Gripper capable of aligning cables and manipulating system having the same

Abstract

A gripper capable of aligning a gripped cable and a manipulating system including the same comprises a pair of first and second gripping units that approach and overlap each other to grip an object. Each of the first and second gripping units comprises a gripping portion that extends in one direction, contacts the object, and provides a gripping force, and a gripping frame to which both ends of the gripping portion are fixed and which provides a gripping space for gripping the object.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a gripper capable of aligning a gripped cable and a manipulating system including the same, and more specifically, to a gripper capable of aligning a plurality of gripped cables so that they are extended without becoming entangled or twisted with each other, and a manipulating system including the same that facilitates the movement or coupling of additional cables. Background Technology

[0002] Technologies related to grippers are being developed in various ways, and recently, in addition to devices that simply grasp a specific object, technologies for diverse grippers capable of performing grasping more effectively by considering the characteristics of the object to be grasped are being developed.

[0003] In particular, when the object to be gripped is a wire or cable, there is a problem in that gripping using a conventional gripper is not easy.

[0004] Accordingly, Korean registered patent No. 10-2489926 discloses a technology in which a wire is extended on a flexible gripping unit to grip a relatively thin object, such as a wire or cable, and the flexible gripping unit is folded around the extended wire to grip the relatively thin object.

[0005] In addition, Korean registered patent No. 10-2575103 discloses a technology that uses a roller-type gripping unit to grip an object, such as a wire or cable, by approaching it from both sides, and in which the gripping unit performs rotation to improve the gripping force on the contacted object.

[0006] However, in the case of conventionally developed grippers for wires or cables, the purpose is merely to grip the wires or cables, and there is a limitation in that it is impossible to realign the gripped cables when they become entangled or twisted. Prior art literature

[0007] Republic of Korea Registered Patent No. 10-2489926 Republic of Korea Registered Patent No. 10-2575103 The problem to be solved

[0008] Accordingly, the technical problem of the present invention is conceived in this regard, and the objective of the present invention is to provide a gripper capable of aligning a plurality of gripped cables so that they are aligned so that they do not get tangled or twisted with each other and can be extended, thereby facilitating the movement or connection of additional cables.

[0009] In addition, another objective of the present invention is to provide a manipulating system comprising the gripper. means of solving the problem

[0010] A gripper according to one embodiment for realizing the purpose of the present invention described above comprises a pair of first and second gripping units that approach and overlap each other and grip an object. Each of the first and second gripping units comprises a gripping portion that extends in one direction, contacts the object, and provides a gripping force, and a gripping frame to which both ends of the gripping portion are fixed and which provides a gripping space for gripping the object.

[0011] In one embodiment, the gripping portion includes a wire portion extending in one direction, which can bend into the gripping space as it grips the object.

[0012] In one embodiment, the wire portion has a relatively low frictional force, so that the object being held can move freely along the surface of the wire portion.

[0013] In one embodiment, the gripping portion may further include a cover portion that covers the outer surface of the wire portion and rotates freely on the outer surface of the wire portion.

[0014] In one embodiment, the cover portion is divided into a plurality of portions along the extension direction of the wire portion, and each portion can rotate independently on the outer surface of the wire portion.

[0015] In one embodiment, the second gripping unit may include at least two spaced-apart gripping wires.

[0016] In one embodiment, when gripping the object, the gripping wire included in the first gripping unit may be inserted between the gripping wires of the second gripping unit.

[0017] In one embodiment, when the object includes a plurality of cables, as the degree of overlap between the first and second gripping units increases, the cables can be naturally brought into close contact with each other by the gripping wires and aligned in a row.

[0018] In one embodiment, the travel distance of the first and second gripping units is controlled to be constant, and as the thickness of the cable increases, the degree of overlap between the first and second gripping units may decrease.

[0019] In one embodiment, the gripping frame may have an overall 'U' shape by including an upper frame to which one end of the gripping part is fixed, a lower frame to which the other end of the gripping part is fixed, and a central frame connecting the upper and lower frames.

[0020] In one embodiment, as the object is grasped, the upper and lower frames may be bent toward the central frame.

[0021] In one embodiment, the first and second gripping units each further include a connecting frame connected to the gripping frame to bring the gripping part closer to the object, and the connecting frame can rotate with respect to a rotary driving unit to bring the gripping part closer to the object.

[0022] In one embodiment, the gripping unit further comprises a pair of first and second gripping parts that preemptively grip the object, and the first and second gripping units can additionally grip and align the object gripped by the gripping unit.

[0023] A manipulating system according to one embodiment for realizing another objective of the present invention described above includes a gripper that grasps and aligns one end of an object, and an additional gripper that is positioned at a predetermined distance from the gripper and grasps the other end of the object to move the object to a predetermined position together with the gripper. Effects of the invention

[0024] According to embodiments of the present invention, by gripping an object through a gripping portion that extends in one direction in the form of a wire, especially when gripping multiple thin objects such as cables, the object can be gripped in such a way that it is possible to minimize entanglement or twisting and to align them, thereby improving the convenience of organizing and moving cables.

[0025] That is, in the gripping portions facing each other, the gripping wires are arranged to intersect and overlap each other to grip the object. As a result, the object is positioned in the gripping space formed by the intersection of the gripping wires, and as the degree of overlap of the gripping wires increases, the gripping space narrows, thereby inducing the cables to naturally align within the narrow gripping space. In this case, since the gripping wires provide a predetermined gripping force, the cables can be naturally aligned as they untangle or twist due to the gripping force.

