Compact “Wide Angle Active Linkage Device” Offers Wide Range Of Operating Angles

NTN Corporation has developed a compact “Wide Angle Active Linkage Device” that allows positioning across a 90 degree wide range of operating angles to a swivel angle of 360 degrees.

Because of inherent features like high precision and high speed, parallel linkage mechanisms are used in diverse applications such as optical device angle alignment and loading containers of foodstuffs and medical supplies. However, increasing operating angles can make the mechanism itself too big to be practical. Because of this problem, parallel linkage devices have only had a limited operating angle, until now.

NTN's compact “Wide Angle Active Linkage Device” is a parallel linkage mechanism combining a motor and reduction gears with a constant velocity joint having a wide operating angle. This new device not only functions across a wide range of operating angles, but also succeeds in making the unit more compact. This also helps make the complete system smaller and allows its use in new applications such as robotic joints that mimic human motions and therefore require a free swivel motion and compact package size.

FEATURES

1. Range of motion : Operating range 90º, swivel angle 360º
2. Use of a constant velocity joint in the parallel linkage mechanism allows smooth movement with constant rotational velocity along with high-precision and high strength.
3. The lightweight, compact body is made possible by utilizing a compact constant velocity joint and integrating a servomotor and reduction gears into the static linkage (the joint section is 75 grams with 49 mm diameter x 48 mm length)

APPLICATIONS

1. Platforms for optical and photographic equipment
2. Robotics joints
3. Conveyor arm units for packing medical products and foodstuffs