Dynamic Characteristics and Restraint Mechanism of Elastically Restrained Connecting Joints on the Flexible Robotic Manipulator

Connecting joints are significant components in mechanical systems as well as the Cartesian flexible robotic manipulator (FRM) which consists of a flexible arm and a moving base through connecting joints. Uncertain factors, such as unqualified assembly, accidental collision, and longtime service, will reduce the restraint stiffness of the connecting joints and enhance the dynamic nonlinearity of the system subsequently. In this case, the traditional perfectly fixed restrained model cannot reflect the real property of the connecting joints. This paper focuses on the elasticity property of the connecting joints with uncertain restraint stiffness, which is defined as the elastically restrained connecting joints (ERCJ), and investigates the dynamic characteristics and restraint mechanism of the ERCJ. An elastic restrained model is proposed to describe the elasticity property of the connecting joints and determine the elastic restrained region of the ERCJ, and the frequency relationship equation in the elastic restrained region is simultaneously determined and verified. Based on the proposed elastic restrained model and Hamilton’s variational principle, the dynamic model and vibration displacement equation of the FRM with elastically restrained connecting joints (FRMERCJ) are established. The virtual prototype experiment of the FRMERCJ is conducted to verify the dynamic model and reveal the restraint mechanism of the ERCJ. The proposed elastic restrained model in this paper can accurately describe the elasticity property of the connecting joints, and the ERCJ is sensitive to motion velocities especially under higher velocities for higher-order vibrations in the initial stage. The results are meaningful for the dynamic analysis and vibration control of robotic manipulators.