Hexapod system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764466-B2
Application number	US-201314442909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2013
Priority date	Nov 14, 2012
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a hexapod system including first and second supports and six linear actuators. Each linear actuator has an articulated end on the first and second supports, with a swivel connection with a force-absorbing structure embedded in the first support and a swivel connection to linear actuators articulated on the first support, and one of the first and second supports includes a connector that cooperates with the force-absorbing structure. The connector cooperates with a second force-absorbing structure of a second hexapod system, and the two hexapod systems mount in series.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hexapod system comprising:
a first support;
a second support;
six linear actuators; and
a first force-absorbing structure,
wherein each linear actuator has two ends, with one end of each linear actuator articulated in one of the first support and the second support by a swivel connection,
wherein the first force-absorbing structure comprises one end embedded in the first support and another end coupled to the second support by a swivel connection with a center of rotation situated in a thickness of the second support,
wherein the swivel connections by which the linear actuators are articulated on the first support each have a center of rotation situated within a thickness of the first support and the swivel connections by which the linear actuators are articulated on the second support have the center of rotation that is situated within the thickness of the second support,
wherein at least one of the first support and the second support comprises a connector configured to cooperate with the first force-absorbing structure,
wherein the first force-absorbing structure is configured to cooperate with a second force-absorbing structure of a second hexapod system, with the two hexapod systems mounted in series to form a swivel connection and respectively an embedded end, the same connector thus cooperating with the force-absorbing structures of two hexapod systems mounted in series, and
wherein the swivel connections by which the linear actuators are articulated on the second support are coplanar with the center of rotation of the swivel connection by which said force-absorbing structure is coupled to the second support.

2. The hexapod system according to claim 1 , wherein the connector forms a single piece.

3. The hexapod system according to claim 1 , wherein the force-absorbing structures of two hexapod systems mounted in series are secured to the supports solely by the connectors.

4. The hexapod system according to claim 1 , wherein the support comprising the connector is common to the two hexapod systems mounted in series.

5. The hexapod system according to claim 1 , wherein the actuators of the two hexapod systems are rotationally articulated on the common support.

6. The hexapod system according to claim 1 , wherein the common support forms a single piece.

7. The hexapod system according to claim 1 , wherein said center of rotation of the swivel connection of the force-absorbing structure is situated between two planes passing through the second support, said two planes being parallel to each other and perpendicular to an axis Rz that passes on the one end through the embedded end between the force-absorbing structure and the first support and another end passes through the center of the swivel connection coupling the force-absorbing structure to the second support.

8. The hexapod system according to claim 1 , wherein the second support has an internal face turned towards the force-absorbing structure and an external face opposite to the internal face and wherein said center of rotation of the swivel connection of the force-absorbing structure is situated between the internal and external faces.

9. The hexapod system according to claim 1 , wherein said center of rotation of the swivel connection formed by the second support and the force-absorbing structure is situated at the center of a circle formed by the swivel connections by which the linear actuators are articulated on the second support.

10. The hexapod system according to claim 1 , wherein the force-absorbing structure is embedded in the first support at a center of a circle formed by the swivel connections by which the linear actuators are articulated on the first support.

11. The hexapod system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one from among the first and second supports forms a plate.

12. The hexapod system according to claim 1 , wherein the force-absorbing structure has a first end at which the force-absorbing structure is embedded in the first support and a second end at which the force-absorbing structure is coupled to the second support by a swivel connection and wherein the first and second ends of the force-absorbing structure are secured.

13. The hexapod system according to claim 1 , comprising a single force-absorbing structure.

14. The hexapod system according to claim 1 , wherein the force-absorbing structure comprises a hollow tube carrying a hollow swivel connection, wherein the connector is hollow at its center, the hexapod system being configured so as to arrange a passage channel passing through the force-absorbing structure and the first and second supports.

15. An inspection and/or repair robot, comprising a poly-articulated arm equipped with a plurality of hexapod systems according to claim 1 and wherein the hexapod systems are disposed in series.

16. The robot according to claim 15 , further comprising a deformable fluid-tight sheath enveloping the hexapod systems and conformed so as to follow the movement of the poly-articulated arm and to be maintained at a distance from the linear actuators and the swivel connections whatever the movement of the poly-articulated arm.

17. The robot according to claim 16 , configured so as to ensure a pressure suitable for maintaining the sheath at a distance from the linear actuators inside the sheath.

18. The robot according to claim 15 , wherein each force-absorbing structure comprises a hollow tube carrying a hollow swivel connection,
wherein each connector is hollow at its center, each hexapod system being configured so as to arrange a passage channel,
wherein the passage channel is configured to accommodate at least one of a cable and a pipe passing through the plurality of hexapod systems, with the passage channel passing through the plurality of hexapod systems.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• REY FRéDéRIC
• Alouani Slim

Classifications

• B25J9/08

  characterised by modular constructions · CPC title

• B25J9/144 Primary

  Linear actuators · CPC title

• B25J9/0057

  with kinematics chains of the type spherical-prismatic-spherical · CPC title

• B25J19/0091

  Shock absorbers (in general F16F) · CPC title

• B25J9/0075 Primary

  Truss · CPC title