Clamp and robot

Abstract

The utility model provides a clamp and a robot, and the clamp comprises a mounting bracket which is used for fixing the clamp; the driving assembly is arranged on the mounting bracket; the first clamping jaw assembly is arranged on the mounting bracket, and the first clamping jaw assembly comprises two first clamping jaws which are oppositely arranged; the second clamping jaw assembly is arranged on the driving assembly, and the second clamping jaw assembly comprises two second clamping jaws which are oppositely arranged; the driving assembly is used for driving the two second clamping jaws to move in the opposite directions. The clamp is high in universality and can meet the carrying requirements of materials of multiple specifications, and the operation efficiency of the robot is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of clamping technology, and more particularly to a clamping device and a robot. Background Technology

[0002] In industrial production, for products of certain specific sizes, fixed-size materials are usually used as special containers for storage, protection and transfer, such as wafer boxes for storing wafers.

[0003] In existing technologies, robots are used to transfer wafer cassettes. However, the grippers on robots are usually designed for a specific material size based on production needs, resulting in poor versatility. When handling wafer cassettes of different sizes, multiple specialized grippers are often required.

[0004] Therefore, the issue of how to improve the versatility of fixtures urgently needs to be addressed. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application provides a clamp and robot that are highly versatile and can meet the handling needs of materials of various specifications.

[0006] A first aspect of this application provides a clamp, comprising:

[0007] Mounting brackets are used to secure the clamps.

[0008] The drive assembly is mounted on the mounting bracket;

[0009] A first gripper assembly is disposed on the mounting bracket, and the first gripper assembly includes two opposing first grippers;

[0010] A second gripper assembly is disposed on the drive assembly, and the second gripper assembly includes two opposing second grippers;

[0011] The drive component is used to drive the two second grippers to move toward each other.

[0012] In a fixture according to one embodiment of this application, the first gripper is provided with a limiting part, which is used to clamp and fix the material.

[0013] In one embodiment of the fixture, the number of limiting portions on the two first grippers is different.

[0014] In a fixture according to one embodiment of this application, the driving assembly includes a drive motor and two driving members, and the two second grippers are respectively disposed on the two driving members;

[0015] The drive motor is used to drive the two drive components to move relative to or away from each other, so that the two second grippers move towards each other.

[0016] In a fixture according to one embodiment of this application, the second gripper is provided with at least one slot, which is opened along the length direction of the second gripper for clamping and fixing materials.

[0017] In a fixture according to one embodiment of this application, the end of the slot near the mounting bracket has a preset distance from the mounting bracket.

[0018] In one embodiment of the fixture, a material detection device is also included. The material detection device is disposed on the mounting bracket and is used to detect the presence of material in the first gripper assembly and / or the second gripper assembly.

[0019] In one embodiment of the fixture, a balance detection device is also included. The balance detection device is disposed on the two first grippers and is used to detect the balance of the material in the first gripper assembly.

[0020] A second aspect of this application provides a robot including a body, a manipulator, and a gripper as described in any one of the above descriptions, wherein one end of the manipulator is connected to the body and the other end of the manipulator is connected to the gripper.

[0021] In one embodiment of the robot of this application, the body includes a mobile chassis and a storage module, the storage module is disposed on the mobile chassis, and the storage module is provided with at least one storage slot.

[0022] In summary, the embodiments of this application provide a fixture and a robot. The fixture provided by this application can clamp materials of the same specifications through a first gripper assembly and drive a second gripper assembly to change the clamping diameter through a drive assembly, thereby adapting to materials of various specifications. The fixture has strong versatility and can meet the handling needs of materials of various specifications, greatly improving the working efficiency of the robot. Attached Figure Description

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

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a clamp provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of the clamp provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of the fixture provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another application scenario of the fixture provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another application scenario of the clamp provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robot provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0031] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0032] 10. Fixtures;

[0033] 1010. Install the bracket;

[0034] 1020. Drive component; 1021. Drive element; 1022. Protective cover;

[0035] 1030, First gripper assembly; 1031, First gripper; 1032, Limiting part;

[0036] 1040, Second gripper assembly; 1041, Second gripper; 1042, Slot;

[0037] 1050. Material detection device;

[0038] 1060. Balance detection device;

[0039] 20. Wafer box;

[0040] 30. Robot;

[0041] 3010, Main body; 3011, Mobile chassis; 3012, Storage module; 3012-1, Storage slot;

[0042] 3020, robotic arm. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0044] It should also be understood that the terminology used in this utility model specification is merely for describing specific aspects of the present application. It is important to understand that terms such as "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the present application 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0045] The following detailed description of some embodiments of this application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0046] In industrial production, for products of certain specific sizes, fixed-size materials are usually used as special containers for storage, protection and transfer, such as wafer boxes for storing wafers.

