IP Library Granted Patent US 7,245,989
Granted Patent B2
US 7,245,989 · App. 10/741,146 · Granted Jul 17, 2007

Three-degree-of-freedom parallel robot arm

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,245,989
App. No.
10/741,146
Granted
Jul 17, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

A robot arm includes a drive assembly and an articulated arm assembly pivotally connected to the drive assembly. The articulated arm includes a pivoting base link system, a wrist link system, and a first elbow link system rotatably connected to the base link system by a pair of upper arms and connected to the wrist link system by a pair of forearms, a second elbow link system rotatably connected to the base link system by another at least one upper arm and connected to the wrist link system by another at least one forearm, wherein the drive assembly is connected to at least one of the upper arms and the base link system to provide three degrees of freedom by driving the at least one of the upper arms and pivoting the pivoting base link system to position the wrist link system at a given location with a predetermined skew relative to an axis of translation.

Claims (21)

1. A robot arm comprising:

a drive assembly;

an articulated arm assembly pivotally connected to the drive assembly including:

a pivoting base link system;

a wrist link system; and

a first elbow link system rotatably connected to the base link system by a pair of upper arms and connected to the wrist link system by a pair of forearms,

a second elbow link system rotatably connected to the base link system by another at least one upper arm and connected to the wrist link system by another at least one forearm,

wherein the drive assembly is connected to at least one of the upper arms and the base link system to provide three degrees of freedom by driving the at least one of the upper arms and pivoting the pivoting base link system to position the wrist link system at a given location with a predetermined skew relative to an axis of translation.

2. The robot arm of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined skew comprises a non-zero angular offset.

3. The robot arm of claim 1 , wherein the skew comprises a offset comprises a non-zero linear offset.

4. The robot arm of claim 1 , wherein the location of the wrist link system is determined by coordinates θ 0 , θ L , θ R , where θ 0 is an angular orientation of the base link system, θ L is an angular orientation of an upper arm connecting the first elbow link system, and θ R is an angular orientation of an upper arm connecting the second elbow link system.

5. The robot arm of claim 1 , wherein the pivoting base link system, the wrist link system, and the two elbow link systems are each rigid platforms.

6. The robot arm of claim 1 , wherein the wrist link system comprises an end effector.

7. A robot comprising:

a drive section; and

an articulated arm having:

a pair of opposing upper arms connected to the drive section at a shoulder;

a pair of opposing forearms, each supporting an end effector, each pivotally connected to a corresponding one of the pair of opposing upper arms at an elbow joint and connected to each other at a wrist,

wherein at least one of the pairs of upper arms comprises a pair of upper arm members extending between the shoulder and a common elbow joint, and at least one of the pair of forearms comprises a pair of forearm members extending from the common elbow joint to the wrist,

wherein the pair of upper arm members are connected to each other at the shoulder by a shoulder link member pivotally connected to each of the pair of upper arm members, and each of the pair of forearm members are connected to each other at the common elbow joint by an elbow link member pivotally connecting each of the pair of forearm members, and

wherein the shoulder link member is connected to the drive section to pivot the shoulder link member to position the wrist at a given location with a predetermined skew relative to an axis of translation.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 044142/0258 Recorded Nov 4, 2025
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: AZENTA, INC. (F/K/A BROOKS AUTOMATION, INC.); AZENTA US, INC. (F/K/A BROOKS LIFE SCIENCES, INC., F/K/A BIOSTORAGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.)
Reel/Frame 073514/0609 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 038891/0765 Recorded Nov 4, 2025
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: AZENTA, INC. (F/K/A BROOKS AUTOMATION, INC.); AZENTA USA, INC. (F/K/A BIOSTORAGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.)
Reel/Frame 073446/0080 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 2, 2022
From: BROOKS AUTOMATION US, LLC
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA
Reel/Frame 058945/0748 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 2, 2022
From: BROOKS AUTOMATION US, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
Reel/Frame 058950/0146 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: BROOKS AUTOMATION,INC
To: BROOKS AUTOMATION HOLDING, LLC
Reel/Frame 058481/0740 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: BROOKS AUTOMATION HOLDING, LLC
To: BROOKS AUTOMATION US, LLC
Reel/Frame 058482/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 6, 2017
From: BROOKS AUTOMATION, INC.; BIOSTORAGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 044142/0258 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 31, 2016
From: BROOKS AUTOMATION, INC.; BIOSTORAGE TECHNOLOGIES
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 038891/0765 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2004
From: HOSEK, MARTIN; VALASEK, MICHAEL
To: BROOKS AUTOMATION
Reel/Frame 015447/0862 →