IP Library Granted Patent US 12,246,445
Granted Patent B2
US 12,246,445 · App. 17/780,606 · Granted Mar 11, 2025

Mechanical arm joint

Inventors: Zhaopeng Chen (Beijing, CN); Xuebin Su (Beijing, CN); Yuechao Zaho (Beijing, CN); Qian Wang (Beijing, CN); Georg Stillfried (Munich, DE)
Assignees: Agile Robots SE; Beijing Siling Robot Technology Co., Ltd.
B25J9/1025B25J13/085B25J17/00
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,246,445
App. No.
17/780,606
Granted
Mar 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a mechanical arm joint which comprises a hollow shaft and a brake assembly, a motor assembly, a harmonic reducer assembly, an output assembly, a housing assembly, and a measurement assembly which are disposed outside the hollow shaft, the measurement assembly includes a torque sensor, and the torque sensor is provided inside the housing assembly and fixed to the housing assembly, the torque sensor is fixed to the harmonic reducer assembly at the same time. The torque sensor is provided in the joint, so as to ensure that the torque sensor is not damaged by external impacts during assembling and maintaining of the joint and the mechanical arm. The power cables and signal cables are connected to the circuit board at the right end of the joint from the side of the joint instead of through the joint center hole, so that the torque sensor cable and other cables in the joint are arranged separately, therefore the signal of the torque sensor does not interfere with the signal in other cables, and it is beneficial to the torque sensor signal transmission due to the length of cable is shorter, and the joint structure is more compact because of the diameter of joint center hole becomes smaller due to the number of the cables passed through the joint center hole decreases.

Claims (13)

1. A mechanical arm joint, comprising:

a hollow shaft and a brake assembly, a motor assembly, a harmonic reducer assembly, an output assembly, a housing assembly, and a measurement assembly which are disposed outside the hollow shaft, the motor assembly including a motor shaft and an input shaft, the motor shaft fixed to the input shaft, the motor shaft and the input shaft supported in the housing assembly via one or more bearings, the brake assembly including a brake, a brake housing, and a rotor hub, the brake being fixed to the brake housing and the rotor hub being fixed to the motor shaft, the output assembly including an output flange fixed to one end of the hollow shaft, another end of the hollow shaft being supported in the brake housing via one or more second bearings,

wherein the measurement assembly includes a torque sensor, the torque sensor provided inside the housing assembly and fixed to the housing assembly, the torque sensor being fixed to the harmonic reducer assembly;

the harmonic reducer assembly including a wave generator, a flexible wheel, and a rigid wheel, the flexible wheel being fixed to the torque sensor through a flexible wheel mounting plate, wherein the torque sensor is connected to a circuit board via a power cable and a signal cable; and

a friction structure member disposed between the flexible wheel mounting plate and the torque sensor such that a mating surface of the flexible wheel and a mating surface of the torque sensor simultaneously press against the friction structure member via pressure therebetween.

2. The mechanical arm joint of claim 1 , wherein the motor assembly includes a motor housing, the motor shaft, the input shaft, a motor stator, and a motor rotor, the motor stator being fixed to the motor housing, the motor rotor being fixed to the motor shaft, and the motor shaft being fixed to the input shaft.

3. The mechanical arm joint of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second bearings is a roller bearing.

4. The mechanical arm joint of claim 1 , wherein the wave generator is fixed to the input shaft of the motor assembly, the flexible wheel is fixed to the torque sensor, and the rigid wheel is fixed to the output flange of the output assembly.

5. The mechanical arm joint of claim 1 , wherein the measuring assembly further includes a high-speed side encoder and a low-speed side encoder, the high-speed side encoder is configured to measure a speed of the motor, and the low-speed side encoder is configured to measure a position of the output flange.

6. The mechanical arm joint of claim 5 , wherein the high-speed side encoder includes a high-speed side reading head and a high-speed side magnetic ring, and wherein the position of the high-speed side reading head remains constant in relation to the housing assembly, and wherein the high-speed side magnetic ring moves synchronously with the motor shaft.

