JPH06503917A - hinge joint - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] hinge joint The present invention provides a means for curving the member about a series of points along its length. and a curved line or approximately the center of the radius of curvature on the exterior of the member. It concerns structural members that provide equal curves. In this specification, this special For convenience, the name "hinge joint" is used for this. The purpose of the present invention is particularly two-fold. Improvements in the field of. That is, it is possible to move along a desired curve, and It will stop as it is until it is reset, and such a function will not respond to load fluctuations. To provide a joint that can adjust the force and can be manufactured at an economical cost. There are many things.

According to the invention, the hinge joint consists of individual essentially identical parts or vertebrae; They are assembled with flexible posts that engage the ends of the vertebrae and bend The assembly state is maintained as it is.

The column is placed between a pair of flexible leaf springs spaced parallel to each other. and each of its leaf springs also passes through the vertebrae. This vertebra needs three holes Two of them are for leaf springs, and one is for pillars. However, this hole has one common There is no problem even if it is a different part of the through hole. Note that this hole or part is For example, a hole for a pillar can be used to pass a conductor through, for example, by enlarging it into a cross shape. The branches can be used as conductors and the other parts can be used as pillars.

It is preferable to use a pair of vertebra-like parts, each of which is assembled into a vertebra. Place it on both ends and hold it assembled with pillars. Also, these vertebra-like members are joints. in opposite directions away from the vertebrae to connect the It has a connecting part, coupling device or bracket, etc. extending to

The leaf spring may be a friction fit to the vertebrae, or preferably a loose sliding fit and the leaf spring Place the end of the spine against the vertebra (or vertebral component) or the completed connection. Preferably, a device for fixing to the end member of the hand is provided. Its fixation is done by a certain amount of sliding on the spring. It may be possible to allow movement, but this may limit the bending angle of the hinge. shall be

Figure 1 is a plan view of the vertebrae, Figure 2 is a front view, Figure 3 is a plan view, and Figure 4 is the same as Figure 3. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A, all of which relate to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the second embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a front view.

First, looking at FIG. 1, the vertebra 10 is made of plastic mold for convenience, and has a width W. 1. The central slot with the total length L1 has two ends 12, which are connected to the pillar 16 described below. corresponds to A pair of slots 14 located at symmetrical positions each have a width W2 and a length W2. It has a narrowed end 18 of L2. A slot 14 is formed between the narrow ends 18. There is a wide part for convenience, but the central slot is for passing conductors and other things described later. It has two branch-like parts 20 in a cross shape forming a recess.

The shape of the vertebrae can be freely designed, but in this case it is hexagonal. .

Thickened portions 24 are provided on both sides of the vertebrae to accommodate narrower portions 12 of the slots. surround, and these thicker parts are convex transversely to the length of the slot. or, as shown in Figure 2, in a low inverted V-shape, with the pillars in the assembled state. Make sure that the chips are removed on the surface on the center line of the thickness.

Looking at Figure 2, we see that the joints are in this case four vertebrae placed on pillar 16. It consists of an assembly of A column generally has a rectangular cross section and a slot for the column. 12.12 and not into the recess of part 20. As shown in Figure 3 ( , the column is not simply rectangular at its ends, but has a wide section or head 30 at one end. The tail of the column at the other end 32 is adjacent to the slot 36 to form the junction of the vertebrae. It has ears 34 that protrude sideways. The column is made of elastic deformable material e.g. Made of suitable synthetic resin. The width of the pillar is compressed and the ears are flat. After passing through lot 12, it is able to elastically return to its original shape, so that the The bones are removed face-to-face and retained in an assembled state.

Articulation is the bending of individual vertebrae around a series of points or lines where they join each other. is possible, i.e. on one side or the other side or both sides in the lengthwise direction in FIG. It is possible to bend at one or several points.

The length of the column depends on the desired number of vertebrae plus the thickness of the two end members. It will be understood that you can create it freely. However, the pillar is made of elongated material It can be formed from a simple part by deforming the ends to form the head and tail, and the columns can be made with different lengths. There is no need for a precise mold every time. However, do not desire individual pillars. Can be molded in a mule mold. The vertebrae are much more complex molded parts, and Although it requires an expensive mold, no matter how many vertebrae are needed for one joint, the same mold can be used. In addition, skilled plastic mold designers can create complex A die bear can be used for the vertebrae, and a die bear can be used to make the vertebra-like parts for the terminal. I know I can use the pair with different die halves.

The two sets of slots 14 have the ability to easily slide into the narrow portion 18 of the slot. A flexible leaf spring 40,42 is inserted. However, bending causes curvature and the board The springs press against the radial outer surface of the slot and become resiliently dislodged.

The spring has a fixed or sliding end section, depending on the selection The way of bending, the direction of bending, and the limits of bending change.

In the structure shown in FIG. 2, a terminal member 50 is used at one end of the column. A vertebral portion 52 is included that is integral with the bracket 54 within the boss 56. Bu The ends of two adjacent springs are fixed to the racket 54 with screws 58. here The word fixed means to prevent movement near the fixed point. Bracket In order to improve the shape of the head and boss, a complementary part of the tube is shaped to match the outer circumference of the vertebrae. The boss 56 is secured to the tube with a screw 62. Other duties Any mounting or connection method can be used.

