Soft finger and flexible finger body mold

Abstract

The invention discloses a soft finger and a flexible finger body mold, and relates to the technical field of manipulators, the soft finger comprises a flexible finger body, the flexible finger body is internally provided with a first air cavity and a second air cavity, and the first air cavity and the second air cavity are located on the hand back side and the palm side of the flexible finger body respectively; the flexible fingertip is connected with the flexible finger body, a third air cavity and a fourth air cavity are formed in the flexible fingertip, and the third air cavity and the fourth air cavity are located on the side, close to and away from the flexible finger body, of the flexible fingertip correspondingly; the first air cavity, the second air cavity, the third air cavity and the fourth air cavity are respectively connected with the first air supply and deflation equipment; the soft fingers are high in safety and can simulate bending of the fingers of the human body to flexibly grab objects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic arm technology, specifically to a soft finger and a flexible finger mold. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of the robotics field in recent years, the importance of soft fingers as end effectors of robotic hands has become increasingly important.

[0003] Existing soft finger joints have low flexibility and cannot mimic the flexible bending and grasping of human fingers. Moreover, the power source of soft fingers is to drive the flow of dielectric fluid in the cavity through electrode components. The change in volume causes the fingers to bend and deform to grasp objects, but the high operating voltage of the dielectric fluid limits safety.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a flexible soft finger that can mimic the bending of human fingers and is highly safe. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a flexible soft finger that mimics the bending of human fingers and offers high safety.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions: A flexible finger includes: a deformable flexible finger body, wherein the flexible finger body has a first air cavity and a second air cavity disposed within it, both the first and second air cavities being arranged along the length direction of the flexible finger body, and the first and second air cavities being located on the back and palm sides of the flexible finger body, respectively; and a deformable flexible fingertip, the flexible fingertip being connected to the flexible finger body, wherein the flexible fingertip has a third air cavity and a fourth air cavity disposed within it, both the third and fourth air cavities being arranged along the thickness direction of the flexible fingertip. The third and fourth air chambers are located on the side of the flexible fingertip closest to and furthest from the flexible finger body, respectively. A first air supply and release device is provided, with the first, second, third, and fourth air chambers respectively connected to the first air supply and release device. Alternatively, the air chamber on the back of the flexible finger body and the air chamber on the side of the flexible fingertip closest to the flexible finger body are both connected to the first air supply and release device, and the air chamber on the palm side of the flexible finger body and the air chamber on the side of the flexible fingertip furthest from the flexible finger body are both connected to the first air supply and release device.

[0007] Preferably, the flexible finger body has an upper end cap and a lower end cap at both ends, and the flexible finger tip is connected to the flexible finger body through the upper end cap.

[0008] Preferably, a cable tie is provided on the back side of the flexible finger body along the length direction of the flexible finger body. One end of the cable tie passes through the cable tie buckle and the lower end cover of the finger body in sequence and is connected to the upper end cover of the finger body. An unlocking mechanism for controlling the locking or unlocking of the cable tie buckle is provided on the side of the lower end cover of the finger body away from the upper end cover of the finger body.

[0009] Preferably, the unlocking mechanism includes a second air supply / depression device and an airbag, the airbag being connected to the second air supply / depression device, and the cable tie buckle being located on the expansion and contraction path of the airbag, the expansion and contraction of the airbag pushing against the cable tie buckle to unlock.

[0010] Preferably, a base is provided on the side of the lower end cover of the finger body away from the upper end cover of the finger body, and the unlocking mechanism and the cable tie buckle are both located between the lower end cover of the finger body and the base.

[0011] Preferably, the base is hollow inside, and a turntable is rotatably disposed in the inner cavity of the base, with the end of the cable tie away from the flexible fingertip wrapped around the turntable.

[0012] Preferably, the flexible fingertip has a flexible fingertip base on the palm side, and the fingertip base is connected to the upper end cap of the finger body.

[0013] Preferably, the upper end cap of the finger body is provided with a dovetail groove, and the fingertip base is provided with an embedding part for embedding into the dovetail groove, the embedding part matching the dovetail groove.

