In the present invention, since the joint component rotatably connected to the front end portion of the main arm component can be rotated in two ways, namely, rotating the joint component in conjunction with the angle change of the connection part of the two arm components and rotating the joint component independently of the angle change, the application of the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention can be expanded.

In addition, in the present invention, since the rotation of the joint component rotatably connected to the front end of the main arm component is driven by the rotation drive unit, the posture of the joint component can be freely controlled. In addition, since the rotation drive unit is arranged on the front end side of the main arm component compared to the connection part, the distance to the joint component becomes closer, which can realize the compactness of the transmission mechanism involving the drive.

In the present invention, since the rotating component having a rotating portion is connected to the joint component, the rotating portion of the rotating component can rotate independently of the displacement of the front end portion of the main arm component. Therefore, the displacement degree of the rotating portion of the rotating component connected to the front end side of the main arm component can be increased, further expanding the application of the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention.

In addition, in the present invention, since the rotating member is rotatably connected to the joint component, and the rotating member having a rotating portion is connected to the rotating member, the rotating member installed relative to the joint component via the rotating member can displace its rotating portion independently of the displacement of the front end portion of the main arm component, thereby further improving the degree of posture displacement of the rotating portion located at the front end.

Furthermore, in the present invention, since a gripping member is installed on the rotating portion of the rotating member, the rotating portion of the rotating member with improved posture displacement can flexibly grip (clamp) the workpiece to be gripped in accordance with its orientation, and the Scott-Russell mechanism type device of the present invention can be appropriately utilized for gripping purposes.

In the present invention, since the joint parts, the rotating parts, and the rotatable parts are connected in this order, the rotatable parts can be displaced in a different range than when connected in the above-mentioned different order, which can further expand the application of the Scott-Russell mechanism device of the present invention.

Furthermore, in the present invention, since the gripping member is attached to the front end of the rotating member, the gripping member can be rotated at the closest position to the workpiece to be gripped, thereby providing a Scott-Russell mechanism having a gripping function suitable for such gripping applications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a perspective view showing a Scott-Russell mechanism according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG2 is a perspective view showing the Scott-Russell mechanism device according to the first embodiment, with covers covering the outer periphery removed.

FIG3 is a side view of the main arm member and auxiliary arm member of the Scott-Russell mechanism as viewed from one direction.

FIG4 is a side view of the Scott-Russell mechanism as viewed from another direction.

FIG5 is a top view of the Scott-Russell mechanism.

FIG6 is a rear view of the column component of the Scott-Russell mechanism.

FIG7 is a front view of the column member showing a main portion as viewed from line E-E in FIG4 .

FIG8 is an enlarged view of the main portion showing the front end portion of the main arm member.

FIG9 is a side view of the Scott-Russell mechanism showing a state in which the base ends of the main arm member and the auxiliary arm member are separated from each other.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a workpiece to be grasped.

FIG11 (a) is a schematic diagram showing various components connected to the front end side of the main arm member according to a modification, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing various components according to another modification.

FIG12 is a perspective view showing a Scott-Russell mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG13 is a perspective view showing a state where a cover covering the outer periphery of the Scott-Russell mechanism according to the second embodiment is removed.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the front end portion of the main arm member of the Scott-Russell mechanism according to the second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG1 shows a Scott-Russell mechanism 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The Scott-Russell mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment is a device suitable for gripping applications. A gripping member 70 is attached to the tip of a main arm 40, which is rotatably connected to a sub-arm 50, via a joint member 60 and a rotating member 65. A column member 10 extending vertically is provided at the base of the main arm 40 and sub-arm 50. This column member 10 includes a second linearly movable slider 20 (equivalent to the second linearly movable member in the present invention) and a first linearly movable slider 30 (equivalent to the first linearly movable member in the present invention). These first and second sliders 20 and 30 are connected to the base (root end) of the main arm 40 and sub-arm 30.

FIG1 shows the appearance of the various covers that form the periphery of the Scott-Russell mechanism 1. These covers include side covers 10a and 10b of the column member 10, a front side cover 10c, a peripheral cover 20a for the second slider 20, a peripheral cover 30a for the first slider 30, a motor cover 30b for the first slider 30, side covers 40a and 40b covering both sides of the main arm member 41 of the main arm 40, side covers 50a and 50b covering both sides of the auxiliary arm member 51 of the auxiliary arm 50, a motor cover 50c for the auxiliary arm 50, and a motor cover 65a for the rotating member 65. Furthermore, the Scott-Russell mechanism 1 includes an external wire connection section 2 comprising three connectors below one of the side covers 10a of the column member 10. This external wire connection portion 2 has a connector for a power line for driving the motors (motors M1 to M5), a connector for a detection line for detecting the motor rotation amount (detection performed by a rotary encoder built into the motor), and a connector for a control line for a drive valve of an air pressure cylinder included in the holding part 70.

