JP2021112789A - Buffer member and gripping method by robot equipped with buffer member - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a buffer member which is high in holding power while improving flexibility thereof.SOLUTION: A buffer member 1 is a tabular buffer member formed of an elastic material. The buffer member 1 is provided with a plurality of holes H, H which are arranged in a prescribed plane pattern. Parts that the hole H and the hole H are adjacent to each other are made into flat plate-like partition walls 11, 12 respectively, the partition walls 11, 12 are connected to each other to form a lattice-like or honeycomb-like structure. A central axis m of the hole H is inclined with respect to a normal direction n of the buffer member. When the buffer member 1 is fitted to a gripping part of a robot, the same is fitted so that the central axis m of the hole H of the buffer member 1 is inclined upward as approaching a gripping object from the buffer member 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a plate-shaped cushioning member formed of an elastic material. The present invention also relates to a method of gripping an article by a robot using such a cushioning member.

Robots are used in various industries. Work such as grasping and moving various articles by a robot is also performed, and in the technical field of so-called material handling, a technique for moving articles using a robot has been developed.

It is preferable that the robot grips and fixes the article and conveys the article, because the article of various shapes and sizes can be fixed and conveyed, and the versatility is enhanced. The gripping portion of such a robot is provided with a cushioning material or a covering material so as to increase the frictional force and more reliably grip the article.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a coating material having a laminated structure used for a grip portion of a robot. The outer layer of the covering material is provided with a plurality of through holes so that the inner layer made of a softer material is exposed from the through holes. With the covering material having such a configuration, it is possible to exhibit appropriate gripping performance for gripping the object according to various objects to be gripped.

Japanese Patent No. 6191432

When the gripping object is soft, for example, when it is a fruit such as peach, if the gripping portion of the robot is hard, the gripping object is easily damaged. It is preferable to elastically deform the object to be gripped.

However, if a soft cushioning member is provided in the gripping portion of the robot, there is a problem that the holding force is lowered and the gripped object is easily dropped. Therefore, the cushioning member is softened and the holding force is increased. There was a performance trade-off between them.

An object of the present invention is to increase the flexibility of the cushioning member. Another object of the present invention is to provide a cushioning member having a high holding force. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for gripping a robot using such a cushioning member, and to increase a holding force at the time of gripping an object to be gripped without damaging it.

As a result of diligent studies, the inventor has made a plate-shaped cushioning member made of an elastic material in a grid pattern or a honeycomb in which a plurality of holes are provided side by side in a predetermined plane pattern and the holes are partitioned by a flat partition wall. The present invention has been completed by finding that at least one of the above-mentioned problems can be solved by constructing the shape so as to have a shape.

The present invention is a plate-shaped cushioning member formed of an elastic material, in which a plurality of holes are provided side by side in a predetermined plane pattern, and the holes and the portions adjacent to the holes are respectively provided. The partition wall is a flat plate-like partition wall, and the partition walls are connected to each other to form a lattice-like or honeycomb-like structure, and the central axis of the hole is inclined with respect to the plane direction of the cushioning member. (1st invention).

In the first invention, the hole is preferably a through hole penetrating the cushioning member (second invention). Further, in the first invention, preferably, the hardness of the elastic material is 20 to 80 degrees in terms of Duro A hardness, and the angle formed by the central axis of the hole in the plane direction of the cushioning member is 5 to 60 degrees (). Third invention).

Further, the present invention is a method of gripping a gripping object by a robot, in which the robot includes a gripping member forming a set configured to be openable and closable, and the gripping member comes into contact with the gripping object. The cushioning member according to any one of the first invention to the third invention is attached to the portion, and when the cushioning member extends in a substantially vertical direction, the central axis of the hole of the cushioning member becomes the cushioning member. It is provided so as to be inclined upward toward the object to be gripped, and the robot is operated to extend the cushioning member in a substantially vertical direction while gripping the gripping member in an open state. This is a gripping method in which the gripping member is closed after the object is placed between the cushioning members, and the cushioning member is elastically deformed in the thickness direction to grip the gripping object (fourth invention).

