Pneumatic gripping apparatus suitable for underwater and irradiation environments and gripping method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of grippers, in particular to a pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiation environments and a gripping method. The pneumatic gripping apparatus comprises a driving mechanism and a gripping assembly; the driving mechanism comprises a sleeve, a piston and a connecting rod, a sliding cavity is formed in the front end of the sleeve, a through hole is formed in the middle of the sleeve, an air cavity is formed in the rear portion of the sleeve, the through hole is communicated with the sliding cavity and the air cavity, the piston is installed in the air cavity in a sliding mode, the connecting rod is installed in the through hole, and the rear end of the connecting rod is connected with the piston; the grabbing assembly comprises at least two clamping jaws, the clamping jaws are made of elastic materials, the clamping jaws are located in the sliding cavity and installed at the front end of the connecting rod, and the clamping jaws can stretch out of the sliding cavity under the action of the connecting rod and enable the front end opening to grab a workpiece. Target objects of different shapes and sizes can be grabbed through the manipulator, and the manipulator is particularly suitable for operation in a narrow space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of grippers, and in particular to a pneumatic gripper and a gripping method suitable for underwater and irradiated environments. Background Art

[0002] A pneumatic gripper is an actuator that uses compressed air as a power source to grab or move workpieces. This type of equipment is particularly important in industrial automation, underwater operations, and irradiation environments because it can replace manual grasping work, improve production efficiency, and enhance work safety. In these special environments, for the grasping of small, medium, or even micro targets in confined spaces, the gripper needs to be small and light, reliable in driving force, suitable for remote transmission, and highly adaptable.

[0003] At present, the internal drive of existing pneumatic grippers is mostly a crank mechanism or a gear mechanism. These structures are relatively complex, which makes it difficult to miniaturize and lighten the gripper, and it is not suitable for operation in a small space. Although the electric-driven gripper can realize digital control and accurately control the speed, position and clamping force, its structure is complex and costly, and it has extremely high requirements on the insulation and radiation resistance of electrical components in underwater and irradiated environments. The pneumatic gripper described in the existing patent 201910585423.7 is connected to the cylinder barrel through two jaws, and the guide rod is connected to the jaws through a sliding connection. The extension or retraction of the piston rod drives the jaws to close or open. This structure causes the end size of the jaws to clamp the object to be larger, and the operating dexterity is insufficient. It is not suitable for grasping small objects in narrow spaces, and the grasping range of objects is limited, which is not suitable for grasping irregular objects.

[0004] Therefore, the problems existing in the prior art mainly include:

[0005] ① The internal drive structure is complex, which makes it difficult to achieve miniaturization and lightness, and is not suitable for operation in a small space.

[0006] ② Electric-driven grippers are expensive and have stringent performance requirements on electrical components in special environments.

[0007] ③ The existing pneumatic grippers have large jaw ends and insufficient operating dexterity, making them unsuitable for grasping small objects.

[0008] ④The grasping range is limited and not suitable for grasping irregular objects. Summary of the invention

[0009] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments. This gripper uses pneumatic means to drive elastic claws to achieve gripping action. It has the characteristics of material not being affected by radiation, simple structure, reliable action, and miniaturization. It can effectively solve the problem of target grasping in narrow spaces in underwater and irradiated environments.

[0010] In order to achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present invention provide the following technical solutions:

[0011] A pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments, comprising: a driving mechanism and a gripping assembly; the driving mechanism comprises a sleeve, a piston and a connecting rod, the front end of the sleeve has a sliding cavity, the middle of the sleeve has a through hole, the rear of the sleeve has an air cavity, the through hole connects the sliding cavity and the air cavity, the piston is slidably installed in the air cavity, the connecting rod is installed in the through hole, and the rear end of the connecting rod is connected to the piston; the gripping assembly comprises at least two clamping jaws, the clamping jaws are made of elastic material, are located in the sliding cavity and are installed at the front end of the connecting rod, and can extend out of the sliding cavity under the action of the connecting rod and make the front end open to grip a workpiece.

[0012] Optionally, the rear end of the sleeve sliding cavity is provided with a connecting pipe, and the connecting pipe is equipped with a vent pipe for introducing compressed gas.

[0013] Optionally, the driving mechanism further comprises a spring, wherein the spring is located in the sliding cavity and sleeved on the connecting rod, the front end of the spring abuts against the front end surface of the sliding cavity, and the rear end of the spring abuts against the front end surface of the piston.

[0014] Optionally, the grabbing assembly further comprises a slider, which is slidably mounted in the sliding cavity, and the rear end of the slider is connected to the front end of the connecting rod, and the clamp is mounted at the front end of the slider.

