CN114193354A

CN114193354A - Clamping device and clamping method

Info

Publication number: CN114193354A
Application number: CN202111429880.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 宋旺宝
Original assignee: MGA Technology Shenzhen Co Ltd
Current assignee: MGA Technology Shenzhen Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-11-29
Filing date: 2021-11-29
Publication date: 2022-03-18

Abstract

The invention provides a clamping device and a clamping method. The clamping device comprises: clamping component, drive assembly and detection component. One of the clamping piece and the clamped object of the clamping assembly is provided with a clamping groove, and the other one is provided with a clamping block. The clamping groove comprises a first clamping position and a second clamping position which are communicated with each other, the second clamping position is located on one side of the first clamping position in the first direction, and when the detection assembly detects that the clamping assembly moves to a preset position relative to the clamped object, the clamping block extends into the first clamping position and moves from the first clamping position and is clamped into the second clamping position or moves outwards from the first clamping position. The clamping piece and the clamped object are respectively provided with the clamping block and the clamping groove which can be mutually clamped, so that the clamped object can be stably clamped, and the falling risk of the clamped object is reduced. And the clamping block can move into the second clamping position after passing through the first clamping position so as to more stably fix the clamped object on the clamping piece.

Description

Clamping device and clamping method

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of processing, in particular to a clamping device and a clamping method.

Background

In fields such as biology, chemistry, often need to use target piece such as clamping jaw centre gripping charging tray to can realize the transport of target piece, be convenient for to its processing. However, the conventional jaws achieve gripping of the target member mainly by frictional force between them and the target member. In such a way, the target piece cannot be stably grabbed only by means of friction force, the grabbed target piece is easy to drop, or the grabbed target piece is damaged by overlarge force, so that unnecessary loss is caused, and even safety accidents are caused.

Disclosure of Invention

To at least partially solve the problems in the prior art, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clamping device including: the clamping assembly can move along a first direction and comprises at least two clamping pieces, and the at least two clamping pieces can move close to or away from each other along a second direction to grab or release a clamped object; the driving assembly is respectively connected with the at least two clamping pieces so as to drive the at least two clamping pieces to be close to or far away from each other; the detection assembly is arranged on the clamping assembly and is used for detecting the position of the clamped object relative to the clamping assembly; when the detection assembly detects that the clamped object moves to a preset position relative to the clamping assembly, the clamping block stretches into the first clamping position and moves from the first clamping position and is buckled into the second clamping position or the clamping block moves outwards from the first clamping position.

Illustratively, the detection assembly includes: the induction piece is relatively and fixedly arranged on the clamping assembly; and the moving piece is movably arranged on the clamping assembly in the first direction, one end of the moving piece can abut against the clamped object, and the other end of the moving piece is provided with a detection part which can move to the detection range of the induction piece.

Illustratively, the sensing element comprises a fiber optic sensor.

Illustratively, the detection portion is planar.

Illustratively, the moving part is provided with an elastic part for enabling the moving part to apply thrust to the clamped object.

Exemplarily, the clamping assembly is fixedly connected with a support, the support is provided with a through hole, and the moving member can slidably penetrate through the through hole.

Illustratively, one end of the elastic part is fixedly connected with the bracket, and the other end of the elastic part is fixedly connected with the moving part.

Illustratively, the size of the first snap location is larger than the size of the second snap location.

The clamping block comprises a clamping part which is positioned at the end part of the clamping block and is used for clamping in the second clamping position, and the size of the clamping part is larger than that of the second clamping position.

According to the clamping device provided by the invention, the clamping block and the clamping groove which can be mutually clamped are respectively arranged on the clamping piece and the clamped object, so that the clamped object can be stably clamped, the falling risk of the clamped object is reduced, and the clamping piece does not need to apply excessive force to the clamped object so as to prevent the clamped object from being damaged; the clamping groove can comprise a first clamping position and a second clamping position positioned on one side of the first clamping position, so that the clamping block can move through the first clamping position and be clamped into the second clamping position, and a clamped object can be more stably fixed on the clamping piece; the clamping device is matched with the detection assembly, so that the position relation between the clamped object and the clamping assembly can be automatically detected, the clamping pieces can be automatically controlled to be close to or far away from each other to clamp or release the clamped object after the clamped object relatively moves to a preset position, and the automation degree is improved; meanwhile, the elastic piece is arranged on the detection assembly, so that the detection assembly can detect the position of the clamped object and can apply thrust to the clamped object, and the clamping block can smoothly move from the first clamping position to the second clamping position. The clamping assembly and the clamped object are connected through the matching of the clamping block and the clamping groove, so that the clamping assembly does not need to apply large pressure to improve the friction force between the clamping assembly and the clamped object, and the clamped object can be prevented from being damaged.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a holding method for holding an object to be held by using any one of the above holding apparatuses, the method comprising a step of grasping the object to be held and/or a step of releasing the object to be held, wherein,

