A flexible hand claw with fingertips with adjustable finger distribution

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of machine hand, in particular to a flexible hand with fingertips capable of adjusting the distribution mode of fingers. In the present application, according to the shape of the object to be gripped, the posture conversion of multiple flexible hand units is controlled as a whole through the adjustment of the first driving mechanism, so that the multiple flexible hand units can realize the effect of simultaneous rotation, thereby realizing the adjustment of the distribution mode of the flexible hand. After the distribution mode of the flexible hand is adjusted, the flexible hand units can be controlled through the second driving mechanism according to the size of the object to be gripped, so that the multiple flexible hand units cooperate with each other to realize the effect of gripping the object. In this way, the problems existing in the prior art are solved, that is, the existing robot hand is driven by multiple servos to realize posture adjustment of different hands, but due to the multiple servos, the posture adjustment is realized individually, and during use, multiple adjustments of different servos are required to realize the effect of posture adjustment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic gripper technology, specifically to a flexible gripper with fingertips that can adjust the distribution of fingers. Background Technology

[0002] Object grasping is the foundation of robot operation. In daily life and production scenarios, robots need to handle objects of various types, sizes and shapes.

[0003] In real-world scenarios, robots need to adopt different postures depending on the shape and size of the object in order to grasp it.

[0004] In detail, for cylindrical or elongated objects, the grippers need to be parallel and relatively distributed, while for circular or spherical objects, the grippers need to be distributed in a circular pattern to achieve all-round wrapping of the object. Existing robot grippers achieve posture adjustment by using multiple servos to drive different grippers. However, since multiple servos are involved to achieve posture adjustment individually, multiple adjustments of different servos are required during use to achieve the desired posture adjustment effect.

[0005] Moreover, existing robotic grippers are often unable to handle small objects, such as embroidery needles, capsules, and screws.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a flexible gripper that can adjust multiple grippers in a timely manner and can grasp objects of different shapes. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems existing in the prior art by providing a flexible hand claw with fingertips that can adjust the finger distribution.

[0008] To address the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0009] A flexible claw with fingertips that can adjust the finger distribution includes a driving device and multiple flexible claw units. The multiple flexible claw units are connected to the driving device. Each flexible claw unit includes multiple connectors connected in sequence. The connector at the head end is connected to the driving device, and the connector at the tail end is provided with a fingertip structure.

[0010] Multiple sequentially connected components include rigid phalanges and flexible joints that are alternately connected in sequence;

[0011] The driving device includes a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism. The first driving mechanism is used to control the posture transformation of the multiple flexible gripper units as a whole.

[0012] The second drive mechanism includes a plurality of second servo motors, which are connected one-to-one with a plurality of the flexible gripper units. The second drive mechanism is used to adjust the bending posture of the flexible gripper units.

[0013] As an improvement to the technical solution of the present invention, which is a flexible claw with adjustable finger distribution and fingertips, the first driving mechanism includes a first servo motor, which is connected to a drive gear. The drive gear meshes with a driven gear, and the driven gear is provided with a plurality of finger fixing seats. The number of finger fixing seats corresponds one-to-one with the number of flexible claw units, and the flexible claw units are disposed on the finger fixing seats.

[0014] As an improvement to the technical solution of the present invention, which is a flexible gripper with adjustable finger distribution and fingertips, the second drive mechanism includes a plurality of second servo motors, each second servo motor corresponding to a servo disk and a drive rope. The second servo motor is connected to the servo disk, the first end of the drive rope is fixed on the servo disk, and the second end of the drive rope is connected to the flexible gripper unit.

[0015] As an improvement to the technical solution of the present invention, a flexible claw with fingertips that can adjust finger distribution, the second end of the drive rope is threaded through the flexible claw unit; the posture of the flexible claw unit changes with the tension of the drive rope.

[0016] As an improvement to the technical solution of the present invention, the flexible claw with fingertips that can adjust the finger distribution includes a housing, the housing including a base shell, and the driving device is disposed in the base shell.

[0017] As an improvement to the technical solution of the present invention, which is a flexible claw with adjustable finger distribution and fingertips, the base housing is provided with the drive circuit board, which is connected to the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism respectively.

