US-20260124743-A1 - ORBIT ACTUATOR

US20260124743A1US 20260124743 A1US20260124743 A1US 20260124743A1US-20260124743-A1

Abstract

This application relates to an actuator that can include an end effector, a chassis, and a spherical joint positioned between the end effector and the chassis. The spherical joint can include an upper hemisphere that forms an upper half of the spherical joint. The spherical joint can include a lower hemisphere that forms a lower half of the spherical joint. The upper hemisphere and the lower hemisphere can lie concentrically within a common spherical plane.

Inventors

Bryce Cianciotto
Nikhil Pai

Assignees

C&P R&D Company

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251006

Claims (20)

1 . An actuator comprising: at least one end effector; a chassis; a spherical joint positioned between the at least one end effector and the chassis; and wherein the spherical joint comprises an upper hemisphere that forms an upper half of the spherical joint and a lower hemisphere that forms a lower half of the spherical joint, wherein the upper hemisphere and the lower hemisphere lie concentrically within a common spherical plane.
2 . The actuator of claim 1 further comprising: a through-aperture; and wherein the through-aperture comprises a cavity that runs along a center of the at least one end effector, the chassis and the spherical joint allowing wires to route through the actuator without impeding multi-axis motion of the actuator.
3 . The actuator of claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of motors positioned within the chassis, wherein the plurality of motors comprise: a first motor positioned within a first housing of the chassis; a second motor positioned within a second housing of the chassis; and a third motor positioned within a third housing of the chassis.
4 . The actuator of claim 3 , wherein: the first housing, the second housing and the third housing are positioned concentrically atop one another; and the first motor, the second motor and the third motor are positioned concentrically atop one another.
5 . The actuator of claim 4 , wherein: the first motor is operatively coupled to the lower hemisphere via a first shaft; the second motor is operatively coupled to the upper hemisphere via a second shaft; and the third motor is operatively coupled to the at least one end effector via a third shaft.
6 . The actuator of claim 5 , wherein: upon activation of the first motor, the lower hemisphere rotates around a first axis; upon activation of the second motor, the upper hemisphere rotates around a second axis; and upon activation of the third motor, the at least one end effector rotates around a third axis.
7 . The actuator of claim 6 , wherein: the first axis lies along a longitudinal axis of the actuator; the second axis lies at approximately a 45° degree angle relative to the first axis; and the third axis lies at approximately a 45° degree angle relative to the second axis.
8 . The actuator of claim 6 , wherein: the first axis lies along a longitudinal axis of the actuator; the second axis lies at approximately a 60° degree angle relative to the first axis; and the third axis lies at approximately a 60° degree angle relative to the second axis.
9 . The actuator of claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of motors positioned within the chassis, wherein the plurality of motors comprise: a first motor positioned within a first housing of the chassis; and a second motor positioned within a second housing of the chassis.
10 . The actuator of claim 9 , wherein: the first housing and the second housing are positioned concentrically atop one another; and the first motor and the second motor are positioned concentrically atop one another.
11 . The actuator of claim 10 , wherein: the first motor is operatively coupled to the lower hemisphere via a first shaft; upon activation of the first motor, the lower hemisphere rotates around a first axis; the second motor is operatively coupled to the upper hemisphere via a second shaft; and upon activation of the second motor, the upper hemisphere rotates around a second axis.
12 . The actuator of claim 11 , wherein: the first axis lies along a longitudinal axis of the actuator; and the second axis lies at approximately a 45° degree angle relative to the first axis.
13 . The actuator of claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of motors positioned within the chassis, wherein the plurality of motors comprise: a first motor positioned within a first housing of the chassis; a second motor positioned within a second housing of the chassis; a third motor positioned within a third housing of the chassis; and a fourth motor positioned within a fourth housing of the chassis.
14 . The actuator of claim 13 , wherein: the first housing, the second housing, the third housing and the fourth housing are positioned concentrically atop one another; and the first motor, the second motor, the third motor and the fourth motor are positioned concentrically atop one another.
15 . The actuator of claim 14 , wherein: the first motor is operatively coupled to the lower hemisphere via a first shaft; the second motor is operatively coupled to the upper hemisphere via a second shaft; the third motor is operatively coupled to a first end effector of the at least one end effector via a third shaft; and the fourth motor is operatively coupled to a second end effector of the at least one end effector via a fourth shaft.
16 . The actuator of claim 15 , wherein: the lower hemisphere is rotated upon activation of the first motor; the upper hemisphere is rotated upon activation of the second motor; the first end effector is rotated upon activation of the third motor; and the second end effector is rotated upon activation of the fourth motor.
17 . The actuator of claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of motors positioned within the chassis, wherein the plurality of motors comprise: a first motor positioned within a first housing of the chassis; a second motor positioned within a second housing of the chassis; a third motor positioned within a third housing of the chassis; and wherein the first housing, the second housing and the third housing are positioned parallel to one another.
