JP2017217721A - Gripper device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gripper device that has a deforming bag-shaped body hard to break to prevent an object from breaking, and allows the deforming bag-shaped body to deform smoothingly in conformity with the shape of the object.SOLUTION: A deforming bag-shaped body 11 has a fluid body, made of a liquid, enclosed therein and is in an annular shape formed thin and long along a center axis. The deforming bag-shaped body 11 has a volume adjustment part 21 which is made of a non-stretchable or hard-to-stretch material, and provided to keep the volume in the deforming bag-shaped body 11 constant when deforming. Operation means 12 is so provided as to enable the deforming bag-shaped body 11 to deform by moving one end 11a of the deforming bag-shaped body 11 to the other end 11b along an inner surface of the annular shape.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a gripper device.

  As a conventional gripper device using a bag-like body, a fluid is put inside the deformed bag-like body continuously connected from the inside to the outside, and a part of the deformable bag-like body is moved toward the inside, The present inventors have developed a device that grips an object by deforming the deformable bag-like body by reducing the internal pressure of the deformable bag-like body (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1 or 2). . In this gripper device, the deformable bag-shaped body is easily deformed by forming the deformable bag-shaped body from a stretchable material or by inserting and removing a fluid from the deformable bag-shaped body.

Kenjiro Tada, Riichiro Tada, Seiichi Teshigahara, Yoshitomo Mizoguchi, Hiroaki Hasegawa, Kazutera Terada, Toshio Takayama, Toru Komine, Makoto Aikoku, Makoto Shimojo The first prototype of "-", The 26th Annual Conference of the Robotics Society of Japan, 2008, 1E1-01 Seiji Hatakeyama, Kenjiro Tada, Eri Takane, Tomio Yamamoto, Masashi Kunyo, Satoshi Tadokoro, “Omni-directional familiar deformation gripper mechanism”, Society of Instrument and Control Engineers System Integration Division lecture 2015, 2015, 2M3_3, p.1852-1853

  According to the gripper devices described in Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2, the deformed bag-like body can be easily adapted to the shape of the object, and the object can be firmly gripped by being wrapped with the deformed bag-like body. However, when the deformable bag-like body is made of a stretchable material, there is a problem that the deformable bag-like body is easily damaged due to repeated stretching. Moreover, since the internal pressure of the deformed bag-like body increases when inflated, there is a problem that an excessive force is applied to the grasped object and the object may be damaged.

  In addition, when the deformed bag-like body is deformed by taking the fluid into and out of the deformable bag-like body, it is difficult to immediately control the loading / unloading of the fluid corresponding to the deformation of the deformed bag-like body. When gripping the object, there is a problem that it is very difficult to smoothly deform the deformed bag-like body according to the shape of the object.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such a problem, the deformed bag-like body is difficult to break, can also prevent the object from being damaged, and the deformed bag-like body can be smoothly formed according to the shape of the object. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gripper device that can be deformed.

  In order to achieve the above object, a gripper device according to the present invention is a gripper device that grips an object with a deformed bag-like body with fluid inside, and a part of the deformable bag-like body is deformed. It has an operation means provided to be deformable by moving toward the inside of the bag-like body, and the deformable bag-like body is made of a non-stretchable or hardly stretchable material, The fluid is hermetically sealed, and has a volume adjusting portion provided so as to keep the inner volume of the deformed bag-like body constant when the fluid is deformed.

  In the gripper device according to the present invention, the operation means moves a part of the deformed bag-shaped body toward the inside of the deformed bag-shaped body to deform the deformed bag-shaped body, thereby moving the object at the deformed portion. It can be gripped. At this time, since the deformable bag-like body is made of a non-stretchable or hardly stretchable material, the deformable bag-like body does not stretch during deformation and is not easily damaged. In addition, when the deformable bag-like body is deformed by the operating means, or when the deformable bag-like body is deformed when the object is gripped, the volume adjusting unit is used to place the fluid inside the deformed bag-like body. Since the volume can be kept constant, the internal pressure of the deformed bag can be kept constant. For this reason, when gripping an object, no extra force is applied to the object, and damage to the object can be prevented. Even if the object is made of a soft material, the object can be gripped without being damaged.

  In the gripper device according to the present invention, since the internal pressure of the deformed bag-like body is kept constant during deformation, the deformable bag-like body can be smoothly deformed. In addition, since the fluid is sealed inside the deformed bag-like body and the fluid is not taken in and out, the deformable bag-like body is smoothly deformed according to the shape of the object even when the object is gripped. be able to. In the gripper device according to the present invention, the volume adjusting unit may be provided anywhere in the deformed bag-like body as long as the inner volume can be kept constant when the deformed bag-like body is deformed. .

