Nonlinear Elastic Joint with an Elastic Mechanism and Drives

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This patent describes a nonlinear elastic joint with an elastic mechanism and multiple drives, specifically designed to provide variable stiffness or rigidity. The joint uses a control (cam) plate with strategically arranged indentations or elevations that guide rollers connected to lever arms, which in turn compress a spring. By adjusting the positions of pivots via a dedicated mechanism, the stiffness of the joint can be actively changed, allowing for tunable compliance and nonlinear motion characteristics.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Robotic arms in manufacturing or service robots, where safe interaction with humans and adaptable rigidity are needed
• Exoskeletons for rehabilitation or motion assistance, allowing compliance to user needs
• Industrial automation where variable force application or impact absorption is required
• Medical devices, such as prosthetic limbs, needing adaptive stiffness during tasks
• Collaborative robots (cobots) that must safely interact with humans and handle a variety of materials

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables precise, adjustable joint stiffness for improved motion control and safety
• Enhances versatility in robots by allowing both rigid and compliant behaviors as needed
• Supports safer human-robot interaction by softening the joint on demand
• Provides a compact, integrated design suitable for various applications
• Reduces required actuation force for stiffness changes, improving system efficiency
• Permits progressive, nonlinear torque response ideal for dynamic or sensitive tasks

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The invention relates to nonlinear elastic joints with an elastic mechanism and drives, said joints being distinguished in particular by a variable rigidity. To this end, a control plate connected to a first drive has indentations or elevations arranged distanced from one another on at least one circular path, the indentations or the elevations each being paths of a roller. The rollers are connected articulatedly to first lever arms of double-ended levers. The second lever arms of the double-ended levers are connected articulatedly via a connection part to a first end of a compression spring. The second end of the compression spring is connected to the rollers and the first lever arms. Furthermore, pivots of the double-ended levers are coupled at an adjustment mechanism to a second drive to change the position of the pivots parallel to the control plate, and thus to change the rigidity.