Robot arm Patent US20180065243A1

US20180065243A1 · Industry University Cooperation Foundation of Korea University of Technology and Education

Patent number
US20180065243A1
Applicant
Industry University Cooperation Foundation of Korea University of Technology and Education
Filing date
2016-03-14
CPC class
B25J9/104
Pillar
Muscle

The patent describes a robot arm with shoulder, elbow, and wrist joint assemblies using curved surfaces, eccentric pulleys, wires, and tensioning mechanisms to achieve high strength, rigidity, multi-degree-of-freedom motion, and lightweight construction while transmitting drive power without interference.

Claims

A robot arm comprising a shoulder joint assembly with a drive unit; an elbow joint assembly with stationary and rotating members having contacting curved surfaces, pairs of eccentric pulleys, and wire parts for rotation; and a wrist joint assembly, with additional features for wire routing via connecting pulleys and support elements to enable non-interfering multi-joint actuation.

Technical analysis

The design uses rolling contact between arc-shaped members combined with cable-driven eccentric pulley systems to simplify joint mechanics compared to traditional geared or complex multi-DOF actuators. This reduces weight and complexity while maintaining rigidity and allowing power transmission through the arm to distal joints, addressing trade-offs in safety vs. performance seen in collaborative robots.

Commercial impact

Enables lighter, stronger robotic arms suitable for collaborative industrial, surgical, or human-shared environments, potentially lowering manufacturing costs and improving payload-to-weight ratios for broader adoption in automation and medical robotics markets.

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