Gripper device for maintaining, centring, and/or clamping a micromechanical or horological component, and associated fastening method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12554228-B2
Application number	US-202318466425-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2023
Priority date	Nov 17, 2022
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

A gripper device ( 100 ) for maintaining, centring, and/or clamping a micromechanical or horological component ( 200 ) in a clamping chamber defined by a clamp including at least one mobile jaw ( 2 ). At least a part of the mobile jaws ( 2 ) includes a reference surface ( 20 ) for frontal bearing of a component ( 200 ), and the gripper device ( 100 ) includes a vacuum generator ( 60 ) for creating the vacuum in the clamping chamber. Also, a method for fastening a micromechanical or horological component ( 200 ) in the clamping chamber of such a gripper device ( 100 ) according to which the component ( 200 ) is disposed on the reference surface ( 20 ), then a first maintaining by vacuum is carried out, then a second maintaining having a torque greater than that of the first maintaining by pivoting of the mobile jaws ( 2 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A gripper device ( 100 ) for maintaining, centring, and/or clamping a micromechanical or horological component ( 200 ) in a clamping chamber defined by a clamp including a plurality of jaws comprising at least one first mobile jaw ( 2 ), that is mobile radially with respect to a longitudinal axis of the clamp, and at least one second mobile jaw ( 2 ),
wherein said at least one first mobile jaw ( 2 ) includes a reference surface ( 20 ) arranged for direct axial bearing of said component ( 200 ) lying flatly along the reference surface ( 20 ) from the at least one first mobile jaw ( 2 ) to the at least one second mobile jaw ( 2 ), and wherein said gripper device ( 100 ) includes at least one vacuum generator ( 60 ) arranged to create a vacuum in said clamping chamber via at least one channel ( 25 ) made in the at least one said mobile jaw ( 2 ), and wherein the gripper device ( 100 ) further includes an actuator device arranged to control opening or closing of said clamp and includes pushing means ( 50 ) on an elastic support, a closing or opening cone ( 30 ), including conical surfaces ( 32 ) arranged to cooperate with complementary surfaces ( 23 ) that said mobile jaws ( 2 ) include and which form surfaces for actuating said clamp.

2 . The gripper device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said gripper device ( 100 ) includes, aligned according to a clamp axis (D), a plate ( 40 ) including gripping means ( 41 ) arranged to cooperate with a piece of equipment and/or a manipulator.

3 . The gripper device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one vacuum generator ( 60 ) includes a venturi cartridge positioned between an inlet circuit for blowing air via at least one blowing track ( 471 , 472 ), and a suction zone ( 600 ) in which a vacuum transmitted to said clamping chamber by said at least one channel ( 25 ) is created during a blowing of air at an inlet.

4 . The gripper device ( 100 ) according to claim 3 , wherein said gripper device ( 100 ) includes said vacuum generator ( 60 ) housed in a main orifice ( 450 ), and auxiliary orifices ( 460 , 470 ) defining air circulation channels including at least one blowing channel ( 475 ) supplied by at least one said blowing track ( 471 , 472 ).

5 . The gripper device ( 100 ) according to claim 4 , wherein said gripper device includes a plate ( 40 ) including said vacuum generator ( 60 ), said venturi cartridge, said main orifice ( 450 ), said auxiliary orifices ( 460 , 470 ), said blowing channel ( 475 ), said at least one said blowing track ( 471 , 472 ), and check valves.

6 . The gripper device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the direct axial bearing of said component ( 200 ) lying flatly along the reference surface ( 20 ) from the at least one first mobile jaw ( 2 ) to the at least one second mobile jaw ( 2 ) further comprises said component ( 200 ) lying flatly along an entirety of the reference surface ( 20 ).

7 . The gripper device ( 100 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the direct axial bearing of said component ( 200 ) lying flatly along a first portion of the reference surface ( 20 ) from the at least one first mobile jaw ( 2 ) to the at least one second mobile jaw ( 2 ) further comprises said component ( 200 ) lying flatly along a second portion of the reference surface of said mobile jaws ( 2 ) while lying flatly along the first portion of the reference surface ( 20 ).

8 . A method for fastening a micromechanical or horological component ( 200 ) in the clamping chamber of the gripper device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , comprising disposing: said component ( 200 ) on said reference surface ( 20 ), directly bearing on orifices of a network under vacuum opening the mobile jaws ( 2 ) at said reference surface ( 20 ), then carrying out a first maintaining by vacuum, then carrying out a second maintaining having a torque greater than that of said first maintaining by pivoting of said mobile jaws ( 2 ).

9 . The fastening method according to claim 8 , wherein the component ( 200 ) is a blank and maintained in said mobile jaws ( 2 ), and a machined component, which is maintained by vacuum before its recovery by an operator or by a robotic manipulator, is cut out of said blank.

10 . A gripper device ( 100 ) for maintaining, centring, and/or clamping a micromechanical or horological component ( 200 ) in a clamping chamber defined by a clamp including a plurality of jaws comprising at least one first mobile jaw ( 2 ), that is mobile radially with respect to a longitudinal axis of the clamp, and at least one second mobile jaw ( 2 ),
wherein said at least one first mobile jaw ( 2 ), includes a reference surface ( 20 ) arranged for direct axial bearing of said component ( 200 ), and wherein said gripper device ( 100 ) includes at least one vacuum generator ( 60 ) arranged to create a vacuum in said clamping chamber via at least one channel ( 25 ) made in the at least one said mobile jaw ( 2 ), and wherein said gripper device ( 100 ) includes an actuator device that includes pushing means ( 50 ) on an elastic support, a closing or opening cone ( 30 ), including conical surfaces ( 32 ) arranged to cooperate with complementary surfaces ( 23 ) that said plurality of jaws include and which form surfaces for actuating said clamp.

11 . A gripper device ( 100 ) for maintaining, centring, and/or clamping a micromechanical or horological component ( 200 ) in a clamping chamber defined by a clamp including a plurality of jaws comprising at least one first mobile jaw ( 2 ), that is mobile radially with respect to a longitudinal axis of the clamp, and at least one second mobile jaw ( 2 ),
wherein said at least one first mobile jaw ( 2 ) includes a reference surface ( 20 ) arranged for direct axial bearing of said component ( 200 ), and wherein said gripper device ( 100 ) includes at least one vacuum generator ( 60 ) arranged to create a vacuum in said clamping chamber via at least one channel ( 25 ) made in the at least one said mobile jaw ( 2 ), and wherein said at least one vacuum generator ( 60 ) includes a venturi cartridge positioned between an inlet circuit for blowing air via at least one blowing track ( 471 , 472 ), and a suction zone ( 600 ) in which the vacuum transmitted to said clamping chamber by said at least one channel ( 25 ) is created during a blowing of air at an inlet, and wherein the gripper device ( 100 ) further includes an actuator device arranged to control opening or closing of said clamp and includes pushing means ( 50 ) on an elastic support, a closing or opening cone ( 30 ), including conical surfaces ( 32 ) arranged to cooperate with complementary surfaces ( 23 ) that said mobile jaws ( 2 ) include and which form surfaces for actuating said clamp.

Assignees

• Eta Sa Mft Horlogere Suisse

Inventors

• Pham Patric
• Donzé Christophe

Classifications

• G04D1/0085 Primary

  with pneumatic holding means (hand tools with pneumatic means G04D1/02) · CPC title

• G04D1/0078

  Automated gripping means (hand-operated gripping means G04D1/02) · CPC title

• B25B11/005

  Vacuum work holders · CPC title

• B23B31/307

  Vacuum chucks · CPC title

• B23B2231/20

  Collet chucks · CPC title