B25J17/0241

Mechanical wrist joints with enhanced range of motion, and related devices and methods

A wrist joint, such as for a surgical instrument, may include a first disc, a second disc adjacent the first disc, and a drive tendon that extends through the first disc and the second disc. The first disc and the second disc may include respective opposing joint features that intermesh with one another. The first disc and the second disc may further include opposing load bearing surfaces separate from the joint features. The drive tendon may exert a force on at least one of the first and second discs to cause relative rotation between the first and second discs. The first and second discs may have a maximum rotational range of motion greater than about +/45 degrees relative to each other.

Robotic arm system with gear-driven end-effector assembly

Example embodiments relate generally to robotic arm assemblies. The robotic arm assembly may include an arm segment and an end-effector assembly. The arm segment may include an elongated body, a first motor, and a second motor. The end-effector assembly may be securable to the arm segment. The end-effector assembly may include an instrument assembly, a first gear assembly, and a second gear assembly. The instrument assembly may include an instrument and an instrument gear. The first gear assembly may include a first primary gear and a protrusion portion. The protrusion portion may be configurable to drive the instrument assembly. The second gear assembly may include a second primary gear configurable to drive the instrument gear.

GRIPPING TOOL AND IMPROVED SORTING SYSTEM MAKING USE OF SAID TOOL
20200122317 · 2020-04-23 ·

A sorting system and a gripping tool thereof to be mounted on a handling device for handling pieces cut out from planar sheets are disclosed. The gripping tool includes: an engaging head interchangeably paired with an operating end of a displaceable handling device: an actuator mounted on the engaging head, including at least a first actuator unit; and attaching and coupling units having attaching and coupling devices, mounted on the engaging head. The attaching and coupling units are mounted on a frame including at least four rods articulated together through respective hinges arranged on a lying plane. The attaching and coupling devices are arranged on a plane parallel to the lying plane. The articulated frame being supported on the engaging head. The first actuator unit drives at least one of the rods of the articulated frame by rotation around at least one of the hinges on the lying plane.

MANIPULATOR AND JOINT STRUCTURE THEREOF

A joint structure of a manipulator includes: swiveling members that are coupled so as to be able to swivel via a rolling contact; shafts that constitute bending joints between the swiveling members and that are parallel to each other; pulleys that are rotatably supported about the shafts; and a connector attached to the shafts so as to be able to swivel about longitudinal axes of the shafts. The connector includes supports that are disposed on axial ends of the shafts so as to sandwich the pulleys therebetween in a direction of the longitudinal axis, and a beam that extends in between the supports to couple the supports to each other.

Cable-management system, a rotary joint and a robot
10611038 · 2020-04-07 · ·

A cable-management system includes an outer group of cables and an inner group of cables, a first cable guide, a second cable guide and at least four fixing members, wherein the first cable guide has a circular tube-shaped space, and the outer group of cables is partly accommodated between the first cable guide and the second cable guide; the second cable guide has a circular tube-shaped, and the inner group of cables is partly accommodated between the second cable guide and the first rotary shaft portion; and the fixing members respectively secure both ends of the outer group of cables or the inner group of cables on and along the first and second rotary shaft portions in a form in which the cables are arranged in parallel with each other.

ARTICULATED MECHANISM WITH COMPACT TORQUE SENSOR
20200086479 · 2020-03-19 ·

A motorized joint unit comprises a pair of shells defining an inner cavity, the pair of shells adapted to be connected to adjacent links of an articulated mechanism. A rotor and stator in the inner cavity are actuatable to cause a relative rotation therebetween. A shaft connected to the rotor to rotate with the rotor relative to the stator. A support coupled to the shaft by a mechanism, the support being connected to one of the shells to impart a rotation of the shaft to the shell, the support defining an annular wall. One or more strain gauges are located on said annular wall of the support. A printed circuit board (PCB) is applied against the annular wall and electrically connected to the at least one strain gauge, the PCB adapted to be electrically linked to a controller.

BENDING MECHANISM AND MEDICAL MANIPULATOR
20200078122 · 2020-03-12 · ·

A bending mechanism includes: a support member; a pivoting member supported at a distal end of the support member to be pivotable about an axis intersecting the longitudinal axis of the support member; a link disposed along the longitudinal axis and transmitting a force applied at a proximal end thereof to cause the pivoting member to pivot; and an adjuster adjusting stresses in the link so as not to exceed a threshold, at each pivoting position of the pivoting member with respect to the support member. The link includes a first member connected to the pivoting member and a second member disposed closer to the proximal end than the first member is. The adjuster includes a movable member moving in predetermined direction when the first and second members are relatively moved, and a spring biasing the movable member in such direction as to prevent the movement of the movable member.

Robot cable-assembly management structure
11938620 · 2024-03-26 · ·

A robot cable-assembly management structure including a first fixing member that fixes, to a turning drum, a cable assembly extending beside the turning drum in a front-rear direction, and a second fixing member that fixes, to a side surface of the arm, the cable assembly extending to a front side of the first fixing member, at a position closer to a distal end of the arm than the second axis, where a movable portion of the cable assembly located between the first fixing member and the second fixing member is provided with a necessary length of allowance and is twisted in one direction, so that the movable portion is bent in a direction away from the side surface of the arm when the arm swings to a rear swing end is displaced toward the side surface of the arm as the arm swings toward a front swing end.

SCREW ACTUATOR FOR A LEGGED ROBOT
20240093766 · 2024-03-21 ·

A robot leg assembly including a hip joint and an upper leg member. A proximal end portion of the upper leg member rotatably coupled to the hip joint. The robot leg assembly including a knee joint rotatably coupled to a distal end portion of the upper leg member, a lower leg member rotatably coupled to the knee joint, a linear actuator disposed on the upper leg member and defining a motion axis, and a motor coupled to the linear actuator and a linkage coupled to the translation stage and to the lower leg member. The linear actuator includes a translation stage moveable along the motion axis to translate rotational motion of the motor to linear motion of the translation stage along the motion axis, which moves the linkage to rotate the lower leg member relative to the upper leg member at the knee joint.

ROBOT ARM HAVING AN ARTICULATED JOINT
20240083044 · 2024-03-14 ·

The invention relates to a robot arm having at least two limbs (2), which are connected to one another at their ends via an articulated joint (10) so that they can be pivoted relative to one another about a rotation axis (A), the two limbs (2) each comprising at least one joint portion (3) and a transition region (4) adjoined thereto and each extending in a longitudinal direction (L). According to the invention, the transition region (4) of at least one of the limbs (2, 2a) has a circumferential edge (6) which, when viewed from a direction running transverse to the rotation axis (A) and transverse to the longitudinal direction (L), crosses a parting line (9) between the two joint portions (3) and runs at a predefined distance radially outside the joint portion (3) of the other limb (2), the circumferential edge (6) running at a distance, in relation to the rotation axis (A), of less than 25 mm outside the surface of the joint portion (3) of the other limb (2) arranged beneath. In addition, a portion of the circumferential edge (6) extends obliquely to the rotation axis (A) when viewed from a direction running transverse to the rotation axis (A) and transverse to the longitudinal direction (L).