GRASPING APPARATUS HAVING BAG MEMBERS FILLED BY A GRANULAR SUBSTANCE

• US 20130033050A1
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Hirofumi, Tamura, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,651,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 294/86.4
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0023 Gripper surfaces directly activated by a fluid flexible fingers B25J15/12
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/12 with flexible finger members
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/90 Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 1/42 Gripping members engaging only the external or internal surfaces of the articles for handling or stripping castings or ingots during manufacture B22D29/00

Abstract

The grasping apparatus includes a grasping portion for grasping a workpiece. This grasping portion has i) pawl portions having squeezing portions that squeeze the workpiece, and ii) contact portions, each of which has an inner bag made of elastic material, and a granular substance that is filled in the inner bag. The contact portions are attached to portions of the squeezing portions that contact the workpiece, and harden the granular substance while keeping it in an appropriate shape by increasing a volume ratio of the granular substance to an inner volume of the inner bags. Retaining portions that have concavo-convex shapes are formed on the attaching surfaces that are portions of the squeezing portions that the contact portions attach to.

Claims

1. A grasping apparatus comprising:

a grasping portion for grasping a workpiece, the grasping portion including i) pawl portions having a plurality of squeezing portions that squeeze the workpiece, and ii) contact portions, each of which has a bag member made of elastic material, and a granular substance that is filled in the bag member, the contact portions being attached to portions of the squeezing portions and arranged in use to contact the workpiece, and hardening the granular substance while keeping the granular substance in an appropriate shape by increasing a volume ratio of the granular substance to an inner volume of the bag member,

wherein a retaining portion that has a concavo-convex shape is formed at a portion of each of the pawl portions, that the corresponding contact portion attaches to.

2. The grasping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the contact portions includes an outer bag that is made of aramid fiber and that covers the bag member.

3. The grasping apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the bag member is housed inside the outer bag in a state relatively displaceable with respect to the outer bag.

4. The grasping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the granular substance is ceramic fragments in which a shape of grains that make up the granular substance is a shape other than generally spherical.

5. The grasping apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the grains of the granular substance that are formed of artificial ceramic including at least Al₂O₃ and SiO₂, that has been crushed such that an average grain diameter is approximately 0.4 to 0.5 mm, inclusive, are shaped with edge portions.

6. The grasping apparatus according to claim 1 comprising evacuating means connected to each bag member, wherein the evacuating means is operable to adjust the pressure in the bag member.