[0018] As an improvement to the technical solution of the present invention, which is a flexible claw with adjustable finger distribution and fingertips, each of the flexible claw units includes a first rigid phalanx, a first flexible joint, a second rigid phalanx, a third flexible joint, and a third rigid phalanx connected in sequence.

[0019] As an improvement to the technical solution of the present invention, a flexible claw with fingertips that can adjust finger distribution, the relationship between the stiffness of the flexible joint and the size of the flexible joint satisfies:

[0020]

[0021] Among them, W is the width of the flexible joint, D is the thickness of the flexible joint, L is the length of the flexible joint, and E is the Young's modulus of the material of the flexible joint, which is an inherent parameter of the material.

[0022] As an improvement to the technical solution of the flexible gripper with fingertips of the adjustable finger distribution of the present invention, the stiffness of the first flexible joint is k1, and the stiffness of the second flexible joint is k2;

[0023] When k1 > k2, the movement amplitude of the first flexible joint is less than that of the second flexible joint;

[0024] When k1 = k2, the movement amplitude of the first flexible joint is equal to that of the second flexible joint;

[0025] When k1 < k2, the movement amplitude of the first flexible joint is greater than that of the second flexible joint.

[0026] Advantages of the present invention:

[0027] In the present invention, according to the shape of the object to be clamped, through the adjustment of the first driving mechanism, the attitude conversion of multiple flexible gripper units is overall controlled, so that the multiple flexible gripper units can achieve the effect of simultaneous rotation to realize the adjustment of the distribution mode of the flexible gripper. After adjusting the distribution mode of the flexible gripper, according to the size of the object to be clamped, the flexible gripper units can be controlled by the second driving mechanism, so that the multiple flexible gripper units cooperate with each other to achieve the effect of clamping the object. In this way, the problems existing in the prior art are solved, that is, the existing robot gripper realizes attitude adjustment by multiple servos corresponding to driving different grippers. However, due to including multiple servos and realizing attitude adjustment separately, when in use, it takes multiple adjustments of different servos to achieve the effect of attitude adjustment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible gripper unit in the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention with the base housing omitted;

[0031] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention in the first attitude;

[0032] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention in the second attitude.

[0033] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1-Base housing; 2-Signal cable interface; 3-Power interface; 4-First rigid phalanx; 5-First flexible joint; 6-Second rigid phalanx; 7-Second flexible joint; 8-Finger fixing seat; 9-Drive gear; 10-Driven gear; 11-First servo; 12-Second servo; 13-Sergeant disc; 14-Drive circuit board; 15-Base fixing plate; 16-Drive rope; 17-Fixing plate. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments.

[0035] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, a flexible claw with fingertips that can adjust the finger distribution includes a driving device and multiple flexible claw units. The multiple flexible claw units are connected to the driving device. Each flexible claw unit includes multiple connectors connected in sequence. The connector at the head end is connected to the driving device, and the connector at the tail end is provided with a fingertip structure.

[0036] Multiple sequentially connected components include rigid phalanges and flexible joints that are alternately connected in sequence;

[0037] The drive device includes a first drive mechanism and a second drive mechanism. The first drive mechanism is used to control the posture transformation of multiple flexible gripper units.

[0038] The second drive mechanism includes multiple second servo motors 12, which are connected one-to-one with multiple flexible gripper units. The second drive mechanism is used to adjust the bending posture of the flexible gripper units.

[0039] In use, the present invention controls the posture transformation of multiple flexible gripper units through the first drive mechanism, enabling the multiple flexible gripper units to rotate simultaneously, thereby adjusting the distribution posture and / or mode of the flexible grippers; moreover, the bending posture of each flexible gripper unit is correspondingly controlled by multiple second servo motors 12 in the second drive mechanism; and since each flexible gripper unit includes rigid finger bones and flexible joints connected alternately in sequence, the posture adjustment of multiple flexible joints enables the multiple flexible grippers to cooperate with each other to grasp objects.

