Rigid-flexible coupling mechanical soft claw

Abstract

The application discloses a rigid-flexible coupling mechanical soft claw, which comprises a stepping motor, a flange base, a plurality of spring sets, a plurality of connecting rods, a plurality of inflatable soft claws, a screw rod and a sliding block, the stepping motor is fixed on the upper portion of the flange base, the main shaft of the stepping motor is connected with the screw rod, the sliding block is screwed on the screw rod, one end of the spring set is hinged to the sliding block, the other end of the spring set is hinged to the connecting rod, the connecting rod is hinged to the flange base, the plurality of spring sets are distributed in a circle with the axis of the motor main shaft as the center, the connecting rod corresponds to the spring set one by one, and the inflatable soft claw is arranged on the connecting rod. The soft claw structure with variable rigidity and deformability can safely grasp different types of objects, the response speed and control precision during grasping can be improved by fixing the soft claw on the rigid connecting rod, and the compressible and stretchable spring set can further improve the compliance and safety of the mechanical soft claw.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of machinery, in particular to a rigid-flexible coupling mechanical soft claw. BACKGROUND

[0002] The mechanical claw hand is the end effector of the industrial robot, and the mechanical claw hand directly acts on the work object through the mechanical arm, and is an important device on the industrial production line. The existing mechanical claw hand is mostly a pure rigid mechanical mechanism, and the material thereof is generally plastic or alloy, and the driving mode thereof is generally pneumatic, motor, hydraulic and the like. Such traditional mechanical claw hand has the advantages of high load and precise control, but the disadvantages are also very obvious. The rigid structure is easy to cause damage to the grasped object, especially some precision instruments, parts and fragile objects are more likely to be damaged by the rigid claw hand. The claw-shaped structure designed and manufactured by using soft material can solve the problem that the grasped object is easy to be damaged. The soft material makes the mechanical claw have good flexibility, so that the grasped object is not easy to have elastic and plastic deformation. However, the claw hand structure of the flexible material also has obvious disadvantages. The soft claw hand has small deformation amount, slow deformation speed and cannot be precisely controlled, which leads to the fact that the type of the grasped object is very limited, the grasping speed is slow, and the control precision is very low. In order to solve the above problems, a rigid-flexible coupling mechanical soft claw is designed. By using the inflatable soft claw and the compression and stretching spring, the compliance of the mechanical claw is improved, the damage to the grasped object can be reduced, and the different grasped objects can be adapted by changing the rigidity. By using the rigid connecting rod structure, the clamping range of the mechanical claw, the deformation speed of the claw hand and the control precision are improved. Therefore, it is of great significance to invent a rigid-flexible coupling mechanical soft claw. SUMMARY

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of machinery, in particular to a rigid-flexible coupling mechanical soft claw.

[0004] A rigid-flexible coupling mechanical soft claw, comprising a stepping motor, a flange base, a plurality of spring sets, a plurality of connecting rods, a plurality of inflatable soft claws, a lead screw and a sliding block, the stepping motor is fixed on the upper part of the flange base, the main shaft of the stepping motor is connected with the lead screw, the sliding block is screwed on the lead screw, one end of the spring set is hinged to the sliding block, the other end of the spring set is hinged to the connecting rod, the connecting rod is hinged to the flange base, the plurality of spring sets are evenly distributed in a circle with the axis of the motor main shaft as the center, the connecting rod corresponds to the spring set one by one, and the inflatable soft claw is arranged on the connecting rod.

[0005] The flange base comprises a flange, a plurality of support structures, a plurality of flange base pin shaft seats, the plurality of support structures are arranged on the bottom surface of the flange, the plurality of support structures are evenly distributed in a ring shape, the bottom ends of adjacent two support structures are provided with a flange base pin shaft seat, and the flange base pin shaft seat is provided with a flange base pin shaft hole.

[0006] The sliding block is provided with a plurality of sliding block pin shaft seats which are annularly and uniformly distributed on the sliding block, and the sliding block pin shaft seat corresponds to the spring set one by one.