[0026] At this time, the overlapping distance between the mutually overlapping gripping wires, i.e., the movement distance, can be varied according to the thickness of the cable. By controlling the movement distance of the gripping wires by considering the thickness of the cable through a separate control unit, gripping and alignment of the cable can be induced with an appropriate force through optimal overlapping distance control according to the cable thickness.

[0027] In contrast, if the gripping frame to which the gripping wire is fixed is composed of a flexible structure, a constant gripping force can be provided to the cable through the gripping wire as the gripping frame bends, thereby enabling stable gripping and alignment regardless of the thickness of the cable.

[0028] Meanwhile, if the object is a cable, the cable moves in one direction and aligns naturally while being held by the gripping part; to achieve this, the wire part included in the gripping part must have a relatively low frictional force.

[0029] In contrast, by configuring the cover portion covering the wire portion to rotate naturally relative to the wire portion, natural alignment can be achieved through the movement of the cable in one direction by the rolling of the cover portion. Furthermore, the cover portion may be configured to be divided into multiple parts, thereby enabling faster alignment of the cable through rolling at any position when the cable is gripped at that position.

[0030] Furthermore, by additionally providing a gripping unit that preemptively grips the object before the object is gripped by the gripping unit, alignment of the object through the gripping unit can be continuously performed after the object is preemptively gripped by the gripping unit, thereby enabling easy gripping and alignment of objects located at various positions through a single gripper.

[0031] Meanwhile, when aligning the object through the gripper, that is, when the object is a cable, an additional gripper may be provided to induce alignment while naturally moving the cable, and through a coordinated operation with the additional gripper, the cable can be moved to a predetermined position so that it does not get tangled with each other while in an aligned state. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0032] FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating a gripper according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a pair of first and second gripping units of FIG. 1. FIGS. 3a to 3c are perspective views illustrating various examples of the first gripping part of FIG. 2. FIGS. 4a to 4d are perspective views illustrating the state of aligning cables using the first and second gripping units of FIG. 2. FIGS. 5A and FIGS. 5B are schematic diagrams illustrating the deformation state of the first gripping part when gripping cables of different thicknesses. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the deformation state of the first gripping unit in the state of gripping the cable. FIGS. 7a to 7c are front views illustrating the gripping state of cables using the gripper of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the movement state of a cable unit using a manipulating system including the gripper of FIG. 1. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0033] The present invention is susceptible to various modifications and may take various forms, and embodiments are to be described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the invention to the specific disclosed forms, and it should be understood that the invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. Similar reference numerals have been used for similar components in the description of each figure. Terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components should not be limited by said terms.

[0034] The above terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. The terms used in this application are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0035] In this application, terms such as "comprising" or "consisting of" are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0036] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0037] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0038] FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating a gripper according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 1, the gripper (10) according to the present embodiment includes a driving part (100), a sliding part (200), an extension frame (300), a base frame (400), a gripping unit (500), and a pair of first and second gripping units (600, 700).

[0040] The above driving unit (100) receives driving force from the outside and drives the sliding unit (200) or the first and second gripping units (600, 700).

[0041] That is, the driving unit (100) includes a sliding driving unit (110) and a rotary driving unit (120), and the sliding driving unit (110) drives the sliding unit (200) to move by sliding along the horizontal direction (i.e., the first direction (X)). In addition, the rotary driving unit (120) drives the first and second gripping units (600, 700) to rotate the second direction (Y) as the rotational axis.

[0042] Meanwhile, although FIG. 1 illustrates that the sliding drive unit (200) is provided in the center and the rotary drive unit (120) is provided as a pair on each side of the sliding drive unit (200), it is not limited thereto, and the arrangement or other structure of the sliding drive unit (200) and the rotary drive unit (120) can be varied in various ways.

[0043] Additionally, the drive unit (100), although not illustrated, may be mounted on the end of a device such as a robot hand (or manipulator) (see FIG. 8) and may be driven according to the driving command of the manipulator (2). In this case, the entire gripper (10), including the drive unit (100), may be moved in any direction of the first to third directions (X, Y, Z) by the driving of the manipulator (2), thereby moving the gripper (10) to a position where it can finally grasp an object to be grasped. At this time, the first to third directions (X, Y, Z) are each defined as mutually perpendicular directions as illustrated in FIG. 1 and define space.

[0044] As illustrated, the sliding part (200) may have a plate structure that extends along the first direction (X) and is driven to slide along the first direction (X) by the driving of the sliding driving part (110) as described above. At this time, the meaning of being driven to slide is that the total length of the sliding part (200) decreases or increases, and through this sliding driving, the gap between the gripping parts (510, 520) of the gripping unit (500) described later becomes narrower or wider from each other.

[0045] Meanwhile, regarding the connection structure or driving structure of the sliding drive unit (110) and the sliding unit (200), it is merely briefly schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, and it is sufficient if the length of the sliding unit (200) decreases or increases through the driving of the sliding drive unit (110), and the specific structure or shape is not limited to that shown in the drawing.

[0046] The extension frame (300) includes first and second extension parts (310, 320) that extend in the third direction (Z) from each of the two ends of the sliding part (200).

