A variable stiffness enveloping soft gripper

Abstract

The present invention discloses a variable stiffness enveloping soft gripper in the field of industrial robot technology, aiming to address the problems of existing soft grippers in the prior art, such as poor wrapping, weak gripping force, and poor gripping stability, when gripping objects. The gripper comprises a support mechanism, a gripping mechanism disposed on the support mechanism, and a drive mechanism disposed within the support mechanism; the gripping mechanism comprises multiple trunks, a variable stiffness layer disposed within the trunks, and a drive mechanism comprising a power source and a variable stiffness source, a first power actuator disposed within the trunks, and second and third power actuators disposed on the trunks. The present invention is suitable for product clamping, wherein the first power actuator performs preliminary gripping of the product, the variable stiffness layer enhances the trunks' gripping force on the product, and the second and third power actuators drive the gripper to fully wrap the product in multiple directions, effectively increasing the working space on both sides and the bottom of the gripper mechanism and enhancing gripping stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a variable-rigidity enveloping soft gripper, belonging to the technical field of industrial robots. Background Art

[0002] The booming robotics industry is significantly transforming human production and lifestyles. Robotic grippers play a crucial role in the mechanization and automation of industrial production, freeing up manpower and enabling high-precision operations. While rigid robotic grippers can achieve precise motion through control algorithms, their rigid material limitations prevent them from safely grasping and manipulating objects with multiple degrees of freedom. Therefore, with the rapid advancement of materials science and robotics, soft grippers with strong environmental adaptability and high mobility have emerged as a new generation of intelligent devices. Conventional soft grippers are multi-finger pneumatic grippers. To maintain sufficient flexibility and safety, they are often made of flexible rubber. However, their inherent stiffness lacks sufficient resistance to withstand large external forces, and the smoothness and weight of the objects being grasped are also limited. Spherical particle-blocking grippers, on the other hand, enhance gripping force due to their variable stiffness, but their gripping range is limited.

[0003] Existing soft grippers have problems such as poor wrapping, small gripping force, and poor gripping stability when grasping objects. It is difficult to ensure the stability of the device when grasping objects, which affects the working effect of the device. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art and provide a variable stiffness enveloping soft gripper to solve the problems of poor wrapping, small gripping force and poor gripping stability of existing soft grippers when grasping objects.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention is implemented by adopting the following technical solutions:

[0006] The present invention provides a variable stiffness enveloping soft gripper, comprising a support mechanism, a gripper mechanism being provided on the support mechanism, and a drive mechanism being provided within the support mechanism;

[0007] The gripping mechanism includes a trunk, a variable stiffness layer is provided in the trunk, the driving mechanism includes a power source component and a variable stiffness source component, a first power actuator is provided in the trunk on one side of the variable stiffness layer, the power source component cooperates with the first power actuator to drive the trunk to bend and deform, the variable stiffness source component can generate a magnetic field and is used to control the working state of the variable stiffness layer.

[0008] Furthermore, the support mechanism includes a first fixing member and a second fixing member, the first fixing member includes a connecting plate and a flange, the connecting plate and the flange are fixedly connected through multiple support rods, the second fixing member includes a bracket, the bracket is detachably connected to the connecting plate, and a plurality of connecting members are evenly arranged on the bracket, the number of the connecting members is the same as the number of the torso, and the corresponding connecting members are detachably connected to the torso.

[0009] Furthermore, a mounting hole is provided on the connecting member, a mounting member is provided on the trunk, a screw hole matching the mounting hole is provided on the mounting member, and the mounting hole and the screw hole are connected by bolts.

[0010] Furthermore, the power source component includes multiple air pumps, the number of the air pumps is the same as the number of the torsos, the air pumps are arranged on the connecting plate, the air pumps and the torsos are arranged correspondingly, an air outlet is opened on the air pump, and an air inlet is opened on the torso, the corresponding air inlet is connected to the first power actuator, and the air outlet is connected to the air inlet through a hose.

