Gripping device for a manipulator

Abstract

The invention relates to a gripping device (1) for a manipulator (13) and to a manipulator (13) comprising the gripping device (1) for receiving, manipulating and placing a workpiece. The gripping device (1) comprises a first guide carriage (4), which can be moved along a first linear guide device (2) in the direction of a first guide axis (3), and an end effector (6) coupled to the first guide carriage (4) for holding a workpiece. The gripping device (1) according to the invention is further characterised in that it comprises a second guide carriage (10), which can be moved along a second linear guide device (8) in the direction of a second guide axis (9), wherein the first linear guide device (2) and the second linear guide device (8) are coupled to one other in a positionally fixed manner, and in that the second guide carriage (10) can be coupled to a rotating or pivoting arm (12) of the manipulator (13).

Description

[0001] GRIPPING DEVICE FOR A MANIPULATOR

[0002] The invention relates to a gripping device for a manipulator for picking up, manipulating and depositing a workpiece, wherein the gripping device comprises an end effector which can be displaced relative to a rotating or pivoting arm of the manipulator by means of linear guide devices and associated guide carriages, so that the gripping device or its end effector can have an eccentricity relative to a rotation axis of the rotating or pivoting arm.

[0003] EP2712689B1 discloses an adjustable telescopic assembly comprising a mounting structure with individually adjustable gripping assemblies. A rotary drive is provided, which enables linear adjustment of individual frame elements to adjust the gripping assembly. Furthermore, other gripping devices of this type are known from the documents DE102013105383B3 and WO2022068985A3.

[0004] The designs known from the state of the art are sometimes bulky, lack sufficient flexibility, and are not adaptable or sufficiently adaptable to different workpiece geometries when handling workpieces. Furthermore, the known solutions are structurally complex and also lack stability or robustness, making them largely unsuitable for handling metal components in particular, or their service life is limited due to the mass of metal workpieces.

[0005] The object of the present invention was to provide means by which workpieces, in particular plate-shaped and metallic workpieces or sheet metal components of various sizes and shapes, can be manipulated with a single gripping device in conjunction with a manipulator, while avoiding, in particular, the need to set down the workpiece and re-grip the gripping device between processing steps. The gripping device should be both robust and stable, structurally simple, compact, durable, and safe to handle.

[0006] This object is achieved by a gripping device and a manipulator according to the claims. The gripping device according to the invention for a manipulator for picking up, manipulating, and depositing a workpiece comprises a first guide carriage displaceable along a first linear guide device in the direction of a first guide axis, and an end effector coupled to the first guide carriage for holding a workpiece.

[0007] The gripping device according to the invention is further characterized in that the gripping device comprises a second guide carriage which can be displaced along a second linear guide device in the direction of a second guide axis, wherein the first linear guide device and the second linear guide device are coupled in a positionally fixed manner to one another, and in that the second guide carriage can be coupled to a rotating or pivoting arm of the manipulator, wherein the end effector can be displaced relative to the rotating or pivoting arm of the manipulator exclusively by means of the linear guide devices in cooperation with the guide carriages.

[0008] If the gripping device according to the invention is coupled to a rotating or swivel arm of a manipulator, the inventive design of the gripping device results in the fact that the end effector is coupled to the rotating or swivel arm of the manipulator by means of the linear guide devices in conjunction with the guide carriages.

[0009] A particular embodiment of the gripping device according to the invention can be designed such that the gripping device consists exclusively of the end effector, the first linear guide device with the first guide carriage and the second linear guide device with the second guide carriage.

[0010] The advantage here is that the variety of options for positioning the end effector in space is significantly increased compared to an end effector that is directly fixed in position on a rotating or swivel arm of a manipulator. This subsequently makes it possible to manipulate a workpiece in such a way that it can be processed in a variety of ways without the end effector having to regrip it, which is necessary for machining. Furthermore, the freedom of movement of the end effector thus achieved is implemented using the simplest possible means. For example, linear guide devices with associated guide carriages are freely available as technically sophisticated purchased parts. This, on the one hand, meets the safety requirements of the gripping device in conjunction with a manipulator and, on the other hand, enables the gripping device to be manufactured economically.Furthermore, it may be expedient for the first linear guide device and the second linear guide device to be coupled in a positionally fixed manner such that the first guide axis and the second guide axis are aligned parallel to each other. This ensures that, in conjunction with a rotation axis of a rotating or swivel arm of a manipulator, the spatial movement possibilities of the end effector can be optimally utilized without requiring unnecessary multiple coverage of accessible spatial points.