[0047] The first and second extension parts (310, 320) are fixed to both ends of the sliding part (200), and as previously described, as the sliding part (200) is driven along the first direction (X), the first and second extension parts (310, 320) are driven to move closer to each other or further apart from each other.

[0048] At this time, the extension frame (300) forms a space or structure for connecting the base frame (400), which will be described later. Although the drawing illustrates it extending from both ends of the sliding part (200), it is not necessarily limited thereto. Furthermore, the base frame (400) may be directly connected to the sliding part (200), in which case the extension frame (300) may be omitted.

[0049] The base frame (400) is coupled to the extension frame (300) and moves according to the driving of the sliding part (200), and the gripping unit (500) is fixed at the bottom.

[0050] The gripping unit (500) comprises a pair of first and second gripping parts (510, 520) arranged facing each other, wherein the first gripping part (510) extends a predetermined length along the third direction (Z) from the first base part (410) of the base frame (400), and the second gripping part (520) extends a predetermined length along the third direction (Z) from the second base part (420) of the base frame (400).

[0051] At this time, each of the first and second gripping parts (510, 520) may have a cylindrical shape as illustrated, but is not limited thereto, and the extended length may also be designed to be varied.

[0052] Each of the first and second gripping parts (510, 520) comprises a material having a predetermined restoring force, and thus, when an object is gripped through the first and second gripping parts (510, 520), stable gripping can be maintained with appropriate frictional force and gripping force.

[0053] As previously explained, when the first and second extension parts (310, 320) approach each other by driving the sliding part (200), the first base part (410) fixed to the first extension part (310) and the second base part (410) fixed to the second extension part (320) also approach each other, and consequently, the first and second gripping parts (510, 520) approach each other and can grasp an object located between them.

[0054] In the case of this embodiment, the gripping unit (500) is not an essential component, and even if the gripping unit (500) is omitted, the object can be gripped and aligned through the first and second gripping units (600, 700) described later.

[0055] However, when the gripping unit (500) is provided, and the first and second gripping units (600, 700) described later grip and align the object while gripping the object in a state where the gripping unit (500) is performed first, more continuous and stable gripping and alignment of the object can be achieved.

[0056] The first and second gripping units (600, 700) are driven by the rotary drive unit (120) located on both sides of the sliding drive unit (110), as illustrated. That is, the first gripping unit (600) is rotatably connected to the rotary drive unit (120) on one side so as to be able to grip the object while rotating counterclockwise with the second direction (Y) as the rotational axis, and to release the gripped object while rotating clockwise.

[0057] Additionally, the second gripping unit (700) is rotatably connected to the other side rotation drive unit (120) so as to be able to grip the object while rotating clockwise with the second direction (Y) as the rotation center axis, and to release the gripped object while rotating counterclockwise.

[0058] That is, the first and second gripping units (600, 700) can rotate around the rotary drive unit (120) to grip the object while approaching each other, and release the gripped object while moving away from each other.

[0059] Meanwhile, regarding the connection structure or driving structure of the rotary drive unit (120) and the first and second gripping units (600, 700), FIG. 1 is merely a simplified schematic representation, and it is sufficient if the first and second gripping units (600, 700) are driven to move closer to or further apart from each other through the driving of the rotary drive unit (120), and the specific structure or shape is not limited to that shown in the drawing.

[0060] Furthermore, the first and second gripping units (600, 700) are not necessarily limited to being rotated to move closer to or further apart from each other, and may be slidably driven to move closer to or further apart from each other, such as the sliding of the sliding part (200) described above.

[0061] In this case, the first and second gripping units (600, 700) can be driven in substantially the same way as the first and second gripping parts (510, 520) move closer to or further apart from each other through the driving of the sliding drive unit (110) described above. However, since they are driven independently of the first and second gripping parts (510, 520), the sliding drive unit for driving the first and second gripping units (600, 700) must be separately provided and controlled.

[0062] The specific structure and operation of the first and second gripping units (600, 700) described above will be explained with reference to the drawings described later.

[0063] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a pair of first and second gripping units of FIG. 1.

[0064] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the first gripping unit (600) includes a first connecting frame (610), a first gripping frame (620), and a first gripping part (630).

[0065] The first connecting frame (610) is a frame extending between the driving unit (100), that is, the rotary driving unit (120), and the first gripping frame (620), and connects the first gripping unit (600) to the rotary driving unit (120).

[0066] The first connecting frame (610) includes a first connecting bar (611), a first rotating part (612), and a first coupling part (613). The first connecting bar (611) is rotatably connected to the rotary driving part (120), and the first rotating part (612) has a frame structure that extends a predetermined length from the first connecting bar (611). Additionally, the first coupling part (613) extends from the end of the first connecting bar (611) and is coupled to the first gripping frame (620).

[0067] At this time, the length of the first connecting frame (610) can be varied in various ways, and likewise, the structure of the first connecting frame (610) can also be varied in various ways other than that illustrated in the drawing, as long as it is a structure that connects the first gripping frame (620) to the rotational driving unit (120).

[0068] The first gripping frame (620) is coupled to the first connecting frame (610) and rotates together with the first connecting frame (610) with respect to the rotational driving unit (120).

[0069] The first gripping frame (620) includes a first central frame (621), a first upper frame (622), and a first lower frame (623). The first gripping frame (620) has an overall 'U' shape, and the first central frame (621) is extended by a predetermined length to determine the size of the first gripping frame (620) in the longitudinal direction, and the first upper and lower frames (622, 623) are each extended from the upper end and lower end of the first central frame (621).