According to the cushioning member (first invention) of the present invention and the gripping method (fourth invention) of the present invention, the gripping object pushes the partition wall of the cushioning member diagonally, so that the partition wall is easily elastically deformed. The flexibility of the cushioning member is increased. Further, since the partition wall supports the gripping object like a support column, the holding force is also enhanced.
Further, in the second invention and the third invention, the flexibility and holding power of the cushioning member can be further enhanced.

It is a top view and a cross-sectional view which show the structure of the cushioning member of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which tries to grip the gripping object by the robot which attached the cushioning member of 1st Embodiment to the gripping part. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which the gripping object is gripped by the robot which attached the cushioning member of 1st Embodiment to the gripping part. It is a front view and sectional drawing which shows the structure of the cushioning member of another embodiment. It is a front view and sectional drawing which shows the structure of the cushioning member of another embodiment. It is a front view and sectional drawing which shows the structure of the cushioning member of another embodiment. It is a front view and sectional drawing which shows the structure of the cushioning member of another embodiment. It is a front view and sectional drawing which shows the structure of the cushioning member of another embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, using a cushioning member used as a gripping member of a robot for transporting articles as an example. The invention is not limited to the individual embodiments shown below, and the embodiments can be modified and implemented. The use of the cushioning member is not limited to the use of the grip portion of the robot.

FIG. 1 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the cushioning member 1 of the first embodiment.
The cushioning member 1 is a plate-shaped cushioning member formed of an elastic material. The thickness of the plate may be constant, but may vary. As will be described later, the cushioning member 1 is provided with a large number of holes H, H.

As the elastic material forming the cushioning member 1, a resin material such as rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer can be used. It is preferable to use a highly elastic rubber material such as silicone rubber.
Although not essential, the hardness of the elastic material is preferably 20 to 80 degrees, particularly preferably 30 to 70 degrees, in terms of Duro A hardness.

The plate-shaped cushioning member 1 is provided with a plurality of holes H, H arranged side by side in a predetermined plane pattern. The holes H and H are provided in the thickness direction of the cushioning member. Although not essential, in the present embodiment, the plurality of holes H, H are through holes penetrating the cushioning member. The holes H and H may be so-called bottomed holes. The surface of the portion of the cushioning member 1 excluding the holes may be a smooth flat surface as in the present embodiment, but may be a smooth curved surface, and the surface may have waviness or unevenness. ..

In the cushioning member 1, the portions where the holes H and the holes H are adjacent to each other are flat plate-shaped partition walls 11 and 12, respectively. That is, the holes H and H adjacent to each other are partitioned by the partition walls 11 and 12. In FIG. 1, the partition walls extending in the vertical direction in the figure are numbered 11, and are hereinafter referred to as the first partition wall 11. Further, the partition walls extending in the left-right direction in the drawing are numbered 12 and are hereinafter referred to as the second partition wall 12.
The partition walls 11 and 12 may have a flat plate shape as in the present embodiment, but may be curved as in the partition walls in other embodiments described later. Further, the thicknesses of the partition walls 11 and 12 may be constant, but may be changed.

The partition walls 11 and 12 are connected to each other, and the cushioning member 1 has a lattice-like or honeycomb-like structure. Although not essential, in the present embodiment, a plurality of first partition walls 11 and 11 are connected in the vertical direction of the drawing, and a plurality of second partition walls 12 and 12 are connected in the horizontal direction of the drawing, and both are connected to each other. It is a square grid that is connected so as to intersect. The specific form of the lattice may be another form as described later, a triangular lattice shape, a brickwork lattice shape, or a lattice shape combining an arc and a straight line. Further, the cushioning member 1 may have a honeycomb-like structure in which hexagonal holes are arranged, as will be described later.

In the cushioning member 1, a portion having a lattice-like or honeycomb-like structure in which a plurality of holes are provided may be the entire cushioning member 1 or a part of the cushioning member 1 as in the present embodiment. It may be. For applications where the object to be gripped is held by a robot, the portion where the cushioning member 1 and the object to be gripped come into contact with each other may have a lattice-like or honeycomb-like structure provided with a plurality of holes, and other portions. For example, the peripheral edge of the cushioning member may have another structure, for example, a solid solid structure without holes, as in the cushioning member 4 (FIG. 4) of the second embodiment described later.

