Robot joint brake based on a pin-latch module with rubber washer

Collaborative robots work while sharing space with workers, so they have built-in safety functions to protect workers. Among these, the highly reliable brake installed inside the robot’s actuator allows the robot to urgently stop in emergency situations such as a collision with a worker. Since the commonly used spring-loaded electromagnetic clutch brake is relatively heavy and expensive, this study designed a latch-based joint brake module using a rubber washer to reduce the cost and weight of the brake. The proposed brake module is designed to control static friction using the elastic force of a rubber washer to cause slipping when a certain torque is applied. This limits the torque applied to the reducer to prevent damage. Through experiments, the performance was confirmed by measuring the friction torque of the brake module, and the amplified friction torque was confirmed through an experiment in which torque was applied after installing it on the actuator.