A flexible adaptive gripping device for a smart robot

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical fields of intelligent robots, and discloses a flexible self-adaptive clamping device for an intelligent robot, which comprises a shell, a driving assembly, a pair of movable shells, two groups of flexible clamping pieces, a movable piece, a plurality of supporting assemblies and a variable stiffness unit. The pair of movable shells are slidingly arranged on the shell, and the driving assembly drives them to move closer to or away from each other. The two groups of flexible clamping pieces are arranged on the movable shells respectively, and each group is horizontally arranged and slidingly contacted with adjacent ones. Each flexible clamping piece is arc-shaped in the vertical direction. The movable piece is slidingly arranged in the cavity of the movable shell, and the side of the movable piece facing the flexible clamping piece is arc-shaped in the horizontal direction. The supporting assembly connects the movable piece and the flexible clamping piece, and comprises a telescopic rod and an elastic piece. The variable stiffness unit is arranged on the supporting assembly, and comprises a sealed cavity filled with particles. The particles are compressed to lock the supporting assembly by vacuumizing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of intelligent robot technology, and more specifically, relates to a flexible adaptive clamping device for intelligent robots. Background Technology

[0002] On injection molding production lines, robotic arms are key pieces of equipment responsible for efficiently and accurately gripping and moving freshly molded injection products. However, traditional robotic arms mostly employ rigid clamp designs. This rigid design is prone to causing scratches, indentations, and other damage to the product surface during gripping due to improper force control or irregular product shapes. This not only affects the product's appearance quality but may also impact its performance, increasing scrap rates and production costs.

[0003] The existing technology for intelligent robots still has the following shortcomings: First, existing flexible clamping devices typically employ low-modulus materials or flexible structures to achieve compliant contact and adaptive envelope of objects, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the object's surface. However, this flexibility results in insufficient overall stiffness of the clamping device after contact is established, making it difficult to resist inertial forces, vibrations, and external disturbances during handling. Objects are prone to displacement, slippage, or even detachment. Increasing the clamping force to compensate for insufficient stiffness may damage fragile or easily deformable objects.

[0004] Secondly, the clamping force of existing flexible gripping devices typically relies on continuous energy input, such as continuous torque output from a motor, continuous air supply, or continuous vacuum pumping. In the event of an unexpected power outage, interruption of the air supply, or vacuum pump failure, the energy input is interrupted, and the clamping force rapidly diminishes or is even completely lost, causing the grasped object to fall, resulting in damage or a safety accident. Some solutions employ mechanical self-locking mechanisms, but these mechanisms are often large, heavy, and complex, conflicting with the lightweight and compliant requirements of flexible gripping devices.

[0005] Third, existing flexible gripping devices typically only provide unidirectional limiting. For example, two-finger grippers mainly apply clamping force along the gripping direction, relying on friction to resist gravity. However, they lack an active limiting structure in the vertical direction, making them prone to vertical slippage when the object has an irregular shape or a low surface friction coefficient. Some devices improve vertical limiting by incorporating grooves, protrusions, or using an enveloping grip, but these methods are often designed for specific object shapes, resulting in poor adaptability, or require complex multi-finger structures and additional driving degrees of freedom, increasing system complexity and control difficulty.

[0006] Therefore, in view of this, we have studied and improved the existing structure and its shortcomings, and provided a flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots, in order to achieve a more practical and valuable purpose. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides a flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots, which overcomes the above-mentioned defects in the prior art.

[0008] The purpose and effectiveness of the flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots of this invention are achieved by the following specific technical means: A flexible adaptive gripping device for an intelligent robot includes a robot body, a housing, and a drive assembly, wherein the end of the robot body is rotatably connected to the housing, and further includes: A pair of movable shells are slidably disposed on the housing and can move closer to or further away from each other. The driving component is used to drive the pair of movable shells to move closer to or further away from each other. Two sets of flexible clamping components are respectively set on a pair of movable shells. Each set includes multiple horizontally arranged flexible clamping components that slide in adjacent contact. Each flexible clamping component is arc-shaped in the vertical direction. The movable component is slidably disposed within the cavity of each movable shell, and the side of the movable component facing the flexible clamping component is arc-shaped in the horizontal direction; Multiple support components are connected between the movable part and the corresponding flexible clamping part, and the support components include telescopic rods and elastic elements; A variable stiffness unit, disposed on a support assembly, includes a sealed cavity filled with particles for connection to a vacuum pump, wherein the particles are compressed by evacuation to lock the support assembly.

