JP7373785B2 - soft gripper - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a soft gripper that can softly grip objects, and particularly to a soft gripper that can softly grip fine foodstuffs such as corn grains and soft foods such as daifuku.

At bento and side dish factories, multiple ingredients are arranged in containers, packaged, and shipped. There are a wide variety of products manufactured in bento and prepared food factories, and products are changed relatively frequently. For this reason, it is difficult to automate the production line, and most of the series of operations rely on humans.

However, the labor shortage is expected to worsen in the near future. For this reason, automation of each process by introducing robots is being considered. Automation of food plating work is also being considered as part of this effort.

In order for a robot to automatically perform food plating work, a soft gripper is needed that can grip a wide variety of soft and irregularly shaped foods softly (without damaging them).

Conventional patent documents related to soft grippers include, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below. In particular, Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration having radial claw members that can be curved both on the front and back like the legs of an octopus (see FIG. 22 (corresponding to FIG. 8C of Patent Document 2)).

Patent No. 6291553 WO2012/148472A2

In order for the soft gripper to grasp fine ingredients such as corn grains, it is important that the gaps between each element of the soft gripper after scooping up the fine ingredients are small (if the gaps are large, the fine ingredients that have been scooped out will be food may fall). In order to reduce the gap between each element of the soft gripper after the scooping operation, the inventor of the present invention has diligently studied what kind of configuration and arrangement of each element before and after the scooping operation is effective. We have been progressing.

The present invention was created in view of the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a soft gripper that can softly grip fine foodstuffs.

The present invention is a soft gripper that softly grips an object, and includes a base member positioned above the object, and a base member that is suspended downward from the base member and arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction in a plan view. and three or more scoop elements, each of the scoop elements being made of a flexible material, and a plurality of protruding elements each having an air chamber therein erected on the outer surface of each of the scoop elements. Each of the protruding elements is made of a flexible material, and each of the scoop elements is formed with a compressed air supply path that commonly communicates with the air chambers of the plurality of protruding elements. , the three or more scoop elements are curved so that their tip ends approach each other when compressed air is supplied to the compressed air supply path of the three or more scoop elements. , the distance between the tips of adjacent scoop elements is 30 mm or less, preferably 10 mm or less, more preferably 5 mm or less when the three or more scoop elements are curved. It is a soft gripper.

According to the present invention, the separation distance between the tips of adjacent scoop elements is 30 mm or less, preferably 10 mm or less, more preferably 5 mm or less when the scoop elements are curved, so that fine foodstuffs can be removed. Excellent gripping performance. The small gap in the state where the scoop element is curved can be filled by erecting a plurality of protruding elements each having an air chamber inside on the outer surface of the scoop element, and connecting the air chambers of the plurality of protruding elements via a compressed air supply path. This is achieved by supplying compressed air to achieve the bending motion (scooping motion) of the scoop element.

Examples of flexible materials include silicone, soft polyethylene, soft polypropylene, and soft polyurethane. The preferred Shore hardness is 10 to 90 degrees.

Further, for example, in each of the scoop elements, the plurality of air chambers formed by the plurality of protruding elements preferably include a plurality of lateral air chambers extending parallel to each other in the circumferential direction.

According to the findings of the present inventor, when such an air chamber layout is adopted, compressed air is supplied to the plurality of lateral air chambers and expands, thereby causing the bending operation (scooping operation) of the scoop element. This is suitably realized, and it is easy to reduce the separation distance (gap) between the tips of the scoop elements when the scoop elements are curved to 30 mm or less, preferably 10 mm or less, and more preferably 5 mm or less.

Further, in this case, in each of the scoop elements, the plurality of air chambers formed by the plurality of protruding elements include a plurality of air chambers extending parallel to each other in the vertical direction in a region above the plurality of lateral air chambers. Preferably, it further includes a vertical air chamber.

According to this, when compressed air is supplied to the plurality of vertical air chambers and expands, the scoop element is curved into an arc shape even when viewed from above, so that when the scoop element is curved, the side of the scoop element is The gap between the edges can be as small as 5 mm or less, preferably 3 mm or less.

In another example, in each of the scoop elements, the plurality of air chambers formed by the plurality of protruding elements have substantially equal three-dimensional shapes and are aligned in a central row in the vertical direction passing through the tip. It is preferable that they are arranged as a left column and a right column on the left and right sides of the center column, respectively.

According to the findings of the inventor of the present invention, even when such an air chamber layout is adopted, the bending action (scooping action) of the scoop element is suitably realized, and the scooping action when the scoop element is curved is achieved. It is easy to reduce the separation distance (gap) between the tips of the scoop elements to 30 mm or less, preferably 10 mm or less, and more preferably 5 mm or less.

In this case, the number of air chambers forming the left column is equal to the number of air chambers forming the right column, and the number of air chambers forming the center column is equal to the number of air chambers forming the left column. It is further preferable that the number of air chambers is greater than the number of air chambers or the number of air chambers constituting the right row.

According to this, compressed air is supplied to the air chambers forming the left and right rows and the air chambers in the center row, which are larger in number than the air chambers forming the left and right rows, and expand, so that the scoop element becomes circular even in plan view. Since the scoop element is curved into an arc, the gap between the side edges of the scoop element can also be reduced when the scoop element is curved.

