JP7720907B2 - robot - Google Patents

Description

This specification relates to a robot.

As one type of robot, Patent Document 1 discloses a robot equipped with a torsion joint in which a hollow part through which wiring passes is arranged. One end of the hollow part is fixed to a link, and the other end of the hollow part is fixed to the output end of a reducer in the drive unit. The drive unit has a motor and a reducer and is provided within the link. A circuit board is also provided within the link, and the motor and reducer are connected to the circuit board via electrical wires.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-089143

In the robot described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, there is a demand for miniaturization of the joints, and ultimately of the robot itself.

In light of these circumstances, this specification discloses a robot that allows for miniaturization of joints, and ultimately the robot itself.

This specification discloses a robot having a joint section, a drive section accommodation section provided in the joint section and accommodating a drive section, a circuit board electrically connected to the drive section via an electric wire, and a circuit board accommodation section that accommodates the circuit board and is adjacent to the drive section accommodation section so that the circuit board is not disposed on an output shaft of the drive section, wherein the drive section accommodation section is formed in a first casing formed in a cylindrical shape, and the circuit board accommodation section is formed in a second casing formed in a cylindrical shape, the second casing is provided so as to protrude outward from a side wall surface of the first casing, the joint section has an encoder for the drive section provided on the first casing side, and the circuit board is formed from a plurality of divided boards arranged side by side in the protruding direction within the second casing, including a board having a control system function on the first casing side and a board having a power system function on the first casing side, and the boards are arranged side by side so that the board having the power system function on the first casing side is on the side farthest from the first casing .

According to the present disclosure, the drive unit and board can be housed in their own dedicated housings, the drive unit housing and the board housing, respectively, at the joint. Furthermore, the board housing can be positioned adjacent to the drive unit housing, away from the output shaft of the drive unit. Therefore, by providing a dedicated housing, it is possible to eliminate unnecessary space, enabling the joint and, ultimately, the robot to be made smaller.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an ultrasound diagnostic system 10 to which a robot 20 is applied. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the robot 20 shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the joint portion 70 (32) shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the joint portion 70 (32) shown in FIG. 1. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the joint 70 (32) shown in FIG. 1 in which an electric wire 81 is arranged. 2 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the joint 70 (32) shown in FIG. 1 in which an electric wire 81 is arranged. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of a second casing 71b shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of another example of a second casing 71b shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of another example of a second casing 71b shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an ultrasound diagnostic system 10. FIG. 2 is a wiring diagram showing wiring from the control device 90 to the robot 20.

(Ultrasound diagnostic system)
An embodiment of an ultrasound diagnostic system incorporating a robot will be described below with reference to the drawings. In Figures 1 and 2, the left-right direction is the X-axis, the front-back direction is the Y-axis, and the up-down direction is the Z-axis.

The ultrasound diagnostic system 10 is a medical device that performs ultrasound diagnosis by holding an ultrasound probe, which is an end effector EF, on a robot 20 and driving the robot 20 so that the ultrasound probe is pressed against the skin of a subject. In this embodiment, the ultrasound diagnostic system 10 is used for echodiagnosis, in which ultrasound is applied to a diagnostic area of the subject, cross-sectional images of the diagnostic area are obtained, and the condition of the diagnostic area is checked from the obtained images. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ultrasound diagnostic system 10 includes a robot 20 and an ultrasound diagnostic device 100.

The ultrasound diagnostic device 100 comprises an ultrasound probe EF and an ultrasound diagnostic device main unit 102 to which the ultrasound probe EF is connected via a cable. The ultrasound diagnostic device main unit 102 comprises a control unit 103 that controls the entire device, an instruction input unit 104 that inputs instructions such as to start a diagnosis, an image processing unit 105 that processes signals received from the ultrasound probe EF to generate ultrasound images, and a display unit 106 that displays the generated ultrasound images.

