Robotic tool changer system through magnetic coupling force and all-round mechanical locking

A robotic tool changer system, comprising:

• a first coupling unit, fixed to a robot arm end shaft and moved along with the robot arm end shaft, the first coupling unit including a first guide unit, a first locking unit and a first magnetic unit, the first guide unit having a first guide unit height;
• a plurality of second coupling units, each of the second coupling units being connected with a respective tool, each of the second coupling units including a respective second guide unit, a respective second locking unit and a respective second magnetic unit;
• a plurality of tool changer grippers, each of the second coupling units being detachably connected to a corresponding one of the tool changer grippers;
• wherein when the first coupling unit is moved to approach a selected one of the second coupling units at a predetermined distance with respect to each other, the predetermined distance is defined as the first guide unit height, the first guide unit and the respective second guide unit of the selected one of the second coupling units jointly guide the first coupling unit and the selected one of the second coupling units to be aligned and engaged with each other, the first magnetic unit and the respective second magnetic unit are attracted to each other via magnetism within the predetermined distance between the first magnetic unit and the respective second magnetic unit to have a magnetic coupling force, the first coupling unit and the selected one of the second coupling units are coupled to each other by the magnetic coupling force, when the first coupling unit and the selected one of the second coupling units become coupled under the action of the magnetic coupling force, the first coupling unit and the selected one of the second coupling units become fixed to each other through all-round mechanical locking of the first locking unit and the respective second locking unit;
• and
• the first guide unit is a protruding portion, the protruding portion has a first guide hole extending along a third direction, the first locking unit includes a first ejector pin disposed in the first guide hole, the first ejector pin has a first acting force;
• the respective second guide unit is a respective second guide groove corresponding to the protruding portion, each of the second locking units includes a respective second ejector pin and a respective guide lock, each of the second ejector pins is movably disposed in a corresponding one of the second coupling units in the third direction, each of the respective guide locks is movably disposed in a respective corresponding one of the second coupling units, and each of the guide locks is movable in a first direction, each of the guide locks is configured to move the respective one of the second ejector pins to extend out into the respective second guide groove or to retract from the respective second guide groove;
• when the robot arm end shaft drives the first coupling unit to approach the selected one of the second coupling units in a second direction, the protruding portion is mated with the respective second guide groove so that the first coupling unit and the selected one of the second coupling units are aligned and engaged with each other, the first magnetic unit and the respective second magnetic unit generate the magnetic coupling force in the second direction to be coupled to each other;
• when the robot arm end shaft pulls the first coupling unit and the selected one of the second coupling units to move away from the corresponding tool changer gripper along the first direction, an included angle is defined between the first direction and the second direction, the respective guide lock exerts a respective second acting force to overcome the first acting force to drive the respective second ejector pin to push the first ejector pin, and the respective second ejector pin extends into the first guide hole to perform the all-round mechanical locking for the first coupling unit and the selected one of the second coupling units to be fixed to each other.