the step of grabbing the clamped object comprises the following steps: moving at least two clamping pieces to the outer side of the clamped object; the detection component detects the position relation of the clamped object relative to the clamping component, and when the position relation is that the clamped object moves to a preset position relative to the clamping component, the at least two clamping pieces are controlled to be close to each other so that the clamping block extends into the first clamping position; the clamping assembly moves along a first direction so that the clamping block moves from the first clamping position and is clamped into the second clamping position to grab the clamped object;

the step of releasing the clamped object comprises the following steps: the clamping assembly moves along the first direction to enable the clamping block to move from the second clamping position to the first clamping position; the detecting component detects the position relation of the clamped object relative to the clamping component, and when the position relation is that the clamping block is opposite to the first clamping position in the second direction, the at least two clamping pieces are away from each other, so that the clamping block is separated from the first clamping position to release the clamped object.

Exemplarily, the clamping device is provided with a detection assembly, the detection assembly detects the position relation of the clamped object relative to the clamping assembly, the detection assembly comprises a moving part and a sensing part, and the method specifically comprises the following steps: when the clamping assembly moves along the first direction, one end of the moving piece abuts against the clamped object, the clamped object pushes the moving piece to enable the moving piece to move relative to the sensing piece, and the detecting part is located in the detecting range of the sensing piece to determine the position of the clamped object relative to the clamping assembly.

The clamping device is provided with an elastic piece, the clamping assembly moves along a first direction, so that the clamping block moves from the first clamping position and is clamped into the second clamping position to grab a clamped object, and the specific method further comprises the following steps: the elastic piece pushes the movable rod to apply pushing force to the clamped object, so that the clamping block moves from the first clamping position and is clamped into the second clamping position.

A series of concepts in a simplified form are introduced in the summary of the invention, which is described in further detail in the detailed description section. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

The advantages and features of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The following drawings of the invention are included to provide a further understanding of the invention. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings, there is shown in the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clamping device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an object being clamped according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an assembly view of a clamping device and an object to be clamped according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 and 5 are flowcharts of a clamping method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, where fig. 4 is a flowchart of gripping a clamped object, and fig. 5 is a flowchart of releasing the clamped object.

Wherein the figures include the following reference numerals:

100. a clamping assembly; 101. a clamping member; 110. a clamping block; 111. a fastening part; 200. a detection component; 210. a sensing member; 220. a moving member; 221. a detection unit; 222. an elastic member; 300. a support; 400. an object to be clamped; 410. a clamping groove; 411. a first clamping position; 412. the second engaging position.

Detailed Description

In the following description, numerous details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the following description merely illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention and that the invention may be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, well known features have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention.

According to one aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a clamping device is provided.

The clamping device may include a clamping assembly 100, a drive assembly, and a detection assembly 200. The clamping assembly 100 may be movable in a first direction. The clamping assembly 100 may include at least two clamping members 101. At least two gripping members 101 may be moved toward or away from each other in a second direction to grasp or release an object to be gripped. The first direction may include a direction in which the clamping assembly 100 moves integrally, preferably, a direction of a Z-axis in fig. 1, that is, the clamping assembly 100 may move in a vertical direction in the drawing, so as to lift or lower the clamped object. Of course, the first direction may also include any direction in the XYZ coordinate system. The second direction may include a direction in which the at least two gripping members 101 move when approaching and moving away from each other, for example, a direction of an X axis in fig. 1. Preferably, in the present embodiment, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other, and in other embodiments, the first direction and the second direction may intersect or be parallel, and the like.

