Mounting device for replacing a gripper tip of a gripper finger for a robot system

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an assembly device for replacing a gripper tip of a gripper finger for a robot system according to the preamble of independent claim 1.

[0002] Gripper fingers for robot systems have long been known in the state of the art in a wide variety of variants. The known gripper fingers typically comprise two gripper jaws, each carrying a gripper tip. The gripper jaws are movably mounted, for example, on linear guides and are designed to be movable toward and away from each other. This allows the two attached gripper tips to be moved precisely toward or away from each other, allowing objects to be picked up or set down in a targeted manner. Such gripper systems are also known to those skilled in the art as "parallel grippers." Such systems for gripping workpieces are known, for example, from EP 0 2231 B1, EP 0 993 916 B1, or EP 2 548 706 A1. Further gripper systems are known from US 4 583 724, CN103358120, US2002 / 064362, US4699414, and US4613277.

[0003] Far more flexible in application are so-called "articulated arm robots", as described, for example, in WO 02 / 086637 A1, which are often used advantageously, especially for mobile robot systems.

[0004] Today, gripper fingers are not simply mechanical gripping tools, but are highly complex systems that can often contain sensors of various types, such as optical cameras, ultrasonic sensors or other acoustic sensors, such as microphones or even heat sensors, force sensors, etc. With the help of such sensors, a corresponding robot system can "feel" its environment via the gripper fingers and detect the properties of its environment that are essential for the function of the robot system.

[0005] For example, such a robot system can independently detect whether an object to be grasped is a rather soft object, such as a plastic bottle, or a rather hard object, such as a glass bottle, and can thus independently and flexibly adjust the force with which the gripper fingers should grasp the object to an optimal value.

[0006] This is particularly important when such a robot system is used, for example, to perform delicate assemblies with very different components or when, for example, a human is to be supported in various everyday activities. Highly sensitive sensor technology is of utmost importance, especially when such a robot system interacts directly with humans.

[0007] The gripper tip of a gripper finger is of particular importance because, on the one hand, the gripper tip must be brought into contact with the object to be moved in order to grip it, and on the other hand, the gripper tip often contains the sensors required to recognize the environment and the properties of the objects being gripped. Therefore, in many applications, the gripper tip must be individually tailored to the specific tasks to be performed or to the properties of the work environment and ultimately to the special properties of the objects to be gripped and moved. In order to enable one and the same robot system to be used for a variety of different tasks, it is known to design the gripper tips so that they can be interchangeable. In this way, a set of different gripper tips can be provided which differ, for example, in their gripping geometry, material, surface quality, sensor technology, etc.that are optimally adapted to specific tasks. This allows a wide variety of tasks to be performed with one and the same robot system by simply exchanging the gripper tips of the gripper finger.

[0008] Particularly in applications where robot systems must perform highly complex or very diverse tasks, necessitating frequent replacement of the gripper tips, it is naturally desirable that the replacement of the gripper tip can be accomplished as simply as possible, preferably by machine. This is one of the key problems with existing systems, as the gripper tips often have to be removed from the gripper jaw in complicated procedures, for example, by unscrewing them. Any additional electrical connecting cables for sensors that may be present between the gripper jaw and gripper tip, or hydraulic or pneumatic connections for any drive units that drive moving parts of the gripper tip, must be laboriously disconnected and reinstalled when converting the gripper tip.

[0009] The applicant has therefore developed a gripper finger comprising a gripper jaw and a gripper tip as well as a corresponding robot system in which the disadvantages described in the prior art are reliably eliminated, so that the gripper tip is particularly simple, efficient and, above all, can be replaced mechanically, possibly by the corresponding robot system itself.

[0010] Although the applicant's newly developed gripper finger mentioned above is, in principle, ideally suited for automatic replacement of the gripper tip, it has been found that there is no sufficiently sophisticated assembly device available with which a gripper tip of a gripper finger for a robot system can be replaced reliably, easily and thus efficiently.

[0011] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a mounting device for exchanging a gripper tip of a gripper finger of a robot system, with which a gripper tip of a gripper finger for a robot system can be exchanged reliably, easily and efficiently. In particular, it is one of the objects of the invention to propose a mounting device with which, in addition to a plurality of gripper tips, in particular also a gripper tip of the Fig. 1 described type can be exchanged.

