Patent ID: 8132481
Filing Date: 2012-03-13
Classification: B25J,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A parallel mechanism comprising: a base; actuators attached to the base; a plurality of arms coupled together in parallel; wherein each of the arms includes: each of the first and second ball joints includes a ball stud including a ball-shaped head, a socket swingably holding the ball-shaped head of the ball stud, and a conductive member interposed between and in contact with the ball-shaped head and the socket such that the ball stud and the socket are electrically continuous with each other via the conductive member; a sensing device arranged to sense when at least one of the first and second ball joints is loose, based on whether or not the ball stud and the socket are electrically continuous with each other, such that the sensing device senses that the at least one of the first and second ball joints is loose when the ball stud and the socket are electrically discontinuous with each other.