[0070] At this time, the extension lengths of the first upper and lower frames (622, 623) may be formed to be equal to each other and may be formed to be smaller than the extension length of the first central frame (621). However, this is not limited thereto.

[0071] As described above, the first gripping frame (620) is a structure having an overall 'U' shape, and the first upper, central, and lower frames (622, 621, 623) form a first gripping space (624).

[0072] In the first gripping space (624), the first gripping part (630) bends and grips the object to be gripped.

[0073] The first gripping part (630) has one end fixed to the first upper frame (622) and the other end fixed to the first lower frame (623), and extends in one direction to perform gripping by making direct contact with the object.

[0074] In the case of the first gripping part (630) above, as illustrated, it is composed of a single gripping wire, and the gripping wire has a certain flexibility so that it bends or curves when gripping the object.

[0075] Meanwhile, the second gripping unit (700) is located at a position symmetrical to the first gripping unit (600), and while its overall structure is similar to that of the first gripping unit (600), the structure of the second gripping part (730) is different. Accordingly, the structure of the second gripping part (730) is described as follows.

[0076] First, the second gripping unit (700) also includes a second connecting frame (710), a second gripping frame (720), and a second gripping part (730).

[0077] Additionally, the second connecting frame (710) is a frame extending between the rotary driving part (120) and the second gripping frame (720), and includes a second connecting bar (711), a second rotating part (712), and a second coupling part (713).

[0078] At this time, the second connecting bar (711) is rotatably connected to the rotational drive unit (120), the second rotating unit (712) has a frame structure extending a predetermined length from the second connecting bar (711), and the second coupling unit (713) extends from the end of the second connecting bar (711) and is coupled to the second gripping frame (720).

[0079] The second gripping frame (720) is coupled to the second connecting frame (710) and rotates with respect to the rotational driving unit (120).

[0080] The second gripping frame (720) includes a second central frame (721), a second upper frame (722), and a second lower frame (723), and has an overall 'U' shape. At this time, the second upper and lower frames (722, 723) are each extended from the upper and lower ends of the second central frame (721) by the same length. Thus, symmetrically with the first gripping space (624) described above, the second gripping frame (720) also forms a second gripping space (724).

[0081] Additionally, in the second gripping space (724), the second gripping part (730) bends to grip the object to be gripped, and one end of the second gripping part (730) is fixed to the second upper frame (722), and the other end is fixed to the second lower frame (723).

[0082] In the present embodiment, the second gripping portion (730) includes a pair of first and second gripping wires (731, 732). At this time, the first and second gripping wires (731, 732) extend in the same direction parallel to each other, and the first and second gripping wires (731, 732) are spaced apart by a predetermined distance to form an insertion space (735).

[0083] At this time, each of the gripping wires (731, 732) constituting the second gripping part (730) has a certain flexibility, just like the gripping wire constituting the first gripping part (630), so that when gripping the object, it is bent or curved.

[0084] Meanwhile, as the second gripping part (730) includes the first and second gripping wires (731, 732) that are spaced apart from each other, the second upper frame (722), to which one end of the second gripping part (730) is fixed, also has a pair of frame structures that extend parallel to each other as shown in the illustration, and the second lower frame (723), to which the other end of the second gripping part (730) is fixed, also has a pair of frame structures that extend parallel to each other.

[0085] Thus, both the second upper frame (722) and the second lower frame (723) form a predetermined insertion space (736, 737) between the pair of frame structures.

[0086] Thus, when the first and second gripping units (600, 700) approach each other and overlap each other to grip a target object, the first gripping part (630) is inserted into the insertion space (735) formed by the second gripping part (730). Likewise, the first upper frame (622) is inserted into the insertion space (736) formed by the second upper frame (722), and the first lower frame (623) is inserted into the insertion space (737) formed by the second lower frame (723).

[0087] Thus, even if the first and second gripping units (600, 700) approach each other and overlap each other, the first and second gripping units (600, 700) can perform gripping on the target object without interfering with each other.

[0088] Meanwhile, through FIG. 2, the first gripping part (630) includes one gripping wire and the second gripping part (730) includes two gripping wires (731, 732), and the gripping wire of the first gripping part (630) is inserted between the gripping wires of the second gripping part (730), but the number of gripping wires is not limited thereto.

[0089] That is, the first gripping part (630) may include two gripping wires and the second gripping part (730) may include three gripping wires, so that the gripping wires of the first gripping part (630) may be inserted into each of the two insertion spaces formed by the three gripping wires. Furthermore, the first and second gripping parts (630, 730) may both include the same number of gripping wires and may overlap each other in a structure in which each gripping wire is alternately arranged and inserted.

[0090] Of course, if the number of the gripping wires is variable as described above, the upper and lower frames that secure each gripping wire must also be designed with a structure in which the same number of frames extend parallel to each other, as explained earlier.

[0091] FIGS. 3a to 3c are perspective views illustrating various examples of the first gripping part of FIG. 2.

[0092] Although only the gripping wire in the first gripping part (630) is illustrated in FIGS. 3a to 3c, each of the pair of first and second gripping wires (731, 732) included in the second gripping part (730) can also be formed with the same structure. Accordingly, the gripping wire of the first gripping part (630) will be described as an example.

