Operation device for link actuating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10443693-B2
Application number	US-201715614038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2017
Priority date	Dec 5, 2014
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

An operation device for a link actuating device ( 51 ) is provided with a target value input unit ( 57 ) having a height direction target value input portion ( 57 z ) that allows input of a movement amount in a height direction or a coordinate position in the height direction, which causes the distal end posture of the link actuating device ( 51 ) to be changed only in the height direction along a central axis of a proximal end side link hub ( 12 ). Input converter ( 58 ) is provided to calculate, by using an inputted value, a target distal end posture of the link actuating device ( 51 ). The Input converter ( 58 ) further calculates a command operation amount of each actuator ( 53 ) from the result of the calculation, and inputs the command operation amount to the control device ( 54 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An operation device configured to operate a link actuating device,
the link actuating device including:
a proximal end side link hub;
a distal end side link hub; and
three or more link mechanisms which each connect 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 includes:
a proximal side end link member having one end rotatably connected to the proximal end side link hub; a distal side end link member having one end connected to the distal end side link hub; and an intermediate link member having opposed ends thereof being rotatably connected to other ends of the proximal side end link member and the distal side end link member, respectively,

each of the link mechanisms has such a shape that a geometric model of the link mechanism represented by straight lines shows symmetry between a proximal end side portion thereof and a distal end side portion thereof with respect to a center portion of the intermediate link member,
two or more link mechanisms among the three or more link mechanisms are each provided with an actuator which changes a distal end posture that is the posture of the distal end side link hub relative to the proximal end side link hub,

the link actuating device being provided with a control device configured to control the actuators, and
the operation device being configured to input, through a human-induced operation, a target value to which the distal end posture is changed,
the operation device comprising:
a target value input unit having a height direction target value input portion configured to allow input of a movement amount in a height direction or a coordinate position in the height direction, which causes the distal end posture to be changed only in the height direction along a central axis of the proximal end side link hub; and
an input converter configured to calculate the distal end posture of the link actuating device by using a value inputted from the target value input unit, calculate a command operation amount of each actuator from a result of the calculation, and input the command operation amount to the control device, which distal end posture is represented by a bend angle and an angle of swing, the bend angle being a vertical angle formed when a central axis of the distal end side link hub is inclined relative to the central axis of the proximal end side link hub, the angle of swing being a horizontal angle formed when the central axis of the distal end side link hub is inclined relative to the central axis of the proximal end side link hub.

2. The operation device for the link actuating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the height direction target value input portion designates the movement amount in the height direction by an operation amount that depends on an operation time of a pressing button, or a number of times the pressing button.

3. The operation device for the link actuating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the target value input unit includes a three-dimensional rectangular coordinate input portion configured to input a coordinate position in each direction on a three-dimensional rectangular coordinate system having an origin positioned on the central axis of the proximal end side link hub.

4. The operation device for the link actuating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the input converter calculates the distal end posture of the link actuating device with the use of convergence calculation by the method of least squares, based on the value inputted through the target value input unit.

5. The operation device for the link actuating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
assuming that a rotation angle of the proximal side end link member relative to the proximal end side link hub is βn, an angle formed between a first connection end axis of the intermediate link member rotatably connected to the proximal side end link member and a second connection end axis of the intermediate link member rotatably connected to the distal side end link member is γ, an angle of spacing, in a circumferential direction, of each proximal side end link member relative to a proximal side end link member that serves as a reference is δn, the bend angle is θ, and the angle of swing is ϕ, the input converter performs inverse transformation of a formula expressed by
cos(ν/2)·sin β n −sin(θ/2)·sin(ϕ+δn)·cos β n +sin(γ/2)=0

to obtain a rotation angle of each proximal side end link member in the distal end posture as a target, and calculates the command operation amount of each actuator from a difference between the obtained rotation angle and the rotation angle of each proximal side end link member in the distal end posture at present.

6. The operation device for the link actuating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
assuming that a rotation angle of the proximal side end link member relative to the proximal end side link hub is βn, an angle formed between a first connection end axis of the intermediate link member rotatably connected to the proximal side end link member and a second connection end axis of the intermediate link member rotatably connected to the distal side end link member is γ, an angle of spacing, in a circumferential direction, of each proximal side end link member relative to a proximal side end link member that serves as a reference is δn, the bend angle is θ, and the angle of swing is ϕ, the input converter performs inverse transformation of a formula expressed by
cos(θ/2)·sin β n −sin(θ/2)·sin(ϕ+δ n )·cos β n +sin(γ/2)=0

to form a table showing a relationship between the distal end posture and a rotation angle of each proximal side end link member, obtains, by using the table, a rotation angle of each proximal side end link member in the distal end posture as a target, and calculates the command operation amount of each actuator from a difference between the obtained rotation angle and the rotation angle of each proximal side end link member at present.

7. The operation device of the link actuating device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein designation of a three-dimensional rectangular coordinate position is performed by the three-dimensional rectangular coordinate input portion of the target value input unit with the use of numerical input.

8. The operation device for the link actuating device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the target value input unit causes the three-dimensional rectangular coordinate input portion of the target value input unit to perform designation of the three-dimensional rectangular coordinate position with the use of numerical input of an absolute coordinate with respect to a predetermined reference point.

9. The operation device for the link actuating device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the target value input unit causes the three-dimensional rectangular coordinate input portion of the target value input unit to perform designation of the three-dimensional rectangular coordinate position with the use of numerical input of a difference from a present coordinate position to a target coordinate position.

10. The operation device for the link actuating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the input converter converts information of the distal end posture, which is provided from the target value input unit, into an operation amount of the actuator by using a predetermined transformation formula, and inputs the operation amount to the control device.

Assignees

• Ntn Toyo Bearing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakata Seigo
• Nishio Yukihiro
• Isobe Hiroshi
• Konagai Naoya
• Yamada Hiroyuki

Classifications

• F16H21/46

  with movements in three dimensions [3D] · CPC title

• B25J9/0048

  with kinematics chains of the type rotary-rotary-rotary · CPC title

• B25J9/108

  Bearings specially adapted therefor (bearings in general F16C) · CPC title

• B25J13/06 Primary

  Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards · CPC title

• F16H21/48 Primary

  for conveying rotary motions · CPC title