JP7389991B2 - robot - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to robots.

Conventionally, a robot described in Patent Document 1 below has been known. This robot captures objects such as cylindrical space debris.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-199183

It is desired that this type of robot be made more compact, for example, in order to improve its capturing performance.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a robot that can be made more compact.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
The robot according to the present invention includes a base frame, a plurality of telescoping devices provided on the base frame, and a plurality of end effectors coupled to each of the plurality of telescoping devices, and the plurality of telescoping devices include: The plurality of telescopic devices are arranged to be shifted from each other in a first direction intersecting the base frame, and when the base frame is viewed from the first direction, at least a portion of each of the plurality of telescopic devices overlaps with the other, and the plurality of telescopic devices Each of the devices expands and contracts in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and each of the plurality of end effectors is coupled to an end of the plurality of expansion and contraction devices in the second direction.

In this invention, when the robot is used, the plurality of end effectors can be widened from the base frame by extending the plurality of telescopic devices in the second direction. Further, the plurality of telescopic devices are arranged offset from each other in the first direction. Accordingly, when the robot is not in use, the plurality of telescopic devices are in a retracted state and at least a portion of each of the plurality of telescopic devices overlaps each other, so that the robot can be made more compact.

The second direction end portion of at least one of the plurality of telescoping devices and the end effector are coupled via a coupling member extending in the first direction. Good too.

In this case, the amount of positional deviation in the first direction between the end effector coupled to the end of the telescopic device in the second direction via the coupling member and the end effector coupled to the other telescopic device can be suppressed. . Thereby, it is possible to access objects to be processed with a plurality of end effectors provided in a plurality of telescopic devices in a well-balanced manner.

Further, the positions of the plurality of end effectors in the first direction may be equal to each other.

In this case, the positions of the plurality of end effectors can be aligned in the first direction even though the positions of the telescopic devices are shifted from each other in the first direction.

Each of the plurality of expansion and contraction devices includes a drive pulley rotatably fixed to the base frame, a movable frame that moves in the second direction with respect to the base frame, the drive pulley and the movable frame. a drive wire having both ends fixed to the drive pulley, and when the drive pulley rotates and the drive wire is wound around or unwound around the drive pulley, the drive wire pulls the movable frame. The movable frame may be moved.

In this case, by rotating the drive pulley, the movable frame can be moved via the drive wire, and the telescoping device can be extended or contracted.

The device may further include a base pulley that is rotatably fixed to the base frame and transmits rotational force to the drive pulley of each of the plurality of telescoping devices.

In this case, by rotating the base pulley, the movable frame can be moved by rotating the drive pulleys of the plurality of telescoping devices.

Further, a spiral groove for accommodating the wire is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the pulley member around which a wire for driving the telescopic device is wound, and the telescopic device is configured to rotate the pulley member when the telescopic device rotates. The moving mechanism further includes a moving mechanism that moves the member in the direction of the rotation axis of the pulley member, and the movement mechanism moves the member in the direction of the rotation axis of the pulley member so that the wires let out from the spiral groove are at the same position in the direction of the rotation axis. The pulley member may be moved in the direction of the rotation axis depending on the amount of rotation.

In this case, when the pulley member rotates and the wire is let out from the spiral groove of the pulley member, the movement mechanism moves the pulley member in the direction of the rotation axis of the pulley member. As a result, the positions of the wires let out from the spiral groove in the direction of the rotation axis become the same. Thereby, for example, the magnitude of the tension acting on the wire let out from the pulley member can be prevented from changing depending on the amount of rotation of the pulley member.

