Gripping mechanism, assembly apparatus and component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11969884-B2
Application number	US-201917280115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2019
Priority date	Sep 26, 2018
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

A gripping mechanism ( 3 ) includes a gripping roller ( 32 ) and a holder ( 31 ) that houses the gripping roller ( 32 ). A gripped portion ( 42 ) of a first component ( 4 ) is gripped between an outer surface of the gripping roller ( 32 ) and an inner surface of the holder ( 31 ) through action of gravity acting on the gripping roller ( 32 ). Preferably, the gripping roller ( 32 ) includes a core ( 321 ) that is cylindrical or columnar in shape and a covering section ( 322 ) that is an elastic body covering a circumferential surface of the core ( 321 ). Preferably, the covering section ( 322 ) has a circumferential surface with a friction coefficient greater than a friction coefficient of the circumferential surface of the core ( 321 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gripping mechanism comprising:
a roller; and
a frame that houses the roller, wherein
the gripping mechanism grips an object between an outer surface of the roller and an inner surface of the frame through action of gravity acting on the roller,
the roller includes a plurality of rotors connected in series and a restricting section,
each of the rotors includes a projection at one of ends on a center line thereof and a recess at another one of the ends on the center line thereof,
the projection of one rotor of the rotors is inserted in the recess of another rotor of the rotors that is adjacent to the one rotor,
the restricting section prevents the projection from coming out of the recess, and
the restricting section supports the rotors to allow the center lines of rotors, of the rotors, located at respective opposite ends of the series to incline relative to the center line of a rotor, of the rotors, located in middle.

2. The gripping mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the roller includes:
a core that is cylindrical or columnar in shape; and
a covering section that is an elastic body covering a circumferential surface of the core.

3. The gripping mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein
the covering section has a circumferential surface with a friction coefficient greater than a friction coefficient of the circumferential surface of the core.

4. The gripping mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
an outer diameter of the projection of each of adjacent two rotors of the rotors is smaller than an inner diameter of the recess thereof to an extent that center lines of the adjacent two rotors can intersect with each other with the projection of one of the adjacent two rotors inserted in the recess of the other of the adjacent two rotors.

5. The gripping mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
the frame includes two plate-shaped portions that support weight of the roller, and
an opening through which insertion of the object is received is defined between the two plate-shaped portions.

6. The gripping mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the rotors further has a through hole,
the restricting section passes all of the through holes of the rotors, and
the restricting section has opposite ends that are fixed to the rollers located at the respective opposite ends of the series.

7. An assembly apparatus comprising:
the gripping mechanism according to claim 1 ; and
a driving mechanism configured to move the gripping mechanism relative to the object.

8. A component comprising:
a component main body; and
a gripped portion that protrudes from the component main body to serve as the object to be gripped by the gripping mechanism according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Kyocera Document Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Yamakawa Tomohiko
• Izumi Koji
• Takagi Masaru
• Mori Hayato

Classifications

• B25J15/0095 Primary

  with an external support, i.e. a support which does not belong to the manipulator or the object to be gripped, e.g. for maintaining the gripping head in an accurate position, guiding it or preventing vibrations · CPC title

• B66C1/48

  to vertical edge portions of sheets, tubes, or like thin or thin-walled articles (internally-expanding grippers B66C1/54) · CPC title

• B25J15/00 Primary

  Gripping heads {and other end effectors (grippers used in machine tools B23Q7/04; gripping members fitted on cranes B66C1/42, B66C1/44; gripping means used for mounting electrical components H05K13/04; gripping means used in the manufacture of semiconductors H10P72/7602)} · CPC title

• B23P19/04

  for assembling or disassembling parts · CPC title

• B25J15/0038

  Cylindrical gripping surfaces · CPC title