Robot, gear device, and manufacturing method for gear device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10183405-B2
Application number	US-201715711240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2017
Priority date	Sep 26, 2016
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A robot includes a first member, a second member that is provided so as to be movable around the first member, and a gear device that transmits driving force from one of the first member and the second member to the other. The gear device includes an internal gear, a flexible external gear that has an external tooth portion, which partially meshes with the internal gear, and a body portion, which is linked to the external tooth portion in a direction of a rotation axis, and a wave generator that comes into contact with the external gear and moves a position where the internal gear and the external gear are meshed with each other in a circumferential direction. An exterior surface of the body portion has an oil-repellent portion of which oil repellency is higher than oil repellency of an exterior surface of the external tooth portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot comprising:
a first member;
a second member that is provided so as to be movable around the first member; and
a gear device that transmits driving force from one of the first member and the second member to the other,
wherein the gear device includes:
an internal gear having a plurality of internal teeth,
a flexible external gear that has an external tooth portion that defines a plurality of external teeth that mesh with the internal teeth of the internal gear, and a body portion connected to the external tooth portion in a direction of a rotation axis that does not include any of the external teeth, and
a wave generator that comes into contact with the external gear and moves a position where the internal gear and the external gear are meshed with each other in a circumferential direction, and

an exterior surface of the body portion has an oil-repellent portion of which oil repellency is higher than oil repellency of the external teeth such that a lubricating oil between the internal teeth and external teeth is maintained.

2. The robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the oil-repellent portion is provided axially away from the external tooth portion.

3. The robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the external teeth have a plurality of recessed portions or a plurality of projection portions formed on surfaces thereof.

4. The robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the oil-repellent portion is configured of a material including fluorine.

5. The robot according to claim 4 ,
wherein the exterior surface of the body portion having the oil-repellent portion has a plurality of recessed portions or a plurality of projection portions formed therein.

6. The robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the body portion is disposed axially away from the external tooth portion, in the gear device.

7. The robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein a direction in which the rotation axis of the gear device extends can be changed with driving of at least one of the first member and the second member.

8. The robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the gear device has a member having a surface opposing the body portion, and
the surface of the member has a portion of which oil repellency is higher than oil repellency of the exterior surface of the external tooth portion or an exterior surface of the internal gear.

9. A gear device comprising:
an internal gear having a plurality of internal teeth;
a flexible external gear that has an external tooth portion that defines a plurality of external teeth that mesh with the internal teeth of the internal gear, and a body portion connected the external tooth portion in a direction of a rotation axis that does not include any of the external teeth; and
a wave generator that comes into contact with the external gear and moves a position where the internal gear and the external gear are meshed with each other in a circumferential direction,
wherein an exterior surface of the body portion has an oil-repellent portion of which oil repellency is higher than oil repellency of the external teeth such that a lubricating oil between the internal teeth and external teeth is maintained.

10. A manufacturing method for a gear device comprising:
preparing an internal gear having a plurality of internal teeth, a flexible external gear that has an external tooth portion that defines a plurality of external teeth that mesh with the internal teeth of the internal gear, and a body portion connected to the external tooth portion in a direction of a rotation axis, the body portion not including any external teeth, and a wave generator that comes into contact with the external gear and moves a position where the internal gear and the external gear are meshed with each other in a circumferential direction; and
forming an oil-repellent portion, of which oil repellency is higher than oil repellency of the external teeth, on an exterior surface of the body portion such that a lubricating oil between the internal teeth and external teeth is maintained.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kataoka Yuya

Classifications

• B23Q1/26

  characterised by constructional features relating to the co-operation of relatively movable members; Means for preventing relative movement of such members {(bearings for linearly moving parts F16C29/00)} · CPC title

• B25J19/0062 Primary

  Lubrication means · CPC title

• B25J17/0258

  Two-dimensional joints · CPC title

• B25J9/126

  Rotary actuators · CPC title

• B25J9/102 Primary

  Gears specially adapted therefor, e.g. reduction gears (gearings in general F16H) · CPC title