According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve compactness.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation in which a removal satellite places a robot in a PAR of space debris in a grasping system equipped with a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing the state where the above-mentioned robot is inserted inside PAR. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the end effector of the robot is extended radially outward and grips a PAR. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the robot. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the robot seen from a first direction. It is a perspective view showing the state where the telescopic device of the above-mentioned robot was extended. FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing a state in which the telescopic device of the robot is extended. It is a top view of the above-mentioned expansion-contraction device seen from the 1st direction. It is a top view which shows the state which expanded the said expansion-contraction device in the 2nd direction. It is a figure which shows the modification of the robot based on one Embodiment of this invention, and is a figure which shows the pulley member with which the robot was equipped. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the pulley member has rotated from the state shown in FIG. 10 and moved in the direction of the rotation axis. FIG. In a grasping system equipped with a robot according to a modified example of the present invention, the removed satellite is a diagram showing an operation in which the robot is placed in a PAR of space debris. 13 is a diagram showing a gripping operation of the PAR by the robot shown in FIG. 12. FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A robot according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the gripping system 1 includes a removal satellite 2 and a robot 10.
The removed satellite 2 is equipped with a support 3. The robot 10 is provided at the tip of the support column 3.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the robot 10, a plurality of end effectors 70 can be deployed radially outward from the robot body 20. The robot 10 captures space debris 100 with a plurality of end effectors 70 provided at its tip. For example, the robot 10 grips the PAR 101 by moving the removed satellite 2 and positioning the robot 10 inside the opening of the PAR 101, and deploying the plurality of end effectors 70 radially outward.

The detailed configuration of the robot 10 will be described below.
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the robot 10 includes a robot body 20, a plurality of telescoping devices 30, and a plurality of end effectors 70.

The robot main body 20 includes a plurality of base frames 21. In this embodiment, the robot main body 20 includes, for example, four base frames 21. The plurality of base frames 21 are stacked and arranged at intervals in a first direction D1 along the central axis 20c of the robot body 20. Here, in this embodiment, the central axis 20c of the robot body 20 is along the axial direction of the support column 3, and the first direction D1 coincides with the axial direction.

Each base frame 21 has a flat plate shape located in a plane orthogonal to the first direction D1. A plurality of support columns 22 are provided between base frames 21 that are adjacent to each other in the first direction D1. The plurality of struts 22 are arranged at intervals on the outer periphery of the base frame 21 in the circumferential direction around the central axis 20c (direction along the circumference of the central axis 20c). The base frames 21 that are adjacent to each other in the first direction D1 are connected to each other at a predetermined interval by sandwiching the plurality of support columns 22 between them.

In the following description, the plurality of base frames 21 are, from the first side to the second side in the first direction D1, a first base frame 21A, a second base frame 21B, a third base frame 21C, and a fourth base frame. It is sometimes called 21D. In this embodiment, the first side in the first direction D1 is the removed satellite 2 side with respect to the robot 10. Note that the first side may be the opposite side of the removed satellite 2 with respect to the robot 10.

The plurality of telescopic devices 30 are provided on the plurality of base frames 21 of the robot main body 20. In this embodiment, for example, three sets of telescopic devices 30 are provided. In the present embodiment, the plurality of elastic devices 30 include a first elastic device 30A configured to include a second base frame 21B, a second elastic device 30B configured to include a third base frame 21C, and a fourth elastic device 30B configured to include a third base frame 21C. A third telescopic device 30C including a base frame 21D is provided.

These plurality of expansion/contraction devices 30 are arranged with their positions shifted from each other in the first direction D1. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the first elastic device 30A, the second elastic device 30B, and the third elastic device 30C are arranged so that at least a portion of each of them overlaps with the other when viewed from the first direction D1. It is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the first elastic device 30A, the second elastic device 30B, and the third elastic device 30C are arranged in a direction along the surface of the base frame 21, perpendicular to (crossing) the first direction D1, respectively. It is said to be expandable. The stretching directions Ds of the first stretchable device 30A, the second stretchable device 30B, and the third stretchable device 30C are different directions within a plane along the surface of the base frame 21.

In this embodiment, the three sets of telescopic devices 30 (first telescopic device 30A, second telescopic device 30B, and third telescopic device 30C) are arranged in a plane along the surface of the base frame 21 and around the first direction D1. It has expansion and contraction directions Ds in three directions that are equally spaced in the circumferential direction. Here, the stretching direction Ds of each of the first stretching device 30A, the second stretching device 30B, and the third stretching device 30C is a second direction D2 that is orthogonal to the first direction D1.

