Patent · US Expired

Multiple point contact gripper

US4653793A · kind A · utility

77Cited by
3References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 16, 1984
Grant dateMar 31, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 16, 2004

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S294/907
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A gripper has n pseudospherical contact pads providing a point contact with an object to be gripped. The sum of the degrees of liberty existing between the object and each of the pads taken separately is less than, or preferably equal to, 6(n-1)-1. Moreover, the assembly constituted by the object, the pads, the fingers and the frame is isotatic, which means that the total number of degrees of liberty of this assembly is strictly equal to 6(n-1). Strain gauges placed on the fingers permit determining the tensor of the efforts exerted by the object on the gripper. An orientation of the object gripped can be accomplished by providing the pads with additional degrees of liberty controlled by independent actuators.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.