(robot)
The robot 20 includes a robot arm 20 a and a robot main body 20 b. The robot main body 20 b includes a base 26 and an elevator device 40. The robot arm 20 a includes a first arm 21, a second arm 22, a base 25, a first joint shaft 31, a second joint shaft 32, a third joint shaft 33, a first arm drive motor 35, a second arm drive motor 36, a posture holding device 37, and a three-axis rotation mechanism 50.

The base end of the first arm 21 is connected to the base 25 via the first joint shaft 31. The body of the first joint shaft 31 is fixed to the base 25, and the base end of the first arm 21 is connected to the rotating part of the first joint shaft 31. The first arm drive motor 35 is built into the body of the first joint shaft 31, and rotates (pivots) the first arm 21 along the horizontal plane (XY plane) by rotating the rotating part of the first joint shaft 31 around the rotation axis (extending along the Z-axis direction). The first joint shaft 31 has a built-in encoder 35a (see Figure 8), which detects the position (rotational position) of the first arm drive motor 35 (e.g., a rotary encoder).

The first arm 21 has a vertical portion 21a extending vertically and a horizontal portion 21b extending horizontally from the upper end of the vertical portion 21a. The lower end of the vertical portion 21a is connected to the rotating portion of the first joint shaft 31. The base end of the horizontal portion 21b is connected to the upper end of the vertical portion 21a, and the tip end of the horizontal portion 21b is connected to the rotating portion of the second joint shaft 32. Note that the first arm 21 may be formed without the vertical portion 21a.

The base end of the second arm 22 is connected to the tip end of the first arm 21 via the second joint shaft 32. The body of the second joint shaft 32 is fixed to the base end of the second arm 22, and the rotating part of the second joint shaft 32 is connected to the tip end of the first arm 21. The second arm drive motor 36 is built into the body of the second joint shaft 32, and rotates the rotating part of the second joint shaft 32 around the rotation axis (extending along the Z-axis direction) to rotate (pivot) the second arm 22 along the horizontal plane (XY plane). The second joint shaft 32 has a built-in encoder 36a (see Figure 8), which detects the position (rotational position) of the second arm drive motor 36 (e.g., a rotary encoder).

The lifting device 40 is installed on the base 26 and raises and lowers the base 25 relative to the base 26. The base 26 is equipped with wheels 26a. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the lifting device 40 includes a slider 41 fixed to the base 25, a guide member 42 fixed to the base 26 and extending vertically to guide the movement of the slider 41, a ball screw shaft 43 (lifting shaft) extending vertically and threadedly engaged with a ball screw nut (not shown) fixed to the slider 41, and an lifting drive motor 44 that rotates the ball screw shaft 43. The lifting device 40 moves the base 25 fixed to the slider 41 up and down along the guide member 42 by rotating the ball screw shaft 43 using the lifting drive motor 44. The lifting device 40 incorporates an encoder 44a (see FIG. 8), which detects the position (lift position) of the lifting drive motor 44 (for example, a linear encoder).

The three-axis rotating mechanism 50 is connected to the tip of the second arm 22 via a third joint axis 33 extending in the vertical direction. The three-axis rotating mechanism 50 includes a first rotation axis 51, a second rotation axis 52, and a third rotation axis (tip axis 53) that are perpendicular to one another, a first rotation axis drive motor 55 that rotates the first rotation axis 51, a second rotation axis drive motor 56 that rotates the second rotation axis 52, and a tip axis drive device 60 that drives the tip axis 53. The first rotation axis 51 is supported in an orthogonal orientation with respect to the third joint axis 33. The second rotation axis 52 is supported in an orthogonal orientation with respect to the first rotation axis 51. The third rotation axis (tip axis 53) is supported in an orthogonal orientation with respect to the second rotation axis 52. An ultrasound probe EF is held on the tip axis 53 as an end effector, coaxially with the tip axis 53.