Further, the base member may have an auxiliary cylinder portion in a region from which the three or more scoop elements are suspended.

Note that the direction in which the scoop element hangs downward from the base member is not limited to the vertically downward direction, but may be in a direction in which the lower side widens like a skirt. In this case, the scoop element before the bending operation (scooping operation) opens more widely, making it easier to grasp fine foodstuffs.

Furthermore, at least at the time of this application, the structure includes a plurality of horizontal air chambers and a plurality of vertical air chambers, and does not limit the distance between the tips of the scoop elements when the scoop elements are curved. Also claims protection as a patent. That is, the present invention provides a soft gripper that softly grips an object, including a base member positioned above the object, and a base member that is suspended downward from the base member and that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction in a plan view. three or more scoop elements disposed, each of the scoop elements being made of a flexible material, and on the outer surface of each of the scoop elements, a plurality of protruding elements each having an air chamber therein. Each of the protruding elements is made of a flexible material, and each of the scoop elements is formed with a compressed air supply path that commonly communicates with the air chambers of the plurality of protruding elements. The three or more scoop elements are curved so that their tips approach each other when compressed air is supplied to the compressed air supply path of the three or more scoop elements. In each of the scoop elements, the plurality of air chambers formed by the plurality of protruding elements include a plurality of lateral air chambers extending parallel to each other in the circumferential direction, and an area above the plurality of lateral air chambers. A soft gripper is characterized in that it includes a plurality of vertical air chambers extending vertically in parallel to each other.

The present invention also provides a soft gripper having any of the above characteristics, a robot arm that supports and positions the soft gripper, and a rotational drive mechanism that rotationally drives the soft gripper with respect to the robot arm. This is a soft gripper system characterized by:

According to the soft gripper system of the present invention, after the tip of each scoop element is inserted into the object to be gripped under the control of the robot arm, each scoop element is inserted into the object to be gripped by driving the rotational drive mechanism. The scoop element can create a groove-like mark that separates the inside and outside of the area to be gripped. Due to this tracing operation, when compressed air is subsequently supplied to the compressed air supply path of each scoop element to curve and deform each scoop element and bring the tips of each scoop element closer to each other, the tracing operation will be performed. It is possible to grasp a relatively large amount of food compared to the case where this is not carried out.

During the marking operation, the rotary drive mechanism is preferably rotated by 45 degrees or more, more preferably by 90 degrees or more, and particularly preferably by 135 degrees or more. According to the inventor of the present invention, the larger the rotation angle, the more stable the gripping amount.

According to the present invention, the separation distance between the tips of adjacent scoop elements is 30 mm or less, preferably 10 mm or less, more preferably 5 mm or less when the scoop elements are curved, so that fine foodstuffs can be grasped. It is excellent in its performance. The small gap in the state where the scoop element is curved can be filled by erecting a plurality of protruding elements each having an air chamber inside on the outer surface of the scoop element, and connecting the air chambers of the plurality of protruding elements via a compressed air supply path. This is achieved by supplying compressed air to achieve the bending motion (scooping motion) of the scoop element.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a soft gripper according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the soft gripper of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the soft gripper of FIG. 1; In the soft gripper of FIG. 1, it is a side view of the scoop element outer part in which the protruding element is installed. FIG. 5 is an inner view of the outer part of the scoop element on which the protruding elements of FIG. 4 are erected. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the outer side of the scoop element on which the protruding elements of FIG. 4 are erected. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a soft gripper according to a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 8 is a front view of the soft gripper of FIG. 7; 8 is a plan view of the soft gripper of FIG. 7; FIG. In the soft gripper of FIG. 7, it is a front view of the scoop element outer part in which the protruding element is installed. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a scoop element in the soft gripper of FIG. 7; FIG. 8 is a plan view of the scoop element in the soft gripper of FIG. 7; FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a soft gripper according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a front view of the soft gripper of FIG. 13; FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the soft gripper of FIG. 13; It is a perspective view of the soft gripper based on 4th Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 17 is a front view of the soft gripper of FIG. 16; FIG. 17 is a bottom view of the soft gripper of FIG. 16; It is a perspective view of the soft gripper based on 5th Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 20 is a front view of the soft gripper of FIG. 19; 20 is a bottom view of the soft gripper of FIG. 19; FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a conventional soft gripper.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Configuration of first embodiment)
1 is a perspective view of a soft gripper 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the soft gripper 10 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the soft gripper 10 of FIG. It is a diagram.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the soft gripper 10 of the present embodiment is a soft gripper that softly grips (without damaging) fine foodstuffs such as corn grains and soft foods such as daifuku, and The base member 11 is positioned above the base member 11.

The base member 11 of the present embodiment includes a substantially cross-shaped member 11a with a thickness of 6 mm, and four quarter arc plates 11b with a thickness of 5 mm fixed to the lower surface side of the substantially cross-shaped member 11a. There is. An annular robot arm attachment part 13 (for example, inner diameter 16 mm, outer diameter 40 mm, height 6 mm) is attached to the upper surface side of the approximately cross-shaped member 11a via four pillars 12 (for example, height 30 mm). It is provided.