[0093] First, referring to FIG. 3a, the first gripping part (630) includes a wire part (631) extending in one direction and a cover part (632) covering the outside of the wire part (631).

[0094] The above wire portion (631) comprises a predetermined bendable material and is sufficiently a wire that extends in one direction while having a relatively thin thickness, and both ends are fixed to the first upper frame (622) and the first lower frame (623), respectively.

[0095] The above cover portion (632) has a hollow structure extending to cover the outside of the wire portion (631) and includes a bendable material similar to that of the wire portion (631).

[0096] In this case, the cover portion (632) is formed on the outer surface of the wire portion (631) so as to be rotatable, i.e., rolling, as indicated by the arrow centered on the wire portion (631). Accordingly, when the target object is grasped through the first gripping portion (630), if the target object moves along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the first gripping portion (630), friction with the first gripping portion (630) is minimized and the object can move freely.

[0097] In this way, when the object being gripped by the rolling of the cover portion (632) can be moved freely, as described later, if the object is a cable, it can be naturally aligned through free movement. Therefore, while gripping the object through the cover portion (632), natural movement is not restricted, thereby inducing natural alignment.

[0098] In contrast, referring to FIG. 3b, the first gripping part (640) may include a wire part (631) extending in one direction and a cover part (633) covering the outside of the wire part (631), wherein the cover part (633) may be configured to be divided into a plurality of parts.

[0099] That is, unlike in FIG. 3a, where the cover portion (633) covering the outside of the wire portion (631) is formed as a single integral structure and rolled as a whole, it is formed to be divided into multiple parts so that each can be rolled independently. The material of the cover portion (633) is the same as that of the cover portion (632) in FIG. 3a, except that the entire cover portion is not formed as a single piece but is divided into multiple parts of a certain length.

[0100] Thus, when the target object is gripped by the first gripping part (640), only the cover part (633) in the portion where the target object contacts the first gripping part (640) is rolled independently, and other cover parts are not rolled. Therefore, since local rotation is performed rather than the entire cover part being rotated, it has a relatively smaller frictional force, so when the target object moves in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the wire part (631), the restriction on movement is less, allowing for freer movement. Furthermore, through this free movement, natural alignment of the target object can be induced more effectively, as described below.

[0101] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3c, the first gripping part (650) may not include a separate cover part and may be composed only of a wire part (634) that extends in one direction.

[0102] However, if the first gripping part (650) is composed solely of the wire part (634), the outer surface of the wire part (634) must be formed to have a relatively very low frictional force. Thus, when an object being gripped by the first gripping part (650) moves in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the wire part (634), it can move freely with a relatively low frictional force, thereby allowing alignment of the object to be implemented more freely.

[0103] FIGS. 4a to 4d are perspective views illustrating the state of aligning cables using the first and second gripping units of FIG. 2.

[0104] In the following, the gripping and alignment of the cables are described when the object to be gripped is a cable unit (50) and the cable unit (50) includes a plurality of extended cables (51, 52, 53).

[0105] First, as shown in FIG. 4a, in the initial state, the cable unit (50) is positioned on the first gripping unit (600) or the second gripping unit (700). That is, as shown in the drawing, a plurality of cables (51, 52, 53) are positioned in any arrangement on the first and second gripping wires (731, 732) of the second gripping unit (700).

[0106] In this case, the cables (51, 52, 53) are extended at different arbitrary intervals in the drawing and are exemplified as being located in the second gripping unit (700), but may also be located in the first gripping unit (600).

[0107] Afterwards, referring to FIG. 4b, the first and second gripping units (600, 700) approach and overlap each other, and the cables (51, 52, 53) also come into contact with the first gripping part (630).

[0108] That is, as the first and second gripping units (600, 700) are each rotated so that their positions overlap each other, the first upper frame (622) and the first lower frame (623) are each inserted into the insertion spaces (736, 737) between the second upper frame (722) and the second lower frame (723), and the first gripping part (630) is also inserted into the insertion space (735) of the second gripping part (730).

[0109] Accordingly, as illustrated, when the first and second upper frames (622, 722) are completely overlapped and the first and second lower frames (623, 723) are completely overlapped, a predetermined gripping space (A) is formed between the first gripping part (630) and the second gripping part (730), and the cables (51, 52, 53) are positioned on the gripping space (A).

[0110] At this time, as shown in FIG. 4b and FIG. 4c, when the cables (51, 52, 53) move relatively to the first and second gripping units (600, 700) in the direction indicated by the arrow, a predetermined tension is applied to the cables (51, 52, 53).

[0111] In particular, when the cables (51, 52, 53) receive tension in a direction intersecting with the extension direction of the first and second gripping parts (630, 730), the cables (51, 52, 53) are in a state where they receive a predetermined gripping force (F) from the first and second gripping parts (630, 730) in a direction intersecting with the direction of application of the tension, so the gap between the cables (51, 52, 53) naturally narrows.

[0112] That is, the size of the gripping space (A) in which the cables (51, 52, 53) are gripped is reduced, and naturally, the cables (51, 52, 53) are aligned to be in close contact with each other along the extension direction of the first and second gripping parts (630, 730) as shown in FIG. 4d. Furthermore, when the cables (51, 52, 53) are in close contact with each other in this direction, the gripping space (A) formed by the first and second gripping parts (630, 730) becomes minimal.