[0014] Preferably, the flexible finger body and the flexible fingertip are both made of silicone, and the fingertip base is made of TPU material.

[0015] This invention also provides a flexible finger mold, comprising a first mold and a second mold that can be interlocked. Mold end caps and mold bottom caps are respectively provided on both sides of the interlocking structure formed by the first mold and the second mold. The first mold, the second mold, the mold end caps, and the mold bottom caps enclose a casting cavity. Two fourth molds for forming a first air cavity and a second air cavity are arranged side-by-side within the casting cavity. A positioning rod is inserted into each fourth mold; one end of the positioning rod is inserted into the mold end cap, and the other end of the positioning rod is connected to a snap-fit ​​plate. The positioning rod and the snap-fit ​​plate form a third mold. The mold bottom cap is fastened to the first mold. The mold and the second mold are connected at one end, and notches are provided on all four sides of the bottom cover of the mold. When the bottom cover of the mold is engaged, the notches and the end faces of the first mold or the second mold form a communication port connecting the inside and outside of the casting cavity. The snap-fit ​​plate has a protrusion that matches the communication port. The protrusion protrudes from the communication port and is limited by the inner wall of the communication port. The protrusion is provided with a U-shaped groove that connects the inner cavity space of the casting cavity and the external environment of the casting cavity. A fixing ring is provided on the outer periphery of the snap-fit ​​structure to fix the connection relationship between the first mold and the second mold.

[0016] The present invention achieves the following main technical effects compared to the prior art: The soft finger disclosed in this invention uses a first air supply and release device to control the air pressure of the air chamber for regulation. It does not require a high-voltage dielectric fluid, has high safety, can imitate the bending of human fingers, has high flexibility, and meets the needs of dexterous hands of humanoid robots.

[0017] The other technical solutions of this invention achieve the following technical effects compared to the prior art: By incorporating cable ties, the rigidity and gripping force of the soft fingers are enhanced. The self-locking function of the soft fingers is achieved through the locking and unlocking of the cable ties, reducing the space occupied by additional locking mechanisms and making the device more compact and smaller in size, thus meeting the size requirements of the mechanical dexterity hand. The first air supply and desiccation device coordinates the bending, stretching, and elongation of the soft fingers. During the gripping process, the rigidity can be flexibly adjusted by locking with cable ties to adapt to different objects and improve gripping robustness. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the soft finger in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the soft finger in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible finger mold in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is an internal structural diagram of the flexible finger mold in an embodiment of the present invention; The components include: 1. Flexible finger body; 2. First air chamber; 3. Second air chamber; 4. Flexible fingertip; 5. Third air chamber; 6. Fourth air chamber; 7. Upper end cap of finger body; 8. Lower end cap of finger body; 9. Cable tie; 10. Cable tie buckle; 11. Airbag; 12. Base; 13. Turntable; 14. Fingertip base; 15. First mold; 16. Second mold; 17. Third mold; 18. Fourth mold; 19. Mold end cap; 20. Mold bottom cap; 21. Fixing ring; 22. Positioning rod; 23. Clip plate; 24. Protrusion. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 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 making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] The purpose of this invention is to provide a soft finger that is small in size, has high rigidity, high safety, and can achieve a self-locking function.

[0022] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0023] refer to Figure 1-2The soft finger disclosed in this embodiment includes: a deformable flexible finger body 1, a deformable flexible fingertip 4, and a first air supply and release device. The flexible finger body 1 has a first air cavity 2 and a second air cavity 3, both arranged along the length of the flexible finger body 1, and located on the back and palm sides of the flexible finger body 1, respectively. The flexible fingertip 4 is connected to the flexible finger body 1, and has a third air cavity 5 and a fourth air cavity 6, both arranged along the thickness of the flexible fingertip 4. The first air chamber 2, the second air chamber 3, the third air chamber 5, and the fourth air chamber 6 are respectively located on the side of the flexible fingertip 4 that is close to and away from the flexible finger body 1; the first air chamber 2, the second air chamber 3, the third air chamber 5, and the fourth air chamber 6 are respectively connected to the first air supply and release device, so as to facilitate individual control of air supply and release for each air chamber, or the air chamber on the back side of the flexible finger body 1 and the air chamber on the side of the flexible fingertip 4 that is close to the flexible finger body 1 are connected to the first air supply and release device, and the air chamber on the palm side of the flexible finger body 1 and the air chamber on the side of the flexible fingertip 4 that is away from the flexible finger body 1 are connected to the first air supply and release device, so as to facilitate control of bending, stretching and elongating of the flexible finger body 1 and the flexible fingertip 4 together.