[0011] Furthermore, it can be provided that the gripping device can be coupled to a rotating or pivoting arm of a manipulator by means of the second guide carriage, wherein the first guide axis, the second guide axis, and a first rotational axis of the rotating or pivoting arm that can be coupled to the gripping device lie in a common first plane. This simplifies the kinematics of a system consisting of the gripping device according to the invention and a manipulator as much as possible, while still maintaining maximum spatial coverage of the positioning options of the end effector.

[0012] In addition, it can be provided that a first displacement range of the first guide carriage along the first linear guide device and a second displacement range of the second guide carriage along the second linear guide device overlap one another at least in sections in a projection of the first guide axis and the second guide axis. According to a possible combination with the features described above, this can achieve the result that the end effector of the gripping device, when used in combination with a rotating or swivel arm of a manipulator, can be displaced in the simplest possible way with regard to its spatial position relative to the axis of rotation of the rotating or swivel arm. Furthermore, this, together with the position fixing of the two linear guide devices relative to one another, enables the simplest possible yet, in interaction with the rotating or swivel arm, to be achieved.Swivel axis of the manipulator enables very effective kinematics of the end effector.

[0013] Another advantageous embodiment is one in which the first linear guide device and the second linear guide device are of identical construction. This similarity of parts makes the manufacture of the gripping device cost-effective. According to a further development, it is possible for the first linear guide device and the second linear guide device to be positioned congruently to one another, so that the assembly comprising the first linear guide device and the second linear guide device has a plane of symmetry. This makes it possible for the first guide axis and the second guide axis to be positioned in a plane normal to the plane of symmetry, which simplifies the positioning of the end effector by displacing the guide carriages and thus subsequently makes the control of the gripping device as simple as possible.

[0014] Furthermore, it may be expedient for the gripping device to be coupled to a rotating or swivel arm of a manipulator by means of the second guide carriage, with a first axis of rotation of the rotating or swivel arm being aligned perpendicular to the plane of symmetry of the assembly consisting of the first linear guide device and the second linear guide device. This enables the simplest possible kinematics and thus also the simplest possible control of the linear guide devices.

[0015] Furthermore, the end effector can be designed to be rotatable or rotationally movable relative to the second guide carriage about a second axis of rotation. This allows the range of motion of the gripping device to be increased in the simplest possible way.

[0016] Furthermore, the end effector can comprise at least one holding element for holding a preferably plate-shaped workpiece. The holding element can be designed as a gripper, a magnetic holding element, or, for example, a vacuum gripper element, in order to easily hold a workpiece.

[0017] The invention further relates to a manipulator which is designed to pick up, manipulate and release a preferably plate-shaped workpiece to be transported, comprising a gripping device, wherein the gripping device can be designed as described above and wherein the gripping device is preferably coupled to a rotating or pivoting arm of the manipulator.This ensures that the range of movements of an end effector of the gripping device is considerably increased by the displacement possibilities of the guide carriages along the linear guide devices compared to conventionally known manipulators with end effectors, so that a workpiece to be machined can be picked up by means of the manipulator according to the invention and can further be manipulated in such a way that the workpiece can be fed to several machining steps by means of the manipulator without the workpiece having to be put down and picked up again between individual machining steps.

[0018] For a better understanding of the invention, it is explained in more detail using the following figures.

[0019] They show in a highly simplified, schematic representation:

[0020] Fig. 1 shows a possible embodiment of the gripping device;

[0021] Fig. 2 Possibilities for positioning the end effector of the gripping device.

[0022] By way of introduction, it should be noted that in the variously described embodiments, identical parts are provided with identical reference symbols or component designations. The disclosures contained throughout the description can be applied analogously to identical parts with identical reference symbols or component designations. Furthermore, the positional information chosen in the description, such as top, bottom, side, etc., refers to the directly described and illustrated figure, and these positional information must be applied analogously to the new position in the event of a change in position.

[0023] Fig. 1 shows a highly simplified, schematic representation of a possible embodiment of the gripping device 1. The gripping device 1 can comprise a first linear guide device 2 with a first guide axis 3, wherein a first guide carriage 4 can be displaced along the first linear guide device 2 in the direction of the first guide axis 3 and within a first displacement range 5.

