JP4238440B2 - Article gripper - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Technical field to which the invention belongs]
The present invention relates to an article gripper, and more particularly, to an article gripper used for a caser that holds an article and stores it in a box, or an answerer that takes out the article from the box.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As an article gripper used for a caser for inserting an article into a box or an answerer for taking out an article from a box, one having a configuration shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-24083, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-323, etc. has been conventionally known. It has been. Casers, anchorers, and the like in which these grippers are used are desired to be used for many kinds of articles having different sizes and shapes. Therefore, the grippers described in each of the above publications have a coupler attached to the top thereof, and when the type of article is changed, the entire gripper is removed and replaced with another gripper.
[0003]
Usually, the gripper is provided with a grip member for directly gripping an article and an operation mechanism for opening and closing the grip member. Therefore, in the configuration in which the entire gripper is replaced as described above, the number of parts is large and a large There are various problems such as a large number of grippers being prepared, high costs, and a large storage space when not in use.
[0004]
Therefore, a gripper has been proposed in which the operating mechanism and the grip member are separated, and only the grip member can be removed and replaced (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-277476). Since the gripper described in this publication only replaces the grip member, the cost can be greatly reduced as compared with the conventional gripper that replaces the whole as described above, and the storage space is also small. There is merit such as being finished.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in addition to the grip claw (gripper member 5 in the above publication) that directly contacts and grips the article, the grip member (the gripper portion 1 in the above publication) has a swing shaft 6 that is the center of swing of the grip claw. In addition, components such as a roller 8 and a spring 7 that are opened and closed by the cam 3 are used, and a number of components are also used in a mechanism that attaches and detaches the grip member and the operating mechanism (the operating unit 2 in the above publication). Therefore, even if only the grip member is replaced, the cost is somewhat high. In addition, there is a problem that a troublesome operation is required for attaching and detaching the grip member.
[0006]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is an article that can be removed and replaced only by a grip claw portion that is in direct contact with the article with a simple configuration and with a very simple operation. The object is to provide a gripper.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An article gripper according to the present invention includes a pair of grip members that grip and release an article by approaching and separating from each other, and an operation mechanism that opens and closes the grip members, and the grip member holds the article. A grip claw for gripping; a grip claw holding member to which the grip claw is attached; and a lock means for regulating the grip claw so as not to move outward with respect to the grip claw holding member. A contact portion where the upper portion of the grip claw that contacts the article contacts the nail holding member, and a portion that contacts the contact portion of the grip claw when the upper portion of the grip claw contacts the contact portion a back receiving portion for supporting the back of the lower than, the contact portion and between the back receiving portion, Rutotomoni provided a grip claw can pass the gap, the contact portion and the grip of the gripping claw holding member The one in which a person in the contact portion consists of a pin hole provided on the positioning pin and the other provided on one of the abutting portion positioning means provided.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. 1 is a front view of an article gripper according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part (grip member), and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the grip member. The article gripper includes a pair of grip members 4 that open and close a lower end portion to grip and release an article such as a container 2, and an operation mechanism 6 that is provided above the grip member 4 and opens and closes the grip member 4. The upper part of the operating mechanism 6 is attached to a moving means such as a robot head via a support rod (not shown).
[0009]
Each grip member 4 is supported between the frames 10 on both sides by a horizontal shaft 8, and a lever 12 on which the upper portion 12 a swings with the horizontal shaft 8 as a fulcrum, and slightly below the outside of the lever 12, Grip claws attached to a block 16 having a vertically long rectangular shape fixed by a countersunk screw 14 or the like, and a lever 12 and a block 16 that are fixed and integrated (both of which constitute a grip claw holding member 18). 20.