A flexible scoop element 20 made of silicone is suspended vertically downward from the lower surface of each of the quarter-arc plates 11b of the base member 11. The four scoop elements 20 are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction in plan view. The shape of each scoop element 20 is a two-stage taper shape, and the length in the vertical direction is 62 mm.The length in the vertical direction from the end on the base member 11 side to 20 m where the taper angle changes is The width at the end on the base member 11 side is 43 mm, and the width at the portion 20 m where the taper angle changes is 23 mm. Moreover, the four scoop elements 20 (inner surfaces thereof) are arranged so as to be located on each side of 60 mm in plan view.

Next, FIG. 4 is a side view of the scoop element outer part 20a in which the protruding elements 31 to 39 of FIG. 4 are erected, in the soft gripper 10 of FIG. 6 is an inner view of the provided scoop element outer portion 20a, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the scoop element outer portion 20a on which the protruding elements 31 to 39 of FIG. 4 are erected.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, nine protruding elements 31 to 39 having air chambers 41 to 49 inside are symmetrically arranged on the outer surface of each scoop element 20. More specifically, the scoop element 20 is configured by bonding the scoop element outer part 20a, on which nine protruding elements 31 to 39 are erected, to the scoop element inner part 20b. The thickness of the scoop element outer part 20a is 2 mm, and the thickness of the scoop element outer part 20b is 2 mm.

The protruding element 31 has a vertical length of 12.5 mm to 15.5 mm from the tip end 20t, a width of 19 mm, and a height of 5 mm (with respect to the upper surface (outer surface) of the scoop element outer part 20a). It consists of a protruding rectangular parallelepiped section 31a and an inclined section 31b extending from the lower surface side of the rectangular parallelepiped section 31a to the tip end 20t of the scoop element 20. The slope angle of the slope portion 31b is, for example, about 22°.

The protruding elements 32 to 34 have vertical lengths of 16.5 mm to 19.5 mm, 20.5 mm to 23.5 mm, and 24.5 mm to 27.5 mm from the tip end 20t, respectively, and have a width of 19 mm. They protrude by heights of 6 mm, 7 mm, and 8 mm, respectively (with respect to the upper surface of the scoop element outer portion 20a).

The protruding elements 35 to 39 have a width of -9.5 mm to -6.5 mm and a width of -5.5 mm to -2, respectively, with the right direction being + and the left direction being - with respect to the vertical virtual line passing through the tip 20t. .5 mm, -1.5 mm to 1.5 mm, 2.5 mm to 5.5 mm, and 6.5 mm to 9.5 mm, over a vertical length of 28.5 mm to 55.5 mm, and a height of 8 mm ( (with respect to the upper surface of the scoop element outer part 20a).

The air chambers 41-49 all extend through the scoop element outer portion 20a and into the interior of each protruding element 31-39. The upper surface of the scoop element outer part 20b to which the scoop element outer part 20a is adhered is flat.

The air chamber 41 has a width of 15 mm and a height of 13.5 mm to 14.5 mm in the vertical direction from the tip 20t within the rectangular parallelepiped portion 31a of the protruding element 31 and the scoop element outer portion 20a. It has a spread of 5.5 mm (with respect to the adhesive surface with the scoop element inner part 20b).

The air chambers 42 to 44 have lengths in the vertical direction from the tip 20t of 17.5 mm to 18.5 mm, 21.5 mm to 22.5 mm, and 25. In the area of 5 mm to 26.5 mm, the width is 15 mm, and the heights are 6.5 mm, 7.5 mm, and 8.5 mm (with respect to the adhesive surface with the scoop element inner part 20b), respectively. .

The air chambers 45 to 49 have a width of - within the protruding elements 45 to 49 and the scoop element outer part 20a, respectively, with the right direction being + and the left direction being - with respect to an imaginary line in the vertical direction passing through the tip 20t. 8.5mm to -7.5mm, -4.5mm to -3.5mm, -0.5mm to 0.5mm, 3.5mm to 4.5mm, 7.5mm to 8.5mm, vertical length It extends over a length of 30.5 mm to 53.5 mm and protrudes by a height of 8.5 mm (with respect to the adhesive surface with the scoop element inner part 20b).

With the above layout, the air chambers 41 to 44 formed by the protruding elements 31 to 34 (and the scoop element outer part 20a) are horizontal air chambers that extend parallel to each other in the circumferential direction (lateral direction), The air chambers 45 to 49 formed by the protruding elements 35 to 39 (and the scoop element outer part 20a) are vertical air chambers that extend parallel to each other in the vertical direction in a region above the horizontal air chambers 41 to 44. .

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, all the air chambers 41 to 49 are commonly communicated by a vertical compressed air supply path 20c and a horizontal compressed air supply path 20d formed in the scoop element outer part 20a. There is.

The vertical compressed air supply path 20c extends in the vertical direction passing through the tip 20t, and its upper end is connected to the air supply of the compressed air introducing portion 51 formed further above the protruding element 37 on the outer surface of the scoop element 20. It communicates with the passage 52, and its lower end communicates with the air chamber 41. The vertical compressed air supply path 20c is formed to have a width of 3 mm and a height of 1 mm, for example.

The horizontal compressed air supply path 20d extends in the circumferential direction (horizontal direction) from an intermediate position in the vertical direction of the air chamber 45 to an intermediate position in the vertical direction of the air chamber 49, and intersects with the vertical compressed air supply path 20c in the middle. ing. The horizontal compressed air supply path 20d is formed to have a width of 3 mm and a height of 1 mm, for example.