[0011] Furthermore, the variable stiffness source component is arranged on the inner side of the bracket, and a plurality of fixing mechanisms are evenly arranged in the bracket. The plurality of fixing mechanisms cooperate to limit the variable stiffness source component. The variable stiffness source component is provided with a wire, and the bracket is provided with a lead-out hole matching the wire on one side of the wire.

[0012] Furthermore, side fin layers are symmetrically provided on the trunk, a tail fin layer is provided at one end of the trunk away from the support mechanism, second power actuators for driving the side fin layers to bend and deform are symmetrically provided on the two side fin layers, a third power actuator for driving the tail fin layer to bend and deform is provided on one side of the trunk, a gas pipeline is provided in the trunk, the second power actuator and the third power actuator are both connected to the gas pipeline, and the gas pipeline is connected to the power source component.

[0013] Furthermore, the first power actuator, the second power actuator and the third power actuator each include an air chamber and a restriction layer connected to the air chamber, the hardness of the restriction layer is greater than the hardness of the air chamber, the power source component is used to drive the air chamber to expand or contract, thereby driving the restriction layer to perform bending movement, and the air chamber is connected to the gas pipeline through a vent.

[0014] Furthermore, the trunk and the two side fin layers form a pear-shaped structure, and the central axis of the tail fin layer coincides with the central axis of the trunk.

[0015] Furthermore, the trunk, the side fin layer and the tail fin layer are integrally formed, and the air chamber and the restriction layer are integrally formed.

[0016] Furthermore, the variable stiffness layer is arranged on a side of the trunk away from the second power actuator, and the first power actuator is arranged on a side of the trunk close to the second power actuator.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] 1. This variable-rigidity enveloping soft gripper increases the working space on both sides and the bottom of the gripper mechanism through the coordination of the trunk, side fin layer, and tail fin layer. Multiple gripper mechanisms work together to achieve multi-directional and comprehensive wrapping of the target object, enhancing the grasping range and grasping stability.

[0019] 2. The variable stiffness envelope soft gripper is driven by a hybrid of the first power actuator and the variable stiffness layer. The first power actuator drives the gripper to approach the product to complete the initial grip of the product. At the same time, the variable stiffness layer in the trunk, under the action of the variable stiffness source, enhances the gripping force of the trunk on the product. This can effectively improve the shortcoming of the gripping force of the gripper mechanism, ensure the stability of the device when gripping the product, and ensure the working effect of the device.

[0020] 3. The present invention adopts a detachable structural design. The variable stiffness source component is removed to realize pure driving of the gripping mechanism, and the variable stiffness source component is installed to implement variable stiffness grasping of the gripping mechanism. The gripping mechanism is easy to install and disassemble during use, which effectively reduces the time for replacing and repairing the device and significantly improves work efficiency. The gripping mechanism in the present invention adopts homogeneous materials to achieve integrated integration, showing excellent coordination, and the soft characteristics of the gripping mechanism itself can adapt well to the object to be grasped. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 3D schematic diagram of a variable stiffness enveloping soft gripper provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a first fixing member provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a second fixing member provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of a second fixing member provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 is a perspective schematic diagram of a gripping mechanism provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a torso provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the second power actuator and the third power actuator provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the gripping mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention when it is opened;

[0029] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the gripper mechanism during pre-grasping according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the gripper mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention when closed and gripping.

[0031] In the figure: 1. driving mechanism; 2. supporting mechanism; 3. gripping mechanism; 4. power source component; 5. air outlet; 6. first fixing component; 7. flange; 8. variable stiffness source component; 9. second fixing component; 10. fixing mechanism; 11. connecting component; 12. bracket; 13. lead-out hole; 14. mounting hole; 15. connecting plate; 16. trunk; 17. side fin layer; 18. tail fin layer; 19. mounting component; 20. variable stiffness layer; 21. first power actuator; 22. screw hole; 23. second power actuator; 24. gas pipeline; 25. air chamber; 26. restriction layer; 27. vent; 28. third power actuator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, features defined as "first", "second", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0034] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0035] like Figure 1-10 As shown, the present invention provides a variable stiffness envelope soft gripper, including a support mechanism 2, on which a gripping mechanism 3 is provided, and a driving mechanism 1 is provided in the support mechanism 2; the gripping mechanism 3 includes a trunk 16, on which a second power actuator 23 and a third power actuator 28 are provided, and a variable stiffness layer 20 is provided in the trunk 16, and the driving mechanism 1 includes a power source component 4 and a variable stiffness source component 8, and a first power actuator 21 is provided on one side of the variable stiffness layer 20 in the trunk 16, and the power source component 4 cooperates with the first power actuator 21 to drive the trunk 16 to bend and deform, and the variable stiffness source component 8 can generate a magnetic field and is used to control the working state of the variable stiffness layer 20.

