Self-retaining gripping device

A gripping device, comprising:

• a housing (11);
• and arranged therein
• a drive motor (71);
• a motor-current-monitoring system (67) or pressure-monitoring system;
• a gear unit (100) operatively connected to the drive motor (71), the gear unit (100) having
• a worm gear stage (151) driven by
• at least one rotatable gear shaft (101;
• 105;
• 109), the worm gear stage being coupled to
• at least one of at least two gripping element carriers (41;
• 42) which are movable relative to one another;
• and
• a holding brake (81) of the gripping device (10) for blocking the at least one rotatable gear shaft (101;
• 105;
• 109),
• wherein the worm gear stage (151) comprises
• a screw (121) formed on or arranged on a screw shaft (109) of the at least one rotatable gear shaft (101;
• 105;
• 109), and
• a screw gear (152) meshing with the screw (121),
• wherein an output gear (107) is mounted on an end of the screw shaft (109) and is operatively connected to the drive motor (71), and
• wherein a spring energy accumulator (131) is disposed on the screw shaft (109) between the output gear (107) and the screw (121),
• whereby the spring energy accumulator (131) axially biases the screw (121), so as to drive the screw gear (152) in a gripping direction.