KR20230046899A - Gripper for soft objects - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a gripper capable of gripping a soft object. The present invention relates to the gripper comprises a grip unit having a portion which at least comes in contact with an object and is formed to be flexible to be moved in one direction by injection of fluid and enabling the object to be introduced and disposed in a grip hole formed on one side thereof to grip the object. Therefore, the present invention can be used for various fields, and more specifically, a smart farm.

Description

Gripper capable of gripping soft objects {GRIPPER FOR SOFT OBJECTS}

The present invention relates to a gripper capable of gripping an object.

In particular, it relates to a gripper capable of gripping and moving a soft object.

In general, a gripper is a device that simulates a human motion, in particular, a human hand motion, and refers to equipment for gripping, moving or processing an object. In general, a gripper moves a jaw to create a space for gripping an object, and then moves the jaw back to its original position to grip the object.

Grippers are used in various industrial fields to replace manpower. However, there is an area where grippers are not widely used, and this is agriculture.

Since the advent of the 4th industry, automation and smartization have been carried out by applying ICT technology to various fields, and the agricultural sector is no exception. In the agricultural sector, smart farming is in progress, and smart farm means a technology that can maintain and manage agricultural and livestock farming by grafting ICT technology to all parts from the growth of agricultural and livestock products to harvest.

Manpower is being replaced by machines due to smart farming, but replacing it with mechanization in one part is a problem, which is the part of harvesting crops.

It is thought that it is possible to use the gripper to harvest the crops, but it is difficult to do so, because the crops are soft.

As an example, taking the case of strawberries as an example, if a little strong force is applied to the strawberry, damage occurs to the strawberry. Therefore, in order to harvest strawberries, it is necessary to grab the strawberries with fine force, pull them, and put them in the basket.

It is very easy for a human to control this force, but not for a gripper. This is because the size of the strawberry, the strength of the surface of the strawberry, etc. are different for each strawberry, so a gripper that performs the same grasping motion must operate in response to these various changes, but it is very difficult to implement this.

Domestic Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0136209 (2019.12.10)

An object of the present invention according to an embodiment is to solve the above problems and to provide a gripper capable of gripping a soft object.

The gripper for gripping a soft object includes a grip part that moves in one direction by fluid injection, including a flexible part, and grips the object by inserting and disposing the object into a grip hole formed on one side.

The grip part has one side fixed and has an outer part forming the outer side, an inner part spaced apart from the outer part and forming an inner side, a connection part connecting the outer part and the inner part, and one side of the inner part being wound and receiving a control signal. and a grip motor that is rotated along and unwinds the wound inner part.

The outer portion, the inner portion, and the connecting portion are integrally formed of a flexible material.

The grip hole is characterized in that it refers to a space formed on an inner surface of the inner portion.

It characterized in that it further comprises an injection unit for injecting the fluid between one side of the outer portion and one side of the inner portion.

Further comprising a housing having a hole formed on one side and a space formed therein, and one side of the outer part being connected to the periphery of the hole.

The housing is characterized in that a plurality of holes are formed along the circumference, and the grip parts are formed in a number corresponding to the number of the holes.

A space is formed inside the hole of the housing, and a guide frame having one surface open is disposed.

A connection part is formed in the housing, and a rotation motor is connected to the connection part.

It is possible to grip the soft object of the present invention according to an embodiment formed with the above configuration. Therefore, the present invention can be used in smart farms to harvest crops (especially soft fruits and vegetables).

1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a gripper according to the present invention according to a first embodiment.
Figure 2a is a partial cross-sectional view of the present invention gripper according to the first embodiment before operation, Figure 2b is a partial cross-sectional view when the present invention gripper according to the first embodiment is operated to harvest fruits and vegetables, and Figure 2c is It is a partial cross-sectional view of a state in which the gripper of the present invention according to the first embodiment is operated to harvest fruits and vegetables.
3A is a top view of the gripper according to the present invention according to a second embodiment in an open state, and FIG. 3B is a side view of the gripper according to the present invention according to the second embodiment.
4A is a cross-sectional view of a gripper of the present invention according to a third embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the gripper of the present invention according to a third embodiment.
5 is a front view of a gripper of the present invention according to a fourth embodiment.
6 is a front view of a gripper of the present invention according to a fifth embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail through exemplary drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

In adding reference numerals to components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components have the same numerals as much as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings. In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

In addition, the size or shape of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of description. In addition, terms specifically defined in consideration of the configuration and operation of the present invention are only for describing the embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a gripper according to the present invention according to a first embodiment.