18 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the spherical joint combines at least three axes of motion into a single joint.
19 . An actuator comprising: at least one end effector; a chassis; a spherical joint positioned between the at least one end effector and the chassis, wherein the spherical joint enables the actuator to perform multi-axis motion; and a through-aperture comprising a cavity that runs along a center of the at least one end effector, the chassis and the spherical joint allowing wires to route through the actuator without impeding the multi-axis motion of the actuator.
20 . An actuator comprising: at least one end effector; a chassis; a spherical joint positioned between the at least one end effector and the chassis, wherein the spherical joint comprises an upper hemisphere that forms an upper half of the spherical joint and a lower hemisphere that forms a lower half of the spherical joint, wherein the upper hemisphere and the lower hemisphere lie concentrically within a common spherical plane; a plurality of motors positioned within the chassis, wherein the plurality of motors are positioned concentrically atop one another; and upon activation of at least one of the plurality of motors, at least one of the upper hemisphere, the lower hemisphere and the at least one end effector rotates enabling multi-axis motion of the actuator.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 63/703,735, filed on Oct. 4, 2024. U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 63/703,735 is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to systems and mechanisms for performing complex motion and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a robotic actuator capable of multi-axis actuation. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In engineering, existing systems that require complex motion/multi-axis actuation achieve that motion by placing motors at each joint in the system. This solution is not limited to robotic arms/6-axis robots. Placing motors at each joint in the system is used across every application that requires multi-axis motion. Robotic arms are the most common example of this. Typically, multi-axis systems operate by placing motors at every joint; however, this design creates several challenges. For example, since the weight of each motor in a traditional multi-axis system needs to be sufficiently supported, both to minimize vibrations across the system and to maximize the system's reliability and strength, the structure required to accommodate these designs tends to be bulky. Additionally, when the traditional multi-axis systems move, each motor is required to move in a specific way relative to every other motor. Since each motor is offset from one another and each of their axes of motion lies on a different plane and in a different direction, it makes the math/kinematics and the programming/control of the traditional multi-axis systems a challenge. Additionally, due to the placement of the motors described above, wiring the traditional multi-axis systems is also problematic. The wires that go to various components of the traditional multi-axis system such as, for example, motors, sensors, and other auxiliary components need to route through the multi-axis system without impeding their continuous motion or without severing their wires via, for example, overextension in any direction. As a result, traditional multi-axis systems are either more reliable with limited mobility or a less reliable with better mobility. However, in both cases, wiring the traditional multi-axis system is perpetually problematic. Therefore, there is a need for a system and mechanism that can achieve multi-axis motion without using a series of single-axis joints. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings illustrate one or more embodiments and/or aspects of the disclosure and, together with the written description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment, and wherein: FIG. 1A is a side perspective view of an exemplary orbit actuator; FIG. 1B is a side perspective view of an exemplary orbit actuator illustrating a plurality of axis around which the exemplary orbit actuator rotates; FIG. 1C is a top view of an end effector; FIG. 2A is a partially sectioned side view illustrating internal components of the exemplary orbit actuator of FIG. 1A; FIG. 2B is a partially sectioned side view of the exemplary orbit actuator of FIG. 1A illustrating a plurality of gearboxes mounted to a plurality of motors; FIG. 3 is a partially sectioned side view illustrating internal components of an alternate embodiment of an orbit actuator; FIG. 4 is a system illustrating a plurality of orbit actuators linked together; FIG. 5A is a partially sectioned side view illustrating internal components of an alternate embodiment of an orbit actuator; FIG. 5B is a partially sectioned side view illustrating internal components of an alternate embodiment of an orbit actuator; FIG. 6A is a partially sectioned side view illustrating internal components of an alternate embodiment of an orbit actuator; FIG. 6B is a partially sectioned side view illustrating internal components of an alternate embodiment of an orbit actuator; FIG. 7A is a partially sectioned side view illustrating internal components of an alternate embodiment of an orbit actuator; FIG. 7B is a partially sectioned side view illustrating internal components of an alternate embodiment of an orbit actuator; FIG. 7C is a flow diagram of an illustrative process for rotating the exemplary orbit actuator along a first axis; FIG. 7D is a flow diagram of an illustrative process for rotating the exemplary orbit actuator along a second axis; FIG. 7E is a flow diagram of an illustrative process for rotating the exemplary orbit actuator along a third axis; and FIG. 8 illustrates a computing environment for controlling the exemplary orbit actuators disclosed above in FIGS. 1A-7B. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION While the making and using of various embodiments of the present disclosure are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present disclosure provides many applicable inventive concepts, wh