A rotary cylinder driven link gripper

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of non-standard parts design, specifically to a rotary cylinder-driven linkage gripper, comprising a rotary cylinder and a gripper arm. A small gear is mounted on the output shaft of the rotary cylinder. Two sets of linkage frames are radially connected to the cylinder body. A large gear is located at the input end of one set of linkage frames. Each of the two sets of linkage frames is equipped with an upper connecting rod, a middle rocker arm, and a lower connecting rod. The front end of the middle rocker arm is hinged to the linkage frame. The upper and lower connecting rods are fixedly fitted onto the linkage frames, and their front ends have meshing teeth. The upper connecting rods on the two sets of linkage frames are symmetrically designed and on the same horizontal plane, with their meshing teeth meshing with each other. The tail ends of the upper connecting rods, middle rocker arm, and lower connecting rod are hinged to the gripper arm. The synchronous movement of the upper and lower connecting rods on the two sets of linkage frames drives the movement of the gripper arm. This gripper features a compact structure, high space utilization, and miniaturization.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of non-standard parts design, specifically to a connecting rod gripper driven by a rotary cylinder. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of industrial automation, pneumatic grippers are key actuators for material handling, transport, and precise manipulation, with applications spanning numerous industries including automotive manufacturing, electronic assembly, and logistics warehousing. As industrial production continues to evolve towards higher precision, higher integration, and more compact design, the structural design and performance optimization of pneumatic grippers have become a focus of industry attention.

[0003] Currently, most mainstream pneumatic grippers on the market use linear cylinders to drive gripper linkages or rack and pinion mechanisms. The linear cylinder-driven gripper linkage mechanism uses the extension and retraction of the piston rod of the linear cylinder to drive the linkage mechanism, thereby opening and closing the gripper to grasp and release the workpiece. The rack and pinion drive mechanism uses a linear cylinder to drive a rack and pinion transmission, which in turn drives the gripper to complete the clamping task, meeting the assembly needs of parts on the production line.

[0004] However, these traditionally driven pneumatic grippers have several significant drawbacks. Firstly, the relatively complex and bulky structures of components such as linear cylinders, connecting rods, and racks and pinions make it difficult to effectively reduce the overall size of the pneumatic gripper. In applications with extremely stringent space requirements, such as precision electronic equipment manufacturing workshops, the limited internal space severely restricts the installation and use of large pneumatic grippers, significantly impacting the equipment's compactness and integration, resulting in low space utilization. Secondly, the complex mechanical structure increases energy loss during operation, reducing energy efficiency and potentially affecting the accuracy and stability of gripper movements due to friction and collisions between mechanical parts, thus negatively impacting production quality and efficiency.

[0005] To address these issues, numerous attempts have been made within the industry. Some technical solutions have attempted to reduce the overall size of the gripper by modifying the shape and connection method of the linkage mechanism; however, due to the inherent size limitations of linear cylinders, the improvement in space utilization is not significant. Other solutions have tried using new materials to reduce component weight, but their effectiveness in solving the space occupation problem is limited. Therefore, the development of a new pneumatic gripper drive technology with a compact structure and high space utilization is urgently needed, which is of great significance for promoting the miniaturization and high efficiency of industrial automation equipment. Utility Model Content

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a rotary cylinder driven connecting rod gripper, which has the characteristics of compact structure, high space utilization and miniaturization.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows:

[0008] A rotary cylinder-driven linkage gripper includes a rotary cylinder and gripper arms. A pinion gear is mounted on the output shaft of the rotary cylinder. Two sets of linkage frames are radially connected to the cylinder body. A large gear meshing with the pinion gear is located at the input end of one set of linkage frames. An upper connecting rod, a middle rocker arm, and a lower connecting rod are mounted on each of the two sets of linkage frames. The front end of the middle rocker arm is hinged to the linkage frame. The upper and lower connecting rods are fixedly sleeved on the linkage frames.

[0009] The front ends of the upper and lower connecting rods are equipped with meshing teeth. The upper connecting rods on the two sets of connecting rod frames are symmetrically designed and located on the same horizontal plane, and their meshing teeth mesh with each other. The lower connecting rods on the two sets of connecting rod frames are symmetrically designed and located on the same horizontal plane, and their meshing teeth mesh with each other.

[0010] The upper connecting rod, the middle rocker arm, and the lower connecting rod are hinged to the gripper arms at their tail ends. The gripping sides of the two sets of gripper arms are in a surrounding arc shape. The upper connecting rod and the lower connecting rod on the two sets of linkage frames move synchronously, driving the movement of the two sets of gripper arms.