[0040] In this invention, based on the shape of the object to be gripped, the posture transformation of multiple flexible gripper units is controlled by adjusting the first driving mechanism, so that the multiple flexible gripper units can rotate simultaneously, thereby adjusting the distribution of the flexible grippers.

[0041] After adjusting the distribution mode of the flexible gripper, according to the size of the object to be grasped, the flexible gripper unit can be controlled by the second driving mechanism, so that multiple flexible gripper units cooperate with each other to achieve the effect of grasping the object.

[0042] The first posture of the flexible gripper is as Figure 4 shown. The postures of the flexible grippers are circularly distributed. At this time, the flexible grippers are suitable for grasping circular or spherical objects, and the flexible grippers are circularly distributed to achieve all-round wrapping of the object.

[0043] The second posture of the flexible gripper is as Figure 5 shown. The postures of the flexible grippers are parallelly distributed. At this time, the flexible grippers are suitable for grasping strip-shaped objects.

[0044] Preferably, the flexible joint and the rigid phalanx can be connected by bolts with the help of the fixing plate 17 to reduce the deformation of the flexible joint when the bolt and the nut are locked.

[0045] Preferably, the rigid phalanx can be made of metal materials such as aluminum alloy and iron, or can be composed of materials such as resin and nylon; the flexible joint can be made of materials with deformation ability and elasticity, such as silicone, rubber and other materials.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present invention, the relationship between the stiffness of the flexible joint and the size of the flexible joint satisfies:

[0047]

[0048] where W is the width of the flexible joint, D is the thickness of the flexible joint, L is the length of the flexible joint, and E is the Young's modulus of the material of the flexible joint, which is an inherent parameter of the material.

[0049] Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, each flexible gripper unit includes a first rigid phalanx 4, a first flexible joint 5, a second rigid phalanx 6, a third flexible joint and a third rigid phalanx connected in sequence.

[0050] Suppose the stiffness of the first flexible joint 5 is k1, and the stiffness of the second flexible joint 7 is k2;

[0051] When k1>k2, the movement amplitude of the first flexible joint 5 is smaller than that of the second flexible joint 7;

[0052] When k1 = k2, the movement amplitude of the first flexible joint 5 is equal to that of the second flexible joint 7;

[0053] When k1<k2, the movement amplitude of the first flexible joint 5 is greater than that of the second flexible joint 7.

[0054] In detail, the driving device in this invention drives the flexible gripper in an underactuated manner. Since the flexible gripper unit in this invention comprises multiple alternating rigid phalanges and flexible joints, in this driving method, the flexible joints couple during the closing process of the multiple flexible grippers, making it impossible to precisely control the bending posture of the flexible joints. Therefore, a fingertip structure is added to the connector at the end, enabling it to grasp small objects when the fingers are closed. To enable the flexible gripper to grasp small objects such as screws and needles, the size parameters of the flexible joints can be adjusted as needed to ensure that the first contact point between the two flexible grippers is not at the fingertip of the fingertip structure during the closing process; otherwise, the flexible gripper cannot grasp small objects. When grasping small objects, the flexible gripper must first be closed to a certain extent to reduce the distance between the fingertips, and then the object is grasped using the fingertips of the rigid phalanges.

[0055] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first driving mechanism includes a first servo motor 11, which is connected to a drive gear 9. The drive gear 9 meshes with a driven gear 10, and the driven gear 10 is provided with a plurality of finger fixing seats 8. The number of finger fixing seats 8 corresponds one-to-one with the number of flexible gripper units, and the flexible gripper units are disposed on the finger fixing seats 8. When the first servo motor 11 rotates, it drives the drive gear 9 to rotate, and the driven gear 10 rotates with the drive gear 9, thereby driving the rotation of the finger fixing seats 8. Under the action of the finger fixing seats 8, the distribution posture conversion of the flexible gripper units is achieved.

[0056] In some embodiments of the present invention, the second drive mechanism includes a plurality of second servo motors 12, each second servo motor 12 corresponding to a servo disk 13 and a drive rope 16. The second servo motor 12 is connected to the servo disk 13, the first end of the drive rope 16 is fixed on the servo disk 13, and the second end of the drive rope 16 is connected to the flexible gripper unit.