[0113] As described above, in the initial state, the cables (51, 52, 53) are simply in contact with the surfaces of the first and second gripping parts (630, 730) and are positioned apart from each other at arbitrary intervals. As a result, the cables (51, 52, 53) are provided with a predetermined gripping force (F) in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the cables (51, 52, 53) by the first and second gripping parts (630, 730), and tension is applied in a direction intersecting the gripping force (F). Consequently, the cables (51, 52, 53) are naturally aligned so that their spacing decreases and they are sequentially placed in close contact along the extension direction of the first and second gripping parts (630, 730).

[0114] Afterwards, the alignment position of the cables (51, 52, 53) is fixed by the gripping force (F), and the cable unit (50) moves to a predetermined position in the aligned state through the movement of the gripper (10).

[0115] That is, as described above, since the positional movement is performed with the plurality of cables (51, 52, 53) included in the cable unit (50) in close contact with each other and aligned, compared to the case where the cables (51, 52, 53) are moved while gripping without alignment, problems such as interference during movement caused by the cables (51, 52, 53) becoming tangled or twisted can be minimized.

[0116] FIGS. 5A and FIGS. 5B are schematic diagrams illustrating the deformation state of the first gripping part when gripping cables of different thicknesses.

[0117] Meanwhile, when the first and second gripping parts (630, 730) overlap each other and grip the cable, the movement distance of the first and second gripping parts (630, 730) may differ depending on the thickness of the cable.

[0118] That is, if the first and second gripping parts (630, 730) are composed of gripping wires having a constant tension and a constant length, the force gripping the cable through the first and second gripping parts (630, 730) is maintained constant if the travel distance of the first and second gripping units (600, 700) is the same.

[0119] Accordingly, by controlling the movement distance of the first and second gripping units (600, 700) to be constant regardless of the thickness of the cable, a constant gripping force can be provided to the cable, and thus a more constant alignment mechanism can be implemented by providing a constant gripping force to cables of various thicknesses. At this time, the movement distance of the first and second gripping units (600, 700) can be controlled at an angle of rotation around the rotational drive unit (120) of the first and second gripping units (600, 700) in the case of this embodiment, as described in FIG. 1.

[0120] For example, as in FIG. 5a, if the cable (54) has a relatively thin thickness, when the first gripping unit (600) moves a certain distance and overlaps with the second gripping unit (700), the first gripping part (630) moves a first distance (D1) from the initial position (i.e., the position of the end of the first upper and lower frames (622, 623)) and can grip the cable (54).

[0121] In contrast, as in FIG. 5b, if the thickness of the cable (55) increases relatively, the first gripping unit (600) moves by the same distance as in FIG. 5a and overlaps with the second gripping unit (700), the first gripping part (630) moves by a second distance (D2) from the initial position and grips the cable (54), at which time the second distance (D2) may be smaller than the preceding first distance (D1).

[0122] As described above, the movement distance of the first gripping part (630) may vary depending on the thickness of the cables (54, 55). Therefore, when gripping the cables, it is preferable not to move the first gripping unit (600) to maintain a constant movement distance of the first gripping part (630), but to control the first gripping unit (600) to move the same distance regardless of the movement distance of the first gripping part (630).

[0123] Thus, if the overlapping distance between the first and second gripping units (600, 700) is controlled to be maintained constant regardless of the thickness of the cable, the first and second gripping parts (630, 730) may differ in the degree of overlap depending on the thickness of the cable, but can naturally perform gripping with a constant gripping force on the cable regardless of the thickness of the cable.

[0124] Furthermore, as described above, regardless of the thickness of the cable, the first and second gripping parts (630, 730) perform gripping with a constant gripping force, so that the cable can naturally undergo the alignment process described in FIGS. 4a to 4d at the central position of the first and second gripping parts (630, 730).

[0125] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the deformation state of the first gripping unit in the state of gripping the cable.

[0126] Meanwhile, when the position of the first gripping part (630) is varied in response to cables having different thicknesses as described with reference to FIGS. 5a and 5b, the first gripping frame (620) may also be structurally deformed. That is, FIGS. 5a and 5b describe an example in which the first gripping frame (620) is made of a material that is not structurally deformed, but FIG. 6 may describe the first gripping frame (620) being made of a material that is deformable to a predetermined degree of restoration.

[0127] In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, if the first gripping frame (620) has a structure that can be structurally deformed, the first gripping part (630) can move the same distance (D3) regardless of thickness when gripping cables of different thicknesses.

[0128] That is, in the first gripping frame (620), if the first upper frame (722) and the first lower frame (723) are bent toward the first gripping part (630) (in this case, the first central frame (721) may also be bent in the same way depending on the degree of bending), the degree of bending increases as the thickness of the gripped cable increases.

[0129] Accordingly, the travel distance (D3) of the first gripping part (630) can be maintained constant regardless of the thickness of the cable, and thus the degree of bending of the first gripping frame (620) can increase depending on the thickness of the cable.

[0130] As described above, by designing the first gripping frame (620) to have a bendable structure, the gripping of the cable through the first gripping part (630) can be effectively performed regardless of the thickness of the cable, and likewise, the alignment process described in FIGS. 4a to 4d can be performed on the cable at the central position of the first and second gripping parts (630, 730).