A compressed air supply device (not shown) is connected to the air supply path 52 of the compressed air introduction section 51 via, for example, a compressed air supply tube (not shown). Then, by supplying compressed air to the air supply path 52 of the compressed air introducing portion 51 of each scoop element 20 by the compressed air supply device, each of the air chambers 41 to 49 is expanded and deformed by the compressed air, thereby causing each of the air chambers 41 to 49 to expand and deform. It is possible to curve each scoop element 20 so that the tip portions 20t of the scoop elements 20 are close to each other.

In particular, according to the soft gripper 10 of this embodiment, by supplying the corresponding compressed air, not only the horizontal air chambers 41 to 44 but also the vertical air chambers 45 to 49 are expanded, so that each scoop element 20 is However, each scoop element 20 can be curved into a position and orientation such that it is curved into an arc shape and the gap between the side edges of adjacent scoop elements 20 is also reduced. According to the inventor of the present invention, when the material of the soft gripper 10 has a Shore A hardness of 10, the corresponding compressed air pressure is about 20 kPa, and when the material of the soft gripper 10 has a Shore A hardness of 30, the corresponding compressed air The pressure of the soft gripper 10 is about 70 kPa, and when the material of the soft gripper 10 has a Shore A hardness of 60, the corresponding pressure of compressed air is preferably about 230 kPa.

Note that the protruding elements 31 to 39, the compressed air introducing portion 51, and the scoop element outer portion 20a may be integrally molded in advance using a three-dimensional printer or the like, or may be formed separately and bonded to each other. It's okay.

(Action of the first embodiment)
Next, the operation of the soft gripper 10 configured as above will be explained.

The soft gripper 10 of this embodiment is used with the robot arm attachment portion 13 attached to a robot arm (for example, duAro manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.), not shown.

The robot arm grasps the position of the food material to be gripped and the position of the container in which the gripped food material is to be served, for example via a sensor or an image processing system (not shown). Then, for example, by executing a predetermined control program, the soft gripper 10 is moved to grip the food material, and after gripping the food material, the soft gripper 10 is moved to the container.

When gripping food, the base member 11 of the soft gripper 10 is positioned above the food (object to be gripped) (for example, at a predetermined height) under the control of a robot arm, and the tip 20t of each scoop element 20 is placed above the food (object to be gripped). inserted inside.

Then, compressed air is supplied to the air supply path 52 of the compressed air introducing portion 51 of each scoop element 20 by the compressed air supply device. As a result, each of the air chambers 41 to 49 is expanded and deformed by the compressed air, and in particular, each scoop element 20 is curved and deformed by the expansion of the lateral air chambers 41 to 44, and the tip portions 20t of each scoop element 20 are brought close to each other. .

Furthermore, in the case of this embodiment, each scoop element 20 is curved into an arc shape even in plan view by expanding not only the horizontal air chambers 41 to 44 but also the vertical air chambers 45 to 49, so that the adjacent scoop elements 20 Each scoop element 20 can be curved to a position and orientation in which the gap between the side edges is small (about 5 mm). As a result, even small foods such as corn grains can be conveyed to a desired container (or other desired destination) without spilling after being grasped (scooped up).

(Configuration of second embodiment)
Next, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a soft gripper 110 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a front view of the soft gripper 110 of FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the soft gripper 110 of FIG. 110 is a plan view of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the soft gripper 110 of the present embodiment is also a soft gripper that softly grips (without damaging) fine foodstuffs such as corn grains and soft foods such as daifuku. The base member 111 is positioned above the base member 111.

The base member 111 of the present embodiment also includes a substantially cross-shaped member 111a with a thickness of 6 mm, and four quarter arc plates 111b with a thickness of 5 mm fixed to the lower surface side of the substantially cross-shaped member 111a. There is. An annular robot arm attachment part 113 (for example, inner diameter 16 mm, outer diameter 40 mm, height 6 mm) is attached to the upper surface side of the approximately cross-shaped member 111a via four pillars 112 (for example, height 30 mm). It is provided.

A flexible scoop element 120 made of silicone is suspended vertically downward from the lower surface of each of the quarter-arc plates 111b of the base member 111. The four scoop elements 120 are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction in plan view. The shape of each scoop element 120 consists of a pair of arc-shaped side parts facing each other and a tapered tip region, and the length in the vertical direction is 52 mm. The length in the vertical direction up to the lower end (upper end of the tapered tip region) of 120 m is 49 mm, the width of the end on the base member 11 side is 54 mm, and the lower end of the arcuate side portion (the upper end of the tapered tip region) is 49 mm. The width at 120 m (upper end) is 6 mm, and the radius of curvature of the arcuate side portion is 7.5 cm. Moreover, the four scoop elements 120 (inner surfaces thereof) are arranged so as to be located on each side of a square with one side of 59 mm in plan view.

Next, FIG. 10 is a front view of the scoop element outer part 120a in which the protruding elements 131 to 145 are erected in the soft gripper 110 of FIG. 7, and FIG. 11 is a front view of the scoop element outer part 120a of FIG. 12 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along a vertical plane passing through the portion 120t, and FIG. 12 is a plan view of the scoop element outer portion 120a of FIG. 10.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 12, on the outer surface of each scoop element 120, 15 projecting elements 131 to 145 having air chambers 151 to 165 therein are symmetrically arranged. More specifically, the scoop element 120 is configured by bonding the scoop element outer part 120a, on which the 15 protruding elements 131 to 145 are erected, to the scoop element inner part 120b. The thickness of the scoop element outer part 120a is 2 mm, and the thickness of the scoop element outer part 120b is 2 mm.