[0010]
As described above, both the grip members 4 and 4 are swingable with the horizontal shafts 8 and 8 as fulcrums, and a tension spring 22 is mounted on the upper side of the horizontal shafts 8 and 8 so that the upper end side is located. (The lever 12 side) is always urged in a direction in which they approach each other, and accordingly in a direction in which the lower end side (grip claw 20 side) is separated. Rollers 24 and 24 are respectively attached to the upper ends of the grip members 4 and 4 (upper end portions 12a and 12a of the levers 12 and 12) so as to face each other. A cam 26 having the cam surfaces 26a, 26a is arranged to be movable up and down. When the cam 26 is lowered, the rollers 24, 24 are pushed apart by the cam surfaces 26a, 26a and separated from each other, and the lower ends of the grip claws 20 approach each other to grip the article such as the container 2 from both sides (see FIG. 1). See the state on the right).
[0011]
Further, when the cam 26 rises, both the rollers 26a and 26a approach by the tension spring 22, and the lower ends of the grip claws 20 and 20 expand to release the container 2 (see the state on the left side in FIG. 1). A buffer pad 28 that contacts the container 2 is attached to the lower ends of the grip claws 20, 20.
[0012]
Above the grip members 4, 4 is provided an operating mechanism 6 that swings the grip members 4, 4 to open and close the lower end thereof. The operating mechanism 6 is disposed at the upper part of the frames 10 and 10 and is slidably fitted to the cylinder 30 composed of the surrounding wall surface 30a, the bottom surface 30b and the top surface 30c, and the inner periphery of the wall surface 30a of the cylinder 30. And an air cylinder 35 composed of a piston 34. Air can be introduced from a pressure source (not shown) into the sealed space 32 above the piston 34 in the air cylinder 35. When air is supplied into the space 32, the piston 34 descends.
[0013]
The cam 26 is provided below the piston 34, and when air is introduced into the space 32 above the piston 34, the cam 26 descends together with the piston 34 to spread the rollers 24, 24, and the grip member 4. , 4 are brought close to each other. Further, a return spring 38 is disposed below the piston 34 and constantly biases the piston 34 upward. When air is discharged from the upper space 32, the piston 34 and the cam 26 are raised by the spring 38. Then, the lower ends of the grip members 4 and 4 are expanded.
[0014]
Next, each part (lever 12, block 16, grip claw 20) and the structure which connects the grip claw 20 to the upper grip claw holding member 18 will be described. The lever 12 has a support portion 12b supported by the horizontal shaft 8 on the inner surface side of the lower end portion (the side where the levers 12 and 12 face each other), and a roller 24 that engages the cam 26 on the inner surface side of the upper end portion 12a. Are provided. The outer surface side of the lever 12 is a flat surface 12c, and the block 16 is fixed to the flat surface 12c.
[0015]
The block 16 includes a bottom surface 16a that is flat on both the inner surface side and the outer surface side, a frame-shaped portion 16b that surrounds the upper and left sides of the outer surface side of the bottom surface 16a, and a lower end portion of the frame-shaped portion 16b. And a back receiving portion 16c provided to protrude outward. The block 16 has a flat surface 12c on the outer surface side of the lever 12 and an inner surface side of the bottom surface 16a at a position where the substantially central portion thereof coincides with the support portion 12b of the lever 12, that is, a position shifted downward from the lever 12. Are fixed in close contact. The bottom surface 16a of the block 16 is cut slightly below the portion fixed to the lever 12, and a gap into which the grip claw 20 can be inserted is provided between the lower end portion 16d of the bottom surface 16a and the back receiving portion 16c. 40 is formed. Further, the outer surface side of the bottom surface 16 a of the block 16 and the inner surface side of the back receiving portion 16 c have a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the grip claw 20.