Figure 2a is a partial cross-sectional view of the present invention gripper according to the first embodiment before operation, Figure 2b is a partial cross-sectional view when the present invention gripper according to the first embodiment is operated to harvest fruits and vegetables, and Figure 2c is It is a partial cross-sectional view of a state in which the gripper of the present invention according to the first embodiment is operated to harvest fruits and vegetables.

The gripper 100 according to the present invention according to the first embodiment includes a grip part.

The grip portion includes a flexible portion and has a grip hole 140 formed therein. The grip part expands by injecting fluid and may gradually move in one direction. Accordingly, the grip part is gradually moved in one direction toward the object, and the object may be introduced and disposed into the grip hole 140 .

A grip hole 140 is formed in the center of the grip part. When the grip part is moved in one direction, which is the direction in which the object is located, and the object is positioned in the grip hole 140, the flexible grip part naturally moves through the grip hole 140 by the object. As the diameter increases, the object enters the grip hole 140 and is positioned.

Then, the grip part may be restored to its original position. At this time, the soft object located in the grip hole 140 is moved along with the movement of the grip unit. Therefore, the present invention can grip and move soft objects, and can respond to various sizes and shapes of objects, so it can be used in smart farms.

Looking at the configuration of the grip part of the present invention in more detail with reference to FIG. 1, the grip part of the gripper of the present invention includes a housing (no indicator in FIG. 1), an outer part 110, a connection part 120, an inner part 130, and a grip motor. 150, and an injection unit 160.

The housing has an inner space and a hole is formed on one side. The rest of the housing except for the hole may be closed. However, the injection unit 160 may be disposed while communicating with the housing.

The outer part 110, the connecting part 120, and the inner part 130 may be disposed in the hole of the housing. The outer portion 110, the connection portion 120, and the inner portion 130 may be formed of a flexible material. For example, the outer portion 110, the connection portion 120, and the inner portion 130 may be made of rubber, PVC, or synthetic resin.

Here, the outer portion 110, the connection portion 120, and the inner portion 130 are names arbitrarily named for classification according to locations. Confirming this through FIG. 1, the outer part 110 is the part located on the outside, the inner part 130 is the part located on the inside, and the connection part 120 is the outer part 110 and the inner part ( 130) in a round connection.

On the other hand, the original shape of the outer portion 110, the inner portion 130, and the connection portion 120 of the present invention can be observed as a cylindrical shape with an empty center, as can be seen in Figure 3a or Figure 3b, which will be discussed later. The empty part in the middle may be the grip hole 140 . That is, as can be confirmed through FIG. 1 , the grip hole 140 may mean a space formed between the inner parts 130 .

Looking at the outer part 110, the connecting part 120, and the inner part 130 again, according to the present invention, the connecting part 120 can become the outer part 110 according to the movement of the grip part, and the inner part 130 can become the outer part 110. It can be. As the inner part 130 is supplied, the inner part 130 before being supplied becomes the connection part 120, and the connection part 120 before the inner part 130 is supplied becomes the outer part 110 when the inner part 130 is supplied. because it moves in one direction.

The inner part 130 is wound around the shaft of the grip motor 150 disposed inside the housing 200 . Therefore, as the grip motor 150 rotates to which the control signal is applied, the inner portion 130 wound around the grip motor 150 can be unwound and supplied.

Meanwhile, the injection unit 160 is disposed within the housing 200 . The injection unit 160 injects a fluid (a moving object), and the fluid may be air, for example. Accordingly, the inside of the housing 200 may be filled with air by the injection part 160 .

Referring to FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C, the present invention moves by gripping a soft object. As shown in FIG. 2A, after the soft object and the grip hole 140 are matched and arranged, the grip motor 150 is rotated in one direction. Since one side of the outer part 110 is fixed to the housing 200, since its position is fixed, the position of one side of the outer part 110 is fixed as it is, but the connection part 120 is connected to the outer part according to the supply of the inner part 130 ( 110), the length of the outer portion 110 becomes longer, and some of the inner portion 130 becomes the outer portion 110 and the other portion remains as the inner portion 130, so that the length of the inner portion 130 increases. Here, the outer part 110, the connection part 120, and the inner part 130 maintain an expanded state due to the fluid supplied by the injection part 160.

If this method continues, an object is placed into the grip hole 140 as shown in FIG. 2B. Here, the outer portion 110, the connection portion 120, and the inner portion 130 are maintained in an inflated state by air. When an object is placed into the grip hole 140 and the inner portion 130 stably grips the object (the object is drawn into the inlet hole 140), the grip motor 150 rotates the shaft in reverse.