The three-axis rotary mechanism 50 includes an encoder 55a (see Figure 8; e.g., a rotary encoder) that detects the position (rotational position) of the first rotary shaft drive motor 55, and an encoder 56a (see Figure 8; e.g., a rotary encoder) that detects the position (rotational position) of the second rotary shaft drive motor 56. The tip shaft drive device 60 includes a drive motor 60a for driving the tip shaft 53 to rotate, and an encoder 60b that detects the position (rotational position) of the drive motor 60a.

In this embodiment, the robot 20 can move the tip axis 53, i.e., the end effector EF, to any position in any attitude by combining translational motion in three directions, the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction, by the first arm drive motor 35, the second arm drive motor 36, and the lifting device 40, with rotational motion in three directions, around the X-axis (pitching), around the Y-axis (rolling), and around the Z-axis (yawing), by the rotary three-axis mechanism 50.

The attitude-holding device 37 is built into the third joint shaft 33 and is equipped with an attitude-holding motor 37a. The third joint shaft 33 also has a built-in encoder 37b (see Figure 8), which detects the position (rotational position) of the attitude-holding motor (e.g., a rotary encoder). The attitude-holding device 37 maintains the attitude of the three-axis rotation mechanism 50 (the orientation of the first rotation shaft 51) in a constant direction regardless of the orientation of the first arm 21 and the second arm 22. The attitude-holding device 37 controls the rotation angle of the third joint shaft 33 based on the rotation angles of the first joint shaft 31 and the second joint shaft 32 so that the axial direction of the first rotation shaft 51 is always aligned in the left-right direction (X-axis direction). This enables independent control of translational motion in three directions and rotational motion in three directions, making control easier.

(Control device)
As shown in Fig. 8, the control device 90 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU 91, and in addition to the CPU 91, includes a ROM 92, a RAM 93, an input/output port, and a communication port (not shown). Detection signals from the encoders 35a, 36a, 37b, 44a, 55a, 56a, and 60b are input to the control device 90 via the input port. The control device 90 also outputs drive signals to the motors 35, 36, 37a, 44, 55, 56, and 60a via the output port. The control device 90 also communicates with the control unit 103 of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 via the communication port, exchanging data.

(Joints)
The second joint shaft 32 is mainly composed of a joint section 70 shown in FIG. 3 . Like the second joint shaft 32, the first joint shaft 31, the third joint shaft 33, the first rotation shaft 51, and the second rotation shaft 52 are each formed of a joint section 70. The joint section 70 includes a joint section main body 71, a rotating section (output section) 72, a drive section 73, a drive section housing section 74, a circuit board 75, a circuit board housing section 76, a hollow shaft 77, an encoder 78, and an installation section 79. The joint section 70 is a hollow type joint section, and an electric wire 81 is inserted through the hollow section. One second arm 22 is fixed to the joint section main body 71, and the other first arm 21 is fixed to the rotating section 72.

The joint main body 71 comprises a first casing 71a, a second casing 71b, and a cover 71c. The first casing 71a is formed in a tubular (e.g., cylindrical) shape. A drive unit housing 74 that houses the drive unit 73 is formed within the first casing 71a. The upper end opening of the first casing 71a is covered by a bottomed, tubular cover 71c attached to the upper end of the first casing 71a. A step 71a1 formed in an annular, convex shape is provided in the axial center of the inner wall surface of the first casing 71a. A bearing 73a4 that rotatably supports the rotor 73a2 of the motor 73a and the inner rotating member 73b3 of the reducer 73b is provided in the step 71a1.

An opening 73a5 is provided on the side wall surface of the first casing 71a. For example, the opening 73a5 is formed in a semicircular shape. The opening 73a5 (described below) is provided at a position corresponding to the motor accommodating portion 74a in the axial direction (a position lateral to the motor accommodating portion 74a), and connects the motor accommodating portion 74a to the internal space of the second casing 71b. The opening 73a5 is preferably set to a size that allows the electric wire 81 to be routed therethrough. This makes it possible for the opening 73a5 to provide a wiring path for routing the electric wire 81.

