Inflatable unfolding rope net gripper with ejection function

Abstract

The invention discloses an inflatable unfolding rope net gripper with an ejection function, and belongs to the technical field of robot grippers. Comprising a base, and elastomer folding and unfolding fingers are fixed to finger rods on the periphery of the base; head clamps are fixed to the heads of the four elastic body folding and unfolding fingers respectively, an elastic belt is installed between every two opposite elastic body folding and unfolding fingers, the two ends of each elastic belt are fixed to the two opposite head clamps respectively, a clamping plate is fixed to the middle of each elastic belt, and a first active control rope capable of being tensioned or released is fixed to the lower end of each clamping plate. Second active control ropes are connected among the four elastic body folding and unfolding fingers and penetrate through the through holes in the ends of the elastic body folding and unfolding fingers and the through holes in the finger rods to form a net-shaped structure. The opening width and depth of the rope net gripper are controlled by adjusting the inflation pressure combination of the first active control rope, the second active control rope and the four elastic body folding and unfolding fingers, and objects of different shapes and sizes are grabbed, released and ejected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of robot grippers, and in particular relates to an inflatable deployable rope net gripper with an ejection function. Background Art

[0002] In the fields of modern industrial automation, logistics warehousing, and space exploration, grasping and moving objects is a common operation task. Traditional gripper devices mostly use rigid structures, such as mechanical claws and vacuum suction cups. Although they can work effectively in specific scenarios, they also have some limitations. For example, when grasping irregularly shaped or fragile objects, mechanical claws are prone to damage the objects; vacuum suction cups have high requirements on the flatness and material of the object surface, and the grasping force will drop rapidly when the vacuum leaks.

[0003] For example, patent CN113370241A proposes a large-load-bearing multi-finger soft manipulator with a mesh structure, which can grasp and release objects by driving ropes to expand or close each finger unit. However, it is large in size when no object is grasped, which is inconvenient to store and transport; and its mesh structure cannot be deformed and folded, which cannot better adapt to the grasping of objects of different sizes.

[0004] To this end, the present invention proposes an inflatable deployable rope net grabber with a catapult function. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an inflatable deployable rope net grabber with an ejection function, which solves the problems in the prior art.

[0006] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] An inflatable deployable rope net gripper with a ejection function comprises a base, a finger rod is fixed around the base, and an elastic body folding finger is fixed on each finger rod;

[0008] The heads of the four elastic body folding and unfolding fingers are respectively fixed with head clamps, an elastic band is installed between two opposite elastic body folding and unfolding fingers, the two ends of the elastic band are respectively fixed to the two opposite head clamps, a clamp is fixed at the middle position of the elastic band, and a first active control rope that can be tightened or released is fixed at the lower end of the clamp;

[0009] A second active control rope is connected between the four elastic folding and unfolding fingers, and through holes are provided at the ends of the elastic folding and unfolding fingers and the tops of the finger rods; the second active control rope respectively penetrates through the through holes at the ends of multiple elastic folding and unfolding fingers and the through holes on the finger rods to form a mesh structure, and the opening size or rotation angle of the elastic folding and unfolding fingers can be controlled by tightening or releasing the second active control rope.

[0010] Furthermore, the elastic body folding fingers include two air chambers.

[0011] Furthermore, the lower ends of the folding fingers of the elastic body are respectively provided with left and right air holes for inflation and deflation to change the spatial shape of the rope net.

[0012] Furthermore, a first direct drive motor and a first drum are provided on the base, one end of the first active control rope is wound around the first drum, and the first direct drive motor can drive the first drum to rotate.

[0013] Furthermore, a first bracket is fixed on the base, the first reel is rotatably connected to the first bracket, a first gear is fixed on the output shaft of the first direct drive motor, a first clutch is installed between the first gear and the first reel, and the first gear can mesh with the external gear of the first clutch.

[0014] Furthermore, a second direct drive motor and a second drum are arranged on the base; one end of the second active control rope is wound around the second drum, and the second direct drive motor can drive the second drum to rotate.

[0015] Furthermore, a second bracket is fixed on the base, the second reel is rotatably connected to the second bracket, a second gear is fixed on the output shaft of the second direct drive motor, a second clutch is installed between the second gear and the second reel, and the second gear can mesh with the external gear of the second clutch.

[0016] Furthermore, a hose is installed in the through holes on the elastic body folding and unfolding fingers and the finger rod, and the inner surface of the hose is in contact with the second active control rope.

