Workpiece gripping device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11590618-B2
Application number	US-202016919346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2020
Priority date	Jul 3, 2019
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

A cylinder case includes a first main path communicating first port with an end surface, a second main path communicating a second port with the end surface, first and second front chamber paths respectively communicating a front chamber with the end surface, and first and second rear chamber paths respectively communicating a rear chamber with the end surface. A manifold block includes a first intermediate path communicating first and second manifold holes opened in an abutting surface with each other and a second intermediate path communicating third and fourth manifold holes opened in the abutting surface. The manifold block configured to be attached and fixed to the cylinder case such that the abutting surface is abutted against the end surface and a relative position of the abutting surface with respect to the end surface portion is capable of being selected from a first position and a second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A workpiece gripping device comprising:
a chuck including an operation body capable of moving forward and backward along an axial direction of a central axis and a plurality of claws arranged around the central axis, the plurality of claws being capable of moving in a radial direction along with forward and backward movement of the operation body;
a fluid pressure cylinder including a cylinder case coaxially arranged on a rear side of the chuck and a piston fitted in an internal space of the cylinder case and dividing the internal space in the axial direction into a front chamber and a rear chamber, the piston being configured to drive the operation body forward and backward; and
a manifold block including an abutting surface and first to fourth intermediate paths communicating respective pairs of manifold holes opened in the abutting surface,
the cylinder case including:
first and second supply and discharge paths respectively communicating first and second supply and discharge ports with an end surface of the cylinder case, the first and second supply and discharge ports being configured to supply and discharge a fluid;
third and fourth supply and discharge paths respectively communicating third and fourth supply and discharge ports with the end surface, the third and fourth supply and discharge ports being configured to supply and discharge a fluid;
first and second front chamber paths communicating the front chamber with the end surface; and
first and second rear chamber paths communicating the rear chamber with the end surface,
wherein the manifold block is configured to be attached and fixed to the cylinder case such that the abutting surface is abutted against the end surface and a relative position of the abutting surface with respect to the end surface portion is capable of being selected from a first position and a second position,
when the manifold block is attached and fixed to the cylinder case at the first position, the first supply and discharge path communicates with the first front chamber path via the first intermediate path, and the first rear chamber path communicates with the third supply and discharge path via the second intermediate path, and
when the manifold block is attached and fixed to the cylinder case at the second position, the second supply and discharge path communicates with the second rear chamber path via the third intermediate path, and the second front chamber path communicates with the fourth supply and discharge path via the fourth intermediate path.

2. The workpiece gripping device according to claim 1 , wherein first and second supply and discharge path holes that serve as end portions of the first and second supply and discharge paths, third and fourth supply and discharge path holes that serve as end portions of the third and fourth supply and discharge paths, first and second front chamber path holes that serve as end portions of the first and second front chamber paths, and first and second rear chamber path holes that serve as end portions of the first and second rear chamber paths are opened in the end surface of the cylinder case,
first and second manifold holes communicating with each other through the first intermediate path, third and fourth manifold holes communicating with each other through the second intermediate path, fifth and sixth manifold holes communicating with each other through the third intermediate path and seventh and eighth manifold holes communicating with each other through the fourth intermediate path are opened in the abutting surface of the manifold block,
when the manifold block is attached and fixed to the cylinder case at the first position, the first supply and discharge path hole and the first manifold hole are aligned with each other and the first front chamber path hole and the second manifold hole are aligned with each other such that the first supply and discharge path, the first intermediate path and the first front chamber path communicate with each other, while the first rear chamber path hole and the fourth manifold hole are aligned with each other and the third supply and discharge path hole and the third manifold hole are aligned with each other such that the first rear chamber path, the second intermediate path and the third supply and discharge path communicate with each other, and
when the manifold block is attached and fixed to the cylinder case at the second position, the second supply and discharge path hole and the fifth manifold hole are aligned with each other and the second rear chamber path hole and the sixth manifold hole are aligned with each other such that the second supply and discharge path, the third intermediate path and the second rear chamber path communicate with each other, while the second front chamber path hole and the eighth manifold hole are aligned with each other and the fourth supply and discharge path hole and the seventh manifold hole are aligned with each other such that the second rear chamber path, the fourth intermediate path and the fourth supply and discharge path communicate with each other.

3. The workpiece gripping device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a housing, the fluid pressure cylinder being rotatable around the central axis in the housing; and
a rotary joint slidably provided on an outer surface of the cylinder case,
wherein the first and second supply and discharge ports are provided in the rotary joint to allow the fluid to flow between the first and second supply and discharge paths and outside even when the fluid pressure cylinder is rotating.

4. The workpiece gripping device according to claim 1 , wherein the end surface is a front end surface of the cylinder case, and
the manifold block includes a central opening through which a push rod extending from the piston toward the chuck is inserted, and is coaxially arranged between the chuck and the cylinder case and is attached and fixed to the cylinder case such that the abutting surface is abutted against the front end surface of the cylinder case.

5. The workpiece gripping device according to claim 2 , wherein the cylinder case and the manifold block are arranged coaxially,
the first to fourth supply and discharge path holes, the first and second front chamber path holes, and the first and second rear chamber path holes are arranged on a circumference of a circle having a predetermined radius from a center of the end surface of the cylinder case such that rotational positions thereof are shifted from each other,
the first to eighth manifold holes are arranged on a circumference of a circle having a same radius as the predetermined radius from a center of the abutting surface of the manifold block such that rotational positions thereof are shifted from each other, and
the first position is a first phase around the central axis with respect to the cylinder case, and the second position is a second phase that differs from the first phase by a predetermined phase angle.

6. The workpiece gripping device according to claim 1 , wherein the first supply and discharge port and the second supply and discharge port, the first supply and discharge path and the second supply and discharge path, the third supply and discharge port and the fourth supply and discharge port, and the third supply and discharge path and the fourth supply and discharge path are common to each other, respectively.

7. The workpiece gripping device according to claim 1 , wherein the first intermediate path and the fourth intermediate path, and the second intermediate path and the third intermediate path are common to each other, respectively.

Assignees

• Jtekt Corp

Inventors

• Furuhata Tetsuro
• Ichikawa Masaki

Classifications

• B23Q3/082 Primary

  hydraulically actuated · CPC title

• B23Q2703/04

  using fluid means or a vacuum · CPC title

• B23B31/16258

  using mechanical transmission through the spindle · CPC title

• B23B31/302 Primary

  Hydraulic equipment, e.g. pistons, valves, rotary joints · CPC title