Lifting mechanism and robot employing mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12434377-B2
Application number	US-202318133426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2023
Priority date	Apr 26, 2022
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A lifting mechanism comprises a lifting member, a first detection element and a second detection element. The lifting mechanism is applied to a robot, the robot comprises a controller, the controller is electrically connected with the lifting mechanism. The first detection element and the second detection element detect a height of the at least two guide rods, the controller controls the lifting member to move up or down according to the first position signal output by the first detection element and the second position signal output by the second detection element, so that the lifting mechanism can accurately locate the highest ascending position and lowest descending position of the lifting mechanism. A robot is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lifting mechanism configured to be electrically connected to a controller of a robot, the lifting mechanism comprising:
a lifting member comprising at least two guide rods, wherein the at least two guide rods are arranged on both sides of the lifting member and extend along a lifting direction of the lifting member, the at least two guide rods are connected through a top plate at the top of the at least two guide rods, the lifting member is fixedly connected to the top plate, the lifting member is configured to drive the at least two guide rods to move up or down along the lifting direction;
a first detection element arranged at a first distance from the top plate, wherein the first detection element is separable from the top plate, the first detection element is configured to output a first position signal in response to a detection of the at least two guide rods are located at a first height, and the first position signal is configured to instruct the controller to control the lifting member to move up or down; and
a second detection element arranged at a second distance from the top plate, wherein the second detection element is configured to output a second position signal in response to a detection of the at least two guide rods are located at a second height, and the second position signal is configured to instruct the controller to control the lifting member to move up or down.

2. The lifting mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first detection element comprises a convex column, the convex column is arranged near the top plate and extending in the lifting direction, one part of the convex column is movably set in the first detection element, the other part of the convex column protrudes outside of the first detection element and is separable from the top plate.

3. The lifting mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the first detection element further comprises a first contact, a second contact, and a third contact, the first contact is electrically connected with the second contact, and wherein when the lifting member drives the at least two guide rods moving down to the first height in the lifting direction, the top plate presses the convex column so that a circuit connection state is switched from the first contact electrically connecting with the second contact to the first contact electrically connecting with the third contact.

4. The lifting mechanism of claim 3 , wherein the first detection element outputs the first position signal when the first contact is electrically connected with the third contact, and the first position signal instructs the controller to control the lifting member to stop moving down.

5. The lifting mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the lifting mechanism further comprises a guide rod sleeve, the at least two guide rods are movably arranged in the guide rod sleeve, the second detection element is arranged in a preset position on the guide rod sleeve at a preset distance from the at least two guide rods.

6. The lifting mechanism of claim 5 , wherein the second detection element comprises a switch, when the lifting member drives the at least two guide rods to move up to the second height in the lifting direction, the at least two guide rods is farther away from the second detection element, and the switch is switched from a connected state to a disconnected state.

7. The lifting mechanism of claim 6 , wherein the second detection element outputs the second position signal when the switch is switched from the connected state to the disconnected state, and the second position signal instructs the controller to control the lifting member to stop moving up.

8. The lifting mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second detection elements are configured to electrically connected to a signal input terminal of the controller, the signal input terminal maintains a first potential when the controller does not receive the first position signal or the second position signal.

9. The lifting mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the signal input terminal maintains a second potential when the controller receives the first position signal or the second position signal, the first potential is lower than the second potential.

10. A robot comprising a lifting mechanism and a controller, wherein the controller is electrically connected with the lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism comprises:
a lifting member comprising at least two guide rods, wherein the at least two guide rods are arranged on both sides of the lifting member and extend along a lifting direction of the lifting member, the at least two guide rods are connected through a top plate at the top of the at least two guide rods, the lifting member is fixedly connected to the top plate, the lifting member is configured to drive the at least two guide rods to move up or down along the lifting direction;
a first detection element arranged at a first distance from the top plate, wherein the first detection element is separable from the top plate, the first detection element is configured to output a first position signal in response to a detection of the at least two guide rods are located at a first height, and the first position signal is configured to instruct the controller to control the lifting member to move up or down; and
a second detection element arranged at a second distance from the top plate, wherein the second detection element is configured to output a second position signal in response to a detection of the at least two guide rods are located at a second height, and the second position signal is configured to instruct the controller to control the lifting member to move up or down.

11. The robot of claim 10 , wherein the first detection element comprises a convex column, the convex column is arranged near the top plate and extending in the lifting direction, one part of the convex column is movably set in the first detection element, the other part of the convex column protrudes outside of the first detection element and is separable from the top plate.

12. The robot of claim 11 , wherein the first detection element further comprises a first contact, a second contact, and a third contact, the first contact is electrically connected with the second contact, and wherein when the lifting member drives the at least two guide rods moving down to the first height in the lifting direction, the top plate presses the convex column so that a circuit connection state is switched from the first contact electrically connecting with the second contact to the first contact electrically connecting with the third contact.

13. The robot of claim 12 , wherein the first detection element outputs the first position signal when the first contact is electrically connected with the third contact, and the first position signal instructs the controller to control the lifting member to stop moving down.

14. The robot of claim 10 , wherein the lifting mechanism further comprises a guide rod sleeve, the at least two guide rods are movably arranged in the guide rod sleeve, the second detection element is arranged in a preset position on the guide rod sleeve at a preset distance from the at least two guide rods.

15. The robot of claim 14 , wherein the second detection element comprises a switch, when the lifting member drives the at least two guide rods to move up to the second height in the lifting direction, the at least two guide rods is farther away from the second detection element, and the switch is switched from a connected state to a disconnected state.

16. The robot of claim 15 , wherein the second detection element outputs the seco

Assignees

• Futaijing Prec Electronics Yantai Co Ltd
• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chien Chun-Yuan
• Yi Ya-Wei

Classifications

• B25J13/088

  with position, velocity or acceleration sensors · CPC title

• B25J5/02

  travelling along a guideway · CPC title

• B66F9/0755

  Position control; Position detectors · CPC title

• B66F7/12

  by mechanical jacks · CPC title

• B25J9/10

  characterised by positioning means for manipulator elements · CPC title