[0024] When the first air supply and release device supplies air to the first air chamber 2 and the third air chamber 5, the air pressure inside the first air chamber 2 and the third air chamber 5 increases, causing them to expand. The flexible finger body 1 and the flexible fingertip 4 bend towards the palm, thus grasping the object. After the grasping operation is completed, the first air supply and release device can release air from the first air chamber 2 and the third air chamber 5, causing them to contract due to the decreased air pressure. The flexible finger body 1 and the flexible fingertip 4 then return to their original position, releasing the grasped object. Alternatively, the first air supply and release device can supply air to the second air chamber 3 and the fourth air chamber 6, causing the flexible finger body 1 and the flexible fingertip 4 to... The soft finger extends outward, releasing the grasped object. When the first air supply and release device simultaneously supplies air to all four air chambers, the air pressure in all four chambers increases, allowing the soft finger to extend upward to grasp larger objects. When the first air supply and release device simultaneously releases air from all four chambers, the air pressure in all four chambers decreases, and the soft finger returns to its original position. In this embodiment, the first air supply and release device controls the air pressure in the air chambers, mimicking human fingers and flexibly controlling the bending, extending, and lengthening of the soft finger. Furthermore, using the first air supply and release device to regulate air pressure to control the movement of the soft finger eliminates the need for high-voltage dielectric fluid, resulting in higher safety.

[0025] The flexible finger body 1 has an upper end cap 7 and a lower end cap 8 at both ends. The flexible fingertip 4 is connected to the flexible finger body 1 through the upper end cap 7. The upper end cap 7 provides an installation base for the flexible fingertip 4, making the installation more secure. The lower end cap 8 provides an installation base for the soft finger, making the installation more secure.

[0026] A cable tie 9 is provided on the back side of the flexible finger body 1 along its length. One end of the cable tie 9 passes through the cable tie buckle 10 and the lower end cover 8 of the finger body in sequence and is connected to the upper end cover 7 of the finger body. An unlocking mechanism for controlling the locking or unlocking of the cable tie buckle 10 is provided on the side of the lower end cover 8 away from the upper end cover 7 of the finger body. Locking the cable tie 9 can improve the rigidity of the soft finger. During the grasping process, the rigidity can be flexibly changed by locking the cable tie 9 to adapt to different objects and improve the gripping robustness. The self-locking function of the soft finger is realized by locking and unlocking the cable tie 9 through the cable tie buckle 10. The small size of the cable tie 9 makes the device more compact and can meet the size requirements of the mechanical dexterous hand.

[0027] In this embodiment, the unlocking mechanism includes a second air supply / depression device and an airbag 11. The airbag 11 is connected to the second air supply / depression device. The cable tie buckle 10 is located on the expansion and contraction path of the airbag 11. The expansion and contraction of the airbag 11 pushes the cable tie buckle 10 to unlock. The cable tie 9 is a releasable snap-on cable tie. After the cable tie buckle 10 locks the cable tie 9, it can be unlocked by moving the locking piece on the cable tie buckle 10. When the second air supply / depression device supplies air to the airbag 11, the airbag 11 pushes up the locking piece on the cable tie buckle 10 to unlock the cable tie 9. When the airbag 11 deflates, the locking piece on the cable tie buckle 10 returns to its original position, and the cable tie 9 is locked by the cable tie buckle 10, so that the soft finger can achieve a self-locking function while maintaining a small size. In another embodiment, the unlocking mechanism can also be an electric push rod to replace the airbag 11 pushing the cable tie buckle 10 to achieve locking and unlocking of the cable tie 9.

[0028] In this embodiment, the first and second air supply and venting devices are air pumps, which have the functions of supplying and pumping air. In another embodiment, an air pump and a pump can be used to supply and vent air respectively.