The driving assembly may be connected to the at least two clamping members 101 respectively, for driving the at least two clamping members 101 to approach each other or move away from each other, that is, for driving the at least two clamping members 101 to be switchable between an open state and a grasping state. The drive assembly may include any type of drive assembly, both existing and as may come in the future, such as one or more of a hydraulic drive assembly, a pneumatic drive assembly, and a rack and pinion drive assembly.

The detecting assembly 200 may be disposed on the clamping assembly 100 for detecting a position of the object to be clamped with respect to the clamping assembly 100. For example, the detection assembly 200 may include a proximity switch or an infrared sensor, among others. The proximity switch or the infrared sensor can be used for detecting the distance between the clamped object and the clamping assembly 100, so as to reflect the position relation between the clamped object and the clamping assembly.

As shown in fig. 1-2, one of the clamping member 101 and the object 400 may be provided with a clamping groove 410, and the other may be provided with a clamping block 110. The engaging groove 410 and the engaging block 110 may be cooperatively connected with each other. The engaging groove 410 may include a first engaging portion 411 and a second engaging portion 412 that are connected to each other. The second engaging portion 412 may be located at one side of the first engaging portion 411 in the first direction. When the detecting assembly 200 detects that the object 400 is moved to a predetermined position relative to the clamping assembly 100, the engaging block 110 can be inserted into the first engaging position 411, moved from the first engaging position 411, and locked into the second engaging position 412. In addition, the engaging block 110 can be moved out from the first engaging position 411.

The following description is given with reference to the embodiment shown in fig. 1-2. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the clamping assembly 100 may include two clamping members 101, and the two clamping members 101 may be disposed opposite to each other. The two gripping members 101 are movable in a second direction, i.e. in the direction of the X-axis in the figure, so as to be closer to or farther away from each other. If the object to be clamped is a solid object, the two clamping members 101 can be close to each other to grab the object to be clamped, and the two clamping members 101 can be far away from each other to release the object to be clamped. If the object to be clamped is an open object having a hollow cavity, the clamping member 101 may also extend into the hollow cavity, fix the object to be clamped by moving away from each other, and release the object to be clamped by moving close to each other.

The drive assembly may be disposed inside the clamping assembly 100 and is not shown in fig. 1. In one embodiment, the drive assembly may include a cylinder disposed within the clamp assembly 100. The cylinder can extend and retract along the direction of the X-axis, and the cylinder can drive the clamping member 101 to move in the second direction.

In one embodiment, the detection assembly 200 may include a contact, which may be a contact switch disposed between the two clamps 101. The object 400 to be clamped is located between the two clamping members 101, and the position when the object touches the contact switch may be a predetermined position. When the clamped object 400 is located at the predetermined position relative to the clamping assembly 100, the two clamping members 101 can be driven by the driving assembly to approach each other to clamp the clamped object 400. Of course, the detection assembly 200 may also be a non-contact member, such as an infrared sensor. The infrared sensor can detect the position between the clamping assembly 100 and the object to be clamped according to the reflected light irradiated on the object to be clamped.

One of the clamp 101 and the object 400 may be provided with an engaging groove 410, and the other may be provided with an engaging block 110, and for convenience of description, the following description will be given taking an example in which the engaging groove 410 is provided on the object 400 and the engaging block 110 is provided on the clamp 101.

The two clamps 101 may be provided with engaging pieces 110 having a convex shape on the opposite surfaces thereof. The engaging block 110 may be a column protruding along the opposite surface of the holding member 101, or may be hook-shaped. Correspondingly, as shown in fig. 2, the object 400 may be provided with an engaging groove 410. The engaging groove 410 may be a through hole or a blind hole. The engaging groove 410 may include a first engaging position 411 and a second engaging position 412 extending along a first direction, i.e., a Z-axis direction as shown in fig. 2. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the first engaging position 411 is below the second engaging position 412. Of course, in other embodiments, the first engaging position 411 and the second engaging position 412 may have different positional relationships due to the first direction, i.e. the moving direction of the clamping assembly 100. In fig. 2, the first engaging position 411 and the second engaging position 412 may be through holes communicating with each other.

It should be noted that the object 400 to be held moves to a predetermined position with respect to the holding assembly 100, and the predetermined position may mean that the object 400 to be held has a positional relationship with respect to the holding assembly 100 such that the engaging block 110 faces the first engaging location 411 in the second direction.