[0036] Specifically, during operation, when it is necessary to grasp the product to be grasped, the power source 4 starts to work first, and cooperates with the first power actuator 21, the second power actuator 23 and the third power actuator 28 to drive the multiple trunks 16 to bend and deform in the direction away from each other, thereby expanding the working range of the gripping mechanism 3, and then moves the support mechanism 2 to the top of the product so that the product is located on the inner side of the multiple trunks 16. The power source 4 drives the multiple trunks 16, the second power actuator 23 and the third power actuator 28 to cooperate in bending and deforming toward the product, thereby wrapping the product on the inner side of the multiple gripping mechanisms 3, grasping the product, and then the variable stiffness source 8 is started by controlling the external power supply. The variable stiffness source 8 creates a magnetic field underneath it to cover the gripping mechanism 3 and the product, so that the variable stiffness layer 20 inside the trunk 16 changes from a flexible state to a rigid state, thereby increasing the gripping force of the trunk 16 on the product and completing the gripping of the product. When the magnetic field disappears, the variable stiffness layer 20 can change from a rigid state back to a flexible state; optionally, the number of the trunks 16 is three, and the three trunks 16 are distributed in a circle with an interval of 120 degrees; optionally, the variable stiffness layer 20 can be a magnetorheological fluid, a magnetorheological polymer, or other materials that produce variable stiffness under a magnetic field. It is a flexible body in the absence of a magnetic field, has strong shape adaptability, realizes the transformation from flexible to rigid under the action of a magnetic field, has a fast response speed, and consumes little energy.

[0037] The present invention is driven by the hybrid of the first power actuator 21 and the variable stiffness layer 20. The first power actuator 21 drives the device to approach the product to be grasped to complete the initial grasping of the product. At the same time, the variable stiffness layer 20 in the trunk 16 relies on the variable stiffness characteristics of the variable stiffness source 8 to enhance the grasping force of the trunk 16 on the product. This can effectively improve the shortcoming of the small grasping force of the gripping mechanism 3, ensure the stability of the device when grasping the product, and ensure the working effect of the device. In addition, the multi-directional comprehensive wrapping of the product is completed by driving the second power actuator 23 and the third power actuator 28, which can effectively increase the working space on both sides and the bottom of the gripping mechanism 3 and enhance the grasping stability.

[0038] In one embodiment, the support mechanism 2 includes a first fixing member 6 and a second fixing member 9, the first fixing member 6 includes a connecting plate 15 and a flange 7, the connecting plate 15 is fixedly connected to the flange 7 through a plurality of support rods, the second fixing member 9 includes a bracket 12, the bracket 12 is threadedly connected to the connecting plate 15, and a plurality of connecting members 11 are evenly arranged on the bracket 12, the number of the connecting members 11 is the same as the number of the torso 16, and the corresponding connecting members 11 are detachably connected to the torso 16.

[0039] Specifically, the flange 7 is used to install the first fixing member 6 at different positions for work, and the connecting plate 15 is connected to the flange 7 through a support rod. During installation, the connecting plate 15 and the bracket 12 are detachably connected. When the bracket 12 needs to be disassembled, the bracket 12 and the connecting plate 15 can be directly rotated relative to each other to complete the disassembly of the bracket 12, thereby ensuring the convenience of the device; optionally, the number of connecting members 11 is three, and the three connecting members 11 are distributed in a circle with an interval of 120 degrees, and correspond one to one with the position of the torso 16; optionally, the support rod and the flange 7 and the connecting plate 15 are connected by welding; optionally, the connecting plate 15 and the bracket 12 can be connected by other detachable fixing methods such as threaded connection.