  In the gripper device according to the present invention, the deformable bag-like body is configured to have an annular shape formed elongated along a central axis when the fluid is sealed inside, and the operating means is configured to deform the deformable bag. It is preferable that one end of the bag-like body is configured to move toward the other end along the annular inner surface. In this case, the object can be taken in and gripped toward the inside of the annular shape at one end of the deformed bag-like body.

  In the gripper device according to the present invention, the volume adjusting unit may be formed of a bellows provided in a part of the deformed bag-like body. In this case, even if the deformed bag-shaped body is deformed, the internal pressure of the deformed bag-shaped body can be kept constant by the expansion and contraction of the bellows. The bellows may be formed in any way as long as the inner volume can be kept constant when the deformed bag-like body is deformed. For example, the bellows, when the deformed bag-like body has an annular shape that is elongated along the central axis, the circumferential direction of the inner or outer surface of the annular shape so as to expand and contract along the central axis. It is preferable that at least one round is provided along.

  Moreover, the said volume adjustment part may consist of the cylinder connected inside the said deformation | transformation bag-like body, and the piston provided so that air reciprocation was possible along the inner wall of the said cylinder. In this case, even if the deformed bag is deformed, the internal pressure of the deformed bag can be kept constant by the reciprocating movement of the piston. The cylinder and the piston may be formed in any manner as long as the inner volume can be kept constant when the deformable bag-like body is deformed.

  In the gripper device according to the present invention, the fluid may be any fluid, such as a gas, a liquid, or a large number of granular materials, as long as it can be deformed by flowing. Considering the followability to deformation when gripping an object and the small volume change when receiving an external force, the deformable bag is preferably sealed with liquid inside. In this case, the deformed bag can be deformed more smoothly, and the internal pressure of the deformed bag can always be kept substantially constant.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a gripper device that can hardly deform a deformed bag-like body, can prevent the object from being damaged, and can smoothly deform the deformed bag-like body according to the shape of the object. Can do.

It is the (a) longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the gripper apparatus of embodiment of this invention, (b) The perspective view which removed the cover. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the modification of the gripper apparatus of embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2 show a gripper device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the gripper device 10 includes a deformed bag-like body 11, an operation means 12, and a cover 13.

  The deformable bag-like body 11 is formed by sealing a fluid made of liquid on the inner side, and is configured to have an annular shape that is elongated along the central axis when the fluid is sealed on the inner side. The deformable bag-like body 11 has a volume adjusting portion 21 provided so as to keep the inner volume constant when deformed. The volume adjusting unit 21 is formed of a bellows, and is provided around a part of the annular inner surface of the deformable bag-like body 11 along the circumferential direction. The volume adjusting unit 21 is provided so as to expand and contract along the central axis of the deformable bag-like body 11. In addition, the volume adjustment part 21 may be provided in the annular | circular shaped outer surface. Further, it may be provided in a spiral shape.

  The deformed bag-like body 11 is made of a non-stretchable or hardly stretchable soft material, and the portion other than the volume adjusting portion 21 can be flexibly deformed. The deformable bag-like body 11 is made of a non-stretchable material in which the volume adjusting unit 21 is not deformed except for expansion and contraction due to bellows.

  The operating means 12 is composed of an elongated rod and is inserted into the hollow portion of the deformable bag-like body 11. The operating means 12 is provided such that one end 12 a is fixed to one end 11 a of the deformable bag 11 and the other end 12 b protrudes from the other end 11 b of the deformable bag 11. .

  As shown in FIG. 1 (a), the cover 13 has an opening 13a on one end face and has a cylindrical shape with the other end face 13b closed. The cover 13 is provided so as to cover the outer surface of the deformable bag-shaped body 11, and a part of the outer surface of the deformable bag-shaped body 11 is fixed. The cover 13 is disposed so that one end 11a of the deformable bag-like body 11 protrudes from the opening 13a. In the gripper device 10, the operation means 12 passes through the other end surface 13 b of the cover 13, and the other end portion 12 b of the operation means 12 protrudes to the outside of the cover 13.

  The gripper device 10 holds the cover 13 and pulls the other end portion 12 b of the operation means 12, so that the one end portion 11 a of the deformable bag-shaped body 11 extends along the annular inner surface of the deformable bag-shaped body 11. Thus, the deformable bag-shaped body 11 is moved toward the other end 11b to deform the deformable bag-shaped body 11.

