Joint device

Claim 2

A joint device comprising: a first elongated support member; a first rotating means attached to one end of said first support member in a longitudinal direction thereof; a first plate-shaped guide member rotatably attached to one end of said first support member by said first rotating means, taking as its rotation axis a direction normal to a longitudinal direction of said first support member and parallel to a face of said first guide member; a second elongated support member; a second rotating means attached to one end of said second support member in a longitudinal direction thereof; a second plate-shaped guide member rotatably attached to one end of said second support member by said second rotating means, taking as its rotation axis a direction normal to a longitudinal direction of said second support member and parallel to a face of said second guide member, and also fixed to the first guide member with its rotation axis directed substantially perpendicular to a direction of rotation axis of said first guide member; a first driving means arranged on the second support member to drive the first guide member around the rotation axis of said second guide member; and a second driving means arranged on the first support member to drive the second guide member around the rotation axis of said first guide member.

Claim 3

A joint device comprising: a first elongated support member; a first rotating means attached to a front end of said first support member in the longitudinal direction thereof; a first plate-shaped front guide member rotatably attached to the front end of said first support member by said first rotating means, taking as its rotation axis a direction normal to the longitudinal direction of said first support member and parallel to the face of said first front guide member; a second elongated support member; a second rotating means attached to front and back ends of said second support member in the longitudinal direction thereof; a second plate-shaped back guide member rotatably attached to the back end of said second support member by said second rotating means, taking as its rotation axis a direction normal to the longitudinal direction of said second support member and parallel to the face of said second back guide member, and also fixed to the first front guide member with its rotation axis directed substantially perpendicular to the direction of rotation axis of said first front guide member; a second plate-shaped front guide member rotatably attached to the front end of said second support member by said second rotating means, taking as its rotation axis a direction normal to the longitudinal direction of said second support member and parallel to the face of said second front guide member; a third elongated support member; a third rotating means attached to the back ends of said third support member in the longitudinal direction thereof; a third plate-shaped back guide member rotatably attached to the back end of said third support member by said third rotating means, taking as its rotation axis a direction normal to the longitudinal direction of said third support member and parallel to the face of said third back guide member, and also fixed to the second front guide member with its rotation axis directed substantially perpendicular to the direction of rotation axis of said second front guide member; a second back driving means arranged on the first support member to drive the second back guide member around the rotation axis of said first front guide member; a second front driving means arranged on the third support member to drive the second front guide member around the rotation axis of said third back guide member; a first front driving means arranged on the second support member to drive the first front guide member around the rotation axis of said second back guide member; and a third back driving means arranged on the second support member to drive the third back guide member around the rotation axis of said second front guide member.

Claim 4

A joint device comprising: a first elongated support member; a first rotating means attached to a front end of said first support member in the longitudinal direction thereof; a first plate-shaped front guide member rotatably attached to the front end of said first support member by said first rotating means, taking as its rotation axis a direction normal to the longitudinal direction of said first support member and parallel to the face of said first front guide member; a second elongated support member; a second rotating means attached to front and back ends of said second support member in the longitudinal direction thereof; a second plate-shaped back guide member rotatably attached to the back end of said second support member by said second rotating means, taking as its rotation axis a direction normal to the longitudinal direction of said second support member and parallel to the face of said second back guide member, and also fixed to the first front guide member with its rotation axis directed substantially perpendicular to the direction of rotation axis of said first front guide member; a second plate-shaped front guide member rotatably attached to the front end of said second support member by said second rotating means, taking as its rotation axis a direction normal to the longitudinal direction of said second support member and parallel to the face of said second front guide member; a third elongated support member; a third rotating means attached to the back ends of said third support member in the longitudinal direction thereof; a third plate-shaped back guide member rotatably attached to the back end of said third support member by said third rotating means, taking as its rotation axis a direction normal to the longitudinal direction of said third support member and parallel to the face of said third back guide member, and also fixed to the second front guide member with its rotation axis directed substantially perpendicular to the direction of rotation axis of said second front guide member; a second back driving means arranged on the first support member to drive the second back guide member around the rotation axis of said first front guide member; a second front driving means arranged on the third support member to drive the second front guide member around the rotation axis of said third back guide member; a first front driving means arranged on the second support member to drive the first front guide member around the rotation axis of said second back guide member; and a third back driving means arranged on the second support member to drive the third back guide member around the rotation axis of said second front guide member.

Claim 5

A joint device having a plurality of support members provided with joint sections at their front and back ends and connected with one another at their front and back joint sections; wherein each of said joint sections has a rotating means attached to the support member, and a plate-shaped guide member rotatably attached to the support member by said rotating means, taking as its rotation axis a direction normal to the longitudinal direction of said support member and parallel to the face of said guide member, the adjacent support members are connected to each other with their guide members fixed keeping their rotation axes directed substantially perpendicular to each other, and a driving means for driving one of these guide members around the rotation axis of the other is arranged on the support members adjacent to those to which said driven guide member is attached.

Claim 6

A joint device having a plurality of support members provided with joint sections at their front and back ends and connected with one another at their front and back joint sections; wherein each of said joint sections has a rotating means attached to the support member, and a plate-shaped guide member rotatably attached to the support member by said rotating means, taking as its rotation axis a direction normal to the longitudinal direction of said support member and parallel to the face of said guide member, the adjacent support members are connected to each other with their guide members fixed keeping their rotation axes directed substantially perpendicular to each other, and a driving means for driving one of these guide members around the rotation axis of the other is arranged on the support members adjacent to those to which said driven guide member is attached.

Claim 7

A joint device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said driving means includes a motor, a worm driven by the motor, and a worm wheel engaged with said worm to transmit the rotation of said motor to said guide member through said worm and worm wheel.

Claim 8

A joint device according to claim 4 wherein said driving means further includes a shaft having said worm wheel coaxially fixed thereto and being rotatably arranged on said support member, a wire drum coaxially fixed to this shaft, and a wire partially wound around the wire drum with its both ends fixed to both portions of the guide member apart in the circumferential direction thereof, said guide member being driven in the circumferential direction by said driving means.

Claim 9

A joint device according to claim 4 wherein said guide member is a semi-circular spur wheel having teeth formed on its circumferential end face, and said driving means further includes a shaft having the worm wheel coaxially attached thereto and being rotatably arranged on the support member, and a spur wheel coaxially fixed to the shaft and engaged with the guide member.

Claim 10

A joint device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said joint device has potentiometers arranged on said support members, pins rotatably attached to the support members and fixed to the guide members serve as rotating means, and a spur wheel coaxially fixed to said pins is engaged with a spur wheel coaxially fixed to the shaft of said potentiometers.

Claim 11

A joint device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said joint device further includes a detecting means for detecting maximum rocking angle, each of which comprises a detecting section arranged to one of said support member and guide member and an indication section arranged to the other of them.

Claim 12

A joint device according to claim 2 or 3 wherein said driving means respectively have two motors each to drive said guide member arranged at each of support members, said motors being juxtaposed with each other in a direction vertical to the longitudinal direction of said support members.

Claim 13

A joint device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said support member has two elongated support plates extending in the longitudinal direction and support discs for fixing said elongated support plates parallel to each other, and said guide member is rotatably attached to said elongated support plates.

Claim 14

A joint device according to claim 10 wherein said elongated support plates are made integral to said support discs.

Claim 15

A joint device according to claim 2 or 3 wherein said support members have a same length.