[0017] Furthermore, the upper surface of the head fixture is in contact with the surface of the elastic band; the upper ends of the head fixture are respectively provided with cover plates, and the elastic band can be pressed tightly against the head fixture.

[0018] A robot comprises the above-mentioned inflatable deployable rope net gripper with ejection function.

[0019] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0020] 1. The inflatable deployable rope net grabber with a launching function mentioned in the present invention can control the width of the opening by adjusting the first active control rope and the second active control rope, thereby changing the spatial mesh structure to grab objects of different sizes.

[0021] 2. The gripper of the present invention can restore to its original state by deflating when there is no object to be grasped, thereby reducing the volume of the gripper in a non-working state and improving space utilization.

[0022] 3. The gripper of the present invention is quick in the process of inflation and expansion and deflation and contraction. The rope net can be quickly completed from a fully contracted state to a fully expanded state to grab an object, and from a grabbing state to releasing the object and contracting back to the initial state, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of the grabbing operation.

[0023] 4. After the rope net gripper clamps the grasped object, the elastic belt is adjusted to obtain a larger rebound force so as to realize the ejection function. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 is a stereoscopic view of the deployable inflatable rope net grabber of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the deployable inflatable rope net grabber of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic body folded and unfolded finger of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 It is an inflation adjustment diagram of the elastic body folding and unfolding finger of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 It is a rope net space shape adjustment diagram of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 1. It is a top view of the gripper of the present invention in different states;

[0031] Figure 7 It is the rope net wiring diagram of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 It is a diagram of the adjustment strategy of the gripper of the present invention for adjusting the opening size;

[0033] Fig. 9 is a quick wrapping strategy diagram of the gripper of the present invention;

[0034] Fig.10 It is a strategy diagram of the ejection function of the gripper of the present invention;

[0035] Among them, 1-base; 2-finger rod; 3-elastic folding finger; 4-hose; 5-screw; 6-cover plate; 7-head clamp; 8-first direct drive motor; 9-first gear; 10-first clutch; 11-first drum; 12-elastic belt; 13-clamp; 14-first active control rope; 15-second active control rope; 16-second drum; 17-second clutch; 18-second gear; 19-second direct drive motor; 20-first bracket; 21-second bracket; 22-left air hole; 23-right air hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] like Figure 1 to Figure 2 As shown, an inflatable deployable rope net gripper with a ejection function comprises a base 1, a finger rod 2 is fixed around the base, and each finger rod 2 is fixedly connected to an elastic body folding finger 3, so as to form a fixed connection between the elastic body folding finger 3 and the base 1;

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, the four elastic folding fingers 3 are made of TPE material, which contains two air chambers. The lower ends of the elastic folding fingers 3 are respectively provided with a left air hole 22 and a right air hole 23 to inflate and deflate the elastic folding fingers 3; the ends of the elastic folding fingers 3 are provided with through holes.

[0040] The heads of the four elastic folding fingers 3 are respectively fixed with head clamps 7, an elastic band 12 is installed between two opposite elastic folding fingers 3, the two ends of the elastic band 12 are respectively fixed to the two opposite head clamps 7, a clamping plate 13 is fixed at the middle position of the elastic band 12, and a first active control rope 14 is fixed at the lower end of the clamping plate 13; by applying a downward pulling force through the first active control rope 14, the four elastic folding fingers 3 can be turned over and approached, and the object can be clamped;

[0041] A first direct-drive motor 8 and a first drum 11 are provided on the base 1. One end of the first active control rope 14 is wound around the first drum 11. The first direct-drive motor 8 can drive the first drum 11 to rotate, thereby applying a downward pulling force to the first active control rope 14 and also releasing the first active control rope 14.

[0042] A second active control rope 15 is connected between the four elastic folding fingers 3. The second active control rope 15 passes through the through holes at the ends of multiple elastic folding fingers 3 and the through holes on the finger rod 2, thereby forming a mesh structure. By tightening or releasing the second active control rope 15, the opening size or rotation angle of the elastic folding fingers 3 can be controlled.

[0043] A second direct-drive motor 19 and a second drum 16 are provided on the base 1; one end of the second active control rope 15 is wound around the second drum 16, and the second direct-drive motor 19 can drive the second drum 16 to rotate, thereby exerting a downward pulling force on the second active control 15, and can also release the second active control rope 15; the tightening of the second active control rope 15 can enable the gripper to better grasp the package object and enhance the ejection force of the gripper, and the release of the second active control rope 15 can open the gripper from a closed state to complete the ejection.