[0047] In existing technologies, robots are used for material handling. The grippers on these robots are typically designed for specific material sizes based on production requirements, such as grippers specifically designed for 300mm or 200mm wafer cassettes. While this design achieves efficient material handling in production, it also leads to several problems, as follows:

[0048] Grippers typically only precisely accommodate materials of a specific size. If the production line needs to handle materials of different sizes, multiple specialized grippers must be prepared for replacement. Alternatively, the entire robot can be replaced, but this increases the complexity of the equipment and production costs. Furthermore, to ensure stability and safety during product handling, especially for precision products, grippers need to closely fit the shape and size of the material serving as the product container. If the gripper cannot precisely fit the material, it may lead to unstable gripping or even damage to the material.

[0049] Based on this, refer to Figures 1 to 7 This application provides a clamp 10 and a robot 30, which are applicable to materials of different sizes and have strong versatility.

[0050] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a clamp 10, which includes: a mounting bracket 1010, a drive assembly 1020, a first gripper assembly 1030, and a second gripper assembly 1040. The structure and function of each part of the clamp 10 are described in detail below.

[0051] In the embodiments of this application, reference is made to Figure 1 and Figure 2 A mounting bracket 1010 is used to fix the clamp 10, ensuring stable operation of the clamp 10. A drive assembly 1020 is mounted on the mounting bracket 1010. A first gripper assembly 1030 is mounted on the mounting bracket 1010 and includes two opposing first grippers 1031 for gripping materials in one orientation. A second gripper assembly 1040 is mounted on the drive assembly 1020 and includes two opposing second grippers 1041. The drive assembly 1020 drives the two second grippers 1041 to move towards each other, so that the two second grippers 1041 grip the materials in another orientation.

[0052] Specifically, during use, the clamp 10 is fixed to an easily operable location or device, such as the end effector of a robotic arm, using the mounting bracket 1010 to prevent the clamp 10 from shaking or shifting during material transfer. When transferring materials, the first gripper assembly 1030 can clamp materials of suitable size, or the drive assembly 1020 can adjust the relative distance between the second grippers 1041 in the second gripper assembly 1040 to accommodate materials of different specifications, achieving precise clamping. Once the material has been transferred to the desired position and stably placed, the first gripper assembly 1030 and the second gripper assembly 1040 release the material with the opposite action to that during clamping, and the clamp 10 returns to its initial state, preparing for the next clamping operation.

[0053] The clamp 10 in this embodiment can clamp materials of the same specification through the first gripper assembly 1030 and drive the second gripper assembly 1040 to change the clamping diameter through the drive assembly 1020, thereby adapting to materials of various specifications. The clamp 10 has strong versatility, which can not only meet the handling needs of materials of various specifications, but also help reduce costs and improve work efficiency.

[0054] In this embodiment, the specific shape and structure of the first gripper 1031 and the second gripper 1041 are not specifically limited. They can be adjusted according to actual needs and the structure of the material to ensure the stability, safety and versatility of the clamp 10 when holding the material.

[0055] Reference Figure 3In some embodiments, the first gripper 1031 is provided with a limiting part 1032, which is used to clamp and fix the material. It should be noted that there can be one or more limiting parts 1032, and the specific number can be determined by the specific structure of the material to be transported by the gripper. For example, for materials with more complex shapes, more limiting parts 1032 may be needed to ensure that the material is clamped and fixed more stably; while for materials with simpler shapes, the number of limiting parts 1032 can be reduced. Clamping and fixing the material with the limiting parts 1032 ensures the stability of its transfer process. For example, refer to... Figure 4 The material and the limiting part 1032 on the first gripper 1031 have a toothed structure that fits each other.

[0056] In some embodiments, the number of limiting portions 1032 on the two first grippers 1031 is different, thereby ensuring that the clamp 10 engages with the material in the correct direction. For example, different shapes or structures (such as protrusions, grooves, etc.) are provided on the ends of the material used for clamping in different directions, and the two first grippers 1031 are correspondingly provided with shapes or structures that engage with them, so that the clamp 10 can distinguish and adapt to the front and back sides of the material during the clamping process, ensuring the correct clamping of the material during the handling process and avoiding instability or damage to the material due to incorrect clamping.

[0057] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The drive assembly 1020 includes a drive motor (not shown) and two drive members 1021, with two second grippers 1041 respectively mounted on the two drive members 1021. The drive motor drives the two drive members 1021 to move relative to or away from each other, causing the two second grippers 1041 to move towards each other. The drive motor provides a relatively stable and reliable operation. By controlling the relative or away movement of the two drive members 1021 through the drive motor, the movement trajectory of the two second grippers 1041 can be precisely controlled, thereby improving the accuracy and flexibility of the fixture 10 operation.

[0058] In some embodiments, the gripper further includes a balance detection device 1060, which is disposed on the two first grippers 1031 and is used to detect the balance of the material in the first gripper assembly 1030. Specifically, when the balance detection device 1060 detects that the material in the first gripper assembly 1030 is deviated or tilted, it can adjust the clamp 10 in a timely manner to ensure that the clamp 10 can stably and accurately hold the material and prevent the material from falling or being damaged due to imbalance.

[0059] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 3The second gripper 1041 is provided with at least one slot 1042, which is opened along the length direction of the second gripper 1041 for clamping and fixing the material. The design of the slot 1042 enables the material to be accurately aligned and fixed, simplifying the operation process of the fixture 10, thereby achieving rapid positioning of the material. The gripper only needs to perform a clamping operation, reducing the difficulty of operation.

