BIONIC ANIMAL

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a bionic animal and, more particularly, to a bionic animal capable of effectively achieving a shock-absorbing effect on a leg and simplifying structure.

2. Description of the Prior Art

With the advancement of technology, the types of existing bionic animals are becoming more and more diverse. In general, a leg of a bionic animal is driven by a motor to achieve the function of walking. When the bionic animal walks, the leg will constantly collide with the ground and receive impact, which will cause wear and tear on the motor. Furthermore, the joints of the leg may also bend or rotate excessively, thereby affecting the stability of the bionic animal when walking. Moreover, the leg of existing bionic animals is composed of complicated mechanisms, which are not only expensive to manufacture but also difficult to be assembled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a bionic animal capable of effectively achieving a shock-absorbing effect on a leg and simplifying structure, so as to solve the aforesaid problems.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a bionic

animal comprises a body, a motor and a leg. The motor is disposed in the body. The leg is connected to the motor. The leg comprises a linkage mechanism and an elastomer. The linkage mechanism comprises a plurality of linkage bars. The plurality of linkage bars are rotatably connected to each other. The elastomer is embedded in the plurality of linkage bars. The elastomer elastically deforms along with rotation of the plurality of linkage bars. After the plurality of linkage bars rotate, the elastomer provides an elastic force to make the plurality of linkage bars return.

In an embodiment, each of the plurality of linkage bars has an accommodating recess, and the elastomer is embedded in the accommodating recess of each of the plurality of linkage bars.

In an embodiment, each of the plurality of linkage bars has at least one positioning pillar, the at least one positioning pillar is located in the accommodating recess, the elastomer has a plurality of positioning holes, and each of the plurality of positioning holes is sleeved on the at least one positioning pillar of each of the plurality of linkage bars, so as to position the elastomer in the accommodating recess of each of the plurality of linkage bars.

In an embodiment, a plurality of joints are formed between the plurality of linkage bars, the elastomer has a plurality of deformable rebound structures, and positions of the plurality of deformable rebound structures correspond to positions of the plurality of joints.

In an embodiment, each of the plurality of linkage bars has an avoidance recess, each of the plurality of deformable rebound structures is located in the avoidance recess, and the avoidance recess provides an elastic deformation space for each of the plurality of deformable rebound structures.

In an embodiment, each of the plurality of linkage bars has a restraining structure, and the restraining structure of one of the plurality of linkage bars restrains a rotating angle of another one of the plurality of linkage bars.

In an embodiment, the restraining structure is located at a connection between two adjacent linkage bars of the plurality of linkage bars.

In an embodiment, the plurality of linkage bars have a plurality of engaging recesses, the elastomer has a plurality of protruding portions, and the plurality of protruding portions engage with the plurality of engaging recesses.

In an embodiment, the elastomer is integrally formed through 3D printing.

In an embodiment, a material of the elastomer is thermoplastic polyurethane.

As mentioned in the above, the invention embeds the elastomer in the linkage mechanism of the leg, so as to utilize the elastomer to fix and connect the linkage bars. Since the elastomer will elastically deform along with rotation of the linkage bars, the elastomer can provide an elastic force to make the linkage bars return after the linkage bars rotate. When the bionic animal walks, the rebound function of the elastomer can absorb impact, thereby achieving a shock-absorbing effect on the leg. Accordingly, the motor connected to the leg can be protected to avoid wear and tear on the motor due to the collision between the leg and the ground. Furthermore, the invention may dispose the restraining structure at the connection between two adjacent linkage bars to restrain the rotating angle of the linkage bar. Accordingly, the invention can ensure that the joints of the leg will not bend or rotate excessively, thereby improving the stability of the bionic animal when walking. Moreover, the elastomer may be integrally formed through 3D printing, such that the elastomer can be manufactured quickly and conveniently. The invention utilizes the elastomer to fix and connect the linkage bars to simplify and replace conventional mechanical assembly structure (including springs, screws, etc.), which can effectively reduce manufacturing cost and improve assembly efficiency.

These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a bionic animal according an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a leg 14 of the bionic animal after compression.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the inside of the bionic animal.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the leg from another viewing angle.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view illustrating the leg.

FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating the leg being compressed and rebounding.

FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating the leg being compressed and rebounding from another viewing angle.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a leg according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view illustrating the leg.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 7, FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a bionic animal 1 according an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a leg 14 of the bionic animal 1 after compression, FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the inside of the bionic animal 1, FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the leg 14 from another viewing angle, FIG. 5 is an exploded view illustrating the leg 14, FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating the leg 14 being compressed and rebounding, and FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating the leg 14 being compressed and rebounding from another viewing angle.

The bionic animal 1 of the invention may be, but is not limited to, a bionic triceratops. The type of the bionic animal 1 may be determined according to practical applications. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the bionic animal 1 comprises a body 10, a motor 12 and a leg 14. The motor 12 is disposed in the body 10 and the leg 14 is connected to the motor 12. The motor 12 can drive the leg 14 to rotate to enable the bionic animal 1 to walk. In practical applications, the body 10 is configured to accommodate the main mechanical components and electronic components (e.g. motor, battery, circuit board, sensor, etc.) of the bionic animal 1. In this embodiment, the bionic animal 1 may comprise four motors 12 and four legs 14, wherein two motors 12 and two legs 14 may be located at two sides in the front of the body 10, and the other two motors 12 and the other two legs 14 may be located at two sides in the rear of the body 10. It should be noted that the number and position of legs may be determined according to practical applications, so the invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the figure.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the leg 14 comprises a linkage mechanism 140 and an elastomer 142. The linkage mechanism 140 comprises a plurality of linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, wherein the plurality of linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d are rotatably connected to each other, such that the plurality of linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d can rotate with respect to each other. Furthermore, the leg 14 is connected to the motor 12 by the linkage bar 140a. In this embodiment, the number of the plurality of linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d may be four, such that the linkage mechanism 140 is a four-bar linkage mechanism. It should be noted that the number and connecting manner of linkage bars may be determined according to practical applications, so the invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the figure.

The elastomer 142 is embedded in the plurality of linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, so as to utilize the elastomer 142 to fix and connect the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d. In this embodiment, each of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d may have an accommodating recess 1400. The elastomer 142 is embedded in the accommodating recess 1400 of each of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d to fix and connect the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d. In this embodiment, each of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d may have at least one positioning pillar 1402, wherein the at least one positioning pillar 1402 is located in the accommodating recess 1400. Furthermore, the elastomer 142 may have a plurality of positioning holes 1420, wherein the number and position of positioning holes 1420 correspond to the number and position of positioning pillars 1402. When the elastomer 142 is embedded in the accommodating recess 1400 of each of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, each of the positioning holes 1420 is sleeved on the at least one positioning pillar 1402 of each of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, so as to position the elastomer 142 in the accommodating recess 1400 of each of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d. Accordingly, the elastomer 142 can be stably embedded in the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d. In this embodiment, each of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c may have one positioning pillar 1402, and the linkage bar 140d may have two positioning bars 1402. It should be noted that the number and position of positioning pillars and positioning holes may be determined according to practical applications, so the invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the figure.

In this embodiment, the plurality of linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d may have a plurality of engaging recesses 1404, and the elastomer 142 may have a plurality of protruding portions 1422. When the elastomer 142 is embedded in the accommodating recess 1400 of each of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, the plurality of protruding portions 1422 engage with the plurality of engaging recesses 1404, so as to improve the connection stability between the linkage mechanism 140 and the elastomer 142. It should be noted that the number and position of engaging recesses and protruding portions may be determined according to practical applications, so the invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the figure.

In this embodiment, a plurality of joints 1406 may be formed between the plurality of linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, and the elastomer 142 may have a plurality of deformable rebound structures 1424, wherein the positions of the plurality of deformable rebound structures 1424 correspond to the positions of the plurality of joints 1406. Furthermore, each of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d may have an avoidance recess 1408, wherein the avoidance recess 1408 communicates with the accommodating recess 1400. When the elastomer 142 is embedded in the accommodating recess 1400 of each of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, each of the deformable rebound structures 1424 is located in the avoidance recess 1408. The avoidance recess 1408 is configured to provide an elastic deformation space for each of the deformable rebound structures 1424, such that the deformable rebound structure 1424 can elastically deforms and recovers in the avoidance recess 1408.