Next, the operation will be described.
The gripper device 10 uses the operating means 12 to move the one end portion 11a of the deformable bag 11 toward the inside of the deformable bag 11 to deform the deformable bag 11, thereby deforming the deformable bag. 11, the object 1 can be taken in and gripped toward the inside of the annular shape. At this time, since the deformable bag 11 is made of a soft material, the deformable bag 11 can be deformed in accordance with the shape of the object 1, and the object 1 can be securely held by the deformed bag 11.

  Since the deformable bag-like body 11 is made of a non-stretchable or hardly stretchable material, the gripper device 10 does not stretch during deformation and is not easily damaged. Further, when the deformable bag-like body 11 is deformed by the operation means 12 or when the deformable bag-like body 11 is deformed when the object 1 is gripped, the bellows of the volume adjusting unit 21 is expanded and contracted, and the fluid The inner volume of the deformed bag-like body 11 sealed with can be kept constant. Thereby, since the internal pressure of the deformable bag-like body 11 can be kept constant, when the object 1 is gripped, no excessive force is applied to the object 1 and the object 1 can be prevented from being damaged. . Even if the object 1 is made of a soft material, the object 1 can be gripped without being damaged.

  The gripper device 10 can smoothly deform the deformable bag-like body 11 because the internal pressure of the deformable bag-like body 11 is kept constant during the deformation. In addition, since the fluid is sealed inside the deformable bag-like body 11 and the fluid is not taken in and out, even when the object 1 is gripped, the deformed bag-like body is smoothly smoothed according to the shape of the subject 1. 11 can be deformed. In particular, the fluid is made of liquid, has excellent followability to deformation when gripping the object 1, and has a small volume change when subjected to external force, so that the deformable bag-like body 11 is deformed more smoothly. The internal pressure of the deformed bag-like body 11 can always be kept substantially constant. Note that the fluid may be made of a gas as long as a slight change in internal pressure is allowed. Further, the fluid may be composed of a large number of granular materials if the followability may be somewhat deteriorated.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the volume adjusting unit 21 includes a cylinder 31 communicating with the inside of the deformable bag-like body 11 and a piston 32 provided so as to be capable of reciprocating along the inner wall of the cylinder 31. It may be made up. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the cylinder 31 communicates with the other end portion 11 b of the deformable bag-shaped body 11 and is provided so as to extend along the central axis of the deformable bag-shaped body 11. 11, the operating means 12 penetrates the center of the piston 32, and the operating means 12 and the piston 32 can move independently and airtightly.

  In the case shown in FIG. 2, the gripper device 10 holds the cylinder 31 and pulls the other end portion 12 b of the operating means 12, so that one end portion 11 a of the deformable bag-shaped body 11 is connected to the ring of the deformable bag-shaped body 11. The deformable bag-shaped body 11 can be deformed by moving toward the other end 11b of the deformable bag-shaped body 11 along the inner surface of the shape. When the deformable bag-like body 11 is deformed by the operating means 12 or when the deformable bag-like body 11 is deformed when the object 1 is gripped, the gripper device 10 moves the piston 32 back and forth. The inner volume of the deformable bag-like body 11 that is sealed can be kept constant, and the internal pressure of the deformable bag-like body 11 can be kept constant.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Object 10 Gripper apparatus 11 Deformation bag-like body 21 Volume adjustment part 11a One end part 11b The other end part 12 Operating means 12a One end part 12b The other end part 13 Cover 13a Opening 13b The other end surface

31 cylinders 32 pistons

Claims (5)

A gripper device for gripping an object with a deformed bag-like body with a fluid inside,
A part of the deformable bag-like body is moved toward the inside of the deformable bag-like body, and the operation means is provided so that the deformable bag-like body can be deformed,
The deformable bag-like body is made of a non-stretchable or hardly stretchable material, seals the fluid inside, and is provided to keep the volume inside the deformable bag-like body constant when deformed. A gripper device comprising a volume adjusting unit. The deformed bag-like body is configured to have an annular shape formed elongated along the central axis when the fluid is sealed inside,
The said operation means is comprised so that one edge part of the said deformation | transformation bag-shaped body may be moved toward the other edge part along the said annular | circular shaped inner surface. Gripper device.   The gripper device according to claim 1, wherein the volume adjusting unit is formed of a bellows provided in a part of the deformed bag-like body.   The said volume adjustment part consists of the cylinder connected in the inside of the said deformation | transformation bag-like body, and the piston provided so that air reciprocation was possible along the inner wall of the said cylinder. The gripper device as described. The gripper device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the deformable bag-like body seals liquid inside.