In the cushioning member 1, the central axes m of the holes H and H are inclined with respect to the plane perpendicular direction n of the plate-shaped cushioning member 1. In the present embodiment, the holes H and H are provided so as to be inclined so that the central axis of the hole is directed toward the upper direction (A direction) in the figure from the back surface PT of the cushioning member toward the front surface PH of the cushioning member. .. In FIG. 1, this inclination direction is indicated by the white arrow A direction. In other embodiments described later, the same description is made with respect to the inclination direction of the hole by means of a white arrow.

Since the holes H and H are provided so as to be inclined with respect to the plane direction n of the cushioning member 1, the partition wall between the holes H and the holes H also has an inclination corresponding to the holes. Although not essential, in the present embodiment, the first partition walls 11 and 11 extend parallel to the plane perpendicular direction n of the cushioning member 1, and the second partition walls 12 and 12 extend in the plane perpendicular direction of the cushioning member 1. It extends so as to have an inclination of an angle α in the A direction with respect to n.

Although not essential, the angle α formed by the central axes m of the holes H and H with the plane perpendicular direction n of the plate-shaped cushioning member 1 is preferably 5 degrees to 60 degrees, and is preferably 10 degrees to 50 degrees. Is more preferable. When the angle α is large, the flexibility of the cushioning member 1 is improved.
Although not essential, it is preferable that the central axes of the plurality of holes H, H are substantially parallel to each other and are inclined in the same direction (in the present embodiment, the A direction). It is not essential to align the inclination directions, and the inclination directions of the holes may be changed for each region or portion of the plate-shaped cushioning member 1 as in other embodiments described later.

The buffer member 1 of the above embodiment can be manufactured by applying a known manufacturing method.
For example, the rubber material is extruded and crosslinked so as to have a predetermined lattice-like or honeycomb-like structure, and when the shape is stable, the extruded member is sliced on a plane inclined obliquely with respect to the extrusion direction. By cutting out into a plate shape, the cushioning member 1 of the above embodiment can be manufactured.

Alternatively, an injection-molded mold having an inner peripheral surface corresponding to the outer surface shape of the cushioning member 1 of the above-described embodiment is created, and the rubber material or thermoplastic elastomer is injection-molded using the mold to perform injection-molding of the rubber material or the thermoplastic elastomer. The cushioning member 1 of the above can be manufactured.

Alternatively, a rubber material or the like is press-molded or roll-molded to produce a rubber plate having a predetermined thickness, and a plurality of holes H, H are formed in the rubber plate by using laser light, a punch, or the like to form the above-described embodiment. The cushioning member 1 of the above can also be manufactured.

The cushioning member 1 of the above embodiment can be used, for example, for gripping an object to be gripped by a robot. In this case, for example, the robot is configured as shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, only the hand part of the robot is shown, and the part corresponding to the arm is omitted. Further, FIG. 2 is drawn so that the upper side of the figure is upward in the vertical direction.

The robot includes gripping members 23, 23 forming a set for gripping the gripping object M. The gripping members 23, 23 are configured to be openable and closable. The specific configuration for opening and closing the gripping members 23, 23 is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the gripping members 23 and 23 are attached to the tips of the finger members 21 and 22, and the gripping members 23 and 23 open and close by rotating the finger members 21 and 22 around the pivot 24. .. Further, the specific configuration of the portion corresponding to the arm of the robot for controlling the position and posture of the gripping member is not particularly limited.

The number of the gripping members 23, 23 forming the set may be two, three, or four or more. When there are two gripping members, as shown in FIG. 2, the gripping object M may be gripped by the gripping members. When there are three or more gripping members, it is preferable to arrange the gripping members 23, 23 so as to surround the gripping object M to grip the gripping object.

