Driving device and wheeled robot having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10245945-B2
Application number	US-201715644808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2017
Priority date	May 19, 2017
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A driving device of a robot includes at least one driving assembly and a fixing assembly that are arranged outside a base of the robot. The at least one driving assembly includes a motor, an omnidirectional wheel, a connection shaft used to connect an output shaft of the motor to the omnidirectional wheel, and a connection assembly used to connect the connection shaft to the motor and the omnidirectional wheel. The motor, the connection shaft and the omnidirectional wheel are arranged along a radial direction of the base, and the fixing assembly is used to fix the motor to the base of the robot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driving device of a robot comprising at least one driving assembly and a fixing assembly that are arranged outside a base of the robot, wherein the at least one driving assembly comprises a motor, an omnidirectional wheel, a connection shaft configured to connect an output shaft of the motor to the omnidirectional wheel, and a connection assembly configured to connect the connection shaft to the motor and the omnidirectional wheel, the motor, the connection shaft and the omnidirectional wheel are arranged along a radial direction of the base, and the fixing assembly is configured to fix the motor to the base of the robot, wherein a lateral surface of the output shaft of the motor comprises a first external planar surface that defines a positioning hole, a hub of the omnidirectional wheel defines a mounting hole having an inner side surface that comprises a first inner planar surface, the connection shaft comprises a first end and a second end, the first end defines a receiving hole that allows the output shaft to be inserted thereinto and has an inner surface comprising a second inner planar surface, the second inner planar surface comprises a protrusion matching the positioning hole, and the second end has a lateral surface comprising a second external planar surface matching the first inner planar surface.

2. The driving device structure of claim 1 , wherein the first external planar surface defines a first limiting hole, the omnidirectional wheel comprises a side plate defining a through hole, the connection shaft defines in a lateral surface thereof a second limiting hole and a first threaded hole intersecting with the receiving hole, an end surface of the second end defines a second threaded hole, the connection assembly comprises a pin, a first screw and a second screw, the pin is inserted in to the first limiting hole and the second limiting hole, the first screw is engaged with the first threaded hole, and the second screw passes through the through hole and is engaged with the second threaded hole.

3. The driving device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one driving assembly comprises a bearing device fixed to the base of the robot and providing a support to the output shaft of the motor.

4. The driving device of claim 3 , wherein the bearing device comprises an inner case, an outer case and a bearing arranged between the inner case and the outer case, the inner case is fixed to the motor, the bearing defines a bearing hole that allows an end of output shaft to pass therethrough, and the outer case is fixed to base of the robot.

5. The driving device of claim 4 , wherein the base of the robot defines in a lower surface a motor receiving space for receiving the motor, a bearing receiving space for receiving the bearing device and a wheel receiving space for receiving the omnidirectional wheel.

6. The driving device of claim 5 , wherein the fixing assembly comprises a first lock member, a second lock member and a plurality of screws, the first lock member is received in the motor receiving space and defines a plurality of threaded holes, the second lock member defines a plurality of through holes corresponding to the threaded holes of the first lock member, the screws respectively pass through the through holes of the second lock member and are engaged with the threaded holes of the first lock member, and the first lock member and the second lock member corporately define a through hole for bolding the motor in position.

7. The driving device of claim 6 , wherein the fixing assembly further comprises a soft ring that is arranged around a lateral surface of the motor and received in the through hole defined by the first lock member and the second lock member.

8. The driving device of claim 5 further comprising a protecting structure, wherein the protecting structures comprises a cover connected to the lower surface of the base of the robot, and the cover and the lower surface define corporately an accommodating space for receiving the motor and the bearing device.

9. The driving device of claim 1 , wherein a number of the at least one driving assembly is three and are evenly arranged at the base of the robot.

10. A wheeled robot comprising a base and a driving device comprising at least one driving assembly and a fixing assembly that are arranged outside the base, wherein the at least one driving assembly comprises a motor, an omnidirectional wheel, a connection shaft configured to connect an output shat of the motor to the omnidirectional wheel, and a connection assembly configured to connect the connection shat to the motor and the omnidirectional wheel, the motor, the connection shaft and the omnidirectional wheel are arranged along a radial direction of the base, and the fixing assembly is configured to fix the motor to the base, wherein a lateral surface of the output shaft of the motor comprises a first external planar surface that defines a positioning hole, a hub of the omnidirectional wheel defines a mounting hole having an inner side surface that comprises a first inner planar surface, the connection shaft comprises a first end and a second end, the first end defines a receiving hole that allows the output shaft to be inserted thereinto and has an inner surface comprising a second inner planar surface, the second inner planar surface comprises a protrusion matching the positioning hole, and the second end has a lateral surface comprising a second external planar surface matching the first inner planar surface.

11. A driving device of a robot comprising at least one driving assembly and a fixing assembly that are arranged outside a base of the robot, wherein the at least one driving assembly comprises a motor, an omnidirectional wheel, a connection shaft configured to connect an output shaft of the motor to the omnidirectional wheel, and a connection assembly configured to connect the connection shaft to the motor and the omnidirectional wheel, the motor, the connection shaft and the omnidirectional wheel are arranged along a radial direction of the base, and the fixing assembly is configured to fix the motor to the base of the robot, wherein the at least one driving assembly further comprises a bearing device fixed to the base of the robot, the bearing device comprises a bearing hole configured to receive and support the connection shaft and the output shaft, the bearing hole has a radial inner surface arranged to surround a periphery of the connection shaft.

12. The driving device of claim 11 , wherein a lateral surface of the output shaft of the motor comprises a first external planar surface that defines a positioning hole, a hub of the omnidirectional wheel defines a mounting hole having an inner side surface that comprises a first inner planar surface, the connection shaft comprises a first end and a second end, the first end defines a receiving hole that allows the output shaft to be inserted thereinto and has an inner surface comprising a second inner planar surface, the second inner planar surface comprises a protrusion matching the positioning hole, and the second end has a lateral surface comprising a second external planar surface matching the first inner planar surface.

13. The driving device structure of claim 12 , wherein the first external planar surface defines a first limiting hole, the omnidirectional wheel comprises a side plate defining a through hole, the connection shaft defines in a lateral surface thereof a second limiting hole and a first threaded hole intersecting with the receiving hole, an end surface of the second end defines a second threaded hole, the connection assembly comprises a pin, a first screw and a second scre

Assignees

• Ubtech Robotics Corp

Inventors

• Xiong Youjun
• Zhou Libing
• Li Youpeng

Classifications

• B60K17/24 Primary

  Arrangement of mountings for shafting · CPC title

• B60B19/003

  Multidirectional wheels · CPC title

• B60Y2304/07

  Facilitating assembling or mounting · CPC title

• B62D61/06 Primary

  with only three wheels · CPC title

• B62D63/02

  Motor vehicles · CPC title