The protruding element 131 is a rectangular parallelepiped that protrudes by a height of 6 mm (with respect to the upper surface of the scoop element outer part 120a) over a width of 6 mm in an area with a vertical length of 9.2 mm to 15.2 mm from the tip portion 120t. It consists of a section 131a and an inclined section 131b extending from the lower surface side of the rectangular parallelepiped section 131a to the tip end 120t of the scoop element 120. The slope angle of the slope portion 131b is, for example, about 41°.

The protruding elements 132 to 135 have vertical lengths of 16.4 mm to 22.4 mm, 23.6 mm to 29.6 mm, 30.8 mm to 36.8 mm, and 38 mm to 52 mm from the tip end 120t, respectively, and a width of 6 mm. It protrudes by a height of 6 mm (with respect to the upper surface of the scoop element outer part 120a).

The protruding elements 136 to 139 have vertical lengths of 16.4 mm to 22.4 mm, 23.6 mm to 29.6 mm, 30.8 mm to 36.8 mm, and 38 mm to 44 mm from the distal end 120t, respectively. The width is -10.2 mm to -4.2 mm (in the area to the left of the protruding elements 132 to 135, respectively), and the height is 6 mm (the scoop element (relative to the upper surface of the outer portion 120a).

The protruding elements 140 to 143 are symmetrical to the protruding elements 136 to 139, and have vertical lengths from the tip portion 120t of 16.4 mm to 22.4 mm, 23.6 mm to 29.6 mm, and 30.8 mm to 36.8 mm, respectively. , 38 mm to 44 mm, with a width of 4.2 mm to 10.2 mm, with the right direction being + with respect to the vertical imaginary line passing through the tip 120t (in the area to the right of the protruding elements 132 to 135, respectively). ), protruding by a height of 6 mm (with respect to the upper surface of the scoop element outer part 120a).

Further, the protruding element 144 has a width of -17.4 mm to 36.8 mm in the vertical direction from the tip 120t, with the left direction being - with respect to the vertical imaginary line passing through the tip 120t. -11.4 mm (in the area further to the left of the protruding element 138) and protrudes by a height of 6 mm (relative to the upper surface of the scoop element outer part 120a).

Further, the protruding element 145 has a width of 11.4 mm to 17 mm, with the right direction being + with respect to the vertical imaginary line passing through the tip portion 120t, in an area having a length of 30.8 mm to 36.8 mm in the vertical direction from the tip portion 120t. 4 mm (in the area further to the right of the protruding element 142) and protrudes by a height of 6 mm (relative to the upper surface of the scoop element outer part 120a).

The air chambers 151-165 all extend through the scoop element outer portion 120a and into the interior of each protruding element 131-145. The upper surface of the scoop element outer part 120b to which the scoop element outer part 120a is bonded is flat.

The air chamber 151 has a width of 4 mm and a height of 10.2 mm to 14.2 mm in the vertical direction from the tip end 120t in the rectangular parallelepiped part 131a of the protrusion element 131 and the scoop element outer part 120a. It has a spread of 6 mm (with respect to the adhesive surface with the scoop element inner part 120b).

The air chambers 152 to 155 have vertical lengths of 17.4 mm to 21.4 mm, 24.6 mm to 28.6 mm, 31. In the regions of 8 mm to 35.8 mm and 39 mm to 43 mm, it has a width of 4 mm and a height of 6 mm (with respect to the adhesive surface with the scoop element inner part 120b).

The air chambers 156 to 159 have vertical lengths of 17.4 mm to 21.4 mm, 24.6 mm to 28.6 mm, and 31 mm, respectively, from the tip end 120t within the protruding elements 136 to 139 and the scoop element outer part 120a, respectively. .8 mm to 35.8 mm, 39 mm to 43 mm, and the width is -9.2 mm to -5.2 mm, with the left direction being - with respect to the vertical imaginary line passing through the tip 120t (respectively, the air chamber 152 .

The air chambers 160 to 163 are symmetrical to the air chambers 156 to 159, and have a vertical length of 17.4 mm to 21.4 mm from the tip end 120t within the protruding elements 140 to 143 and the scoop element outer part 120a, respectively. , 24.6 mm to 28.6 mm, 31.8 mm to 35.8 mm, and 39 mm to 43 mm, with a width of 5.2 mm to 9.2 mm, with the right direction being + with respect to the vertical virtual line passing through the tip 120t. (in the area to the right of the air chambers 156 to 159, respectively) and has a height of 6 mm (with respect to the upper surface of the scoop element outer part 120a).

The air chamber 164 is located within the protruding element 144 and within the scoop element outer portion 120a in an area having a length of 31.8 mm to 35.8 mm in the vertical direction from the tip 120t, with respect to an imaginary line passing through the tip 120t in the vertical direction. It has a width of -16.4 mm to -12.4 mm (in the area to the left of the air chamber 158), with the left direction being -, and a height of 6 mm (with respect to the upper surface of the scoop element outer part 120a). are doing.