By rotating the shaft of the grip motor 150 in the opposite direction, the present invention operates in the opposite way as described above. That is, some parts of the outer part 110 become the connection part 120, so that the length of the outer part 110 is shortened, the connection part 120 becomes the inner part 130, and a part of the inner part 130 is connected to the grip motor 150. is re-wound on the shaft of By repeating such an operation, the lengths of the outer portion 110 and the inner portion 130 are eventually shortened as shown in FIG. 2C, so that the position of the object can be changed.

Meanwhile, the plurality of grip parts may be operated simultaneously or may be operated in a predetermined order. As an example, the grip parts located on the upper and lower sides of FIG. 3A can be operated, and then the rotation motor 300 is operated to rotate 90 degrees, and the grip part that has not been operated before can be operated.

Figure 3a is a top view of the gripper of the present invention according to the second embodiment, and Figure 3b is a side view of the gripper of the present invention according to the second embodiment.

The present invention gripper 100 according to the second embodiment may include a housing 200, a guide frame 210, a grip part according to the first embodiment, and a rotation motor 300.

Unlike the first embodiment, the housing 200 may have a plurality of holes formed therein. For example, the housing 200 may be formed in a hexahedral shape as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, and each hole may be formed on a circumferential surface to form four holes.

Guide frames 210 formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the hole of the housing 200 may be respectively disposed in the hole of the housing 200 .

The grip unit described in the first embodiment may be disposed on the housing 200 formed as described above. Here, a plurality of grip parts are formed according to the number of holes. (However, it does not matter if the injection unit 160 is one) Therefore, the present invention according to the second embodiment can harvest a plurality of objects. Like the grip part according to the first embodiment, the grip part according to the second embodiment includes the outer part 110, the connection part 120, and the inner part 130, and the grip hole 140 is formed, and the grip motor 150, injection may include section 160 .

The operation of the grip unit according to the second embodiment is similar to that according to the first embodiment. That is, due to the rotation of the grip motor 150, mutual exchange of the outer part 110, the connecting part 120, and the inner part 130, and fluid injection of the injection part 160, the object moves in the direction and the opposite direction. It can be.

Meanwhile, the present invention according to the second embodiment may further include a rotary motor 300.

A fastening part is formed on the lower side of the housing 200, and the shaft of the rotary motor 300 may be connected to the fastening part. The fastening unit is not shown, but may be, for example, a gearbox with a gear ratio adjusted.

The rotation motor 300 may be, for example, a step motor or a servo motor that is easy to control. The rotary motor 300 may rotate the shaft at a set angle when a control signal is applied. Accordingly, the housing 200 connected to the rotary motor 300 may also be rotated.

Therefore, a plurality of objects can be harvested using a plurality of grip parts, and the objects and the grip holes 140 can be adjusted to face each other.

Figure 4a is a cross-sectional view of the gripper of the present invention according to a third embodiment, and Figure 4b is a cross-sectional view of the gripper of the present invention according to a third embodiment.

The gripper 100 according to the present invention according to the third embodiment may include a release body 400.

As can be seen in FIG. 4A , the release body 400 may be disposed outside the housing 200 at a portion adjacent to the housing 200 . The release body 400 is formed with a set length. The release body 400 is made of a flexible material. For example, the releaser 400 may be made of rubber. A portion of the release body 400 may be fixed to the housing 200 and may be disposed in the grip hole 140 .

The release body 400 may allow an object to be released from the grip hole 140 .

For example, when an object is moved in a direction close to the housing 200 along the grip hole 140 as shown in FIG. 2C, when the object is disposed adjacent to the housing 200, it comes into contact with the release body 400. Even after that, when the inside part 130 is wound around the grip motor 150 and the length of the inside part 130 is shortened, the release body 400 and the object come into contact with each other more strongly. Eventually, the release body 400 moves the object through the grip hole. (140).

Here, the release body 400 itself is formed to be flexible, and the inner part 130, the outer part 110, and the connection part 120 that grip the object are expanded by fluid, so the soft object is not damaged and the grip hole ( 140).

5 is a front view of a gripper of the present invention according to a fourth embodiment.

The gripper 100 according to the fourth embodiment may further include a cylinder 500, a storage body 600, a moving roller 700, a sensing body 800, and the like in the gripper 100 according to the third embodiment. can

As can be seen in FIG. 5 , the gripper 100 according to the fourth embodiment may include all of the components described in the third embodiment.