[0044] The wiring diagram of the second active control rope 15 is as follows Figure 7 One end of the second active control rope 15 is fixed to the fingertip of finger A, and the other end passes through holes B1, C1 and D1 and then passes through hole A1; then passes through holes B2, C2 and D2 in sequence and then passes through hole A2. According to this method, the second active control rope 15 passes through hole A5 and finally passes through hole E on the base 1 to be connected to the second reel 16.

[0045] In this embodiment, a first bracket 20 is fixed on the base 1, and a first drum 11 is rotatably connected to the first bracket 20. A first gear 9 is fixed on the output shaft of the first direct-drive motor 8. A first clutch 10 is installed between the first gear 9 and the first drum 11. The first gear 9 can mesh with the external gear of the first clutch 10. When the first clutch 10 is energized, the output shaft of the first clutch 10 rotates synchronously with the first drum 11, so that the rotational torque of the direct-drive motor 8 can be transmitted to the first drum 11; and by introducing the first clutch 10, the first active control rope 14 is controlled, thereby realizing different functions; when the first clutch 10 is energized, the first drum 11 applies tension to the first active control rope 14, so that the first active control rope 14 pulls the elastic belt 12, so that it controls the opening size or rotation angle of the elastic body folding finger 3, thereby affecting the size of the force required to change from the initial state to the closed state.

[0046] A second bracket 21 is fixed on the base 1, and the second drum 16 is rotatably connected to the second bracket 21. A second gear 18 is fixed on the output shaft of the second direct-drive motor 19, and a second clutch 17 is installed between the second gear 18 and the second drum 16. The second gear 18 can mesh with the external gear of the second clutch 17. When the second clutch 17 is powered on, the output shaft of the second clutch 17 rotates synchronously with the second drum 16, so that the rotation torque of the second direct-drive motor 19 can be transmitted to the second drum 16. By introducing the second clutch 17, the second active control rope 15 can be controlled, thereby realizing different functions.

[0047] When the second clutch 17 is powered on, the second reel 16 applies tension to the second active control rope 15, so that the second active control rope 15 pulls the elastic body folding finger 3, so that it controls the opening size or rotation angle of the elastic body folding finger 3, thereby affecting the size of the force required to change from the closed state to the fully closed state. When the ejection function is required for the gripper, the first active control rope 14 first pulls the elastic band 12 wrapped with the grasped object to the upper end surface of the base 1, and then adjusts the second active rope 15 to reach the fully closed state and obtain the maximum power storage. Then, the first clutch 10 and the second clutch 17 are simultaneously powered off, so that the first active control rope 14 and the second active control rope 15 lose the tension applied by the first reel 11 and the second reel 16, thereby ejecting the grasped object.

[0048] Of course, the method of driving the first reel 11 and the second reel 16 to rotate includes but is not limited to the first clutch 10, the second clutch 17 and other structures in the present embodiment. In some embodiments, the first reel 11 and the second reel 16 can be driven to rotate by directly setting a motor so that the driving shaft of the motor is coaxially fixed with the first reel 11 and the second reel 16.

[0049] In this embodiment, a hose 4 is installed in the through hole at the end of the elastic body folding finger 3 and the through hole on the finger rod 2, and the inner surface of the hose 4 is in contact with the second active control rope 15 to reduce the friction between the rope and the elastic body folding finger 3;

[0050] In addition, a head clamp 7 is fixed to the upper end of the four elastic folding fingers 3, and the upper surface of the head clamp 7 is in contact with the surface of the elastic band 12; in addition, a cover plate 6 is fixed to the upper end of the four head clamps 7, and the four cover plates 6 can respectively press and fix the elastic band 12 on the head clamp 7, thereby realizing the fixed connection between the elastic band 12 and the elastic folding fingers 3.

[0051] Example 2

[0052] In this embodiment, the working process of the above-mentioned inflatable deployable rope net grabber with ejection function is introduced;

[0053] The inflation adjustment diagram of the elastic body folding finger 3 is as follows Figure 4 As shown, the elastic body folding finger 3 can be pressurized by the air pump to the left air hole 22 or the right air hole 23 to achieve the extension of the finger and change the deflection angle θ. During the inflation and pressurization process, the distance M between the through holes can be changed, thereby changing the spatial shape of the mesh structure, thereby enhancing the spatial adaptability of the gripper to the grasped object. When it is necessary to grasp a larger object, one air chamber can be pressurized separately to make the finger bend to one side to adapt to grasping a larger object.