The X-axis direction shown in Figure 1 corresponds to a direction parallel to the thickness direction of the column member 10 (see Figures 5 to 7 ). The Y-axis direction corresponds to a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the column member 10 and is also perpendicular to the X-axis. Furthermore, the Z-axis direction corresponds to a direction parallel to the width direction of the column member 10 and is also perpendicular to both the X-axis and the Y-axis. These X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions are also common in the other figures (see Figure 2 and below).

FIG2 shows the Scott-Russell mechanism 1 with the various covers and the like removed from FIG1 to illustrate the internal structure. (FIG. 3 and below also show the various covers and the like removed. In addition, for simplicity, the gripping member 70 and the like are omitted from FIG3 to 9.) The following describes the structure of the column member 10, first slider 30, second slider 20, main arm 40, auxiliary arm 50, joint member 60, rotating member 65, and gripping member 70 of the Scott-Russell mechanism 1.

The column member 10 shown in Figures 2, 6, and 7 has linear slide rails 11a and 11b on both sides of the front side where the main arm 40 and auxiliary arm 50 are located, extending substantially throughout the entire height of the column member 10. Furthermore, the column member 10 has a first ball screw 12 and a second ball screw 14 disposed inwardly of the slide rails 11a and 11b and parallel to the Y-axis. The first ball screw 12 is used for the linear motion of the first slider 30, and the second ball screw 14 is used for the linear motion of the second slider 20. In this embodiment, in order to make the movement amount of the second slider 20 larger than that of the first slider 30, the screw shaft length of the second ball screw 14 is formed to be longer than that of the first ball screw 12 (about 3 times in this embodiment), but in order to prevent the height dimension of the column component 10 from being enlarged, the ball screws 12 and 14 on both sides are arranged in an overlapping manner in the Y-axis direction, and by staggering multiple plates in the connection with each slider 30 and 20 as described later (by offsetting them), the first slider 30 and the second slider 20 can be located in a row in the Y-axis direction.

6 and 7 , the lower end of the first ball screw 12 is connected to the first motor M1, and the lower end of the second ball screw 14 is connected to the second motor M2. Driven by these motors M1 and M2, the first and second ball screws 12 and 14 can rotate in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

The first ball screw 12 is fitted with a ball screw nut 13 (see FIG. 6 ) whose portion is cylindrical. The ball screw nut 13 moves in the Y-axis direction due to the rotation of the first ball screw 12 .

The ball screw nut 13 engages with the connecting bracket 34 of the first slider 30. This connecting bracket 34 is mounted on the sliding plate 33, which is linearly guided by the slide rails 11a and 11b (see Figures 2, 6, and 7). Furthermore, the first slider 30 is mounted parallel to the sliding plate 33 with a spacer interposed therebetween, providing a predetermined gap. Furthermore, the first slider 30 is provided with a mounting bracket 31 for the auxiliary arm 50, extending vertically from the bracket plate 32 in the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, the front side cover 10c of the column member 10 is positioned in the gap between the sliding plate 33 and the bracket plate 32. Even when the sliding plate 33 moves along the slide rails 11a and 11b, the front side cover 10c maintains coverage of the interior of the column member 10.

The first slider 30 has a rotation support member 35 including a bearing and the like mounted on the upper surface of the front end 31a of the mounting bracket 31 (in the direction indicated by the Y-axis arrow). A connecting member 36 is mounted on the upper portion of the rotation support member 35. Furthermore, the first slider 30 has a third motor M3 (equivalent to the rotational drive source in the present invention) mounted on the lower surface of the mounting bracket 31 (in the direction opposite to the Y-axis arrow). Driven by the third motor M3, the connecting member 36 can be rotated in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction via the rotation support member 35. In addition, since the first slider 30 is installed in a manner that the rotating support part 35 and the connecting member 36 are upright on the upper surface of the mounting bracket 31, interference between the auxiliary arm 50 (auxiliary arm component 51) connected to this connecting member 36 and the mounting bracket 31 can be avoided. As a result, for example, the auxiliary arm 50 (auxiliary arm component 51) can be displaced to the posture shown in Figure 9, which is ultimately conducive to pulling the front end of the main arm 40 (main arm component 41) to the closest position near the root of the auxiliary arm 50 (auxiliary arm component 51).

The second slider 20 has essentially the same structure as the first slider 30 described above. A connecting bracket 24 is attached to the ball screw nut 15 engaged with the second ball screw 14 (see Figure 6 . The ball screw nut 15 also moves in the Y-axis direction due to the rotation of the second ball screw 14). This connecting bracket 24 is mounted on a slide plate 23 linearly guided by the slide rails 11a and 11b (see Figures 2, 6, and 7 ). Furthermore, a bracket plate 22 is mounted parallel to the second slider 20, covering the upper portion of the slide plate 23, separated by a spacer with a predetermined gap. A mounting bracket 21 for the main arm 40 is mounted on this bracket plate 22.