[0024] Furthermore, an end effector 6 can be coupled to the first guide carriage 4, by means of which a workpiece, in particular a plate-shaped workpiece, can be held. The end effector 6 can comprise at least one holding element 7 for holding a workpiece. It can also be provided that the end effector 6 comprises a plurality of holding elements 7, wherein the plurality of holding elements 7 can be designed, for example, as vacuum grippers, so that a plate-shaped workpiece can be held by means of the plurality of holding elements 7. Alternatively and independently of this, other embodiments of the end effector 6 are also conceivable. For example, it can also be designed as a magnetic or pincer gripper.Furthermore, the gripping device 1 according to the invention can also comprise a second linear guide device 8 with a second guide axis 9, wherein a second guide carriage 10 can be displaced along the second linear guide device 8 in the direction of the second guide axis 9 and within a second displacement range 11.

[0025] The first linear guide device 2 and the second linear guide device 8 can further be coupled in a positionally fixed manner to one another, wherein the first guide axis 3 and the second guide axis 9 can be aligned parallel to one another. The positioning of the respective guide axis 3 or 9 can be freely selected such that, for example, it only describes the direction of movement of the respective guide carriage 4 or 10, but cannot be fixed at a specific cross-sectional point of the guide carriage 4 or 10 or of the linear guide device 2 or 8.

[0026] Furthermore, the invention can provide for the second guide carriage 10 to be coupled to a rotating or pivoting arm 12 of a manipulator 13 (not shown; see Fig. 2). The rotating or pivoting arm 12 can have a first rotation axis 14, wherein the rotating or pivoting arm 12 can be coupled to the second guide carriage 10 such that the first guide axis 3, the second guide axis 9, and the rotation axis 14 lie or are positioned in a common first plane 15.

[0027] It can also be provided, as can be seen from Fig. 1, that the first displacement region 5 and the second displacement region 11 overlap one another, at least partially or, depending on the possible embodiment of the gripping device 1, completely, with respect to a projection of the guide axes 3 and 9, or that the first and second linear guide devices 2 and 8 are positioned and fixed in position relative to one another in such a way that this circumstance arises. For this purpose, it can further be provided that the first linear guide device 2 and the second linear guide device 8 are structurally identical.The identically constructed linear guide devices 2 and 8 can therefore also be positioned congruently with one another and fixed in position relative to one another, so that an assembly consisting of the first linear guide device 2 and the second linear guide device 8 has a plane of symmetry 16, wherein the plane of symmetry 16 can preferably be aligned normal to the first plane 15, or preferably also the axis of rotation 14 can be aligned normal to the plane of symmetry 16. Independently of this, it can also be provided that the end effector 6 is rotatable or rotationally movable relative to the second guide carriage 10 about a second axis of rotation 17.

[0028] Fig. 2 shows possibilities for positioning the end effector 6 of a possible embodiment of the gripping device 1, wherein the same reference numerals or component designations are used for the same parts as in the previous Fig. 1. To avoid unnecessary repetition, reference is made to the detailed description of the previous Fig. 1.

[0029] The following description of the possibilities for positioning the end effector 6 and thus the possibilities for positioning a workpiece by means of the end effector 6 must be read in conjunction with Fig. 1 and with reference to the previous description of Fig. 1, since due to the representation options in Fig. 2, some components of the gripping device 1 cannot be represented.

[0030] By means of the end effector 6, a workpiece can be picked up, for example by picking up and holding the workpiece by means of the holding element 7 or with several holding elements 7 of the end effector 6, so that this picked up workpiece can be manipulated by correspondingly displacing the first guide carriage 4 along the first linear guide device 2 and / or the second guide carriage 10 along the second linear guide device 8 in cooperation with a manipulator 13, to which the gripping device 1 can be coupled.

[0031] By way of example, Fig. 2a) shows a first possible position of the end effector 6 relative to a tool 18. By rotating the rotating or pivoting arm 12 about the rotation axis 14, the end effector 6 can be transferred into a second possible position, as shown in Fig. 2b). By further rotation of the rotating or pivoting arm 12 and additional linear displacement of the first guide carriage 4 along the first linear guide device 2 and linear displacement of the second guide carriage 10 along the second linear guide device 8, the end effector 6 can be transferred into a third possible position, as shown in Fig. 2c). The third possible position differs from the first possible position in that the holding element 7 is positioned differently relative to a tool 18. Accordingly, a workpiece picked up by means of the gripping device 1 would also be positioned differently relative to the tool 18.Finally, the end effector 6 can be moved into a fourth possible position, as shown in Fig. 2d), by a further rotational movement of the rotating or pivoting arm 12 about the rotation axis 14. This shows that the gripping device 1 enables a workpiece picked up by the gripping device 1 to be positioned relative to a tool 18 in a variety of ways, so that a workpiece to be machined using a tool 18 does not have to be set down and picked up again by the manipulator 13 between individual machining steps in order to be able to undergo all the necessary machining steps.