[0040] In one embodiment, a mounting hole 14 is provided on the connecting member 11, a mounting member 19 is provided on the trunk 16, a screw hole 22 matching the mounting hole 14 is provided on the mounting member 19, and the mounting hole 14 and the screw hole 22 are connected by bolts.

[0041] Specifically, when the connecting member 11 needs to be fixed to the torso 16, the position of the mounting hole 14 on the connecting member 11 is aligned with the position of the screw hole 22 on the mounting member 19, and the two are fixedly connected by bolts, thereby fixing the relative position of the connecting member 11 and the torso 16.

[0042] In one embodiment, the power source component 4 includes multiple air pumps, the number of the air pumps is the same as the number of the torso 16, the air pumps are arranged on the connecting plate 15, the air pumps and the torso 16 are arranged correspondingly, an air outlet 5 is opened on the air pump, and an air inlet is opened on the torso 16, the corresponding air inlet is connected to the first power actuator 21, and the air outlet 5 is connected to the air inlet through a hose.

[0043] Specifically, the air outlet 5 of the air pump is connected to the first power actuator 21 through a hose and an air inlet. The air pump controls the air pressure inside the first power actuator 21 by inputting or extracting air into the first power actuator 21, causing it to bend and deform under the action of the air pressure, thereby driving the torso 16 to grasp the product; optionally, the number of air pumps is three, and the air pump is connected to the connecting plate 15 by welding.

[0044] In one embodiment, the variable stiffness source component 8 is arranged on the inner side of the bracket 12, and a plurality of fixing mechanisms 10 are evenly arranged in the bracket 12. The plurality of fixing mechanisms 10 cooperate to limit the variable stiffness source component 8. A wire is provided on the variable stiffness source component 8, and the bracket 12 is provided with a lead-out hole 13 matching the wire on one side of the wire.

[0045] During use, when the variable stiffness source 8 needs to be fixed, it is placed inside the bracket 12 and located inside the multiple fixing mechanisms 10. The multiple fixing mechanisms 10 limit the variable stiffness source 8. When the connecting plate 15 is threadedly connected to the bracket 12, the connecting plate 15 is located above the variable stiffness source 8 and cooperates with the multiple fixing mechanisms 10 to further limit the variable stiffness source 8, thereby preventing it from shaking during the movement of the device and ensuring the safety of the variable stiffness source 8. The wire on 8 passes through the lead-out hole 13 and is connected to an external power supply, thereby controlling the start and stop of the magnetic field and the intensity of the magnetic field, so as to control the working state of the variable stiffness layer 20; optionally, the number of the fixing mechanisms 10 is three, and the three fixing mechanisms 10 are distributed in a circle with an interval of 120 degrees. When the fixing mechanism 10 limits the variable stiffness source 8, the inner wall and the outer wall of the variable stiffness source 8 are in close contact with the fixing mechanism 10, and the fixing mechanism 10 is connected to the bracket 12 by welding, and can also be connected by means of snaps or the like.

[0046] In one embodiment, side fin layers 17 are symmetrically provided on the trunk 16, a tail fin layer 18 is provided at one end of the trunk 16 away from the support mechanism 2, second power actuators 23 for driving the side fin layers 17 to bend and deform are symmetrically provided on the two side fin layers 17, a third power actuator 28 for driving the tail fin layer 18 to bend and deform is provided on the tail fin layer 18 on one side of the trunk 16, a gas pipeline 24 is provided in the trunk 16, the second power actuator 23 and the third power actuator 28 are both connected to the gas pipeline 24, and the gas pipeline 24 is connected to the power source 4; the trunk 16 and the two side fin layers 17 form a pear-shaped structure, and the central axis of the tail fin layer 18 coincides with the central axis of the trunk 16; the trunk 16, the side fin layers 17 and the tail fin layer 18 are integrally formed.

