# US 11,298,784 B2 · Screw supplying module and robot manipulator employing same

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- Number: US 11,298,784 B2
- Document ID: US11298784B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/024,374
- Filed: 2020-09-17
- Published: 2021-04-15
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-15
- Assignees: Delta Electronics, Inc.
- Applicants: Delta Electronics, Inc.
- Inventors: Tse-Min Chen; Chi-Jung Huang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298784B2

## CPC

- B23P 19/006: {Holding or positioning the article in front of the applying tool}
- B23P 19/06: Screw or nut setting or loosening machines
- B25J 9/0009: {Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases}
- B25J 11/005: {Manipulators for mechanical processing tasks}
- B25J 15/0019: {End effectors other than grippers}
- B25B 23/10: using mechanical gripping means
- B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)
- 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})
- B25B: TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING, OR HOLDING

## Abstract

A screw supplying module includes a main body, a feeding body and a holding module. The main body includes a second portion, a third portion and a hollow part. The holding module includes a screw chamber, a plurality of clamping pieces, an elastic piece and a fixing piece. The screw chamber includes an input portion, an outer ring wall and an inner space. The plurality of clamping pieces are inserted into the plurality of holes respectively. Accordingly, the plurality of clamping pieces are partially located in the inner space and are partially exposed from the holes of the screw chamber. The elastic piece is sleeved on the outer ring wall, and the elastic piece abuts against the part of the plurality of clamping pieces exposed from the holes. The fixing piece is sleeved on the outer ring wall and is configured to fix the elastic piece.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A screw supplying module, comprising:
a main body comprising a first portion, a second portion, a third portion and a hollow part;
a feeding body comprising a feeding portion, a connecting portion and a feeding channel, wherein the connecting portion is assembled to the third portion, and the feeding channel and the hollow part are in communication with each other; and
a holding module, comprising:
a screw chamber comprising an input portion, an output portion, an outer ring wall and an inner space, wherein the input portion is assembled to the second portion, the inner space is in communication with the hollow part, the outer ring wall has a plurality of holes, and the plurality of holes are in communication with the inner space respectively;
a plurality of clamping pieces inserted into the plurality of holes respectively, wherein the plurality of clamping pieces are partially located in the inner space and are partially exposed from the holes of the screw chamber;
an elastic piece sleeved on the outer ring wall, wherein the elastic piece abuts against parts of the plurality of clamping pieces exposed from the holes; and
a fixing piece sleeved on the outer ring wall and configured to fix the elastic piece, wherein the elastic piece is located between the clamping pieces and the fixing piece,
wherein a screw is fed into the feeding portion, the screw is moved to the inner space via the feeding channel and the hollow part by an external force, and the screw is clamped in the inner space by the plurality of clamping pieces.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The screw supplying module according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of clamping pieces are engaged in the corresponding plurality of holes on the outer ring wall, when the screw is moved into the inner space, the plurality of clamping pieces are pushed by a pushing force from the screw, the plurality of clamping pieces and the elastic piece are moved toward an outside of the screw chamber until the pushing force is balanced with an elastic recovery force of the elastic piece, and the screw is clamped in the inner space by the plurality of clamping pieces.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The screw supplying module according to claim 1, wherein the elastic piece is an annular elastomer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The screw supplying module according to claim 1, wherein the fixing piece comprises a first fixing ring and a second fixing ring, and the first fixing ring and the second fixing ring are assembled to each other and are sleeved on the outer ring wall to fix the elastic piece.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The screw supplying module according to claim 4, wherein each of the first fixing ring and the second fixing ring has an annular recess on an inner wall thereof, and when the first fixing ring and the second fixing ring are assembled together, the annular recesses of the first fixing ring and the second fixing ring are connected to each other and form a space for accommodating the elastic piece.