[0057] Furthermore, the second end of the drive rope 16 is threaded through the flexible gripper unit; the posture of the flexible gripper unit changes with the tension of the drive rope 16.

[0058] In detail, when the second servo motor 12 rotates, it drives the drive rope 16 to rotate around the rudder disk 13. The posture of the flexible gripper unit is adjusted and changed according to the tension of the drive rope 16 being pulled by the rudder disk 13. That is, under the action of the second drive mechanism, the flexible joint is bent, thereby achieving the effect of grasping objects.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present invention, the flexible claw with fingertips that allows for adjustable finger distribution includes a housing, the housing including a base shell 1, and a driving device disposed within the base shell 1. The base shell 1 includes a base fixing plate 15, and finger fixing seats 8 are fixed to the base fixing plate 15.

[0060] In some embodiments of the present invention, a drive circuit board 14 is provided inside the base housing 1. The drive circuit board 14 is connected to the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism respectively. Preferably, the drive circuit board 14 is connected to the first servo motor 11 and the second servo motor 12 respectively, and the drive circuit board 14 controls the start, stop and operation of the first servo motor 11 and the second servo motor 12.

[0061] Preferably, the base housing 1 has a signal line interface 2 and a power interface 3 to supply power to the flexible gripper and provide drive signals.

[0062] Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible gripper with fingertips that can adjust the finger distribution method, comprising a driving device and a plurality of flexible gripper units, and the plurality of flexible gripper units are connected to the driving device. It is characterized in that each of the flexible gripper units includes a plurality of sequentially connected connectors, the connector connected to the first end is connected to the driving device, and a fingertip structure is provided on the connector connected to the last end; the plurality of sequentially connected connectors include rigid phalanges and flexible joints that are sequentially and alternately connected; the driving device includes a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism, and the first driving mechanism is used to overall control the attitude conversion of the plurality of flexible gripper units; the second driving mechanism includes a plurality of second servos, and the plurality of second servos are connected to the plurality of flexible gripper units in a one-to-one correspondence, and the second driving mechanism is used to adjust the bending attitude of the flexible gripper units; the first driving mechanism includes a first servo, the first servo is connected to a driving gear, the driving gear is engaged with a driven gear, and a plurality of finger fixing seats are provided on the driven gear. The number of the finger fixing seats corresponds to the number of the flexible gripper units in a one-to-one correspondence, and the flexible gripper units are arranged on the finger fixing seats; the second driving mechanism includes a plurality of the second servos, and each second servo corresponds to a steering wheel and a driving rope. The second servo is connected to the steering wheel, the first end of the driving rope is fixed on the steering wheel, and the second end of the driving rope is connected to the flexible gripper unit; the second end of the driving rope is arranged in the flexible gripper unit; the attitude of the flexible gripper unit changes with the adjustment of the tightness of the driving rope; each of the flexible gripper units includes a first rigid phalanx, a first flexible joint, a second rigid phalanx, a second flexible joint and a third rigid phalanx that are sequentially connected; the relationship between the stiffness of the flexible joint and the size of the flexible joint satisfies: ； where W is the width of the flexible joint, D is the thickness of the flexible joint, L is the length of the flexible joint, and E is the Young's modulus of the material of the flexible joint, which is an inherent parameter of the material; the stiffness of the first flexible joint is k1, and the stiffness of the second flexible joint is k2; when k1>k2, the movement amplitude of the first flexible joint is smaller than that of the second flexible joint; when k1=k2, the movement amplitude of the first flexible joint is equal to that of the second flexible joint; when k1<k2, the movement amplitude of the first flexible joint is greater than that of the second flexible joint.

2. The flexible claw with fingertips that can adjust the finger distribution according to claim 1, characterized in that, the flexible gripper with fingertips that can adjust the finger distribution method includes a housing, and the housing includes a base housing, and the driving device is arranged in the base housing.

3. The flexible claw with fingertips that can adjust the finger distribution according to claim 2, characterized in that, a driving circuit board is arranged in the base housing, and the driving circuit board is respectively connected to the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism.

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