Furthermore, the second slider 20 has a connecting member 25 rotatably mounted on the lower surface (opposite to the direction of the Y-axis arrow) of the front end 21a (side) of the mounting bracket 21, with a bearing or the like interposed therebetween. The center axis of rotation of this connecting member 25 and the center axis of the connecting member 36 of the first slider 30 are located on the same straight line parallel to the Y-axis. Specifically, the rotation axes (rotational axes) of the connecting members 25 and 36 coincide with the first axis L1 (equivalent to the imaginary straight line) shown in FIG. 4 .

The base end 41a of the main arm member 41, which forms the main arm 40, is rotatably connected to the connecting member 25 of the second slider 20. Furthermore, since the connecting member 25 is mounted so as to be suspended from below the mounting bracket 21, interference between the main arm 40 (main arm member 41) and the mounting bracket 21 is avoided, similar to the auxiliary arm 50 (auxiliary arm member 51) described above. This allows the main arm 40 (main arm member 41) to be displaced to the position shown in FIG9 . The main arm member 41 has the required rigidity and, as shown in FIG3 and FIG4 , is bent at a longitudinal intermediate portion 41d (and a connecting portion 41b on the opposite side of the intermediate portion 41d, which is connected to the auxiliary arm member 50), giving it an overall boomerang-like shape (the shape of the Hiragana character "へ"). Specifically, the main arm member 41 is formed into a shape bent at the connection portion 41b so that the range from the root end portion 41a on the connection side of the connection member 25 with the second slider 20 to the middle portion 41d (connection portion 41b) is formed as a linear first range portion 42, and the range from the middle portion 41d (connection portion 41b) to the front end portion 41c is formed as a linear second range portion 43 (refer to Figure 3), so that the angle on the connection portion 41b side sandwiched by these first range portions 42 and second range portions 43 is less than 180 degrees.

The angle on the connection portion 41b side is set so that, when the root ends 41a, 51a of the main arm member 41 and the auxiliary arm member 51 are at their maximum distance from each other, as described later, the second range portion 43 of the main arm member 41 and the auxiliary arm member 51 are parallel (see FIG9 ). In this embodiment, strict parallelism is not required between the second range portion 43 of the main arm member 41 and the auxiliary arm member 51. Although a deviation of approximately 2 degrees is possible, a deviation within a range of approximately 10 degrees is considered parallel under the definition of the present invention.

Furthermore, the main arm member 41 has a plate-shaped protrusion 44 projecting from the portion serving as the connection portion 41b for connection to the auxiliary arm member 51. Consequently, the main arm member 41 is bent so that the intermediate portion 41d connecting the first range portion 42 and the second range portion 43 passes around the protrusion 44 of the connection portion 41b toward the side opposite to the side where the auxiliary arm member 51 is located.

The main arm member 41 has a recess 41f (see FIG. 2 ) formed at its base end 41a. A connecting member 25, projecting downward from the second slider 20, is positioned within this recess 41f. The base end 41a of the main arm member 41 and the connecting member 25 are rotatably connected by a connecting shaft 45 (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 ). Furthermore, the connecting shaft 45 is an axis parallel to the thickness direction of the main arm member 41 (parallel to the X-axis when the arm is not pivoted, as shown in FIG. 2 ), corresponding to the fourth axis L4 shown in FIG. Similarly to the base end 41a, the main arm member 41 also has a recess 41g (see FIG. 2 ) formed at its front end 41c for connection to the joint component 60, described later. Furthermore, the main arm member 41 maintains the required dimensions (height and thickness) in a cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal direction, thereby enabling the routing and placement of electrical wiring for the motor and various control functions, air supply pipes for the air pressure cylinder, and the like within the member.

Furthermore, the main arm member 41 is provided with a rotation mechanism 80 (see Figures 2, 3, and 8) on one side surface 41e of the second range portion 43 and the convex portion 44 of the connection portion 41b. The rotation mechanism 80 is a rotation mechanism that transmits the amount of rotation generated by the rotation of the connection portion 41b between the main arm member 41 and the auxiliary arm member 51 to the rotation of the joint component 60 connected to the front end portion 41c of the main arm member 41.

As also shown in FIG8 , the rotation mechanism 80 includes a first pulley 81 provided on the connecting shaft 46 serving as the connection center between the main arm member 41 and the auxiliary arm member 51; an intermediate pulley 82 provided near the intermediate portion 41d of the main arm member 41; a final pulley 83 (having the same diameter as the first pulley 81) provided on the connecting shaft 47 at the front end 41c of the main arm member 41; and a tension pulley 84 provided near the intermediate pulley 82. A belt 85 is looped around each of these pulleys 81-84. Furthermore, these connecting shafts 46 and 47 are also parallel to the connecting shaft 45. In FIG5 , the connecting shaft 46 corresponds to the sixth axis L6, and the connecting shaft 47 corresponds to the seventh axis L7.

