Robot and gear unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10843335-B2
Application number	US-201815936893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A robot includes a first member, a second member provided rotatably with respect to the first member, a gearing that transmits drive power from one side to the other side of the first member and the second member, the gearing includes an internal gear, an external gear having a flexible barrel portion in a tubular shape with an opening portion in an end part, and rotating about a rotation axis relative to the internal gear, and a wave generator, the wave generator includes a cam having a non-circular outer circumferential surface, and a bearing including an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of balls, the first member includes a counter body provided to face the end part on the opening portion side of the barrel portion, and a first seal member is provided between the outer ring and the counter body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot comprising:
a first member;
a second member including an arm and provided rotatably with respect to the first member;
a gearing that transmits drive power from one side to the other side of the first member and the second member,
wherein the gearing includes
an internal gear,
an external gear provided with external teeth partially meshing with the internal gear, having a flexible barrel portion in a tubular shape with an opening portion in an end part, and rotating about a rotation axis relative to the internal gear, and
a wave generator in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the external gear and moving a meshing position of the internal gear and the external gear in a circumferential direction around the rotation axis,
the wave generator includes
a cam having a non-circular outer circumferential surface, and
a bearing provided between the inner circumferential surface of the external gear and the outer circumferential surface of the cam in contact with these surfaces and including an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of balls,
the first member includes a counter body provided to face the end part on the opening portion side of the barrel portion,
a first seal member is provided between the outer ring and the counter body, and
the first seal member is fixed to the outer ring.

2. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the counter body is provided on an inner wall surface of the first member.

3. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the first seal member is fixed to the counter body.

4. A robot comprising:
a first member;
a second member including an arm and provided rotatably with respect to the first member;
a gearing that transmits drive power from one side to the other side of the first member and the second member,
wherein the gearing includes
an internal gear,
an external gear provided with external teeth partially meshing with the internal gear, having a flexible barrel portion in a tubular shape with an opening portion in an end part, and rotating about a rotation axis relative to the internal gear, and
a wave generator in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the external gear and moving a meshing position of the internal gear and the external gear in a circumferential direction around the rotation axis,
the wave generator includes
a cam having a non-circular outer circumferential surface, and
a bearing provided between the inner circumferential surface of the external gear and the outer circumferential surface of the cam in contact with these surfaces and including an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of balls,
the first member includes a counter body provided to face the end part on the opening portion side of the barrel portion,
a first seal member is provided between the outer ring and the counter body, and
a second seal member is provided between an outer circumferential surface of the outer ring and an inner circumferential surface of the barrel portion.

5. The robot according to claim 4 , wherein the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring has a concave portion with the second sealing member provided therein.

6. The robot according to claim 4 , wherein the inner circumferential surface of the barrel portion has a concave portion with the second sealing member provided therein.

7. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the first seal member is an elastic body.

8. The robot according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first lubricant provided on a side of an outer circumferential surface of the barrel portion; and
a second lubricant provided on a side of the inner circumferential surface of the barrel portion and having different lubrication performance from the first lubricant.

9. A gear unit comprising:
an internal gear;
an external gear provided with external teeth partially meshing with the internal gear, having a flexible barrel portion in a tubular shape with an opening portion in an end part, and rotating about a rotation axis relative to the internal gear;
a wave generator in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the external gear and moving a meshing position of the internal gear and the external gear in a circumferential direction around the rotation axis; and
a counter body provided to face the end part on the opening portion side of the barrel portion,
wherein the wave generator includes
a cam having a non-circular outer circumferential surface, and
a bearing provided between the inner circumferential surface of the external gear and the outer circumferential surface of the cam in contact with these surfaces and including an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of balls,
a first seal member is provided between the outer ring and the counter body, and
the first seal member is fixed to the outer ring.

10. The gear unit according to claim 9 , wherein the counter body is provided on an inner wall surface of the first member.

11. The gear unit according to claim 9 , wherein the first seal member is fixed to the counter body.

12. The gear unit according to claim 9 , wherein a second seal member is provided between an outer circumferential surface of the outer ring and an inner circumferential surface of the barrel portion.

13. The gear unit according to claim 12 , wherein the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring has a concave portion with the second sealing member provided therein.

14. The gear unit according to claim 12 , wherein the inner circumferential surface of the barrel portion has a concave portion with the second sealing member provided therein.

15. The gear unit according to claim 9 , wherein the first seal member is an elastic body.

16. The gear unit according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a first lubricant provided on a side of an outer circumferential surface of the barrel portion; and
a second lubricant provided on a side of the inner circumferential surface of the barrel portion and having different lubrication performance from the first lubricant.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kusumoto Hiroyuki

Classifications

• F16H57/0464

  Grease lubrication · CPC title

• F16C33/7886

  mounted outside the gap between the inner and outer races, e.g. sealing rings mounted to an end face or outer surface of a race · CPC title

• F16H57/0401

  using different fluids, e.g. a traction fluid for traction gearing and a lubricant for bearings or reduction gears · CPC title

• F16C2322/59

  Manipulators, e.g. robot arms · CPC title

• F16C27/066

  Ball or roller bearings · CPC title