A pneumatic gripper and method of gripping suitable for underwater and irradiated environments

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of grab, especially to a pneumatic grab and grabbing method suitable for underwater and irradiation environment. The pneumatic grab comprises a driving mechanism and a grabbing assembly. The driving mechanism comprises a sleeve, a piston and a connecting rod. The front end of the sleeve is provided with a sliding cavity. The middle part of the sleeve is provided with a through hole. The rear part of the sleeve is provided with a gas cavity. The through hole is communicated with the sliding cavity and the gas cavity. The piston is slidably installed in the gas cavity. The connecting rod is installed in the through hole. 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 material. The clamping jaws are installed at the front end of the connecting rod in the sliding cavity. The clamping jaws can extend out of the sliding cavity and grasp workpieces by the action of the connecting rod. The present application can grasp target objects with different shapes and sizes, especially suitable for operation in narrow space.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of grippers, in particular to a pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiation environments and a grabbing method. BACKGROUND

[0002] A pneumatic gripper is an actuator that uses compressed air as a power source to grab or transport workpieces. This device is particularly important in industrial automation, underwater operations and irradiation environments, as it can replace manual grabbing work, improve production efficiency and enhance work safety. In these special environments, for grabbing small or even micro targets in narrow spaces, the gripper needs to be small and light, have reliable driving force, be suitable for remote transmission and have strong adaptability.

[0003] At present, the internal drive of the existing pneumatic gripper is mostly a crank mechanism or a gear mechanism, which is relatively complex, making it difficult to miniaturize and lightweight the gripper, and not suitable for narrow space operation. Although electrically driven grippers can achieve digital control and accurately control speed, position and clamping force, their structure is complex, the cost is high, and the insulation and radiation resistance of electrical components in underwater and irradiation environments are extremely high. The pneumatic gripper described in the existing patent 201910585423.7 is connected with the cylinder through two clamping jaws and a guide rod, and the extension or retraction of the piston rod drives the clamping jaws to close or open. This structure results in a larger end size of the clamping jaws for holding objects, and the operation is not agile enough, which is not suitable for grabbing small objects in narrow spaces, and the grabbing range is limited, which is not suitable for grabbing irregular objects.

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

[0005] ① The internal drive structure is complex, making it difficult to achieve miniaturization and lightweight, and not suitable for narrow space operation.

[0006] ② Electrically driven grippers are costly, and the performance requirements of electrical components in special environments are harsh.

[0007] ③ The end size of the clamping jaws of the existing pneumatic gripper is large, and the operation is not agile enough, which is not suitable for grabbing small objects.

[0008] ④ The grabbing range is limited, which is not suitable for grabbing irregular objects. SUMMARY

[0009] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiation environments. This gripper uses a pneumatic method to drive elastic clamping jaws to achieve grabbing action, has the characteristics of material not affected by radiation, simple structure, reliable action, and miniaturization, and can effectively solve the problem of target grabbing in narrow spaces in underwater and irradiation environments.

[0010] To achieve the above object, the embodiment of the present application provides the technical scheme as follows:

[0011] The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiation environment comprises 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 is provided with a sliding cavity, the middle part of the sleeve is provided with a through hole, the rear part of the sleeve is provided with a gas cavity, the through hole is communicated with the sliding cavity and the gas cavity, the piston is slidably installed in the gas cavity, the connecting rod is installed in the through hole, and the rear end of the connecting rod is connected with the piston; the gripping assembly comprises at least two clamping jaws, the clamping jaws are made of elastic material, the clamping jaws are installed at the front end of the connecting rod in the sliding cavity, and can extend out of the sliding cavity and grasp workpieces by opening the front end under the action of the connecting rod.

[0012] Optionally, the rear end of the sliding cavity of the sleeve is provided with a communicating pipe, a gas pipe is installed in the communicating pipe, and the gas pipe is used for inputting compressed gas.

[0013] Optionally, the driving mechanism further comprises a spring, 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 face of the sliding cavity, and the rear end of the spring abuts against the front end face of the piston.