With this rotating mechanism 80, if the connection angle between the main arm member 41 and the auxiliary arm member 51 changes, the connecting shaft 46 at the connection portion 41b rotates (rotates). Consequently, the first pulley 81 rotates, and this rotation is transmitted to the final pulley 83 via the belt 85, causing the connecting shaft 47 at the front end portion 41c to rotate along with the final pulley 83. With this transmission mechanism, the connecting shaft 47 at the front end portion 41c of the main arm member 41 (and the joint member 60 mounted on the connecting shaft 47) can be automatically rotated in conjunction with the change in the angle of the connection portion 41b (the amount of rotation transmitted from the first pulley 81 to the final pulley 83 is equal).

Next, the auxiliary arm member 51 will be described. The auxiliary arm member 51 is a linear member with the required rigidity. Similar to the main arm member 41, a recess 51e is formed at its base end 51a. The connecting member 36, projecting upward from the first slider 30, is positioned within this recess 51e. The base end 51a of the auxiliary arm member 51 and the connecting member 36 are rotatably connected by a connecting shaft 52 (see Figures 2 and 3). The connecting shaft 52 is also parallel to the connecting shaft 45 described above and corresponds to the fifth axis L5 in Figure 5. Furthermore, the auxiliary arm member 51 has the required dimensions (height and thickness) in a cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal direction, allowing for the routing and arrangement of the motor and various control wiring within the member.

The front end portion 51b of the auxiliary arm member 51 is superimposed on one surface of the plate-shaped protrusion 44 provided at the connection portion 41b of the main arm member 41, and is rotatably mounted on the aforementioned connecting shaft 46. The auxiliary arm member 51 thus connected changes the angle of connection with the main arm member 41 by rotating the connecting shaft 46.

Furthermore, the auxiliary arm member 51 has a fourth motor M4 mounted on one side surface 51c, offset from the base end 51a (see Figures 2 and 3). The drive output of this fourth motor M4 is transmitted to a drive transmission mechanism 90 (see Figure 4) located on the other side surface 51d of the auxiliary arm member 51. The drive transmission mechanism 90 consists of a drive pulley 91 connected to the output shaft of the fourth motor M4, a driven pulley 92 mounted on the connecting shaft 46 of the connection portion 41b, and a belt 93 wrapped around each of these pulleys 91 and 92. When the output shaft of the fourth motor M4 rotates, this rotation is transmitted to the drive pulley 91, and the belt 93 rotates the driven pulley 92, driving the rotation of the connecting shaft 46 of the connection portion 41b. Therefore, the fourth motor M4 and the drive transmission mechanism 90 constitute the rotational drive unit of the present invention.

As shown in FIG4 , the main arm member 41 and auxiliary arm member 51 of the above-described structure have the connecting axis 45 on the base 41a side of the main arm member 41 designated as "A," the connecting axis 46 on the connecting portion 41b designated as "B," the connecting axis 47 on the tip 41c side designated as "C," and the connecting axis 52 on the base 51a side of the auxiliary arm member 51 designated as "D." Even if the connecting angle (the angle formed by the first range portion 42 of the main arm member 41 and the auxiliary arm member 51) between the two arm members 41 and 51 changes, "A," "B," and "C" remain on the same straight line. Furthermore, the first distance from "A" to "B," the second distance from "B" to "C," and the third distance from "D" to "B" are all equal. Therefore, even if the main arm member 41 is bent into a boomerang shape, the main arm member 41 and auxiliary arm member 51 maintain the Scott-Russell mechanism. Furthermore, "A" and "D" are also located on the first axis L1, which corresponds to the imaginary straight line, and the straight line connecting "C" and "D" is perpendicular to the first axis L1. Furthermore, in the Scott-Russell mechanism, due to its operational characteristics, even if the connection angle is changed at a constant rate (at the same speed), the movement condition (movement speed) of the front end of the main arm member 41 is not constant. Specifically, due to the constant rate of change in the connection angle, the further the base ends 41a, 51a of the two arm members 41, 51 move away from each other (as the base ends 41a, 51a move away from each other), the faster the movement condition (movement speed) of the front end of the main arm member 41 becomes.

FIG5 shows a top view of the auxiliary arm member 51 connected to the main arm member 41 as described above. The auxiliary arm member 51 is positioned within the thickness dimension of the main arm member 41 (the X-axis direction in FIG5 ). This significantly reduces the thickness dimension of the two arm members 41, 51 compared to conventional devices (devices in which two arms are connected in an overlapping manner, as shown in Patent Documents 2 to 5 mentioned above). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the two arm members 41, 51 are connected so that their longitudinal center lines (center lines L8 shown in FIG5 ) are aligned when viewed from above.

