JPH0343973A - Attachment-detachment connector - 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] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a detachable connector that is used for space development, Jf< preload, industrial use, etc. and transmits and receives electrical signals by remote control. The present invention relates to a connector that absorbs misalignment during positioning and is suitable for reliable and easy attachment and detachment.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional electrical connector (]) TTT Cannon Catalog VG-8/1184 1985 P3: Rigid type example, (2) JAF (Japan Aviation Electronics Industry) Catalog CAT, NlID5ub -015Nov 198
5P5 is composed of a socket and pins, and its structure is as follows. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the socket includes a socket 1, a spring 2 provided in the socket. It is composed of a lead terminal 4 that is connected to a lead wire, and an insulator 3 that holds these and provides electrical insulation. As shown in FIG. 2(b), the pins are connector pins 5. It consists of a lead terminal 7 that is connected to a lead wire, and an insulator 6 that holds these and provides electrical insulation. Electrical connectors are used in a wide variety of ways, including the number of pins and sockets, their arrangement, and their shapes, but basically, as mentioned above, the pins and sockets are fixed with an insulator. Rigid type is common.

When joining such rigid type connectors,
- A person inside the shell senses the magnitude and direction of the force (reaction force) when connecting pins and sockets,
Adjust to the appropriate joining position and join using the flexibility of your hands. Therefore, if the dimensions, shapes, and pitches of the pins and sockets h are manufactured with a predetermined precision, the connection can be easily performed.

In recent years, with the development of industrial robots, the demand for high-mix, low-volume production has increased, and flexibility in robot production is strongly desired. In addition, as robots 1- for special environments,
Products for use in space and nuclear facilities are under development. What these robots have in common is the diversification of their tasks, but it is difficult to satisfy this with just one type of effector.

Therefore, it has been considered to attach an end effector suitable for the purpose, such as a two-finger gripper, a special tool, or a visual sensor, to the tip of the manipulator. These end effectors incorporate sensors, power, etc., and therefore require electrical connection between them and the manipulator.

In addition to rigid type connectors, there are also floating type connector pins. This is done by providing a gap between the connector pin and the insulating material that supports it, and there is an example of a structure in which the insulating material is tightened with a flange provided on the connector pin and a nut with a gap provided therebetween.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The connectors according to the above-mentioned conventional technology are usually not connected and disconnected frequently and are manufactured on the assumption that they will be connected by humans. Therefore, consideration must be given to allowing mechanical devices such as robots to connect and disconnect automatically or by remote control. However, there was a problem in that mechanical equipment such as robots had to be equipped with special equipment.

Specifically, in order to attach and detach a conventional connector with a mechanical device such as a robot, for example, a compliance mechanism is provided at the tip of the robot arm, a force sensor is installed at the tip of the slave arm in a master-slave manipulator, or, A force/torque sensor is installed, and the sensor signal is fed back to the operating master arm to allow the operator to feel force, I, and torque. Attempts are being made to bring it under control. However, these require sophisticated control systems and are complex systems. Furthermore, the characteristics of the compliance mechanism, such as the accuracy of compliance and the range of operating force, cannot be made uniform depending on the object to be handled, so it is necessary to change them depending on each object.

In addition, although connectors with floating type connector pins can absorb misalignment due to gaps, there are restrictions on use due to environmental conditions such as the number of times of connection and disconnection, vacuum, and high temperature. For example, in a vacuum, abnormal wear, sticking, etc. may occur between the insulating material and the connector pin or the nut that holds the pin.

An object of the present invention is to enable a connector to be easily and reliably attached and detached even by a mechanical device such as a robot.

Another object of the present invention is to retain the above functions even in one or a combination of environments such as vacuum, high temperature, and radiation.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above purpose, on the connector pin side,
The pin is swingably supported by an elastic body, and misalignment 1~ when inserted into the socket is absorbed by the elastic body.

Furthermore, in order to achieve another purpose, a vacuum lubricating film is formed on friction-generating parts such as the swing receiving part of the pin.

[Effect]

The connector pin is supported via an elastic body placed in a fixed part within the insulator, and when the connector pin is inserted into the socket, if misalignment 1~ occurs between the connector pin side body and the socket side body, the elastic body This is absorbed by the deformation and the connector pin is inserted securely.

Furthermore, by forming a solid lubricant film such as molybdenum disulfide on the frictional part between the connector pin and the insulator, the above function can be achieved even in a vacuum, high temperature, or radiation environment.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. (b
), a hemispherical portion 9 is provided at the center of the connector pin 5, and the lead terminal 7 is further supported by an elastic body 8. The insulator 6 has a hemispherical portion 9. A hemispherical portion 10 that accommodates the lead terminal 7 and the elastic body 8. A tubular portion 12 is provided, and a collar 1 to a collar 11 are arranged on the connector pin side insulator of the hemispherical portion 9.

Figure (a) shows the AA cross section of figure (b), and the lead terminal 7 is supported by three elastic bodies 8 in the circumferential direction.

Furthermore, a lubricating film 3 made of molybdenum disulfide or the like is formed on the surface of the insulator corresponding to the hemispherical portion 9.