The cushioning member 1 of the above embodiment is attached to the gripping members 23, 23 on the surface on the side where the gripping members 23, 23 grip the gripping object M. That is, the cushioning member 1 is provided at a portion in contact with the gripping object M so as to be sandwiched between the gripping member 23 and the gripping object M.

Further, the cushioning member 1 is attached to the gripping member 23 so that the direction in which the central axis m of the hole is tilted (direction A) faces a specific direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when the plate-shaped cushioning member 1 extends in the substantially vertical direction, the central axis m of the hole of the cushioning member 1 is changed from the cushioning member 1 to the gripping object M. It is tilted upward as it goes toward. In other words, the cushioning member 1 is attached to the gripping member 23 so that the direction in which the central axis m of the hole is tilted (A direction) faces upward in the vertical direction when gripping the gripping object.

When the direction in which the central axis m of the hole is tilted (A direction) faces upward in the vertical direction, the direction A does not necessarily have to face directly above the vertical direction, and the hole is tilted with respect to directly above the vertical direction. May be good. For example, in FIG. 2, the direction in which the central axis m of the hole is tilted (direction A) may be tilted toward the front side of the paper surface or the back side of the paper surface in the drawing. It suffices if the vector in the A direction has an upward component when viewed from the horizontal direction.

The robot having the above configuration is operated to grip the gripping object M.
First, the gripping objects M are arranged between the cushioning members 1 and 1 with the gripping members 23 and 23 open while the cushioning members 1 and 1 extend in a substantially vertical direction (FIG. 2).
After that, the gripping members 23 and 23 are closed. Then, the cushioning members 1 and 1 are elastically deformed in the thickness direction by being pressed by the gripping object M. In this way, the gripping object M is gripped.
As described above, as shown in FIG. 3, the gripping object M is gripped by the robot.

According to the cushioning member 1 of the above-described embodiment and the robot-based gripping method of the above-described embodiment using the cushioning member, the following actions and effects can be achieved.

In the cushioning member 1 of the above embodiment, a plurality of holes H, H are provided side by side in a predetermined plane pattern to form a lattice-like or honeycomb-like structure, and the central axis m of the holes H, H is the cushioning member. Since the gripping object M is pressed against the cushioning member 1 because it is tilted with respect to the plane perpendicular direction n of 1, the cushioning member is easily deformed and the flexibility of the cushioning member is increased.
That is, when the central axes m of the holes H and H are tilted with respect to the plane perpendicular direction n of the cushioning member 1, the partition wall (particularly the second partitioning wall 12) that partitions the holes is also the surface of the cushioning member 1. It will be provided at an angle with respect to n in the direct direction. When the gripping object M is pressed against such a cushioning member 1, the partition wall 12 is elastically deformed so as to be pushed down diagonally by the gripping object M.

Unlike the cushioning member 1 of the first embodiment, when all the partition walls extend in the plane perpendicular direction n, when the gripping object is pressed in the plane direction, the partition walls extend in the extending direction. It is relatively difficult to deform until it is compressed and a relatively large force is applied to buckle and deform the partition wall. Therefore, the flexibility of the cushioning member is likely to be impaired. Such a cushioning member may damage a fragile gripping object such as a peach.

On the other hand, in the cushioning member 1 of the above embodiment, since the partition wall (particularly the second partition wall 12) is provided so as to be inclined with respect to the plane perpendicular direction n of the cushioning member 1, the partition wall 12 is pushed down diagonally. It can be elastically deformed, the partition wall is easily elastically deformed, and the flexibility of the cushioning member is enhanced.

Further, in the cushioning member 1 of the above-described embodiment, the holding force for holding the gripping object by the robot can be increased while making the cushioning member flexible. In the robot, when the cushioning member 1 extends in the substantially vertical direction, the central axes m of the holes H and H of the cushioning member 1 move from the cushioning member 1 toward the gripping object M. It is tilted upward.
Then, after operating the robot and arranging the gripping object M between the cushioning members 1 and 1 with the gripping members 23 and 23 of the robot open while extending the cushioning member 1 in the substantially vertical direction. The gripping members 23 and 23 are closed, and the cushioning members 1 and 1 are elastically deformed in the thickness direction to grip the gripping object M (FIG. 3).