[0054] In this embodiment, the rope net adjustment strategy diagram is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the shape of the gripper rope net can be changed by changing the opening radius R and the opening depth D of the gripper through different pressurization methods and air pressures, so that objects of different shapes can be better grasped.

[0055] In this embodiment, the adjustment strategy of the gripper to adjust the opening size is shown in the figure Figure 8 As shown, the specific steps include the following steps.

[0056] 1) Initial state: the state after the components are installed, the elastic body folding fingers 3 are not inflated and deformed, and the elastic band 13 is in a relaxed state, at which point the volume is minimal and convenient to carry;

[0057] 2) Maximum opening state: the right air holes 23 of the four elastic folding fingers 3 are simultaneously inflated and pressurized to 200 kPa, so that the four elastic folding fingers 3 are turned outward; at this time, the gripper opening is the largest;

[0058] 3) Deepest opening state: On the basis of the maximum opening state, the left air holes 22 of the four elastic folding fingers 3 are inflated and pressurized to 200 kPa, at which time the gripper opening is the deepest;

[0059] 4) Closed state: adjust the length of the active control rope 15 to contract the rope, pull the elastic band 13 to drive the passive elastic body to fold and unfold the fingers 3 into the open closed state.

[0060] 5) Fully closed state: The gripper opening cannot be fully closed by relying solely on the first active control rope 14. At this time, the second active control rope 15 is adjusted to shrink the rope length, and the elastic body folding fingers 3 are pulled to reach the fully closed state, at which time the stored force is the largest.

[0061] Among them, the top view of the gripper in different states is as follows Figure 6 As shown; Figure 6 (a)-(e) in the figure respectively show the top view of the gripper in five different states, namely: initial state, maximum opening state, deepest opening state, closed state and completely closed state; so that the posture of the second active control rope 15 in different states can be intuitively observed.

[0062] Example 3

[0063] In this embodiment, the fast wrapping strategy of the gripper is introduced, such as Fig. 9 As shown, the following steps are included:

[0064] 1) Initial state: the state after the components are installed, the elastic body folding fingers 3 are not inflated and deformed, so that the grasped object is 80 to 100 mm away from the position where the elastic band 13 is pulled by the first active control rope 14, and the grasped object is a small ball.

[0065] 2) Rapidly unfolding state: the four elastic folding fingers 3 are rapidly inflated and pressurized to 200 kPa to rapidly unfold them.

[0066] 3) Completely wrapped state: After the gripper is rapidly deployed, the inflatable rope net gripper is rapidly wrapped around the object by tightening the first active control rope 14 and the second active control rope 15, thereby achieving the object's grasping.

[0067] Example 4

[0068] In this embodiment, the ejection function strategy diagram of the gripper is introduced, such as Fig.10 As shown, the following steps are included:

[0069] 1) Initial state: After the expandable inflatable rope net gripper is inflated and expanded, it approaches the grasped object so that the grasped object is close to the elastic band 12.

[0070] 2) Pre-ejection state: quickly adjust and tighten the first active control rope 14 and the second active control rope 15 so that the deployable gripper wraps around the grasped object.

[0071] 3) Ejection state: After the rope net gripper wraps the grasped object, the elastic band 12 obtains a larger rebound force by adjusting the first active control rope 14 and the second active control rope 15. Then the clutch 10 and the clutch 17 are simultaneously powered off, the rope is loosened, the elastic body folding fingers 3 are instantly released and the elastic band 12 is straightened, so that the gripper is ejected.

[0072] For traditional rigid structure grippers, their grasping ability is limited by fixed structure and shape, which makes it difficult to adapt to the grasping needs of complex shapes or fragile objects. At the same time, when facing targets of different sizes and shapes, it is necessary to frequently replace the gripper or perform complex mechanical adjustments, which greatly limits the versatility and flexibility of the gripper. The inflatable deployable rope net gripper with ejection function proposed in the present invention effectively solves these problems through innovative design and structural optimization.

[0073] It can be seen from the above embodiments that the inflatable deployable rope net gripper with ejection function proposed by the present invention can realize the rapid deployment and contraction of the rope net through the inflatable structure, and can adapt to target objects of different sizes and shapes in a short time. Its rope net structure has good flexibility and elasticity, and can fit closely to the surface of objects, whether it is irregularly shaped objects or fragile items, it can achieve safe and stable grasping. In addition, the deployment and contraction process of the inflatable rope net gripper is simple and fast, without the need for complex mechanical adjustments, which greatly improves the use efficiency and application scope of the gripper.