[0016]
The grip claw 20 fixed to the grip claw holding member 18 including the lever 12 and the block 16 which are fixed and integrated has an upper portion 20a which is a contact portion in the frame-shaped portion 16b of the block 16 (the outer surface side of the bottom portion 16a). ), And the width of the upper portion 20a substantially coincides with the left and right spacing of the frame-like portion 16b. The lower part of the grip claw 20 has a leg shape that is divided into two forks, and a buffer pad 28 that comes into contact with the container 2 is attached to the inner surfaces of the lower ends of these leg portions 20b, 20b. A through hole 20c for inserting a bolt is formed at the upper end of the grip claw 20, and the bolt 42 is inserted through the through hole 20c and the through hole 16e formed in the bottom surface 16a of the block 16 to The grip claw 20 is fixed to the grip claw holding member 18 by being fastened to the screw hole 12d.
[0017]
On the inner surface side of the grip claw 20, a positioning spring pin 44 is implanted. On the other hand, a pin hole 16f is provided at the center of the bottom surface 16a of the block 16 at a position corresponding to the spring pin 44. It has been.
[0018]
A procedure for attaching and detaching the grip claw 20 having the above structure to and from the grip claw holding member 18 including the lever 12 and the block 16 will be described. First, the upper part 20a of the grip claw 20 is inserted into the gap 40 formed in the lower part of the block 16 from the inner surface side of the block 16 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3). Next, the grip pin 20 is raised in parallel with the bottom surface 16a of the block 16 so that the spring pin 44 of the grip claw 20 matches the position of the pin hole 16f formed in the bottom surface 16a of the block 16. The spring pin 44 of the grip claw 20 is fitted into the pin hole 16f of the block 16, and the inner surface of the upper portion 20a of the grip claw 20 is in close contact with the outer surface of the bottom portion 16a of the block 16. In this state, both side surfaces and the upper end surface of the upper portion 20 a of the grip claw 20 are regulated by the frame-shaped portion 16 b of the block 16. When the grip claw 20 is positioned with respect to the grip holding member 18 in this way, the substantially central portion on the outer surface side of the grip claw 20 abuts on the inner surface of the back receiving portion 16c of the block 16 or faces with a slight gap therebetween. To do.
[0019]
In this embodiment, the gripping claws 20 are provided with positioning spring pins 44 and the pin holes 16f are provided on the block 16 side. However, these are reversed, the spring pins are provided on the block 16 side, and the grip claws. 20 may be provided with a pin hole into which the pin is fitted.
[0020]
Thereafter, the bolt 42 is inserted into the grip claw 20 and the through holes 20c and 16e formed in the bottom surface 16a of the block 16 and fastened to the screw hole 12d of the lever 12, whereby the attachment of the grip claw 20 is completed. If a trimmer bolt in which a washer and a bolt are integrated is used as the fastening bolt 42, the fixing operation of the grip claw 20 is easier.
[0021]
When the grip claw 20 is removed from the grip claw holding member 18 and replaced with another grip claw 20, the bolt 42 is loosened and removed, and then the lower end of the grip claw 20 (both leg portions). 20b and 20b) are pushed inward and tilted as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3, the spring pin 44 for positioning also comes off and can be easily extracted from the gap 40 of the block 16. Thereafter, another grip claw 20 is attached.
[0022]
As described above, since only the grip claw 20 can be removed and replaced, even in the case of an article gripper that is also used as an article such as various containers 2, only a part of the grip claw 20 having a different size or shape is used. You should prepare it. Low cost and does not require a large space for storage. In addition, the attaching / detaching operation is very simple, and it takes less manpower and time, and the work efficiency is good.
[0023]
The grip member 4 of the article gripper according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Although only the upper portions of the block 16 and the grip claw 20 are shown in the drawing, the basic shapes of the lever 12, the rectangular block 16 and the grip claw 20 constituting the grip member 4 are the same as those of the first embodiment. The only difference is the configuration of the locking means described below. Accordingly, the same members will be described with the same reference numerals.
[0024]
In this example, a ball plunger 50 as a locking means is incorporated in the upper part of the frame-like portion 16b of the block 16. In the ball plunger 50, a spring 54 and a ball 56 are accommodated in a holder 52 fixed to the upper portion of the frame-shaped portion 16b, and the ball 56 biased by the spring 54 is prevented from coming off at an opening of the holder 52. The tip slightly protrudes to the lower surface side of the frame-like portion 16b. The distance between the portion of the ball 56 projecting from the frame-like portion 16 b and the bottom surface 16 a of the block 16 substantially matches the thickness of the grip claw 20.
