Robot, flexible gear, gear device, and manufacturing method of flexible gear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10890238-B2
Application number	US-201715466092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2017
Priority date	Mar 28, 2016
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A robot includes a base, a first arm that is provided to be rotatable with respect to the base, and a gear device that transmits a driving force from the base to the first arm. The gear device has a flexible gear. The flexible gear has a cylindrical body portion and a bottom portion that is connected to one end portion of the body portion. The bottom portion has a metal flow radially extending from a center side to an outer peripheral side of the bottom portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot comprising:
a first member;
a second member that is configured to include an arm and is rotatably provided with respect to the first member; and
a gear device that transmits a driving force from one of the first member and the second member to the other of the first member and the second member, the gear device having a flexible gear, the flexible gear being configured with:
a cylindrical body having a first end and a second end opposite to each other along an axis of the cylindrical body; and
a bottom plate located at the first end of the cylindrical body,

wherein the bottom plate has a metal flow, and the metal flow in the bottom plate extends from a center of the bottom plate to the cylindrical body, and
the cylindrical body has the metal flow, and the metal flow in the cylindrical body extends from the first end toward the second end, is folded back along a direction of a thickness of the cylindrical body at a folded position located in the cylindrical body, and continuously extends toward the first end from the folded position.

2. The robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the metal flow in the bottom plate radially extends from the center of the bottom plate to the cylindrical body.

3. The robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the metal flow in the cylindrical body extends in a direction intersecting a tooth trace of the flexible gear.

4. The robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the metal flow in the cylindrical body has a direction component along a circumferential direction of the cylindrical body and extends from the first end to the second end of the cylindrical body.

5. The robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the metal flow in the cylindrical body has a bending portion along a shape of a tooth surface of the flexible gear when viewed in a cross section intersecting the axis of the cylindrical body.

6. The robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the metal flow in the cylindrical body continuously extends from the metal flow in the bottom plate.

7. The robot according to claim 1 ,
wherein the metal flow in the bottom plate curves and extends from the center of the bottom plate to the cylindrical body.

8. A robot comprising:
a first member;
a second member that is configured to include an arm and is rotatably provided with respect to the first member; and
a gear device that transmits a driving force from one of the first member and the second member to the other of the first member and the second member, the gear device having a flexible gear, the flexible gear being configured with:
a cylindrical body having a first end and a second end opposite to each other along an axis of the cylindrical body; and
a flange located at the first end of the cylindrical body,

wherein the flange has a metal flow, and the metal flow in the flange extends from an inner periphery of the flange located at the first end of the cylindrical body to an outer periphery of the flange, and
the cylindrical body has the metal flow, and the metal flow in the cylindrical body extends from the first end toward the second end, is folded back along a direction of a thickness of the cylindrical body at a folded position located in the cylindrical body, and continuously extends toward the first end from the folded position.

9. A flexible gear comprising:
a cylindrical body having a first end and a second end opposite to each other along an axis of the cylindrical body; and
a bottom plate located at the first end of the cylindrical body,
wherein the bottom plate has a metal flow, and the metal flow in the bottom plate radially extends from a center of the bottom plate to the cylindrical body, and
the cylindrical body has the metal flow, and the metal flow in the cylindrical body extends from the first end toward the second end, is folded back along a direction of a thickness of the cylindrical body at a folded position located in the cylindrical body, and continuously extends toward the first end from the folded position.

10. A gear device comprising:
the flexible gear according to claim 9 .

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Takehana Nobuyuki
• Aoyagi Kenji

Classifications

• B25J9/1025 Primary

  Harmonic drives (in general: F16H49/001) · CPC title

• F16H55/17

  Toothed wheels (worm wheels F16H55/22; chain wheels F16H55/30) · CPC title

• Y10S901/25

  Gearing · CPC title

• F16H2049/003

  Features of the flexsplines therefor · CPC title

• B25J9/0009 Primary

  Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases · CPC title