[0012] The objects of the invention which solve these problems are characterized by the features of independent claim 1.

[0013] The dependent claims relate to particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0014] The invention thus relates to a mounting device with a mounting rail comprising a base carriage and a spacer carriage for replacing a gripper tip of a gripper finger for a robot system. The base carriage comprises a first fixing means for fixing a gripper jaw of the gripper finger, and the spacer carriage comprises a second fixing means for fixing the gripper tip, such that the gripper jaw can be fixed to the base carriage in a longitudinal direction by the first fixing means, and the gripper tip can be fixed to the spacer carriage in the longitudinal direction by the second fixing means.According to the invention, the base carriage and the spacer carriage are arranged to be displaceable relative to one another between a locking position and an unlocking position along the longitudinal direction such that the gripper tip is locked to the gripper jaw in the locking position and the gripper tip is unlocked from the gripper jaw in the unlocking position. Furthermore, according to the invention, the first fixing means is a first fixing bolt and the second fixing means is a second fixing bolt.

[0015] It is therefore an essential characteristic of the invention that, firstly, the assembly device comprises two receiving carriages which can be moved relative to one another, namely the base carriage and the spacer carriage, so that the two parts which are to be separated or assembled during the replacement process, i.e. during assembly or demo assembly, namely the gripper jaw and the gripper tip of the gripper finger, can be arranged on the assembly carriage so that they can be moved towards or away from one another in the longitudinal direction. And secondly, that the gripper tip and the gripper jaw can also be fixed independently of one another on the spacer carriage or on the base carriage with respect to the longitudinal direction, so that during the process of replacing the gripper tip, either only the gripper tip or only the gripper jaw, or both at the same time, can be fixed to the assembly device with respect to the longitudinal direction. This not only enables the separation or assembly process, but also allows the gripper tip and the gripper jaw to be moved independently of one another.of assembling the parts reliably and efficiently, but also gives the assembly device according to the invention enormous flexibility with regard to the parts to be assembled or disassembled.

[0016] Although not absolutely necessary, it is particularly advantageous for the first fixing bolt to be arranged perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal direction on the base carriage such that the gripper jaw can be fixed in a first fixing bore of the gripper jaw on the base carriage with respect to the longitudinal direction by means of the first fixing bolt, and preferably the second fixing bolt is also arranged perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal direction on the spacer carriage such that the gripper tip can be fixed in a second fixing bore of the gripper tip on the spacer carriage with respect to the longitudinal direction by means of the second fixing bolt.

[0017] Depending on the specific geometric design, the first and second fixing means often fix the gripper tip and gripper jaw only in the longitudinal direction and, furthermore, allow more or less free movement at least in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. However, to ensure reliable replacement of the gripper tip in practice, a defined guidance of the gripper tip and / or gripper jaw along the longitudinal direction must often also be ensured. Therefore, in practice, the first and / or second fixing means often comprise several components (in addition to fixing) for guiding the gripper tip and gripper jaw.Thus, the first fixing means (in addition to the first fixing bolt) can advantageously also be a first guide element, in particular a U-shaped guide element for receiving and longitudinally guiding the gripper jaw, or, as mentioned further below, alternatively or additionally also comprise the blocking bolt. This can of course also apply to the second fixing means, which (in addition to the second fixing bolt) can advantageously also be a second guide element, in particular a U-shaped guide element for receiving and longitudinally guiding the gripper tip, or, as mentioned further below, alternatively or additionally also comprise the blocking bolt.

[0018] The first guide element and / or the second guide element can thus simultaneously or alternatively also comprise a blocking bolt, which can be arranged perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal direction such that the gripper tip and / or the gripper jaw can be fixed in a blocking opening of the gripper tip and / or the gripper jaw with respect to the longitudinal direction by means of the blocking bolt. In practice, a locking element, in particular a spring-loaded locking element, is often provided such that the blocking bolt can be locked by means of the locking element of the blocking opening. Particularly preferably, the blocking bolt and / or the locking element can of course also be actuated electrically, pneumatically, hydraulically or otherwise in a manner known per se, whereby the degree of automation when replacing the gripper tip can be further increased.