Next, the joint component 60, the rotating component 65, and the holding component 70 connected to the front end side of the main arm component 41 are described. The joint component 60 is composed of a rectangular parallelepiped joint component 61, and the rear end portion 61a is arranged in a recess 41g formed on the front end side of the above-mentioned main arm component 41, and is mounted on the connecting shaft 47. Therefore, if the connecting shaft 47 rotates, the joint component 60 also rotates. In addition, the joint component 60 is fixed to the connecting shaft 47 in such a manner that the direction axis from the rear end portion 61a to the front end portion 61b of the joint component 61 (equivalent to the second axis L2 shown in Figure 4) is parallel to the center axis of rotation of the base end side of the two arm components 41, 51 (equivalent to the first axis L1 shown in Figure 4) in the reference state (origin return state). Therefore, even if the connection angle of the connection part 41b of the two arm components 41 and 51 changes, the second axis L2 involving the joint component 60 can be maintained in a state of automatically becoming parallel to the first axis L1 through the action of the above-mentioned rotating mechanism part 80 provided on the main arm component 41.

The side of the joint component 60 is connected to the rotating component 65. The rotating component 65 has a fifth motor M5 inside, a support plate 66 that supports the front end of the fifth motor M5, and a rotating portion 67 rotated by the fifth motor M5 (see Figures 2, 4, 8, etc.). As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the fifth motor M5 is arranged so that its rotation axis (equivalent to the third axis L3) is parallel to the direction axis (second axis L2) of the joint component 60.

A gripping member 70 is mounted on the rotating portion 67 of the rotating member 65. The gripping member 70 has gripping claws 71 (see FIG. 2 ) facing each other, each corresponding to the shape of the workpiece to be gripped. The gripping claws 71 can be opened and closed by an air cylinder.

Next, the first motor M1 to the fifth motor M5 will be described. Each motor M1 to M5 of this embodiment uses a motor with a rotary encoder, and the rotation amount detected by the rotary encoder can detect the working status of each motor M1 to M5. In addition, in this embodiment, the motors M1, M2, and M4 are given a braking function, thereby stabilizing the posture of the main arm component 41 and the auxiliary arm component 51 when they are not moving (of course, the motors M3 and M5 can also have a braking function). These motors M1 to M5 are respectively connected to a motor controller (not shown), and the rotation of each motor M1 to M5 is individually controlled. In addition, depending on the situation, multiple motors are also synchronously controlled.

Regarding the first motor M1, if it is driven to rotate, the first slider 30 moves linearly in the direction of arrow (3) or arrow (4) shown in FIG. 4 , depending on the direction of rotation. Furthermore, if the second motor M2 is driven, the second slider 20 moves linearly in the direction of arrow (1) or arrow (2) shown in FIG. 4 , depending on the direction of rotation.

Therefore, if the second motor M2 is rotated in a manner such that the second slider 20 moves in a straight direction as shown in FIG. 4 as indicated by arrow (1), the connection angle between the first range portion 42 of the main arm member 41 and the auxiliary arm member 51 is changed so as to increase. In addition, if the second motor M2 is rotated in a manner such that the second slider 20 moves in a straight direction as indicated by arrow (2), the connection angle is changed so as to decrease. Furthermore, if the first motor M1 is rotated in a manner such that the first slider 30 moves in a straight direction as indicated by arrow (4), the connection angle increases, and if the first motor M1 is rotated in a manner such that the first slider 30 moves in a straight direction as indicated by arrow (3), the connection angle decreases. Since such a change in the connection angle is performed by the column member 10, the first slider 30, and the second slider 20, the column member 10, the first slider 30, and the second slider 20 function as the angle changing means in the present invention.

Furthermore, when it is desired to rapidly increase the connection angle, the rotations of the first and second motors M1 and M2 are controlled so that the second slider 20 moves in the direction of arrow (1) and the first slider 30 moves in the direction of arrow (4) simultaneously. Similarly, when it is desired to rapidly decrease the connection angle, the rotations of the first and second motors M1 and M2 are controlled so that the second slider 20 moves in the direction of arrow (2) and the first slider 30 moves in the direction of arrow (3) simultaneously.

By controlling the rotation of the first and second motors M1 and M2 in this manner, when the base ends 41a, 51a of the two arm members 41, 51 are positioned at their greatest distance from each other, the second range portion 43 of the main arm member 41 becomes parallel to the auxiliary arm member 51, as shown in FIG9 . This allows the tip end 41a of the main arm member 41 to be brought close to the immediate vicinity of the base end 51a of the auxiliary arm member 51, making the Scott-Russell mechanism 1 of this embodiment suitable for applications requiring the tip end of the main arm member 41 to be pulled toward the side of the column member 10. Furthermore, due to the aforementioned Scott-Russell mechanism's inherent operational characteristics, even at a constant rate of change in the connection angle (constant angle change rate), the further the base ends 41a, 51a move away from each other, the faster the movement speed of the tip end 41a of the main arm member 41 increases. Therefore, the tip end 41a of the main arm member 41 can be quickly pulled toward the column member 10, enabling highly efficient pulling.