[0047] During use, when the air pump inputs air into the first power actuator 21, the increased air pressure causes the trunk 16 to bend toward the product, thereby grasping the product. When the air pump is working, air is input into the inside of the gas pipe 24 at the same time. After passing through the gas pipe 24, the air enters the inside of the second power actuator 23 and the third power actuator 28. Under the action of air pressure, the second power actuator 23 drives the side fin layer 17 to bend toward the product, and the third power actuator 28 drives the tail fin layer 18 to bend toward the product. The side fin layer 17 and the tail fin layer 18 cooperate to implement multi-directional wrapping grasping of the product, further ensuring the stability of the device when grasping the product; optionally, the trunk 16 is a three-dimensional structure with a complex surface, the bottom end of which is a plane, and the two side ends and the top are concave and convex surfaces; the two side fin layers 17 are flexible and elastic layers with curved contours, which are symmetrically distributed along both sides with the trunk 16 as the center. The curved contour of the fin layer 17 close to the side of the trunk 16 completely coincides with the curved contour of the side end of the trunk 16, and its thickness is smaller than that of the trunk 16; the tail fin layer 18 is a flexible elastic layer with a narrow upper end and a wide lower end and a curved contour. The central axis of its structure completely coincides with the central axis of the trunk 16, and the upper end of the tail fin layer 18 is in close contact with the end of the trunk 16, and its thickness is consistent with the fin layers 17 on both sides; the trunk 16, the two side fin layers 17 and the tail fin layer 18 become an integrated structure through the demolding manufacturing process; the mounting part 19 is embedded in the top of the trunk 16 and is located on the side of the contact surface of the trunk 16 with the grasped object; optionally, the second power actuator 23 is fixedly connected to the side fin layer 17 by a flexible adhesive, and the third power actuator 28 is fixedly connected to the tail fin layer 18 by a flexible adhesive; the gas pipeline 24 is reserved in the trunk 16 during demolding manufacturing, and converges at the top of the trunk 16 near the mounting hole 14 to facilitate connection with the power source 4.

[0048] In one embodiment, the first power actuator 21, the second power actuator 23 and the third power actuator 28 all include an air chamber 25 and a restriction layer 26 connected to the air chamber 25, the hardness of the restriction layer 26 is greater than the hardness of the air chamber 25, the power source component 4 is used to drive the air chamber 25 to expand or contract, thereby driving the restriction layer 26 to perform bending movement, the air chamber 25 is connected to the gas pipe 24 through the vent 27; the air chamber 25 and the restriction layer 26 are integrally formed.

[0049] During use, when the air pump inputs air into the interior of the air chamber 25 through the air vent 27, the air chamber 25 expands under the action of air pressure, driving the restriction layer 26 to bend. The hardness of the restriction layer 26 is greater than the hardness of the air chamber 25. The bending deformation of the first power actuator 21, the second power actuator 23 and the third power actuator 28 is controlled by controlling the air pressure; on the contrary, when the air pump extracts air from the air chamber 25 through the air vent 27, the air chamber 25 bends and deforms toward the direction of the bellows under the action of negative pressure.

[0050] In one embodiment, the variable stiffness layer 20 is disposed inside the trunk 16 on a side away from the second power actuator 23 , and the first power actuator 21 is disposed inside the trunk 16 on a side close to the second power actuator 23 .

[0051] During use, when it is necessary to grasp a product, the variable stiffness layer 20 is located inside the trunk 16 near the product side. When the variable stiffness layer 20 is in a rigid state, the product can be grasped better, ensuring the working effect of the device.

[0052] Optionally, the first fixing part 6, the second fixing part 9, the fixing mechanism 10, the connecting part 11, and the mounting part 19 are all made of 7075 high-strength aluminum alloy through non-standard processing; the trunk 16, the side fin layer 17, the tail fin layer 18, the first power actuator 21, the second power actuator 23, the third power actuator 28 and the gas pipeline 24 are all made of rubber materials or other flexible elastic materials, and are integrated through a demolding process or integrated using a flexible adhesive.

