Sprung Worm Gripper for a Robotic Device
AssigneeX Development LLC
InventorMarc Strauss
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A robotic gripping device is provided. The device includes a finger having a worm gear coupled to its base end. The device also includes an actuator having a motor and a shaft, wherein the shaft is configured to rotate a worm coupled to the worm gear, and the actuator is mounted on a carriage such that the actuator is configured to slide along an axis. The device also includes a spring having first and second ends, wherein the first end is coupled to the motor and the second end is fixed. Further, the actuator is configured to (i) rotate the shaft relative to the motor by a first amount to move the finger toward an object, and (ii) when the finger is in contact with the object and is prevented from further movement, further rotate the shaft relative to the motor to slide the actuator along the axis.
Claims20
A robotic gripping device comprising:
- a finger having a worm gear coupled to a base end of the finger;
- an actuator having a motor and a shaft, wherein the shaft is configured to rotate a worm coupled to the worm gear, and wherein the actuator is mounted on a carriage such that the actuator is configured to slide along an axis;
- and
- a spring having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the motor of the actuator and the second end is fixed, such that the actuator is held in a first position along the axis when the spring is at equilibrium;
- wherein the actuator is configured to:
- rotate the shaft relative to the motor by a first amount, thereby rotating the worm and the worm gear to move the finger toward an object;
- and
- when the finger is in contact with the object and the finger is prevented from further movement, further rotate the shaft relative to the motor to slide the actuator along the axis to a second position at which the spring is no longer at equilibrium.
A robotic device comprising:
- a robotic gripping device, wherein the robotic gripping device comprises:
- a finger having a worm gear coupled to a base end of the finger;
- an actuator having a motor and a shaft, wherein the shaft is configured to rotate a worm coupled to the worm gear, and wherein the actuator is mounted on a carriage such that the actuator is configured to slide along an axis;
- and
- a spring having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the motor of the actuator and the second end is fixed, such that the actuator is held in a first position along the axis when the spring is at equilibrium;
- and
- a control system configured to control the robotic gripping device, wherein the control system comprises:
- one or more processors;
- a non-transitory computer-readable memory;
- and
- program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable memory and executable by the one or more processors to:
- cause the actuator to rotate the shaft relative to the motor by a first amount, thereby rotating the worm and the worm gear to move the finger toward an object;
- and
- when the finger is in contact with the object and the finger is prevented from further movement, cause the actuator to further rotate the shaft relative to the motor to slide the actuator along the axis to a second position at which the spring is no longer at equilibrium.
A method comprising:
- identifying an object for a robotic gripping device to grasp, wherein the robotic gripping device comprises a finger, an actuator, and a spring, wherein:
- (i) the finger has a worm gear coupled to a base end of the finger,
- (ii) the actuator has a motor and a shaft, wherein the shaft rotates a worm coupled to the worm gear, and wherein the actuator is mounted on a carriage such that the actuator is configured to slide along an axis;
- and
- (iii) the spring has a first end and a second end, where the first end is coupled to the motor of the actuator and the second end is fixed, such that the actuator is held in a first position along the axis when the spring is at equilibrium;
- rotating the shaft relative to the motor by a first amount, thereby rotating the worm and the worm gear to move the finger toward an object;
- and
- when the finger is in contact with the object and the finger is prevented from further movement, further rotating the shaft relative to the motor to slide the actuator along the axis to a second position at which the spring is no longer at equilibrium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.