In the process of grasping the object 400 by the grasping assembly 100, the position of the object 400 can be detected by the detecting assembly 200, and when the object 400 is at a predetermined position, the two grasping members 101 can move in the X-axis direction and approach each other. The engaging block 110 of the clipping element 101 can first extend into the first engaging position 411, so that the clipping element 101 and the object 400 can be connected. Further, as the clamping assembly 100 moves upward along the Z-axis, the engaging block 110 on the clamping member 101 can enter the second engaging position 412, as shown in fig. 3. The engaging block 110 may be provided with a locking portion 111, and the locking portion 111 may prevent the engaging block 110 from being directly moved out from the second engaging position 412 when the holder 101 moves in the second direction. The latch portion 111 will be described in detail below. The second engaging portion 412 can improve the stability of the connection between the clamping member 101 and the object 400, and prevent the object 400 from falling off the clamping assembly 100.

In the process of releasing the clamped object 400 by the clamping assembly 100, the clamping member 101 may first drive the clamped object 400 to move to the plane where the clamped object 400 is to be placed, and then the clamping assembly 100 may continue to move downward along the Z-axis direction, and the engaging block 110 on the clamping member 101 may move from the second engaging position 412 to the first engaging position 411. When the engaging block 110 moves to the first engaging position 411, the detecting component 200 detects that the position relationship between the object 400 and the holding component 100 is a predetermined position, and the holding members 101 can move in the second direction under the driving of the driving component to move away from each other, so as to move the engaging block 110 on the holding member 101 out of the first engaging position 411. At this time, the process of releasing the clamped object 400 by the clamping assembly 100 is completed.

According to the clamping device provided by the invention, the clamping block 110 and the clamping groove 410 which can be mutually clamped are respectively arranged on the clamping piece 101 and the object 400 to be clamped, so that the object 400 to be clamped can be stably clamped, the risk of falling of the object to be clamped is reduced, and the clamping groove 410 can comprise the first clamping position 411 and the second clamping position 412 which is positioned above the first clamping position, so that the clamping block 110 can move into the second clamping position 412 after passing through the first clamping position 411, and the object 400 to be clamped can be more stably fixed on the clamping piece 101. Since the clamping unit 100 and the object 400 are connected by the engagement of the engaging block 110 and the engaging groove 410, the clamping unit 100 does not need to apply a large pressure to increase the friction force between the clamping unit 100 and the object 400, and the object 400 can be prevented from being damaged.

Illustratively, the detecting assembly 200 may include a sensing member 210 and a moving member 220.

The sensing member 210 may be relatively fixedly disposed on the clamping assembly 100. The moving member 220 may be movably disposed on the clamping assembly 100 in the first direction, and one end of the moving member 220 may abut against the object 400 to be clamped. The other end of the moving member 220 may be provided with a detecting portion 221 movable within the detecting range of the sensing member 210.

The sensing member 210 is used for detecting the moving position of the moving member 220. The sensing member 210 may include a proximity switch, a contact switch, and the like. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the moving member 220 may be movably disposed on the clamping assembly 100 along the Z-axis direction. The lower end of the moving member 220 may be used to contact the object 400 to be held. The upper end of the moving member 220 may be provided with a detecting part 221. The detection part 221 may be used in cooperation with the sensing member 210. When the lower end of the moving member 220 abuts against the object 400 to be clamped, the moving member 220 can be pushed to move upward relative to the clamping assembly 100. In the moving process of the moving member 220, the detecting portion 221 can move to the detecting range of the sensing member 210, and at this time, the sensing member 210 can send a signal indicating that the clamped object 400 moves to a predetermined position relative to the clamping assembly 100, so that the clamping assembly 100 can perform a grabbing or releasing action on the clamped object 400.

Through the arrangement, the relative position between the clamping assembly 100 and the clamped object 400 can be reflected according to the detection result of the sensing piece 210 on the detection part 221, so that the clamped object 400 can be grabbed when the clamped object 400 is in a preset position, the accuracy of the mutual clamping of the clamping block 110 and the clamping groove 410 can be improved, the work of the clamping assembly 100 can be controlled through the detection result, and the purpose of automatically grabbing and releasing the clamped object is achieved.