[0053] Optionally, the variable stiffness layer 20 is embedded in the trunk 16 during demolding, close to the bottom side of the trunk 16, and is a plate-like structure with an outline consistent with the base shape of the trunk 16 and slightly smaller in size; the top of the variable stiffness layer 20 coincides with the top of the trunk 16, close to the variable stiffness source 8, and can achieve rapid conversion between the flexible state and the rigid state under the action of the magnetic field, thereby increasing the gripping force and gripping stability; the first power actuator 21 is a bellows structure distributed at different heights to fit the streamlined structure of the trunk 16; the first power actuator 21 is embedded in the trunk 16 during demolding, with the bottom end parallel to the upper surface of the variable stiffness layer 20, and under the action of the air pressure generated by the power source 4, the first power actuator 21 bends toward the side without the bellows, driving the variable stiffness layer 20 and the trunk 16 to approach the product to be grasped and adapt to the shape and size of the product to perform preliminary gripping; the contact surface between the trunk 16 and the product is a vertical plane, and its top is fixedly connected to the mounting part 19.

[0054] Optionally, the power source 4 is used to provide energy, which can be one of fluid, electricity, light, magnetism, heat, and chemistry, and can cause the first power actuator 21, the second power actuator 23, and the third power actuator 28 to produce bending deformation. For example, the power source 4 is a power source, the first power actuator 21, the second power actuator 23, and the third power actuator 28 are shape memory alloys, etc., and the first power actuator 21, the second power actuator 23, and the third power actuator 28 can be fluid-driven chambers, electric-driven actuators, thermally-driven actuators, etc.

[0055] In one embodiment, Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the gripper mechanism 3 in the open state of the present invention. At this time, the power source 4 is in a negative pressure state, and the first power actuator 21, the second power actuator 23 and the third power actuator 28 are bent in the direction away from the grasped product, driving the trunk 16, the side fin layer 17 and the tail fin layer 18 to open, thereby expanding the grasping range; the grasped product is placed within the grasping range of the gripper mechanism 3, and the open state before grasping the product is completed. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the pre-grasping state of the present invention. At this time, the power source 4 is in a positive pressure state. The first power actuator 21 drives the trunk 16 to approach the grasped product under the action of air pressure. When the air pressure reaches a certain value, the flat end of the trunk 16 of the gripper mechanism 3 is tightly fitted with the surface of the grasped product. At this point, the pre-grasping state for the target product is completed, and then the variable stiffness source 8 is started to generate a magnetic field below the variable stiffness source 8 to cover the gripper mechanism 3 and the target product. At this time, the variable stiffness layer 20 in the trunk 16 changes from a flexible state to a rigid state, thereby increasing the gripping force of the trunk 16 on the target product. Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the closed grasping state of the gripper mechanism 3 of the present invention. At this time, the power source 4 is in a positive pressure state. The second power actuator 23 and the third power actuator 28 drive the side fin layer 17 and the tail fin layer 18 to bend under the action of air pressure, approaching the grasped product from the side and bottom, and finally realizing multi-directional wrapping of the target product, thereby enhancing the grasping stability.

[0056] The present invention adopts a detachable structural design. The variable stiffness source component 8 is removed to realize pure driving of the gripping mechanism 3, and the variable stiffness source component 8 is installed to implement variable stiffness gripping of the gripping mechanism 3. The gripping mechanism 3 is easy to install and disassemble during use, which effectively reduces the time for replacing and repairing the device and significantly improves work efficiency. The gripping mechanism 3 in the present invention adopts homogeneous materials to achieve integrated integration, showing excellent coordination, and the soft characteristics of the gripping mechanism 3 itself can adapt well to the object to be grasped.

[0057] The present invention increases the working space on both sides and the bottom of the gripper mechanism 3 through the cooperation of the trunk 16, the side fin layer 17 and the tail fin layer 18. Multiple gripper mechanisms 3 work together to achieve multi-directional and comprehensive wrapping of the target object, thereby enhancing the gripping range and gripping stability.