[0007] The connecting rod is in the shape of 7, and is provided with a first connecting rod pin shaft hole, a second connecting rod pin shaft hole and a plurality of inflatable hose through holes.

[0008] The spring set comprises springs and spring baffles, the springs are compression and stretching springs, are located between the spring baffles, and are welded and fixed at both ends of the springs with the spring baffles.

[0009] The inflatable soft claw comprises a soft claw air bag, an inflatable hose and a silica gel shell, the soft claw air bag is composed of five semicircular cavity air bags, is located in the inflatable soft claw, each cavity air bag is connected with each other by a circular air pipe, and the inflatable hose is connected with the air outlet hole at one end.

[0010] The number of the spring set and the connecting rod is greater than three.

[0011] The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows:

[0012] The variable stiffness deformable soft claw structure of the present application can safely grasp a plurality of different types of objects, fixing the soft claw on the rigid connecting rod can improve the response speed and control accuracy during grasping, and the compression and stretching spring set can further improve the compliance and safety of the mechanical soft claw. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 It is a structure schematic diagram of a rigid-flexible coupling mechanical soft claw device of the present application.

[0014] Figure 2 It is a connection schematic diagram of a stepping motor, a sliding block and a spring set of the present application.

[0015] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a flange base of the present application.

[0016] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a spring set of the present application.

[0017] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the inflatable soft claw of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting rod of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the mechanical soft claw of the present invention in the open state;

[0020] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the mechanical soft claw gripping state of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the deformation state of the mechanical soft claw of the present invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Stepper motor; 2. Flange base; 3. Spring assembly; 4. Connecting rod; 5. Inflatable soft claw; 6. Lead screw; 7. Slider; 8. Slider pin seat; 9. Slider pin; 10. Flange; 11. Support structure; 12. Flange base pin seat; 13. Flange base pin hole; 14. Spring; 15. Spring baffle; 16. Soft claw airbag; 17. Inflatable hose; 18. Silicone shell; 19. Inflatable hose through hole; 20. First connecting rod pin hole; 21. Second connecting rod pin hole. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Please see Figures 1 to 9 As shown, a rigid-flexible coupling mechanical claw includes a stepper motor 1, a flange base 2, several spring kits 3, several connecting rods 4, several inflatable claws 5, a lead screw 6, and a slider 7. The stepper motor 1 is fixed on the upper part of the flange base 2. The main shaft of the stepper motor 1 is connected to the lead screw 6. The slider 7 is screwed onto the lead screw 6. One end of the spring kit 3 is hinged to the slider 7, and the other end of the spring kit 3 is hinged to the connecting rod 4. The connecting rod 4 is hinged to the flange base 2. Several spring kits 3 are evenly distributed in a circle with the axis of the main shaft of the motor 1 as the center. The connecting rod 4 corresponds one-to-one with the spring kit 3. The inflatable claw 5 is set on the connecting rod 4.

[0024] The flange base 2 includes a flange 10, several support structures 11, several flange base pin seats 12, several support structures 11 are arranged on the bottom surface of the flange 10, several support structures 11 are evenly distributed in a ring, and flange base pin seats 12 are provided at the bottom ends of two adjacent support structures 11, and flange base pin holes 13 are provided on the flange base pin seats 12.

[0025] Specifically, the stepper motor 1 is fixedly connected to the top surface of the flange 10, the number of support structures 11 is the same as the number of spring kits 3 and connecting rods 4, and the number of flange base pin seats 12 is the same as the number of spring kits 3 and connecting rods 4.

[0026] The slider 7 is provided with several slider pin seats 8, which are evenly distributed in a ring on the slider 7, and each slider pin seat 8 corresponds to a spring kit 3.

[0027] The connecting rod 4 is shaped like the number 7. The connecting rod 4 is provided with a first connecting rod pin hole 20, a second connecting rod pin hole 21 and several air hose through holes 19. The connecting rod 4 is hinged to the flange base pin seat 12 through the second connecting rod pin hole 21 and the flange base pin hole 13.

