Extension pipe and transport robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12338879-B2
Application number	US-202318340888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2023
Priority date	Jun 27, 2022
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

An extension pipe includes a first belt including a plurality of first engagement pins formed on an upper side along the upper side and a plurality of second engagement pins formed on a lower side along the lower side, a second belt including a plurality of first engagement holes formed on the upper side along the upper side and a plurality of second engagement holes formed on the lower side along the lower side, and a first guide part including a spiral groove configured to spirally guide the first belt and the second belt. A difference between a length of a first trajectory in which each of the first engagement pins moves along the spiral groove and a length of a second trajectory in which each of the second engagement pins moves along the spiral groove is less than half a circumference of the spiral groove.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An extension pipe, comprising:
a first belt including a plurality of first engagement pins provided on an upper side along the upper side and a plurality of second engagement pins provided on a lower side along the lower side;
a second belt including a plurality of first engagement holes provided on the upper side along the upper side and a plurality of second engagement holes provided on the lower side along the lower side; and
a first guide part including a spiral groove configured to spirally guide the first belt and the second belt, the spiral groove including a first spiral groove and a second spiral groove that are different from each other, wherein
the first belt and the second belt are spirally wound around the first guide part so that the corresponding first engagement pins engage the second engagement holes, respectively, and the corresponding second engagement pins engage the first engagement holes, respectively,
each of the first engagement pins and each of the second engagement pins are configured to be insertable into the first and second spiral grooves, respectively,
a first trajectory, in which each of the first engagement pins is configured to move along the first spiral groove, includes a first start point where the first engagement pins are inserted in the first spiral groove and a first end point where the first engagement pins come out of the first spiral groove,
a second trajectory, in which each of the second engagement pins is configured to move along the second spiral groove, includes a second start point where the second engagement pins are inserted in the second spiral groove and a second end point where the second engagement pins come out of the second spiral groove, and
a difference between a length of the first trajectory from the first start point to the first end point along the first spiral groove and a length of the second trajectory from the second start point to the second end point along the second spiral groove is less than half a circumference of a single wrap of the first spiral groove or half a circumference of a single wrap of the second spiral groove.

2. The extension pipe according to claim 1 , wherein
a distance between the first end point of the first trajectory and a leading end of the first guide part is less than a distance between the second end point of the second trajectory and the leading end of the first guide part.

3. The extension pipe according to claim 2 , wherein
a notched surface is provided at the leading end of the first guide part along an axial direction of the first guide part, and
the first end point of the first trajectory and the second end point of the second trajectory are included in the notched surface.

4. The extension pipe according to claim 2 , wherein
a notched surface is provided at a leading end of the first guide part along a longitudinal direction of the first guide part, and
the first end point of the first trajectory and the second end point of the second trajectory are included in the notched surface.

5. The extension pipe according to claim 4 , wherein the notched surface is a flat surface.

6. The extension pipe according to claim 4 , wherein the notched surface is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the first guide part and parallel to a radial direction of the first guide part.

7. The extension pipe according to claim 1 , wherein
the second start point of the second trajectory is a point advanced in a direction along which the first belt is spirally wound around the first guide part compared to the first start point of the first trajectory.

8. The extension pipe according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a second guide part including a first opening through which the first belt is passed and a second opening through which the second belt is passed, wherein
the first guide part is passed inside the second guide part, and
the first start point of the first trajectory and the second start point of the second trajectory are at a same position in the axial direction of the first guide part.

9. The extension pipe according to claim 1 , wherein
the length of the first trajectory is substantially the same as the length of the second trajectory.

10. A transport robot, comprising: an extension pipe, the extension pipe including:
a first belt including a plurality of first engagement pins provided on an upper side along the upper side and a plurality of second engagement pins provided on a lower side along the lower side;
a second belt including a plurality of first engagement holes provided on the upper side along the upper side and a plurality of second engagement holes provided on the lower side along the lower side; and
a first guide part including a spiral groove configured to spirally guide the first belt and the second belt, the spiral groove including a first spiral groove and a second spiral groove that are different from each other, wherein
the first belt and the second belt are spirally wound around the first guide part so that the corresponding first engagement pins engage the second engagement holes, respectively, and the corresponding second engagement pins engage the first engagement holes, respectively,
each of the first engagement pins and each of the second engagement pins are configured to be insertable into the first and second spiral grooves, respectively,
a first trajectory, in which each of the first engagement pins is configured to move along the first spiral groove, includes a first start point where the first engagement pins are inserted in the first spiral groove and a first end point where the first engagement pins come out of the first spiral groove,
a second trajectory, in which each of the second engagement pins is configured to move along the second spiral groove, includes a second start point where the second engagement pins are inserted in the second spiral groove and a second end point where the second engagement pins come out of the second spiral groove, and
a difference between a length of the first trajectory from the first start point to the first end point along the first spiral groove and a length of the second trajectory from the second start point to the second end point along the second spiral groove is less than half a circumference of a single wrap of the first spiral groove or half a circumference of a single wrap of the second spiral groove.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Komura Hirotaka
• Iwamoto Kunihiro
• Nakamoto Yoshiaki

Classifications

• B25J18/02

  extensible · CPC title

• F16H19/0618 Primary

  the flexible member, e.g. cable, being wound on a drum or thread for creating axial movement parallel to the drum or thread · CPC title

• B25J9/104

  with cables, chains or ribbons · CPC title

• F16H2025/2062

  Arrangements for driving the actuator · CPC title

• B66F7/28

  Constructional details, e.g. end stops, pivoting supporting members, sliding runners adjustable to load dimensions · CPC title