Handling: hand and hoist-line implements – Hook – hoistline – or grab type – Locking device
Patent
1983-04-25
1985-09-10
Marbert, James B.
Handling: hand and hoist-line implements
Hook, hoistline, or grab type
Locking device
294106, 294115, B66C 316
Patent
active
045402124
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an industrial robot and, more particularly, to a novel construction of an industrial robot hand.
BACKGROUND ART
Industrial robots, which are capable of gripping an object with a robot hand and carrying the object from one position to another position or exchanging works by mounting a work on and removing the same from the chuck of a machine tool, have come into use. The general construction of such an industrial robot includes a robot body capable of turning and moving vertically with respect to the stationary base of the industrial robot, a robot arm laterally extendable with respect to the robot body, and a wrist unit joined to the free end of the robot arm for turning and swinging motion. A robot hand is joined to the wrist unit. Since an industrial robot consists of such operating components, facilitating the manufacturing processes for each operating component through simplifying the construction results in a reduction of the total cost of the industrial robot. Accordingly, efforts are being made to develop improvements for simplifying the construction as well as for improving the performance of those operating components along with the increasingly widespread use of industrial robots.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide, as one of the improvements, an industrial robot hand capable of being formed by utilizing existing mechanical parts and elements and through low-cost processes at a reduced cost, hence to provide an industrial robot of a reduced cost.
An industrial robot hand formed in accordance with the present invention has work gripping swing fingers and is adapted to be joined to the free end of a wrist unit, wherein each of the swing fingers is formed in a U-shaped cross-section by pressing a sheet material and is pivotally mounted on a hand base member having an attaching part for joining the robot hand to the wrist unit and wherein the swing finger of the U-shaped cross-section and a finger actuator are linked with a pin link of a chain.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevation of an industrial robot hand embodying the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an elevation of the same industrial robot hand for facilitating the explanation of the gripping motion of the robot hand, and
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III--III of FIG. 2.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, an industrial robot hand in accordance with the present invention has a flange 12 provided in a hand base 10 and is joined to an industrial robot wrist unit 8 through jointing means such as a safety joint 16 which is fastened to the flange 12 with screws and pins 14. A pair of finger members 18a and 18b are pivotally mounted on the front part of the hand base 10 by means of pivotal pins 20a and 20b, respectively. The finger members 18a and 18b can swing between a closed state, as shown in FIG. 1, and an open state, in which the finger members 18a and 18b are moved away from each other. The free end of the actuating rod 28 of an oil-hydraulic or pneumatic hydraulic cylinder 24 is fastened to the front wall 10a of the hand base 10 by means of a nut 30. When pressurized fluid is supplied selectively to the hydraulic cylinder 24, the cylinder tube 26 of the hydraulic cylinder 24 is caused to perform sliding motion relative to the actuating rod 28 between a position adjacent to the front wall and a position apart from the front wall 10a. The cylinder tube 26 is provided with two lugs 26a and 26b. The lugs 26a and 26b and the respective rear ends of the finger members 18a and 18b are linked together with pin links 32a and 32b, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the finger members 18a and 18b has a U-shaped cross-section. It is one of the features of the present invention that the finger members 18a and 18b are sheet metal members of the same shape and the same size formed by pressing a sheet metal having an appropriate strength and that the U-shaped cross-section
REFERENCES:
patent: 3759563 (1973-09-01), Kitamura
patent: 3945676 (1976-03-01), Asamoto
patent: 4185866 (1980-01-01), Wittwer
Inaba Hajimu
Nihei Ryo
Fanuc Limited
Marbert James B.
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