US Patent 11007636 Articulated mechanism with protective sleeve at joint

An assembly of links and motorized joint unit of a mechanism comprises one or more pairs of links, each said link having a tubular body, at least one end of each of the tubular body being an open end having at least one connector. A motorized joint unit has a first portion received in the open end of the tubular body of a first of the links, the motorized joint unit secured to the at least one connector of the first of the links, a second portion rotatable relative to the first portion by actuation of the motorized joint unit, the second portion received in the open end of the tubular body of a second of the links, the motorized joint unit secured to the at least one connector of the second of the links. A protective sleeve has a tubular body rotatably mounted over the at least one connector of each of the first and the second link, the protective sleeve concealing the connectors and a joint between the pair of links.