Then, a part of the second partition wall 12 of the cushioning member 1 is arranged so as to extend diagonally like a support between the gripping object M and the gripping member 23. At this time, the second partition wall 12 supports the lower portion of the gripping object like a strut arranged diagonally, and the holding force for gripping the gripping object M is enhanced.

Further, in the cushioning member 1, since the partition walls 11 and 12 are connected to each other to form a lattice-like or honeycomb-like structure, when the gripping object M tries to fall downward in the vertical direction, each second The fact that the partition wall 12 loses its force and is deformed is suppressed by the interaction with the first partition wall 11 and other partition walls. That is, in the cushioning member 1, the lattice-shaped or honeycomb-shaped partition wall structure integrally resists the drop of the gripping object, and the cushioning member is held despite its high flexibility. Power is enhanced.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, if the robot using the cushioning member 1 grips the gripping object M, the cushioning member 1 is elastically deformed in the thickness direction by being pushed by the gripping object M. At that time, a force that lifts the gripping object M upward acts, so that the robot grips the gripping object M so that the gripping object M is slightly lifted. As a result, it is possible to prevent the gripping object M from being pressed against the mounting table B when gripping, and it is possible to reduce the risk of damaging the gripping object even if the gripping object is easily damaged. That is, according to the above-mentioned robot gripping method, a fragile gripping object such as a fruit such as a peach can be gripped without being damaged.

From the viewpoint of increasing the flexibility and holding force of the cushioning member 1, the holes H and H are preferably through holes penetrating the cushioning member 1. If the holes H and H are through holes, the air inside the hole H can be allowed to escape from the side of the gripping member 23, and the cushioning member can be more flexibly deformed. Further, if the holes H and H are through holes, the holding force of the cushioning member 1 can be increased by sucking air from a part of the holes H and H from the side of the gripping member 23.

From the viewpoint of increasing the flexibility and holding power of the cushioning member 1, the hardness of the elastic material constituting the cushioning member 1 is Duro A hardness of 35 to 80 degrees, and the central axis m of the hole H is the surface of the cushioning member. The angle formed with n in the normal direction is preferably 5 to 60 degrees. If this is done, the flexibility and holding power of the cushioning member 1 will be further enhanced.

The invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented with various modifications. Other embodiments of the invention will be described below, but in the following description, parts different from the above-described embodiments will be mainly described, and detailed description of similar parts will be omitted. Moreover, these embodiments can be carried out by combining some of them with each other or replacing some of them.

4 to 8 show cushioning members of other embodiments. In these figures, the upper part in the vertical direction when the cushioning member is attached to the gripping member of the robot to grip the gripping object is shown so as to correspond to the upper part in the vertical direction of each figure.

FIG. 4 shows the cushioning member 4 of the second embodiment. In the present embodiment, the holes 4H and 4H have a triangular shape, and these holes are arranged in a hexagonal plane pattern to form a grid-like structure in which the partition walls 41 and 41 are connected. It is different from the cushioning member 1, but is the same in other respects. Also in the cushioning member 4 of the second embodiment, the holes 4H and 4H are in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the cushioning member so that the central axis m of the hole is directed from the back surface to the front surface in the upward direction (A direction) of FIG. It is provided at an angle with respect to n.
With such a configuration, the flexibility of the cushioning member 4 and the holding power are also enhanced in the cushioning member 4 of the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows the cushioning member 5 of the third embodiment. In the present embodiment, the holes 5H and 5H have a hexagonal shape, and these holes are arranged in a honeycomb-like plane pattern to form a honeycomb-like structure in which the partition walls 51 and 51 are connected. Although it is different from the cushioning member 1 of the first embodiment, other points are the same. Also in the cushioning member 5 of the third embodiment, the holes 5H and 5H are in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the cushioning member so that the central axis m of the hole is directed from the back surface to the front surface in the upward direction (A direction) of FIG. It is provided at an angle with respect to n.
With such a configuration, the flexibility of the cushioning member 5 and the holding power are also enhanced in the cushioning member 5 of the third embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows the cushioning member 6 of the fourth embodiment. In the present embodiment, the holes 6H and 6H have a quadrangular shape, and the partition walls 61a, 61b and 62 are connected to each other to form a lattice-like structure, which is the same as that of the cushioning member 1 of the first embodiment. , The direction in which the hole tilts is different. In the present embodiment, the holes 6H and 6H are arranged in the plane perpendicular direction n of the cushioning member so that the central axes m1 and m2 of the holes are directed from the back surface to the front surface in the upward direction (A direction) of FIG. In addition to being provided at an angle to the other side, the central axes m1 and m2 are also inclined toward the lateral direction (B1 direction, B2 direction) of FIG. 6 as the central axes m1 and m2 move from the back surface to the front surface. ing.

