Gripper device

Abstract

The invention relates to a gripper device (1) with a gripper (2) for inserting cables (L) into plug-in chambers (K), wherein the gripper (2) has at least one camera (4). According to the invention, the gripper (2) has at least one illumination light guide (5) or at least a part of the gripper (2) is designed as an illumination light guide (5), wherein the at least one illumination light guide (5) has at least one light coupling point and at least one light coupling point (6), and at least one light source (7) is arranged at the at least one light coupling point.

Description

The invention relates to a gripper device according to the features of the preamble of claim 1.It is generally known from the prior art to robotically insert lines into insertion chambers of a contact carrier, for example, via a force-path control. For this procedure, gripper devices are used which have a metal gripper.In JP 7143492 B2, a transmission cable is described, comprising a first optical fiber, a second optical fiber and a third optical fiber, a first optical connector for connecting the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber, a second optical connector for connecting the second optical fiber and the third optical fiber, an I / O conversion unit for converting electrical signals into optical signals to which the first optical fiber is connected, a composite cable in which a metal cable for transmitting electrical signals and the second optical fiber are united, a first substrate on which the I / O conversion unit and the first optical connector are arranged, a second substrate for transmitting electrical signals transmitted from the metal cable to a camera head connector, and a third substrate, on which the second optical connector is arranged.US 2023 / 0 344 185 A1 discloses a method, a system and a computer program product for the assembly of wire plug connectors. The method comprises controlling a robot having an end effector to position a cable contact by means of a cable gripper, near the gripper tip of which a camera pair is arranged, and by means of a separating device of the end effector in the vicinity of a plug connector, controlling the robot to advance the separating device between two or more cables which have previously been connected to the plug connector, controlling the robot to align the cable contact with a plug-in hole of the plug connector, controlling the robot to advance the cable contact in the direction of the plug-in hole of the plug connector and to insert the cable contact at least partially into the plug-in hole, controlling the robot to release the cable contact from the cable gripper, and controlling the robot to extend the cable gripper and the separating device between the two or more cables, which were previously connected to the connector.DE 10 2018 113 989 A1 discloses a production device and a corresponding method. The manufacturing device for manufacturing cable sets having a number of plugs, each plug having at least one chambera, comprises a workpiece carrier which is designed to receive the plugs. Furthermore, the production apparatus comprises in each case at least one illumination element for each plug, an optical sensor which is configured to detect the positions of the illumination elements, and a control device which is configured to determine the positions of the plugs on the basis of the detected positions of the illumination elements.The invention is based on the object of specifying a gripper device which is improved compared with the prior art.The object is achieved according to the invention by a gripper device having the features of claim 1.Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.A gripper device according to the invention has a gripper for inserting lines into insertion chambers, for example contact carriers or other components. The gripper device can have, for example, a robot, in particular a robot arm, on which the gripper is arranged.Inserted into the respective plug chamber is, in particular, a line end of the respective line, which can have, for example, a plug contact, also referred to as a contact part, which is arranged on the line end by crimping or in another way. This insertion is also referred to as pinning.The gripper has at least one camera.According to the invention, it is provided that the gripper has at least one illumination light guide or at least a part of the gripper is designed as an illumination light guide, wherein the at least one illumination light guide has at least one light coupling-in point and at least one light decoupling point for illuminating an external environment, and at the at least one light coupling-in point at least one light source, which is designed, for example, as an LED (light-emitting diode) or in another way, is arranged.The at least one light source is arranged in particular in or on the robot, for example in or on its robot arm, or on the gripper, for example integrated into the gripper. The light decoupling point is arranged in particular in such a way that a region of the gripper, in particular of gripping jaws of the gripper, and / or a region in front of the gripper, in particular in front of the gripping jaws, can be illuminated by said region, in particular an insertion region in which a line gripped by the gripper is inserted into a control chamber. The light decoupling point is thus arranged in particular in such a way that a line end of the line gripped by the gripper and inserted can be illuminated by it.The at least one camera is in particular designed as an endoscope camera. For example, the camera has a camera light guide, wherein a camera head, which in particular has an image sensor, is arranged at one end of the camera light guide and the other end of the camera light guide is directed at an image capture region of the camera. The camera light guide thus serves in particular for a transmission of light from the image capture region to the image sensor.For example, the at least one camera light guide can also have the at least one illumination light guide, i.e. camera light guide and illumination light guide are combined with one another. For example, the camera light guide and the illumination light guide are arranged coaxially with respect to one another. For example, the camera light guide is sheathed by the illumination light guide. This achieves optimum illumination of the image capture region. This coupling of the camera light guide to the illumination light guide is in particular configured such that