[0028] The spring assembly 3 includes a spring 14 and a spring baffle 15. The spring 14 is a compression spring and is located between the spring baffles 15. The two ends of the spring 14 are welded and fixed to the spring baffles. The spring baffle 15 is divided into left and right parts. The left baffle is connected to an inner rod, and the right baffle is connected to an outer rod. The inner rod can slide inside the outer rod. An anti-disengagement buckle is provided between the inner rod and the outer rod. The spring baffle 15, the inner rod, and the outer rod are all integral structures. The spring baffle 15 is hinged to the slider pin seat 8 through the slider pin 9. The other spring baffle 15, which is away from the slider pin seat 8, is hinged to the connecting rod 4 through the first connecting rod pin hole 20.

[0029] The inflatable soft claw 5 includes a soft claw airbag 16, an inflation hose 17, and a silicone shell 18. The soft claw airbag 16 consists of five semi-circular hollow airbags located inside the inflatable soft claw 5. Each hollow airbag is connected to the other through a circular air tube, and an inflation hose 17 is connected to an air outlet at one end. The inflation hose 17 is located at one end of the air outlet of the inflatable soft claw 5. It is made of plastic and is Z-shaped. The inflation hose 17 passes through the inflation hose through hole 19 on the connecting rod 4. The silicone shell 18 covers the five hollow airbags.

[0030] Specifically, the flange base 2 is the base of the rigid-flexible coupling mechanical claw. The stepper motor 1 is located on the upper part of the flange base 2 and is fixed to the flange base 2 by screws. The upper part of the spring kit 3 is connected to the slider 7 on the screw 6 through the slider pin 9. The lower part of the spring kit 3 is connected to the first connecting rod pin hole 20 of the connecting rod 4 through the pin. The connecting rod 4 is connected to the pin seat 12 of the flange base 2 through the second connecting rod pin hole 21. The inflatable claw 5 is connected to the inside of the connecting rod 4 by glue. The inflatable hose 17 passes through the inflatable hose through hole 19 on the connecting rod 4.

[0031] For details, please refer to Figure 3The flange base 2 is an integral aluminum alloy CNC machined part with a height of 100mm to 150mm and a thickness of 2 to 3mm. The flange base 2 includes a flange 10, several support structures 11, and several flange base pin seats 12. The flange 10 is located on the top of the flange base 2 and is supported on the several support structures 11. It has four screw holes for fixing the stepper motor 1. The support structures 11 are located in the middle of the flange base 2. Each support structure is perpendicular to the flange 10 and is evenly distributed in a ring. The gap between each support structure is just enough to allow the spring 14 to pass through. The several flange base pin seats 12 are located at the bottom of the flange base 2. Each pin seat is perpendicular to the support structure and is evenly distributed in a ring. Each flange base pin seat 12 has a flange base pin hole 13 for connecting the connecting rod structure 4.

[0032] For details, please refer to Figure 2 Stepper motor 1 is a standard 42 stepper motor commonly found on the market. Lead screw 6 is connected to the main shaft of stepper motor 1 via a coupling. Lead screw 6 has a diameter of 5mm to 8mm and a length of 100mm to 150mm. Slider 7 is made of alloy material and is screwed to lead screw 6. Slider 7 and several slider pin seats 8 are an integral structure. Each slider pin seat 8 is perpendicular to the side of the slider and is evenly distributed in a ring. Slider pin seats 8 are connected to spring kit 3 via slider pin 9.

[0033] For details, please refer to Figure 4 The spring assembly 3 includes a spring 14 and a spring baffle 15. The spring 14 is a compression and tension spring, located between the spring baffles 15. The two ends of the spring 14 are welded and fixed to the spring baffles. The spring baffle 15 is divided into two parts, left and right. The left baffle is connected to an inner rod, and the right baffle is connected to an outer rod. The inner rod can slide in the outer rod. There is a buckle between the inner rod and the outer rod to prevent the two rods from separating, so that the spring assembly can achieve compression and tension. The spring baffle 15, the inner rod, and the outer rod are all integral structures. There is a connecting structure on each side of the spring assembly 3 for connecting the slider 7 and the connecting rod 4.

