ROBOT

• US 20120065779A1
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Yukihiro, Kosuge, Kazuhiro, Hirata, Yasuhisa, Kaisumi, Aya
• Granted Patent: US 9,149,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/007 Picking-up and placing mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/08 having finger members B25J15/02, B25J15/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0096 co-operating with a working support, e.g. work-table
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/043 double selective compliance articulated robot arms [SCARA]
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1612 characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/27 Arm part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/50 Miscellaneous

Abstract

A robot includes a gripping section adapted to grip an object by open and close a pair of finger sections, a moving device adapted to relatively move the object and the gripping section, and a control device adapted to control the moving device to move the gripping section relatively toward the object, and dispose the pair of finger sections in a periphery of the object, and then control the gripping section to open and close the pair of finger sections in a plane parallel to a mounting surface on which the object is mounted, pinch the object between the pair of finger sections from a lateral side of the object, and grip the object with the gripping section at least three contact points.

Claims

1. A robot comprising:

a gripping section adapted to grip an object by open and close a pair of finger sections;

a moving device adapted to relatively move the object and the gripping section; and

a control device adapted to control the moving device to move the gripping section relatively toward the object, and dispose the pair of finger sections in a periphery of the object, and then control the gripping section to open and close the pair of finger sections in a plane parallel to a mounting surface on which the object is mounted, pinch the object between the pair of finger sections from a lateral side of the object, and grip the object with the gripping section at least three contact points.

2. The robot according to claim 1 wherein

the gripping section opens and closes the pair of finger sections by translating the pair of finger sections in a direction of getting away from each other and a direction of getting close to each other.

3. The robot according to claim 1 wherein

the gripping section opens and closes the pair of finger sections by rotating at least one of the pair of finger sections around a rotational axis perpendicular to the mounting surface.

4. The robot according to claim 1 wherein

at least one of the pair of finger sections has contact with the object at least two contact points on a gripping surface adapted to grip the object from the lateral side.

5. The robot according to claim 1 wherein

the gripping section is provided with a main body section to which the pair of finger sections are coupled, and grips the object at least three contact points by making the object have contact with the pair of finger sections and the main body section.

6. The robot according to claim 1 wherein

at least one of the pair of finger sections has a guard adapted to prevent the object from jumping out in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, the guard being disposed on an opposite side to the mounting surface across the object.

7. The robot according to claim 1 further comprising:

a camera adapted to take a picture of the object,

wherein the control device detects a position of the object based on a result of taking a picture by the camera, and then controls the moving device to move the gripping section relatively toward the object.

8. The robot according to claim 7 wherein

the gripping section is provided with a main body section to which the pair of finger sections are coupled, and

the camera is attached to the main body section.

9. The robot according to claim 7 wherein

each of the pair of finger sections includes

a tip section disposed in parallel to the mounting surface, and adapted to grip the object, and

a base end section disposed in a direction of getting apart from the mounting surface, and coupled to the main body section.

10. The robot according to claim 9 wherein

the tip section of each of the pair of finger sections has a flat surface opposed to the mounting surface.

11. The robot according to claim 9 wherein

the tip section and the base end section are arranged so as to eliminate an overlap between the tip section and the base end section in a view from a direction in which the camera takes a picture of the tip section.

12. The robot according to claim 9 wherein

an angle formed between the tip section and the base end section is an obtuse angle.

13. The robot according to claim 1 wherein

the gripping section includes a detection device adapted to detect a force for gripping the object, and

the control device controls the force of the gripping section for gripping the object based on a detection result of the detection device.