Each stretchable device 30 (first stretchable device 30A, second stretchable device 30B, third stretchable device 30C) has a similar structure, except for the stretch direction Ds. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, each telescopic device 30 includes a base frame 21, a first arm (movable frame) 31, a second arm 32, a first drive mechanism 40, and a second drive mechanism 50. , is equipped with.

The base frame 21 is flat and has a rectangular shape when viewed from the first direction D1 (direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIGS. 8 and 9). The base frame 21 is provided so that its long side direction is along the expansion/contraction direction Ds of the expansion/contraction device 30. A first guide rail 35 is provided on the upper surface of the base frame 21 and extends in the expansion/contraction direction Ds.

The first arm 31 is stacked on the base frame 21 in the first direction D1. The first arm 31 has a flat plate shape and a rectangular shape when viewed from the first direction D1. The first arm 31 is provided so that its long side direction extends along the expansion/contraction direction Ds. The dimension of the first arm 31 in the width direction Dw in the short side direction of the first arm 31 and the base frame 21 is smaller than the dimension of the base frame 21 in the width direction Dw. The first arm 31 is arranged at the center of the base frame 21 in the width direction Dw. As a result, some surfaces 21f and 21g of the base frame 21 are exposed on both sides of the first arm 31 in the width direction Dw.

In the first arm 31, a first slide guide (not shown) that is slidable in the expansion/contraction direction Ds along the first guide rail 35 is provided on the back surface facing the base frame 21. Thereby, the first arm 31 is provided so as to be slidable in the expansion/contraction direction Ds with respect to the base frame 21. As shown in FIG. 9, a second guide rail 37 is provided on the upper surface of the first arm 31 and extends in the expansion/contraction direction Ds.

The second arm 32 is stacked on the first arm 31 in the first direction D1. The second arm 32 is flat and has a rectangular shape when viewed from the first direction D1. The second arm 32 is provided so that its long side direction is along the expansion/contraction direction Ds. The dimension of the second arm 32 in the width direction Dw in the short side direction is smaller than the dimension of the first arm 31 in the width direction Dw. The second arm 32 is disposed biased toward one side in the width direction Dw (lower side in FIGS. 8 and 9) with respect to the first arm 31. As a result, a part of the surface 32f of the second arm 32 is exposed on the other side of the second arm 32 in the width direction Dw (the upper side in FIGS. 8 and 9).

A second slide guide (not shown) is provided on the back surface of the second arm 32 facing the first arm 31 and is slidable along the second guide rail 37 in the expansion/contraction direction Ds. Thereby, the second arm 32 is provided so as to be slidable relative to the first arm 31 in the expansion/contraction direction Ds.

As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 9, by sliding the first arm 31 and the second arm 32 with respect to the base frame 21 in one side (direction Ds1) of the expansion and contraction direction Ds, the expansion and contraction The device 30 is in an extended state. In this state, with respect to the base frame 21, the first arm 31 and the second arm 32 protrude and extend outward from the robot body 20 in the radial direction intersecting the central axis 20c.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 8, when the telescopic device 30 is contracted, the base frame 21, the first arm 31, and the second arm 32 overlap each other in the first direction D1. In this state, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the base frame 21, the first arm 31, and the second arm 32 do not protrude radially outward from the base frame 21 when viewed from the first direction D1.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the first drive mechanism 40 includes a drive pulley (pulley member) 41, a driven pulley 42, a first movable member 43, and a drive wire (wire) 44. .
The driving pulley 41 and the driven pulley 42 are arranged on the base frame 21 at intervals in the expansion/contraction direction Ds. The driving pulley 41 and the driven pulley 42 are rotatably provided around their central axes 41c and 42c, respectively. The driving pulley 41 and the driven pulley 42 are arranged along the first direction D1 so that their central axes 41c and 42c are perpendicular to the surface of the base frame 21.
The first movable member 43 is fixed to the first arm 31 between the drive pulley 41 and the driven pulley 42.

The drive wire 44 is stretched between the drive pulley 41 and the driven pulley 42 . In this embodiment, the drive wire 44 includes a first wire 44A and a second wire 44B.
One end of the first wire 44A is fixed to the drive pulley 41. The first wire 44A is wound clockwise around the drive pulley 41 in FIGS. 8 and 9. The other end 44c of the first wire 44A is fixed to the first movable member 43.
One end of the second wire 44B is fixed to the drive pulley 41. The second wire 44B is wound clockwise around the driven pulley 42 in FIGS. 8 and 9. The other end 44d of the second wire 44B is fixed to the first movable member 43.