[0032] The embodiments show possible embodiments, whereby it should be noted at this point that the invention is not limited to the specifically illustrated embodiments thereof, but rather various combinations of the individual embodiments with each other are also possible and this possibility of variation lies within the skill of the person skilled in the art in this technical field due to the teaching of technical action by means of the objective invention.

[0033] The scope of protection is determined by the claims. However, the description and drawings must be used to interpret the claims. Individual features or combinations of features from the various embodiments shown and described may represent independent inventive solutions. The problem underlying these independent inventive solutions can be derived from the description.

[0034] All information on value ranges in this description is to be understood as including any and all sub-ranges thereof, e.g. the information 1 to 10 is to be understood as including all sub-ranges starting from the lower limit of 1 and the upper limit of 10, ie all sub-ranges begin with a lower limit of 1 or greater and end with an upper limit of 10 or less, e.g. 1 to 1.7, or 3.2 to 8.1, or 5.5 to 10.

[0035] For the sake of clarity, it should be noted that, for a better understanding of the structure, some elements have been shown not to scale and / or enlarged and / or reduced in size.

[0036] gripping device

[0037] First linear guide device

[0038] First guide axis

[0039] First guide s sled

[0040] First relocation area

[0041] End effector

[0042] Holding element

[0043] Second linear guide device

[0044] Second guide axis

[0045] Second guide carriage

[0046] Second relocation area

[0047] Rotating or swivel arm

[0048] manipulator

[0049] First axis of rotation

[0050] First level

[0051] S y mmetry plane

[0052] Second axis of rotation

[0053] Tool

Claims

P a t e n t a n s p r ü c h e 1. Gripping device (1) for a manipulator (13) for picking up, manipulating and depositing a workpiece, comprising a first guide carriage (4) which is displaceable along a first linear guide device (2) in the direction of a first guide axis (3), and an end effector (6) which is coupled to the first guide carriage (4) for holding a workpiece, characterized in that the gripping device (1) comprises a second guide carriage (10) which is displaceable along a second linear guide device (8) in the direction of a second guide axis (9), wherein the first linear guide device (2) and the second linear guide device (8) are coupled in a position-fixed manner to one another, and in that the second guide carriage (10) can be coupled to a rotating or pivoting arm (12) of the manipulator (13), so that the end effector (6) can be moved relative to the rotating or pivoting arm exclusively by means of the linear guide devices (2, 8) in cooperation with the guide carriages (4, 10).Swivel arm (12) of the manipulator (13) is displaceable.

2. Gripping device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first linear guide device (2) and the second linear guide device (8) are coupled in a positionally fixed manner to one another such that the first guide axis (3) and the second guide axis (9) are aligned parallel to one another.

3. Gripping device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the gripping device (1) can be coupled to a rotating or pivoting arm (12) of a manipulator (13) by means of the second guide carriage (10), wherein the first guide axis (3), the second guide axis (9) and a first rotation axis (14) of the rotating or pivoting arm (12) that can be coupled to the gripping device (1) lie in a common first plane (15).

4. Gripping device (1) according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that a first displacement region (5) of the first guide carriage (4) along the first linear guide device (2) and a second displacement region (11) of the second guide carriage (10) along the second linear guide device (8) in a projection the first guide axis (3) and the second guide axis (9) overlap one another at least in sections.

5. Gripping device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first linear guide device (2) and the second linear guide device (8) are of identical construction.

6. Gripping device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the first linear guide device (2) and the second linear guide device (8) are positioned congruently to one another, so that the assembly consisting of the first linear guide device (2) and the second linear guide device (8) has a plane of symmetry (16).

7. Gripping device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the gripping device (1) can be coupled to a rotating or pivoting arm (12) of a manipulator (13) by means of the second guide carriage (10), wherein a first axis of rotation (14) of the rotating or pivoting arm (12) is aligned normal to the plane of symmetry (16) of the assembly consisting of the first linear guide device (2) and the second linear guide device (8).

8. Gripping device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end effector (6) is designed to be rotatable or rotatably movable relative to the second guide carriage (10) about a second axis of rotation (17).

9. Gripping device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end effector (6) comprises at least one holding element (7) for holding a preferably plate-shaped workpiece.

10. Manipulator (13) which is designed to pick up, manipulate and release a preferably plate-shaped workpiece to be transported, comprising a gripping device (1), characterized in that the gripping device (1) is designed according to one of claims 1 to 9.

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