1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to robotics and, particularly, to a deceleration mechanism used in a robot.
2. Description of Related Art
Deceleration mechanisms are widely used in industrial robotics and other applications. A deceleration mechanism often consists of a plurality of meshing gears with different diameters.
A commonly used deceleration mechanism includes an inner gear arranged in a shell, a crankshaft with an eccentrically rotating portion arranged in the shell, and a cycloidal gear sleeving on the eccentrically rotating portion. The cycloidal gear rotates about the eccentrically rotating portion, and the cycloidal gear not only meshes with the inner gear but also performs a revolution, and thereby generating an output speed lesser than the input rotating speed. However, to achieve higher degree of meshing and steadier output, the cycloidal gear of the deceleration mechanism frequently forms a plurality of tightly fitted gear teeth on its outer surface. When too many of the gear teeth are formed on a deceleration mechanism of reduced size, each gear tooth becomes very small, and clearance between neighboring gear teeth becomes also very small, thereby leading to overlapping interference between roots of the neighboring gear teeth. Therefore, the cycloidal gear and the gear teeth are very difficult to manufacture, presenting higher cost and a more complicated structure.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.
The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views, and all the views are schematic.
Referring to
Referring to
The slave member 30 includes a slave shaft 31 and a slave wheel 33 rotatably sleeved on the slave shaft 31. The slave wheel 33 includes a fixing portion 331. The fixing portion 331 defines a plurality of fixing holes 333. The ratio of the diameter of the slave wheel 33 and the diameter of the driving member 10 is the transmission ratio of the deceleration mechanism 100.
Referring to also
Referring to
Each fixing assembly 70 includes a positioning member 71, a latching member 73, a resilient member 75, an adjustment member 77, and two tighteners 79. In the illustrated embodiment, two fixing assemblies 70 are located at opposite ends of the fixing portion 331 of the slave wheel 33, respectively. The positioning member 71 includes two mounting holes 711 and two adjustment holes 713. The latching member 73 includes a first latching block 731 and a second latching block 733. The first latching block 731 defines a first fixing hole 7311, and the second latching block 733 defines a second fixing hole 7331 and an adjustment hole 7333.
The actuator device 80 is a motor, including a main body 81 and a rotating shaft 83 rotatably connected to the main body 81.
Referring to
During operation of the deceleration mechanism 100, the actuator device 80 rotates the driving member 10, in the illustrated embodiment, the driving member 10 rotates in X direction, which is counterclockwise. When the driving member 10 rotates in the X direction, a portion of the first coiling belt 531 coiled around the first receiving slot 11 of the driving member 10 may be pulled out and coil on the slave wheel 33 of the slave member 30. Friction between the transmission member 50 and the driving member 10 and between the transmission member 50 and the slave wheel 33 rotate the slave wheel 33 opposite to the X direction, and a portion of the second coiling belts 533 coiled around the slave wheel 33 may coil around the second receiving slots 13 of the driving member 10 correspondingly. When the driving member 10 has rotated a default number of windings, the actuator device 80 rotates the driving member 10 opposite to the X direction, and the slave wheel 33 then rotates in the X direction correspondingly. The rotation of the driving member 10 and the slave wheel 33 is the same as described.
The deceleration mechanism 100 achieves deceleration using the transmission members 50 coiling around the driving member 10 and the slave member 30. There is no need for a gear wheel or other complicated structures, and the manufacturing cost is lower. The transmission member 50 is a steel belt, for example, thereby increasing the contact area and friction in the transmission process. The transmission member 50 coils around the driving member 10 and overlaps on itself, thus, capable of avoiding bending forces created by spiral coiling and reducing the abrasion of the transmission member 50.
The unsymmetrical structure of the transmission member 50 allows the first coiling belt 531 to be able to extend between the second coiling belts 533, thereby avoiding contact with each other. The positioning portion 51 can be fixed to the driving member 10, capable of avoiding the transmission member 50 moving or sliding during a transmission process.
In addition, elastic force created by the resilient member 75 of the fixing assembly 70 helps to maintain the firmness or snugness of the transmission member 50. When the transmission member 50 becomes loosened, the adjustment member 77 can then be used to further resist the resilient member 55 and restore firmness or tightness.
There may further be any number of first coiling belts and second coiling belts, with the first coiling belt being staggered to the second coiling belt. For example, two first coiling belts and three second coiling belts, and in which one first coiling belt is arranged between two second coiling belts. While, to make sure the first coiling belt and the second coiling belt have substantially the same service life, the number of the first coiling belts may be equal to or one less than the second coiling belts.
Finally, while various embodiments have been described and illustrated, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201010131550.9 | Mar 2010 | CN | national |