In such a first drive mechanism 40, when the drive pulley 41 rotates counterclockwise around its central axes 41c and 42c in the state shown in FIG. 8, the second wire 44B rotates as shown in FIG. It is wound around the drive pulley 41. Then, the first movable member 43 to which the tip of the second wire 44B is fixed is pulled by the second wire 44B and moves toward the driven pulley 42. When the first movable member 43 moves toward the driven pulley 42, the first wire 44A is fed out from the drive pulley 41 toward the driven pulley 42. In this way, when the first movable member 43 moves toward the driven pulley 42, the first arm 31 slides relative to the base frame 21 in the direction Ds1 in which the telescoping device 30 extends in the telescoping direction Ds.

Further, in the state shown in FIG. 9, when the drive pulley 41 of the first drive mechanism 40 rotates clockwise around its central axes 41c and 42c, the first wire 44A is wound around the drive pulley 41. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the first movable member 43 to which the tip of the first wire 44A is fixed is pulled by the first wire 44A and moves toward the drive pulley 41. When the first movable member 43 moves toward the drive pulley 41, the second wire 44B whose tip end is fixed to the first movable member 43 is pulled toward the drive pulley 41 and is let out from the drive pulley 41. In this way, when the first movable member 43 moves toward the drive pulley 41, the first arm 31 slides relative to the base frame 21 in the direction Ds2 in which the telescoping device 30 contracts in the telescoping direction Ds.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the second drive mechanism 50 includes a first pulley (pulley member) 51, a second pulley 52, a fixed member 53, a second movable member 54, and a third wire (wire ) 55.
The first pulley 51 and the second pulley 52 are arranged on the first arm 31 with an interval in the expansion/contraction direction Ds. The first pulley 51 and the second pulley 52 are rotatably provided around their central axes 51c and 52c, respectively. The first pulley 51 and the second pulley 52 are arranged along the first direction D1 so that their central axes 51c and 52c are perpendicular to the surface of the base frame 21.

The fixing member 53 is fixed to the base frame 21 between the first pulley 51 and the second pulley 52. The second movable member 54 is fixed to the second arm 32 between the first pulley 51 and the second pulley 52.
The third wire 55 is stretched between the first pulley 51 and the second pulley 52, and both ends thereof are fixed to the fixing member 53.

In the contracted state of the telescopic device 30 shown in FIG. 8, the drive pulley 41 of the first drive mechanism 40 rotates counterclockwise, and the first arm 31 is moved relative to the base frame 21 as shown in FIG. When the telescopic device 30 slides in the extending direction Ds1, in the second drive mechanism 50, the first pulley 51 and the second pulley 52 slide in the direction Ds1 together with the first arm 31. Then, the third wire 55 whose both ends are fixed to the fixed member 53 rotates around the first pulley 51 and the second pulley 52, and the second movable member 54 is pulled in the direction Ds1 in which the telescopic device 30 extends. Ru. As a result, the second arm 32 slides relative to the first arm 31 in the direction Ds1 in which the telescopic device 30 extends.

In the extended state of the telescopic device 30 shown in FIG. 9, the drive pulley 41 of the first drive mechanism 40 rotates clockwise, and the first arm 31 moves in the direction in which the telescopic device 30 contracts, as shown in FIG. When sliding to Ds2, in the second drive mechanism 50, the first pulley 51 and the second pulley 52 slide together with the first arm 31 in the direction Ds2 in which the telescopic device 30 contracts. Then, the third wire 55 whose both ends are fixed to the fixed member 53 rotates around the first pulley 51 and the second pulley 52, and the second movable member 54 is pulled in the direction Ds2 in which the telescopic device 30 contracts. . As a result, the second arm 32 slides relative to the first arm 31 in the direction Ds2 in which the telescopic device 30 contracts.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the robot 10 has a drive pulley 41 of each telescopic device 30 (first telescopic device 30A, second telescopic device 30B, third telescopic device 30C) on a first base frame 21A. A base pulley (pulley member) 60 is provided for rotationally driving in synchronization. The base pulley 60 is rotatably provided between the first base frame 21A and the second base frame 21B around a central axis 60c extending in the first direction D1.