no axial light transmission between the two light guides and thus in particular no disturbance of the image acquisition of the camera takes place.The gripper has, for example, at least two gripping jaws which are movable relative to one another. That is to say, for closing the gripper, in particular for gripping and holding a line to be inserted, the gripping jaws can be moved relative to one another, and for opening the gripper, in particular for releasing the line after the insertion, the gripping jaws can be moved away from one another relative to one anotherFor example, the at least one illumination light guide and / or the at least one camera, in particular its camera light guide, are / is arranged on and / or in one of the gripping jaws of the gripper. For example, an illumination light guide and / or a camera, in particular the camera light guide thereof, are / is arranged on and / or in each of the gripping jaws of the gripper. For example, the camera, in particular its camera light guide, is arranged on and / or in one of the gripping jaws and the illumination light guide is arranged on and / or in the other gripping jaw of the gripper.In one embodiment, at least one gripping jaw of the gripper is transparent and forms the at least one illumination light guide and / or the camera light guide of the at least one camera. For example, both gripping jaws can also be transparent. In this case, the respective gripping jaw can form the at least one illumination light guide and / or the camera light guide of the at least one camera. For example, one gripping jaw forms the at least one illumination light guide and the other gripping jaw forms the camera light guide of the at least one camera.In one embodiment, at least one gripping jaw of the gripper is formed from metal and the at least one camera, in particular its camera light guide, and / or the at least one illumination light guide are / is fastened thereto, for example adhesively bonded thereto or fastened thereto in another manner in a materially bonded, form-fitting and / or force-fitting manner. For example, the gripper or both gripping jaws are made of metal. For example, a camera, in particular its camera light guide, and a respective illumination light guide are fastened to each of the gripping jaws, or the camera, in particular its camera light guide, is fastened to one gripping jaw and the illumination light guide is fastened to the other gripping jaw.In the described solution, it is thus provided in particular that the gripper, in particular at least one gripping jaw of the gripper, is formed from a transparent material or has transparent material at least in sections in the form of the at least one illumination light guide and / or the camera light guide of the at least one camera. It is provided in particular that light from the light source is thereby emitted in or on the robot directly to the region of the plugging process without this light being able to be shaded by other plant parts. Alternatively or additionally, the gripper is in particular designed such that a camera, in particular an endoscope camera, is arranged on the gripper, in particular is integrated into the gripper.The described solution in particular allows or at least simplifies camera-guided insertion of the line into the plug chamber. In this case, in particular, an illumination required for this is ensured or at least optimized, because the solution described ensures that the illumination is not shaded by system parts. Furthermore, in particular by the described arrangement of the camera, image acquisition during the execution of the insertion process is ensured or at least optimized. These reaction variants can also be combined with one another.As already described above, the gripper can also be designed such that it, in particular the region which grips the line, i.e. in particular the respective gripping jaw, is formed from metal and the illumination light guide and / or camera light guide is attached thereto, in particular directly, for example is adhesively bonded thereto.In another embodiment, it can be provided that the at least one camera of the gripper device or one of a plurality of cameras of the gripper device is not arranged on the gripper, but rather, for example, on the robot, in particular on its robot arm, or on a fixed, in particular immovable, position of the gripper device, for example above, next to or below an insertion region in which the respective line is inserted into the respective insertion chamber. In this embodiment too, the above-described configuration with respect to the illumination light guide ensures optimized illumination, in particular illumination not shaded by other plant parts.The described solution makes it possible to execute plug-in processes or assembly processes in a simplified manner, monitored by the camera, since both light source, at least the light thereof for illumination, and camera are advantageously positioned in the immediate vicinity of the relevant process. This positioning is advantageously effected by integration into the gripper device.The respective light guide is also referred to as an optical waveguide, i.e. the illumination light guide is also referred to as an illumination light waveguide and the camera light guide is also referred to as a camera light waveguide.Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings.The following are shown: FIG. 1 schematically shows a line to be inserted into a plug chamber, according to the prior art, FIG. 2 schematically shows an embodiment of a gripper device during the insertion of a line into a plug chamber, according to the prior art, FIG. 3 schematically shows a further embodiment of the gripper device during the insertion of a line into a plug chamber, according to the prior art, FIG. 4 schematically shows a further embodiment of the gripper device during the insertion of a line into a plug chamber, FIG. 5 schematically shows a further embodiment of the gripper device during the insertion of a line into a plug chamber, and FIG. 6 schematically shows a gripping jaw of a gripper of the gripper device and two exemplary possibilities of positioning a camera on the gripper.Corresponding parts are provided with the same reference numerals in all figures.FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a line L to be inserted into a plug chamber K, for example of a contact carrier. For this purpose, the gripper device 1 has a gripper 2 which is arranged, for example, on a robot, in particular on a robot arm of the