As described above, the central axes m1 and m2 may be inclined in the lateral direction, and even with such a configuration, in the cushioning member 6 of the fourth embodiment, the flexibility of the cushioning member 6 is enhanced and the holding force is also enhanced. ..

Further, in the cushioning member 6 of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 6, in the region on the right side of the centerline c of the cushioning member, the centerlines m1 of the holes 6H and 6H are such that the central axis m1 faces from the back surface to the front surface. Therefore, it is also tilted toward the left side (B1 direction) in FIG. On the other hand, in the region on the left side of the center line c of the cushioning member, the center lines m2 of the holes 6H and 6H are directed to the right (B2 direction) in FIG. 6 as the center axis m2 is directed from the back surface to the front surface. Is also leaning. That is, in the left and right regions, the holes are given different inclinations, and are inclined in the directions facing each other in the left-right direction (B1 direction, B2 direction).

According to this configuration, the second partition walls 62, 62 extending in the lateral direction of the drawing are inclined and extend in the upward direction (A direction) of the drawing from the back surface to the front surface of the cushioning member. .. Therefore, when the cushioning member 6 is elastically deformed by the gripping object, the second partition wall 62 acts like an oblique support between the gripping object and the gripping member to support the gripping object. Contributes to improving the holding power of the object to be gripped.

Further, in the region on the right side of the center line c of the cushioning member, the first partition wall 61a and the hole extending in the vertical direction in the figure are tilted in the left direction (B1 direction) in the figure, whereas the center of the cushioning member is centered. In the region on the left side of the line c, the first partition wall 61b and the hole extending in the vertical direction in the figure are inclined in the right direction (B2 direction) in the figure. Therefore, when the gripping member performs the operation of gripping / releasing the gripping object via such a cushioning member, the gripping object is directed toward the center line c of the cushioning member due to the elastic deformation of the inclined walls 61a and 61b. A force is generated to push the object to be gripped, and the object to be gripped is centered. That is, when the cushioning member 6 of the fourth embodiment is attached to the gripping member of the robot, the gripping object can be centered toward the center line c of the cushioning member.

FIG. 7 shows the cushioning member 7 of the fifth embodiment. In the present embodiment, a series of partition walls are provided so as to have a shape in which concentric circles are radially divided. The partition walls separating the adjacent holes 7H and 7H are provided so as to connect the first partition walls 71 and 71 provided radially and the second partition walls 72 and 72 provided concentrically with the holes 7H and 7H. It has a substantially square shape in which an arc and a straight line are combined. The second partition walls 72, 72 and the central axis m of the hole are provided so as to be inclined in the direction of the white arrow so as to be directed toward the center O of the concentric circles from the back surface toward the front surface.

The cushioning member 7 having such a configuration also enhances the flexibility of the cushioning member and enhances the holding force. From the viewpoint of increasing the holding force, the second partition wall 72 is a region of the cushioning member corresponding to the portion supporting the lower side of the gripping object, and is directed upward vertically from the cushioning member toward the gripping object M. , 72 and the central axis m of the hole may be tilted.
Further, also in the cushioning member 7 of the fifth embodiment, when attached to the gripping member of the robot as in the cushioning member 6 of the fourth embodiment, the gripping object can be centered toward the center O of the concentric circles.