This base pulley 60 is provided integrally with a drive shaft 61 extending in the first direction D1. This drive shaft 61 is arranged coaxially with the drive pulley 41C of the third telescoping device 30C provided on the fourth base frame 21D. The drive shaft 61 passes through the second base frame 21B, the third base frame 21C, and the fourth base frame 21D, and is connected to the drive pulley 41C. The rotational force of the base pulley 60 is transmitted to the drive pulley 41C via the drive shaft 61.

Further, two transmission pulleys 63 and 64 are provided between the first base frame 21A and the second base frame 21B. The transmission pulley 63 is arranged coaxially with the drive pulley 41B (see FIG. 7) of the second telescopic device 30B provided on the third base frame 21C. The transmission pulley 63 is connected to the drive pulley 41B of the second telescopic device 30B via a transmission shaft 65 passing through the second base frame 21B and the third base frame 21C.

The transmission pulley 64 is arranged coaxially with the drive pulley 41A of the first telescopic device 30A provided on the second base frame 21B. The transmission pulley 64 is connected to the drive pulley 41A of the first telescopic device 30A via a transmission shaft 66 that passes through the second base frame 21B.

As shown in FIG. 7, transmission wires 68 and 69 are wound around the transmission pulleys 63 and 64 and the base pulley 60, respectively, and the rotational force of the base pulley 60 is transmitted to the transmission pulley via the transmission wires 68 and 69. 63 and 64. The rotational force of the transmission pulleys 63 and 64 is transmitted to the drive pulleys 41A to 41C via transmission shafts 66 and 67.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, one end of the drive shaft 61 protrudes toward the other side in the first direction D1 (lower side in FIGS. 4 and 7) with respect to the first base frame 21A. One end of the drive shaft 61 has a built-in motor (not shown) or is connected to an external motor (not shown). The operation of the motor (not shown) is controlled by a controller (not shown) provided in the robot 10 or the removed satellite 2.

When the drive shaft 61 is rotated by a motor (not shown) under the control of a controller (not shown), the base pulley 60 rotates around the central axis 60c. The rotational force of the base pulley 60 is transmitted to the drive pulleys 41A to 41C via the drive shaft 61, transmission wires 68 and 69, transmission pulleys 63 and 64, and transmission shafts 66 and 67. 41C are rotationally driven in synchronization. Thereby, the plurality of expansion/contraction devices 30 are driven to expand/contract in synchronization.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, the end effector 70 is attached to the tip of the second arm 32 of each telescopic device 30 (first telescopic device 30A, second telescopic device 30B, third telescopic device 30C). It is provided. The end effector 70 has a pair of gripping parts 71A and 71B that expand in a substantially V-shape from the base end on the second arm 32 side toward the distal end in the extension direction of the telescopic device 30. The pair of gripping parts 71A and 71B are coupled to the tip of the second arm 32 via coupling members 75A to 75C. The coupling members 75A to 75C have a fixed base 75a fixed to the second arm 32, and a joint base 75b to which the pair of grips 71A and 71B are joined.

Here, as described above, the elastic device 30A provided on the second base frame 21B, the elastic device 30B provided on the third base frame 21C, and the elastic device 30C provided on the fourth base frame 21D, The positions in the first direction D1 are different from each other. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, the end effectors 70 provided at the distal ends of the plurality of telescopic devices 30 are positioned at the same position in the first direction D1. In this embodiment, these plurality of end effectors 70 are located in the same plane in the first direction D1. That is, the end effectors 70 provided at the distal ends of the plurality of telescopic devices 30 are at the same position in the first direction D1.

Therefore, in the telescopic device 30A provided on the second base frame 21B, the telescopic device 30B provided on the third base frame 21C, and the telescopic device 30C provided on the fourth base frame 21D, the connecting member 75A -75C have different lengths in the first direction D1. In this embodiment, the coupling member 75C of the telescopic device 30C is the shortest, and the coupling members 75A, 75B of the other telescopic devices 30A, 30B are longer than the coupling member 75C.