[0034] For details, please refer to Figure 5 The inflatable soft claw 5 includes a soft claw airbag 16, an inflation hose 17, and a silicone shell 18. The soft claw airbag 16 consists of 5 semi-circular hollow airbags located inside the inflatable soft claw 5. Each hollow airbag is connected to the other through a circular air tube, and the inflation hose 17 is connected to the air outlet at one end. The inflation hose 17 is located at one end of the air outlet of the inflatable soft claw 5. It is made of plastic and is Z-shaped. The silicone shell 18 encloses the 5 hollow airbags.

[0035] For details, please refer to Figure 6The connecting rod 4 is shaped like the number 7 and includes a first connecting rod pin hole 20, a second connecting rod pin hole 21, and several air hose through holes 19. The air hose through holes 19 are used to pass through the air hose and facilitate the adjustment of the position of the air soft claw 5. The two connecting rod pin holes 20 are used to connect other structures. One end is connected to the flange base 2 through the second connecting rod pin hole 21 and the pin, and the other end is connected to the spring kit 3 through the first connecting rod pin hole 20 and the pin.

[0036] The working principle and process of this invention:

[0037] Please see Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the principle of the rigid-flexible coupling mechanical soft claw of the present invention is as follows: the power is driven by the stepper motor 1 through the lead screw 6 to move the slider 7. The slider 7 pulls the spring kit 3 through the pin shaft. The spring kit 3 is linked with the connecting rod 4. Finally, the inflatable soft claw 5 at the end of the connecting rod 4 grasps the object. The inflatable soft claw 5 can exhibit different stiffness and shape by different gas pressures to adapt to grasping objects of different materials and shapes. The spring kit 3 between the connecting rod 4 and the slider 7 further improves the compliance of the mechanical soft claw, which not only protects the soft claw structure but also improves the safety when grasping objects, thus improving the overall robustness of the device.

[0038] The gripping principle of the rigid-flexible coupling mechanical soft claw of the present invention is as follows: In the preparation stage of gripping operation, the stepper motor 1 moves the slider 7 to the uppermost position, and the connecting rod 4 is in the open state. The air pressure is adjusted according to the type of object to be gripped to change the rigidity and shape of the inflatable soft claw 5. When gripping objects with high rigidity and large mass, the air pressure of the inflatable soft claw 5 is kept moderate and its shape is not changed. At this time, the mechanical soft claw can accurately control the claw shape through the connecting rod 4 to achieve precise gripping without damaging the object. When gripping lighter and more fragile objects, the air pressure of the inflatable soft claw 5 is increased to cause it to deform. At this time, the gripping operation is carried out entirely in the form of a flexible claw. At this time, the connecting rod 4 can quickly adjust the position of the inflatable soft claw 5 to improve the gripping accuracy.

[0039] The disassembly and assembly principle of this invention is as follows: First, the stepper motor 1 is fixed to the top of the flange base 2 with screws. The slider 7 and the lead screw 6 are screwed together. The upper ends of several spring kits 3 are connected to the transmission slider 7 through the slider pin 9. The lower ends of the spring kits 3 are connected to the connecting rod 4 through the pin. The end of the connecting rod 4 near the flange base 2 is connected to the pin seat 12 through the pin. The inflatable soft claw 5 is connected to the inside of the connecting rod structure 4 with glue. Its inflatable hose 17 passes through the inflatable hose through hole 19 of the connecting rod 4.