[0019] Even if it is of course possible in principle for an operator to operate the assembly device according to the invention by hand, in practice it will preferably be the case that the assembly device according to the invention is equipped with its own drive units, so that, for example, the spacer slide is designed to be displaceable in relation to the base slide by means of a drive rod, in particular a drive screw or drive worm, wherein a drive, in particular an electric motor, is particularly advantageously provided for displacing the base slide and / or the spacer slide and / or the assembly device according to the invention comprises a data processing system or is connected to such a system, so that the replacement of the gripper finger is fully automated and preferably freely programmable.

[0020] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the schematic drawing. It shows: Fig. 1 a specific example of a gripper finger in a schematic representation; Fig. 2 an assembly device according to the invention with unlocked gripper finger; Fig. 3 the assembly device of the Fig. 2 with gripper finger in locked position.

[0021] Even if the assembly device according to the invention is not limited to the assembly of a gripper tip for a specific type of gripper finger, and the invention does not relate to a gripper finger as such or not to a gripper tip to be assembled as such, for a better understanding of the invention a type of gripper finger newly developed by the applicant will nevertheless be briefly described below, for which the assembly device according to the invention is particularly well suited.

[0022] To clearly emphasize that the gripper finger of the Fig. 1 is not part of the present invention but merely represents an example of a gripper finger for which the inventive assembly device for exchanging the gripper tip is particularly well suited, the reference numerals in Fig. 1 an apostrophe, while the reference numerals refer to features of the assembly device according to the invention according to Fig. 2 or Fig. 3 do not have an apostrophe.

[0023] The Fig. 1 shows, by way of example and in a schematic manner, a gripper finger 6' of a gripping instrument for a robot system, which gripper finger 6' for gripping objects in a manner known per se has a gripper jaw 7' and a gripper tip 5' which extends along a longitudinal direction L'. The gripper tip 5' is detachably connected to the gripper jaw 7' in the assembled state by means of two connecting elements V'. The connecting element V' is provided with a Fig. 1 not directly visible connecting socket, which is hidden within the gripper jaw 7', can be locked in the form of a plug connection, so that in the locked state, tilting of the gripper tip 5' in relation to the longitudinal direction L' is prevented and at the same time the gripper tip 5' is locked against the gripper jaw 7' in relation to the longitudinal direction L' under a predeterminable longitudinal locking force.

[0024] The connecting element V' has a first locking element V1' in the form of a tip designed as a pawl, and the connecting socket accordingly comprises a second locking element that is geometrically complementary to the first locking element V1' and is designed such that the first locking element V1' can be locked to the second locking element to generate the longitudinal locking force F. In the specific example according to Fig. 1 An elastic force element O' in the form of a plastic O-ring is provided as an additional locking element, so that the desired locking force can be better or optimally adjusted.

[0025] In practice, different sensors, various electronic components and also other, e.g. mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic components can be provided in both the gripper tip 5' and the gripper jaw 7', which can fulfill a variety of tasks in modern gripper fingers 6' in a manner known per se.

[0026] In this example, the connecting elements V' are the Fig. 1 They are also designed as electrical lines for transmitting electrical energy between the gripper tip 5' and the gripper jaw 7' and thus serve, for example, to supply electrical energy to any sensors or other electronic components that may be present. Additionally, a connector ST' is provided for transmitting sensor signals between the gripper tip 5' and the gripper jaw 7'.

[0027] The fixing bores 51' and 71', which are provided in the gripper tip 5' and the gripper jaw 7', respectively, serve to receive fixing bolts (not shown here), as provided in the present invention, in order to be able to fix the gripper tip 5' or the gripper tip 7' to an assembly device according to the invention.

[0028] The gripper finger 6' of the Fig. 1 is thus characterized in particular by the fact that the gripper tip 5' can be separated from the gripper jaw 7' or can be assembled accordingly by a simple linear movement along the longitudinal direction L'.

