JP2005028477A - Gripping apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gripping apparatus which approaches to a workpiece not only from above the workpiece but also from the side of the workpiece, and surely and softly grips various workpieces. <P>SOLUTION: The gripping apparatus comprises a frame shape guide 1 having an aperture portion 3 formed by cutting out a part of a frame 2, and an expansion body 4 attached to the inside peripheral surface of the frame shape guide 1 so as to be located between the surfaces at least facing to each other. The expansion body 4 is formed to be cylindrical, and expands and contracts by carrying out the supply and discharge of fluid into the inside of the cylinder. The workpiece is gripped by means of an expanded surface when expanded. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a gripping device that supplies a fluid such as air to inflate an expansion body and grips a workpiece at a swelled portion of the expansion body.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a gripping device using an expanding body, a device in which an expanding body is attached to the outer peripheral surface of a base is inserted into a mouth portion of a workpiece, and the expanding surface of the expanding body is brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mouth portion (for example, a patent Reference 1), a type in which an expansion body is attached to the inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical base, a work is inserted into a space surrounded by the expansion body, and the expansion surface of the expansion body is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the work (for example, Patent Document 2) is known.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP2003-11078A (first page)
[Patent Document 2]
JP 7-53174 A (first page)
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the prior arts described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the workpiece can only be approached from above. Therefore, in the case of the type in which the expansion body bulges outside, it must be designed to be smaller than the diameter of the work. It was not possible to design, and it had to be designed according to the size of the workpiece. In addition, when the workpiece has a flange at the top, such as a front T-shape, it is impossible or difficult to grasp the portion below the flange.
[0005]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a gripping device that can be approached from the side of a workpiece and that can grasp a workpiece that has not been grasped by an approach from above until now.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention is such that a frame-shaped guide having an opening in which a part of the frame body is cut out and at least a surface facing each other in the inner peripheral surface of the frame-shaped guide. The expansion body is provided, and the expansion body is formed into a cylindrical shape, and fluid is supplied to and discharged from the cylindrical shape to expand and contract. The workpiece is gripped by the expansion surface during expansion.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0008]
The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a frame-shaped guide 1 having an opening 3 in which a part of a frame 2 is cut out, and a cylindrical expansion attached to the inner peripheral surface of the frame-shaped guide 1. A body 4 is provided, and a fluid such as air is supplied to and discharged from the inside of the cylindrical body of the expansion body 4 so as to expand and contract. The expansion surface of the expansion body 4 is gripped by the expansion surface. The planar shape of the frame-shaped guide 1 is formed in a U-shape, and is formed from a hard material such as metal or plastic. Further, a groove 5 in which the cylindrical expansion body 4 is set is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the frame-shaped guide 1, and a preventing member is provided so that a part of the expansion body 4 set in the groove 5 cannot be expanded inward. 6 is provided so as to block a part of the groove 5. The portions of the inflatable body 4 that are not blocked by the prevention member 6 are portions that are arranged to face each other. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the portions of the inflatable body 4 existing in parallel portions of the U-shaped frame-shaped guide 1 are expanded inward, and the prevention member 6 is connected to the portion connecting the U-shaped parallel portions. The expansion body 4 of this part is not expanded inward. In this embodiment, one cylindrical expansion body 4 is set along the U-shaped groove 5, but the two expansion bodies 4 are formed on the inner peripheral surfaces of the mutually parallel portions of the frame-shaped guide 1. It is also possible to attach only to the groove 5.
[0009]
A rubber tube is preferably used as the cylindrical expansion body 4, and both ends thereof are fixed to the hard cylinder portions (metal rings, etc.) 4A, 4B, and a frame is formed using these hard cylinder portions 4A, 4B. An inflatable body 4 is attached to the guide 1. Further, a fluid supply / exhaust port 7 for supplying and discharging fluid and a supply / discharge pipe 8 are connected to one end side of the expansion body 4, and the other end side of the expansion body 4 is sealed. Of course. When two or more expansion bodies 4 are used, a fluid supply / discharge port 7 is provided in each expansion body 4. Further, the reinforcement can be embedded in the expansion body 4 to adjust the expansion amount, and the strength can be increased so as to withstand a high expansion pressure.
[0010]
3, using 2 months the gripping device shown in Figures 1 and 2, showing a state in which grabbed a plate-shaped workpiece W _1, such as rectangular or square from the left and right sides. The opening 3 of the frame-shaped guide 1 is brought close to the side of the workpiece W ₁ , the workpiece W ₁ is introduced into the frame-shaped guide 1 from the opening 3, the expansion body 4 is expanded, and the workpiece W ₁ is expanded on its expansion surface. grab a workpiece W ₁ is pressed against the upper and lower surfaces.
[0011]
Figure 4 shows a state in which grabbed the body portion of the head is thick workpiece W ₂ from the side. The work W ₂ is introduced from the opening 3 of the frame-shaped guide 1, and the expansion body 4 is expanded in that state, and the periphery of the body portion of the work W ₂ is pressed by the expansion surface of the expansion body 4. In this case, the diameter of the thick head of the work W ₂ is larger than the space surrounded by the frame-shaped guide 1, so that the head of the work W ₂ extends vertically in the frame-shaped guide 1 even when approached from above. Can't insert. For that purpose, it was to grab and approach from the side of the workpiece W _2. If the size of the diameter of the head can pass through the frame-shaped guide 1, it is also possible to seize the head or torso to approach from above the workpiece W _2.
[0012]
The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 shows a state in which the shaft portion at the center of the dumbbell-shaped workpiece W ₃ having flange portions at both ends is gripped from above.
[0013]
The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 shows an example in which the thickness of the frame-shaped guide 1 is increased and the expansion body 4 is attached in multiple layers and in multiple stages. In this embodiment, the four inflatable bodies 4 are stacked and attached to the groove 5, but may be two to three, or five or more depending on the application. In the case where a plurality of the expanding bodies 4 are used, the gripping force can be improved and the work can be gripped even when one of them has a defect such as fluid leakage, and the safety is also improved.
[0014]
Each of the embodiments shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 9 shows that the planar shape of the frame-shaped guide 1 is formed into an arc shape, a V-shape, or a U-shape. The expansion body 4 exists on the facing surface, and the workpiece is grasped by the opposing expansion surface. Also in these embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the expansion body 4 can be attached in multiple layers in the thickness direction of the frame-shaped guide 1.
[0015]
The expansion body 4 is attached to the groove 5 by attaching caulking rings (not shown) to the hard cylindrical portions 4A and 4B at both ends, and fastening the caulking rings to the frame body 2. Of course, attachment by means other than the caulking ring, for example, adhesion or the like is also possible.
[0016]
As a method of making the expansion body 4, a rubber material vulcanized and molded is matched with a planar shape of the frame-shaped guide 1 such as a U shape, an arc shape, a V shape, a U shape, or the like. In addition to the case of being bent as described above, it can also be made by vulcanization molding into a U-shape or V-shape in advance.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the frame-shaped guide having an opening partly cut out of the frame and the inner peripheral surface of the frame-shaped guide are present at least on the surfaces facing each other. Since the expansion body is formed in a cylindrical shape, fluid is supplied to and discharged from the inside of the cylindrical shape to expand and contract, and the workpiece is gripped by the expansion surface during expansion. The work can be approached not only from the upper side but also from the side by introducing the work into the frame-shaped guide from the opening and gripping the work by inflating the expandable body. it can. Further, the work can be softly held by the expanded body. Furthermore, not only a predetermined shape but also several kinds of workpieces having different sizes and shapes can be handled by a gripping device having one shape and structure.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a plate-like workpiece is gripped.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a state in which a workpiece having a thick head is gripped.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a state in which a dumbbell-shaped workpiece is gripped.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which an expansion body is arranged in multiple layers.
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an arc-shaped embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a V-shaped embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a U-shaped embodiment;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Frame-shaped guide 2 Frame 3 Opening part 4 Expansion body