[0131] FIGS. 7a to 7c are front views illustrating the gripping state of cables using the gripper of FIG. 1.

[0132] Referring to FIG. 7a and FIG. 7c, the gripping state of an object using the gripping unit (500) and the first and second gripping units (600, 700) simultaneously in the gripper (10) according to the present embodiment is described.

[0133] In the case of the first and second gripping units (600, 700), for a gripping target object such as a cable located on the first and second gripping parts (630, 730), it is possible to perform proper gripping by simultaneously performing contact and alignment of the cables. However, in the case of the first and second gripping units (600, 700), it is not easy to directly grip a gripping target object such as a cable located on a floor or table.

[0134] Accordingly, in the gripper (10) according to the present embodiment, a gripping target object, such as a cable located on a floor or table, is directly gripped through the gripping unit (500).

[0135] That is, as shown in FIG. 7a, the first and second gripping parts (510, 520) approach the cable unit (50) located on the floor or table, etc., while separated by a predetermined distance.

[0136] Thus, when the cable unit (50) is positioned between the first and second gripping parts (510, 520), as shown in FIG. 7b, the first and second gripping parts (510, 520) are brought closer to each other by the driving of the sliding drive part (110) to grip the cable unit (50).

[0137] Afterwards, referring to FIG. 7c, the first and second gripping units (600, 700), which are spaced apart from each other, approach the cable unit (50) that is gripped between the first and second gripping units (510, 520) by driving the rotary drive unit (120).

[0138] Thus, as described with reference to FIGS. 4a to 4d above, the first and second gripping parts (630, 730) of the first and second gripping units (600, 700) grip the cable unit (50). At this time, as tension is applied to the cable unit (50) in the direction indicated by the arrow, the cables (51, 52, 53) of the cable unit (50) are closely aligned with each other between the first and second gripping parts (630, 730).

[0139] As described above, in the case of the gripper (10) according to the present embodiment, if the first and second gripping parts (510, 520) are additionally provided, a preliminary gripping of the cable unit (50) can be performed, and after such preliminary gripping, alignment of the cable unit (50) can be performed through the first and second gripping units (600, 700).

[0140] FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the movement state of a cable unit using a manipulating system including the gripper of FIG. 1.

[0141] Referring to FIG. 8, the manipulating system (1) may include a plurality of manipulators (2, 3), and each manipulator (2, 3) may be equipped with a gripper (10, 11).

[0142] That is, the gripper (10) (hereinafter referred to as the first gripper) described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7c can be mounted on the end of the first manipulator (2), and the second gripper (11) can be mounted on the end of the second manipulator (3).

[0143] At this time, the first and second manipulators (2, 3) drive the grippers (10, 11) to the required position in space as a whole, and their structure or operation can be varied in many ways and are not limited to what is shown.

[0144] Meanwhile, the first gripper (10) is mounted on the end of the first manipulator (2), and the first gripper (10) implements the same structure and operation as the gripper of FIG. 1 described above.

[0145] In contrast, the second gripper (11) mounted on the end of the second manipulator (3) may have a structure in which the first and second gripping units (600, 700) described in FIG. 1 are omitted.

[0146] Moving the cable unit (50) to a predetermined position in an aligned state through the above-mentioned manipulating system (1) of such a structure is described as follows.

[0147] First, as shown in FIG. 8, one end of the cable unit (50) is grasped through the gripping unit (500) of the first gripper (10), and the other end of the cable unit (50) is grasped through the gripping unit (501) of the second gripper (10).

[0148] In this state, the cable unit (50) has both ends simply gripped by the first and second grippers (10, 11), and the cable unit (50) is not arranged or aligned in a consistent manner.

[0149] Meanwhile, in the case of the cable unit (50) held by the second gripper (11), the part of the cable unit (50) where alignment of cables is unnecessary may be a part adjacent to the part where the terminal is connected.

[0150] Afterward, the first gripper (10) additionally grips one end of the cable unit (50) through the first and second gripping units (600, 700). At this time, when the initial gripping of the cables (51, 52, 53) of the cable unit (50) is performed, the second gripper (11) is moved away from the first gripper (10) as shown by the arrow. Of course, the first gripper (10) may be moved away from the second gripper (11), and the two grippers may be moved away from each other in different directions.

[0151] As described above, when the first gripper (10) and the second gripper (11) move apart from each other, the cables (51, 52, 53) of the cable unit (50) are extended tautly by tension as in FIG. 8, and in this process, as described with reference to FIG. 4a to 4d, the cables (51, 52, 53) are brought into close contact with each other and aligned by the first and second gripping parts (630, 730).

[0152] Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 8, the cables (51, 52, 53) are extended in a constant manner while in close contact with each other by the first and second grippers (10, 11) and are gripped without twisting or entanglement occurring.

[0153] Afterward, the first and second grippers (10, 11) can move the cable unit (50) to a predetermined position while maintaining a constant distance, and if necessary, can connect the terminals of the cable unit (50) to a required position. Furthermore, during this moving or connecting process, the cables (51, 52, 53) are moved in a consistently aligned state without twisting or entanglement with each other, so the movement of the cables can be performed more effectively and easily.

[0154] According to the embodiments of the present invention as described above, by gripping an object through a gripping portion that extends in one direction in the form of a wire, especially when gripping multiple thin objects such as cables, the object can be gripped in such a way that it is possible to minimize entanglement or twisting and to align them, thereby improving the convenience of organizing and moving cables.