At the opposite end of the column there is a long slot 70 on both sides to allow a sliding connection. installed in the spring. Each spring is held in place by friction between a pair of parts. Ru. The spring 40 is connected between a component 80 formed by a vertebra-like component 82 and a central member 84. Located in The central member 84 has a boss 8 for storing it in the bracket 80. 6 is formed. Spring 42 is sandwiched between internal and external parts 88 and 90. Both of these parts are also positioned in relation to each other by a complementary component 92. keeping. Compression spring 94 acts to pull part 88 away from part 84 and 100 so as not to be separated in the axial direction.

The parts 80 and 90 have a coaxial boss 104 on the outside, which is a mounting part 216. It is fitted into the hole on the coaxial core of. Assembled joint, parts 80.90 together Press down and push concentrically into the tube until the boss is pushed into the hole by the spring force. It is connected to the tube by Tightening the screw increases the frictional load on the spring. , to prevent the two from separating.

Any other terminal member can be used.

The joints shown in Figures 2 and 3 can be bent approximately 50 degrees in any direction from the position shown. is possible, and when bent in that manner, the leaf spring will and move relative to each other, one plate moving in one direction and the other spring moving in the opposite direction. Move. The resistance to that movement is due to the stiffness and friction of the springs 40,42.

The frictional effect is such that no matter what load is applied, the column is selected and adjusted. It is desirable that the curvature be sufficient to maintain the curvature. By using screws, This can be varied within limits, and by selecting spring 94 the above limits can be changed. It can be changed. For example, in some cases, screws would be unnecessary.

The surface finish of the spring, the properties of the plastic material, and its cleanliness all affect the friction. related to effectiveness.

Depending on the application, for example, it may be used as a joint in a mechanism that is driven by power and moves back and forth. If you do not want to adjust it to a semi-permanent position, you can return it freely. Sometimes it's better. Spring 94 should be kept to a minimum or can be eliminated. An alternative method of attachment, such as Minimize friction by providing sufficient clearance for the edges and a good surface finish. You can.

Hole portion 20 may be an electrical cord, optical fiber, fluid duct or other long object. It is used to pass through the joint metal body and connect it on the opposite side. It is desirable to have sufficient room for

Looking at Figures 5 and 6, it can be seen that the joints shown here are generally the same as those shown in Figures 2 through 4. It is similar to the vertebrae shown in Figure 1 and uses the same vertebrae. its essential The difference is that more vertebrae are used, and in the example shown, the curve is around 130 degrees. It can be extended, and similar terminal members are used on both ends. These terminal members are Similar to that shown on the right side of Figures 3 and 4, each terminal You can move a leaf spring using wood. The purpose is to insert a single particularly long slot into the leaf spring. The aim is to distribute the necessary movement of the leaf springs in such a way as to avoid forming gaps. deer However, in this case, slots are provided in the springs 40 and 42 so that the joint can bend in one direction. The joint can also bend to the opposite side. In this way, the slot at the end of spring 42 The cut portions 120, 122 have their springs positioned within the curvature exhibited by the vertebrae 16. The slot portions 124 and 120 of spring 4G are formed such that the spring is It is formed so that it is located on the outside of the curvature. However, contrary to the above It is made sure that there is no such thing.

In Figures 5 and 6, the same parts used in Figures 3 and 4 have similar references. The reference number is used.

National a disgrace cow 1□□N, PCT/GB 92100859 International Search Report Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Terry Raymond Michael Warwickshire, UK - New Poldau on Steuer New Bolt House (72) Inventor Yaar John David United Kingdom DW99J Zett Hereford & Worcester Hagley Birmingham Road 2 3

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. It engages the end of the assembled vertebrae, maintains its assembled state, and bends the vertebrae. multiple identical parts separated from each other bound by a flexible spinal column that allows A hinge joint made of bones or vertebrae. 2. The vertebral columns are spaced apart and parallel to each other, each of which extends through the vertebrae. The joint according to claim 1, wherein the joint is located between a pair of flexible leaf springs that pass through the joint. 3. Each vertebra has three separate holes, two of which are for the leaf springs. , the remaining one is for the spinal column. 3. The joint according to claim 2, wherein the remaining one is for the spinal column. 4. Each of the vertebrae has one laterally wide hole for the spinal column and/or leaf spring. The hinge joint according to claim 1 or 2. 5. It has a pair of vertebral bone-like parts, each of which is located at both ends of the assembled vertebrae. Any one of claims 1 to 4, which is held in the assembled state by the spinal column. The joint described in . 6. Claims 3 to 5, wherein the leaf spring is friction-fitted to the vertebrae. The hinge joint described in any of the above. 7. The leaf spring is loosely fitted into the vertebrae, and both ends of the spring are connected to the extreme end. device for fixation to the vertebrae or vertebrae-like parts of the vertebrae or the terminal members of the completed joints A hinge joint according to any of the appended claims 3, 4 or 5. 8. Each of the above vertebrae is a plate-shaped plastic mold, and the vertebrae are penetrated. In any of the claims, there is a thick walled portion on both sides surrounding the slot for passing through. Hinge joint as described. 9. The above-mentioned thick parts form a protrusion or a shallow inverted V shape, and are adjacent to each other in the assembled state. 9. The hinge joint according to claim 8, wherein the contacting surfaces of the vertebrae touch in a linear manner. 10. The locking device includes at least one leaf spring to limit bending of the joint. 8. A hinge joint according to claim 7, having a slot at at least one end.