[0015] Optionally, the rear end of the clamp is fixedly connected to the front end of the slider; or, the rear end of the clamp is hingedly connected to the front end of the slider.

[0016] Optionally, the clamping jaw is formed by a plurality of bending sections, and the front end of the clamping jaw has a first bending section and a second bending section, and the opening formed by the first bending section and the second bending section faces the central axis.

[0017] Optionally, the clamping jaw is a stainless steel bar, a stainless steel sheet or a stainless steel wire.

[0018] Optionally, the rear end of the connecting rod is fixedly connected or hingedly connected to the front end of the piston.

[0019] Optionally, the sleeve is made of flexible material.

[0020] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a gripping method using the pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments as described above, comprising: compressed air pushes the piston forward, the piston drives the jaws to slide out of the sliding cavity through a connecting rod, and the front end of the jaws breaks away from the restriction of the sleeve and opens; ventilation is stopped, the piston moves backward under the action of the spring, and then drives the jaws to retract into the sliding cavity through the connecting rod, and the jaws are retracted toward the center under the restriction of the sleeve to grasp the workpiece.

[0021] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0022] The design of this structure not only simplifies the driving mode of the pneumatic gripper and reduces the complex mechanical connection, but also uses pneumatic control to achieve efficient and precise grasping action. The elastic material gripper has the ability to automatically restore its shape, making the gripper highly adaptable and able to grasp target objects of different shapes and sizes, especially suitable for operations in narrow spaces.

[0023] The present invention adopts pneumatic mode, provides the ability of remote operation of the tool, and can be operated manually or by robot to protect the safety of the operator. The gripper is driven by compressed air, which is easy to obtain, will not be affected by environmental water, radiation, etc., and does not pollute the use environment. This gripper has a simple structure and is easy to process. It can be made into a small or micro size and is suitable for grabbing targets in narrow areas. The gripper can be made entirely of metal materials and is suitable for irradiated environments. The sleeve is made of flexible material to match the hinged connection of each component to adapt to complex spaces.

[0024] Advantages of additional aspects of the present invention will be given in the following description, and in part will become obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the prior art descriptions are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. In addition, the spacing or size between each other is exaggerated to show the position of each part, and the schematic diagram is only used for illustration.

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a retracted state of the clamping jaws provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a clamping claw in an extended state provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] In the figure: 1, clamping claw; 2, slider; 3, sleeve; 4, spring; 5, connecting rod; 6, piston; 7, vent pipe; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are illustrative and are intended to provide further explanation of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in the present invention have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. In addition, it should also be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] In order to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background technology, this embodiment proposes a pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments. Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, it includes: a driving mechanism and a grabbing assembly; the driving mechanism includes a sleeve 3, a piston 6 and a connecting rod 5, the front end of the sleeve 3 has a sliding cavity, the middle part of the sleeve 3 has a through hole, the rear part of the sleeve 3 has an air cavity, the through hole connects the sliding cavity and the air cavity, the piston 6 is slidably installed in the air cavity, the piston 6 and the sleeve 3 form a cylinder, the piston 6 can slide in the inner cavity of the sleeve 3 and has air tightness. The connecting rod 5 is installed in the through hole, and the rear end of the connecting rod 5 is connected to the piston 6; the grabbing assembly includes at least two clamping jaws 1, the clamping jaws 1 are made of elastic material, the clamping jaws 1 are located in the sliding cavity and installed at the front end of the connecting rod 5, and can extend out of the sliding cavity under the action of the connecting rod 5 and make the front end open to grab the workpiece.

[0032] The sleeve 3 is one of the core components of the pneumatic gripper, and a sliding cavity is provided at its front end to accommodate the clamp 1 and other related mechanisms. A through hole is provided in the middle of the sleeve 3 to connect the sliding cavity and the air cavity. The piston 6 is installed in the air cavity of the sleeve 3 and slides freely. Due to the connection between the piston 6 and the connecting rod 5, the forward movement of the piston 6 can drive the connecting rod 5 to move, thereby realizing the extension or retraction of the clamp 1. The connecting rod 5 is connected to the piston 6 through the through hole. The connecting rod 5 is pushed during the movement of the piston 6, converting the pneumatic drive into mechanical movement, and pushing the clamp 1 to complete the grasping action. The clamp 1 is made of elastic material and can be unfolded under the action of gas pressure to grasp the target object. The clamp 1 is installed at the front end of the slider 2, and extends out of the sliding cavity through the action of the connecting rod 5, so as to achieve the purpose of clamping the target object. The elastic design of the clamp 1 enables it to automatically restore its original shape to achieve effective clamping and release actions.