[0009] In a further technical solution, an expansion member is provided between the movable part and the movable shell, and the expansion member is configured to drive the movable part to move when the movable shell moves.

[0010] A further technical solution is provided, in which a T-shaped slider is fixed on the movable shell, a push rod is vertically slidably provided inside the T-shaped slider, the lower end of the push rod is connected to the piston component, a guide component is provided on the shell, the upper end of the push rod slides in contact with the lower inclined surface of the guide component, a piston cavity is provided inside the movable shell, the expansion component communicates with the lower part of the piston cavity, and the piston component is slidably provided inside the piston cavity.

[0011] In a further technical solution, the support assembly includes a round tube, a round rod, and a sleeve. The round tube is flexibly connected to a flexible clamping member, and the sleeve is fixedly connected to a movable member. One end of the round rod is slidably disposed inside the round tube, and the other end is slidably disposed inside the sleeve. A compression spring is provided between the round rod and the round tube, and a pad is provided between the round rod and the movable member.

[0012] In a further technical solution, a collar is provided at the end of the sleeve away from the round tube. The collar is sleeved on the outer circumference of the round rod, and the sealing cavity is formed between the collar and the round rod. The vacuum pump is connected to the collar through a telescopic tube.

[0013] A further technical solution is provided in which a pair of V-shaped elastic elements are connected between one end of the round tube and one end of the sleeve. The middle parts of the pair of V-shaped elastic elements are close to each other, and arc-shaped elements are respectively provided on the side where the middle parts of the pair of V-shaped elastic elements are close to each other. When the distance between the sleeve and the round tube is reduced, the two arc-shaped elements are close to each other and rub against the outer circumference of the round rod.

[0014] In a further technical solution, the drive assembly includes a pair of racks, a gear, a rotating shaft, a worm gear, a worm, and a stepper motor. The pair of racks are fixedly connected to a pair of movable housings respectively. The gear meshes with the pair of racks. The worm gear is coaxially mounted on the rotating shaft with the gear. The worm is driven by the stepper motor and meshes with the worm gear.

[0015] In a further technical solution, the side of the movable component facing the flexible clamping component is arc-shaped in the horizontal direction, and the upper and lower ends of the movable component are flat and slide in contact with the two side walls of the cavity of the movable shell, respectively.

[0016] A further technical solution is provided in which a through hole is provided at the upper part of the piston chamber to balance the air pressure at the upper part of the piston chamber when the piston moves; a return spring is provided between the piston and the upper part of the piston chamber to reset the piston.

[0017] A further technical solution also includes a vision sensor and a control unit, wherein the control unit is electrically connected to the drive assembly and the vacuum pump respectively, and the control unit controls the operation of the drive assembly and the vacuum pump based on the object information acquired by the vision sensor.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: This invention discloses a flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots. Because the flexible gripper is arc-shaped in the vertical direction, and the side of the movable component facing the flexible gripper is arc-shaped in the horizontal direction, during gripping, the upper and lower ends of the flexible gripper contact the object first, followed by the middle. This results in a greater degree of compression of the support components at the upper and lower ends compared to the middle. Simultaneously, in the horizontal direction, the flexible grippers on both sides contact the object first, followed by the middle, resulting in a greater degree of compression of the support components on both sides compared to the middle. This difference in the degree of compression of the support components provides vertical and horizontal limiting effects on the object, preventing vertical slippage or horizontal displacement during transport and improving gripping stability.