Take the sensing element as a hall sensor as an example. In the embodiment where the sensing member 210 is a hall sensor, the detecting portion 221 may be a magnet. When the magnet is close to the hall sensor, a corresponding signal can be transmitted due to the change of the magnetic field around the hall sensor. The hall sensor has the advantages that the detection part 221 and the hall sensor can be out of contact, so that the contact between the moving member 220 and the sensing member 210 can be reduced in the moving process of the moving member 220, the resistance brought by the friction force in the moving process can be reduced, and the abrasion can be reduced and the service life can be prolonged due to the fact that the hall sensor is not in contact with the moving member.

Preferably, the sensing member 210 may include a fiber optic sensor. The optical fiber sensor may include a light emitting portion and a receiving portion for receiving light emitted from the light emitting portion. When the light path is changed, for example, when the light path is blocked, the optical fiber sensor can send a corresponding signal, and the working principle of the optical fiber sensor is basically the same as that of the Hall sensor, except that the medium for changing the signal is different. The optical fiber sensor has the advantages of strong anti-interference capability, quick response and the like.

For example, the detecting portion 221 may have a planar shape. The detecting part 221 may be disposed at one end of the moving member 220 in a vertical state. The sensing member 210 may be provided with an opening, and when the detecting portion 221 moves in the Z-axis direction, the detecting portion 221 may enter the opening of the sensing member 201 so that the sensing member 210 detects the detecting portion 221. The planar detection part 221 can reduce the space occupied by the detection part, so that the sensing part 210 is small and exquisite, the sensing part 210 and the detection part 221 can be applied to a narrow space, the sensing part 210 can detect the moving part 220 conveniently, and the detection is more accurate; the detecting portion 221 is planar, so that a moving stroke (i.e., a moving stroke of the moving rod along the Z axis) of the moving member 220 from a position where the lower end of the moving member abuts against the clamped object 400 to a position within a detection range of the sensing member 210 can be controlled more easily and precisely, that is, a relative position detection result between the clamping member 101 and the clamped object 400 can be more accurate.

Illustratively, the moving member 220 may be provided with an elastic member 222 for enabling the moving member 220 to apply a pushing force to the object 400 to be clamped. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the moving member 220 may be a push rod movable along the Z-axis direction, a lower end of the push rod may abut against the object 400 to be clamped, and an upper end of the push rod may be provided with a detecting portion 221 for cooperating with the sensing member 210. The push rod can be sleeved with a spring. The spring may generate an elastic force in the Z-axis direction to the push rod. When the clamping assembly 100 moves downward along the Z-axis and the lower end of the pushing rod abuts against the object 400 to be clamped, the pushing rod moves upward relative to the clamping assembly 100, the spring is compressed, and the pushing rod can generate a downward pushing force to the object 400 to be clamped. At this time, the detection unit 221 may enter the detection range of the sensor 210. The clamping members 101 can be close to each other, and the engaging block 110 can be moved into the first engaging position 411. At this time, the clamping assembly 100 may move upward in the Z-axis direction. As the clamping assembly 100 moves upward, the object 400 can move downward relative to the clamping member 101 under the action of the pushing rod, so that the engaging block 110 can move from the first engaging position 411 to the second engaging position 412.

By providing the elastic member 222, on one hand, when the moving member 220 abuts against the object 400 to be clamped, the buffer is formed, and on the other hand, when the engaging block 110 moves into the first engaging position 411, the clamping assembly 100 moves upward, so that the object 400 to be clamped and the clamping member 101 move relatively, and the engaging block 110 can move smoothly from the first engaging position 411 to the second engaging position 412.

Illustratively, a bracket 300 may be fixedly coupled to the clamping assembly 100. The bracket 300 may be provided with a through hole (not shown). The moving member 220 may slidably pass through the through hole. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the bracket 300 may have an L-shape, and a through hole is formed at the bottom of the bracket 300, through which the moving member 220 passes and can move up and down along the Z-axis. It will be appreciated that the shape of the holder 300 may be configured as the case may be.

Illustratively, one end of the elastic member 222 may be fixedly connected to the bracket 300, and the other end of the elastic member 222 may be fixedly connected to the moving member 220, i.e., the elastic member 222 may be disposed between the bracket 300 and the moving member 220. The displacement of the moving member 220 relative to the bracket 300 can change the deformation of the elastic member 222, thereby generating a corresponding elastic force. By disposing the elastic member 222 between the support 300 and the moving member 220, the moving member 220 can generate a restoring force in the moving direction, and the disposition is simple and easy to implement.