Claims (9)

A frame-shaped guide having an opening in which a part of the frame body is cut out, and an inflatable body attached to be present at least on surfaces facing each other in the inner peripheral surface of the frame-shaped guide,
A gripping device characterized in that the inflating body is formed into a cylindrical shape, fluid is supplied to and discharged from the inside of the cylindrical shape to expand and contract, and a workpiece is gripped by the expansion surface during expansion. The gripping device according to claim 1, wherein a planar shape of the frame-shaped guide is formed in a U-shape. The gripping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the planar shape of the frame-shaped guide is formed in an arc shape. The gripping device according to claim 1, wherein the planar shape of the frame-shaped guide is formed in a V shape. The gripping device according to claim 1, wherein the planar shape of the frame-shaped guide is formed in a U shape. The gripping device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the expansion body is attached in a multilayered manner in a thickness direction of the frame-shaped guide. 7. Both ends of the cylindrical expansion body are attached to a hard cylinder portion, a fluid supply / discharge port is provided on one end side, and the expansion body is attached to a frame-shaped guide using the hard cylinder portion. The gripping device according to any one of the above. A single inflatable body having the length of the inner peripheral surface of the frame-shaped guide is attached along the inner peripheral surface of the frame-shaped guide from one end of the opening to the other end of the opening. The gripping device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a prevention member for prevention. The gripping device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a groove for setting an expansion body is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the frame-shaped guide.

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