That is, the coupling members (coupling members with extension parts) 75A and 75B of the telescopic devices 30A and 30B each have an extension part 75c extending in the first direction D1 between the fixed base part 75a and the joint base part 75b. I can say that there is. In contrast, it can be said that the coupling member 75C of the telescopic device 30C does not have the extension portion 75c. In other words, with respect to the coupling member 75C of the telescopic device 30C, the coupling members 75A and 75B of the other telescopic devices 30A and 30B are extended in the first direction D1. Furthermore, the lengths of the coupling members 75A of the elastic device 30A and the coupling members 75B of the elastic device 30B in the first direction D1 (the lengths of the respective extensions 75c) are different from each other.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when each telescopic device 30 is retracted, at least the fixed base 75a of the coupling member 75 is configured to fit inside the outer peripheral edge of the robot body 20 in the radial direction. ing. Therefore, in order to avoid interference with the coupling member 75 and the end effector 70, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, relief recesses 29 are formed in each part of the base frame 21 to be recessed inward in the radial direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the grasping system 1 including the robot 10 as described above moves the removal satellite 2 and moves the robot 10 to the PAR 101 or the nozzle 102 of the space debris 100 when capturing the space debris 100. Insert radially inward. In this state, as shown in FIG. 3, each of the telescopic devices 30 is extended to extend the plurality of end effectors 70 radially outward, and the space debris 100 is gripped by the plurality of end effectors 70. The gripping operation of the space debris 100 by the robot 10 is well known, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-199183, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

Here, when inserting the robot 10 into the PAR 101 or the nozzle 102 (hereinafter referred to as PAR 101 etc.) for the purpose of capturing space debris 100, the robot 10 is placed with a certain positional accuracy with respect to the PAR 101 etc. There is a need. This constraint on positional accuracy becomes more severe as the relative size of the robot 10 to the PAR 101 and the like increases. In other words, the more compact (miniaturized) the robot 10 is, the more relaxed the constraints on the positional accuracy are. As a result, the ability of the robot 10 to capture space debris 100 can be improved.

As described above, according to the robot 10 according to the present embodiment, the robot 10 is coupled to the base frame 21, the plurality of telescopic devices 30 provided on the base frame 21, and the plurality of telescopic devices 30, respectively. A plurality of end effectors 70 are provided. The plurality of expansion and contraction devices 30 are arranged so as to be shifted from each other in a first direction D1 that intersects the base frame 21. In a plan view of the base frame 21 from the first direction D1, at least a portion of each of the plurality of expansion/contraction devices 30 overlaps with each other. Each of the plurality of expansion/contraction devices 30 expands/contracts in a second direction D2 intersecting the first direction D1. The plurality of end effectors 70 are each coupled to the ends of the plurality of expansion and contraction devices 30 in the second direction D2.
With such a configuration, when the robot 10 is used, the end effector 70 can be widened widely from the base frame 21 by extending the plurality of telescopic devices 30 in the second direction D2. Further, since the plurality of telescopic devices 30 are arranged to be shifted from each other in the first direction D1, when the plurality of telescopic devices 30 are retracted when the robot 10 is not in use, at least one of the plurality of telescopic devices 30 is Departments overlap. Therefore, the robot 10 can be made more compact.

Furthermore, the ends of the first and second elastic devices 30A and 30B of the plurality of elastic devices 30 in the second direction D2 and the end effector 70 are connected to each other by a connecting member having an extension portion 75c extending in the first direction D1. They are connected via 75A and 75B.
In such a configuration, the end effector 70 is coupled to the first telescopic device 30A and the second telescopic device 30B via the connecting members 75A and 75B having the extension portions 75c, and the end effector 70 is disposed offset in the first direction D1. The amount of positional deviation in the first direction D1 from the end effector 70 of the other third telescopic device 30C can be suppressed. Thereby, the space debris 100 to be captured and processed by the plurality of end effectors 70 provided in the plurality of telescoping devices 30 can be accessed in a well-balanced manner.