In addition, in the first casing 71a, the motor 73a is disposed a predetermined radial distance from the upper end of the inner wall surface of the first casing 71a. The predetermined distance is preferably set to a value that allows the electric wire 81 to be routed, and more preferably set to a value greater than the wire width (outer diameter) of the electric wire 81. As a result, a wiring space 74a1 in which the electric wire 81 can be routed is formed between the motor 73a and the upper end of the inner wall surface of the first casing 71a. The wiring space 74a1 is connected to the opening 73a5 and further to the routing portion 79.

The second casing 71b is provided on the side wall surface of the first casing 71a, extending outward. For example, the second casing 71b is provided as a protrusion on the first casing 71a or protrudes from the first casing 71a. The second casing 71b is formed in a tubular (e.g., cylindrical) shape. A board accommodating section 76 for accommodating a board 75 is formed within the second casing 71b. The board accommodating section 76 is connected to the drive unit accommodating section 74 via the opening 73a5. In the vertical direction, the opening 73a5 is preferably provided in a range between the position where the step portion 71a1 of the first casing 71a is provided and the upper end connection position of the connection portion with the second casing 71b. In the horizontal direction, the opening 73a5 is preferably provided within the connection range with the second casing 71b.

The inner diameter of the second casing 71b is preferably set to a value smaller than the outer diameter of the first casing 71a, and is preferably set to a value smaller than the axial length of the drive unit 73. The second casing 71b is arranged so as to be located adjacent to the side of the drive unit 73. This makes it possible to reduce the axial length of the joint unit 70, making it possible to miniaturize the joint unit 70.

The base end of the second casing 71b is connected to the side wall surface of the first casing 71a, and the internal space of the second casing 71b, and therefore the board accommodating section 76, communicates with the motor accommodating section 74a via an opening 73a5 formed in the side wall surface of the first casing 71a. Meanwhile, one end of the second arm 22 is attached to the open end of the second casing 71b with screws, and the second arm 22 is attached to the second casing 71b and therefore the joint section 70. The internal space 22a of the second arm 22 communicates with the board accommodating section 76, i.e., the internal space of the second casing 71b. Therefore, the internal space 22a of the second arm 22 communicates with the motor accommodating section 74a and further communicates with the internal space 21b3 (wiring path) of the first arm 21.

The second casing 71b is an essential component, as it originally functions as the attachment member for the second arm 22. In this embodiment, adding the function of accommodating the circuit board 75 to the second casing 71b, which is the attachment member, makes it possible to reduce the size of the joint unit 70 without increasing its size, and instead makes it possible to reduce the size of the joint unit 70 by reducing the space originally required to accommodate the circuit board.

The rotating part (output part) 72 is rotatable relative to the joint main body 71. The first arm 21 is connected to the rotating part 72. For example, the rotating part 72 is attached by screws to an attachment part 21b1 provided on the horizontal part 21b of the first arm 21. The rotating part 72 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom. An opening 72a1 is formed in the bottom part 72a of the rotating part 72, and the rotating part 72 is formed in a hollow shape. The opening 72a1 communicates with an opening 21b2 provided in the attachment part 21b1 via the internal space of the rotating part 72. The opening 21b2 communicates with an internal space 21b3 formed in the first arm 21.

The lower end of a hollow shaft 77 is connected to the upper peripheral edge of the opening 72a1. The upper end of the hollow shaft 77 extends into the internal space of the cover 71c, and the internal space of the rotating part 72 is connected to the internal space of the cover 71c via the hollow shaft 77.

The drive unit 73 is a member for driving the rotation unit 72 to rotate. The drive unit 73 is a hollow type drive unit. The drive unit 73 is equipped with a motor 73a and a reducer 73b.