[0058] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A variable stiffness enveloping soft gripper, characterized in that: It comprises a support mechanism (2), a gripping mechanism (3) is provided on the support mechanism (2), and a driving mechanism (1) is provided inside the support mechanism (2); The gripper mechanism (3) includes a trunk (16), a variable stiffness layer (20) is provided in the trunk (16), the driving mechanism (1) includes a power source component (4) and a variable stiffness source component (8), a first power actuator (21) is provided in the trunk (16) on one side of the variable stiffness layer (20), the power source component (4) cooperates with the first power actuator (21) to drive the trunk (16) to bend and deform, and the variable stiffness source component (8) can generate a magnetic field and is used to control the working state of the variable stiffness layer (20); The trunk (16) is symmetrically provided with side fin layers (17), the trunk (16) is provided with a tail fin layer (18) at one end away from the support mechanism (2), the two side fin layers (17) are symmetrically provided with second power actuators (23) for driving the side fin layers (17) to bend and deform, the tail fin layer (18) is provided with a third power actuator (28) for driving the tail fin layer (18) to bend and deform on one side of the trunk (16), a gas pipeline (24) is provided in the trunk (16), the second power actuator (23) and the third power actuator (28) are both connected to the gas pipeline (24), and the gas pipeline (24) is connected to the power source component (4); The first power actuator (21), the second power actuator (23) and the third power actuator (28) all include an air chamber (25) and a restriction layer (26) connected to the air chamber (25), the hardness of the restriction layer (26) is greater than the hardness of the air chamber (25), the power source (4) is used to drive the air chamber (25) to expand or contract, thereby driving the restriction layer (26) to perform bending movement, and the air chamber (25) is connected to the gas pipeline (24) through the vent (27).

2. The variable stiffness enveloping soft gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support mechanism (2) includes a first fixing member (6) and a second fixing member (9), the first fixing member (6) includes a connecting plate (15) and a flange (7), the connecting plate (15) and the flange (7) are fixedly connected via a plurality of support rods, the second fixing member (9) includes a bracket (12), the bracket (12) and the connecting plate (15) are detachably connected, a plurality of connecting members (11) are evenly arranged on the bracket (12), the number of the connecting members (11) is the same as the number of the trunk (16), and the corresponding connecting members (11) are detachably connected to the trunk (16).

3. The variable stiffness envelope soft gripper according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting member (11) is provided with a mounting hole (14), the trunk (16) is provided with a mounting member (19), the mounting member (19) is provided with a screw hole (22) matching the mounting hole (14), and the mounting hole (14) and the screw hole (22) are connected by bolts.

4. The variable stiffness envelope soft gripper according to claim 2, characterized in that: The power source component (4) includes a plurality of air pumps, the number of the air pumps being the same as the number of the trunks (16), the air pumps being arranged on the connecting plate (15), the air pumps being arranged corresponding to the trunks (16), the air outlets (5) being provided on the air pumps, the air inlets being provided on the trunks (16), the corresponding air inlets being communicated with the first power actuator (21), and the air outlets (5) being connected to the air inlets via a hose.

5. The variable stiffness enveloping soft gripper according to claim 2, characterized in that: The variable stiffness source component (8) is arranged on the inner side of the bracket (12), and a plurality of fixing mechanisms (10) are evenly arranged in the bracket (12). The plurality of fixing mechanisms (10) cooperate to limit the variable stiffness source component (8). A wire is provided on the variable stiffness source component (8), and the bracket (12) is provided with a lead-out hole (13) matching the wire on one side of the wire.

6. The variable stiffness enveloping soft gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trunk (16) and the two side fin layers (17) form a pear-shaped structure, and the central axis of the tail fin layer (18) coincides with the central axis of the trunk (16).

7. The variable stiffness enveloping soft gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trunk (16), the side fin layer (17) and the tail fin layer (18) are integrally formed, and the air chamber (25) and the restriction layer (26) are integrally formed.

8. The variable stiffness enveloping soft gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The variable stiffness layer (20) is arranged on a side of the trunk (16) away from the second power actuator (23), and the first power actuator (21) is arranged on a side of the trunk (16) close to the second power actuator (23).

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