[0029] The following based on the Fig. 2 or Fig. 3 The assembly device according to the invention described, which is designated in the following as a whole by the reference number 1, is particularly suitable for a type of gripper finger according to Fig. 1 , whereby it should be expressly pointed out that the mounting device 1 according to the invention is in no way limited to the use for a gripper finger according to Fig. 1 is limited, but in practice can also be used very advantageously and successfully to replace the gripper tip with a variety of completely different types of gripper fingers.

[0030] Based on the schematic Fig. 2 A particularly preferred embodiment of an assembly device 1 according to the invention is shown in a schematic representation in the operating state. As can be seen, the assembly device 1 has already received a gripper tip 5 and a gripper jaw 7, which, however, are Fig. 2 process step shown are still separated from each other and only at the Fig. 3 shown subsequent process step of the replacement process has been assembled into a complete gripper finger 6.

[0031] The assembly device 1 according to the invention acc. Fig. 2 or Fig. 3 for replacing a gripper tip 5 of a gripper finger 6 for a robot system comprises a mounting rail 2 with a base carriage 3 and a spacer carriage 4. The base carriage 3 comprises a first fixing means 30 for fixing a gripper jaw 7 of the gripper finger 6 and the spacer carriage 4 comprises a second fixing means 40 for fixing the gripper tip 5, such that the gripper jaw 7 can be fixed to the base carriage 3 with respect to a longitudinal direction L by the first fixing means 30, and the gripper tip 5 can be fixed to the spacer carriage 4 with respect to the longitudinal direction L by the second fixing means 40.According to the present invention, the base carriage 3 and the spacer carriage 4 are arranged to be displaceable relative to one another between a locking position VP and an unlocking position EP along the longitudinal direction L, so that the gripper tip 5 is locked to the gripper jaw 7 in the locking position VP and the gripper tip 5 is unlocked from the gripper jaw 7 in the unlocking position EP.

[0032] In the present invention, the first fixing means 30 is a first fixing bolt 31 and the second fixing means 40 is a second fixing bolt 41. In a special advantageous embodiment, the first fixing bolt 31 is arranged perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal direction L on the base carriage 3 such that the gripper jaw 7 is fixed by means of the first fixing bolt 31 in a first fixing bore 71 of the gripper jaw 7 on the base carriage 3 with respect to the longitudinal direction L. Completely analogously, in one embodiment, the second fixing bolt 41 is arranged perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal direction L on the spacer carriage 4 such that the gripper tip 5 is fixed by means of the second fixing bolt 41 in a second fixing bore 51 of the gripper tip 5 on the spacer carriage 4 with respect to the longitudinal direction L.

[0033] As holders for the gripper tip 5 and the gripper jaw 7, a first guide element 32 is additionally provided as a further first fixing means 30, and a second guide element 42 is additionally provided as a further second fixing means 40, which are each arranged here in the form of a U-shaped guide element for receiving and longitudinally guiding the gripper tip 5 and the gripper jaw 7 on the base carriage 3 and on the spacer carriage 4, respectively.

[0034] The replacement process for replacing the gripper tip 5 proceeds in detail as follows. The assembly device 1 is initially in the locking position VP, so that the distance between the spacer slide 4 and the base slide 3 is just such that the gripper finger 6, which is still in the locked state and therefore still assembled, can be inserted into the two U-shaped guide elements 32, 42 in such a way that the first fixing bore 71 can accommodate the first fixing bolt 31 and the second fixing bore 51 can accommodate the second fixing bolt 41. By means of the first fixing bolt 31 and the second fixing bolt 41, the gripper finger 6 is thus securely fixed with the gripper tip 5 relative to the spacer slide 4 and with the gripper jaw 7 relative to the base slide 3 with respect to the longitudinal direction L. In addition, the two guide elements 32, 42 provide the gripper finger 6 with the necessary lateral guidance along the longitudinal direction L.If the gripper finger 5 is installed in such a secure manner in the assembly device 1 according to the invention, the assembly device 1 is moved from the locking position VP into the unlocking position EP, so that, as shown in . Fig. 3 As can be seen, the gripper finger 6 is disassembled in such a way that the gripper tip 5 is unlocked from the gripper jaw 7 and is completely separated from it.

