Gripper and robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12151367-B2
Application number	US-202017610064-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2020
Priority date	Oct 16, 2020
Publication date	Nov 26, 2024
Grant date	Nov 26, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a gripper and a robot. The gripper according to the present disclosure includes at least three guiding rails arranged head to tail in sequence, at least three gripping fingers respectively disposed on the at least three guiding rails and a driving mechanism. A first end of each of the gripping fingers is slidably connected to the corresponding guiding rail and a second end of each of the gripping fingers is for contacting the object to be gripped. The driving mechanism drives each of the gripping fingers to move along the corresponding guiding rail, so that the second end of each of the gripping fingers moves toward or away from a gripping center of the gripper.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gripper, comprising:
at least three guiding rails arranged head to tail in sequence;
at least three gripping fingers respectively disposed on the at least three guiding rails, each of the gripping fingers comprising a first end slidably connected to a corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails and a second end configured to contact an object to be gripped; and
a driving mechanism configured to drive each of the gripping fingers to move along the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails, so that the second end of each of the gripping fingers moves toward or away from a gripping center of the gripper;
wherein each of the gripping fingers includes a column portion, a lateral extension portion, and a gripping portion that are connected in sequence, wherein a first end of the column portion forms the first end of each of the gripping fingers and is slidably connected to the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails through a slider, the lateral extension portion comprising a first end connected to a second end of the column portion and a second end connected to the gripping portion, and the gripping portion forms the second end of each of the gripping fingers; and
wherein the lateral extension portion is inclined relative to the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails, and the lateral extension portion and the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails define an obtuse angle range within which the gripping center is located.

2. The gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the driving mechanism comprises:
at least three guiding pulleys disposed respectively corresponding to the at least three guiding rails,
a guiding belt sleeved on the at least three guiding pulleys and divided into at least three sub-guiding belts respectively extending parallel to the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails, wherein each of the sub-guiding belts is fixedly connected to the gripping finger on the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails, and
a power source configured to drive at least one of the at least three guiding pulleys to rotate, and the rotation of the at least one of the at least three guiding pulleys being capable of driving the guiding belt to move, thereby driving the gripping fingers connected to the at least three sub-guiding belts to move along the corresponding guiding rails.

3. The gripper according to claim 2 , wherein the guiding belt comprises a belt, a chain or a wire rope.

4. The gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the gripping portion extends parallel to the column portion.

5. The gripper according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of a length of the lateral extension portion and a length of the gripping portion is adjustable, and the lateral extension portion is rotatable relative to the column portion.

6. The gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the driving mechanism comprises at least three motors and at least three transmission mechanisms, and each of the at least three transmission mechanisms is connected between a corresponding one of the at least three motors and a corresponding one of the at least three gripping fingers and configured to convert a rotation of the motor into a linear movement of the gripping finger along the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails.

7. The gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the at least three guiding rails cooperatively define a virtual regular polygon, and each of the at least three guiding rails is respectively located at each side of the virtual regular polygon.

8. A robot comprising a gripper, the gripper comprising:
at least three guiding rails arranged head to tail in sequence;
at least three gripping fingers respectively disposed on the at least three guiding rails, each of the gripping fingers comprising a first end slidably connected to a corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails and a second end configured to contact an object to be gripped; and
a driving mechanism configured to drive each of the gripping fingers to move along the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails, so that the second end of each of the gripping fingers moves toward or away from a gripping center of the gripper;
wherein each of the gripping fingers includes a column portion, a lateral extension portion, and a gripping portion that are connected in sequence, wherein a first end of the column portion forms the first end of each of the gripping fingers and is slidably connected to the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails through a slider, the lateral extension portion comprising a first end connected to a second end of the column portion and a second end connected to the gripping portion, and the gripping portion forms the second end of each of the gripping fingers; and
wherein the lateral extension portion is inclined relative to the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails, and the lateral extension portion and the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails define an obtuse angle range within which the gripping center is located.

9. The robot according to claim 8 , wherein the driving mechanism comprises:
at least three guiding pulleys disposed respectively corresponding to the at least three guiding rails,
a guiding belt sleeved on the at least three guiding pulleys and divided into at least three sub-guiding belts respectively extending parallel to the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails, wherein each of the sub-guiding belts is fixedly connected to the gripping finger on the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails, and
a power source configured to drive at least one of the at least three guiding pulleys to rotate, and the rotation of the at least one of the at least three guiding pulleys being capable of driving the guiding belt to move, thereby driving the gripping fingers connected to the at least three sub-guiding belts to move along the corresponding guiding rails.

10. The robot according to claim 9 , wherein, the guiding belt comprises a belt, a chain or a wire rope.

11. The robot according to claim 8 , wherein the gripping portion extends parallel to the column portion.

12. The robot according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of a length of the lateral extension portion and a length of the gripping portion is adjustable, and the lateral extension portion is rotatable relative to the column portion.

13. The robot according to claim 8 , wherein the driving mechanism comprises at least three motors and at least three transmission mechanisms, and each of the at least three transmission mechanisms is connected between a corresponding one of the at least three motors and a corresponding one of the at least three gripping fingers and configured to convert a rotation of the motor into a linear movement of the gripping finger along the corresponding one of the at least three guiding rails.

14. The robot according to claim 8 , wherein the at least three guiding rails cooperatively define a virtual regular polygon, and each of the at least three guiding rails is respectively located at each side of the virtual regular polygon.

Assignees

• Shanghai Flexiv Robotics Tech Co Ltd
• Flexiv Ltd

Inventors

• An Ran
• Song Tingke
• Peng Juncai

Classifications

• B25J15/10

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

• B25J15/08 Primary

  having finger members (B25J15/02, B25J15/04 take precedence) · CPC title

• B25J15/0286 Primary

  actuated by chains, cables or ribbons · CPC title