[0019] The present invention discloses a flexible adaptive clamping device for intelligent robots, wherein a variable stiffness unit is disposed on a support component and includes a sealed cavity filled with particles. The sealed cavity is connected to a vacuum pump. After clamping, the vacuum pump evacuates the vacuum, causing the particles in the sealed cavity to be compressed. The friction between the particles increases sharply, and the support component changes from a stretchable and flexible state to a rigid locked state. Thus, while maintaining the compliant adaptation to the shape of the object during the contact phase, high-rigidity locking is achieved after clamping, preventing the object from slipping or falling off due to deformation of the support component, thus balancing the requirements of flexibility and rigidity.

[0020] This invention discloses a flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots. An expansion member is provided between a movable component and a movable shell. A T-shaped slider is fixed on the movable shell, and a push rod slides within the T-shaped slider. The push rod is connected to a piston component, which slides within a piston cavity. The expansion member communicates with the lower part of the piston cavity. A guide member on the shell engages with the inclined surface at the upper end of the push rod. As the movable shell continues to approach an object, the push rod moves downwards under the guidance of the inclined surface of the guide member, causing the piston component to compress the gas within the piston cavity and enter the expansion member. The expansion member expands, further pushing the movable component closer to the flexible gripping member. Thus, while the driving component provides basic gripping force, the movement of the movable shell itself synchronously drives the piston component to generate additional pneumatic thrust, improving gripping force and response speed.

[0021] The present invention discloses a flexible adaptive clamping device for intelligent robots. The support assembly includes a circular tube, a circular rod, and a sleeve. A pair of V-shaped elastic elements are provided between the circular tube and the sleeve. An arc-shaped element is provided in the middle of the V-shaped elastic elements. During the clamping process, the distance between the sleeve and the circular tube decreases, and the V-shaped elastic elements are squeezed and deformed, causing the two arc-shaped elements to move closer to each other and rub against the outer circumference of the circular rod. Thus, before the variable stiffness unit is activated, the friction between the arc-shaped elements and the circular rod increases the axial sliding resistance of the circular rod, providing initial stability for the support assembly and preventing undesirable slippage during the clamping force establishment process.

[0022] The present invention discloses a flexible adaptive clamping device for intelligent robots. The movable component is arc-shaped in the horizontal direction on the side facing the flexible clamping component and slides in contact with the two side walls of the movable shell cavity. The movable component slides horizontally within the movable shell cavity. Its arc-shaped working surface causes different displacements of the support components at different positions, while the flat end ensures smooth sliding guidance. This not only realizes the difference in the degree of compression of the support components in the horizontal direction, but also avoids jamming between the arc-shaped structure and the linear guide rail, ensuring smooth movement and improving the reliability of the device. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the first isometric structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the second isometric structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is an isometric structural diagram of the flexible clamping component in this invention; Figure 4 This is an isometric structural diagram of the driving component in this invention; Figure 5 This is a top view of the flexible clamping assembly in this invention. Figure 6 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at point AA; Figure 7 for Figure 6 A magnified schematic diagram of the local structure at point E; Figure 8 This is a front view of the flexible clamping component in this invention. Figure 9 for Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at point BB; Figure 10 This is a front view of the movable shell structure in this invention; Figure 11 for Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at the CC section; Figure 12 for Figure 11 A magnified schematic diagram of the local structure at point F; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the left-side structure of the movable shell in this invention; Figure 14 for Figure 13 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at point DD.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: Robot body 10, shell 11, movable shell 12, flexible clamping component 13, support assembly 14, T-shaped slider 15, rack 16, gear 17, push rod 18, stepper motor 19, guide component 20, round tube 21, round rod 22, compression spring 23, sleeve 24, movable component 25, pad component 26, collar 27, particle 28, vacuum pump 29, telescopic tube 30, V-shaped elastic component 31, arc-shaped component 32, piston chamber 35, cavity 36, expansion component 37, piston component 38, return spring 39, through hole 40, rotating shaft 41, worm gear 42, worm 43. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0028] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," "front end," "rear end," "head," "tail," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0029] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0030] As attached Figure 1 To be continued Figure 14 As shown: This invention provides an embodiment of a flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots. See attached document Figure 1 To be continued Figure 14 The system includes a robot body 10, with a flexible gripping assembly mounted at the end of the robot body 10. The robot body 10 is also equipped with a vision sensor and a control unit, which are electrically connected to a stepper motor 19, a vacuum pump 29, and the vision sensor, respectively.

