Robotic gripper with multiple pairs of gripping fingers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10035262-B2
Application number	US-201615287303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2016
Priority date	May 20, 2015
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

Provided herein is a robotic gripper comprising two gripping components, where each component may comprise a rotatable axle oriented along a longitudinal axis, and where the respective axles may be oriented substantially perpendicular to each other. Each component may further comprise a pair of opposing gripping fingers with each gripping finger of the pair being coupled to a respective end of the axle. Each axle may be independently operable to rotate the respective pair of gripping fingers about the longitudinal axis of the respective axle, and each pair of gripping fingers may be independently operable to move the gripping fingers of the respective pair toward and away from each other. A control system for the robotic gripper may thus actuate one or both pairs of gripping fingers to grasp one or more objects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first gripping component coupled to an end effector of a robotic arm, the first gripping component comprising a first rotatable axle oriented along a first longitudinal axis and further comprising a first pair of opposing gripping fingers with each gripping finger of the first pair being coupled to a respective end of the first axle; and
a second gripping component coupled to the end effector of the robotic arm, the second gripping component comprising a second rotatable axle oriented along a second longitudinal axis and further comprising a second pair of opposing gripping fingers with each gripping finger of the second pair being coupled to a respective end of the second axle,
wherein each axle is independently operable to rotate the respective pair of gripping fingers about the longitudinal axis of the respective axle,
wherein each pair of gripping fingers is independently operable to move the gripping fingers of the respective pair toward and away from each other.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein movement of the gripping fingers of the first pair toward and away from each other defines a first path, and
wherein movement of the gripping fingers of the second pair toward and away from each other defines a second path that intersects with the first path.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first and second gripping components are independently operable to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the axles of the first and second gripping components,
wherein rotational movement of each pair of gripping fingers about the respective longitudinal axis of the respective axle defines a respective rotational path for the respective pair, and
wherein the respective rotational paths of the first and second pairs intersect with each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third gripping component coupled to the end effector of the robotic arm, the third gripping component comprising a third rotatable axle oriented along a third longitudinal axis and further comprising a third pair of gripping fingers with each gripping finger of the third pair being coupled to a respective end of the third axle,
wherein the third axle is independently operable to rotate the respective pair of gripping fingers about the third longitudinal axis of the third axle, and
wherein the third pair of gripping fingers is independently operable to move the gripping fingers of the third pair toward and away from each other.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
a housing within which at least a portion of the first, second, and third gripping components are disposed;
a first rotatable mount located on a first side of the housing; and
a second rotatable mount located on a second side of the housing opposite the first side,
wherein the third gripping component is located between the first and second gripping components,
wherein the first gripping component is coupled to the first rotatable mount,
wherein the second gripping component is coupled to the second rotatable mount, and
wherein each rotatable mount is independently operable to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the axles of the first, second, and third gripping components.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a controller configured to actuate the first, second, and third gripping components, wherein the controller comprises at least one processor and data storage comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
causing rotation of one or more pairs of gripping fingers about the longitudinal axis of the respective axle; and
causing movements of the gripping fingers of one or more pairs of gripping fingers toward each other so as to grasp one or more objects.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:
causing the first pair of gripping fingers to grasp a first object;
while the first pair of gripping fingers is grasping the first object, causing the second pair of gripping fingers to grasp a second object; and
while the first and second pairs of gripping fingers are grasping the first and second objects, causing the third pair of gripping fingers to grasp a third object.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein rotational movement of each pair of gripping fingers about the respective longitudinal axis of the respective axle defines a respective rotational path for the respective pair, and
wherein the respective rotational paths of at least two of the three pairs intersect with each other.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each gripper finger of each pair of gripping fingers comprises a leadscrew that houses a portion of the respective axle, the leadscrew being configured to translate rotational motion of an actuator coupled to the leadscrew into linear motion of the leadscrew, and
wherein the linear motion of the respective leadscrews of a respective pair of gripping fingers causes the gripping fingers of the respective pair to move toward and away from each other.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each gripper finger of each pair of gripping fingers further comprises:
a tip comprising a gripping surface,
an axle cap that houses a respective end of the respective axle, the axle cap being configured to transmit torque from the rotational motion of the axle to the gripper finger,
a bushing surrounding an end of the leadscrew, the bushing being configured to translate the linear motion of the leadscrew into rotational motion of the tip, and
a plurality of linkages mounting the tip to the axle cap and to the bushing.

11. A robotic device comprising:
a first gripping component coupled to an end effector of a robotic arm, the first gripping component comprising a first rotatable axle oriented along a first longitudinal axis and further comprising a first pair of opposing gripping fingers with each gripping finger of the first pair being coupled to a respective end of the first axle;
a second gripping component coupled to the end effector of the robotic arm, the second gripping component comprising a second rotatable axle oriented along a second longitudinal axis and further comprising a second pair of opposing gripping fingers with each gripping finger of the second pair being coupled to a respective end of the second axle; and
a controller comprising at least one processor and data storage comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
causing rotation of one or both pairs of gripping fingers about the longitudinal axis of the respective axle; and
causing movements of the gripping fingers of one or both pairs of gripping fingers toward each other so as to grasp one or more objects.

12. The robotic device of claim 11 , wherein movement of the gripping fingers of the first pair toward and away from each other defines a first path, and
wherein movement of the gripping fingers of the second pair toward and away from each other defines a second path that intersects with the first path.

13. The robotic device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a third gripping component coupled to the end effector of the robotic arm, the third gripping component comprising a third rotatable axle oriented along a third longitudinal axis and further comprising a third pair of gripping fingers with each gripping finger of the third pair being coupled to a respective end of the third axle,
wherein the third axle is independently operable to rotate the respective pair of gripping fingers about the third longitudinal axis of

Assignees

• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Morey Christopher Lynn

Classifications

• B25J9/1612 Primary

  characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control · CPC title

• B25J15/10

  with three or more finger members {(B25J15/0009 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B25J15/0028

  with movable, e.g. pivoting gripping jaw surfaces · CPC title

• B25J15/026

  actuated by gears · CPC title

• Y10S901/31

  Gripping jaw · CPC title