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US 10,434,662 B2Granted
Gripping device for linear actuation
AssigneeInterScience, Inc.
InventorEmmanuel Jalenques
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gripping device with linear actuation for a robotic arm for seizing and gripping Petri dishes and other light items. The gripping device has a support and first and second gripping arms slidably retained relative to the support by guide rods. A motorized drive mechanism actuates the gripping arms through an operating member that acts only on the first gripping arm. Through an interconnection mechanism, movement of the first gripping arm actuates a simultaneous and dependent opposite movement of the second gripping arm so that the gripping arms are movable between a slack position and a clamping position. The operating member acts on the first gripping arm through a resiliently compressible member, the distortion of which is measured to provide a clamping limitation mechanism.
Claims23
A gripping device comprising:
- a support;
- at least one guide member retained by the support;
- a motor;
- first and second gripping arms movable with respect to one another and retained relative to the support to travel along the at least one guide member wherein the first and second gripping arms have a first position where the first and second gripping arms are in proximity, the first position comprising a clamping position, and a second position where the first and second gripping arms are moved apart with respect to the first position, the second position comprising a slack position;
- a drive mechanism driven by the motor wherein the drive mechanism drives the first and second gripping arms with respect to one another at least from the slack position to the clamping position;
- wherein the drive mechanism comprises an actuating mechanism that acts on the first gripping arm, the first gripping arm comprising an operating gripping arm;
- wherein the drive mechanism further comprises an interconnection mechanism that interconnects the operating gripping arm and the second gripping arm, the interconnection mechanism operative to induce simultaneous and opposite movement of the second gripping arm in response to movement of the operating gripping arm, and wherein the interconnection mechanism comprises a cogwheel rotatably retained by the support in combination with first and second racks, the first rack fixed relative to the first gripping arm and the second rack fixed relative to the second gripping arm wherein the cogwheel is drivingly engaged with the first and second racks such that a movement of the first rack will induce a rotation of the cogwheel and a rotation of the cogwheel will induce a movement of the second rack.
4 more elements
A gripping device comprising:
- a support;
- at least one guide member retained by the support;
- a motor;
- first and second gripping arms movable with respect to one another and retained relative to the support to travel along the at least one guide member wherein the first and second gripping arms have a first position where the first and second gripping arms are in proximity, the first position comprising a clamping position, and a second position where the first and second gripping arms are moved apart with respect to the first position, the second position comprising a slack position;
- a drive mechanism driven by the motor wherein the drive mechanism drives the first and second gripping arms with respect to one another at least from the slack position to the clamping position;
- wherein the drive mechanism comprises an actuating mechanism that acts on the first gripping arm, the first gripping arm comprising an operating gripping arm;
- wherein the drive mechanism further comprises an interconnection mechanism that interconnects the operating gripping arm and the second gripping arm, the interconnection mechanism operative to induce simultaneous and opposite movement of the second gripping arm in response to movement of the operating gripping arm;
- wherein the actuating mechanism is operative to induce straight-line actuation of the operating gripping arm to move the operating gripping arm in translation along the at least one guide member.
5 more elements
A gripping device comprising:
- a support;
- at least one guide member retained by the support;
- a motor;
- first and second gripping arms movable with respect to one another and retained relative to the support to travel along the at least one guide member wherein the first and second gripping arms have a first position where the first and second gripping arms are in proximity, the first position comprising a clamping position, and a second position where the first and second gripping arms are moved apart with respect to the first position, the second position comprising a slack position;
- a drive mechanism driven by the motor wherein the drive mechanism drives the first and second gripping arms with respect to one another at least from the slack position to the clamping position;
- wherein the drive mechanism comprises an actuating mechanism that acts on the first gripping arm, the first gripping arm comprising an operating gripping arm;
- wherein the drive mechanism further comprises an interconnection mechanism that interconnects the operating gripping arm and the second gripping arm, the interconnection mechanism operative to induce simultaneous and opposite movement of the second gripping arm in response to movement of the operating gripping arm;
- wherein the actuating mechanism comprises a screw-nut mechanism formed by interaction of a first component and a second component wherein the first component is fixed against rotation by the at least one guide member, wherein the second component is rotatable by operation of the motor to induce a translation of the first component along the at least one guide member, and wherein the first component is operable to induce straight-lined translation of the operating gripping arm in response to translation of the first component along the at least one guide member.
5 more elements
A gripping device comprising:
- a support;
- at least one guide member retained by the support;
- a motor;
- first and second gripping arms movable with respect to one another and retained relative to the support to travel along the at least one guide member wherein the first and second gripping arms have a first position where the first and second gripping arms are in proximity, the first position comprising a clamping position, and a second position where the first and second gripping arms are moved apart with respect to the first position, the second position comprising a slack position;
- a drive mechanism driven by the motor wherein the drive mechanism drives the first and second gripping arms with respect to one another at least from the slack position to the clamping position;
- wherein the drive mechanism comprises an actuating mechanism that acts on the first gripping arm, the first gripping arm comprising an operating gripping arm;
- and wherein the drive mechanism further comprises an interconnection mechanism that interconnects the operating gripping arm and the second gripping arm, the interconnection mechanism operative to induce simultaneous and opposite movement of the second gripping arm in response to movement of the operating gripping arm;
- and
- a clamping limitation mechanism operative to measure clamping force transmitted by the first and second gripping arms toward the clamping position and to limit the force transmitted by the first and second gripping arms toward the clamping position thereby to prevent the application of excessive clamping force.
6 more elements
A gripping device comprising:
- a support;
- at least one guide member retained by the support;
- a motor;
- first and second gripping arms movable with respect to one another and retained relative to the support to travel along the at least one guide member wherein the first and second gripping arms have a first position where the first and second gripping arms are in proximity, the first position comprising a clamping position, and a second position where the first and second gripping arms are moved apart with respect to the first position, the second position comprising a slack position;
- a drive mechanism driven by the motor wherein the drive mechanism drives the first and second gripping arms with respect to one another at least from the slack position to the clamping position;
- wherein the drive mechanism comprises an actuating mechanism that acts on the first gripping arm, the first gripping arm comprising an operating gripping arm;
- wherein the drive mechanism further comprises an interconnection mechanism that interconnects the operating gripping arm and the second gripping arm, the interconnection mechanism operative to induce simultaneous and opposite movement of the second gripping arm in response to movement of the operating gripping arm;
- and
- a drag link retained by the actuating mechanism to engage the operating gripping arm during a movement toward the slack position wherein the drag link has a shoulder that engages the operating gripping arm to move the operating gripping arm toward the slack position.
6 more elements
A gripping device comprising:
- a support;
- at least one guide member retained by the support;
- a motor;
- first and second gripping arms movable with respect to one another and retained relative to the support to travel along the at least one guide member wherein the first and second gripping arms have a first position where the first and second gripping arms are in proximity, the first position comprising a clamping position, and a second position where the first and second gripping arms are moved apart with respect to the first position, the second position comprising a slack position;
- a drive mechanism driven by the motor wherein the drive mechanism drives the first and second gripping arms with respect to one another at least from the slack position to the clamping position;
- wherein the drive mechanism comprises an actuating mechanism that acts on the first gripping arm, the first gripping arm comprising an operating gripping arm;
- wherein the drive mechanism further comprises an interconnection mechanism that interconnects the operating gripping arm and the second gripping arm, the interconnection mechanism operative to induce simultaneous and opposite movement of the second gripping arm in response to movement of the operating gripping arm;
- and
- wherein the support comprises a robotic arm.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.