[0035] Then, by means of a Fig. 2 and Fig.3For reasons of clarity, the gripper fingers 5 are removed alone from the guide element 42 and then, in the reverse manner, another gripper finger 5 is inserted into the guide element 42. The assembly device 1 is then used again in the locking position VP, whereby the new gripper tip 5 is brought together again with the gripper jaw 8 still located in the guide element 32 and locked, whereby a fully functional, assembled gripper finger 6 is again created, which then only needs to be removed as a whole from the assembly device 1 for further use.

[0036] In order to transfer the mounting device 1 from the locking position VP to the unlocking position EP and vice versa, the spacer slide 4 can be displaced relative to the base slide 3 along the longitudinal direction L via a drive rod 8, which here is a drive screw known per se, by means of an electric drive 9. The person skilled in the art understands that in other exemplary embodiments the relative displacement of the base slide 3 and spacer slide 4 can also be accomplished in a different manner in a known manner, e.g. without an electric drive 9 or without a drive rod, and that instead of the spacer slide, the base slide, or even both, can be arranged on the mounting rail so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction.

Claims

1. Mounting device having a mounting rail (2) comprising a base carriage (3) and a distance carriage (4) for replacing a gripper tip (5) of a gripper finger (6) for a robot system, wherein the base carriage (3) comprises a first fixing agent (30) for fastening a gripper jaw (7) of the gripper finger (6) and the distance carriage (4) comprises a second fixing agent (40) for fastening the gripper tip (5) in such a manner that the gripper jaw (7) can be fastened by the first fixing agent (30) to the base carriage (3) in relation to a longitudinal direction (L) and the gripper tip (5) can be fastened by the second fixing agent (40) to the distance carriage (4) in relation to the longitudinal direction (L), wherein the base carriage (3) and the distance carriage (4) are arranged movably against each other between a locked position (VP) and an unlocked position (EP) along the longitudinal direction (L) in such a manner that the gripper tip (5) is locked at the gripper jaw (7) in the locked position (VP) and the gripper tip (5) is unlocked from the gripper jaw (7) in the unlocked position (EP), wherein the first fixing agent (30) is a first fixing bolt (31) and the second fixing agent (40) is a second fixing bolt (41), characterized in that a data processing system is provided for the fully automatic replacement of the gripper finger, wherein the mounting device can be controlled by the data processing system.

2. Mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the first fixing bolt (31) is arranged perpendicular in relation to the longitudinal direction (L) at the base carriage (3) in such a manner that the gripper jaw (7) can be fastened by means of the first fixing bolt (31) in a first fixing hole (71) of the gripper jaw (7) at the base carriage (3) in relation to the longitudinal direction (L).

3. Mounting device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second fixing bolt (41) is arranged perpendicular in relation to the longitudinal direction (L) at the distance carriage (4) in such a manner that the gripper tip (5) can be fastened by means of the second fixing bolt (41) in a second fixing hole (51) of the gripper tip (5) at the distance carriage (4) in relation to the longitudinal direction (L).

4. Mounting device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first fixing agent (30) is a first guiding element (32), in particular a U-shaped guiding element for receiving and guiding longitudinally the gripper jaw (7).

5. Mounting device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second fixing agent (40) is a second guiding element (42), in particular a U-shaped guiding element for receiving and guiding longitudinally the gripper tip (5).

6. Mounting device according to one of the claims 4 or 5, wherein the first guiding element (32) and / or the second guiding element (42) comprises a blocking bolt which is arranged perpendicular in relation to the longitudinal direction (L) in such a manner that the gripper tip (5) and / or the gripper jaw (7) can be fastened by means of the blocking bolt in a blocking opening of the gripper tip (5) and / or the gripper jaw (7) in relation to the longitudinal direction (L).

7. Mounting device according to claim 6, wherein a locking element, in particular a spring-loaded locking element is provided in such a manner that the blocking bolt can be locked by means of the locking element of the blocking opening.

8. Mounting device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the distance carriage (4) is movable by means of a driving rod (8), in particular a driving screw or worm, in relation to the base carriage (3).

9. Mounting device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a drive (9), in particular an electric motor is provided for displacing the base carriage (3) and / or the distance carriage (4).

10. Mounting device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the data processing system is a freely programmable data processing system.