Electric clamp apparatus
AssigneeSMC Corporation
InventorsYoshihiro Fukano, Noriyuki Miyazaki, Takeshi Seo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an electric clamp apparatus, a drive unit including a motor is disposed on an end of a body on which a clamp arm is rotatably supported. The drive unit includes a hollow housing connected to the body, and a motor unit, which is configured to be accommodated in the interior of the housing. After the motor unit has been inserted into the interior of the housing from one end side thereof, two lock plates, which are disposed on a frame of the motor unit, are rotated, whereby holes of the lock plates are made to engage with projections of the housing. As a result, the motor unit is fixed in a state of being accommodated in the housing.
Claims10
An electric clamp apparatus for gripping a workpiece by rotation of a clamp arm, comprising:
- a body;
- a drive unit including a drive source that is driven rotatably by an electric signal, the drive unit being attachable and detachable with respect to the body;
- a driving force transmission mechanism disposed in interior of the body, which transmits a rotary driving force of the drive unit to the clamp arm;
- and
- a connecting mechanism for switching a state of connection of the drive unit with respect to the body,
- wherein the drive unit is attachable and detachable with respect to the body by switching a state of connection of the drive unit through use of the connecting mechanism,
- wherein the connecting mechanism comprises:
- a projection formed on a side surface of the body;
- and
- an engagement unit disposed on the drive unit and capable of engagement with respect to the projection,
- wherein the projection projects in a direction perpendicular to a direction of insertion of the drive unit with respect to the body, and
- wherein in a case where the drive unit is inserted in the interior of the body, the body and the drive unit are connected in such a state that restricts axial movement of the drive unit with respect to the body by engagement of the engagement unit with respect to the projection.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.