[0029] A base 12 is provided on the side of the lower end cover 8 of the finger body away from the upper end cover 7 of the finger body. The unlocking mechanism and the cable tie lock 10 are both located between the lower end cover 8 of the finger body and the base 12. The base 12 can provide an installation base for the unlocking mechanism and the cable tie lock 10.

[0030] The base 12 is hollow inside, and a turntable 13 is rotatably mounted inside the cavity of the base 12. The end of the cable tie 9 away from the flexible fingertip 4 is wrapped around the turntable 13. A retraction spring can be installed inside the cavity. When the cable tie buckle 10 is unlocked, the cable tie 9 is retracted by its own rebound force. Alternatively, an electric mechanism can drive the turntable 13 to retract the cable tie 9. By retracting the cable tie 9 through the turntable 13, the space occupied can be reduced, and the size of the soft finger can be further reduced.

[0031] The flexible fingertip 4 has a flexible fingertip base 14 on the palm side, which is connected to the upper end cap 7 of the finger body. By setting the fingertip base 14 to mimic the fingertip of a human finger, it can assist the flexible fingertip 4 in contacting the object being grasped when the soft finger is bent, making it easier to grasp the object.

[0032] The upper end cap 7 of the finger body is provided with a dovetail groove, and the fingertip base 14 is provided with an insert for embedding into the dovetail groove. The insert matches the dovetail groove. The mutual engagement of the dovetail groove and the insert further increases the connection strength between the fingertip base 14 and the upper end cap 7 of the finger body.

[0033] The flexible finger body 1 and the flexible fingertip 4 are both made of silicone, and the fingertip base 14 is made of TPU material. The flexible finger body 1, the flexible fingertip 4 and the fingertip base 14 can also use shape memory alloy as a variable stiffness material to achieve the variable stiffness characteristics of the soft finger.

[0034] refer to Figure 3-4 This embodiment also includes a flexible finger body mold 1, comprising a first mold 15 and a second mold 16 that can be interlocked. Mold end caps 19 and mold bottom caps 20 are respectively provided on both sides of the interlocking structure formed by the first mold 15 and the second mold 16. The first mold 15, the second mold 16, the mold end caps 19, and the mold bottom caps 20 surround a casting cavity. Two fourth molds 18 are arranged side-by-side in the casting cavity to form a first air cavity 2 and a second air cavity 3, respectively. A positioning rod 22 is inserted into the fourth mold 18. One end of the positioning rod 22 is inserted into the mold end cap 19, and the other end of the positioning rod 22 is connected to a snap-fit ​​plate 23. The positioning rod 22 and the snap-fit ​​plate 23 form a third mold 17. The mold bottom cap 20 is fastened to one end of the first mold 15 and the second mold 16. At the same time, notches are provided on all four sides of the mold bottom cap 20. In the fastened state, the notches are connected to the first... A connecting port is formed between the end faces of mold 15 or the second mold 16, connecting the inside and outside of the casting cavity; the snap-fit ​​plate 23 has a protrusion 24 that matches the connecting port. The protrusion 24 protrudes from the connecting port and is limited by the inner wall of the connecting port. A U-shaped groove is provided on the protrusion 24. The U-shaped groove connects the inner cavity space of the casting cavity with the external environment of the casting cavity. The U-shaped groove can be used as an injection port for injecting silicone liquid. To ensure the tightness of the seal, sealant can be applied to the connection of each part. A fixing ring 21 is provided on the outer periphery of the snap-fit ​​structure to fix the connection relationship between the first mold 15 and the second mold 16. The fixing ring 21 increases the firmness of the snap-fit ​​between the first mold 15 and the second mold 16. The prepared silicone liquid is injected into the mold through the U-shaped groove. After standing for several hours according to the different static requirements of the silicone liquid, the molds are removed one by one to obtain the complete flexible finger body 1.

