Patent · US Expired

Robotic gripper apparatus

US6626476B1 · kind B1 · utility

20Cited by
9References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 18, 2000
Grant dateSep 30, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 18, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB25J15/0273
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A robotic gripper is provided. The robotic gripper has a rail, a rotary actuator, and at least one slide component moveably mounted on the rail and operatively coupled to the rotary actuator. A first gripping finger is mounted to the at least one slide component so as to move therewith, and a second gripping finger is positioned so that an object may be selectively gripped and ungripped by the first and the second gripping fingers. In a first aspect a magnet is coupled to the rotary actuator and a magnet is coupled to the at least one slide component so that rotation of the rotary actuator selectively causes attraction or repulsion of the magnet coupled to the at least one slide component, thus causing the gripping fingers selectively to assume open and closed positions. In a further aspect, the rotary actuator comprises a rotatable arm. A first extension arm is coupled to the rotatable arm and to the first slide component so that the first slide component moves in a first and a second direction along the rail as the rotatable arm rotates in a first and a second direction, respectively. An object is gripped by placing the gripping fingers adjacent an object to be gripped and by rot…

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