[0031] Preferred options are shown in the appendix. Figure 3 To be continued Figure 8The flexible clamping assembly includes a housing 11 and a pair of movable shells 12, the upper ends of which are in sliding contact with the lower sides of both ends of the housing 11. A T-shaped slider 15 is fixedly mounted on the upper end of each of the two movable shells 12, and the pair of T-shaped sliders 15 are in horizontal sliding contact with each other inside the housing 11.

[0032] Preferred options are shown in the appendix. Figure 4 To be continued Figure 6 The housing 11 contains a drive assembly for synchronously driving two movable housings 12 to move closer or further apart. The drive assembly includes a pair of racks 16, which slide on opposite sides of the housing 11 and are fixedly connected to two T-shaped sliders 15. A rotating shaft 41 is rotatably mounted in the center of the housing 11. Gears 17 and worm gears 42 are located on the outer periphery of the shaft 41. A stepper motor 19 is installed inside the housing 11. A worm gear 43 is located at the output end of the stepper motor 19, and its outer periphery meshes with the worm gear 42. The outer periphery of the gears 17 meshes with the sides of the pair of racks 16 that are close to each other.

[0033] Preferred options are shown in the appendix. Figure 6 To be continued Figure 12 The movable shell 12 has a piston chamber 35 and a cavity 36 inside, with a movable member 25 horizontally sliding within the cavity 36. The movable member 25 has an arc-shaped structure in the horizontal direction facing the flexible clamping member 13, and its upper and lower ends are flat, making horizontal sliding contact with the side walls of the cavity 36. A set of flexible clamping members 13 is provided on the side of each of the two movable shells 12 that are close to each other. Multiple flexible clamping members 13 in a set are arranged horizontally, with adjacent flexible clamping members 13 making sliding contact. A set of support components 14 is connected between one side of the movable member 25 and the multiple flexible clamping members 13, and an expansion member 37 is connected between the other side of the movable member 25 and the cavity 36. The expansion member 37 is an elastic airbag; when deflated, it can move the movable member 25 through its own elasticity, and when inflated, it expands to further push the movable member 25. The support components 14 make horizontal sliding contact with the side walls of the movable shell 12.

[0034] Preferred options are shown in the appendix. Figure 6 To be continued Figure 12Multiple support components 14 are vertically spaced in a group. Each support component 14 includes a circular tube 21, a circular rod 22, and a sleeve 24. The circular tube 21 is flexibly connected to the flexible clamping member 13, and its outer periphery slides horizontally in contact with the side wall of the movable shell 12. The sleeve 24 is fixedly connected to the movable member 25. One end of the circular rod 22 slides inside the circular tube 21, and a compression spring 23 is provided between one end of the circular rod 22 and the interior of the circular tube 21. The other end of the circular rod 22 slides inside the sleeve 24, and a pad 26 is provided between the other end of the circular rod 22 and the movable member 25. A collar 27 is provided at the end of the sleeve 24 away from the circular tube 21. The collar 27 is fitted around the outer periphery of the circular rod 22, and the collar 27 slides in contact with the outer periphery of the circular rod 22. Multiple particles 28 are filled between the inner wall of the collar 27 and the outer periphery of the circular rod 22. A vacuum pump 29 is installed on the lower side of the cavity 36, and a telescopic tube 30 is connected between the vacuum pump 29 and a plurality of collars 27.

[0035] Preferred options are shown in the appendix. Figure 6 To be continued Figure 12 A pair of V-shaped elastic elements 31 are flexibly connected between one end of the circular tube 21 and one end of the sleeve 24. The middle parts of the pair of V-shaped elastic elements 31 are close to each other, and an arc-shaped element 32 is provided on each side of the middle parts of the pair of V-shaped elastic elements 31 that are close to each other. When the distance between the sleeve 24 and the circular tube 21 decreases, the two V-shaped elastic elements 31 are squeezed and deformed, which causes the two arc-shaped elements 32 to move closer to each other and rub against the outer circumference of the circular rod 22, thereby increasing the axial sliding resistance of the circular rod 22.