[0014] Optionally, the gripping assembly further comprises a sliding block, the sliding block is slidably installed in the sliding cavity, the rear end of the sliding block is connected with the front end of the connecting rod, and the clamping jaws are installed at the front end of the sliding block.

[0015] Optionally, the rear end of the clamping jaw is fixedly connected with the front end of the sliding block, or the rear end of the clamping jaw is hingedly connected with the front end of the sliding block.

[0016] Optionally, the clamping jaw is formed by multiple bending sections, the front end of the clamping jaw is provided with 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 strip, a stainless steel sheet or a stainless steel wire.

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

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

[0020] The embodiment of the present application also provides a grabbing method using the pneumatic grabber suitable for underwater and irradiation environment, comprising: compressed air drives the piston to move forward, the piston drives the clamping jaw to slide out of the sliding cavity through the connecting rod, and the front end of the clamping jaw is released from the sleeve to be opened; stopping the air supply, the piston moves backward under the action of the spring, and then drives the clamping jaw to retract into the sliding cavity through the connecting rod, and the clamping jaw is gathered to the center under the restriction of the sleeve to grab the workpiece.

[0021] The one or more technical solutions provided in the embodiment of the present application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0022] The design of the structure not only simplifies the driving mode of the pneumatic grabber and reduces the complex mechanical connection, but also realizes efficient and accurate grabbing action by using pneumatic control. The elastic material clamping jaw has the ability of automatic shape recovery, so that the grabber has strong adaptability and can grab target objects of different shapes and sizes, and is especially suitable for operation in narrow space.

[0023] The present application adopts the pneumatic mode, provides the ability of remote operation of the tool, can be operated by artificial or robot, and protects the safety of the operator. The grabber driving adopts compressed air, which is easy to obtain and will not be affected by the environment water, radiation and the like, and has no pollution to the use environment. The grabber has simple structure and small processing difficulty, can be made into small or micro size, and is suitable for grabbing targets in narrow area. The grabber can be made of metal material and is suitable for irradiation environment. The sleeve is made of flexible material and is connected with the hinge connection of each component, which is suitable for complex space.

[0024] The advantages of the additional aspects of the present application will be given in the following description, some of which will become apparent from the following description, or will be understood through practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or prior art description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only show some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor on the basis of these drawings. In addition, the mutual distance or size is exaggerated for showing the position of each part, and the schematic diagram is only used for illustration.

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the retracted state of the clamping jaw provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the extended state of the clamping jaw provided by the embodiment of the present application;

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

[0029] It should be noted that the following detailed description is exemplary and is intended to provide further explanation of the application. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. Furthermore, it should be understood that the use of the terms "including", "comprising", "having" and / or "containing" are intended to be equivalent to the term "consisting of" unless otherwise noted.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] To solve the technical problems mentioned in the background, this embodiment proposes a pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiation environment. As shown in Figure 1 , Figure 2 , it comprises a driving mechanism and a gripping assembly. The driving mechanism comprises 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, and the rear part of the sleeve 3 has a gas cavity. The through hole connects the sliding cavity and the gas cavity. The piston 6 is slidingly installed in the gas cavity, and the piston 6 and the sleeve 3 form a gas 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 with the piston 6. The gripping assembly comprises at least two jaws 1. The jaws 1 are made of elastic material, are located in the sliding cavity and are installed at the front end of the connecting rod 5. The jaws 1 can extend out of the sliding cavity and grasp the workpiece at the front end opening under the action of the connecting rod 5.