In addition, the second slider 20 and the first slider 30 can also be controlled to directly move the first and second motors M1 and M2 in the same direction at the same speed. In such control, the connection angle is maintained unchanged, and the main arm component 41 and the auxiliary arm component 51 are moved up and down along the Y axis.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG5 , the rotation of the third motor M3 causes the main arm member 41 and the auxiliary arm member 51 to rotate (swivel) about the first axis L1 in the direction of the arrow in FIG5 . During this swivel, the heavy column member 10 is not involved. Therefore, compared to the conventional industrial robot of Patent Document 1, the driving torque required to apply to the third motor M3 is reduced, thereby achieving smooth and responsive rotational motion. Furthermore, the fourth motor M4, mounted on the auxiliary arm member 51, is positioned so that it does not interfere with the column member 10 even during a large swivel.

Next, the rotation of the fourth motor M4 will be described. First, when the fourth motor M4 is not rotated and is in a free state, even if either the second slider 20 or the first slider 30 is linearly moved as described above to change the connection angle, the joint component 60 connected to the front end portion 41c of the main arm member 41 is automatically rotated by the rotation mechanism 80 so that its direction axis (the second axis L2. Refer to Figure 4) maintains a parallel state with the first axis L1. In addition, if the fourth motor M4 is rotated, the rotation of the fourth motor M4 is transmitted to the connecting shaft 47 via the drive transmission mechanism 90 and the rotation mechanism 80, and the joint component 60 can be rotated independently of the above-mentioned rotation. Therefore, the joint component 60, controlled by the rotation of the fourth motor M4, can rotate with the head swung around the connecting shaft 47.

Furthermore, rotating the fifth motor M5 rotates the gripping member 70 about the third axis L3, allowing the orientation of the gripping claws 71 to be freely changed. Furthermore, by combining the rotations of the motors M1 to M5, the position and posture of the gripping member 70 can be freely adjusted. Consequently, the Scott-Russell mechanism 1 of this embodiment can be suitably used, for example, in situations where workpieces W are randomly stacked in various orientations on the table surface of a table, such as that shown in FIG10 .

Furthermore, the Scott-Russell mechanism 1 of the first embodiment is not limited to the above-described configuration, and various modifications are contemplated. For example, the main arm member 41 may be bent in a boomerang shape, rather than having a straight first range portion 42 and a second range portion 43 bent at the intermediate portion 41d (connection portion 41b), to eliminate the bending point at the intermediate portion 41d (connection portion 41b) and create a shape that is less likely to cause stress concentration.

In addition, when it is desired to orient the gripping member 70 upward (in the direction indicated by the arrow on the Y-axis), the main arm member 41 and the auxiliary arm member 51 may be arranged inversely, with the root end 41a of the main arm member 41 connected to the first slider 30, and the root end 51a of the auxiliary arm member 51 connected to the second slider 20. Furthermore, in order to simplify the structure, either the drive system involving the first ball screw 12 and the first slider 30 or the drive system involving the second ball screw 14 and the second slider 20 may be omitted, so that only the root end 41a of the main arm member 41 or the root end 51a of the auxiliary arm member 51 can move linearly (such a simplified structure can also be applied when the main arm member 41 and the auxiliary arm member 51 are arranged inversely).

Moreover, regarding the mechanism for rotating the joint component 60 in conjunction with the change in the connection angle, in order to automatically rotate the joint component 61 in such a manner that the direction axis (the second axis L2 shown in FIG4 ) more accurately maintains a state parallel to the central axis of rotation of the two arm components 41 and 51 (the first axis L1 shown in FIG4 ), it is preferable to make it into the following structure. That is, the drive pulley 91 shown in FIG4 is fixed to the connecting shaft 52 on the root end 51a side of the auxiliary arm component 51, and this connecting shaft 52 is also fixed to the root end 51a. For example, a keyway is provided on the connecting shaft 52 and the shaft hole, and the connecting shaft 52 is fixed to both the drive pulley 91 and the auxiliary arm component 51 by pressing the key. In addition, in this structure, the fourth motor M4 is moved to the main arm component 41 for configuration as described later. With the above-described structure, the drive pulley 91 rotates as the base end 51a of the auxiliary arm member 51 rotates, and the amount of rotation is transmitted from the driven pulley 92 via the rotation mechanism 80 shown in Figure 8 to the connecting shaft 47 of the front end 41c of the main arm member 41. Therefore, the joint component 60 (joint member 61) rotates by the amount of rotation of the base end 51a of the auxiliary arm member 51. Therefore, even if the connection angle between the two members 41 and 51 changes, the parallel state of the second axis L2 and the first axis L1 is more accurately maintained.

In the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the fourth motor M4 is disposed on the main arm member 41 so as to drive any one of the first pulley 81, the intermediate pulley 82, or the final pulley 83 of the rotation mechanism 80 shown in FIG8 . Thus, the joint component 60 (joint member 61) can be rotated in two ways, through the aforementioned automatic rotation and the controlled rotation by the fourth motor M4.