[0011] Furthermore, the connecting rod frame is mainly composed of a frame sleeve and a frame shaft. A connecting plate is installed radially on the rotary cylinder. The frame sleeve is vertically installed on the connecting plate. The frame shaft is sleeved inside the frame sleeve. The large gear is installed on the frame shaft.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper and lower connecting rods are mounted on the frame shaft and swing as the frame shaft rotates.

[0013] Furthermore, the front end of the intermediate rocker arm is provided with a vertical rotating shaft, and the upper and lower ends of the vertical rotating shaft are fixedly connected to the extension end of the connecting plate.

[0014] Furthermore, the upper connecting rod, the lower connecting rod, and the middle rocker arm are all curved in shape.

[0015] Furthermore, the pinion has a rotation angle of 180° and the gear has a rotation angle of 90°.

[0016] Furthermore, the gripper arm is mainly divided into a support shaft and an upper arm plate and a lower arm plate of the same shape. The upper arm plate is installed at the upper end of the support shaft, and the lower arm plate is installed at the lower end of the support shaft. There is a certain gap between the upper arm plate and the lower arm plate. The support shaft is rotatably connected to the rear end of the middle rocker arm through a bearing. The front end of the upper arm plate is hinged to the rear end of the upper connecting rod, and the front end of the lower arm plate is connected to the rear end of the lower connecting rod. The upper arm plate and the lower arm plate are installed parallel to each other.

[0017] Furthermore, a clamping shaft parallel to the supporting shaft is provided at the tail end of the upper arm plate and the lower arm plate, and the upper and lower ends of the clamping shaft are respectively mounted on the upper arm plate and the lower arm plate through bearings.

[0018] The advantages of this utility model compared with the prior art are:

[0019] 1. Compact structure and high space utilization: A rotary cylinder replaces the traditional linear cylinder as the power source. The radial output characteristic of the rotary cylinder makes the overall structure more compact. Combined with a gear transmission mechanism (small gear meshing with a large gear), the 180° rotation angle of the rotary cylinder is converted into a 90° rotation angle of the large gear. This angle conversion design reduces the size of the drive components in space. The connecting rod frame adopts a combination structure of frame sleeve and frame shaft. The upper connecting rod, lower connecting rod, and intermediate rocker arm are all designed with curved shapes. This structural layout can achieve complex motion trajectories within a limited space, avoiding the large linear motion space required for piston rod extension and retraction in traditional linear cylinder drive methods, effectively improving the applicability of the equipment in confined spaces.

[0020] 2. High output torque and strong gripping stability: The rotary cylinder is driven by a meshing pinion and a large gear, utilizing the torque amplification principle of gear transmission (the radius of the large gear is larger than that of the pinion) to amplify the output torque of the rotary cylinder. The gripper arm adopts a structure that connects the upper arm plate and the lower arm plate with a supporting rotating shaft, and clamping rotating shafts and bearings are set at the tail ends of the upper arm plate and the lower arm plate. This multi-shaft linkage transmission design allows the gripper to distribute the force evenly when gripping objects, reducing swaying caused by uneven force. At the same time, the large output torque ensures that the gripper remains stable when gripping heavy workpieces, avoiding slippage or drop, which is especially suitable for scenarios such as automobile manufacturing that require gripping heavy parts.

[0021] 3. Rapid Response and Strong Adaptability: The pneumatic drive characteristics of the rotary cylinder determine its fast response speed, meeting the high-speed gripping requirements of industrial automation production. The gripper arm features a wraparound design on the gripping side, and the contact area between the gripper and the object consists of two arc-shaped structures. Combined with the pointed bearing, this allows it to adapt well to objects of different shapes, such as cylinders and spheres. When gripping circular objects of different diameters, the rolling of the bearing and the adaptive adjustment function of the arc-shaped contact surface enable the gripper to achieve centering and clamping without the need for additional adjustment mechanisms. This greatly improves the gripper's adaptability to different objects. For example, it can stably and efficiently complete gripping tasks when agricultural robots grip seedlings or industrial robots grip cylindrical parts of different specifications. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a top view of the structure of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 A three-dimensional structural diagram showing the linkage gripper in the open state;

[0026] Figure 5 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the connecting rod gripper in the tightened state;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the connecting rod gripper in use.

