# US 10,766,078 B2 · Workpiece picking device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,078 B2 - Document ID: US10766078B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/054,083 - Filed: 2018-08-03 - Published: 2019-03-07 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-05 - Assignees: Fanuc Corporation - Applicants: Fanuc Corporation - Inventors: Kyouhei Asao; Naoki Akagawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766078B2 ## CPC - B25J 15/08: having finger members (B25J15/02, B25J15/04 take precedence) - B23B 31/207: {using mechanical transmission through the spindle} - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - B23B: TURNING; BORING (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) ## Abstract A workpiece picking device configured to pick up plate-like or pillar-shaped workpieces one at a time from the top of the workpieces stacked in the vertical direction, the workpiece picking device including: a chuck including a plurality of gripping claws arranged around the topmost workpiece and configured to grip a side surface of the topmost workpiece, and movable in a vertical direction, and a separator provided inside at least one of the gripping claws, and configured to separate the topmost workpiece gripped by the plurality of gripping claws from the second workpiece, the separator including a pressing part configured to be projectable downwardly from the at least one of the gripping claws toward the second workpiece, and a driving part configured to press the pressing part against the second workpiece by moving the pressing part toward the second workpiece. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A workpiece picking device configured to pick up plate-shaped or pillar-shaped workpieces one workpiece at a time from a top of the workpieces stacked in a vertical direction, the workpiece picking device comprising: a chuck including a plurality of gripping claws arranged around a topmost workpiece, the plurality of gripping claws configured to grip a side surface of the topmost workpiece, the chuck being movable in a vertical direction; an air cylinder provided inside at least one of the gripping claws; and a pressing member which is moved by the air cylinder, the pressing member having a rectangular or circular shape, wherein the pressing member is configured to be projectable downwardly from the at least one of the gripping claws toward the second workpiece, and the air cylinder is configured to press the pressing member against the second workpiece by protruding the pressing member downwardly from the at least one of the gripping claws, and thereby the air cylinder separates the second workpiece from the topmost workpiece gripped by the gripping claws. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The workpiece picking device according to claim 1, wherein the air cylinder pushes out the pressing member vertically downward near the side surface of the topmost workpiece. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The workpiece picking device according to claim 1, wherein the air cylinder pushes out the pressing member obliquely downward. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The workpiece picking device according to claim 2, wherein the air cylinder pushes out the pressing member vertically downward while rotating the pressing member about a rotation axis in the vertical direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The workpiece picking device according to claim 3, wherein the pressing member comprises an elastic body that is elastically deformed when in contact with the side surface of the second workpiece. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The workpiece picking device according to claim 3, wherein the air cylinder is configured to be swingable in a vertical plane. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The workpiece picking device according to claim 1, further comprising an arm that moves the chuck three-dimensionally between an upper side of the stacked workpieces and an upper side of a predetermined transfer destination. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The workpiece picking device according to claim 1, wherein the chuck and the air cylinder are operated using air pressure as a driving source, the workpiece picking device further comprising: a single air source to which the chuck and the air cylinder are connected in parallel, the single air source configured to output the air pressure toward the chuck and the air cylinder simultaneously; and a delay valve provided between the air source and the air cylinder, the delay valve configured to delay transfer of the air pressure. ### Claim 9 A workpiece picking device configured to pick up plate-shaped or pillar-shaped workpieces one workpiece at a time from a top of the workpieces stacked in a vertical direction, the workpiece picking device comprising: a chuck including a plurality of gripping claws arranged around a topmost workpiece, the plurality of gripping claws configured to grip a side surface of the topmost workpiece, the chuck being movable in a vertical direction; an air cylinder provided inside at least one of the gripping claws; and a pressing member, wherein one side of the pressing member is connected to the air cylinder and the pressing member is moved by the air cylinder, wherein the pressing member is configured to be projectable downwardly from the at least one of the gripping claws toward the second workpiece, and the air cylinder is configured to press the pressing member against the second workpiece by protruding the pressing member downwardly from the at least one of the gripping claws, and thereby the air cylinder separates the second workpiece from the topmost workpiece gripped by the gripping claws.