In the gripper 100 according to the fourth embodiment, the cylinder 500 is disposed below the rotary motor 300, and the cylinder 500 may be disposed in the storage body 600 with an open top. Also, a moving roller 700 may be disposed below the storage body 600 .

The cylinder 500 may move up and down when a control signal is applied. As the cylinder 500 moves, the rotary motor 300 mounted on the cylinder 500 also moves, and the housing 200 connected to the rotary motor 300 can also move. Therefore, according to the fifth embodiment, the grip hole 140 and the object can be more precisely aligned and arranged.

On the other hand, the present invention includes a storage body 600 having a wide storage space and an open upper side, and when the inner portion 130 is wound by rotation of the grip motor 150, it is separated by the release body 400. The object may fall downward and be stored in the storage body 600.

In addition, forward and backward movement may be possible by the moving roller 700 . Here, it is preferable that the moving roller 700 is an endless track because it must be moved over curved floors and obstacles.

Also, according to the present invention, the sensing body 800 may be disposed along the circumference of the housing 200 . The sensing body 800 may be, for example, an object recognition camera. Accordingly, the sensing body 800 may perform photographing and identify an object to be harvested within photographing data. When the harvest target is confirmed by the sensing body 800, the control server or a controller not shown applies a control signal to operate the cylinder 500, the rotation motor 300, etc. to change the position, and the grip motor 150 You can grip an object by operating

6 is a front view of a gripper of the present invention according to a fifth embodiment.

The present invention gripper 100 according to the fifth embodiment is similar to the gripper 100 according to the fourth embodiment, but includes a first cylinder 510 and a second cylinder 520.

The first cylinder 510 and the second cylinder 520 may be disposed below the rotary motor 300 , respectively.

The first cylinder 510 and the second cylinder 520 may be independently operated. Therefore, the rotation motor 300 may be capable of tilting. That is, when only the second cylinder 520 is moved downward while the first cylinder 510 is moved upward to the maximum, the rotary motor 300 may be tilted in the direction of the second cylinder 520, thereby gripping The hole 140 may also be tilted. Naturally, when the first cylinder 510 and the second cylinder 520 are located at the same height, they may not be tilted.

As described above, according to the present invention, the grip hole 140 and the object can be positioned in correspondence with each other more accurately, including the first cylinder 510 and the second cylinder 520 . Accordingly, it is possible to grip and move objects placed in various positions.

Although the present invention has been shown and described in relation to specific embodiments, it is known in the art that the present invention can be variously improved and changed without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention provided by the claims below. It will be self-evident to those skilled in the art.

100: gripper
110: outer part
120: connection part
130: inner part
140: grip hole
150: grip motor
160: injection unit
200: housing
210: guide frame
300: rotation motor
400: harvest body
500: cylinder
510: first cylinder
520: second cylinder
600: storage body
700: moving roller
800: sensing body

Claims (9)

In the gripper for gripping soft objects,
At least the portion in contact with the object is formed to be flexible and moves in one direction by fluid injection, and the grip portion capable of gripping the object by inserting and disposing the object into the grip hole formed on one side
A gripper that grips soft objects containing According to claim 1,
the grip part
An outer part having one side fixed and forming an outer side, an inner part spaced apart from the outer part and forming an inner side, a connection part connecting between the outer part and the inner part, and one side of the inner part being wound and rotated according to a control signal A grip motor for unwinding the wound inner part
A gripper that grips soft objects containing According to claim 2,
The outer part, the inner part, and the connecting part are integrally formed of a flexible material.
A gripper that grips soft objects characterized by According to claim 2,
The grip hole is
To mean a space formed on the inner surface of the inner part
A gripper that grips soft objects characterized by According to claim 2,
Further comprising an injection unit for injecting a fluid between one side of the outer portion and one side of the inner portion
A gripper that grips soft objects characterized by According to claim 2,
Further comprising a housing having a hole formed on one side and a space formed therein,
One side of the outer portion is connected to the housing around the hole
A gripper that grips soft objects characterized by According to claim 6,
The housing is formed with a plurality of holes along the circumference,
The grip part is formed in a number corresponding to the number of holes.
A gripper that grips soft objects characterized by According to claim 6,
A space is formed inside the hole of the housing and a guide frame having one side open is disposed.
A gripper that grips soft objects characterized by According to claim 6,
A fastening part is formed in the housing, and a rotation motor is connected to the connection part.
A gripper that grips soft objects characterized by

Images