[0033] The rear end of the sliding cavity of the sleeve 3 is provided with a connecting pipe, and a vent pipe 7 is installed on the connecting pipe. The vent pipe 7 is connected to a high-pressure gas source for introducing compressed gas.

[0034] The connecting pipe and the vent pipe 7 are key parts that connect the air cavity with the external gas source, allowing the gas to flow smoothly into the air cavity and push the piston 6 to move. The vent pipe 7 is connected to the connecting pipe of the sleeve 3 to form a gas input channel. Compressed gas can be supplied through an external gas source and input into the air cavity through the vent pipe 7 to push the piston 6 and the connecting rod 5 system to move. The vent pipe 7 can be equipped with control devices such as valves to adjust the gas flow entering the air cavity, thereby controlling the extension and contraction range of the clamp 1 to achieve precise clamping of the grasped object. The design of the vent pipe 7 ensures that the gas can be efficiently and stably input into the air cavity, thereby providing a lasting and reliable driving force. This pneumatic drive system is particularly suitable for underwater and irradiated environments, because the use of compressed gas is not affected by environmental factors such as water and radiation, and has stronger adaptability and safety.

[0035] The driving mechanism also includes a spring 4, which is located in the sliding cavity and is sleeved on the connecting rod 5. The front end of the spring 4 abuts against the front end surface of the sliding cavity, and the rear end abuts against the front end surface of the piston 6. When the compressed gas is input and pushes the piston 6 forward, the spring 4 will be compressed and store energy; when the gas supply stops, the spring 4 releases the stored energy, pushes the piston 6 to move in the opposite direction, and then drives the clamp 1 to retract. The stiffness of the spring 4 can be adjusted according to the needs of different applications to achieve different gripping forces. The stiffness of the spring 4 determines the retraction speed of the clamp 1 and the gripping force, thereby affecting the accuracy and stability of the gripping action. The use of the spring 4 makes the action of the pneumatic gripper more reliable, avoiding the problem that the clamp 1 cannot automatically return to its original position after the gas supply stops. It provides a simple and efficient return mechanism, which increases the operational flexibility and stability of the gripper.

[0036] The grabbing assembly further comprises a slider 2 , which is slidably mounted in the sliding cavity, and a rear end of the slider 2 is connected to a front end of the connecting rod 5 , and the clamping jaw 1 is mounted at the front end of the slider 2 .

[0037] The slider 2 can slide freely in the sliding cavity and move back and forth. When the gas pushes the piston 6, the slider 2 moves through the action of the connecting rod 5, thereby driving the clamp 1 forward. The front end of the slider 2 fixes the rear end of the clamp 1 to ensure that the clamp 1 can smoothly extend and grasp the target object. The design of the slider 2 needs to ensure compatibility with the inner wall of the sliding cavity to ensure smooth sliding without excessive friction. The addition of the slider 2 enables the pneumatic gripper to achieve a more stable and precise extension and retraction action of the clamp 1. It is a bridge to realize the connection between the pneumatic drive and the grasping action, ensuring the smoothness and stability of the entire grasping process.

[0038] The rear end of the clamping jaw 1 is fixedly connected to the front end of the slider 2; or, the rear end of the clamping jaw 1 is hingedly connected to the front end of the slider 2.

[0039] The fixed connection can be achieved by screws, welding or clamping to ensure a stable connection between the clamping jaw 1 and the slider 2. The hinged connection is achieved by a hinge or other rotating connection member, so that the clamping jaw 1 has a certain angle variation range.

[0040] By selecting the appropriate connection mode (fixed connection or hinged connection), the gripping mode of the gripper 1 can be adjusted according to actual needs. Fixed connection is suitable for gripping that requires higher rigidity and stability, while hinged connection is suitable for gripping operations that require flexible adaptation to the shape of the object. This design improves the adaptability of the gripper to targets of different shapes.

[0041] The clamping jaw 1 is formed by multiple bending sections, and the front end of the clamping jaw 1 has a first bending section and a second bending section, and the opening formed by the first bending section and the second bending section faces the central axis. The outer contour boss of the workpiece can be clamped through the inner side of the first bending section, and the inner step hole of the workpiece can be supported through the outer side of the second bending section, so as to realize different grasping methods for different workpieces. The bending design of the clamping jaw 1 greatly increases its grasping ability, especially when handling objects with complex geometric shapes, it can better adapt to different grasping requirements.

[0042] The clamping jaw 1 is made of stainless steel bars, stainless steel sheets or stainless steel wires, which have high strength, corrosion resistance and good elasticity, and can work stably for a long time underwater and in irradiated environments. By pre-forming a shape with a certain bending angle, it has the ability to deform under external force and automatically restore the shape when the external force is removed, without the need for an additional driving structure. The dimensions of the clamping jaw 1 can be made very small, suitable for grasping small objects in a narrow space.