robot and which grasps the line L, in particular with two gripping jaws 3 which are to be closed for gripping and opened for releasing, and a line end of the line L which is to be inserted and which has, in the examples shown, a, for example, crimped plug contact SK, is inserted into the plug chamber K. The plug contact SK is also referred to as a contact part.FIG. 2 shows an embodiment by means of which the line L is inserted into the plug chamber K, for example, by means of a force-path control. This embodiment of the gripper device 1 has neither an illumination nor a camera 4. The gripper 2 of this embodiment of the gripper device 1 is formed in particular from metal.The embodiment of the gripper device 1 according to FIG. 3 has a camera 4 which is not arranged on the gripper 2 but at a fixed, in particular immovable, position of the gripper device 1, in the example shown above an insertion region in which the insertion of the line L into the insertion chamber K is carried out. This embodiment already allows camera-monitored automated execution of the plugging process. However, no illumination is provided here or the camera 4 has illumination, so that this illumination is also arranged at the fixed, in particular immovable, position of the gripper device 1, above the insertion region in the example shown. The problem here is the risk of possible shading by system parts, in particular the gripper device 1, during the plugging process.FIGS. 4 and 5 show improved embodiments of the gripper device 1 in comparison therewith.In the embodiment of the gripper device 1 according to FIG. 4, the camera 4 is for example likewise arranged at a fixed, in particular immovable, position of the gripper device 1, in the example shown above the insertion region in which the insertion of the line L into the insertion chamber K is carried out, or it is for example arranged on the robot, in particular on its robot arm.Furthermore, in the embodiment of the gripper device 1 according to FIG. 4, the gripper 2 has at least one illumination light guide 5 or at least a part of the gripper 2, in particular at least one gripper jaw 3, is designed as an illumination light guide 5, wherein the at least one illumination light guide 5 has at least one light coupling-in point and at least one light decoupling point 6 and at least one light source 7 is arranged at the at least one light coupling-in point.In the example shown, the gripper 2 has two such illumination light guides 5 and two light sources 7, wherein one of the illumination light guides 5 is integrated in each of the two gripping jaws 3 or the respective gripping jaw 3 is designed as an illumination light guide 5, for which the respective gripping jaw 3 is designed to be transparent. Optimized illumination of the insertion region is thereby achieved by means of light LI of the respective light source 7 emitted via the light decoupling point 6 of the respective illumination light guide 5, and the risk of shading is avoided.In the example shown, the light sources 7 are also integrated into the gripper 2. Each light guide 5 is assigned one of the light sources 7.In the embodiment according to FIG. 5, the gripper 2 has at least one camera 4, which is in particular designed as an endoscope camera. In the example shown, a camera head 8 of the camera 4 is arranged on the gripper 2 and a camera light guide 9 of the camera 4 is integrated into one of the two gripping jaws 3 or this gripping jaw 3 is designed as a camera light guide 9, for which it is designed to be transparent. As a result, an image capture region in the viewing direction BR of the camera 4 is always aligned with the insertion region during the execution of the plugging operation.Optionally, a camera head 8 of a further camera 4 can also be arranged on the gripper 2 and a camera light guide 9 of the further camera 4 can be integrated in the other gripping jaw 3 or this other gripping jaw 3 can be configured as a camera light guide 9, for which it is configured to be transparent. As a result, an image capture region in the viewing direction BR of this further camera 4 is always aligned with the plug-in region during the execution of the plug-in process.FIG. 6 shows, in a plan view from the front of one of the gripping jaws 3 of the gripper 2, by way of example, two possible fastening positions BP in which the camera 4 can be arranged on the gripper 2, in particular on the gripping jaw 3, in particular in the case of a configuration of the gripper 2, in particular of the gripping jaws 3, from metal. In this case, the camera 4 is arranged, for example, laterally above or below the gripping jaw 3 on the gripper 2, for example, adhesively bonded to the gripper 2. Alternatively or additionally, for example, the illumination light guide 5 can also be fastened to the gripper 2 in the respective fastening position BP.List of reference characters1 Gripper device 2 Gripper 3 Gripping jaws 4 Camera 5 Illumination light guide 6 Light decoupling point 7 Light source 8 Camera head 9 Camera light guide BP Fastening position BR Viewing direction K Plug chamber L Line LI Light SK Plug contact

Claims

Gripper device (1) having a gripper (2) for inserting lines (L) into insertion chambers (K), wherein the gripper (2) has at least one camera (4), characterized in that the gripper (2) has at least one illumination light guide (5) or at least a part of the gripper (2) is designed as an illumination light guide (5), wherein the at least one illumination light guide (5) has at least one light coupling-in point and at least one light decoupling point (6), and at least one light source (7) is arranged at the at least one light coupling-in point.Gripper device (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least one camera (4) is designed as an endoscope camera.Gripper device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one illumination light guide (5) and / or the at least one camera (4) are / is arranged on and / or in a gripping jaw (3) of the gripper (2).Gripper device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one gripping jaw (3) of the gripper (2) is transparent and forms the at least one illumination light guide (5) and / or a camera light guide (9) of the at least one camera (4).Gripper device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one gripping jaw (3) of the gripper (2) is formed from metal and the at least one camera (4) and / or the at least one illumination light guide (5) are / is fastened thereto.

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