The motor 73a (36) has a stator 73a1 and a rotor 73a2. The stator 73a1 is provided with a coil. The rotor 73a2 has multiple magnets 73a3 arranged facing the stator 73a1. The stator 73a1 is provided with an input/output terminal portion 73a6. The input/output terminal portion 73a6 is connected to the coil of the stator 73a1 and to an electric wire 81, and power is supplied from the electric wire 81 to the coil. When the coil is energized, the rotor 73a2 rotates. The rotor 73a2 is formed in a cylindrical shape.

The reducer 73b includes a reducer casing 73b1, an outer rotating member 73b2, and an inner rotating member 73b3. The reducer casing 73b1 is generally cylindrical and is fixed to the casing 71a by screws or other fasteners. The outer rotating member 73b2, which is cylindrical and has a bottom, is coaxially and rotatably housed within the reducer casing 73b1. The inner rotating member 73b3, which is cylindrical, is coaxially and rotatably housed within the outer rotating member 73b2. The rotation of the inner rotating member 73b3 is decelerated and transmitted to the outer rotating member 73b2. The rotating part 72 and hollow shaft 77 are fixed to the outer rotating member 73b2. The rotor 73a2 of the motor 73a is fixed to the inner rotating member 73b3. When the rotor 73a2 rotates, its rotational force is decelerated by the reducer 73b, causing the rotating part 72 and hollow shaft 77 to rotate at the decelerated rotational speed.

The drive unit housing 74 is provided in the joint unit 70 and houses the drive unit 73. The drive unit housing 74 is formed inside the cylindrical first casing 71a. The drive unit housing 74 includes a motor housing 74a that houses the motor 73a and a reducer housing 74b that houses the reducer 73b. The motor housing 74a is provided between the step 71a1 provided in the first casing 71a and the upper opening edge (upper portion), and the reducer housing 74b is provided between the step 71a1 and the lower opening edge (lower portion).

The substrate 75 is electrically connected to the drive unit 73, the encoder 78, and the control device 90 via electrical wires 81. The substrate 75 is formed from multiple divided substrates 75a, 75b arranged side by side. The multiple divided substrates 75a, 75b are divided according to the functions of the electronic circuits arranged on the substrate 75. For example, the divided substrate 75a is formed with an electronic circuit having a control system function related to the control of the motor 73a, and the divided substrate 75b is formed with an electronic circuit having a power system function that supplies power to the motor 73a and the substrate 75.

The board accommodation section 76 is an accommodation section that accommodates the board 75, and is adjacent to the drive unit accommodation section 74 so that the board 75 is not disposed on the rotating section 72, which is the output shaft of the drive unit 73. The board accommodation section 76 is provided on the side of the drive unit accommodation section 74 that corresponds to the side of the drive unit 73. The board accommodation section 76 is connected to the drive unit accommodation section 74.

The board accommodating section 76 has a placement section 79 for routing the electric wire 81. The placement section 79 is formed by the space between the inner wall surface of the second casing 71b of the board accommodating section 76 and the board 75. As shown in FIG. 7A, the placement section 79 is formed by the space between the inner wall surface of the second casing 71b and a notch (a semicircular notch) that is a recess in the divided board 75a. This space is formed in a semicircular shape and is preferably set to a size that allows the electric wire 81 to be routed therethrough, and more preferably set to a value larger than the wire width (outer diameter) of the electric wire 81. This makes it possible to ensure a wiring path for routing the electric wire 81 in the placement section 79. Furthermore, providing a notch in the divided board 75a improves heat dissipation compared to when the board is formed in an annular shape.

Note that while the mounting portion 79 is formed between the recess in the divided substrate 75a and the second casing 71b, this is not limited thereto. It may be formed by a recess 71b1 formed in the second casing 71b, as shown in FIG. 7B, or by the inner space of a hollow (cylindrical) support 75d for supporting the substrate 75, as shown in FIG. 7C. In the case shown in FIG. 7B, the divided substrate 75a is formed in a circular shape without a notch and in close contact with the inner wall surface of the second casing 71b. In the case shown in FIG. 7C, the divided substrate 75a is also formed in a circular shape without a notch and in close contact with the inner wall surface of the second casing 71b. Forming the divided substrate 75a in a circular shape can further improve heat dissipation.