When the bionic animal 1 walks, the leg 14 will change between a rebound state shown in FIG. 1 and a compression state shown in FIG. 2, such that the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d rotate with respect to each other at the joints 1406. At this time, the deformable rebound structures 1424 at the joints 1406 will elastically deform, such that the elastomer 142 elastically deforms along with the rotation of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, as shown in FIG. 6. After the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d rotate (i.e. the leg 14 is compressed to the compression state shown in FIG. 2), the elastomer 142 will provide an elastic force to make the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d return, such that the leg 14 rebounds to the rebound state shown in FIG. 1. Thus, when the bionic animal walks, the rebound function of the elastomer 142 can absorb impact, thereby achieving a shock-absorbing effect on the leg 14. Accordingly, the motor 12 connected to the leg 14 can be protected to avoid wear and tear on the motor 12 due to the collision between the leg 14 and the ground.

The invention may adjust the structural shape, structural density and/or material of the elastomer 142 according to practical requirements to control the elastic strength of the elastomer 142, such that the bionic animal 1 is capable of rebounding to cope with different requirements of load-bearing and movement, thereby effectively improving the movement performance and durability of the bionic animal 1. For example, in this embodiment, a material of the elastomer 142 may be thermoplastic polyurethane (e.g. TPU 95A) and the elastomer 142 may be integrally formed through 3D printing. TPU 95A is a semi-flexible material between rubber and plastic, which has high chemical resistance and is suitable for industrial applications. TPU 95A has excellent interlayer bonding force and can significantly improve structural stability. Compared with other TPU materials, TPU 95A is easier to print and has faster printing speed, such that it is very suitable for rapid manufacturing of mechanical structures.

In this embodiment, each of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d may have a restraining structure 1410, wherein the restraining structure 1410 may be located at a connection between two adjacent linkage bars of the plurality of linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, as shown in FIG. 7. The restraining structure 1410 of one of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d is configured to restrain a rotating angle of another one of the linkage bars 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, so as to ensure that the joints 1406 will not bend or rotate excessively, thereby improving the stability of the bionic animal 1 when walking.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a leg 14′ according to another embodiment of the invention and FIG. 9 is an exploded view illustrating the leg 14′.

The main difference between the leg 14′ and the aforesaid

leg 14 is that the leg 14′ omits the positioning pillar 1402 and the positioning hole 1420 mentioned in the above, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Each of the linkage mechanism 140 and the elastomer 142 of the leg 14′ may be integrally formed through 3D printing. At this time, the linkage mechanism 140 and the elastomer 142 may be directly formed together during 3D printing without the need for assembly through the positioning pillar 1402 and the positioning hole 1420 mentioned in the above. Thus, the positioning pillar 1402 and the positioning hole 1420 mentioned in the above may be omitted.

As mentioned in the above, the invention embeds the elastomer in the linkage mechanism of the leg, so as to utilize the elastomer to fix and connect the linkage bars. Since the elastomer will elastically deform along with rotation of the linkage bars, the elastomer can provide an elastic force to make the linkage bars return after the linkage bars rotate. When the bionic animal walks, the rebound function of the elastomer can absorb impact, thereby achieving a shock-absorbing effect on the leg. Accordingly, the motor connected to the leg can be protected to avoid wear and tear on the motor due to the collision between the leg and the ground. Furthermore, the invention may dispose the restraining structure at the connection between two adjacent linkage bars to restrain the rotating angle of the linkage bar. Accordingly, the invention can ensure that the joints of the leg will not bend or rotate excessively, thereby improving the stability of the bionic animal when walking. Moreover, the elastomer may be integrally formed through 3D printing, such that the elastomer can be manufactured quickly and conveniently. The invention utilizes the elastomer to fix and connect the linkage bars to simplify and replace conventional mechanical assembly structure (including springs, screws, etc.), which can effectively reduce manufacturing cost and improve assembly efficiency.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.