[0032] The sleeve 3 is one of the core components of the pneumatic gripper. The front end of the sleeve 3 is provided with a sliding cavity for accommodating the jaws 1 and other related mechanisms. The middle part of the sleeve 3 is provided with a through hole to connect the sliding cavity and the gas cavity. The piston 6 is installed in the gas cavity of the sleeve 3 and can slide 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 jaws 1. The connecting rod 5 is connected with the piston 6 through the through hole. The connecting rod 5 is pushed during the movement of the piston 6, converting pneumatic driving into mechanical movement and pushing the jaws 1 to complete the grasping action. The jaws 1 are made of elastic material and can expand under the action of gas pressure to grasp the target object. The jaws 1 are installed at the front end of the slider 2 and extend out of the sliding cavity through the action of the connecting rod 5, thereby achieving the purpose of clamping the target object. The elastic design of the jaws 1 enables them to automatically restore to the original shape, realizing effective clamping and releasing actions.

[0033] The rear end of the sliding cavity of the sleeve 3 is provided with a communication pipe, and the communication pipe is installed with an air pipe 7. The air pipe 7 is connected with a high-pressure gas source and is used for introducing compressed gas.

[0034] The communication pipe and the air pipe 7 are the key parts connecting the air chamber with the external gas source, allowing the smooth flow of gas into the air chamber and driving the piston 6 to move. The air pipe 7 is connected with the communication pipe of the sleeve 3, forming a gas input channel. Compressed gas can be supplied through the external gas source and input into the air chamber through the air pipe 7, driving the piston 6 and the connecting rod 5 system to move. The air pipe 7 can be equipped with control devices such as valves to adjust the gas flow into the air chamber, thereby controlling the extension and retraction amplitude of the gripper 1, achieving precise clamping of the grasped object. The design of the air pipe 7 ensures that the gas can be efficiently and stably input into the air chamber, thereby providing a lasting and reliable driving force. This pneumatic driving system is particularly suitable for underwater and irradiation environments because the use of compressed gas is not affected by environmental factors such as water and radiation, having stronger adaptability and safety.

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

[0036] The grasping assembly also includes a sliding block 2 slidingly installed in the sliding cavity, and the rear end of the sliding block 2 is connected with the front end of the connecting rod 5, and the gripper 1 is installed at the front end of the sliding block 2.

[0037] The sliding block 2 can freely slide in the sliding cavity and move forward and backward. When the gas drives the piston 6, the sliding block 2 moves through the action of the connecting rod 5, thereby driving the gripper 1 to move forward. The front end of the sliding block 2 fixes the rear end of the gripper 1, ensuring that the gripper 1 can smoothly extend and grasp the target object. The design of the sliding block 2 needs to ensure the adaptability with the inner wall of the sliding cavity, ensuring smooth sliding and not generating too much friction. The addition of the sliding block 2 makes the pneumatic gripper realize more stable and accurate extension and retraction of the gripper 1. It is the bridge connecting the pneumatic driving and the grasping action, ensuring the smoothness and stability of the entire grasping process.

[0038] The rear end of the gripper 1 is fixedly connected with the front end of the sliding block 2; or the rear end of the gripper 1 is hingedly connected with the front end of the sliding block 2.

[0039] The fixed connection can be achieved by screws, welding or clamping, etc., to ensure the stable connection of the clamping jaw 1 and the sliding block 2. The hinged connection is achieved by hinges or other rotating connecting parts, so that the clamping jaw 1 has a certain range of angle change.

[0040] By selecting the appropriate connection mode (fixed connection or hinged connection), the gripping mode of the clamping jaw 1 can be adjusted according to actual needs. The fixed connection is suitable for gripping with high rigidity and stability, while the hinged connection is suitable for gripping operation that needs to flexibly adapt to the shape of the object. This design improves the adaptability of the gripper to different shaped targets.

[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, realizing different gripping modes of different workpieces. The bending design of the clamping jaw 1 greatly increases its gripping capacity, especially when dealing with objects with complex geometric shapes, it can better adapt to different gripping needs.

[0042] The clamping jaw 1 is made of stainless steel strips, stainless steel sheets or stainless steel wires, which have high strength, corrosion resistance and good elasticity, and can work stably for a long time under water and in irradiation environment. By pre-manufacturing a shape with a certain bending angle, it has the ability to deform under external force and automatically recover its shape when the external force is removed, without the need for additional driving structure. The clamping jaw 1 can be made very small in size, suitable for gripping small objects in narrow spaces.