[0060] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 2 The end of the card slot 1042 near the mounting bracket 1010 has a preset distance from the mounting bracket 1010. (Refer to...) Figure 5 A reasonable preset distance can not only increase the longitudinal space between the two second grippers 1041, thus enabling the clamp 10 to be applicable to more materials of different specifications, but also prevent the material from directly contacting or colliding with the mounting bracket 1010 during the clamping process, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the material or the clamp 10.

[0061] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 2 The gripper also includes a material detection device 1050, which is mounted on the mounting bracket 1010 and is used to detect the presence of material in the first gripper assembly 1030 and / or the second gripper assembly 1040. It is understood that there can be one material detection device 1050, used to simultaneously detect the first gripper assembly 1030 and the second gripper assembly 1040 or one of them; there can also be two material detection devices 1050, used to detect the first gripper assembly 1030 and the second gripper assembly 1040 respectively, without specific limitations. Specifically, taking the application of the material detection device 1050 to the second gripper assembly 1040 as an example, before performing a gripping operation, the material detection device 1050 detects whether there is material in the second gripper assembly 1040. If there is, the new gripping operation is stopped until the current gripping operation is completed. By using the material detection device 1050, the grippers are prevented from repeatedly gripping materials when they are already present, thus avoiding material misalignment, equipment damage, or unexpected situations during production, and ensuring the safety and accuracy of the operation.

[0062] In other embodiments, reference is made to Figure 2 A protective cover 1022 is provided between the two driving components 1021. Specifically, the protective cover 1022 can deform with the movement of the two driving components 1021, effectively preventing foreign objects from entering between the two driving components 1021 and ensuring the safety and stability of the clamp 10 during use. For example, the protective cover 1022 is a flexible accordion-style protective cover.

[0063] Secondly, referring to Figure 7This application provides a robot 30, including a body 3010, a robotic arm 3020, and a gripper as described in any of the above embodiments. One end of the robotic arm 3020 is connected to the body 3010, and the other end of the robotic arm 3020 is connected to the gripper.

[0064] For example, the robot 30 can control the gripper 10 to perform the transfer operation of the wafer cassette 20, enabling precise gripping, handling, and placement of the wafer cassette 20. Specifically, the robot 30 drives the gripper 10, and the first gripper assembly 1030 or the second gripper assembly 1040 in the gripper 10 stably and efficiently grips the wafer cassette 20 from multiple angles and directions.

[0065] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 7 The main body 3010 includes a mobile chassis 3011 and a storage module 3012. The storage module 3012 is located on the mobile chassis 3011 and has at least one storage bit 3012-1.

[0066] For example, the storage module 3012 has two storage slots 3012-1, which are used to store wafer cassettes 20 of different specifications. In use, the robot 30 adjusts the gripper 10 to perform gripping operations on the wafer cassettes 20 of different specifications in the two material storage slots 3012-1.

[0067] In some embodiments, the mobile chassis 3011 is also equipped with an intelligent navigation system, which enables the mobile chassis 3011 to automatically travel to the designated location according to the set route, thereby achieving precise positioning and autonomous operation of the robot 30, reducing the need for manual intervention and greatly improving work efficiency.

[0068] It should be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0069] It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used in this specification and the appended claims refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes such combinations. It should be noted that, herein, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or system that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or system. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or system that includes that element.

[0070] The sequence numbers of the embodiments in this application are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments. The above descriptions are merely specific implementations of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A clamp, characterized in that, include: Mounting brackets are used to secure the clamps. The drive assembly is mounted on the mounting bracket; A first gripper assembly is disposed on the mounting bracket, and the first gripper assembly includes two opposing first grippers; A second gripper assembly is disposed on the drive assembly, and the second gripper assembly includes two opposing second grippers; The drive component is used to drive the two second grippers to move toward each other.

2. The clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first gripper is provided with a limiting part, which is used to clamp and fix the material.

3. The clamp as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The number of limiting portions on the two first grippers is different.

4. The clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a drive motor and two drive components, with the two second grippers respectively disposed on the two drive components; The drive motor is used to drive the two drive components to move relative to or away from each other, so that the two second grippers move towards each other.

5. The clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The second gripper is provided with at least one slot, which is opened along the length direction of the second gripper for clamping and fixing the material.

6. The clamp as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The end of the card slot near the mounting bracket has a preset distance from the mounting bracket.

7. The clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a material detection device, which is mounted on the mounting bracket and is used to detect the presence of material in the first gripper assembly and / or the second gripper assembly.

8. The clamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a balance detection device, which is disposed on the two first grippers and is used to detect the balance of the material in the first gripper assembly.

9. A robot, characterized in that, It includes a body, a robotic arm, and a gripper as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein one end of the robotic arm is connected to the body and the other end of the robotic arm is connected to the gripper.

10. The robot as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The main body includes a mobile chassis and a storage module. The storage module is located on the mobile chassis and has at least one storage slot.

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