Gripper system

• US 20100164243A1
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Albin, Scott R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,141,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 294/106
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/065 non-masted mobile jacks of the garage type mounted on wheels or rollers B66F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/184 Roll clamps
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/16 comprising worm and worm-wheel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 294/902 Gripping element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19828 Worm

Abstract

A gripper system having a pair of jaws operable in a first plane and having a central closure axis; each jaw including a finger member and finger tip member disposed on its distal end; and a gripper drive assembly for moving the jaws toward and away from each other; each finger member having a shaped inner contour for accommodating an object to be gripped; each finger tip member including an inner surface which generally aligns with the shaped inner contour for gripping a range of larger objects and an outer surface which generally aligns with the gripper central closure axis upon closure for gripping a range of smaller objects. Alternatively, each finger tip member may include a forcep element extending transversely to said plane.

Claims

1. A gripper system comprising:

a pair of jaws operable in a first plane and having a central closure axis;

each jaw including a finger member and finger tip member disposed on its distal end; and

a gripper drive assembly for moving said jaws toward and away from each other;

each finger member having a shaped inner contour for accommodating an object to be gripped;

each finger tip member including an inner surface which generally aligns with said shaped inner contour for gripping a range of larger objects and an outer surface which generally aligns with the gripper central closure axis upon closure for gripping a range of smaller objects.

2. The gripper system of claim 1 in which said inner surface includes an inner dihedral defining sections which genially align with said shaped inner contour.

3. The gripper system of claim 1 in which said outer surface includes an outer dihedral defining sections which generally align with the gripper central axis.

4. The gripper system of claim 1 in which said inner surface is curved.

5. The gripper system of claim 1 in which said in which said outer surface is curved.

6. The gripper system of claim 1 in which said inner contour is curved.

7. The gripper system of claim 1 in which said inner contour is a fair curve.

8. The gripper system of claim 1 in which said inner contour is a circular arc.

9. The gripper system of claim 1 in which each said finger member includes a pivot device for pivotably mounting the finger tip member to the associated finger member.

10. The gripper system of claim 9 in which said each said inner surface includes an inner dihedral defining sections which generally align with said shaped inner contour and said pivot device is disposed proximate the apex of the dihedral.

11. The gripper system of claim 9 in which each said jaw includes a stop mechanism for limiting rotation of each said finger tip member about said pivot device.

12. The gripper system of claim 11 in which each said stop mechanism includes a fork device on one of said members and a stop device on the other.

13. The gripper system of claim 1 in which each said finger member includes a pair of spaced plates fastened together by a plurality of spacers.

14. The gripper system of claim 1 in which each said finger member and finger tip member are fixed together.

15. The gripper system of claim 1 in which said gripper drive assembly includes a worm gear fixed to the proximal end of each said jaw and a worm for rotating both said worm gears.

16. The gripper system of claim 1 in which each said finger tip member includes a forcep element extending transversely to said first plane.

17. A gripper system comprising:

a pair of jaws operable in a first plane and having a central closure axis;

each jaw including a finger member and finger tip member disposed on its distal end;

a gripper drive assembly for moving said jaws toward and away from each other;

each finger tip member including a forcep element extending transversely to said first plane.