Illustratively, the size of the first snap-fit location 411 is larger than the size of the second snap-fit location 412. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the first engaging position 411 may be a through hole with a diameter D1, the second engaging position may be a through hole with a diameter D2, the two through holes are communicated with each other, and D1 is larger than D2. Thus, when the object 400 is clamped by the clamping member 101, the first engaging position 411 is larger than the second engaging position 412, so that the engaging block 110 can more easily extend into the first engaging position 411. In addition, when the clamping assembly 100 moves along the first direction, the engaging block 110 moves into the second engaging position 412. Since the second engaging portion 412 has a small size, it can be more firmly connected to the engaging block 10, and the engaging block 110 can be prevented from falling off from the engaging groove 410 after being connected thereto. It is understood that the combination of the first engaging position 411 and the second engaging position 412 may be in the shape of a combination of two connected circular holes, or may be in the shape of an inverted "T" shape. Further, in other embodiments, the size may be a unit of size such as an area, in addition to a diameter.

For example, the engaging block 110 may include a locking portion 111 at an end thereof for locking in the second engaging portion 412. The size of the locking portion 111 is larger than the size of the second locking position 412. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the engaging block 110 may include a cylinder extending from the opposite surface of the clamping member 101, and the locking portion 111 may be a ball disposed at an end of the cylinder. The diameter of the ball head may be greater than the diameter of the post. In the process of connecting the engaging block 110 and the engaging groove 410, the ball head may first extend into the first engaging position 411, after the clamping component 100 moves along the first direction, the column body will move into the second engaging position 412, and since the diameter of the ball head is greater than that of the second engaging position 412, the clamping component 100 and the clamped object 400 may form a locking structure, and the clamped object 400 is not easily dropped from the clamping component 100. Further, the fastening portion 111 may be a ball head, and may also be other common protruding structures, which are not described herein again.

According to another aspect of the invention, a clamping method is provided. In the clamping method, the object 400 to be clamped may be clamped using any one of the above clamping devices, and the method may include a step of gripping the object 400 to be clamped and/or a step of releasing the object 400 to be clamped.

As shown in fig. 4, the step of grasping the object 400 to be gripped may include:

step S100, moving at least two clamping pieces 101 to the outer side of the object 400 to be clamped;

wherein, at least two clamping pieces 101 can move to the outer side of the clamped object 400 along the first direction in the opening state to the direction close to the clamped object 400.

In step S200, the detecting unit 200 detects the positional relationship of the object 400 to be clamped with respect to the clamping unit 100. When the position relationship is that the object to be clamped moves to a predetermined position relative to the clamping assembly, the at least two clamping members 101 are controlled to approach each other so that the clamping block 110 extends into the first clamping position 411;

the object 400 to be clamped is moved to a predetermined position relative to the clamping assembly 100, which means that the object 400 to be clamped is in a position relative to the clamping assembly 100 such that the engaging block 110 is opposite to the first engaging position 411 in the second direction.

In step S300, the clamping assembly 100 can move along the first direction, so that the engaging block 110 moves from the first engaging position 411 and is locked into the second engaging position 412 to capture the object 400.

Wherein the content of the first and second substances,

as shown in fig. 5, the step of releasing the held object 400 may include:

step S400, the clamping assembly 100 can move along the first direction to move the engaging block 110 from the second engaging position 412 to the first engaging position 411;

step S500, the detecting assembly 200 may detect a positional relationship of the object 400 to be clamped with respect to the clamping assembly 100. When the position relationship is that the engaging block 110 faces the first engaging position 411 in the second direction, the at least two retaining members 101 are away from each other, so that the engaging block 110 is separated from the first engaging position 411 to release the object 400.

Illustratively, in employing a clamping device having the detection assembly 200, the detection assembly 200 can detect the positional relationship of the object 400 to be clamped with respect to the clamping assembly 100. The specific method can comprise the following steps:

in step S200, when the clamping assembly 100 moves in the first direction, one end of the moving member 220 may abut against the object 400 to be clamped. The object 400 can push the moving member 220 to move the moving member 220 relative to the sensing member 210. The detecting portion 221 is located within the detecting range of the sensor 210 to determine the position of the clamping assembly 100 relative to the object 400 to be clamped at this time as a predetermined position.

