Jaw tips and jaw tip assemblies for parts grippers

• US 6,302,462 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2001
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PHD Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PHD Incorporated
• Inventors: Moilanen, Steven M., Steele, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERRY, JOHNNY DAN
• Application Number:
  US09/765,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20010020791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 271 Days
• Field of Search: 294/1.1, 294/86.4, 294/82.18, 294/82.32, 294/88, 294/106, 294/115-119, 294/902, 269/257-259, 269/261, 269/262, 269/268-271, 269/279-284, 901/36-39
• US Class Current: 294/203
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0475 Exchangeable fingers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 294/902 Gripping element

Abstract

A set of angled gripperjaw tips. Each jaw tip has a gripping surface that is complimentarily angled to the other jaw tip. The gripping surfaces become substantially coplanar when closed together.

Claims

1. A set of opposable angled gripper jaw tips which comprises:

a first jaw tip;

a base formed on the first jaw tip;

a central axis disposed through the first jaw tip substantially perpendicular to the base;

a gripping surface integral with the first jaw tip;

the gripping surface is formed non-perpendicular to the central axis of the first jaw tip;

a second jaw tip;

a base formed on the second jaw tip;

a central axis disposed through the second jaw tip substantially perpendicular to the base; and

a gripping surface integral with the second jaw tip;

the gripping surface is formed non-perpendicular to the central axis of the second jaw tip;

the gripping surfaces of the first and second jaw tips are also complimentarily angled so that they become substantially coplanar when closed together.

2. The set of opposable angled gripperjaw tips of claim 1, wherein the gripping surfaces of the first and second jaw tips each have a diamond point structure.

3. The set of opposable angled gripperjaw tips of claim 1, wherein the gripping surface of the first jaw tip is aligned at 45 degrees with respect to the central axis thereof.

4. A gripper assembly comprising first and second opposable jaw members, each having a tip seat, each tip seat being substantially parallel to one another when the jaw members are in a closed position, the gripper assembly also having a set of opposable angled gripper jaw tips, the opposable angled gripper jaw tips comprising:

a first jaw tip coupled to the tip seat of the first opposable jaw member;

a gripping surface integral with the first jaw tip;

the gripping surface oriented non-parallel to the tip seat;

a second jaw tip coupled to the tip seat of the second opposable jaw member; and

a gripping surface integral with the second jaw tip;

the gripping surface oriented non-parallel to the tip seat;

the gripping surfaces of the first and second jaw tips are complimentarily angled so that they become substantially coplanar when closed together.

5. The opposable angled gripper jaw tips of claim 4, each further comprising a base, each base abuts the tip seat of the jaw members, respectively, and each base has an alignment structure which allows the jaw tips to be mounted in different orientations with respect to the jaw members.

6. The opposable angled gripper jaw tips of claim 5, when mounted in different orientations with respect to the jaw members, the gripping surfaces of the jaw tips remain complimentarily angled so that they become substantially coplanar when closed together.

7. The opposable angled gripper jaw tips of claim 4, wherein the gripping surfaces of the first and second jaw tips each have a diamond point structure that is coplanar to one another when the jaw tips are closed together.

8. A gripper assembly for holding a workpiece comprising:

first and second jaw members;

each of the jaw members having a tip seat;

each tip seat is parallel to one another when the jaw members are in a closed position;

a set of opposable gripper jaw tips, the jaw tips comprising;

a first jaw tip coupled to the tip seat of the first jaw member;

a gripping surface integral with the first jaw tip;

the gripping surface oriented non-parallel to the tip seat;

a second jaw tip coupled to the tip seat of the second jaw member;

a gripping surface integral with the second jaw tip;

the gripping surface oriented non-parallel to the tip seat;

the gripping surfaces of the first and second jaw tips are complimentarily angled so that they become substantially coplanar when in a closed position.

9. The gripper assembly of claim 8, wherein the jaw tips are configured to hold the workpiece at an angle non-parallel to the tip seats without having to move the gripper assembly to that angle.

10. The gripper assembly of claim 9, wherein the jaw tips are replaceable with a second set of jaw tips having gripping surfaces that are parallel to the tip seats.

11. A gripper assembly comprising:

a driver movable within a plane;

a pair of opposable jaw members;

at least one of the pair of opposable jaw members is movable in response to movement of the driver;

a pair of angled tips;

each of the angled tips is attached to one of the opposable jaw members;

a gripping surface is formed on each of the angled tips; and

each gripping surface is complimentarily angled to each other;

each gripping surface is oriented non-parallel and non-perpendicular relative to the plane;

each gripping surface becomes substantially coplanar to each other when the jaw members are closed together.

12. A modular gripper assembly which comprises:

a body having a yoke structure defined at one end thereof by a pair of spaced-apart wall members, and a fluid driven actuator at an opposite end, the actuator defining a first plane;

a pair of opposable jaw members, at least one of the pair of opposable jaw members being pivotal within a second plane, and each of the pair of opposable jaw members having through-slots therein and being independently removable and replaceable by other jaw members;

a single cam pin extending into the through-slots of each of the pair of opposable jaw members;

a linkage structure driven by the fluid driven actuator and coupled to the single cam pin between the pair of opposable jaw members along a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the second plane; and

a pair of tip ends which are aligned with one another;

in each tip end includes a gripping surface complimentarily angled non-parallel to the first plane defined by the actuator, and the gripping surfaces become substantially coplanar to each other when the jaw members are in a closed position.

13. The modular gripper assembly of claim 12, wherein the base of each of the first and second jaw tips has alignment structure which allows the first and second jaw tips to be mounted in different orientations with respect to gripper assembly.