Remote-controlled actuator assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9282976-B2
Application number	US-201113582819-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2011
Priority date	Mar 5, 2010
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A remote-controlled actuator assembly includes a guide section ( 3 ) of an elongated shape, a distal end member ( 2 ) fitted to a tip end of the guide section for alteration in attitude, an operating tool ( 1 ) in the distal end member, and a restraining tool ( 6 ) for aligning the distal end member straight with the guide section. The distal end member is altered in attitude through advancing/retracting attitude altering members ( 31 ) in the guide section by attitude altering drive sources ( 43 ), which are controlled by an attitude control unit ( 62 ). An advance or retraction position detector ( 45 ) detects an advance/retraction position of the attitude altering members while the attitude altering members applying a preload to the distal end member restrained by the restraining tool. The attitude control unit uses the detection value as information on the advance/retraction position corresponding to an initial position-attitude of the distal end member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A remote controlled actuator assembly which comprises:
a guide section of an elongated shape;
a distal end member fitted to a tip end of the guide section for alteration in attitude;
an operating tool provided in the distal end member;
an operating tool drive source for driving the operating tool;
an attitude altering drive source for altering the attitude of the distal end member;
an attitude control unit for controlling the attitude altering drive source; and
a restraining tool removably fitted to an area extending from an outer periphery of a tip end portion of the guide section to an outer periphery of the distal end member, so as to restrain the distal end member such that the distal end member is aligned straight with the guide section,
in which the restraining tool includes an inner peripheral member configured to be placed on the area extending from an outer periphery of the tip end portion of the guide section to the outer periphery of the distal end member, and a tubular outer peripheral member configured to be placed on an outer periphery of the inner peripheral member;
in which the inner peripheral member includes a plurality of split bodies circumferentially spaced apart from each other,
in which an outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral member and an inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral member are in the form of tapers that match with each other and are formed with a male thread and a female thread, respectively, that threadingly engage with each other,
in which the guide section has its interior accommodating a drive shaft for transmitting a drive force of the operating tool drive source to the operating tool and a guide hole having its opposite ends opening,
in which an attitude altering member is reciprocally movably inserted within the guide hole for undergoing a reciprocating or retracting motion so as to alter the attitude of the distal end member, the attitude altering member being selectively advanced or retracted by the attitude altering drive source,
in which an advance or retraction position detector operable to detect an advance or retraction position of the attitude altering member is provided, and
in which the attitude control unit uses information on an advance or retraction position of the attitude altering member corresponding to an initial position-attitude of the distal end member and that information is a detection value obtained by the advance or retraction position detector while the distal end member is being restrained to align straight with the guide section, during which the attitude altering member keeps applying a preload to the distal end member.

2. The remote controlled actuator assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the attitude altering drive source is driven by a predetermined magnitude of power to apply a predetermined preload via the attitude altering member to the distal end member while the restraining tool keeps restraining the distal end member, when the information on an advance or retraction position of the attitude altering member is obtained.

3. The remote controlled actuator assembly as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising a reference position memory configured to store, as a reference position of the attitude altering member corresponding to the initial position-attitude of the distal end member, an advance or retraction position of the attitude altering member at which the attitude altering member stops due to a balance achieved between a force that acts on the distal end member from the attitude altering member and a reactive force from the distal end member.

4. The remote controlled actuator assembly as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising an initial attitude controller configured to perform control in such a way that the advance or retraction of the attitude altering member and the storage of the reference position of the attitude altering member in the reference position memory are carried out in successive actions.

5. The remote controlled actuator assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distal end member is fitted such that the attitude of the distal end member can be altered in an arbitrary direction with respect to the guide section,
the guide hole as well as the attitude altering member inserted within the guide hole are provided at three or more locations about a tilt axis of the distal end member,
the attitude altering drive source is provided separately with one for each of the attitude altering members, and
the attitude of the distal end member can be altered and maintained in two axis-directions perpendicular to each other depending on the balance among the respective forces that the attitude altering members apply to the distal end member.

6. The remote controlled actuator assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the distal end member is fitted such that the attitude of the distal end member can be altered in an arbitrary direction with respect to the guide section,
the guide hole as well as the attitude altering member inserted within the guide hole are provided at three or more locations about a tilt axis of the distal end member,
the attitude altering drive source is provided separately with one for each of the attitude altering members, and
the attitude of the distal end member can be altered and maintained in two axis-directions perpendicular to each other depending on the balance among the respective forces that the attitude altering members apply to the distal end member;
in which, for every combination of orders in which the attitude altering members provided at three or more locations can be advanced or retracted one by one, the attitude altering members are advanced or retracted one by one until an advance or retraction stop position is detected, the detected values for each of the attitude altering members are subject to a predetermined statistical processing procedure to obtain a statistically processed value for each of the attitude altering members, and the statistically processed value is used as a reference position of each of the attitude altering members corresponding to the initial position-attitude of the distal end member.

7. The remote controlled actuator assembly as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the statistically processed value is an arithmetic average value of the detected values.

8. The remote controlled actuator assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the guide section includes a curve portion.

9. A remote controlled actuator assembly which comprises:
a guide section of an elongated shape;
a distal end member fitted to a tip end of the guide section for alteration in attitude;
an operating tool provided in the distal end member;
an operating tool drive source for driving the operating tool;
an attitude altering drive source for altering the attitude of the distal end member;
an attitude control unit for controlling the attitude altering drive source; and
a restraining tool removably fitted to an area extending from an outer periphery of a tip end portion of the guide section to an outer periphery of the distal end member, so as to restrain the distal end member such that the distal end member is aligned straight with the guide section, the remote controlled actuator assembly being configured to restrain the distal end member such that the distal end member is aligned straight with the guide section,
in which the restraining tool comprises an inner peripheral member configured to be placed on the area extending from an outer periphery of the tip end portion of the guide section to the outer periphery of the distal end member, the inner peripheral member having a plurality of split bodies circumferentially spaced apart from each other and a tubular outer pe

Assignees

• Nishio Yukihiro
• Nagano Yoshitaka
• Ntn Toyo Bearing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nishio Yukihiro
• Nagano Yoshitaka

Classifications

• B23B39/14

  with special provision to enable the machine or the drilling or boring head to be moved into any desired position, e.g. with respect to immovable work · CPC title

• A61B17/1631

  Special drive shafts, e.g. flexible shafts (A61B17/1642, A61B17/164 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/1628

  Motors; Power supplies · CPC title

• A61B17/1624

  Drive mechanisms therefor · CPC title

• A61B17/1617 Primary

  with mobile or detachable parts · CPC title