Gripping device and conveying apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10858188-B2
Application number	US-201816105753-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2018
Priority date	Sep 15, 2017
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A conveying apparatus includes: an article detection device; a gripping device with base portion and palm portion, a suction portion, fingers, and a driving mechanism; a negative pressure supplying device; a moving device; a recognition device that measures the shape, the posture, and the size of the article; an operation plan generation device that selects a suction surface of the article, and plans a gripping posture; and a control device that controls an operation of the gripping device and an operation of the moving device to obtain a gripping posture planned by the operation plan generation device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conveying apparatus, comprising:
an article detection device configured to detect an article and provide information related to shape, posture, and size of the article;
a gripping device that includes a base portion having a palm portion, a suction portion on the palm portion, a first finger on a first side of the palm portion, a second finger on a second side of the palm portion with the palm portion being between the first and second fingers, each of the first and second fingers having a joint and being moveable toward and away from each other, and a driving mechanism which moves the first and second fingers toward and away from each other;
a negative pressure supply device to supply a negative pressure to the suction portion;
a moving device to move the gripping device;
a recognition device that measures a shape, a posture, and a size of the article based on information from the article detection device;
an operation plan generator device configured to select a suction surface on the article to be suctioned by the suction portion, and set a gripping posture for the gripping device based on measurements by the recognition device, the gripping posture including a posture of the first and second fingers; and
a control device configured to control the gripping device and the moving device so as to obtain the gripping posture set by the operation plan generation device, wherein the operation plan generator device:
sets a gripping mode as one mode from an available mode group comprising:
a first gripping mode in which side surfaces of the article are clamped such that the suction surface of the article is between the side surfaces, and
a second gripping mode in which one side surface of the article is supported by one of the first or second fingers and a lower end surface of the article is supported by the other of the first and second fingers,

selects a region on the suction surface to be suctioned with the suction portion according to the setting of the gripping mode, and
selects the gripping posture according to the setting of the gripping mode,
selects an upper surface of the article as the suction surface and the first gripping mode when the article has a quadrangular prism shape and a length of a short side of the upper surface of the article is equal to or less than a maximum clamping width of the gripping device, and
selects a side surface of the article as the suction surface and the second gripping mode when the article has the quadrangular prism shape and the length of the short side of the upper surface of the article is larger than the maximum clamping width of the gripping device.

2. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operation plan generator device:
selects an upper surface of the article as the suction surface and the first gripping mode when the article has a columnar shape, an upper surface of the article is a flat surface, and an outer diameter of the upper surface of the article is equal to or less than a maximum clamping width of the gripping device,
selects a side surface of the article as the suction surface and the second gripping mode when the shape of the article is the columnar shape, the upper surface thereof is the flat surface, and the outer diameter of the upper surface of the article is greater than the maximum clamping width of the gripping device,
selects the upper surface of the article as the suction surface and the first gripping mode when the article has a columnar shape, the upper surface thereof is a curved surface, and the outer diameter of an end surface is equal to or less than the maximum clamping width of the gripping device, and
selects the side surface of the article as the suction surface and the second gripping mode when the article has the columnar shape, the upper surface thereof is the curved surface, and the outer diameter of an end surface is larger than the maximum clamping width of the gripping device.

3. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the article is a triangular prism shape having an upper surface including two surfaces which meet at an apex, the operation plan generator device:
sets one surface of two surfaces as the suction surface and selects the first gripping mode when the length of a short side of the one surface of the two surfaces is equal to or less than the maximum clamping width of the gripping device, and
sets one surface of the two surfaces as the suction surface and selects the second gripping mode when the length of a short side of each of the two surfaces is larger than the maximum clamping width of the gripping device.

4. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the article has a plate shape, the operation plan generator device selects a main surface of the article as the suction surface and the second gripping mode.

5. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operation plan generator device selects a gripping preparation posture including a position of the gripping device and a posture of the gripping device, before starting a gripping operation of the article, based on the detection result of the recognition device.

6. The conveying apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the operation plan generator device selects:
a first control mode in which the gripping device suctions the article by driving the negative pressure supply device after the article has been clamped with the fingers, or
a second control mode in which the gripping device clamps the article with the fingers after the gripping device begins suctioning the article by driving the negative pressure supply device.

7. A conveying apparatus, comprising:
an article detection device configured to detect an article and provide information related to shape, posture, and size of the article;
a gripping device that includes a base portion having a palm portion, a suction portion on the palm portion, a first finger on a first side of the palm portion, a second finger on a second side of the palm portion with the palm portion being between the first and second fingers, each of the first and second fingers having a joint and being moveable toward and away from each other, and a driving mechanism which moves the first and second fingers toward and away from each other;
a negative pressure supply device to supply a negative pressure to the suction portion;
a moving device to move the gripping device;
a recognition device that measures a shape, a posture, and a size of the article based on information from the article detection device;
an operation plan generator device configured to select a suction surface on the article to be suctioned by the suction portion, and set a gripping posture for the gripping device based on measurements by the recognition device, the gripping posture including a posture of the first and second fingers; and
a control device configured to control the gripping device and the moving device so as to obtain the gripping posture set by the operation plan generation device, wherein
the operation plan generator device:
sets a gripping mode as one mode from an available mode group comprising:
a first gripping mode in which side surfaces of the article are clamped such that the suction surface of the article is between the side surfaces, and
a second gripping mode in which one side surface of the article is supported by one of the first or second fingers and a lower end surface of the article is supported by the other of the first and second fingers,
selects a region on the suction surface to be suctioned with the suction portion according to the setting of the gripping mode, and
selects the gripping posture according to the setting of the gripping mode, and

the gripping device compr

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Fujihara Hiroaki
• Hiramitsu Naruaki

Classifications

• G05B19/4182

  manipulators and conveyor only · CPC title

• B25J15/10

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

• B25J15/0004

  with provision for adjusting the gripped object in the hand · CPC title

• B25J15/06

  with vacuum or magnetic holding means · CPC title

• B25J15/103

  for gripping the object in three contact points · CPC title