[0028] Reference numerals: 1. Rotary cylinder; 2. Small gear; 3. Connecting rod frame; 4. Large gear; 5. Upper connecting rod; 50. Longitudinal beam; 6. Intermediate rocker arm; 60. Vertical rotating shaft; 7. Lower connecting rod; 8. Connecting plate; 9. Supporting rotating shaft; 10. Upper arm plate; 11. Lower arm plate; 12. Clamping rotating shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this utility model easier to understand, the present utility model will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0030] like Figures 1-6As shown, a rotary cylinder driven linkage gripper includes a rotary cylinder 1 and a gripper arm. A small gear 2 is provided on the output shaft of the rotary cylinder 1. Two sets of linkage frames 3 are connected radially to the cylinder body of the rotary cylinder 1. A large gear 4 that meshes with the small gear 2 is provided at the input top of one set of linkage frames 3. The two sets of linkage frames 3 are arranged side by side, and the rotary cylinder 1 is positioned in the middle of the two sets of linkage frames 3, forming a triangle. An upper connecting rod 5, a middle rocker arm 6, and a lower connecting rod 7 are installed on each of the two sets of linkage frames 3. The front end of the middle rocker arm 6 is hinged to the linkage frame 3, and the upper connecting rod 5 and the lower connecting rod 7 are fixedly sleeved on the linkage frame 3.

[0031] In the above description, the rotary cylinder 1 rotates 180° with the small gear 2, and the large gear 4 rotates 90°. The rotation of the large gear 4 transmits power to the connecting rod frame 3, and then to the upper and lower connecting rods that cooperate with it.

[0032] Specifically, the connecting rod frame 3 mainly consists of a frame sleeve and a frame shaft. A connecting plate 8 is radially mounted on the rotary cylinder. The frame sleeve is vertically mounted on the connecting plate 8, and the frame shaft is sleeved inside the frame sleeve. The large gear 4 is mounted on the frame shaft. The upper connecting rod 5 and the lower connecting rod 7 are mounted on the frame shaft and swing as the frame shaft rotates. The front end of the intermediate rocker arm 6 is provided with a vertical rotating shaft 60, and the upper and lower ends of the vertical rotating shaft 60 are fixedly connected to the extension ends of the connecting plate 8. Essentially, the connecting plate 8 and the frame sleeve are fixed, while the frame shaft rotates under the drive of the large gear 4. The upper connecting rod 5 and the lower connecting rod 7 are fixed on the frame shaft and rotate accordingly. Due to the limiting effect of the intermediate rocker arm 6, the upper connecting rod 5 and the lower connecting rod 7 move with the gripper arm within a limited position, completing the... Figures 4 to 5 morphological changes, or completion Figures 5 to 4 morphological changes.

[0033] The front ends of the upper connecting rod 5 and the lower connecting rod 7 are equipped with meshing teeth 50. The upper connecting rods 5 on the two sets of connecting rod frames are symmetrically designed and are on the same horizontal plane, and their meshing teeth 50 mesh with each other. The lower connecting rods 7 on the two sets of connecting rod frames are symmetrically designed and are on the same horizontal plane, and their meshing teeth mesh with each other.

[0034] The upper connecting rod 5, the middle rocker arm 6, and the lower connecting rod 7 are hinged to the gripper arms at their tail ends. The gripping sides of the two sets of gripper arms are in a surrounding arc shape. The upper connecting rod and the lower connecting rod on the two sets of connecting rod frames move synchronously, driving the movement of the two sets of gripper arms.

[0035] The upper connecting rod 5, the lower connecting rod 7, and the middle rocker arm 6 are all curved in shape. The upper and lower connecting rods are bracket-shaped, and the middle rocker arm is S-shaped, as shown below. Figure 4 and Figure 5The image shown is a 3D view of the linkage gripper changing from a gripping state to a retracted state.

[0036] The gripper arm is mainly divided into a support shaft 9 and an upper arm plate 10 and a lower arm plate 11 of the same shape. The upper arm plate 10 is installed at the upper end of the support shaft 9, and the lower arm plate 11 is installed at the lower end of the support shaft 9. There is a certain distance between the upper arm plate 10 and the lower arm plate 11, forming a three-dimensional spatial structure with evenly distributed contact points for gripping the object. Compared with a single point of contact with the object, the combination of the upper arm plate 10 and the lower arm plate 11 provides multiple contact points with the object, making the gripping more secure. To reduce weight, the upper arm plate 10 and the lower arm plate 11 are both installed by using two thin plates to clamp the tail ends of the upper and lower connecting rods. The support shaft 9 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the middle rocker arm 6 through a bearing. The front end of the upper arm plate 10 is hinged to the tail end of the upper connecting rod 5, and the front end of the lower arm plate 11 is connected to the tail end of the lower connecting rod 7. The upper arm plate 10 and the lower arm plate 11 are installed parallel to each other.