[0155] That is, in the gripping portions facing each other, the gripping wires are arranged to intersect and overlap each other to grip the object. As a result, the object is positioned in the gripping space formed by the intersection of the gripping wires, and as the degree of overlap of the gripping wires increases, the gripping space narrows, thereby inducing the cables to naturally align within the narrow gripping space. In this case, since the gripping wires provide a predetermined gripping force, the cables can be naturally aligned as they untangle or twist due to the gripping force.

[0156] At this time, the overlapping distance between the mutually overlapping gripping wires, i.e., the movement distance, can be varied according to the thickness of the cable. By controlling the movement distance of the gripping wires by considering the thickness of the cable through a separate control unit, gripping and alignment of the cable can be induced with an appropriate force through optimal overlapping distance control according to the cable thickness.

[0157] In contrast, if the gripping frame to which the gripping wire is fixed is composed of a flexible structure, a constant gripping force can be provided to the cable through the gripping wire as the gripping frame bends, thereby enabling stable gripping and alignment regardless of the thickness of the cable.

[0158] Meanwhile, if the object is a cable, the cable moves in one direction and aligns naturally while being held by the gripping part; to achieve this, the wire part included in the gripping part must have a relatively low frictional force.

[0159] In contrast, by configuring the cover portion covering the wire portion to rotate naturally relative to the wire portion, natural alignment can be achieved through the movement of the cable in one direction by the rolling of the cover portion. Furthermore, the cover portion may be configured to be divided into multiple parts, thereby enabling faster alignment of the cable through rolling at any position when the cable is gripped at that position.

[0160] Furthermore, by additionally providing a gripping unit that preemptively grips the object before the object is gripped by the gripping unit, alignment of the object through the gripping unit can be continuously performed after the object is preemptively gripped by the gripping unit, thereby enabling easy gripping and alignment of objects located at various positions through a single gripper.

[0161] Meanwhile, when aligning the object through the gripper, that is, when the object is a cable, an additional gripper may be provided to induce alignment while naturally moving the cable, and through a coordinated operation with the additional gripper, the cable can be moved to a predetermined position so that it does not get tangled with each other while in an aligned state.

[0162] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0163] 1: Manipulating system 2, 3: Manipulator 10, 11: Gripper 100: Drive unit 110: Sliding drive unit 120: Rotary drive unit 200: Sliding part 300: Extension frame 400 : Base Frame 500 : Griping Unit 600, 700: Grafting unit 610, 710: Connecting frame 620, 720: Grip frame 630, 640, 650, 730: Grip section 731, 732: Wedge wire 631, 634: Wire section 632, 633: Cover section

Claims

Claim 1 A gripper comprising a pair of first and second gripping units that approach and overlap each other to grip an object, wherein each of the first and second gripping units includes a gripping portion that extends in one direction, contacts the object, and provides a gripping force; and a gripping frame that has both ends of the gripping portion fixed and provides a gripping space for gripping the object, wherein the gripping portion includes a wire portion that extends in one direction and bends into the gripping space as the object is gripped. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A gripper according to claim 1, wherein the wire portion has a relatively low frictional force, so that the gripped object moves freely along the surface of the wire portion. Claim 4 A gripper according to claim 1, wherein the gripping portion further includes a cover portion that covers the outer surface of the wire portion and rotates freely on the outer surface of the wire portion. Claim 5 A gripper according to claim 4, wherein the cover portion is divided into a plurality of portions along the extension direction of the wire portion, and each portion rotates independently on the outer surface of the wire portion. Claim 6 A gripper according to claim 1, wherein the second gripping unit comprises at least two spaced-apart gripping wires. Claim 7 A gripper according to claim 6, characterized in that when gripping the object, the gripping wire included in the first gripping unit is inserted between the gripping wires of the second gripping unit. Claim 8 A gripper according to claim 7, wherein, when the object comprises a plurality of cables, as the degree of overlap between the first and second gripping units increases, the cables are naturally brought into close contact with each other by the gripping wires and aligned in a line. Claim 9 A gripper according to claim 8, characterized in that the travel distance of the first and second gripping units is controlled to be constant, and the degree of overlap of the first and second gripping units decreases as the thickness of the cable increases. Claim 10 A gripper according to claim 1, wherein the gripping frame comprises: an upper frame to which one end of the gripping portion is fixed; a lower frame to which the other end of the gripping portion is fixed; and a central frame connecting the upper and lower frames, and is characterized by having an overall 'U' shape. Claim 11 A gripper according to claim 10, characterized in that, as the object is grasped, the upper and lower frames are bent toward the central frame. Claim 12 A gripper according to claim 11, wherein each of the first and second gripping units further comprises a connecting frame connected to the gripping frame to bring the gripping part closer to the object, and the connecting frame rotates with respect to a rotary driving unit to bring the gripping part closer to the object. Claim 13 A gripper according to claim 1, further comprising a gripping unit including a pair of first and second gripping parts that preemptively grip the object, wherein the first and second gripping units further grip and perform alignment with respect to the object gripped by the gripping unit. Claim 14 A manipulating system comprising: a gripper according to any one of claims 1 to 13 that grips and aligns one end of an object; and an additional gripper positioned at a predetermined distance from the gripper, which grips the other end of the object and moves the object to a predetermined position together with the gripper.

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