# US 10,766,150 B2 · Gripping tool, gripping system, and evaluation method of gripping performance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,150 B2 - Document ID: US10766150B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/360,877 - Filed: 2019-03-21 - Published: 2019-07-18 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-13 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Inventors: Hiromasa Takahashi; Emiko Ishida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766150B2 ## CPC - B25J 15/0616: {with vacuum} - B25J 15/0683: {Details of suction cup structure, e.g. grooves or ridges} - B25J 15/12: with flexible finger members - 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}) ## Abstract According to one embodiment, a gripping tool includes a gripper. The gripper is flexible. A plurality of granular materials is provided in an interior of the gripper. The gripping tool grips a workpiece by depressurizing the interior of the gripper in a state in which the gripper is caused to contact the workpiece. A diameter of at least a portion of the granular materials is less than 1774 μm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gripping tool, comprising: a gripper, the gripper being flexible; a plurality of granular materials being provided in an interior of the gripper, the gripping tool being configured to grip a workpiece by depressurizing the interior of the gripper in a state in which the gripper is caused to contact the workpiece, a diameter of at least a portion of the granular materials being less than 1774 μm, wherein the gripper includes: a first portion being configured to contact the workpiece: and a second portion opposing the first portion, the first portion includes: a concave portion recessed toward a first direction, the first direction being from the first portion toward the second portion; and a convex portion protruding toward a second direction opposite to the first direction and being provided around the concave portion, the granular materials are provided between the convex portion and the second portion, the gripping tool further comprises a second space port communicating with a second space surrounded with the concave portion and the convex portion, the second space port penetrates the second portion and the concave portion, and a dimension of the concave portion in a direction perpendicular to the first direction is longer than a dimension of the penetrated part of the second portion in the direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tool according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the at least a portion of the granular materials is 500 μm or less, and the at least a portion of the granular materials is spherical. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The tool according to claim 1, further comprising a first space port communicating with a first space, a first pipe being connected to the first space port and configured to depressurize the first space, a second pipe being connected to the second space port and configured to depressurize the second space. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The tool according to claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion are configured to be deformable along a line direction connecting the first portion and the second portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The tool according to claim 1, further comprising a holder holding an outer perimeter of the first portion and an outer perimeter of the second portion, the gripper being deformable along a line direction connecting the first portion and the second portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The tool according to claim 5, wherein the first portion and the second portion are flexible. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The tool according to claim 6, wherein the workpiece is gripped by depressurizing the first space in a state in which the first portion is deformed by being caused to contact the workpiece. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The tool according to claim 7. wherein when the first portion is deformed by being caused to contact the workpiece, the second portion is more deformable than the holder toward a first direction, the first direction being from the first portion toward the second portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A gripping system, comprising: a robot mechanism including an arm; the tool according to claim 1 mounted to a tip of the arm; a first depressurizing apparatus connected to the first space and configured to depressurize the first space; and a controller controlling operations of the robot mechanism and the first depressurizing apparatus. ### Claim 10 A gripping tool, comprising: a gripper including a first portion and a second portion and being flexible; a plurality of granular materials provided in a first space between the first portion and the second portion; a first port; and a second port, the first portion being configured to contact a workpiece and including a concave portion recessed toward a first direction, the first direction being from the first portion toward the second portion, and a convex portion protruding toward a second direction opposite to the first direction and being provided around the concave portion, the first port communicating with the first space; a first pipe being connected to the first space and configured to depressurize the first space, the second port having a hole piercing the concave portion and the second portion along the first direction, a second pipe being connected to the second port and configured to depressurize a second space surrounded with the concave portion and the convex portion, the gripping tool being configured to grip the workpiece by depressurizing the first space in a state in which the first portion is deformed by being caused to contact the workpiece, in a state in which the first portion does not contact the workpiece, a dimension in a perpendicular direction of the concave portion being longer than a dimension in the perpendicular direction of the hole, the perpendicular direction being perpendicular to the first direction, the granular materials being provided between the convex portion and the second portion, a diameter of at least a portion of the granular materials being less than 1774 μm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The tool according to claim 10, further comprising a holder holding an outer perimeter of the first portion and an outer perimeter of the second portion, the gripper being deformable along a line direction connecting the first portion and the second portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The tool according to claim 10, wherein a diameter of the at least a portion of the granular materials is 500 μm or less, and the at least a portion of the granular materials is spherical. ### Claim 13 An evaluation method of gripping performance of a gripping tool being configured to grip and lift an object, the method comprising: changing a curvature of an object to be gripped while measuring a gripping force of the gripping tool at each of the curvatures; and defining an integral of the gripping force over the curvature to be the gripping performance and evaluating the gripping performance of the gripping tool, wherein the gripping tool includes: a gripper including a first portion being configured to contact the object and being flexible, a second portion opposing the first portion and being flexible, and a plurality of granular materials provided in a first space between the first portion and the second portion, a holder holding an outer perimeter of the first portion and an outer perimeter of the second portion, the gripping tool grips the object by solidifying the granular materials by depressurizing the first space in a state in which the first portion is deformed by being caused to contact the object, when the first portion is deformed by being caused to contact the object, the second portion is more deformable than the holder in a first direction, the first direction being from the first portion toward the second portion, and a diameter of at least a portion of the granular materials is changed while evaluating the gripping performance at each diameter.