[0025]
In this configuration, when the grip claw 20 is fixed to the grip claw holding member 18, the tip of the grip claw 20 is inserted into the gap 40 of the block 16 as in the above embodiment, and the spring pin 44 of the grip claw 20 is inserted. When the grip claw 20 is raised so as to match the position of the pin hole 16f of the block bottom surface 16a, the upper portion 20a of the grip claw 20 is brought into close contact with the contact portion on the outer surface side of the bottom surface 16a of the block 16, and the spring pin 44 is The upper end surface 20 d of the grip claw 20 pushes up the ball 56 of the ball plunger 50 and enters the bottom surface 16 a side of the block 16 and is locked by the ball 56 biased by the spring 54.
[0026]
The article gripper according to this embodiment inserts the upper portion 20a of the gripper claw 20 into the gap 40 of the block 16, and stands the grip pin 20 with the position of the spring pin 44 aligned with the block 16 side. Since it can be fixed to 18 with one touch, the attaching / detaching work is further easier than the first embodiment.
[0027]
Next, the grip member 4 of the article gripper according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. This figure corresponds to FIG. 5 of the second embodiment, and only the configuration of the locking means is different. Since the other parts have the same configuration as that of each of the above embodiments, the same parts will be described with the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, the magnet 60 is embedded on the grip claw 20 side of the bottom surface 16a of the block 16, while the grip claw 20 is entirely made of a magnetic material. Even in this configuration, the block 16 and the grip claw 20 can be integrated by aligning the spring pins 44 of the grip claw 20 with the pin holes 16f of the block 16 and bringing them into close contact with each other. Therefore, the grip claw 20 can be attached and detached very easily.
[0028]
Note that the grip claw 20 as a whole need not be made of a magnetic material as described above, and the magnet may be embedded at a position corresponding to the position where the magnet 60 of the block 16 is provided. Further, the configuration of the locking means is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and in any case, a large fixing force is not required, and the upper portion of the grip claw 20 is held so as not to be separated from the block 16 toward the outside. Anything is possible.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the product gripper according to the present invention can be removed and replaced by removing only the grip claws from the grip member. Therefore, it is only necessary to prepare a large number of grip claws even for grippers that are used for various types of articles. It is extremely low cost and requires a small storage space. Also, the detachment work is extremely easy, and the workability is improved because the work time and manpower are reduced. Furthermore, since the structure of the grip member is simplified, the article gripper is reduced in weight, and the burden on the moving means side such as a robot is reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of an article gripper according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the article gripper.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing a grip member of the article gripper.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a grip member of an article gripper according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of a second embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the main part of the second embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of a third embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
4 Grip member 6 Actuating mechanism 16c Back support 18 Grip claw holding member 20 Grip claw 20a Upper part 42 of grip claw Bolt (locking means)
44 gap

Claims (1)

In an article gripper provided with a pair of grip members that grip and release articles close to and away from each other, and an operating mechanism that opens and closes these grip members,
The grip member includes a grip claw that grips an article, a grip claw holding member to which the grip claw is attached, and a lock unit that regulates the grip claw so as not to be separated from the grip claw holding member. Have
The grip claw holding member is contacted with the upper part of the grip claw that contacts the article, and when the upper part of the grip claw comes into contact with the contact part, the contact part of the grip claw to a back receiving portion for supporting the back of the lower than abutting portion, wherein between the contact portion and the back receiving portion, Rutotomoni provided a grip claw can pass gaps, those of the gripping claw holding member An article gripper comprising a positioning pin provided on one of a contact part and a part of the grip claw that contacts the contact part, and a positioning means comprising a pin hole provided on the other .

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