The hollow shaft 77 is cylindrical. The lower end of the hollow shaft 77 is connected to the rotating part 72 and is disposed so as to pass through the cylindrical rotor 73a2, and the upper end of the hollow shaft 77 is connected to the encoder 78.

The encoder 78 (36a) is a rotary encoder for detecting the rotation angle (rotation position) of the hollow shaft 77. For example, the encoder 78 is an optical encoder. The encoder 78 includes an annular code wheel member 78a attached to the outer periphery of the upper end of the hollow shaft 77. The underside of the code wheel member 78a has multiple elongated codes arranged at a predetermined pitch along the circumferential direction. The encoder 78 is provided at a location facing the underside of the annular code wheel member 78a and includes a detector 78b for reading the code on the code wheel member 78a. The detector 78b includes a light-emitting element such as an LED and a light-receiving element such as a photodiode. The encoder 78 is connected to the circuit board 75 (75a) via an electric wire 81, and the detection results of the encoder 78 are transmitted to the control device 90.

The encoder 78 is disposed a predetermined distance from the inner wall surface of the cover 71c. The predetermined distance is preferably set to a value that allows the electric wire 81 to be routed, and more preferably set to a value greater than the wire width (outer diameter) of the electric wire 81. This makes it possible to ensure a wiring path for routing the electric wire 81 between the encoder 78 and the inner wall surface of the cover 71c.

As shown in Figure 9, the electric wire 81 includes main wires 81a and 81b that electrically connect the control device 90 and the circuit board 75, and branch wires 82a and 82b that electrically connect the circuit board 75 and each of the motors 35, 36, 37a, 44, 55, 56, and 60a and each of the encoders 35a, 36a, 37b, 44a, 55a, 56a, and 60b. The main wire 81a is a power wire that supplies power to each of the motors 35, 36, 37a, 44, 55, 56, and 60a and each of the circuit boards 95a, 95b, 95c, 95d, 95e, 95f, and 95g. The main wire 81b is a signal wire for transmitting and receiving signals between the circuit boards 95a, 95b, 95c, 95d, 95e, 95f, and 95g and the encoders 35a, 36a, 37b, 44a, 55a, 56a, and 60b. The branch wire 82a is a power wire for supplying power to the motors 35, 36, 37a, 44, 55, 56, and 60a, and the branch wire 82b is a signal wire for transmitting and receiving signals between the circuit boards 95a, 95b, 95c, 95d, 95e, 95f, and 95g and the encoders 35a, 36a, 37b, 44a, 55a, 56a, and 60b. The main wires 81a and 81b of the electric wire 81 may be a type in which a plurality of conductors covered with a resin film are arranged in a band shape (e.g., a flat cable) or a type in which individual wires are bundled together. The power supply wires and the signal wires may be separated.

Each of the boards 95a, 95b, 95c, 95d, 95e, 95f, and 95g is configured in the same manner as the board 75 described above. Board 95a supplies signals and power from the control device 90 to the motor 44 and encoder 44a. Board 95b supplies signals and power from the control device 90 to the motor 35 and encoder 35a. Board 95c supplies signals and power from the control device 90 to the motor 36 and encoder 36a. Board 95d supplies signals and power from the control device 90 to the motor 37a and encoder 37b. Board 95e supplies signals and power from the control device 90 to the motor 55 and encoder 55a. Board 95f supplies signals and power from the control device 90 to the motor 56 and encoder 56a. Board 95g supplies signals and power from the control device 90 to the motor 60a and encoder 60b.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, in the joint portion 70, the electric wire 81 extending from the control device 90 is inserted through the internal space 21b3 of the first arm 21, passes through the rotating portion 72, hollow shaft 77, and cover 71c, passes through the wiring space 74a1 and the arrangement portion 79, and is then inserted into the internal space 22a of the second arm 22. The internal space of the rotating portion 72, the internal space of the hollow shaft 77, the internal space of the cover 71c, the wiring space 74a1, and the arrangement portion 79 form a wiring path along which the electric wire 81 is routed.