[0043] The rear end of the connecting rod 5 is fixedly connected or hingedly connected to the front end of the piston 6. Fixed connection: The rear end of the connecting rod 5 is connected to the front end of the piston 6 by a mechanical fixing method (such as screws, welding, etc.) to ensure that the transmission between the two is more stable. Hinge connection: The connecting rod 5 is connected to the piston 6 by a hinge device (such as a pin). The hinge connection provides a certain degree of angular freedom and can provide better adaptability.

[0044] The sleeve 3 is made of flexible materials, such as high-strength rubber, composite materials, etc. The use of flexible materials enhances the adaptability of the pneumatic gripper, enabling it to work reliably underwater and in irradiated environments, especially when grasping in irregularly shaped spaces, providing better adaptability and flexibility.

[0045] Example 2

[0046] This embodiment provides a grasping method using the pneumatic grasper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments described in Embodiment 1, comprising:

[0047] When the clamping jaw 1 is placed above the grasping target, high-pressure gas is introduced into the vent pipe 7, and the gas enters the air cavity, pushing the piston 6 to slide forward. The forward movement of the piston 6 drives the connecting rod 5 and the slider 2 forward, and at the same time compresses the spring 4, pushing the clamping jaw 1 out of the sliding cavity. When the clamping jaw 1 is pushed out of the sleeve 3, it can restore its original shape to achieve the goal of opening the envelope to grasp the target.

[0048] When ventilation stops, the spring 4 is reset, and the piston 6 starts to move backward under the rebound force of the spring 4. The backward movement of the connecting rod 5 drives the clamping jaw 1 to retract back, and the clamping jaw 1 is closed under the guidance of the sleeve 3 to form a closed state to grasp the object.

[0049] By adjusting the compressed air pressure, the moving distance of the slider 2 can be controlled to achieve different opening and closing degrees of the gripper 1 and grasp targets of different sizes.

[0050] This grasping method uses compressed air and spring 4 to cooperate with the forward and backward movement of control piston 6, and realizes accurate grasping of objects through precise opening and closing of clamping jaw 1. This pneumatic drive method is simple to operate and has a quick response, and is particularly suitable for scenes where objects need to be grasped or released quickly.

[0051] Although the above describes the specific implementation mode of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art on the basis of the technical solution of the present invention without creative work are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments, characterized in that: include: Drive mechanism and gripping assembly; The driving mechanism comprises a sleeve, a piston and a connecting rod, wherein the front end of the sleeve has a sliding cavity, the middle part of the sleeve has a through hole, the rear part of the sleeve has an air cavity, the through hole communicates with the sliding cavity and the air cavity, the piston is slidably installed in the air cavity, the connecting rod is installed in the through hole, and the rear end of the connecting rod is connected to the piston; The grabbing assembly comprises at least two clamping jaws, which are made of elastic material, are located in the sliding cavity and are mounted on the front end of the connecting rod. Under the action of the connecting rod, the clamping jaws can extend out of the sliding cavity and open the front end to grab the workpiece.

2. The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rear end of the sleeve sliding cavity is provided with a connecting pipe, and a vent pipe is installed on the connecting pipe, and the vent pipe is used for introducing compressed gas.

3. The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The driving mechanism also includes a spring, which is located in the sliding cavity and sleeved on the connecting rod. The front end of the spring abuts against the front end surface of the sliding cavity, and the rear end of the spring abuts against the front end surface of the piston.

4. The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The grabbing assembly also includes a slider, which is slidably mounted in the sliding cavity, and the rear end of the slider is connected to the front end of the connecting rod, and the clamp is mounted on the front end of the slider.

5. The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The rear end of the clamp is fixedly connected to the front end of the slider; or the rear end of the clamp is hingedly connected to the front end of the slider.

6. The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping jaw is formed by multiple bending sections, and the front end of the clamping jaw has a first bending section and a second bending section, and the opening formed by the first bending section and the second bending section faces the central axis.

7. The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping claw is a stainless steel bar, a stainless steel sheet or a stainless steel wire.

8. The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The rear end of the connecting rod is fixedly connected or hingedly connected to the front end of the piston.

9. The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: The sleeve is made of flexible material.

10. A method for grasping using the pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: include: The compressed air pushes the piston forward, and the piston drives the clamping jaws to slide out of the sliding cavity through the connecting rod, and the front end of the clamping jaws is freed from the restriction of the sleeve and opens; When ventilation stops, the piston moves backward under the action of the spring, and then drives the clamping claw to retract into the sliding cavity through the connecting rod. The clamping claw is restrained by the sleeve and moves toward the center to grab the workpiece.

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