The air chamber 165 is symmetrical to the air chamber 164, inside the protruding element 145 and inside the scoop element outer part 120a, in an area having a vertical length of 31.8 mm to 35.8 mm from the tip 120t. The width is 12.4 mm to 16.4 mm (in the area to the left of the air chamber 162), and the height is 6 mm (with respect to the upper surface of the scoop element outer part 120a), with the right direction being + with respect to the vertical virtual line passing through. ).

With the above layout, the air chambers 151 to 155 formed by the protruding elements 131 to 135 (and the scoop element outer part 120a) are aligned as a center row in the vertical direction passing through the tip 120t. On the left side, the air chambers 156-159 formed by the protruding elements 136-139 (and the scoop element outer part 120a) are arranged as a left column, and on the right side of the center column, the air chambers 156-159 formed by the protruding elements 136-139 (and the scoop element outer part 120a) The air chambers 160-163 formed by the element outer part 120a) are arranged in a right column.

The number "4" of the air chambers 156 to 159 constituting the left column is equal to the number "4" of the air chambers 160 to 163 constituting the right column, and the number "4" of the air chambers 151 to 155 constituting the center column. 5" is larger than the number of air chambers composing the left row or the number "4" of air chambers composing the right row.

Further, in the present embodiment, each of the air chambers 151 to 165 has substantially the same three-dimensional shape.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, all the air chambers 151 to 165 are commonly communicated through compressed air supply passages 120c to 120h formed in the scoop element outer part 120a.

The first compressed air supply path 120c extends in the vertical direction passing through the tip portion 120t, and its upper end portion is located further above the protruding element 135 on the outer surface of the scoop element 120 (for example, integrally with the protruding element 135). ) is connected to the air supply path 172 of the compressed air introducing portion 171 formed, and its lower end portion is connected to the air chamber 151.

The second compressed air supply path 120d extends in the vertical direction from the middle position in the left and right direction of the air chamber 156 to the middle position in the left and right direction of the air chamber 159. The air chamber 163 extends in the vertical direction from an intermediate position in the horizontal direction to an intermediate position in the left-right direction of the air chamber 163.

The fourth compressed air supply path 120f extends in the circumferential direction (horizontal direction) from the vertical intermediate position of the air chamber 159 to the vertical intermediate position of the air chamber 163, and the fifth compressed air supply path 120g The sixth compressed air supply path 120h extends in the circumferential direction (horizontal direction) from the vertically intermediate position of the chamber 158 to the vertically intermediate position of the air chamber 164, and the sixth compressed air supply path 120h supplies air from the vertically intermediate position of the air chamber 162 to the vertically intermediate position of the air chamber 164. It extends in the circumferential direction (horizontal direction) to an intermediate position in the vertical direction of the chamber 165.

The first compressed air supply path 120c to the sixth compressed air supply path 120h are all formed to have a width of 22 mm and a height of 11 mm, for example.

A compressed air supply device (not shown) is connected to the air supply path 172 of the compressed air introduction section 171 via, for example, a compressed air supply tube (not shown). Then, by supplying compressed air to the air supply path 172 of the compressed air introduction section 171 of each scoop element 120 by the compressed air supply device, each of the air chambers 151 to 165 is expanded and deformed by the compressed air, thereby causing each of the air chambers 151 to 165 to expand and deform. It is possible to curve each scoop element 120 so that the tip portions 120t of the scoop elements 120 are close to each other.

In particular, according to the soft gripper 110 of this embodiment, by supplying corresponding compressed air, the air chambers forming the left and right rows and the air chambers in the center row, which are larger in number than the air chambers forming the left and right rows, are expanded. By doing so, each scoop element 20 is curved into an arc shape even in a plan view, and each scoop element 120 can be curved to a position and posture in which the gap between the side edges of adjacent scoop elements 120 is small (about 3 mm). According to the inventor of the present invention, when the material of the soft gripper 10 has a Shore A hardness of 10, the corresponding compressed air pressure is about 20 kPa, and when the material of the soft gripper 10 has a Shore A hardness of 30, the corresponding compressed air The pressure of the soft gripper 10 is about 70 kPa, and when the material of the soft gripper 10 has a Shore A hardness of 60, the corresponding pressure of compressed air is preferably about 230 kPa.

Note that the protruding elements 131 to 145, the compressed air introducing portion 171, and the scoop element outer portion 120a may be integrally molded in advance using a three-dimensional printer or the like, or may be formed separately and bonded to each other. You can.

(Action of the second embodiment)
Next, the operation of the soft gripper 110 configured as above will be explained.

The soft gripper 110 of this embodiment is used with the robot arm attachment part 113 attached to a robot arm (for example, duAro manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.), not shown.

The robot arm grasps the position of the food material to be gripped and the position of the container in which the gripped food material is to be served, for example via a sensor or an image processing system (not shown). Then, for example, by executing a predetermined control program, the soft gripper 110 is moved to grip the food material, and after gripping the food material, the soft gripper 110 is moved to the container.

When gripping food, the base member 111 of the soft gripper 110 is positioned above the food (object to be gripped) (for example, at a predetermined height) under the control of a robot arm, and the tip 120t of each scoop element 120 is positioned above the food (an object to be gripped). inserted inside.

