Robotic tool change system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440358-B2
Application number	US-201313900654-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2013
Priority date	May 23, 2012
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A robotic tool system includes a gripping mechanism having a pair of movable jaws that extend along a longitudinal axis. Each jaw has a convex inner surface relative to the axis that cooperate to define a first adaptor. A tool assembly includes a tool and a second adaptor connected to the tool and having a biconvex projection. The jaws are movable towards one another from a first condition spaced from the second adaptor to a second condition in which the first adaptor engages the second adaptor to securely fasten the tool assembly to the gripping mechanism.

First claim

Having described the invention, the following is claimed:

1. A robotic tool system comprising:
a robotic gripping mechanism including a pair of movable jaws, each jaw having a convex inner surface that cooperate to define a first adaptor having a spheroid shape, a first electrical coupling being positioned within at least one of the jaws; and
a tool assembly including a tool and a spheroid second adaptor connected to the tool, a second electrical coupling being positioned within the second adaptor;
the jaws being movable towards one another from a first condition spaced from the second adaptor to a second condition in which the first adaptor engages the second adaptor to securely fasten the tool assembly to the gripping mechanism, the first and second electrical couplings being electrically connected with one another when the jaws are in the second condition, engagement of the first adaptor with the second adaptor when the second adaptor is misaligned with the first adaptor automatically correcting at least one of angular and longitudinal misalignment between the adaptors to allow the jaws to reach the second condition.

2. The tool system of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal center of the second electrical coupling is offset from the center of the second adaptor along the longitudinal axis.

3. The tool system of claim 1 , wherein a slot extends along at least one of the jaws for guiding the second electrical coupling into engagement with the first electrical coupling.

4. The tool system of claim 1 , wherein the first adaptor further includes a linear surface extending from each convex surface, the second adaptor further including a rectangular fin that engages at least one of the linear surfaces to guide the second adaptor into alignment with the first adaptor and allow the jaws to reach the second condition.

5. A robotic tool system comprising:
a gripping mechanism including a pair of movable jaws that extend along a longitudinal axis, each jaw having a convex inner surface relative to the axis and a linear surface extending from the convex surface that cooperate to define a substantially spheroid first adaptor, a first electrical coupling having a plurality of electrical contacts being positioned within at least one jaw; and
a tool assembly including a tool and a second adaptor connected to the tool, the second adaptor having a spheroid projection and a rectangular fin extending from the projection, a second electrical coupling having a plurality of electrically conductive pins being located on the second adaptor;
the jaws being movable towards one another from a first condition spaced from the second adaptor to a second condition in which the jaws engage one another and the first adaptor engages the second adaptor to securely fasten the tool assembly to the gripping mechanism and the first electrical coupling engages the second electrical coupling to electrically connect the tool mechanism to the gripping mechanism, engagement of the first adaptor with the second adaptor when the second adaptor is misaligned with the first adaptor automatically correcting at least one of angular and longitudinal misalignment between the adaptors, the fin engaging at least one of the linear surfaces and helping guide the second adaptor into alignment with the first adaptor.

6. A robotic tool system comprising:
a gripping mechanism including a pair of movable jaws that extend along a longitudinal axis, each jaw having an inner surface which cooperate to define a first adaptor, a first electrical coupling being positioned within at least one of the jaws; and
a tool assembly including a tool and a second adaptor connected to the tool and having a projection, a second electrical coupling being positioned on the second adaptor;
the jaws being movable towards one another from a first condition spaced from the second adaptor to a second condition in which the first adaptor engages the projection of the second adaptor to securely fasten the tool assembly to the gripping mechanism, the first and second electrical couplings being electrically connected with one another when the jaws are in the second condition.

7. The tool system of claim 6 , wherein engagement of the first adaptor with the second adaptor when the adaptors are misaligned with one another automatically aligns the adaptors to allow the jaws to reach the second condition.

8. The tool system of claim 7 , wherein the inner surface of each jaw is convex relative to a longitudinal axis of the jaws and a linear surface extends from each convex surface, wherein the projection on the second adaptor is biconvex and includes a rectangular fin extending from the projection, the linear surfaces of the first adaptor mating with the rectangular fin of the second adaptor when the jaws are in the second condition, wherein the rectangular fin engages at least one of the linear surfaces to guide the second adaptor into alignment with the first adaptor and allow the jaws to reach the second condition.

9. The tool system of claim 6 , wherein engagement of the first adaptor with the second adaptor automatically corrects at least one of angular and longitudinal misalignment between the adaptors.

10. The tool system of claim 6 , wherein the first electrical coupling includes a circuit board having electrical contacts accessible through a slot in the inner surface of one of the jaws, the second electrical coupling including a plurality of electrically conductive pins extending from the outer surface of the second adaptor, the pins engaging the electrical contacts when the jaws are in the second condition to electrically connect the tool assembly to the gripping mechanism.

11. The tool system of claim 6 , wherein a longitudinal center of the second electrical coupling is offset from the center of the second adaptor along the longitudinal axis.

12. The tool system of claim 6 , wherein the first electrical coupling includes first electrical contacts within one of the jaws and second electrical contacts in the other of the jaws, the second electrical coupling including a plurality of pins that, when the jaws are in the second condition, mate with the first electrical contacts to electrically connect the gripping mechanism to the tool assembly and mate with the second electrical contacts to form a redundant electrical connection between the gripping mechanism and the tool assembly.

13. The tool system of claim 6 , wherein a slot extends along at least one of the jaws for guiding the second electrical coupling into engagement with the first electrical coupling.

14. The tool system of claim 6 , wherein the first and second adaptors are magnetic.

15. The tool system of claim 6 , wherein both the first adaptor and the second adaptor have a spheroid shape.

Assignees

• Setrakian Mark
• Northrop Grumman Systems Corp

Inventors

• Setrakian Mark

Classifications

• Y10T279/3406

  Adapter · CPC title

• Y10T74/20311

  including power cable or connector · CPC title

• B25J19/0029

  arranged within the different robot elements · CPC title

• B25J15/0019 Primary

  End effectors other than grippers · CPC title

• Y10T279/1986

  Jaws · CPC title