7. The mechanical arm joint of claim 6 , wherein the high-speed side encoder further includes a high-speed side reading head bracket fixed to the housing assembly, and wherein the high-speed side reading head bracket is fixed to the high-speed side reading head.

8. The mechanical arm joint of claim 5 , wherein the low-speed side encoder includes a low-speed side reading head and a low-speed side magnetic ring, and wherein the position of the low-speed side reading head remains constant in relation to the housing assembly, and wherein the position of the output flange of the output assembly remains constant in relation to the hollow shaft and the low-speed side magnetic ring, and wherein the output flange of the output assembly is configured to drive the hollow shaft and the low-speed side magnetic ring to move synchronously.

9. The mechanical arm joint of claim 8 , wherein the low-speed side encoder further includes a low-speed side reading head bracket and a hoop, and wherein the low-speed side magnetic ring and the hoop are fixed to the low-speed side reading head bracket respectively, and wherein the hoop is fixed to the hollow shaft.

Assignments (7)
CHANGE OF APPLICANT ADDRESS Recorded May 16, 2025
From: AGILE ROBOTS SE
To: AGILE ROBOTS SE
Reel/Frame 071298/0341 →
CHANGE OF APPLICANT ADDRESS Recorded Jan 23, 2025
From: AGILE ROBOTS SE
To: AGILE ROBOTS SE
Reel/Frame 070001/0225 →
STATEMENT UNDER 37 CFR 3.73(C) EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF STATEMENT 3.73 Recorded Nov 7, 2024
From: MEAGHER, EDWARD C.
To: BEIJING SLING ROBOT TECHNOLOGY, CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 069321/0562 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2024
From: CHEN, ZHAOPENG; SU, XUEBIN; ZAHO, YUECHAO; WANG, QIAN
To: BEIJING SLING ROBOT TECHNOLOGY, CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 069184/0681 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 5, 2024
From: AGILE ROBOTS AG
To: AGILE ROBOTS SE
Reel/Frame 069310/0399 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2024
From: CHEN, ZHAOPENG; SU, XUEBIN; ZAHO, YUECHAO; WANG, QIAN
To: AGILE ROBOTS AG
Reel/Frame 067849/0973 →
STATEMENT UNDER 37 CFR 3.73(C)EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF STATEMENT 3.73 Recorded Jun 26, 2024
From: MEAGHER, EDWARD C.
To: AGILE ROBOTS AG
Reel/Frame 067873/0469 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230356416A1 · Nov 9, 2023
References Cited (16)
US 5155423A · Karlen · 1992 [cited by examiner]
US 20180172080A1 · Jackowski · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180215050A1 · Kassow · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 101913151A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
CN 109366480A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 110171016A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 1503196A1 · 2005 [cited by applicant]
KR 20060985740 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
KR 101793141B1 · 2017 [cited by examiner]
WO 2010142318A1 · 2010 [cited by applicant]
What is cross roller bearing, and how are they classified?. Yogie Machinery. (Apr. 19, 2019). https://www.yogiemachinery.com/info/what-is-cross-roller-bearing-and-how-many-clas-33982790.html (Year: 2019). [cited by examiner]
WO 2010142318 A1 (Torgny Grogaardh) Dec. 16, 2010 (full text). [online] [retrieved on Mar. 20, 2024]. Retrieved from: Clarivate Analytics. (Year: 2010). [cited by examiner]
Chinese Officie Action for application No. 201911208252.2 dated Sep. 24, 2020 with English Translation. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report for application No. PCT/EP2020/082431 dataed Jun. 3, 2021. [cited by applicant]
Written Opinion for application No. PCT/EP2020/082431 dated Jun. 3, 2021. [cited by applicant]
KR520210384247 Notice for Grounds for Rejection, dated Mar. 18, 2024, 13pp. [cited by applicant]