Robotic apparatus, interchangeable tool, and method for controlling robotic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11235475-B2
Application number	US-201815922590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2018
Priority date	Mar 22, 2017
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

An interchangeable tool including a finger of a shape suitable for various components is mechanically detachably mounted to a robot arm. This eliminates the need for seeking the origin of the actuator for each interchange. By interchanging fingers themselves, the entire end effector can be reduced in size and weight.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic apparatus comprising a robot arm and configured to grip an object using an interchangeable tool that is attachable to and detachable from the robot arm,
the robot arm including
a driving mechanism that has a movable portion;
a transmission member disposed on or in the movable portion;

the interchangeable tool including
a finger portion;
a linked mechanism that is connected to the finger portion, the linked mechanism being connected to the movable portion and moving in link with the movable portion in a state in which the interchangeable tool is mounted to the robot arm; and
an engagement member disposed on or in the linked mechanism and configured to engage with the transmission member,
wherein the movable portion and the linked mechanism are connected by engagement of the transmission member with the engagement member.

2. The robotic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the robot arm has a robot-arm-side mount surface to which the interchangeable tool is mounted,
wherein the interchangeable tool has an interchangeable-tool-side mount surface to be mounted to the robot arm,
wherein the interchangeable tool is attached or detached by moving the robot-arm-side mount surface and the interchangeable-tool-side mount surface closer to each other or away from each other in one direction.

3. The robotic apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the robot arm has a robot-arm-side fixing portion configured to hold the interchangeable tool in a mounted state,
wherein the interchangeable tool has an interchangeable-tool-side fixing portion to be engaged with the robot-arm-side fixing portion, and
wherein, in the mounted state, in which the interchangeable tool is mounted to the robot arm, a plane in which the robot-arm-side fixing portion, the interchangeable-tool-side fixing portion, the driving mechanism, and the linked mechanism are positioned is present between the robot-arm-side mount surface and the interchangeable-tool-side mount surface.

4. The robotic apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the robot-arm-side fixing portion is provided as a pair of robot-arm-side fixing portions,
wherein the interchangeable-tool-side fixing portion is provided as a pair of interchangeable-tool-side fixing portions
wherein, on the robot-arm-side mount surface, the robot-arm-side fixing portion and the driving mechanism are disposed such that a direction in which the pair of robot-arm-side fixing portions is disposed and a direction in which the movable portion operates are substantially perpendicular to each other, and
wherein, on the interchangeable-tool-side mount surface, the interchangeable-tool-side fixing portion and the linked mechanism are disposed such that a direction in which the pair of interchangeable-tool-side fixing portions is disposed and a direction in which the linked mechanism operates are substantially perpendicular to each other.

5. The robotic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transmission member is either one of a driving transmission pin and a driving transmission hole and the engagement member is an other of the driving transmission pin and the driving transmission hole.

6. The robotic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the movable portion and the linked mechanism comprise a slide guide comprising a guide rail and a guide block.

7. The robotic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the robot arm has a robot-arm-side fixing portion configured to hold the interchangeable tool in a mounted state,
wherein the interchangeable tool has an interchangeable-tool-side fixing portion to be engaged with the robot-arm-side fixing portion,

wherein the robot-arm-side fixing portion and the interchangeable-tool-side fixing portion comprise a ball plunger that is able to be attached and detached by air.

8. The robotic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the movable portion is able to come close to each other and go away from each other.

9. The robotic apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein a ball that is able to be moved by the air is provided on the robot-arm-side fixing portion, and
wherein a fitting hole for engagement with the ball is provided on the interchangeable-tool-side fixing portion.

10. A method for manufacturing an article by using the robotic apparatus according to claim 1 .

11. An interchangeable tool that is attachable to and detachable from a robot arm, the interchangeable tool comprising:
a finger portion;
a linked mechanism that is connected to the finger portion, the linked mechanism being connected to a movable portion of the robot arm and moving in link with the movable portion in a state in which the interchangeable tool is mounted to the robot arm; and
an engagement member disposed on or in the linked mechanism and configured to engage with a transmission member disposed on or in the movable portion,
wherein the movable portion and the linked mechanism are connected by engagement of the transmission member with the engagement member.

12. The interchangeable tool according to claim 11 ,
wherein the movable portion is able to come close to each other and go away from each other.

13. The interchangeable tool according to claim 11 , further comprising:
an interchangeable-tool-side mount surface to be mounted to the robot arm;
wherein the interchangeable tool is attached or detached by moving a robot-arm-side mount surface of the robot arm and the interchangeable-tool-side mount surface closer to each other or away from each other in one direction.

14. The interchangeable tool according to claim 13 , further comprising:
an interchangeable-tool-side fixing portion to be engaged with a robot-arm-side fixing portion of the robot arm configured to hold the interchangeable tool in a mounted state;
wherein, in the mounted state, in which the interchangeable tool is mounted to the robot arm, a plane in which the robot-arm-side fixing portion, the interchangeable-tool-side fixing portion, the driving mechanism, and the linked mechanism are positioned is present between the robot-arm-side mount surface and the interchangeable-tool-side mount surface.

15. The interchangeable tool according to claim 14 ,
wherein the interchangeable-tool-side fixing portion is provided as a pair of interchangeable-tool-side fixing portions,
wherein, on the interchangeable-tool-side mount surface, the interchangeable-tool-side fixing portion and the linked mechanism are disposed such that a direction in which the pair of interchangeable-tool-side fixing portions is disposed and a direction in which the linked mechanism operates are substantially perpendicular to each other.

16. The interchangeable tool according to claim 11 ,
wherein the transmission member is either one of a driving transmission pin and a driving transmission hole, and the engagement member is an other of the driving transmission pin and the driving transmission hole.

17. The interchangeable tool according to claim 11 ,
wherein the linked mechanism comprises a slide guide comprising a guide rail and a guide block.

18. The interchangeable tool according to claim 11 , further comprising:
an interchangeable-tool-side fixing portion to be engaged with a robot-arm-side fixing portion of the robot arm configured to hold the interchangeable tool in a mounted state;
wherein the interchangeable-tool-side fixing portion comprises a ball plunger that is able to be attached and detached by air.

19. The interchangeable tool according to claim 18 ,
a fitting hole for

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kayama Naonori
• Miyazaki Yoshiyuki

Classifications

• G05B2219/40053

  Pick 3-D object from pile of objects · CPC title

• B25J9/1694

  characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion · CPC title

• G05B2219/40583

  Detect relative position or orientation between gripper and currently handled object · CPC title

• B25J15/0433

  having gripping members · CPC title

• B25J15/0416

  having balls · CPC title