Furthermore, the positions of the plurality of end effectors 70 in the first direction D1 are equivalent to each other.
In such a configuration, the positions of the plurality of end effectors 70 can be aligned in the first direction D1 even though the positions of the telescopic devices 30 are shifted from each other in the first direction D1.

Further, each of the plurality of expansion and contraction devices 30 includes a drive pulley 41 rotatably fixed to the base frame 21, a first arm 31 that moves in the second direction D2 with respect to the base frame 21, a drive pulley 41, and a first arm 31 that moves in the second direction D2 with respect to the base frame 21. a drive wire 44 whose both ends are fixed to the first arm 31, and when the drive pulley 41 rotates and the drive wire 44 is wound around or unwound around the drive pulley 41, the drive wire 44 is The first arm 31 is moved by pulling the arm 31.
In such a configuration, the first arm 31 can be moved via the drive wire 44 by rotating the drive pulley 41.

Moreover, the base pulley 60 is rotatably fixed to the base frame 21 and transmits rotational force to the drive pulley 41 of each of the plurality of telescopic devices 30.
In such a configuration, by rotating the base pulley 60, the drive pulleys 41 of the plurality of telescoping devices 30 can be rotated, and the first arm 31 can be moved.

[Modification of embodiment]
In the embodiment described above, the following configuration may be adopted for the drive pulley 41, the base pulley 60, etc.
As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, pulley members 80 such as the drive pulley 41, the first pulley 51, and the base pulley 60 provided in the robot 10 include a drive wire 44 for driving the telescoping device 30 to extend and retract. Wires 90 such as the third wire 55 and the transmission wires 68 and 69 are wound. A spiral groove 83 in which the wire 90 is accommodated is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the pulley member 80. The telescopic device 30 including such a pulley member 80 includes a moving mechanism 82 that moves the pulley member 80 in the direction of the rotation axis 81 when the pulley member 80 rotates.

The moving mechanism 82 includes, for example, a male threaded portion 81n formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 81, a female threaded groove (not shown) formed on the inner circumferential surface of the pulley member 80, and engaged with the male threaded portion 81n. It is equipped with In such a moving mechanism 82, when the pulley member 80 rotates around the rotation axis 81, the pulley member 80 moves along the rotation axis 81 due to the engagement between the male threaded portion 81n and the female thread groove (not shown). . Here, the pitch of the male threaded portion 81n and the female threaded groove (not shown) is set to be equal to the pitch of the spiral groove 83 in the direction of the rotation axis 81. Thereby, when the pulley member 80 rotates, the pulley member 80 moves in the direction along the rotation axis 81.

In such a configuration, when the pulley member 80 rotates and the wire 90 is let out from the spiral groove 83 of the pulley member 80, the moving mechanism 82 moves the pulley member 80 in the direction of the rotation axis 81 of the pulley member 80. Thereby, the position of the wire 90 fed out from the spiral groove 83 in the direction of the rotation axis 81 is always the same. Thereby, for example, the magnitude of the tension acting on the wire 90 let out from the pulley member 80 can be prevented from changing depending on the amount of rotation of the pulley member 80.

The configuration including such a moving mechanism 82 can be applied not only to the drive pulley 41 and the base pulley 60 but also to other pulleys.

[Other variations of the embodiment]
Note that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, the removed satellite 2 does not need to be provided with the support 3.
Further, the removed satellite 2 may be provided with an extension spring 3A instead of the support 3, as in a gripping system 1A according to a modification shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. This extension spring 3A is housed in the removal satellite 2 when the robot 10 is not in use (see FIG. 12). The extension spring 3A extends so as to protrude from the removed satellite 2 in a predetermined extension direction Da (corresponding to the axial direction of the support column 3) when the robot 10 is used (see FIG. 13).
As shown in FIG. 13, in this gripping system 1A, the robot 10 is provided at the tip of the extension spring 3A. The robot 10 extends the extension spring 3A from the removal satellite 2, and captures the space debris 100 with a plurality of end effectors 70 provided at the tip thereof. For example, the robot 10 grips the PAR 101 by extending the extension spring 3A to position the robot 10 inside the opening of the PAR 101, and deploying the plurality of end effectors 70 radially outward.