Alternatively, the third motor M3 can be positioned on the side of the second slide 20. However, since the third motor M3 has a predetermined weight, it is preferably positioned on the slide that moves less frequently. Furthermore, the components mounted on the front end of the main arm member 41 can be connected to various components depending on the intended use.

Figures 11(a) and 11(b) show modified examples of various components connected to the front end 41c of the main arm member 41. Figure 11(a) shows the portion where the joint member 60 and the rotating member 65 are connected to the front end 41c of the main arm member 41. The portion is the same as described above, but the front end side thereof is different from the above. That is, the rotating portion 67 of the rotating member 65 is connected to the rotating member 75, and the gripping member 70' is mounted on the front end side of the rotating member 75. The rotating member 75 is a member that rotatably connects the first member 76 and the second member 77 by a connecting shaft 78. This connecting shaft 78 is a shaft parallel to the connecting shaft 47 of the front end 41c of the main arm member 41. The second member 77 is rotated by rotating this connecting shaft 78 by a motor (not shown) mounted on the first member 76. As a result, the degree of freedom regarding the posture of the gripping member 70' mounted on the front end 77a of the second member 77 can be further improved.

FIG11(b) shows another modified example. An arm-shaped joint member 60′ is rotatably connected to the front end 41c of the main arm member 41, and an intermediate member 63 (equivalent to a rotating member) is rotatably connected to the front end 60a′ of the joint member 60′. The connecting axis 62, which relates to the rotation of the front end 60a′, is parallel to the connecting axis 47 of the front end 41c of the main arm member 41. Furthermore, the intermediate member 63 is connected to a rotating member 65, and a gripping member 70′ is attached to a rotating portion 67 of the rotating member 65. The example in FIG11(b) reverses the order of rotation and pivoting compared to the example in FIG11(a). Therefore, the range of position change for the gripping member 70′ at the front end is also different from that in FIG11(a). By using FIG11(a) or FIG11(b) according to the application, the optimal gripping position for the gripping member 70′ can be achieved.

Furthermore, in applications other than gripping, for example, when placing and moving a workpiece, a placement member or the like can be installed in place of the gripping member 70. Furthermore, if such a gripping member 70 or placement member does not require rotational posture changes, it can be connected to the joint member 60. To further simplify the structure, it can be directly and rotatably mounted on the connecting shaft 47 at the front end 41c of the main arm member 41. Furthermore, in addition to gripping and placing, members corresponding to various operations such as transporting and pressing can be installed in place of the gripping members 70 and 70′, thereby expanding the application of the Scott-Russell mechanism 1 of the first embodiment.

12 to 14 illustrate a Scott-Russel mechanism 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The Scott-Russel mechanism 100 according to the second embodiment is substantially the same as the Scott-Russel mechanism 1 according to the first embodiment, with the main differences being that the fourth motor M4 is positioned differently and the rotation mechanism 80 is omitted.

Specifically, the Scott-Russell mechanism 100 of the second embodiment couples the base end 140a of the main arm member 140 and the base end 150a of the auxiliary arm member 150 to the second slider 120 and the first slider 130 provided on the column member 110. A rotating member 165 is coupled to the distal end 140c of the main arm member 140 via a plate-shaped joint member 160. A gripping member 170 is attached to the rotating member 167 of the rotating member 165. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, a protective tube 101 is suspended in a U-shape to protect the wiring for the third motor M3, which is attached to the first slider 130, in order to lead the wiring to the outside of the column member 110.

In addition, the main arm member 140 is a member that is bent at the middle portion 140d (and the connecting portion 140b on the opposite side of the middle portion 140d, which involves the connection with the auxiliary arm member 150) and is formed into a boomerang-like shape as a whole (the shape of the Hiragana character "へ"), and has a linear first range portion 142 ranging from the root end portion 140a to the middle portion 140d (connecting portion 140b) and a linear second range portion 143 ranging from the middle portion 140d (connecting portion 140b) to the front end portion 140c, and has a plate-like protrusion 144 at the connecting portion 140b.

Furthermore, the main arm member 140 has a fourth motor M4 (see Figures 12 and 13 ) mounted inside a motor cover 145 on one side surface 140e of the second range portion 143 at the front end. Furthermore, to accommodate the fourth motor M4, the second range portion 143 of the main arm member 140 is wider than the first range portion 142.

The output shaft of the fourth motor M4 is connected to the first pulley 106 of the rotation transmission unit 105, which is located on the other side surface 140f (see Figure 14). Furthermore, the rotation transmission unit 105 includes a second pulley 107 and a belt 108. The second pulley 107 is mounted on a connecting shaft 147 located on the front end 140c of the main arm member 140, and the belt 108 is wrapped around each of the pulleys 106 and 108. Therefore, when the fourth motor M4 is rotated, its rotation is transmitted to the connecting shaft 147 via the rotation transmission unit 105. Since the joint component 160 is mounted on the connecting shaft 147, the rotating component 165 and the gripping component 170 mounted on the joint component 160 rotate. In the second embodiment, the fourth motor M4 and the rotation transmission unit 105 constitute a rotation drive unit.