Claims

1. A rigid-flex coupled mechanical soft finger, characterized in that: The utility model provides a kind of air inflatable soft gripper, including stepper motor (1), flange base (2), several spring kits (3), several connecting rods (4), several inflatable soft grippers (5), screw rod (6) and slider (7), stepper motor (1) is fixed on the upper portion of flange base (2), stepper motor (1) main shaft is connected with screw rod (6), slider (7) is screwed on screw rod (6), spring kit (3) one end is hinged in slider (7), spring kit (3) other end is hinged in connecting rod (4), connecting rod (4) is hinged in flange base (2), several spring kits (3) are distributed in circle with the axis of motor (1) main shaft as center, connecting rod (4) and spring kit (3) one to one correspondence, inflatable soft gripper (5) is arranged in connecting rod (4); The flange base (2) includes a flange (10), a plurality of support structures (11), a plurality of flange base pin shaft seats (12), the plurality of support structures (11) are arranged on the bottom surface of the flange (10), the plurality of support structures (11) are evenly distributed in a ring shape, the bottom ends of two adjacent support structures (11) are provided with a flange base pin shaft seat (12), and the flange base pin shaft seat (12) is provided with a flange base pin shaft hole (13); The slider (7) is provided with a plurality of slider pin shaft seats (8), the slider pin shaft seats (8) are evenly distributed in a ring shape on the slider (7), and the slider pin shaft seats (8) one to one correspond to the spring kits (3); The connecting rod (4) is in the shape of a 7, the connecting rod (4) is provided with a first connecting rod pin shaft hole (20), a second connecting rod pin shaft hole (21), and a plurality of inflatable hose through holes (19), the connecting rod (4) is hinged with the flange base pin shaft seat (12) through the second connecting rod pin shaft hole (21) and the flange base pin shaft hole (13); The spring kit (3) includes a spring (14) and a spring baffle (15), the spring (14) is a compression and stretching spring, located between the spring baffles (15), the two ends of the spring (14) are welded and fixed with the spring baffles, the spring baffle (15) is divided into left and right two blocks, the left baffle is connected with an inner rod, the right baffle is connected with an outer rod, the inner rod can slide in the outer rod, a anti-disengagement buckle is arranged between the inner rod and the outer rod, the spring baffle (15) and the inner rod and the outer rod are an integral structure, the spring baffle (15) is hinged on the slider pin shaft seat (8) through a slider pin shaft (9), and the other spring baffle (15) away from the slider pin shaft seat (8) is hinged with the connecting rod (4) through the first connecting rod pin shaft hole (20); The inflatable soft gripper (5) includes a soft gripper air bag (16), an inflatable hose (17), and a silica gel shell (18), the soft gripper air bag (16) is composed of five semicircular cavity air bags, located inside the inflatable soft gripper (5), and each cavity air bag is connected with each other through a circular air pipe, and an inflatable hose (17) is connected with a gas outlet hole at one end, the inflatable hose (17) is located at one end of the gas outlet hole of the inflatable soft gripper (5), is made of plastic material, and is in the shape of a Z, the inflatable hose (17) passes through the inflatable hose through hole (19) on the connecting rod (4), and the silica gel shell (18) wraps the five cavity air bags; The number of the spring kit (3) and the connecting rod (4) is greater than three; In the preparation stage of the grabbing operation, the stepping motor (1) moves the sliding block (7) to the uppermost end, the connecting rod (4) is in the open state, the air pressure is adjusted according to the type of the grabbed object, so as to change the rigidity and shape of the inflatable soft claw (5), when grabbing the object with high rigidity and large mass, the air pressure of the inflatable soft claw (5) is kept moderate, and the shape of the inflatable soft claw (5) is not changed, at this time, the mechanical soft claw can accurately control the claw shape through the connecting rod (4) without damaging the grabbed object, so as to realize accurate grabbing, when grabbing the object with light mass and fragility, the air pressure of the inflatable soft claw (5) is increased, so that the inflatable soft claw (5) is deformed, at this time, the grabbing operation is completely performed in the form of the flexible claw, at this time, the connecting rod (4) can quickly adjust the position of the inflatable soft claw (5), and the grabbing precision is improved.

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