In the above embodiment, one base pulley 60 drives the driving pulleys 41 of three telescopic devices 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. The drive pulleys 41 of the three telescoping devices 30 may be driven individually.

Further, in the above embodiment, the central axes of the driving pulley 41, the driven pulley 42, the first pulley 51, the second pulley 52, the base pulley 60, and the transmission pulleys 63 and 64 are along the first direction D1, The present invention is not limited to this. These central axes may be along other directions orthogonal to the stretching direction Ds (second direction D2) of each stretching device 30.

Further, in the above embodiment, the telescopic device 30 includes the first arm 31 and the second arm 32 relative to the base frame 21, but the present invention is not limited to this. The base frame 21 may be provided with only one arm (one stage), or may be provided with three (three stages) or more arms.

Further, in the above embodiment, the robot 10 is configured to include three telescopic devices 30, but the number of telescopic devices 30 may be two, or four or more.

Furthermore, although the configuration of the end effector 70 has been illustrated in the above embodiment, the configuration of the end effector 70 is not limited in any way. Although the end effector 70 is equipped with a pair of gripping parts 71A and 71B that expand into a V-shape, it may have other shapes such as a U-shape, or the end effector 70 can hold an object to be gripped. It may also include an openable and closable hand portion for gripping. Furthermore, the end effector 70 may include a swinging mechanism that allows it to swing (rotate) relative to the telescopic device 30.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the space debris 100 has been described as an example of the object to be grasped, but the object to be grasped is not limited to this, and other articles can be appropriately used as the object to be grasped.

In addition, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, the components in the embodiments described above may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate, and the above-described modifications may be combined as appropriate.

10 Robot 21 Base frame 30 Telescopic device 31 First arm (movable frame)
41 Drive pulley (pulley member)
44 Drive wire (wire)
51 First pulley (pulley member)
55 Third wire (wire)
60 Base pulley (pulley member)
68, 69 Transmission wire (wire)
70 End effector 75A, 75B coupling member (coupling member with extension part)
75c Extension part 80 Pulley member 81 Rotating shaft 82 Moving mechanism 83 Spiral groove 90 Wire D1 First direction D2 Second direction

Claims (6)

base frame and
a plurality of telescoping devices provided on the base frame;
a plurality of end effectors coupled to each of the plurality of telescoping devices,
the plurality of telescoping devices are arranged offset from each other in a first direction intersecting the base frame;
In a plan view of the base frame from the first direction, at least a portion of each of the plurality of expansion/contraction devices overlaps,
Each of the plurality of expansion and contraction devices has a movable frame that can slide in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and expands and contracts by sliding the movable frame in the second direction ,
Each of the plurality of end effectors is coupled to an end in the second direction of the plurality of telescoping devices ,
A robot that captures an object with the plurality of end effectors by deploying the plurality of end effectors radially outward while positioned inside an opening of the object. The second direction end of at least one of the plurality of telescoping devices and the end effector are coupled via a coupling member extending in the first direction. robot. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the positions of the plurality of end effectors in the first direction are equivalent to each other. Each of the plurality of telescoping devices includes:
a drive pulley rotatably fixed to the base frame;
a movable frame that moves in the second direction relative to the base frame;
a drive wire having both ends fixed to the drive pulley and the movable frame,
Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the drive pulley rotates and the drive wire is wound or unwound around the drive pulley, the drive wire pulls the movable frame to move the movable frame. or the robot described in item 1. The robot according to claim 4, further comprising a base pulley rotatably fixed to the base frame and transmitting rotational force to the drive pulley of each of the plurality of telescoping devices. A spiral groove in which the drive wire is accommodated is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drive pulley ,
The telescopic device further includes a movement mechanism that moves the drive pulley in the direction of the rotation axis of the drive pulley when the drive pulley rotates,
The moving mechanism moves the drive pulley in the direction of the rotation axis according to the amount of rotation of the drive pulley so that the positions of the drive wires fed out from the spiral groove in the rotation axis direction are the same. The robot according to item 4 or 5 .

Images