A parallel link mechanism includes a proximal end side link hub; a distal end side link hub; and three or more link mechanisms that connect the distal end side link hub to the proximal end side link hub in a position-changeable fashion. Each of the link mechanisms has a trinodal structure. Each revolute pair of each of the link mechanisms includes one pair of pair constituent members connected to each other via a bearing. One of the pair constituent members is formed with a shaft portion fitted to an inner periphery of an inner ring of the bearing, and the other of the pair constituent members is formed with an annular inner face forming portion fitted to an outer periphery of an outer ring of the bearing.

A method of assembling a portion of a robot, including, providing a robot arm having an exterior surface and providing a tendon retaining element, having a first half having a first major surface, defining open channels and a second half having a second major surface. Then, placing a tendon in each of the open channels of the first half and placing the second major surface on the first major surface, thereby creating a set of closed channels each having a tendon passing therethrough and creating a finished tendon retaining element. Finally, attaching the finished tendon retaining element about the exterior surface of the robot arm, so that the tendons extend along the length of the robot arm.

This invention designs durability among components in accordance with maintenance man-hours and maintenance cost. A robot arm mechanism according to the present embodiment includes an arm section capable of changing state between a rigid state and a bent state; a supporting section that supports the arm section in the rigid state; a housing section that houses the arm section in the bent state; and a conveying section that sends the arm section out forward from the supporting section, draws back the arm section rearward to the supporting section, and conveys the arm section between the supporting section and the housing section. The supporting section includes a plurality of rollers for firmly sandwiching the arm section therebetween and supporting the arm section so as to be movable forward and rearward. At least one of a surface hardness and a strength of the plurality of rollers is the same as or lower than a surface hardness and/or a strength of the arm section.

A robot includes a first member, a second member that is provided so as to be movable around the first member, and a gear device that transmits driving force from one of the first member and the second member to the other. The gear device includes an internal gear, a flexible external gear that has an external tooth portion, which partially meshes with the internal gear, and a body portion, which is linked to the external tooth portion in a direction of a rotation axis, and a wave generator that comes into contact with the external gear and moves a position where the internal gear and the external gear are meshed with each other in a circumferential direction. An exterior surface of the body portion has an oil-repellent portion of which oil repellency is higher than oil repellency of an exterior surface of the external tooth portion.

A robot includes a first member, a second member that is provided so as to be movable around the first member, and a gear device that transmits driving force from one of the first member and the second member to the other. The gear device includes a contact portion where two surfaces come into contact with each other and a lubricant, which is disposed on the contact portion and of which a change rate of worked penetration caused by a worked stability test is within a range of 16% to +16% inclusive.

A conveyance device includes a fixed base having a large gear, a turning body supported by the fixed base via a bearing, two or more servomotors, a conveyance arm, and two or more speed reducers. The speed reducer includes a housing integrated with the turning body, a planetary carrier rotatably supported inside the housing, an internal gear provided inside the housing, a sun gear connected to an output shaft of the servomotor, a plurality of planetary gears arranged around the sun gear and rotatably supported by the planetary carrier, and an output gear rotating integrally with the planetary carrier. The planetary gear meshes with the sun gear and meshes with the internal gear. The output gear has a smaller diameter than that of the large gear and meshes with the large gear outside the large gear.

Provided is an industrial robot in which a gear for causing a work tool to rotate can easily be retrofitted to a robot without requiring work to adjust backlash. The present invention comprises: a first wrist element that, at the distal end of a front arm of a robot, is capable of rotating about a first axis following the longitudinal direction of the front arm; a second wrist element that, at the first wrist element, is capable of rotating about a second axis intersecting the first axis in a roughly perpendicular manner; a third wrist element that, at the second wrist element, is capable of rotating about a third axis extending from the intersection point of the first and second axes in a direction roughly perpendicular to the direction in which the second axis extends; a first gear that is attached to the third wrist element coaxially with the third axis and that is capable of rotating about the third axis; a second gear that is driven by rotation of the first gear due to meshing with the first gear and that is capable of rotating; and a case secured to the second wrist element. The second gear is attached to the case via a bearing so as to be capable of rotating about a fourth axis positioned at a prescribed distance relative to the third axis.

An automatic lubrication robot includes a robot, a grease hose, and a delivery unit. The robot includes a lifting and lowering unit that moves linearly and an arm coupled to the lifting and lowering unit, and the robot is arranged in a clean room to perform an operation. Grease for lubricating the robot passes through the grease hose. In response to the linear movement of the lifting and lowering unit, the delivery unit delivers the grease to the robot via the grease hose.

A robot includes a lubricant chamber in which a fluid lubricant can be stored, wherein the lubricant chamber is provided with three or more through-holes that extend through wall surfaces of the lubricant chamber, and the through-holes are disposed such that, in a state in which any one of the through-holes is disposed at a lowest level of the lubricant chamber so as to allow a utilization thereof as an oil discharge hole in two or more orientations of the lubricant chamber, another one of the through-holes is disposed at a position corresponding to a liquid level of the lubricant when a required amount of the lubricant is stored in the lubricant chamber or above the liquid level so as to allow a utilization thereof as a vent hole, and a remaining through-hole is disposed at a position that allows a utilization thereof as an oil supply hole from which the lubricant is supplied into the lubricant chamber.

A robot arm includes a first member, a second member, an actuator, and a speed reducer. The second member is pivotable relative to the first member about a pivot axis. The actuator is configured to pivotally move the second member relative to the first member about the pivot axis. The speed reducer is configured to couple the actuator to the second member to reduce a rotational speed of the second member relative to an output rotational speed of the actuator. The speed reducer includes a grease chamber in which grease is to be provided. The second member including an air chamber in which air is provided, the air chamber being connected to the grease chamber.