IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,427,651
Granted Patent B2
US 12,427,651 · App. 18/609,179 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Parallel link mechanism and link operation device

Inventor: Toshiki Takaki (Iwata, JP)
Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
B25J9/0048B25J9/1623
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,427,651
App. No.
18/609,179
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a parallel link mechanism, a distal end side link hub is coupled to a proximal end side link hub via three link mechanisms such that a posture of the distal end side link hub can be changed relative to the proximal end side link hub. Each link mechanism includes a proximal side end link member rotatably coupled at one end thereof to the proximal end side link hub, a distal side end link member rotatably coupled at one end thereof to the distal end side link hub, and a center link member rotatably coupled at both ends thereof to other ends of the proximal and distal side end link members via both revolute pair sections. The parallel link mechanism includes a rotation transmission mechanism configured to allow rotation of one revolute pair section to rotate the other revolute pair section in reverse.

Claims (41)

1. A parallel link mechanism comprising:

a proximal end side link hub;

a distal end side link hub; and

three or more link mechanisms which couple the distal end side link hub to the proximal end side link hub such that a posture of the distal end side link hub can be changed relative to the proximal end side link hub, wherein

each of the link mechanisms is a spherical link mechanism including:

a proximal side end link member rotatably coupled at one end thereof to the proximal end side link hub;

a distal side end link member rotatably coupled at one end thereof to the distal end side link hub; and

a center link member rotatably coupled at both ends thereof to other ends of the proximal side end link member and the distal side end link member via a revolute pair which is composed of one revolute pair section and the other revolute pair section, respectively,

further comprising:

a rotation transmission mechanism which is provided in the revolute pair and allows rotation of the one revolute pair section to rotate the other revolute pair section in reverse with respect to the one revolute pair section.

2. The parallel link mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rotation transmission mechanism rotates the other revolute pair section in reverse with respect to the one revolute pair section by the same amount of rotation.

3. A parallel link mechanism comprising:

a proximal end side link hub;

a distal end side link hub; and

three or more link mechanisms which couple the distal end side link hub to the proximal end side link hub such that a posture of the distal end side link hub can be changed relative to the proximal end side link hub, wherein

each of the link mechanisms is a spherical link mechanism including:

a proximal side end link member rotatably coupled at one end thereof to the proximal end side link hub;

a distal side end link member rotatably coupled at one end thereof to the distal end side link hub; and

a center link member rotatably coupled at both ends thereof to other ends of the proximal side end link member and the distal side end link member via a revolute pair which is composed of one revolute pair section and the other revolute pair section, respectively,

further comprising:

a rotation transmission mechanism which allows rotation of the one revolute pair section to rotate the other revolute pair section in reverse with respect to the one revolute pair section,

wherein the rotation transmission mechanism includes gears provided at a rotation shaft of the one revolute pair section of the proximal side end link member and the center link member and a rotation shaft of the other revolute pair section of the distal side end link member and the center link member, the gears rotating around the rotation shafts and meshing with each other.

4. The parallel link mechanism as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the gears are bevel gears.

5. The parallel link mechanism as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the gears provided at the respective rotation shafts are gears having the same shape.

6. A parallel link mechanism comprising:

a proximal end side link hub;

a distal end side link hub; and

three or more link mechanisms which couple the distal end side link hub to the proximal end side link hub such that a posture of the distal end side link hub can be changed relative to the proximal end side link hub, wherein

each of the link mechanisms is a spherical link mechanism including:

a proximal side end link member rotatably coupled at one end thereof to the proximal end side link hub;

a distal side end link member rotatably coupled at one end thereof to the distal end side link hub; and

a center link member rotatably coupled at both ends thereof to other ends of the proximal side end link member and the distal side end link member via a revolute pair which is composed of one revolute pair section and the other revolute pair section, respectively,

further comprising:

a rotation transmission mechanism which allows rotation of the one revolute pair section to rotate the other revolute pair section in reverse with respect to the one revolute pair section,

wherein

the rotation transmission mechanism includes a wire body, one of which is wound around a rotation shaft member having a central axis which is a rotation axis of the revolute pair of the proximal side end link member and the center link member,

another end of the wire body is wound in a direction opposite to that of the one end around a rotation shaft member having a central axis which is a rotation axis of the revolute pair of the distal side end link member and the center link member, and

the rotation shaft members are connected to each other by the wire body.

7. A link actuating device comprising:

the parallel link mechanism as claimed in claim 1 ; and

a posture control actuator provided at each of two or more link mechanisms of the three or more link mechanisms and configured to arbitrarily control the posture of the distal end side link hub.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2024
From: TAKAKI, TOSHIKI
To: NTN CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066822/0821 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-156840 · Sep 27, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2022034959 · Sep 20, 2022
Related Publication 20240217094A1 · Jul 4, 2024
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