Industrial manipulator gripper provided with sensor and method for detecting the presence of a piece between the jaws of an industrial manipulator gripper
AssigneeGimatic S.p.A.
InventorGiuseppe BELLANDI
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Abstract
A gripper for industrial manipulators comprising a body, jaws constrained to the body and activable to hold and release a piece, an actuator of the jaws and a sensor configured to detect the presence of a piece between said jaws, is described. Advantageously, the sensor is not positioned between the jaws, in the space intended to accommodate the piece to be held, but is functionally interposed between the actuator and one of the jaws. A method for detecting the presence of a piece between the jaws of an industrial manipulator gripper, the method providing a sensor to be used to detect the position of a jaw with respect to the actuator of the gripper.
Claims11
A gripper (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) for industrial manipulators, comprising a body (101,201,301,401,501), jaws (106-107;
- 206-207;
- 306-307;
- 406-407;
- 506-507) constrained to the body (101, 201, 301, 401, 501) and activable to hold and release a piece (P), an actuator (103, 203, 303, 440, 503) of the jaws (106-107;
- 206-207;
- 306-307;
- 406-407;
- 506-507) and a sensor (112, 212, 312, 412, 512) configured to detect the presence of a piece (P) between said jaws (106-107;
- 206-207;
- 306-307;
- 406-407;
- 506-507),
- characterized in that the sensor (112, 212, 312, 412, 512) is functionally interposed between the actuator (103, 203, 303, 440, 503) and one of said jaws (106-107;
- 206-207;
- 306-307;
- 406-407;
- 506-507), the sensor (512) including:
- a duct (513′) which opens between a jaw (506) and the actuator (503) and provides fluid communication with an outer depression or vacuum source, and
- a shutter (520) movable between an open position and a closed position of the duct (513′), in response to the stresses exerted by the same jaw (506) having the sensor (512) fitted thereto.
A method for detecting the presence of a piece (P) between the jaws (106-107;
- 206-207;
- 306-307;
- 406-407;
- 506-507) of a gripper (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) for industrial manipulators, comprising:
- providing a gripper (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) comprising a body (101, 201, 301, 401), jaws (106-107;
- 206-207;
- 306-307;
- 406-407, 506-507) constrained to the body (101, 201, 301, 401, 501) and activable to hold and release a piece (P), an actuator (103,203,303,440,503) of the jaws (106-107;
- 206-207;
- 306-307;
- 406-407;
- 506-507) and a sensor (112, 212, 312, 412, 512),
- by means of the actuator (103, 203, 303, 440, 503), moving the jaws (106-107;
- 206-207;
- 306-307;
- 406-407;
- 506-507) between an open position, a closed position and a gripping position of the piece (P), to pick up and hold a piece (P),
- by means of the sensor (112, 212, 312, 412, 512), generating a signal indicating the position of the jaws (106-107;
- 206-207;
- 306-307;
- 406-407, 506-507),
- characterized in that the sensor (112, 212, 312, 412, 512) is functionally interposed between the actuator (103, 203, 303, 440, 503) and one (106, 206, 306, 407, 506) of said jaws (106-107;
- 206-207;
- 306-307;
- 406-407, 506-507) and generates a signal when said one jaw (106, 206, 306, 407, 506) is gripping a piece (P), the sensor (512) including:
- a duct (513′) which opens between a jaw (506) and the actuator (503) and provides fluid communication with an outer depression or vacuum source, and
- a shutter (520) movable between an open position and a closed position of the duct (513′), in response to the stresses exerted by the same jaw (506) having the sensor (512) fitted thereto.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.