(Effects of this embodiment)
The robot 20 according to the embodiment described above has a joint unit 70, a drive unit housing 74 provided in the joint unit 70 and housing the drive unit 73, a circuit board 75 electrically connected to the drive unit 73 via an electric wire 81, and a circuit board housing 76 that houses the circuit board 75 and is disposed relative to the drive unit housing 74 so that the circuit board 75 is not disposed on the output shaft of the drive unit 73 (the rotation shaft of the rotation unit 72).

According to this embodiment, the drive unit 73 and the substrate 75 can be housed in dedicated housings, the drive unit housing 74 and the substrate housing 76, respectively, in the joint unit 70. Furthermore, the substrate housing 76 can be positioned adjacent to the drive unit housing 74, away from the output shaft of the drive unit 73. Therefore, by providing a dedicated housing, it is possible to eliminate unnecessary space, making it possible to miniaturize the joint unit 70 and, ultimately, the robot 20.

In addition, the board accommodating section 76 is provided on the side surface of the drive unit accommodating section 74, which corresponds to the side surface of the drive unit 73. This allows the board accommodating section 76 to be provided on the side surface rather than in the longitudinal direction of the drive unit 73, making it possible to shorten the joint section 70 in the longitudinal direction.

Furthermore, the board accommodating section 76 is provided adjacent to the input/output terminal section 73a6 of the drive section 73. This allows the board 75 to be arranged close to the input/output terminal section 73a6 of the drive section 73, shortening the electric wire 81 connecting the drive section 73 and the board 75, and making it possible to reduce (eliminate) adverse electrical effects such as noise as much as possible.

In addition, the substrate 75 is formed from multiple divided substrates 75a, 75b arranged side by side. By arranging the substrates 75 in a three-dimensional manner, it is possible to reduce the space available for substrate placement, i.e., the area of the substrate accommodating section 76, thereby enabling the substrate accommodating section 76 and, ultimately, the joint section 70 to be made smaller.

Furthermore, the multiple divided boards 75a, 75b are divided according to the function of the electronic circuits arranged on board 75. This allows the power supply electronic circuits and the control system electronic circuits to be separated onto different boards, making it possible to reduce (eliminate) as much as possible) adverse electrical effects on the control system electronic circuits, such as noise from the power supply electronic circuits, which generate relatively little noise, and thermal effects from the power supply electronic circuits, which become relatively hot.

The drive unit housing 74 is formed within the cylindrical first casing 71a, and the board housing 76 is formed within the cylindrical second casing 71b, which protrudes outward from the side wall surface of the first casing 71a. This simple configuration allows the board housing 76 to be located on the side surface of the drive unit 73 rather than in the longitudinal direction, making it possible to shorten the joint unit 70 in the longitudinal direction.

The circuit board accommodating section 76 also has an arrangement section 79 for arranging the electric wires 81. The arrangement section 79 is formed by a recess (cutout) formed in the circuit board 75, by a recess 71b1 formed in the second casing 71b, or by the inner space of a cylindrical support 75d for supporting the circuit board 75. This allows the electric wires 81 to be arranged inside the second casing 71b without reducing the heat dissipation performance of the circuit board 75 or increasing the size of the second casing 71b.

The robot 20 described above comprises an arm section (first arm 21, second arm 22), a joint section (70) connected to the arm section, a drive section housing section (74) provided in the joint section and housing a drive section (73), a circuit board (75) electrically connected to the drive section via an electric wire (81), and a circuit board housing section (76) housing the circuit board and located adjacent to the drive section housing section so that the circuit board is not disposed on the output shaft of the drive section. This allows the circuit board housing section 76 to reuse (share) the connection section with the arm sections 21 and 22, enabling the joint section 70 and, ultimately, the robot 20 to be made smaller.

