# US 12,759,167 B2 · Robot hand and manipulator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,759,167 B2 - Document ID: US12759167B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/002,058 - Filed: 2021-06-03 - Published: 2023-07-20 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-29 - Assignees: Sony Group Corporation - Applicants: Sony Group Corporation - Inventors: Yoshinao Sodeyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759167B2 ## CPC - B25J 15/0009: {comprising multi-articulated fingers, e.g. resembling a human hand} - B25J 19/02: Sensing devices - 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 Provided is a robot hand that includes a palm section, a first finger that includes a finger pad surface, and a second finger having a finger pad surface opposed to the finger pad surface of the first finger. The palm section includes a proximal joint that couples the second finger to the palm section pivotably about a first axis. The second finger includes a base phalanx section, a distal phalanx section, and a middle phalanx section provided between the base phalanx section and the distal phalanx section. Furthermore, the second finger includes a middle joint and a distal joint, the middle joint that couples the middle phalanx section to the base phalanx section bendably and strechably about a second axis, and the distal joint that couples the distal phalanx section to the middle phalanx section bendably and strechably about a third axis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot hand, comprising: a wrist section; a palm section including a proximal joint and a central axis; a first finger that extends from the palm section to a distal side of the robot hand, wherein the first finger includes a first finger pad surface opposite to the central axis of the palm section, an angle between the first finger pad surface and a target object is adjustable by an operation of the wrist section, the first finger is configured to revolve about a specific axis with respect to the palm section, and the specific axis is coincident with the central axis of the palm section; and a second finger that extends from the palm section to the distal side of the robot hand, wherein the second finger includes: a second finger pad surface opposite to the first finger pad surface; a base phalanx section; a distal phalanx section: a middle phalanx section: a middle joint; and a distal joint, the central axis of the palm section is between the first finger pad surface and the second finger pad surface, the proximal joint is configured to pivotably couple the second finger to the palm section about a first axis, the first axis is with respect to the palm section, the first finger lacks degrees of freedom in a bending direction and a stretching direction, the base phalanx section is adjacent to the palm section, a distance between the distal phalanx section and the distal side of the robot hand is less than a distance between the base phalanx section and the distal side of the robot hand, the middle phalanx section is between the base phalanx section and the distal phalanx section, the middle joint is configured to couple the middle phalanx section to the base phalanx section bendably and strechably about a second axis, the distal joint is configured to couple the distal phalanx section to the middle phalanx section bendably and strechably about a third axis, and each of the second axis and the third axis is with respect to the palm section. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein a finger width of the first finger is narrower than a finger width of the second finger. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The robot hand according to claim 2, wherein a finger width of a fingertip section of the first finger is narrower than a finger width of the distal phalanx section of the second finger. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The robot hand according to claim 1, further comprising a fingertip section, wherein the first finger has a shape in which the first finger pad surface is separated from the central axis of the palm section, and the separation of the first finger pad surface from the central axis of the palm section is toward the fingertip section from a base of the first finger pad surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The robot hand according to claim 4, wherein the first finger has an initial opening angle between a straight line and a reference line, the straight line connects the base of the first finger pad surface and a tip of the first finger pad surface, the reference line is parallel to the central axis of the palm section, and the initial opening angle is within a range from 10 degrees to 60 degrees. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the first axis is parallel to each of the second axis and the third axis, and the second axis is parallel to the third axis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the first axis intersects with the central axis of the palm section in a three-dimensional space. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the proximal joint is larger than a diameter of the middle joint and a diameter of the distal joint. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the palm section includes a sensor that is configured to detect the target object. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the second finger includes a plurality of sensor that is configured to detect the target object in at least one of the distal phalanx section, the middle phalanx section, or the base phalanx section. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The robot hand according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of sensors includes a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor is in the distal phalanx section and the second sensor in the middle phalanx section, and a resolution of the first sensor is higher than a resolution of the second sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The robot hand according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of sensors includes a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor is in the distal phalanx section and the second sensor in the middle phalanx section, and a load range of the second sensor is higher than a load range of the first sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the first axis and a fourth axis intersect in a three-dimensional space. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the wrist section is coupled to a proximal side of the palm section, the wrist section is configured to rotate the palm section about a fourth axis, and the fourth axis is one of parallel to the central axis or perpendicular to the central axis. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The robot hand according to claim 1, comprising a brake mechanism that is configured to fix a relative positional relationship of the base phalanx section, the middle phalanx section, and the distal phalanx section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The robot hand according to claim 1, comprising a biasing mechanism that is configured to bias each of the proximal joint, the middle joint, and the distal joint in one of a bending direction of the second finger or a stretching direction of the second finger. ### Claim 17 A manipulator, comprising: an operation arm; and a robot hand, wherein the operation arm includes a base end and a terminal end, the operation arm extends in an axial direction from the base end to the terminal end, the robot hand is coupled to the terminal end of the operation arm, and the robot hand comprises: a wrist section: a palm section including a proximal joint and a central axis; a first finger that extends from the palm section to a distal side of the robot hand, wherein the first finger includes a first finger pad surface opposite to the central axis of the palm section, an angle between the first finger pad surface and a target object is adjustable by an operation of the wrist section, the first finger is configured to revolve about a specific axis with respect to the palm section, and the specific axis is coincident with the central axis of the palm section; and a second finger that extends from the palm section to the distal side of the robot hand, wherein the second finger includes: a second finger pad surface opposed to the first finger pad surface of the first finger; a base phalanx section; a distal phalanx section; a middle phalanx section; a middle joint; and a distal joint, the central axis of the palm section is between the first finger pad surface and the second finger pad surface, the proximal joint is configured to pivotably couple the second finger to the palm section about a first axis, the first axis is with respect to the palm section, the first finger lacks degrees of freedom in a bending direction and a stretching direction, the base phalanx section is adjacent to the palm section, a distance between the distal phalanx section and the distal side of the robot hand is less than a distance between the base phalanx section and the distal side of the robot hand, the middle phalanx section is between the base phalanx section and the distal phalanx section, the middle joint is configured to couple the middle phalanx section to the base phalanx section bendably and strechably about a second axis, the distal joint is configured to couple the distal phalanx section to the middle phalanx section bendably and strechably about a third axis, and each of the second axis and the third axis is with respect to the palm section.