[0036] Preferred options are shown in the appendix. Figure 1 To be continued Figure 4 The flexible clamping component 13 has an arc-shaped structure in the vertical direction.

[0037] Preferred options are shown in the appendix. Figure 6 To be continued Figure 11 A piston component 38 is vertically slidable within the piston chamber 35, and the lower part of the piston chamber 35 is connected to the expansion component 37. A return spring 39 is connected between the upper side of the piston component 38 and the upper part of the piston chamber 35. A through hole 40 is provided on one side of the upper part of the piston chamber 35, which is used to balance the air pressure between the upper part of the piston chamber 35 and the external environment when the piston component 38 moves up and down. A push rod 18 is vertically slidable within the T-shaped slider 15, and the lower end of the push rod 18 is fixedly connected to the piston component 38. A guide component 20 is provided on the upper side of each of the two ends inside the housing 11, and the upper end of the push rod 18 slides in contact with the lower inclined surface of the guide component 20.

[0038] Specific usage of this invention: In injection molding production lines, robotic arms are key pieces of equipment responsible for efficiently and accurately gripping and moving freshly molded injection products. However, traditional robotic arms mostly employ rigid clamping designs. This rigid design is prone to causing scratches, indentations, and other damage to the product surface during gripping due to improper force control or irregular product shapes. This not only affects the product's appearance but may also impact its performance, increasing scrap rates and production costs. The flexible adaptive gripping device of this invention effectively solves these problems through flexible contact, variable stiffness locking, and power-off self-locking structures.

[0039] Specifically, during initial standby, the stepper motor 19 stops, and the self-locking effect of the worm gear 42 and worm 43 is used to lock the gear 17 and rack 16 in order to limit the two movable shells 12; the flexible clamping member 13 is in a natural bending state, the collar 27 is not vacuumed, the particles 28 remain loose, and the support assembly 14 is generally smooth.

[0040] After the robot body 10 moves the flexible gripping assembly near the target object, the control unit obtains the shape and size of the object based on the vision sensor. The stepper motor 19 rotates forward, driving the worm gear 43 to rotate. The worm gear 43 meshes with the outer periphery of the worm wheel 42, driving the worm wheel 42 and the rotating shaft 41 to rotate. The rotation of the rotating shaft 41 drives the gear 17 to rotate. The outer periphery of the gear 17 meshes with two racks 16, synchronously driving the two racks 16 and the T-shaped sliders 15 to move closer to each other. The two T-shaped sliders 15 moving closer to each other drive the two movable shells 12 to move closer to each other. The two movable shells 12 moving closer to each other drive the two sets of flexible gripping components 13 to move closer to each other. The two sets of flexible gripping components 13 move closer to each other to make contact and grip the two sides of the target object.

[0041] Next, the two sets of flexible clamping members 13 are fully in contact with both sides of the target object and are held in place, while the two movable shells 12 continue to move closer to each other. The movement of the movable shells 12 drives the movable member 25 to move closer to the flexible clamping members 13 via the expansion member 37, compressing the multiple sets of support components 14. At this time, the movement of the movable member 25 drives the round rod 22 to move closer to the flexible clamping members 13 via the pad member 26. The movement of the round rod 22 compresses the compression spring 23, and the compression spring 23 generates elastic force acting on the round tube 21 and the flexible clamping members 13, thereby increasing the clamping force of the two sets of flexible clamping members 13 on the target object. At the same time, the movement of the sleeve 24 reduces the distance between one end of the sleeve 24 and one end of the round tube 21, thereby compressing the two V-shaped elastic members 31 to deform. The deformation of the two V-shaped elastic members 31 drives the two arc-shaped members 32 to move closer to each other. The two arc-shaped members 32 move closer to each other and make frictional contact with the outer circumference of the round rod 22, increasing the axial sliding resistance of the round rod 22 and improving the initial stability of the support components 14.