20...Robot, 70...Joint section, 71a...First casing, 71b...Second casing, 73...Drive section, 73a6...Input/output terminal section, 74...Drive section accommodating section, 75...Board, 75a, 75b...Split board, 76...Board accommodating section, 79...Arrangement section, 81...Electric wire.

Claims (7)

The joints and
a drive unit housing portion provided at the joint portion and housing a drive unit;
a substrate electrically connected to the drive unit via an electric wire;
a substrate accommodating section that accommodates the substrate and is adjacent to the drive section accommodating section so that the substrate is not disposed on an output shaft of the drive section;
A robot having:
The drive unit accommodating portion is formed in a first casing formed in a cylindrical shape,
The substrate accommodating portion is formed in a second casing formed in a cylindrical shape,
the second casing is provided so as to protrude outward from a side wall surface of the first casing,
the joint unit has an encoder of the drive unit provided on the first casing side,
the board is formed from a plurality of divided boards, the divided boards being arranged side by side in the protruding direction within the second casing, the divided boards being the boards having the control system functions of the first casing side and the boards having the power supply system functions of the first casing side ,
The robots are arranged so that the board having the power supply function on the first casing side is on the far side from the first casing . The robot described in claim 1, wherein the substrate storage section is provided on a side surface of the drive unit storage section that corresponds to a side surface of the drive unit. The robot described in claim 1, wherein the substrate storage unit is located adjacent to the input/output terminal unit of the drive unit. The robot described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of divided substrates are divided according to the functions of the electronic circuits arranged on the substrates. the board accommodating section has an arrangement section for arranging the electric wires,
The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion is formed by a recess formed in the substrate or the second casing, or by an inner space of a cylindrical support for supporting the substrate. The joints and
a drive unit housing portion provided at the joint portion and housing a drive unit;
a substrate electrically connected to the drive unit via an electric wire;
a substrate accommodating section that accommodates the substrate and is adjacent to the drive section accommodating section so that the substrate is not disposed on an output shaft of the drive section;
a control device that controls the drive unit;
an electric wire electrically connecting the control device and the board, or between the board and the board of another of the joint units;
A robot having:
The drive unit accommodating portion is formed in a first casing formed in a cylindrical shape,
The substrate accommodating portion is formed in a second casing formed in a cylindrical shape,
the second casing is provided so as to protrude outward from a side wall surface of the first casing,
the joint unit has an encoder of the drive unit provided on the first casing side,
the board is formed from a plurality of divided boards, the divided boards being arranged side by side in the protruding direction within the second casing, the divided boards being the boards having the control system functions of the first casing side and the boards having the power supply system functions of the first casing side,
the boards having the power supply system function on the first casing side are arranged side by side so as to be on the far side from the first casing,
the joint portion is a hollow joint portion that connects the first arm and the second arm so as to be movable relative to each other, and has a hollow portion that communicates an internal space of the first arm with an internal space of the second arm;
The hollow portion forms a wiring path through which the electric wires are laid. The wiring path is
a hollow portion of the rotating portion that is formed hollow and communicates with the internal space of the first arm;
an internal space of a hollow shaft formed in a cylindrical shape, passing through the center of the driving part, the lower end of which is connected to the rotating part, and the upper end of which is connected to the encoder;
a wiring space formed between the driving unit and an inner wall surface of the first casing and communicating with an internal space of the hollow shaft;
an opening communicating the substrate accommodating section and the drive section;
an arrangement portion provided in the substrate accommodating portion and communicating with an internal space of the second arm;
It is formed from
The robot according to claim 6, wherein the electric wires are routed from the front joint portion to the rear joint portion.