Then, compressed air is supplied to the air supply path 172 of the compressed air introducing portion 171 of each scoop element 120 by the compressed air supply device. As a result, each of the air chambers 151 to 165 is expanded and deformed by the compressed air, and the tips 120t of each scoop element 120 come close to each other.

Furthermore, in the case of the present embodiment, each scoop element 20 is curved in an arc shape even when viewed from above due to the expansion of the air chambers forming the left and right rows and the air chambers of the center row, which are larger in number than the air chambers forming the left and right rows. Therefore, each scoop element 120 can be curved to a position and orientation in which the gap between the side edges of adjacent scoop elements 120 is small (about 3 mm). As a result, even small foods such as corn grains can be conveyed to a desired container (or other desired destination) without spilling after being grasped (scooped up).

(Other variations)
In the embodiment described above, the number of scoop elements 20, 120 is "4", but it is also possible to configure it with "3", or to configure it with "5" or more. Further, the shapes of the scoop elements are preferably the same, but at least at the time of this application, the shape is not limited to such an aspect. For example, when the number of scoop elements is even, the shapes of the scoop elements are It is also possible to adopt an embodiment in which relatively small scoop elements are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the scoop elements 20 and 120 have a flat shape (linear shape in plan view) before being curved; It may have a circular arc shape when viewed. In this case, the adhesive portion with the base member is also not linear but arcuate. Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of scoop elements are formed in advance in a circumferentially connected state, and then rolled up into a cylindrical shape and bonded to the base portion.

Further, at least at the time of this application, a modification example in which the vertical air chambers 45 to 49 are not provided in the first embodiment can also be adopted. In this case, the area where the vertical air chambers 45 to 49 were provided may remain as a flat area, or the area where the vertical air chambers 45 to 49 were provided may be deleted and a short scoop element formed. may be configured. The scoop element modified in the latter manner may be bonded to the auxiliary cylinder portion of the base member. That is, the base member may have an auxiliary cylinder portion in a region from which each scoop element is suspended. The auxiliary cylinder portion may be made of a flexible material such as silicone, or may be made of a relatively hard material.

Further, the direction in which the scoop elements 20, 120 hang downward from the base members 11, 111 is not limited to the vertically downward direction, but may be in a direction in which the lower side widens like a skirt. In this case, the scoop elements 20, 120 before the bending operation (scooping operation) have a wider opening, making it easier to grasp fine foodstuffs.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a soft gripper according to a third embodiment of the invention, in which the base member 11 is partially bent so that each scoop element 20 is spread out at an inclination of 10°. The other configurations are similar to the soft gripper 10 of the first embodiment. 14 is a front view of the soft gripper of FIG. 13, and FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the soft gripper of FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a soft gripper according to a fourth embodiment of the invention, in which the base member 11 is partially bent so that each scoop element 20 is spread out at an inclination of 15°. The other configurations are similar to the soft gripper 10 of the first embodiment. 17 is a front view of the soft gripper of FIG. 16, and FIG. 18 is a bottom view of the soft gripper of FIG. 16.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a soft gripper according to a fifth embodiment of the invention, in which the base member 11 is partially bent so that each scoop element 20 is spread out at an inclination of 20°. The other configurations are similar to the soft gripper 10 of the first embodiment. 20 is a front view of the soft gripper of FIG. 19, and FIG. 21 is a bottom view of the soft gripper of FIG. 19.

(Addition of rotational drive mechanism)
Furthermore, when gripping small foods such as green onions and corn, the inventor of the present invention has proposed that the soft grippers 10 and 110 of each of the above embodiments be attached to a robot arm (for example, duAro manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.) (not shown). It has been found that it is effective to attach via the rotation drive mechanisms 13', 113' (shown by broken lines in FIGS. 2 and 8).

In this case as well, when gripping the food, the base members 11, 111 of the soft grippers 10, 110 are positioned above the food (object to be gripped) (for example, at a predetermined height) under the control of the robot arm, and each The tips 20t, 120t of the scoop elements 20, 120 are inserted into the food material.

In this case, after the insertion operation, by driving the rotary drive mechanisms 13' and 113', grooves are formed in the food material to separate the inside and outside of the area to be gripped by the scoop elements 20 and 120. It is possible to leave a mark (marking action) .

The inventor of the present invention proposed that by performing such a marking operation (marking step) , each scoop element 20, 120 is then curved and deformed by a compressed air supply device to form a tip portion 20t of each scoop element 20, 120. , 120t are close to each other, it has been confirmed that it is possible to grasp a relatively large amount of food compared to the case where no tracing operation is performed.

In the soft grippers 10 and 110 of each of the embodiments described above, the four scoop elements 20 and 120 are arranged on each side of the square in plan view, so a rotation of 90 degrees can cover the entire circumference. A tracing action is achieved. However, according to the inventor's demonstration experiment, a significant effect can be confirmed by rotating by 45 degrees, and a larger amount of food can be gripped by rotating by 135 degrees. Furthermore, according to the inventor's demonstration experiment, the larger the rotation angle, the more stable the gripping amount becomes.