[0042] In this configuration, because the flexible clamping member 13 has an arc-shaped structure in the vertical direction, its upper and lower ends contact the target object first, and its middle part then contacts and clamps the target object. This results in a greater degree of compression of the support components 14 located at the upper and lower ends of the flexible clamping member 13 than the support components 14 located in the middle of the flexible clamping member 13. This utilizes the multiple support components 14 located at the upper and lower ends of the flexible clamping member 13 to generate greater elasticity, thereby squeezing and clamping the target object while simultaneously providing vertical limitation. Similarly, because the movable member 25 has an arc-shaped structure in the horizontal direction on the side facing the flexible clamping member 13, the flexible clamping members 13 on both sides of the horizontally arranged group of flexible clamping members 13 contact the target object first, and the flexible clamping member 13 in the middle contacts the target object later. This results in a greater degree of compression of the support components 14 between the flexible clamping members 13 on both sides and the movable member 25 than the support components 14 between the flexible clamping member 13 in the middle and the movable member 25, thereby providing horizontal limitation for the target object.

[0043] Meanwhile, as the two movable shells 12 and the T-shaped slider 15 approach each other, the movement of the T-shaped slider 15 drives the push rod 18 to move. Since the upper end of the push rod 18 slides in contact with the lower inclined surface of the guide member 20, the horizontal movement of the push rod 18 is guided by the inclined surface of the guide member 20, causing the push rod 18 and the piston member 38 to move downwards. The downward movement of the piston member 38 compresses the gas in the lower part of the piston chamber 35 into the expansion member 37. The expansion member 37 expands and pushes the movable member 25 further closer to the flexible clamping member 13, further improving the clamping effect of the flexible clamping assembly on the target object. The downward movement of the piston member 38 stretches the return spring 39, generating elastic force. This elastic force of the return spring 39 allows the piston member 38 and the push rod 18 to move upwards and reset.

[0044] When the clamping force reaches the set value, the stepper motor 19 stops, the worm gear 42 and worm 43 self-lock, the gear 17 and rack 16 are locked, and the moving part 25 is held in position. At this time, the vacuum pump 29 uses multiple telescopic tubes 30 to evacuate the inside of multiple collars 27, so that multiple particles 28 between the round rod 22 and the collar 27 are compressed, the sliding resistance increases sharply, so that the round rod 22 and the sleeve 24 are almost locked, the pad 26 is bypassed, the support assembly 14 changes from flexible to rigid, and the object is firmly locked.

[0045] In the event of an unexpected power outage during transport, the self-locking mechanism of the worm gear 42 and worm 43 maintains the position of the gear 17 and rack 16, and the particles 28 in the support assembly 14 maintain a certain negative pressure, thus maintaining the overall clamping force and preventing the object from falling.

[0046] Upon reaching the target position, the control unit shuts off the vacuum pump 29, releasing the vacuum in the support assembly 14. The particles 28 become loose again, and the support assembly 14 becomes pliable again. Then, the stepper motor 19 reverses, driving the rotating shaft 41 and gear 17 to rotate in the opposite direction via the worm gear 42 and worm 43. The gear 17 meshes with the rack 16, driving the two T-shaped sliders 15 and the movable shell 12 to move away from each other. The two movable shells 12 moving away from each other cause the support assembly 14 and the two sets of flexible clamping parts 13 to open, and the object is released.

[0047] The embodiments of the present invention are given for illustrative and descriptive purposes only, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described to better illustrate the principles and practical application of the invention, and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the invention and design various embodiments with various modifications suitable for a particular purpose.