[0035] It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0036] Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

Claims

1. A soft finger, characterized in that, include: A flexible finger body capable of deformation, wherein a first air cavity and a second air cavity are provided inside the flexible finger body, and both the first air cavity and the second air cavity are arranged along the length direction of the flexible finger body, and the first air cavity and the second air cavity are respectively located on the back side and the palm side of the flexible finger body. A flexible fingertip that can deform, the flexible fingertip being connected to the flexible finger body, the flexible fingertip having a third air cavity and a fourth air cavity, both the third air cavity and the fourth air cavity being arranged along the thickness direction of the flexible fingertip, the third air cavity and the fourth air cavity being located on the side of the flexible fingertip closer to and away from the flexible finger body, respectively. The first air supply and release device is provided, wherein the first air chamber, the second air chamber, the third air chamber, and the fourth air chamber are respectively connected to the first air supply and release device, or the air chamber on the back side of the flexible finger body and the air chamber on the side of the flexible finger tip near the flexible finger body are jointly connected to the first air supply and release device, and the air chamber on the palm side of the flexible finger body and the air chamber on the side of the flexible finger tip away from the flexible finger body are jointly connected to the first air supply and release device.

2. The soft finger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible finger body has an upper end cap and a lower end cap at both ends, and the flexible fingertip is connected to the flexible finger body through the upper end cap.

3. The soft finger according to claim 2, characterized in that, A cable tie is provided on the back side of the flexible finger body along the length of the flexible finger body. One end of the cable tie passes through the cable tie buckle and the lower end cover of the finger body in sequence and is connected to the upper end cover of the finger body. An unlocking mechanism for controlling the locking or unlocking of the cable tie buckle is provided on the side of the lower end cover of the finger body away from the upper end cover of the finger body.

4. The soft finger according to claim 3, characterized in that, The unlocking mechanism includes a second air supply and deflation device and an airbag. The airbag is connected to the second air supply and deflation device. The cable tie buckle is located on the expansion and contraction path of the airbag. The expansion and contraction of the airbag pushes the cable tie buckle to unlock.

5. The soft finger according to claim 3, characterized in that, A base is provided on the side of the lower end cover of the finger body away from the upper end cover of the finger body, and the unlocking mechanism and the cable tie buckle are both located between the lower end cover of the finger body and the base.

6. The soft finger according to claim 5, characterized in that, The base is hollow inside, and a turntable is rotatably disposed in the inner cavity of the base. The end of the cable tie away from the flexible fingertip is wrapped around the turntable.

7. The soft finger according to claim 2, characterized in that, The flexible fingertip has a flexible fingertip base on the palm side, and the fingertip base is connected to the upper end cap of the finger body.

8. The soft finger according to claim 7, characterized in that, The upper end cap of the finger body is provided with a dovetail groove, and the fingertip base is provided with an embedding part for embedding into the dovetail groove, the embedding part matching the dovetail groove.

9. The soft finger according to claim 7, characterized in that, The flexible finger body and the flexible fingertip are both made of silicone, and the fingertip base is made of TPU material.

10. A flexible finger mold, characterized in that, A flexible finger body for manufacturing a soft finger as described in any one of claims 1-9 includes a first mold and a second mold that can be interlocked. Mold end caps and mold bottom caps are respectively provided on both sides of the interlocking structure formed by the first mold and the second mold. The first mold, the second mold, the mold end caps, and the mold bottom caps surround and form a casting cavity. Two fourth molds for forming a first air cavity and a second air cavity are arranged side-by-side in the casting cavity. A positioning rod is inserted into the fourth mold. One end of the positioning rod is inserted into the mold end cap, and the other end of the positioning rod is connected to a snap-fit ​​plate. The positioning rod and the snap-fit ​​plate form a third mold. The mold bottom cap is fastened... The mold base is fitted onto one end of the first mold and the second mold. Notches are provided on all four sides of the mold base. When the mold base is engaged, the notches and the end faces of the first or second mold form a connection between the inside and outside of the casting cavity. The snap-fit ​​plate has a protrusion that matches the connection, protruding from the connection and limited by the inner wall of the connection. A U-shaped groove is provided on the protrusion, connecting the inner cavity of the casting cavity to the external environment of the casting cavity. A fixing ring is fitted around the outer periphery of the snap-fit ​​structure to secure the connection between the first mold and the second mold.

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