[0074] By adjusting the inflation pressure, the tension and shape of the rope net can be flexibly controlled, so that it can better adapt to the contour of the target object during the grasping process. At the same time, the grasping force can be adjusted according to the weight and shape of the object to avoid damage to the object due to excessive grasping force or failure to grasp firmly due to insufficient grasping force. This adjustability enables the gripper to quickly adapt and complete grasping tasks when facing a variety of complex working conditions.

[0075] In the expanded state, the inflatable rope net gripper has a large coverage area and can capture target objects within a larger range at one time, improving the grasping efficiency; in the contracted state, the gripper is small in size and light in weight, making it easy to carry and store, reducing space requirements and energy consumption.

[0076] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "example", "specific example", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0077] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the above embodiments and descriptions are only for explaining the principles of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the present invention may have various changes and improvements, and these changes and improvements all fall within the scope of the present invention to be protected.

Claims

1. An inflatable deployable rope net grabber with a launching function, comprising a base (1), characterized in that: A finger rod (2) is fixed on each of the four sides of the base (1), and an elastic folding finger (3) is fixed on each finger rod (2); The heads of the four elastic body folding and unfolding fingers (3) are respectively fixed with head clamps (7), an elastic band (12) is installed between two opposite elastic body folding and unfolding fingers (3), two ends of the elastic band (12) are respectively fixed to the two opposite head clamps (7), a clamping plate (13) is fixed at the middle position of the elastic band (12), and a first active control rope (14) that can be tightened or released is fixed at the lower end of the clamping plate (13); A second active control rope (15) is connected between the four elastic folding fingers (3), and through holes are provided at the ends of the elastic folding fingers (3) and the tops of the finger rods (2); the second active control rope (15) respectively penetrates through the through holes at the ends of the plurality of elastic folding fingers (3) and the through holes on the finger rods (2) to form a mesh structure, and the opening size or rotation angle of the elastic folding fingers (3) can be controlled by tightening or releasing the second active control rope (15).

2. The inflatable deployable rope net grabber with ejection function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic folding finger (3) comprises two air chambers.

3. The inflatable deployable rope net grabber with ejection function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower ends of the elastic body folding and unfolding fingers (3) are respectively provided with a left air hole (22) and a right air hole (23) for inflation and deflation to change the spatial shape of the rope net.

4. The inflatable deployable rope net grabber with ejection function according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first direct-drive motor (8) and a first drum (11) are provided on the base (1), one end of a first active control rope (14) is wound around the first drum (11), and the first direct-drive motor (8) can drive the first drum (11) to rotate.

5. The inflatable deployable rope net grabber with ejection function according to claim 4, characterized in that: A first bracket (20) is fixed on the base (1), a first reel (11) is rotatably connected to the first bracket (20), a first gear (9) is fixed on the output shaft of the first direct drive motor (8), a first clutch (10) is installed between the first gear (9) and the first reel (11), and the first gear (9) can mesh with an external gear of the first clutch (10).

6. The inflatable deployable rope net grabber with ejection function according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second direct drive motor (19) and a second drum (16) are provided on the base (1); one end of the second active control rope (15) is wound around the second drum (16), and the second direct drive motor (19) can drive the second drum (16) to rotate.

7. The inflatable deployable rope net grabber with ejection function according to claim 6, characterized in that: A second bracket (21) is fixed on the base (1), the second reel (16) is rotatably connected to the second bracket (21), a second gear (18) is fixed on the output shaft of the second direct drive motor (19), a second clutch (17) is installed between the second gear (18) and the second reel (16), and the second gear (18) can mesh with an external gear of the second clutch (17).

8. The inflatable deployable rope net grabber with ejection function according to claim 1, characterized in that: A hose (4) is installed in the through holes on the elastic body folding and unfolding fingers (3) and the finger rod (2), and the inner surface of the hose (4) is in contact with the second active control rope (15).

9. The inflatable deployable rope net grabber with ejection function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper surface of the head fixture (1) contacts the surface of the elastic band (12); the upper ends of the head fixture (7) are respectively provided with cover plates (6) which can press the elastic band (12) onto the head fixture (7).

10. A robot, characterized in that: The invention comprises an inflatable deployable rope net grabber with ejection function as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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