In the Scott-Russell mechanism 100 of the second embodiment, the fourth motor M4 controls all rotation of the connecting shaft 147 and the joint component 160 at the distal end 140c of the main arm member 140. This eliminates the automatic rotation associated with the connection angle in the first embodiment. Consequently, the second embodiment offers the advantage of a simpler drive structure for rotation of the distal end of the main arm member 140 than in the first embodiment.

The various modifications described in the first embodiment can also be applied to the Scott-Russell mechanism 100 of the second embodiment. Furthermore, if the fourth motor M4 does not interfere with the rotating member 165 and the like, the rotation transmitting portion 105 can be omitted and the connecting shaft 147 can be directly connected to its output shaft.

Industrial Application Possibilities

The present invention can be suitably used for grasping, placing, transporting, and the like, in which the front end of the main arm member is required to be brought close to the vicinity of the base end of the sub-arm member.

Description of reference numerals:

1.100 Scott Russell Mechanism

10, 110 column components

12 First ball screw

14 Second ball screw

20, 120 Second Slider

30, 130 first slider

41, 140 main arm components

41b, 140b connection

51, 150 auxiliary arm components

60, 160 joint parts

65, 165 rotating parts

70, 170 holding parts

80 Rotating mechanism

M1～M5 1st motor～5th motor

Claims (10)

1. A Scott Russell mechanism, comprising a main boom component and a secondary boom component, characterized in that: The aforementioned main arm component is formed by a first linear portion extending from the root end to the middle portion, and a second linear portion extending from the middle portion to the front end portion. A protrusion is provided in the middle part mentioned above. The aforementioned main arm member is formed in a bent shape, bypassing the aforementioned protrusion at the middle section, with the angle on one side of the aforementioned protrusion being less than 180 degrees. A connecting shaft is installed on the aforementioned protrusion. The front end of the aforementioned auxiliary arm component overlaps only with the aforementioned protrusion, and the auxiliary arm component is rotatably connected to the aforementioned connecting shaft. The Scott Russell mechanism includes an angle-changing unit that alters the connection angle between the auxiliary arm member and the main arm member, which are connected via the aforementioned protrusion. The root end of the main boom member, the connecting shaft, and the front end of the main boom member are located on the same straight line, and the first distance from the root end of the main boom member to the connecting shaft, the second distance from the connecting shaft to the front end of the main boom member, and the third distance from the root end of the auxiliary boom member to the connecting shaft are equal. 2. The Scott-Russell mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aforementioned auxiliary arm component is formed in a straight line; The degree of the angle of the aforementioned middle part, when the aforementioned angle changing unit changes the connection angle in such a way that the root ends of the aforementioned main arm member and the aforementioned auxiliary arm member are furthest apart from each other, becomes the angle that makes the second range of the aforementioned main arm member parallel to the aforementioned auxiliary arm member. 3. The Scott-Russell mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The aforementioned main boom component and the aforementioned auxiliary boom component can rotate about the aforementioned straight line as the axis of rotation; The aforementioned angle-changing unit includes The first ball screw is arranged parallel to the aforementioned straight line, and The first linear component moves linearly through the rotation of the first ball screw; The root end of the main boom member or the root end of the auxiliary boom member is connected to the first direct motion member in a state that allows the straight line to be rotated as a rotation axis. A rotation drive source is provided to drive the rotation of the main boom member and the auxiliary boom member about the rotation axis. 4. The Scott-Russell mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The aforementioned angle-changing unit also includes A second ball screw is configured parallel to the first ball screw, and The second linear component moves linearly through the rotation of the second ball screw; The root end of either the auxiliary boom member or the root end of the main boom member is connected to the second linear component in a state that allows the straight line to be rotated as a rotation axis. 5. The Scott-Russell mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A joint component is rotatably connected to the front end of the aforementioned main arm component. The rotation axis involving the rotation of the aforementioned joint components is parallel to the aforementioned connecting axis; The main arm component is equipped with a rotation drive unit that enables the joint components to rotate. 6. The Scott-Russell mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The rotating component with a rotating part is connected to the aforementioned joint component. 7. The Scott-Russell mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The rotating component is rotatably connected to the aforementioned joint component; The axis of rotation of the aforementioned rotating member is parallel to the axis of rotation of the aforementioned joint component; The rotating component with a rotating part is connected to the aforementioned rotating member. 8. The Scott-Russell mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The holding component is mounted on the rotating part of the aforementioned rotating component. 9. The Scott-Russell mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The rotating component with a rotating part is connected to the aforementioned joint component; A rotating component having a rotating part that can rotate around an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the aforementioned joint component is connected to the rotating part of the aforementioned rotating component. 10. The Scott-Russell mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that: The holding component is installed on the front end side of the aforementioned rotating component.