Sony patents compact motor layout for robot joints
Sony describes a drive device that arranges a motor, speed reducer, and encoder in a specific layout to save space. The design uses brackets to hold circuit boards on both sides of the motor, allowing for a more compact assembly.
In the filing’s own words
A drive device includes: a motor having a rotating drive shaft; a speed reducer coupled to the motor on one side along a central axis of the drive shaft; an encoder coupled to the motor on another side along the central axis; a speed reducer side bracket coupled to the speed reducer and having a speed reducer side extension portion extending in a first direction perpendicular to the central axis; an encoder side bracket coupled to the encoder and having an encoder side extension portion extending in the first direction; a substrate bracket provided between the speed reducer side extension portion and the encoder side extension portion, coupled to the speed reducer side extension portion and the encoder side extension portion, and having a facing surface facing the motor; a first substrate mounted on the facing surface; and a second substrate mounted on a back surface that is a back side of the facing surface.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A drive device comprising: a motor having a rotating drive shaft; a speed reducer coupled to the motor on one side along a central axis of the drive shaft; an encoder coupled to the motor on another side along the central axis; a speed reducer side bracket coupled to the speed reducer and having a speed reducer side extension portion extending in a first direction perpendicular to the central axis; an encoder side bracket coupled to the encoder and having an encoder side extension portion extending in the first direction; a substrate bracket provided between the speed reducer side extension portion and the encoder side extension portion, coupled to the speed reducer side extension portion and the encoder side extension portion, and having a facing surface facing the motor; a first substrate mounted on the facing surface; and a second substrate mounted on a back surface that is a back side of the facing surface.
Facts
- Company
- Sony (SONY GROUP CORPORATION)
- Official title
- DRIVE DEVICE, JOINT DEVICE, AND GRIPPING DEVICE
- Publication number
- US20260264224A1
- Application number
- 19166385
- Filed
- Mar 18, 2024
- Published
- Sep 10, 2026
- Inventors
- 5
- Claims
- 11
Classified under
B25J 9/126 Operations & transportF16H 19/08 Mechanical engineeringH02K 7/116 Electricity & electronicsH02K 11/21 Electricity & electronicsH02K 11/24 Electricity & electronicsH02K 11/33 Electricity & electronicsMore from Sony in Robots & automation
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.