Robotic manipulator with supplementary damping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10994426-B2
Application number	US-201715484515-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2017
Priority date	Apr 11, 2016
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus including a plurality of robot arm links movably connected to one another, where a first one of the robot arm links includes a frame, where the frame has a first end movably connected onto a second one of the robot arm links; and at least one vibration damper arrangement on the frame of the first robot arm link, where the at least one vibration damper arrangement includes at least one viscoelastic element connected to the frame of the first robot arm link by a connection such that, as the frame of the first robot arm link experiences vibrations, the at least one viscoelastic element dampens the vibrations in the frame of the first robot arm link based upon viscoelasticity and the connection of the at least one viscoelastic element to the frame of the first robot arm link.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of robot arm links movably connected to one another, where a first one of the robot arm links comprises a frame, where the frame has a first end movably connected onto a second one of the robot arm links; and
at least one vibration damper arrangement on the frame of the first robot arm link, where the at least one vibration damper arrangement comprises at least one viscoelastic element connected to the frame of the first robot arm link by a first connection such that, as the frame of the first robot arm link experiences vibrations, the at least one viscoelastic element dampens the vibrations in the frame of the first robot arm link based upon viscoelasticity and the first connection of the at least one viscoelastic element to the frame of the first robot arm link, where the at least one viscoelastic element is attached to the frame of the first robot arm link by the first connection inside the frame of the first robot arm link such that the at least one viscoelastic element is spaced from a second connection of the first robot arm link with other of the plurality of robot arm links, and where the at least one viscoelastic element is configured to viscoelasticly deform on the frame based upon flexing deformation of the frame on the at least one viscoelastic element,
where the first connection comprises at least one fastener which clamps the at least one viscoelastic element onto a portion of the frame of the first robot arm link.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 where the at least one viscoelastic element comprises at least two of the viscoelastic elements which are clamped onto opposite sides of the portion of the frame of the first robot arm link.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 where the first connection comprises plates which sandwich the at least two viscoelastic elements against opposite sides of the portion of the frame of the first robot arm link.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 where the portion of the frame of the first robot arm link has apertures for the fasteners to extend through.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 further comprising at least one viscoelastic sleeve located in at least one of the apertures between the frame of the first robot arm link and the fastener.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 where the plates comprises a general U-shaped section.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 where the portion extends in an inward direction inside the frame of the first robot arm link, where the first robot arm link comprises one of:
an upper arm,
a forearm,
an end effector, or
a portion of a link between the forearm and the end effector.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 where the first connection further comprises at least one plate which is compressed against the at least one viscoelastic element by the at least one fastener such that the at least one plate presses the at least one viscoelastic element against a portion of the frame of the first robot arm link.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 where the at least one viscoelastic element comprises a first plate-shaped member comprised of viscoelastic material and at least one second sleeve-shaped member comprised of viscoelastic material, where the at least one second sleeve shaped member is located around at least one of the at least one fastener.

10. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of robot arm links movably connected to one another, where a first one of the robot arm links comprises a frame, where the frame has a first end movably connected onto a second one of the robot arm links; and
at least one vibration damper arrangement on the frame of the first robot arm link, where the at least one vibration damper arrangement comprises at least one viscoelastic element connected to the frame of the first robot arm link by a first connection such that, as the frame of the first robot arm link experiences vibrations, the at least one viscoelastic element dampens the vibrations in the frame of the first robot arm link based upon viscoelasticity and the first connection of the at least one viscoelastic element to the frame of the first robot arm link, where the at least one viscoelastic element is attached to the frame of the first robot arm link by the first connection inside the frame of the first robot arm link such that the at least one viscoelastic element is spaced from a second connection of the first robot arm link with other of the plurality of robot arm links, and where the at least one viscoelastic element is configured to viscoelasticly deform on the frame based upon flexing deformation of the frame on the at least one viscoelastic element,
where the first connection further comprises at least one plate which is compressed against the at least one viscoelastic element to press the at least one viscoelastic element against a portion of the frame of the first robot arm link, where the at least one plate comprises a first plate comprising a fastener contact area connected to a rest of the first plate by at least one bendable flexure portion of the first plate.

11. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of robot arm links movably connected to one another, where a first one of the robot arm links comprises a frame, where the frame has a first end movably connected onto a second one of the robot arm links; and
at least one vibration damper arrangement on the frame of the first robot arm link, where the at least one vibration damper arrangement comprises at least one viscoelastic element connected to the frame of the first robot arm link by a first connection such that, as the frame of the first robot arm link experiences vibrations, the at least one viscoelastic element dampens the vibrations in the frame of the first robot arm link based upon viscoelasticity and the first connection of the at least one viscoelastic element to the frame of the first robot arm link, where the at least one viscoelastic element is attached to the frame of the first robot arm link by the first connection inside the frame of the first robot arm link such that the at least one viscoelastic element is spaced from a second connection of the first robot arm link with other of the plurality of robot arm links, and where the at least one viscoelastic element is configured to viscoelasticly deform on the frame based upon flexing deformation of the frame on the at least one viscoelastic element,
where the at least one viscoelastic element comprises a first plate-shaped member comprised of viscoelastic material and a second plate-shaped member comprised of viscoelastic material which are located on opposite sides of a portion of the frame of the first robot arm link.

12. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of robot arm links movably connected to one another, where a first one of the robot arm links comprises a frame, where the frame has a first end movably connected onto a second one of the robot arm links; and
at least one vibration damper arrangement on the frame of the first robot arm link, where the at least one vibration damper arrangement comprises at least one viscoelastic element connected to the frame of the first robot arm link by a first connection such that, as the frame of the first robot arm link experiences vibrations, the at least one viscoelastic element dampens the vibrations in the frame of the first robot arm link based upon viscoelasticity and the first connection of the at least one viscoelastic element to the frame of the first robot arm link, where the at least one viscoelastic element is attached to the frame of the first robot arm link by the first connection inside the frame of the first robot arm link such

Assignees

• Persimmon Technologies Corp
• Persimmon Tech Corporation

Inventors

• Hosek Martin
• Poole Dennis

Classifications

• B25J9/104

  with cables, chains or ribbons · CPC title

• F16F9/306

  of the constrained layer type, i.e. comprising one or more constrained viscoelastic layers · CPC title

• B25J19/0091 Primary

  Shock absorbers (in general F16F) · CPC title

• B25J9/042

  comprising an articulated arm · CPC title

• B25J11/0095

  Manipulators transporting wafers · CPC title