Claims

1. A flexible adaptive gripping device for an intelligent robot, comprising a robot body (10), a housing (11), and a drive assembly, wherein the end of the robot body (10) is rotatably connected to the housing (11), characterized in that, Also includes: A pair of movable shells (12) are slidably disposed on the shell (11) and can move closer or further apart from each other. The driving assembly is used to drive the pair of movable shells (12) to move closer or further apart from each other. Two sets of flexible clamping members (13) are respectively set on a pair of movable shells (12). Each set includes multiple horizontally arranged and adjacent sliding contact flexible clamping members (13). Each flexible clamping member (13) is arc-shaped in the vertical direction. The movable part (25) is slidably disposed in the cavity (36) of each movable shell (12), and the movable part (25) is arc-shaped in the horizontal direction on the side facing the flexible clamping part (13); Multiple support components (14) are connected between the movable part (25) and the corresponding flexible clamping part (13), and the support components (14) include telescopic rods and elastic members; A variable stiffness unit is disposed on the support assembly (14) and includes a sealed cavity filled with particles (28), the sealed cavity being connected to a vacuum pump (29) to compress the particles (28) by evacuating the vacuum to lock the support assembly (14).

2. The flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots as described in claim 1, characterized in that, An expansion member (37) is provided between the movable member (25) and the movable shell (12), and the expansion member (37) is configured to drive the movable member (25) to move when the movable shell (12) moves.

3. The flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots as described in claim 2, characterized in that, A T-shaped slider (15) is fixed on the movable shell (12). A push rod (18) is vertically slidably arranged inside the T-shaped slider (15). The lower end of the push rod (18) is connected to the piston component (38). A guide component (20) is provided on the shell (11). The upper end of the push rod (18) slides in contact with the lower inclined surface of the guide component (20). A piston cavity (35) is provided inside the movable shell (12). The expansion component (37) is connected to the lower part of the piston cavity (35). The piston component (38) is slidably arranged inside the piston cavity (35).

4. The flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The support assembly (14) includes a round tube (21), a round rod (22), and a sleeve (24). The round tube (21) is flexibly connected to the flexible clamping member (13), and the sleeve (24) is fixedly connected to the movable member (25). One end of the round rod (22) is slidably disposed inside the round tube (21), and the other end is slidably disposed inside the sleeve (24). A compression spring (23) is provided between the round rod (22) and the round tube (21), and a pad (26) is provided between the round rod (22) and the movable member (25).

5. A flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The sleeve (24) has a collar (27) at the end away from the round tube (21). The collar (27) is sleeved on the outer circumference of the round rod (22). The sealing cavity is formed between the collar (27) and the round rod (22). The vacuum pump (29) is connected to the collar (27) through the telescopic tube (30).

6. A flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots as described in claim 4, characterized in that, A pair of V-shaped elastic elements (31) are connected between one end of the round tube (21) and one end of the sleeve (24). The middle parts of the pair of V-shaped elastic elements (31) are close to each other. Arc-shaped elements (32) are respectively provided on the side where the middle parts of the pair of V-shaped elastic elements (31) are close to each other. When the distance between the sleeve (24) and the round tube (21) decreases, the two arc-shaped elements (32) approach each other and rub against the outer periphery of the round rod (22).

7. A flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a pair of racks (16), a gear (17), a rotating shaft (41), a worm gear (42), a worm (43), and a stepper motor (19). The pair of racks (16) are fixedly connected to a pair of movable housings (12), the gear (17) meshes with the pair of racks (16), the worm gear (42) is coaxially arranged with the gear (17) on the rotating shaft (41), and the worm (43) is driven by the stepper motor (19) and meshes with the worm gear (42).

8. A flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The movable part (25) is arc-shaped in the horizontal direction on the side facing the flexible clamping part (13). The upper and lower ends of the movable part (25) are flat and slide in contact with the two side walls of the cavity (36) of the movable shell (12).

9. A flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The piston chamber (35) is provided with a through hole (40) at the upper part to balance the air pressure at the upper part of the piston chamber (35) when the piston (38) moves; a return spring (39) is provided between the piston (38) and the upper part of the piston chamber (35) to reset the piston (38).

10. A flexible adaptive gripping device for intelligent robots as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a vision sensor and a control unit, which are electrically connected to the drive assembly and the vacuum pump (29), respectively. The control unit controls the drive assembly and the vacuum pump (29) to work based on the object information obtained by the vision sensor.

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