For example, in the moving member 220 with the elastic member 222, the clamping assembly 100 can move along the first direction, so that the engaging block 110 can move from the first engaging position 411 and snap into the second engaging position 412 to grab the clamped object 400. The specific method can comprise the following steps:

in step S300, the elastic member 222 pushes the moving member 220 to apply a pushing force to the object 400, so that the engaging block 110 can move from the first engaging position 411 and be locked into the second engaging position 412.

The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the clamping device shown in fig. 1-3, and the flow charts of the clamping method shown in fig. 4-5. For convenience of description, the first direction (Z-axis direction) is taken as a vertical direction, and the second direction (X-axis direction) is taken as a horizontal direction.

In the process of grabbing the object 400 by the clamping assembly 100, the two clamping members 101 are in the opened state and move downward along the Z-axis direction to approach the object 400, and because the two clamped objects are in the opened state, the two clamping members 101 move to the outer side of the object 400 when approaching the object. In the process of approaching the object 400 to be clamped, the lower end of the moving member 220 in the detecting assembly 200 can first abut against the object 400 to be clamped. As the clamping assembly 100 continues to move downward along the Z-axis, the moving member 220 will move upward relative to the clamping assembly 100, and at the same time, the detecting portion 221 at the upper end of the moving member 220 is driven to move upward, and at the same time, the spring is compressed. When the detecting portion 221 enters the detecting range of the sensor 210, and the engaging block 110 is directly opposite to the first engaging position 411, the sensor 210 can send a corresponding signal to stop the movement of the clamping assembly 100 in the Z-axis direction, and drive the two clamping members 101 to approach each other in the X-axis direction through the driving assembly. As the two clamping members 101 approach each other, the engaging block 110 can first extend into the first engaging position 411. After the engaging block 110 extends into the first engaging position 411, the clamping assembly 100 can move upward along the Z-axis direction, and at this time, the spring is compressed to apply a downward pushing force to the clamped object 400, so that during the process that the clamping assembly 100 continues to move upward along the Z-axis direction, the clamped object 400 and the clamping assembly 100 move relatively, so that the engaging block 110 moves and is fastened into the second engaging position 412, thereby completing the process that the clamping assembly 100 grips the clamped object 400.

When the object 400 is clamped by the clamping assembly 100 and moves to the target position, the clamping assembly 100 places the object 400 on the platform to be placed at the target position and starts to perform the action of releasing the object 400;

during the process of releasing the clamped object 400 by the clamping assembly 100, the engaging block 110 is initially located in the second engaging position 412. The clamping assembly 100 can move downward along the Z-axis direction to contact the object 400 to be clamped with the platform to be placed. Further, the clamping assembly 100 can continue to move downward along the Z-axis direction, and since the object 400 is supported by the platform to be placed, the object 400 can remain stationary during the movement of the clamping assembly 100, so that the engaging block 110 can move from the second engaging position 412 to the first engaging position 411. In the process that the engaging block 110 moves to the first engaging position 411, since the moving rod 220 abuts against the clamped object 400, the moving rod 220 does not move downward along the Z axis along with the clamping assembly 100, and the sensing element 210 moves downward along the Z axis along with the clamping assembly 100 until the detecting portion 221 at the upper end of the moving element 220 enters the detecting range of the sensing element 210, at this time, the sensing element 210 can send a corresponding signal to the controller, so that the two clamping elements 101 can be away from each other along the X axis direction under the driving of the driving assembly. As the two clamping members 101 move away from each other, the engaging block 110 can move out of the first engaging position 411, thereby completing the process of releasing the clamped object 400 by the clamping assembly 100.

It will be appreciated that the above only details the embodiment shown in figures 1 to 3, and that in the embodiments not shown the principle of operation is substantially the same, and that the relevant structures may be replaced and will not be described in detail.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by the directional terms such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "lateral", "vertical", "horizontal" and "top", "bottom", etc., are generally based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and in the case of not making a reverse explanation, these directional terms do not indicate and imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore, should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention; the terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the interior and exterior relative to the contours of the components themselves.