10 Soft gripper 11 Base member 11a Cross-shaped member 11b Quadrant arc plate 12 Support column 13 Robot arm mounting portion 13' Rotation drive mechanism 20 Scoop element 20a Scoop element outer part 20b Scoop element inner part 20c Vertical compressed air supply path 20d Horizontal compressed air Supply path 20m Part 20t where the taper angle changes Tip part 31 Projecting element 31a Rectangular parallelepiped part 31b Inclined parts 32 to 34 Projecting elements 35 to 39 Projecting elements 41 to 44 Air chamber (horizontal air chamber)
45-49 Air chamber (vertical air chamber)
51 Compressed air introduction part 52 Air supply path 110 Soft gripper 111 Base member 111a Cross-shaped member 111b Quarter-arc plate 112 Support column 113 Robot arm attachment part 113' Rotary drive mechanism 120 Scoop element 120a Scoop element outer part 120b Scoop element inner part 120c First compressed air supply passage 120d Second compressed air supply passage 120e Third compressed air supply passage 120f Fourth compressed air supply passage 120g Fifth compressed air supply passage 120h Sixth compressed air supply passage 120t Tip portion 131 Projecting element 131a Rectangular parallelepiped portion 131b Inclined portions 132 to 135 Projecting elements 136 to 139 Projecting elements 140 to 143 Projecting elements 144 Projecting elements 145 Projecting elements 151 to 155 Air chamber (center row)
156-159 Air chamber (left row)
160-163 Air chamber (right row)
164 Air chamber 165 Air chamber 171 Compressed air introduction section 172 Air supply path

Claims (9)

A soft gripper that softly grips an object,
a base member positioned above the object;
three or more scoop elements hanging downward from the base member and arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction in a plan view;
Equipped with
each of the scoop elements is constructed from a flexible material;
A plurality of protruding elements each having an air chamber therein are erected on the outer surface of each of the scoop elements,
each of the protruding elements is constructed from a flexible material;
Each of the scoop elements is formed with a compressed air supply path that commonly communicates with the air chambers of the plurality of protruding elements,
The three or more scoop elements are curved so that their tips approach each other when compressed air is supplied to the compressed air supply path of the three or more scoop elements,
The distance between the tips of adjacent scoop elements is 30 mm or less when the three or more scoop elements are curved,
In each of the scoop elements, the plurality of air chambers formed by the plurality of protruding elements include a plurality of lateral air chambers extending parallel to each other in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of lateral air chambers extending in a vertical direction in an area above the plurality of lateral air chambers. a plurality of vertical air chambers extending parallel to each other; A soft gripper that softly grips an object,
a base member positioned above the object;
three or more scoop elements hanging downward from the base member and arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction in a plan view;
Equipped with
each of the scoop elements is constructed from a flexible material;
A plurality of protruding elements each having an air chamber therein are erected on the outer surface of each of the scoop elements,
each of the protruding elements is constructed from a flexible material;
Each of the scoop elements is formed with a compressed air supply path that commonly communicates with the air chambers of the plurality of protruding elements,
The three or more scoop elements are curved so that their tips approach each other when compressed air is supplied to the compressed air supply path of the three or more scoop elements,
The distance between the tips of adjacent scoop elements is 30 mm or less when the three or more scoop elements are curved,
In each of the scoop elements, the plurality of air chambers formed by the plurality of protruding elements have substantially the same three-dimensional shape, are aligned as a center row in the vertical direction passing through the tip, and A soft gripper characterized in that the soft grippers are arranged on the left and right sides of the row as a left row and a right row, respectively. The number of air chambers forming the left column is equal to the number of air chambers forming the right column,
3. The soft gripper according to claim 2, wherein the number of air chambers constituting the center row is greater than the number of air chambers constituting the left row or the number of air chambers constituting the right row. A soft gripper that softly grips an object,
a base member positioned above the object;
three or more scoop elements hanging downward from the base member and arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction in a plan view;
Equipped with
each of the scoop elements is constructed from a flexible material;
A plurality of protruding elements each having an air chamber therein are erected on the outer surface of each of the scoop elements,
each of the protruding elements is constructed from a flexible material;
Each of the scoop elements is formed with a compressed air supply path that commonly communicates with the air chambers of the plurality of protruding elements,
The three or more scoop elements are curved so that their tips approach each other when compressed air is supplied to the compressed air supply path of the three or more scoop elements,
In each of the scoop elements, the plurality of air chambers formed by the plurality of protruding elements include a plurality of lateral air chambers extending parallel to each other in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of lateral air chambers extending in a vertical direction in an area above the plurality of lateral air chambers. a plurality of vertical air chambers extending parallel to each other; A soft gripper according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
a robot arm that supports and positions the soft gripper;
a rotational drive mechanism that rotationally drives the soft gripper with respect to the robot arm;
A soft gripper system featuring: 6. A method of using the soft gripper system according to claim 5 , comprising:
an insertion step of controlling the robot arm to insert the tip of each scoop element of the soft gripper into the object to be gripped;
After the insertion step, by driving the rotational drive mechanism, a marking step of forming a groove-like mark in the object to be grasped by each scoop element to separate the inside and outside of the region to be grasped;
After the marking step, supplying compressed air to the compressed air supply path of each scoop element to curve and deform each scoop element;
A method characterized by comprising: 7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein in the marking step, the rotary drive mechanism is rotated by 45 degrees or more. 8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein in the marking step, the rotary drive mechanism is rotated by 90 degrees or more. 9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein in the marking step, the rotary drive mechanism is rotated by 135 degrees or more.

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