FIG. 8 shows the cushioning member 8 of the sixth embodiment. Compared to the cushioning member 6 of the fourth embodiment of FIG. 6, the cushioning member 8 has the partition walls 82 and 82 extending in the left-right direction and the center lines of the holes 8H and 8H extending from the back surface to the front surface of the cushioning member. The difference is that it is not tilted toward the upper part of the figure, and the other points are the same as those of the cushioning member 6 of the fourth embodiment of FIG.

Also in the cushioning member 8 of the sixth embodiment, in the region on the right side with respect to the center line c of the cushioning member, the first partition wall 81a extending in the vertical direction in the drawing and the central axis m1 of the hole are in the left direction in the drawing. In the region on the left side of the center line c of the cushioning member, the first partition wall 81b extending in the vertical direction in the figure and the central axis m2 of the hole are in the right direction (B2 direction) in the figure. ) Is made to lean.

Also in the cushioning member 8 of the sixth embodiment, for example, when the cushioning member 8 is extended in the substantially vertical direction, the cushioning member 8 is attached to the gripping member of the robot so that the B1 direction faces vertically upward to grip the gripping object. By doing so, the flexibility of the cushioning member is also increased, and the holding power is also increased.

When the cushioning member of the above embodiment is attached to the gripping member of the robot, the cushioning member is attached so that the hole of the cushioning member and the partition wall are inclined in the horizontal direction with respect to the plane direction n, and the gripping member forms a set. In the member, the direction in which the hole or the partition wall is inclined in the horizontal direction may be configured to be rotationally symmetric. With such a configuration, when the gripping member of the robot is opened and closed, a moment for rotating the gripping object around the vertical axis is generated, and the gripping object can be rotated to adjust the posture of the gripping object.

Further, the use of the cushioning member of the above series of embodiments is not limited to the cushioning member attached to the grip portion of the robot, and can be used for other cushioning applications. For example, the cushioning member of the above embodiment can be used as a cushioning member arranged between the mounting surface of the conveyor for transport and the object to be transported.
Due to its flexibility, it is possible to suppress damage to the object to be transported.

Further, when a cushioning member having a centering action such as the cushioning member 7 of the fifth embodiment of FIG. 7 and the cushioning member 8 of the sixth embodiment of FIG. 8 is used, the object to be transported is centered by the vibration of the conveyor. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the object to be transported from falling off from the conveyor for transportation. In this case, the cushioning member 8 of the sixth embodiment of FIG. 8 may be arranged so that the direction in which the holes and the first partition wall are inclined (B1, B2 directions) faces the width direction of the conveyor.

The cushioning member can be used, for example, in a portion where a robot grips an object to be gripped, and has high industrial utility value.

1 Cushioning member H hole 11 1st partition wall 12 2nd partition wall M Gripping object 23 Gripping member

Claims (4)

A plate-shaped cushioning member made of an elastic material.
The cushioning member is provided with a plurality of holes arranged side by side in a predetermined plane pattern.
The part where the hole and the hole are adjacent to each other is a flat plate-shaped partition wall.
The partition walls are connected to each other to form a lattice-like or honeycomb-like structure.
The central axis of the hole is tilted with respect to the plane direction of the cushioning member.
Cushioning member. The hole is a through hole that penetrates the cushioning member.
The cushioning member according to claim 1. The hardness of the elastic material is Duro A hardness of 20 to 80 degrees.
The angle between the central axis of the hole and the direction perpendicular to the surface of the cushioning member is 5 to 60 degrees.
The cushioning member according to claim 1. A method of gripping an object to be gripped by a robot.
The robot is equipped with a gripping member that forms a set that can be opened and closed.
The cushioning member according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is attached to the gripping member at a portion in contact with the gripping object.
When the cushioning member is extended in a substantially vertical direction, the central axis of the hole of the cushioning member is provided so as to be inclined upward toward the gripping object from the cushioning member.
Operate the robot
After arranging the gripping object between the cushioning members with the gripping member open while extending the cushioning member in a substantially vertical direction,
The gripping member is closed, and the cushioning member is elastically deformed in the thickness direction to grip the gripping object.
Gripping method.

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