The operation of the connector pin with the above configuration is shown in Figures 3 and 4.
This will be explained using figures.

FIG. 3 shows a case where the pin-side connector is about to be connected to the socket in a state where it is inclined by θ. The hemispherical part of the connector pin is in a supported state similar to a ball bearing, the pin is tilted by O with respect to the pin side connector in line with the socket axis, and the elastic body supporting the lead terminal of the pin is supported by the load F as shown in the figure. The side that joins will shrink. As a result, the connector pins are aligned with the socket axis, misalignment is absorbed, and the connector pins are smoothly connected.

FIG. 4 shows a case where the pin-side connector is about to be connected to the socket with the center being shifted by e. Since the connector pin is supported by a flexible body, the elastic body contracts by an amount e so that the connector pin aligns with the socket axis, absorbing misalignment and making a smooth connection.

The operation when misalignment occurs between the socket-side connector and the pin-side connector has been explained above, and next, the operation under special environments will be explained. For example, in an ultra-high vacuum of less than I x 10-'' Torr, such as in outer space, if there is no lubricant between the connector pin hemisphere and the insulating material, the pin-side hemisphere, which is made of metal within the shell, will This may cause the insulating material to wear out, and in some cases, a stick condition may occur where the hemisphere is wedged into the insulating material.Also,
In a high temperature environment or a radiation environment, deterioration of the lubricating material may occur, and the smooth absorption function may no longer function. In order to operate the misalignment absorbing function of the present invention in such a special environment, a solid lubricant coating that can handle vacuum, high temperature, and radiation amount is used to ensure smooth operation.

Under mild environmental conditions such as room temperature in the atmosphere, it is a matter of course that the above-mentioned functions can be produced by a lubricating film made of insulating oil or a polymeric material.

As an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a structure in which the lead terminal is supported by an elastic body is shown, but as shown in FIG. Obtainable.

In addition, as shown in Fig. 4, the hemispherical part corresponding to the hemispherical part is made of metal, and a lubricating film is formed on the surface of the hemispherical part, as shown in Fig. 4.
As shown in the figure, one in which a hemisphere is supported by an elastic body and a lubricating film is formed on its surface, one in which a lubricating material is placed between the elastic bodies as shown in Figure 5, and a hemispherical part Similar effects can also be obtained using a device with a lubricating film formed on the side and a device with a combination of the above structures.

Furthermore, the same effect can be obtained by widening the tubular hole on the insulator lead terminal side into a tapered shape and making the inclination of the connector pin even larger.

Regarding elastic bodies, metal springs, metal springs with a lubricating film formed on their surfaces, and polymeric materials such as rubber have similar effects. Regarding the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 7 shows an example in which a shape memory alloy is used as the elastic body.
After the connection is complete, the shape memory effect returns the core of the connector to its original position, creating a new self-aligning effect. That is, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), the elastic body 8a is contracted and the elastic body 8b is expanded due to the inclination of O and the axis deviation of C. After the connection between the pin and the socket is completed, by heating or cooling the elastic body to return it to the preset shape, it is possible to force the pin-side connector to align its axes as shown in (c).

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, since the connector pins absorb misalignment, the electrical connector can be easily attached and detached even by a mechanical device such as a manipulator. Furthermore, by providing a movable part (hemispherical part) of the pin coated with a lubricating film such as a solid lubricant, it operates smoothly even in environments with vacuum, high temperature, and high radiation.

In addition, when a shape memory alloy is used as an elastic body, after absorbing misalignment and bonding, it produces a shape memory effect, corrects misalignment 1 of the connector itself, and It has the effect of aligning the core.

The present invention effectively functions not only as an electrical connector but also as a guide pin for mechanical coupling.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a conventional general configuration, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional views showing other embodiments of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an illustration showing the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 1... Socket, 2 Spring, 3... Insulator, 4... Lead terminal, 5 Connector pin, 6... Insulator, 7...
・Lid terminal, 8.. Elastic body, 9.. Hemispherical part, 10.. Hemispherical part, ]-1.. Stopper, 12.. Tubular part, 13. Lubrication 1- Reference 12- 1st (0-) Condolences (0-) Figure Cb) (b) Lead 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 (a) and

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A detachable connector consisting of a pin and a socket, characterized in that the pin is supported by an elastic body. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the pin has a hemispherical support portion and a corresponding receiving portion. 3. The detachable connector according to claim 2, wherein a lubricating film is formed on at least one of the hemispherical support portion and the corresponding receiving portion. 4. The detachable connector according to claim 2, wherein the hemispherical support portion is supported by an elastic body. 5. The detachable connector according to claim 4, wherein a lubricating film is formed on at least one of the hemispherical support portion or the surface of the elastic body. 6. The detachable connector according to claim 4, wherein at least one lubricant is disposed between the plurality of elastic bodies. 7. The detachable connector according to claim 4, wherein the elastic body is provided with a shape memory alloy and means for controlling the shape memory alloy. 8. The detachable connector according to claim 1, further comprising a pin supported by the elastic body.