[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 mechanical fixation (such as screws, welding, etc.), ensuring more stable transmission between the two. Hinged connection: the connecting rod 5 is connected to the piston 6 through a hinge device (such as a pin shaft). The hinged connection provides a certain degree of freedom in angle, which can provide better adaptability.

[0044] The sleeve 3 is made of flexible materials such as high-strength rubber and composite materials, and the use of flexible materials enhances the adaptability of the pneumatic gripper, making it work reliably under water and in irradiation environment, especially when grabbing in irregularly shaped spaces, it can provide better adaptability and flexibility.

[0045] Embodiment 2

[0046] This embodiment provides a gripping method using the pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiation environment as described in embodiment 1, comprising:

[0047] When the gripper 1 is placed above the target, the air pipe 7 is connected to high-pressure gas, which enters the air cavity and pushes the piston 6 to slide forward. The forward movement of the piston 6 drives the connecting rod 5 and the slider 2 to move forward, compressing the spring 4 and pushing the gripper 1 to extend out of the sliding cavity. When the gripper 1 is pushed out of the sleeve 3, it can restore its original shape and achieve the open envelope to grasp the target.

[0048] When the air supply is stopped, the spring 4 resets, 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 gripper 1 to retract, and the gripper 1 is guided by 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 to grasp targets of different sizes.

[0050] This grabbing method uses compressed air and spring 4 to control the forward and backward movement of the piston 6, and achieves precise grabbing of objects by precise opening and closing of the gripper 1. This pneumatic driving method is simple to operate and quick in response, and is particularly suitable for scenes that require quick grabbing or releasing of objects.

[0051] The above describes the specific embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the drawings, but is not a limitation on the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations made by those skilled in the art without creative labor on the basis of the technical solutions of the present application are still within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments, characterized in that, The utility model relates to a kind of drive mechanism and grab component; The drive mechanism includes sleeve, piston and connecting rod, the front end of the sleeve has sliding cavity, the middle part of the sleeve has through hole, the rear part of the sleeve has air cavity, the through hole is communicated with the sliding cavity and 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 with the piston;The rear end of the connecting rod is hingedly connected with the front end of the piston; The grab component includes at least two clamping jaws, the clamping jaws are made of elastic material, the clamping jaws 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 and open at the front end to grab workpieces under the action of the connecting rod; The grab component further includes a sliding block, the sliding block is slidably installed in the sliding cavity, and the rear end of the sliding block is connected with the front end of the connecting rod, and the clamping jaws are installed at the front end of the sliding block; The rear end of the clamping jaw is hingedly connected with the front end of the sliding block. The rear end of the sliding cavity of the sleeve has a communication pipe, the communication pipe is installed with an air pipe, and the air pipe is used to introduce compressed gas.

2. The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive mechanism further includes a spring, the spring is located in the sliding cavity and is sleeved on the connecting rod, the front end of the spring abuts against the front end face of the sliding cavity, and the rear end of the spring abuts against the front end face of the piston.

3. The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments according to claim 2, characterized in that, The clamping jaw is formed by multiple bending sections, 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.

4. The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The clamping jaw is made of stainless steel strip, stainless steel sheet or stainless steel wire.

5. The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The sleeve is made of flexible material.

6. The pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiated environments as defined in claim 1, characterized in that, Compressed air drives the piston to move forward, the piston drives the clamping jaw to slide out of the sliding cavity through the connecting rod, the front end of the clamping jaw is released from the restriction of the sleeve to open; 7. A method of gripping using the pneumatic gripper suitable for underwater and irradiation environments according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, Stop air supply, the piston moves backward under the action of the spring, and then drives the clamping jaw to retract into the sliding cavity through the connecting rod, and the clamping jaw is gathered to the center under the restriction of the sleeve to grab the workpiece. ​ ​

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