### Claim 6

A robot manipulator, comprising:
an articulated arm comprising a connecting device;
an automatic screw tightening module detachably coupled to the connecting device of the articulated arm, comprising:
a plate assembly comprising a base plate;
an input module comprising an input terminal;
a screwdriver module comprising a screwdriver and a screwdriver sleeve, wherein the screwdriver is coupled with the screwdriver sleeve;
a transmission module connected with the input terminal and the screwdriver sleeve for allowing the input terminal, the transmission module and the screwdriver sleeve to be rotated synchronously;
a movable module movably disposed on the base plate, wherein the movable module comprises a bearing, the screwdriver sleeve is partially accommodated in the bearing, and the screwdriver module and the movable module are coupled with each other and are allowed to move relative to the base plate;
an elastic element disposed on the base plate and connected with the movable module; and
a position sensor disposed on the base plate for sensing a displacement of the movable module; and
a screw supplying module detachably coupled to the connecting device of the articulated arm, comprising:
a main body comprising a first portion, a second portion, a third portion and a hollow part;
a feeding body comprising a feeding portion, a connecting portion and a feeding channel, wherein the connecting portion is assembled to the third portion, and the feeding channel and the hollow part are in communication with each other; and
a holding module, comprising:
a screw chamber comprising an input portion, an output portion, an outer ring wall and an inner space, wherein the input portion is assembled to the second portion, the inner space is in communication with the hollow part, the outer ring wall has a plurality of holes, and the plurality of holes are in communication with the inner space respectively;
a plurality of clamping pieces inserted into the plurality of holes respectively, wherein the plurality of clamping pieces are partially located in the inner space and are partially exposed from the holes of the screw chamber;
an elastic piece sleeved on the outer ring wall, wherein the elastic piece abuts against parts of the plurality of clamping pieces exposed from the holes; and
a fixing piece sleeved on the outer ring wall and configured to fix the elastic piece, wherein the elastic piece is located between the clamping pieces and the fixing piece,
wherein the connecting device comprises a connecting element, one end of the connecting element is connected with the screwdriver sleeve of the automatic screw tightening module, the other end of the connecting element is connected with the first portion of the main body of the screw supplying module, the connecting element comprises a hollow passage in communication with the hollow part of the main body, and the hollow passage is configured for the screwdriver to insert therein;
wherein a screw is fed into the feeding portion, the screw is moved to the inner space via the feeding channel and the hollow part by an external force, and the screw is clamped in the inner space by the plurality of clamping pieces, the screwdriver penetrates through the hollow passage and the hollow part to contact the screw in the inner space, and the screw is tightened by the screwdriver.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The robot manipulator according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of clamping pieces are engaged in the corresponding plurality of holes on the outer ring wall, when the screw is moved into the inner space, the plurality of clamping pieces are pushed by a pushing force from the screw, the plurality of clamping pieces and the elastic piece are moved toward an outside of the screw chamber until the pushing force is balanced with an elastic recovery force of the elastic piece, and the screw is clamped in the inner space by the plurality of clamping pieces.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The robot manipulator according to claim 6, wherein the elastic piece is an annular elastomer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The robot manipulator according to claim 6, wherein the fixing piece comprises a first fixing ring and a second fixing ring, and the first fixing ring and the second fixing ring are assembled to each other and are sleeved on the outer ring wall to fix the elastic piece.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The robot manipulator according to claim 9, wherein each of the first fixing ring and the second fixing ring has an annular recess on an inner wall thereof, and when the first fixing ring and the second fixing ring are assembled together, the annular recesses of the first fixing ring and the second fixing ring are connected to each other and form a space for accommodating the elastic piece.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The robot manipulator according to claim 6, wherein according to the displacement and an elasticity coefficient of the elastic element, the automatic screw tightening module acquires a force exerted by the screwdriver when the screwdriver performs screw tightening on an object.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The robot manipulator according to claim 6, wherein the plate assembly comprises a rail, an inner surface of the base plate has a recess, and the rail is mounted on a bottom surface of the recess.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The robot manipulator according to claim 12, wherein the plate assembly comprises:
a first side support plate mounted on a side edge of the base plate for supporting the screwdriver module; and
a second side support plate mounted on the other side edge of the base plate for supporting the input module,
wherein the base plate, the first side support plate and the second side support plate define an accommodation space, and the accommodation space is configured for accommodating the input module, the transmission module, the movable module, the elastic element and the position sensor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The robot manipulator according to claim 12, wherein the movable module comprises:
a sliding carrier movably coupled with the rail; and
a connection bracket mounted on a surface of the sliding carrier and moved along the rail together with the sliding carrier, wherein the connection bracket comprises the bearing, a first extension portion and a second extension portion, and the first extension portion and the second extension portion are arranged at two opposite sides of the bearing.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The robot manipulator according to claim 14, further comprising a first fixing bracket mounted on the base plate, wherein one end of the elastic element is connected with the first fixing bracket, and the other end of the elastic element is connected with the first extension portion, and the connection bracket exerts a force upon the elastic element when the connection bracket and the sliding carrier are moved along the rail.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The robot manipulator according to claim 14, further comprising a second fixing bracket mounted on the base plate, wherein the position sensor comprises:
a first sensing element mounted on the second fixing bracket; and
a second sensing element mounted on the second extension portion and movably accommodated in the first sensing element.