[0037] At the tail ends of the upper arm plate 10 and the lower arm plate 11, there is also a clamping shaft 12 parallel to the supporting shaft 9. The upper and lower ends of the clamping shaft 12 are respectively mounted on the upper arm plate 10 and the lower arm plate 11 through bearings. The clamping shaft 12 can rotate freely, so that the gripper can center circular objects.

[0038] The rotation angle of the rotary cylinder is not directly achieved by using grippers to perform the clamping work. Instead, a working angle that is as large as possible is selected, and the connecting rod structure is driven by gear transmission. The purpose is not only to prevent interference, but also to enable the cylinder to obtain a larger power stroke, thereby obtaining greater power and increasing the output torque.

[0039] like Figure 6 As shown, a rotary cylinder-driven linkage gripper can be used at the end effector of an industrial robot to grip cylindrical and spherical products, and can also be used in agricultural robots to grip seedlings and other crops.

[0040] The above provides a detailed description of a rotary cylinder-driven connecting rod gripper provided by this utility model. The specific embodiments are described only to aid in understanding the method and core concept of this utility model. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this utility model without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A rotary cylinder-driven linkage gripper, comprising a rotary cylinder and a gripper arm, characterized in that: The rotary cylinder has a small gear on its output shaft. Two sets of connecting rod frames are radially connected to the cylinder body. A large gear meshing with the small gear is located at the input end of one of the connecting rod frames. An upper connecting rod, a middle rocker arm, and a lower connecting rod are mounted on each of the two connecting rod frames. The front end of the middle rocker arm is hinged to the connecting rod frame. The upper and lower connecting rods are fixedly sleeved on the connecting rod frame. The front ends of the upper and lower connecting rods are equipped with meshing teeth. The upper connecting rods on the two sets of connecting rod frames are symmetrically designed and located on the same horizontal plane, and their meshing teeth mesh with each other. The lower connecting rods on the two sets of connecting rod frames are symmetrically designed and located on the same horizontal plane, and their meshing teeth mesh with each other. The upper connecting rod, the middle rocker arm, and the lower connecting rod are hinged to the gripper arms at their tail ends. The gripping sides of the two sets of gripper arms are in a surrounding arc shape. The upper connecting rod and the lower connecting rod on the two sets of linkage frames move synchronously, driving the movement of the two sets of gripper arms.

2. The rotary cylinder-driven connecting rod gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting rod frame is mainly composed of a frame sleeve and a frame shaft. A connecting plate is installed radially on the rotary cylinder. The frame sleeve is vertically installed on the connecting plate. The frame shaft is sleeved inside the frame sleeve. The large gear is installed on the frame shaft.

3. The rotary cylinder-driven connecting rod gripper according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper and lower connecting rods are mounted on the frame shaft and swing as the frame shaft rotates.

4. A rotary cylinder-driven connecting rod gripper according to claim 2, characterized in that: The front end of the middle rocker arm is provided with a vertical rotating shaft, and the upper and lower ends of the vertical rotating shaft are fixedly connected to the extension end of the connecting plate.

5. A rotary cylinder-driven connecting rod gripper according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The upper connecting rod, the lower connecting rod, and the middle rocker arm are all curved in shape.

6. A rotary cylinder-driven connecting rod gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pinion has a rotation angle of 180°, and the gear has a rotation angle of 90°.

7. A rotary cylinder-driven connecting rod gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gripper arm is mainly composed of a support shaft and upper and lower arm plates of the same shape. The upper arm plate is installed at the upper end of the support shaft, and the lower arm plate is installed at the lower end of the support shaft. There is a certain gap between the upper and lower arm plates. The support shaft is rotatably connected to the rear end of the intermediate rocker arm through bearings. The front end of the upper arm plate is hinged to the rear end of the upper connecting rod, and the front end of the lower arm plate is connected to the rear end of the lower connecting rod. The upper arm plate and the lower arm plate are installed parallel to each other.

8. A rotary cylinder-driven connecting rod gripper according to claim 7, characterized in that: At the tail end of the upper arm plate and the lower arm plate, there is also a clamping shaft parallel to the supporting shaft. The upper and lower ends of the clamping shaft are respectively mounted on the upper arm plate and the lower arm plate through bearings.

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