For ease of description, relative terms of regions such as "above … …", "above … …", "above … …", "above", and the like may be used herein to describe the regional positional relationship of one or more components or features with other components or features as illustrated in the figures. It is to be understood that the relative terms of the regions are intended to encompass not only the orientation of the element as depicted in the figures, but also different orientations in use or operation. For example, if an element in the drawings is turned over in its entirety, the articles "over" or "on" other elements or features will include the articles "under" or "beneath" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "above … …" can include both an orientation of "above … …" and "below … …". Further, these components or features may also be positioned at various other angles (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or other angles), all of which are intended to be encompassed herein.

It is noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, and it should be understood that when the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising" are used in this specification, they specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or combinations thereof, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and claims of this application and in the drawings described above are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the data so used is interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the application described herein are capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein.

The present invention has been illustrated by the above embodiments, but it should be understood that the above embodiments are for illustrative and descriptive purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention to the scope of the described embodiments. Furthermore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and that many variations and modifications may be made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, which variations and modifications are within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A clamping device, comprising:

the clamping assembly can move along a first direction and comprises at least two clamping pieces, and the at least two clamping pieces can move close to or away from each other along a second direction to grab or release a clamped object;

the driving assembly is respectively connected with the at least two clamping pieces so as to drive the at least two clamping pieces to approach or move away from each other; and

the detection assembly is arranged on the clamping assembly and is used for detecting the position of the clamped object relative to the clamping assembly;

when the detection assembly detects that the clamped object moves to a preset position relative to the clamping assembly, the clamping block stretches into the first clamping position and moves from the first clamping position and is buckled into the second clamping position or moves outwards from the first clamping position.

2. The clamping device of claim 1, wherein the detection assembly comprises:

the induction piece is relatively and fixedly arranged on the clamping assembly; and

the moving piece is movably arranged on the clamping assembly in the first direction, one end of the moving piece can abut against the clamped object, and the other end of the moving piece is provided with a detection part which can move to the detection range of the induction piece.

3. A holding arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sensing means comprises a fibre optic sensor.

4. The clamping device of claim 2, wherein said sensing portion is planar.

5. The clamping device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the moving member is provided with an elastic member for causing the moving member to apply a pushing force to the object to be clamped.

6. A holding arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein a support is fixedly attached to the holding assembly, the support having a through-hole through which the moveable member is slidably movable.

7. The clamping device of claim 6, wherein one end of the elastic member is fixedly connected to the bracket, and the other end of the elastic member is fixedly connected to the moving member.

8. The clamping device of claim 1, wherein the first snap location is larger in size than the second snap location.

9. The clamping device of claim 1, wherein the engaging block includes a locking portion at an end thereof for locking into the second engaging location, the locking portion being larger in size than the second engaging location.

10. A holding method characterized by holding an object to be held with the holding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprising a step of grasping the object to be held and/or a step of releasing the object to be held, wherein,

the step of grabbing the clamped object comprises the following steps:

moving the at least two clamping pieces to the outer side of the clamped object;

the detection assembly detects the position relation of the clamped object relative to the clamping assembly, and when the position relation is that the clamped object moves to a preset position relative to the clamping assembly, the at least two clamping pieces are controlled to be close to each other so that the clamping block extends into the first clamping position;

the clamping assembly moves along a first direction so that the clamping block moves from the first clamping position and is clamped into the second clamping position to grab the clamped object;

the step of releasing the clamped object comprises the following steps:

the clamping assembly moves along the first direction to enable the clamping block to move from the second clamping position to the first clamping position;

the detecting component detects the position relation of the clamped object relative to the clamping component, and when the position relation is that the clamping block is opposite to the first clamping position in the second direction, the at least two clamping pieces are far away from each other, so that the clamping block is separated from the first clamping position to release the clamped object.

11. The clamping method according to claim 10, wherein the clamping device according to claim 2 is adopted, and in the method, the detecting component detects the position relation of the clamped object relative to the clamping component, and specifically comprises:

when the clamping assembly moves along the first direction, one end of the moving part abuts against the clamped object, the clamped object pushes the moving part to enable the moving part to move relative to the sensing part, and the detection part is located in the detection range of the sensing part to determine the position of the clamped object relative to the clamping assembly.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the clamping device of claim 5 is used, and the method further comprises moving the clamping assembly in a first direction to move the engaging block from the first engaging position and snap into the second engaging position to grasp the object to be clamped, and specifically comprises:

the elastic piece pushes the movable rod to apply pushing force to the clamped object, so that the clamping block moves from the first clamping position and is clamped into the second clamping position.